page 48 in his differencing of gratia gratis data and gratia gratum faciens you will find him as excellent a Schoolman or schoolboy rather Page 2. he saith that in Religion the Law is our marke or way from which if we swerve we sin But is not the Gospel our way therein also and that in a speciall manner of our Christian Faith and Religion That defect is the general nature of sin but is not excess which is the other extreme sinfull also That this defect is an inclination or action repugnant to the Law But what thinks he of evill words as false accusation lying cursing and swearing such as he frequently useth are not they sinfull also That there is in sin a double formality repugnancy to the Law and guilt But guilt is the effect and not the form of sin That the former of these two is a comparison with the Law but it is a disparison or dissimilitude therewith that the first fin of man was the disobedience of our first Parents in eating the forbidden fruit But if he understands it of their actuall eating of that fruit he is much mistaken for as the womans actual eating thereof did go before the mans so many gradual evils did precede them both as first diffidence incredulitie to Gods word who had expresly said in the day that thou shalt eat thereof dying thou shalt dye Secondly too much eare and credence given to the devils lying promise who said ye shall not die but be as gods knowing good and evill Thirdly the too much liking and approbation of the forbidden fruit Fourthly the hungring or thirsting after it Fifthly contempt of Gods justice Sixthly ingratitude towards him for all his former goodnesse And lastly their consenting to Satan and resolution to eat of that fruit That in the generall all our corruption and misery is sprung from that first sin of the first Adam Contrary to what the Lord saith Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe But here he saith more particularly that eternall death came upon all their posterity by that first sin Contrary to Gods express Law Deut. 24.16 where God will not have the son to suffer a temporall death and much lesse an eternal for the fathers sin and directly contrary to Gods oath Ezek. 18.3 4. As I live saith the Lord God ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall die So ver 20. The son shall not be are the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him Num. 16.22 Shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the Congregation That the corruption aversnesse of our nature came from that fall aforesaid Pag 3. that all our actuall sins doe spring from thence See to the contrary Eccles 7.29 That the first sin of man is the cause of all other sins and punishments which is true of each mans personal fall and disobedience and not of the other That the Spirit by the Law entitles us to Adams sin He means the first Adams as a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountain to the cistern and as the children of traitors have their blood tainted with the treason of their fathers and as the children of bondslaves are under their parents conditions But all these similitudes are but shaws to catch woodcocks for neither was the first Adam either the root or fountain of our soules which are Gods immediate workmanship Isai 57.16 for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made nor are our bodies unclean by birth being created to be Temples for the Holy Ghost nor are traytors children usually tainted with their fathers treason though by the civil Law of some Countreys in proditionis terrorem they are ignobled in their blood and dignity nor was Adam himselfe a bond-slave to sin but by the grace of regeneration Gods free-man Rom. 6.18 before he begat any children nor doth the sinful corruption of our parents pass to us more then the graces and virtues of those that are or were righteous for both these are spiritual things which nature cannot convey but he seeks to prove what he saith by some Scriptures long since worn thred-bare by allegation to that effect Joh. 3.5 Rom. 5.12 20 21. 1 Cor. 15.47 48 49. Ephes 2.3 Iob 4.4 Psal 51.5 Isai 48.8 Gen. 8.21 To all which we will give answer in the order set down with what brevity we can having answered the same at large in our Examen As for that Ioh. 3.5 Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh it is true of the wisedome of the flesh and of the righteousnesse of the flesh as well as of the open sin but Christ speaks not here of the naturall birth of men but of a spiritual be it true or false As for Rom. 5.12 13 20. the Apostle speaks there thus Therefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death went over all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so far as all have sinned for so Chrysostome and Erasmus and others read those words for untill the Law sin was in the world but where there is no Law sin is not imputed or reputed for sin Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that is to come But not as the offence so is the free gift for the judgment was of one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of Righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to the justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Unto which long Text we give this short answer First that it is a parallel and opposition betwixt Adams mischief and Christs remedy and cure but few in these days of supposed rather then true light understand either the one or the other aright for besides the first Adam or man whom the Vindicator with many more for want of a true Judicator here understands there are foure Adams mentioned both in the Scriptures and other writers The first is our natural or earthly man which is the creature of this world of whom our Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15 41. The first man is of the earth earthly The second is
receive those two gifts of justification and regeneration by the death of Christ for though remission of sins is purchased thereby for the true beleevers yet that is neither regeneration nor justification in the Apostles sense nor is justification purchased thereby for he that made us had power to regenerate without any such purchase That therefore it follows that out of the first Adam to wit our first parent there issued a double evil unto and upon us to wit guilt and corruption we deny as false and inconsequent That in this derivative the sin which he speaks of is an universal corruption is false likewise in which are two great evils as he saith Sed sublato sub ecto tollitur ad unctum Pag. 5. That in it first there is a general defect of all righteousnesse in which we were at first created to wit in our first patents First it is manifestly false as also that any such defect is derived unto us who are still created righteous and holy and after the image of God as these ensuing Texts doe clearely prove besides many more that might be added Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God created he man to wit him that is so killed or else the argument is of no force Jam. 3.9 Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God and therewith curse we man who is created after the similitude of God Ecclesiast 7.29 Lo this have I found that God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions Jer. 2.21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me That this pretended derivative sin to be so conveyed from the first Adam to us is an inherent deordination evil disposition disease propension to all mischief and antipathy and aversation to all good which the Scripture calls the flesh the wisdome of the flesh the body of sin earthly members the works of the Devil the Hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire Jam. 3.5 6. Rom. 8.6 7. Jam. 3.15 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 3.8 Unto which I say that although all those names are justly given to the body of sin especially when it is fully formed in men with all his members yet first there is no such thing found in children of whom our Saviour saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such and that unlesse we be born again after our fall and corruption and become like them in humility righteousnesse love and meeknesse we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Matth. 18.3 Mar. 10.14 15. Doth not Paul also give us this charge 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be ye not children in understanding howbeit in malice or naughtiness be children where he implyeth that children have no malice or naughtinesse in them and if sin be the workmanship of the Devil as he out of 1 John 3.8 confesseth I would demand whether the Devil had an hand in the creation of children which he must if this sin be his workmanship But that which follows there that no man can be more sensible of the through-malignity of this derivative corruption then Paul was when he cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Is first the old mistake and afterwards backed with this errour and peice of nonsense untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualness penetration and compass of the holy Law which measures the very bottome of every action for Paul could not be so sensible of his sins malignity till his understanding was so opened nor till he had been scourged also for it by the work of the Law as all men are whom God brings to be and maketh his sons Psal 94.12 Heb. 12. That the Law condemns as well the original as the Acts of sin is true of prohibition but not of condemnation for each sinful motion is by the Law discovered and prohibited but we are not condemned for the same till we approve or like of the temptation in some measure Those ensuing positions are also false First that Paul Rom. 5.14 understands by Adam and Moses our first parent and him that was the Lawgiver but two distinct estates in men as was said before which may appear out of the foregoing verse compared with this For untill the Law sin was in the world that is before the inward Moses Lawgiver or reprover cometh unto men but where there is no Law sin is not reputed for sin for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred Secondly because he saith that death reigned from Adum which is the natural man in his first defection till Moses or one that draweth out of the water of sin That the men who sinned between the first Adam's age and the time of Moses did not sin after the similitude of Adams transgression against the clear revelation of Gods holy will as Adam did Yet they did for the same God that did forbid the eating of the forbidden fruit doth ever since prohibit and forbid every sin in every mans soul that is against the moral Law Rom. 2.15 Which shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Was not Enoch a Prophet in his time see Jude 1.14 and was not Noah the eight preacher of righteousness as the Apostle calls him 2 Pet. 2.5 were not the men of the old World destroyed for their known wickedness and shut into the infernal prison for their apparent disobedience 1 Pet. 3.19 20. so that the Vindicators misapprehension of this place of mens sinning for want of such light as Adam had is full of darkness As for those over whom death reigned from Adam to Moses and who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression we say that as Adam and Moses are two inward states so may these be inward spiritual messengers of God represented by Abel and others as well as the inward Adam and Moses of which he speaks for such a generation of righteous ones which never sinned we find slain by the wicked and incorrigible generation of men Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah the son of Barachiah for though men usually in reading this and other Scriptures look no further then the letter yet I demand of them how in justice could all the righteous blood shed from the beginning come upon that wicked and unbeleeving generation of the Jews if they had not inwardly slain a spiritual Abel and other messengers of God even to a spiritual Zachariah that is the Lord remembrancer the son of Barachiah that is of the Lords benediction as all his inward messengers are yea it is true which Abraham answered to
A REVINDICATION Set forth by William Parker In the behalfe of Dr. Drayton deceased and himself Of the Possibility of a Total mortification of Sin in this life And Of the Saints perfect obedience to the Law of God To be the Orthodox Protestant Doctrine and no Innovations as they are falsly charged to be of Dr. DRAYTON and W. PARKER In an ILLOGICALL VINDICATION Wherein the necessity of sins remaining in the best Saints as long as they live and the impossibility of perfect obedience to the Law of God is ignorantly and perversly avouched to to be the Orthodox Protestant Doctrine by one who subscribeth his name JOHN TENDRING The Anagram whereof is ' GINNE TO HINDER What! ' Ginne to hinder doctrines so divine Which teach in heavenly purity the Trine Would have the man to live without the sin The blessed state he was created in Under pretence of innovations late Taught by truths Lovers whom your soul doth hate Witness your tongue in flamed with hels fire Calling us Jesuits acting for Romes hire What! must Jehovah nil he will he dwel With sin while Saints retain their earthly cell What! did not Abraham drive the sowles away Gen. 15.11 Which came upon the Sacrifice to prey Was he compell'd to let them there abide No thence he forc'd them ere the evening-tide And must best Saints keep sin that soul disease Without their will till death bring their release Fie John Tendering this Vindication You settle sin Gods abomination I' th soul foretold of desolation Matth. 24.15 Which we remove but you cry out and say We teach to hell The clean contrary way London Printed by W.G. and are to be sold with the Examen to the late Synods Confession of Faith by Nathaniel Brook at the sign of the Angel in Cornhill and John Orme in Pellican-Court in Little Britain M.DC.LVIII The Vindicator before he entreth upon the prosecution of his sinful business in plain terms doth present a Preface to his beloved friends in Scripture-phrase like to a Pharisaical Saint with a specious salutation in the front of it A true Paraphrase of both which as they must intend in reference to his Position we shall offer the impartial and intelligent Reader in manner and form following TO all Lovers of Gods truth which I call Gods truth namely to live in sin and disobedience as long as we precious Saints live in houses of clay grace I wish to you yea so much grace as to be content to live in sin and disobedience to Gods law without hearkening to our enemies contrary doctrines and also peace I wish you even as much peace as you can expect by living all your life long in sinne for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.21 through Jesus Christ Who is no minister nor allower of sin but a faithful redeemer of his eminent Saints from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 The Vindicators first paragraph of his Preface beginneth thus Beloved friends for so I may call you who stick as close to my sinful cause as my skin doth to my sinful flesh These are the times foretold wherein there shall be a falling away from our sinful positions and defection from the faith of our sinful doctrine hereafter to be named as a forerunner of the great and terrible day to the man of sinne 2 Thes 2.8 and of the losse of our credit with all sober and wise people for our maintaining that sin will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live in houses of the clay that Adam our first parent was made out of There are many false prophets that is to us and our sinful cause whose study and labour is to undeceive poor souls though I say to deceive them if it were possible the very elect and choice ones who yet fight and contend for sin to remain in the best Saints as long as they live that so they may not be esteemed for better Saints then our selves are who live as it is well known to our neighbours we do I call them men confident in an arm of flesh Goliah-like to terrifie our weak ones who know not the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 from hearkning to them because to say so it maketh a great noise in the eares of our friends by reason that Jeremiah saith cap. 17.5 Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arm though the truth is we our selves are the men confident in an arm of flesh because that sin is called flesh Gal. 5.19 20 21. and therefore to be confident for sins remaining in the best of Saints untill death is to be confident in the arm of flesh Goliah-like which signifieth as one saith fleeting away as indeed we are like to be for they defie the whole Israel of God that is all the prevailers of the God of this world who blindeth the mindes of unbelievers 2 Cor. 4.4 to make them the more hardy in a sinful cause as who more bold then blind bayard And Goliah-like we are like to be when little David the lovely servant of God with some pebble-stones 1 Sam. 17.4 out of the stony law Deut. 4.13 doth hit the champion in the fore noddle and throw him down to the earth from whence he came Rev. 3.11 But as long as I can stand to it I shall not as I tell you in my next paragraph be daunted by the foresaid Prophets who oppose our falshood however I am esteemed among them so that you my friends hug me and love me for ingaging in this sinful quarrel to maintain that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live I tell them in the said paragraph that applause I mean from them shall not swell us for we are not like to have much from them and their dispraise shall not deject us so that you my beloved friends continue to applaud us but if you do not we shall be dead in the nest I tell them their greatnesse shall not affright us because they are but yet few for we are as yet the greatest in number of what rank soever and my hopes are we shall continue so if I can but cunningly abuse them with swelling word of vanity as you see I do my utmost in this my Preface to keep them unto us which I doubt I shall not long do but untill they lay bare the nakednesse of my Vindication Yet as I tell you in my next paragraph I am resolved when the glory of the God of this world lyeth at the stake as it did when the Goddesse Diana Act. 19.26 27. was preached against and her crafts-men were like to lose all their gain because her magn ficence was neer pulling down And therefore beloved friends being such a people as we are we must not when such Prophets do so openly endeavour to undeceive our choice ones that they may live no longer in a perswasion that they must sinne while they live here we must not I say stand by with a guilty silence as if we were
John Tendrings friends must acknowledge if he be not alwayes a jugler that he meant this preface though varnished with Scripture-phrases should relate as consentanies together and also he would be found a consentany to them both in reference to his ultimate end namely to maintain though he cannot do it that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live Hence when he saith in the front of his salutes To all lovers of Gods truth we ask all unbiassed and understanding men whether he can mean if he intend the maintaining his positions any others but such that love his sinful positions and love that sin will remain in them as Gods truth as long as they live When he wisheth grace to them what grace doth he wish them but grace to keep themselves in a sinful life for he saith it is the Orthodox Protestant doctrine that sin will remain in the best Saints at long as they live When he wisheth them peace what can he wish but that they may be quiet not disturbed by endeavouring to mortifie all their sinnes in this mortal life because he affirms to his friends that sin will remain in them as long as they live When he saith grace and peace through Jesus Christ what can those words through Jesus Christ intend if considered in reference to his positions but that he would fain have Christ and sin dwell and be yoked together in him and his friends though it be contrary to the Apostles dehortation 2 Cor. 6.14 15. and so to have peace in a way quite contrary to that Ephes 2.14 15. where is hinted that the partition-wall of sin is to be broken down what is it but a plain mocking of Christ absit blasphemia dicto to call him the faithful redeemer of all his Saints and yet he doth not by the Vindicators doctrine redeem them from all sin in this life as if Christ either cannot or will not redeem them from all sins that they may serve the Lord without blame in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of their lives Luk. 1.74 75. Ephes 1.4 And whom can he call in his first paragraph his beloved friends if he mind his positions but such as stick to him in maintaining that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live and also will be ready to do us all the envious mischief they can for opposing them in teaching the contrary truths for none that read his book and have heard his scandalizing of us can believe that he accounteth us and them of our mind beloved friends What times can he mean when he saith these are the times foretold c. must not he mean if he will have his sinful positions still maintained the times wherein there is a falling away from this positions a defectioÌ„ from believing them Must not he mean when he saith as a forerunner of the great and terrible day even the forerunner of the great and terrible day to the man of sin 2 Thes 2.8 by the the downfall of his positions when Jannes which signifieth as an Onomastick saith one to be brought under and Jambres one who hath a sea in his head according to that Isa 57.20 shall proceed and prevail no further 2 Tim. 3.8 9. so that our Vindicator is more then bodily afraid he and his party shall be put out of credit if our doctrines of a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this life be once resenned and received Must not he mean when he saith there are many false Prophets among us such as prophesie and evidence the Scripture against his tenents aforesaid wherefore they are to him and his friends like Michajah to Abah who said that Michaâ—ah never in his sense of goodness spake good to him who sold himsellf to do wickedness Must not he mean by such false Prophets whose study is to deceive poor souls even the very elect those whose study and labour is if he mind his positions to undeceive poor souls by perswading them that sin shall pot if they will be baptized into Christs death Rom. 6.2.4 5. remain in them as long as they live and must not he mean by his elect if he mind what he saith of his positions such as are ordained and chosen let himself name by whom to remain in sin for his posâ—â—ion is that sinne will remain in the best Saints as long as they live When he calleth them men confident in an arme of flesh can any wise man who mindeth and understandeth his position think that those words can reach us who perswade all men to believe a possibility of mortifying all sin in them through the grace and help of Christ but that they reach only such men who like himself teach and maintain with bold confidence that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because that sin is called flesh as aforesaid And therefore to maintain sin as the Vindicator and his friends do is to be confident in an arm of flesh And can a wise man believe his words do reach us where he saith Goliah -like the great Giant against little David when as the Veterator doth boast they are a hundred to one or two of us who said with him in his opinion and also such as were ready to joyn with him in petition to the higher powers against us with confidence they shall prevail though we know it will not be with dint of arguments but by dint of sword if they do prevaile against us and if so surely the Veterator and his complices are Goliah-like men confident in an arme of flesh when they would be willing to take such conâ—ses against us But let us have but our liberty to preach in their Pulpits our doctrines of a possibility of a total mortifica tion of sin in this life through the grace and help of Christ then as the Prophet said 1 King 18.24 Let the God which answereth by fire to purge away the filthinesse of Jerusalem by the spirit of judgment and burning Isai 4.4 be God and therefore if the doctrine of a possibility of a total mortification in this life be of God it will stand Act. 15.38 39. if not let Baal plead for himself Judg. 6.31 32 33. But to proceed what can the Vindicator mean in the next words of his preface of which number we have to deal with but with them as our selves do who plead against Baal and against the necessity of sins remaining in the best Saints as long as they live for that is his assertion in his Vindication that sinne will remain as aforesaid and therefore they are such as contradict his positions that he will deal with for he professeth that he will maintain them to the utmost of his little wit What can he mean where he saith in his next pargraph he regardeth not how he is esteemed of in this world for ingaging in this quarrel but that he regardeth not what contrary-minded men to himself
the true Church of Christ rending it with divisions and contentions for the sins cause to maintain that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live And thus rending the true Church by maintaining such division Joh. Tendring doth verifie another Anagram of his name Hot in rending Some men are fervent that no sin remain Some are more hot its being to maintain Those with tongue John Tendring's hot in rending These for his Saints hotter in defending You see his name suites with his Anagram Hence sins abetter he may say I am Hence sinners Champion you may call his name To plead for sin hence John doth take no shame Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own eyes Prov. 26.15 A Confutation of the two subsequent Positions 1. That sinne will remain in the best Saints as long as they live in houses of clay 2. That it is impossible for the best Saints to obey the Law of God perfectly in this life HAving paraphrased the Vindicators preface and demonstrated the same paraphrase to be apt and genuine in a Relative sense to the Vindicators positions we come next to speake of the said positions laid down in the Pamphlet it selfe which is so full of digressions and perverted Texts of Scripture of Tautologies contradictions nonsense and other absurdities besides the error and impiety of his propositions that we doubted not but in a short time quin mole sua rueret but that it would ruinate it selfe Yet lest the Princock by our silence should grow proud of his borrowed feathers and others either be misled or confirmed in their error by what he hath written we thought good to put forth this short answer wherein we follow him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discover his errors howbeit the Reader must not expect the formall word Answer in our replies to this vindication for this we usually doe either by the adversitive word but or the interposition of a pasenthesis a connter-question or limitation in the close or some such like opposition and qualification to correct what he saith which when we have done in an anasceuastical and confutatory way we will cataâ—scustically establish what we have undertaken to maintain But first let us take a view of the positions themselves the first of which is this as he hath stared it That sin will have a being in the best of men so long as their souls have a being in the houses of clay Whence these absurdities will follow First that sin comes originally from Jehovah in that it is said to have a being for nothing is said to have a being of essence or existence but what first comes from the Being of beings Jehovah himselfe Secondly he here makes sin to be a supreme if not an almighty commander in that he saith sin will have such a being Thirdly herein he makes little difference between grown men and babes in Christ for sin saith he will have a being in the best of them till death Fourthly he doth not here exempt Christ himselfe as he was man Fifthly he makes our bodies or houses of clay to be the proper domicil and seat of sin and then neither Adam in his innocency nor Christ as man were free from sin for both dwelt originally in houses of clay The second position is this That no man can by grace in this life perform such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same or to be thereby justified otherwise then by Christ of Orace given From whence you may observe these things likewise First that this man whose name Iohn imports the grace of God is called so per Antiphrasin for he is an enemy to and with Herod an imprisoner of the grace of God Secondly he questions not what men do de facto but what men can do in this life with the utmost helpe of grace Thirdly he makes the Law simply unlawfull because it is impossible as he saith to observe it both to nature and grace Fourthly he doth not here reserve a place of possibility for Christ himselfe as man to fulfill it Fifthly it appears here that the Vindex is a great lover of forbidden fruit for whereas Doctor Drayton told him at the first that he would not in this controversie have any thing to do with the worke of justification this man will needs bring in that by hook or by crook Sixthly that he is yet caught in the same snare which he laid for another for he tacitly saith that we cannot be justified by such a perfect obedience to the Law of God otherwise then by Christ of grace given and so say we yea if he grants us this he yields the other question also for he that can be justified by such a fulfilling of the Law through the grace of Christ hath no sin unsubdued left in him And if he runs into so many absurdities as he lancheth forth what will he doe when he comes into the maine His first and grand impertinency is this that he spends the first ten pages in a Common-place about sin wherein he is so intangled that he can scarcely find the way out again of which take this short account Pag. 1. He tells us that to the intent his ensuing discourse may be proper profitable for the informing of the weak establishing them in the faith of the truth which next after the glory of God which is not much glorified by our continuance in sin which is that he pleads for and the advancement of the truth which he directly here represseth is the onely thing here by him intended he shal observe this method there following But ere we come to that what difference is there betwixt the establishment of men in the faith of the truth the advancement of the truth which he makes two distinct things But what is his intended method First saith he I shall define what sin is in the generall which he may the better doe because of his long acquaintance with it which by his calculation of his age was twenty foure yeares before his Mother bare him and perhaps some years before her birth also Secondly he will shew what the first sin was Thirdly what were the causes of it Fourthly the effects of it Thus he loves still to ramble about from his right station And lastly what original sin is But what difference is there between the first sin and original sin which here he makes two things He tells us here also that the Hebrew word translated sin signifies properly misdoing or missing of the marke as if the Hebrews had not many words to denote sin though he can name none of them This learned Linguist tels us page 26. that the Apostle doth usually distinguish betwixt peccatum and crimen as if the Apostles writ unto the Churches in Latine Pag. 66. he shews also what a Logician he is making the efficient and formall causes of justification to be passive as well as active And
that such as are in Christ who are truly incorporated first into his death and then into the similitude of his resurrection that they have no sin in them for they walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that Paul rejoyceth here that sin was not able to condemn him though it was in him as he had confessed in the former chapter that the evil that he would not that he did and that he saw a Law in the members rebelling against the Law of his mind But this sin will condemn any man where it remaineth as the Apostle saith Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sin is death and that of corruption Ephes 4.22 that ye put off the old man which is corrupting or destroying with its deceitful lusts for so the best Translators read the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being the Apostles argument why he would have the old man put off But he saith that here he expects Cajetan's or Aquinas his false exposition and he shall have it to do him a pleasure out of his own book pag. 23. by the former account Cajetan one of their own fraternity saith damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Yet the worst of these two Epositors here are and will be of better repute even among the Protestants then the Vindicators glosses ever were or will be He saith further that here he expects that of Mr. Parkers that the Apostle spake this when he was a babe in grace But this is another of Mr. Tendring's lies for he saith onely the contrary and proveth it out of Rom. 8.2 1 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 4.13 that Paul was not now in that weak and corrupt estate complained of Rom. 7.14 24. and that therefore he speaks it not of his own condition though figuratively in his own person but in the behalfe of such as were babes in Christ Pag. 26. by the former account he citing Pauls words 1 Tim. 1.15 that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am cheif bids us mark it that Paul speaks it not in the preterperfect tense of whom I have been chief but in the present tense of whom I am cheif as if Paul at that time were the chief of sinners But did ever any man besides himself that was not besides himself think or say so Is there not such a figure in the Scripture as Enallage temporum the putting of one tense for another Doth not Paul 1 Cor. 15.8 9 10. Ephos 2.4 5 6. Titus 3.3 4 5 6 7. and even at the 13 vers before set forth his corrupt estate of unbelief as a condition that was past But he goes on out of Paul his 2 Epist to I know not whom or what Church for none is named chap. 1. from vers 6. to the 13. to prove that Paul was not now a babe or child in Christ but rather an old man as he cals himself Paul the aged in his Epistle to Philemon Truly as old as the Vindicator would make himself he shews himself very young and childish in that his reasoning for we know none that affirms the thing that he goeth about to disprove but he loves to fight with his own shadow In conclusion he saith that these Jesuitical cavils which yet are his own are too well known and never did nor shall prevail against Gods truth Then he goeth on from Rom. 8.1 to the second verse upon which he makes as learned observations as he did formerly upon the first verse for whereas the Apostle saith that the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death Here saith he we may observe that the Apostle saith not that we are fully freed from sin in this life but from the Law of sin But first it is evident that Paul saith that he was made free from that Law of sin of which he had so much complained chap. 7.21 22 23. Secondly that he cals it a Law of death as he doth chap. 7.24 a body of death because it hath death and condemnation appendant to it and involved in it And thirdly that he was now actually even in this life and for the present freed therefrom And lastly that it was not the death of Christ that had thus freed him to wit from guilt leaving the pollution behind as this Champion of corruption speaks hereafter but it was the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that had now freed him both from that Law of sin and of death its concomitant so that he cannot possibly speak of his present condition in chap. 7. from ver 14. to the 24. And whereas he adds in the close of that page that Christian experience shews that no sort of men are more troubled with temptations then they whom God hath begun to deliver from the Law of sin Though this be true yet what is this to his purpose or the proposition which he would now maintain for we speak not what befals regenerate men at their first conversion but of that which they do or may attain by grace in the end Nor do all temptations arise from corruption they may proceed immediately from Satan and assault such as have no sin or corruption left in them as they did our first parents in innocency and Christ himself as he was man Heb. 4.15 Pag. 19. by the latter account he rols the old stone with Sysiphus saying that our deliverance from sin is but begun not perfected here but that God is faithful by whom we are called Then they are unfaithful that seek not to have the work finished Phil. 1.6 And there he breaks out into a great rapture saying blessed be the Lord that whereas before we were captives to sin now the case of the battel is altered Why what battel did we fight against sin before grace did convert us unto God That sin is become our captive through Christ Was it so with them in whose behalf Paul complaineth but I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin that is in my members we trow not sin was here too often the superiour That it remaineth in us not as a commander but as a captive of the Lord Jesus But doth it not till it be subdued often circumvent us and prevail against us and if so then that of Peter is true 2 Pet. 21.19 Of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage at leastwise for a time He saith further that the bolts of sin are yet upon our hands and are left to admonish us of our former miserable condition What are we under bolts and Irons and yet no prisoners or captives But Christ is sent to preach deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to wit against his enemies Esay 61.1 2
3. Luk. 4.18 19 20 yet contrary to this and other promises he saith that we draw the chains of our sins after us which make us move the more slowly But it is the portion of the wicked to be in chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Psal 107.10 11. and to be bound hand and foot Matth. 23.13 There are some that draw iniquity with cords of vanity Esay 5.18 that is with vain excuses and distinctions or ungrounded promises wo to such saith the Prophet Is 5.18 wo c. But these chains saith he are not able to draw us into the bondage that we were in before Yes they have done too many 2 Pet. 2.19 20. That death which is the wages of sin is so changed that it is not the death of the man but the death of the sin in the man What doth this babler say the death that is the wages of sin is the second death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.9 10. and chap. 20.10 15. Sin is the first death and this is the second how then can this be any thing else but the death of a sinner There is another death indeed that is the death of sin and not of the man which is a suffering out of all temptations and a dying with Christ unto all evil Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints of which see Rom. 6.7 8. Rev. 14.13 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Of this death and not of the corporal death did Chrysostome and Ambrose whom he cites speak or else they were as much mistaken as the Vindicator is in this matter saying there that the death which is brought out by sin he should have said by Christ doth at the last even destroy and consume it in the children of God and that sin will remain though not reign Yes if its will may take place it will reign also and that for ever But he goes on and comments thus upon Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body hereby saith he the Apostle shews that after regeneration by grace and before glorification grace is not consummate nor is corruption wholly abolished But with what spectacles did he read this Text when he found these things couchant in it for out of the whole verse he might have learned these saving truths for his better information and reformation also First that God doth suspend his final purpose and promises of our salvation upon Ifs or conditions on our parts to be performed For if ye live after the flesh saith Saint Paul ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shall live Secondly that the remaining corruptions in the Saints such as these Romans were have death and condemnation attending upon them Thirdly that therefore they are not to be wounded only but mortified that is absolutely killed And lastly that this is not to be done by the death of the body but by the power of the Spirit which we are to seek by grace and with which we are to cooperate in this life till the work be done His conclusion then from hence pag. 19. and 20. by the new account is false That as long as we live in the body there is some life of sin remaining which we had need to mortify and put off But not as he doth to put it off til our natural death But he addes Saint Augustine saying that our life here is bellum not triumphus a warfare not a trophee of victory Yet may our warfare have an end here and so to have our triumph and victory follow Esay 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned Ephes 6.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand 2 Tim. 4.6 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness But he contradicts himself in his next speech pag. 20. by the new account saying that in this battel we must fight without intermission untill we have gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort cut off his superfluities that he hath no need of reforming Yes Paul could say it 2 Cor. 5.17 and the holy Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.17 and 5.5 with many thousands more to whom Christ bears witness Rev. 7.14 15 20. and 14.4 5. That when sins and superfluities are unregarded they kindle again That it is true that the same spiritual temptations may return after the former are quenched but at length the Devil is by Christ to be cast out with all his works Rev. 12.10 11. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down who accused them before God day and night Yet he saith further That whosoever he be unless he dissemble he shall find within himself something that had need to be subdued But such a Pigmee in grace as he is if he be under grace must not measure the growth and mortification of Gods faithful and sanctified Saints by his pitch But he brings in some sentences which he fathers upon Ambrose as this velis nolis infra sine tuos habitabit but he saith habitavit Jebusaeus subâ—ugari potest exterminare he should have said exterminari non potest that will thou nill thou the Jesubite will dwel wit hin thy coasts and borders he may be subdued but not rooted out This is true of temptations especially for a time after our first conversion but this conslict if we bestir our selves aright shall have an end here as we have proved of late some Jesubites are our sins and corruptions which must be rooted out again some Jebusites are our native faculties as they are corrupted disordered and poysoned with rebellion These also may be subdued and brought into obedience but neither can be cast out nor ought to be howbeit we have sure promises that all our sins and corruptions shall be subdued if we will sue out the benefit of the same Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue all our iniquities and thou will cast their sins into the depths of the sea Insomuch as that there shall not be one Canaanite left in our soul which is the house and the temple of the Lord So Zech. 14.21 And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts Yet he goes on saying saying That the great deceitfulness of mans heart of which the Lord complaineth Jer. 17.9 saying the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it is attributed to all men
when we have answered we will pay him in his own coine That it was the prerogative of Christ alone among all grown men to know no sin and to be found solus in hominibus qualis quaerebatur in pecoribus not in peccoribus as he hath it alone such among men as was sought among the beasts an unblamable lamb without spot Here he having cited Isaiah 53.6 saying we like sheep have gone astray and Gal. 3.23 that the Scripture hath concluded all under sin he might have spared Augustine contra Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 13. and Gregorie lib. 3. in Reg. cap. 6. saying There is no man that hath not some corruption in him which he may and should lament For take all this as spoken of the unregenerate man or the regenerate that hath not fulfilled his course with Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 and we have often affirmed the same But he brings Hieronymus contra Jovinian lib. 2. saying No man is clean from sin though he live but one day upon the long earth Which is true of the sinful earth spoken of Collos 3.5 mortifie therefore your members upon earth although we know that in that saying Hierom and others suffered the Septuagints ill translation of Job to impose upon them But we had almost lest out Lactantius whom contra Gentes lib. 6. cap. 13. he alledgeth saying No man can be without sin so as he is burthened with the garment of the flesh We say so likewise if he understand it of that flesh which Saint Jude speaks of vers 23. hating even the garment spotted by the flesh if otherwise he himself was Lactantick with Lactantius Further he brings Bernard upon Cant. serm 2. saying Non peccare Dei justitia est not to sin is the justice and property of God but remission of sin is the justice of man To which we say that the former is but true in part for the elect Angels never sinned and the latter scarcely true at all for remission of sins is one thing and righteousness is another And where the remission of sin follows the righteousness of sanctification to purge them away must go before of necessity Acts 26.18 Sed unus Bernardus non vidit omnia And his own conclusions there are as false for saith he As the Ivy will not die untill the Oke be cut down but Experience shews that if you cut the Ivy at the root it will forthwith die so our sins will not die as long as we live which is as false as the other neither will it ever be abolished until death ends the conflict between the flesh and Spirit Then death which is but a privation is stronger then the Spirit And such Quacks as he is have a good warrant and pretence to kill many yea were it many thousands for by this means according to his doctrine they should put an end to this conflict of sin and send men presently to be perfected in glory Here not only souldiers whose trade is to kill but high-way-men poysoners and all murderers especially of the Saints might find a strong plea for their murders But he brings us more of this Ambrosia out of Ambrose de Paenit lib. 6. cap. 1. saying It is not the voice of thy family I am whole and need not a physician but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed But if it be the voice of his family of what family is the Vindicator who saith that the Lord cannot or will not heal us is it death that must do that work for us is it not the voice of his family first to come to him for an absolute cure and then with the woman who was cured of her bloody issue and the cleansed leper and many others to come and give God thanks But he goes on page 23 24. with Ambrose speaking thus to the Novatian hereticks of his time and saith it may fitly be turned to the Jesuits of our time Darest thou O Jesuit call thy self clean and holy albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy workes this one word were enough to make thee unclean To which I say first that the way wherein Paul worshipped the God of his Fathers was called Heresie Acts 24.14 Secondly we know no Jesuit that counts himself perfect unless it be by his profession But we hope that he will not henceforth when it cometh to a trial at Law deny that be called us Jesuits which is no less then to accuse us of a capital crime no better then treason for which by Gods Law he ought to suffer death himself unless he can prove it Deut. 19.17 18 19. or to incurre a great mulct for his slander above that the Jury awarded at Sarum March 15. 1657. But lastly this pretender to no less degree then of a Doctor of Divinity doth not see that there is a gross absurdity if not contradiction in the words which he fathers upon Ambrose saying albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy works this one word I am clean which in that case is but the truth were enough to make thee unclean We hope the Vindicator hereafter will not be too forward to speak the truth any more then he hath done heretofore lest as he saith out of Ambrose it make him unclean But he giveth us presently some Nectar to his Ambrosia saying with him agreeth Augustine Serm. 29. de verbis Apost There are some like vessels that are blown up with wind filled with an haughty spirit of election not sollidly great but swelled with the humour of pride who dare be bold to say that there are men found upon earth without sin Why are there no promises of such persons see Isai 1.24.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin See chap. 4.4 and 11 19. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that cover the sea Eze. 36.25 I will pour clean water upon them and from all their filthinesse and from all their jdols will I cleanse them Zeph. 3.13 The house of Jsrael shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes But we know what sort of Protestants at this day are puffed up with the spirit of election And it seemeth the Vindicator being conscious to himselfe or his party did not English those words of Augustine inflati viri spiritu electionis pleni men puffed up filled with the spirit of election though for him we do it But the Father demands of such How sayst thou that art just and holy this prayer Forgive us our sins Yes such may say with Saint Math. chap. 6.12 forgive us our debts to wit of love and thankfulnesse to God yea and of love to men for his sake which debt is so great that it can never to all eternity be paid Rom. 13.6 Owe nothing to any man but to love one another and with Saint Luk. chap. 11.9 they can say also Forgive us
our sins not only where they pray for and with others in a mixt Congregation but alone by themselves also in regard of our innumerable sins formerly committed But we would aske Augustine againe doth Christ contradict himself in that prayer when he teacheth to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven But he interrogating saith is this prayer to be said of Christ only or of beleevers also Yea it is the prayer of the sons of God also for they call God father all which is true but nothing to the purpose But he proceeds saying what are ye that say ye have no sin Lyars saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1. To which first we say that men that say they have sin may be liars and nototious liars also witnesse the Vindicator And secondly that some men may say they know no sin by themselves for the present and yet speake the truth therein as Paul did 1 Cor. 4.4 but if any man saith he hath not sinned at all he is a liar and so Saint Iohn explains that in the first Epist chap. 1. ver 10. which he had spoken more darkely and especially to the babes in Christ ver 8. as may further appear chap. 2. ver 1. where he saith My little children thes things have I written unto you that ye sin not What doth he put them upon impossibilities then No he furnisheth them there and in the next verse with such a propitiator and healer of sin as is able to cure and take away the sins of the whole world if they would seek unto him for it is Jesus Christ the just or righteous But whereas in the next place he cites against us Luk 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which is our duty to do But he is here like the man possessed who cut himselfe with stones Mark 5.5 for this Text shews that if we doe all those things that are commanded us which he implyeth that we may doe yet we doe but our duty therein and add nothing to the Lord and in that regard are but unprofitable servants and no dvantage to our Master O how unprofitable are they then who neither will doe all those things that are commanded nor suffer other men to be at quiet who indeavour to do and teach others their duty therein But he saith that we have a silly subterfuge for concealing our perfection or rather for saying we are unprofitable servants that were we never so righteous for humility sake we should say we are unprofitable servants But he answereth with Saint Augustine proper humilitatem ergo mentiris Therefore for humility sake thou lyest but it is certain that Christ never taught men for humility to ly No he did not but Angustine and he are far from truth if they say that Christ hath not taught them who hath fulfilled the Law and Gods will to say that they are still unprofitable servants for can a man be profitable to God as he that is wise is profitable to himselfe Iob 22.2 But he urgeth us again with Bernards words first in Anunciatione Mariae who is better then the prophet David of whom the Lord said I have found a man after mine own heart and yet he need not to say enter not into judgement with thy servant True so hath every man in regard of his manifold former sins but not always in regard of sins newly committed when he is throughly sanctified as they were 1 Ioh. 4.17 18. yet there is a time of greater grace and growth in grace promised then that which David had attained Zach. 12.18 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is fallen or a feeble one among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David thatâ—s of the beloved or of the Princess shall be as God as the Angell of the Lord before them Secondly he alledgeth this saying out of Bernard 23. Serm. 25. upon Cantic It sufficeth me for all righteousnesse to have him reconciled unto me whom I have only offended True but he is not fully reconciled unto any man nor any man fully reconciled unto him until he be dead with Christ unto al known sin Rom. 6.8 For if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him and this cannot come to passe without receiving of abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.17 and being thus justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and no otherwise Rom. 5.1 But he brings a third saying of his in Serm. 10 contra vitium ingrati To be without sin is Gods righteousnesse but mans righteousnesse is Gods grace pardoning of sin Which accords well with our doctrine if rightly understood for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the putting away of sin as well as the pardon of sin Luk. 1.74 to give the knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission or putting away of their sin to wit by sanctification Now this cannot be done but by the contrary goodness and righteousness Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of the evil but overcome the evil with the good But page 25 he saith Wo to the miserable generation in whom their own insufficiency seems sufficiency So say we for our sufficiency is of God alone 2 Cor. 3.5 and we also bewaile the miserable generation that shall die in their sins because they believe not a sufficiency in Christ alone but in and through weakness it self a corporal death to purge away the dross and filthiness oi sin John 8.21 24. which also is his unbeleife But here which is his third digression without any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cometh to distinguish of perfection and perfect men and first askes how Paul Phil. 3.12 13. denyeth that he was perfect and verse 15. ranks himself among those that are perfect To which he answers out of Augustine Sermon 28 we suppose he means de temp That he was perfect according to his intention not according to prevention and attainment and out of Bernard saying That great vessel Saint Paul grants perfection that is a going forward as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is not only one that is come to the end but signifieth him that moveth towards it and out of Ambrose in Rom. 8.9 which yet is known to be none of his comment That the Apostle speaketh unto Christians sometimes as unto them that are perfect and other times as those who are to perfect that which is required of them But this is one of his digressions and impertinences for we plead not for such an absolute degree of perfection as is expected in the world to come but a limited one which is called perfection viz. yet containeth a love of God above all and of our neighbour as of our selves which removeth all contrary lusts
it is that the Churches to whom the Apostle wrote and those seven especially to whom Christ wrote Rev. 2 3 chap. are either commended or rebuked threatned or encouraged according to their obedience or disobedience faith or unbeliefe growth or decay in godlinesse and no man is taken for perfect but he that was truly so in some kind or degree Yet it is true that the Lord doth for a time and with much long-sufferance tendernesse and compassion beare the failings of his good-willing servants which proceed from ignorance and humane weaknesse and not from neglect and much lesse from presumption yea while men are truly babes in Christ he accepts the will for the deed and expects no more from any men then what they can do by grace attained or which they might have done by grace at hand if they had sought it Howbeit nothing doth more displease him then wilful Apostasie after grace received Heb. 6.4 5 6 7. and 10.26 27 28. and unbelief in his grace and power for the subduing of our enemies after we had experience already of the same in some measure Heb. 3.17 18 19. But with whom was he grieved forty years was it not with them that had sinned whose carkasses fell in the wildernesse and to whom sware he that they should not enter into rest but to them that beleeved not so we see that they could not enter in because of unbeliefe But he brings in Augustines saying that the best perfection of man in this life is to confesse and acknowledge himselfe to be imperfect Which is a very rash and inconsiderate affirmation as many other of his dictates are indeed if he had said it had been the high way to perfection first to know and acknowledge our own imperfections and then for cure to fly to Christ this saying had not been so imperfect or dangerous But they that are under the work of the Law and not yet under the saving work of grace do abundantly know and feel their imperfections how can this then be mens greatest perfection to find and feel their imperfections Such plausible sayings without truth are soft pillows under secure mens arms inviting them to sleep in slothfulnesse and sin But the Vindicator doth now promise to lay down some reasons for the confirmation of his first position of which let us take a view The first is this That there is not any among the Saints of God mentioned in the Scripture that the Spirit of grace doth not charge with some sin the most perfect in their generations were not without their failings and that after their long walking with God as Noah being drunk Lot incestuous Abraham diffident when he consented to unlawful means in going in to Hagar for bringing about Gods purpose Sarah lyed and distrusted when she laughed at the promise of God Moses and Aaron were barred out of Canaan for dishonouring God by diffidence and passion Hezechiah was lifted up with pride Job impatient and humbled for it David had foul and secret sins which he repented of and prayed against Jehosaphat and Asa were reproved Uzziah and Zachariah punished one by untimely death the other by dumbness and yet these are reported in the Scripture to have served God with all their heart To which we say that this argument and reason hath little of reason in it for first it is false that the Spirit of grace hath charged with some particular sin or other the most perfect men in their generation for neither Abel nor any of the Patriarchs before the flood nor after the flood to Abraham are so charged unless Noah for one act of drunkenness wherein also he was surprized by the unknown strength and operation of the new wine The like we may say of Eleazar Ithamar Joshuah Caleb Othniel Ehud Jephthah Samuel Nathan Gad and almost all the prophets of John the Baptist and his mother of the Virgin Mary and Joseph her husband of Nathaniel and almost all the Apostles and thousands of other Saints mentioned in general and particular in the Scriptures Secondly that there neither wants ignorance nor impudence in this his charge For Abraham took Hagar by instinct of the Spirit as is partly hinted in Mala. 2.13 which verse as Castellio hath formerly observed should be thus rendred If so be one did it who had abundance of the Spirit yet wherefore is that one alledged to wit for the justification of Polygamie who sought a godly seed therefore take heed to your spirit and let none of you deal treacherously against the wife of his youth Doth not Saint Paul also tell us that Sarah and Hagar were also an Allegorie or mystery of the two Covenants and Testaments Gall. 4.24 But it was once the practise of the false Apostles to speak evil of those things which they understood not Jude v. 10. yet this champion of corruption contents not himself to accuse the most absolute pattern of faith and obedience that was to be found among meer men who is the father of all the faithful and the friend of God whom he first singled out to make him in a special manner the man of his covenant and to charge him with unbelief and disobedience and that here the second time in this his slanderous pamphlet but he likewise challengeth and impeacheth Job of impatience who is commended unto us Jam. 5.11 for a rare pattern of patience as indeed he was It were well for him if he had the fourth part of Abraham's obedient faith or Jobs patience But let it be granted that not onely David but others also had foul sins and secret sins for a time had they such unto their dying dayes we trow not being he confesseth that he both bewailed them prayed to have them discovered and removed witness the Psalmist Psal 139.23 24. saying Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any sinful or wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting And therefore to little purpose he cites page 30 that passage of Augustine who bids the Pelagians in a rhetorical flourish ask all the Saints and they will confess is he sure of it that while they lived here they were not without sin But theirs is but one opinion we shall anon shew him the contrary sense of some not inferiour to him as we did of late out of 1 John 4.17 18. The confession of John who was ten times more infallible then Augustine and all his African Bishops assembled together But he goeth on and saith if any Saint on earth had to glory it was with men and not with God So say we also yet had all the faithfull Saints cause to glory in the Lord for their victory in Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 And further he saith for his second argument that we do not read of any Saints that did so stand but that they fell into some sins Which is not true of their final estate and they also that had as he saith
sin must be left behind and so his first position is overthrown likewise And here is another of his contradictions yea a twin or a double one But to this his advice he joyns his new Letany to which we fay Amen And from blind Jesuiticall guides with their false pretended new lights in a dark Lanthorn their feignedlies pretended revelations but delusions Good Lord deliver us But who pretends to new lights or insists upon extraordinary revelations or who hath a darker lanthorn then himselfe or what Jesuit useth the trade of lying so often as he doth in which conflict it s now known he himself would carry away the whetstone So that if Diogenes came at noon-day again with his lanthorn either to find truth in his assertions or common honesty in the author of them he would operam oleum perdere Note also that here again he cals us Jesuits But he is pleased to salute us at the table saying much good may their perfection on earth doe them sure we are that if we can attain it it will doe us no harm But by way of return we say well may he fare with his much affected imperfections and corruption similis lactuca labris but Christ also Rev. 22.11 saith he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still but he that is justified let him be justified still and he that is sanctified let him be sanctified still for what a man most affects in these things that shall be his portion in the end Howbeit with his lips or pen he begs to have his imperfections discovered and to be humbled in the sense of them so long as he liveth as if the Lord delighted more in our dejectment for them then ejectment of them that he may cry always with the poor Publican but doth he beg healing and cleansing mercies that he might offend no more or only pardon for his offence toties quoties committed and so to end his days Surely he should then have been but a poor Publican in the end though he had a rich office But he will also at leastwise in words make an emulator of Saint Paul who forgat what was behind and pressed forward towards the mark and put forth we wish he means not quite out of doors all the strength that the Lord shall please to send him and improving all opportunities to the best advantage for the mortifying of all sinfull corruptions in him and for the growing in grace untill he attaines unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ But lest all this should be had too soon in the world but here by the ministery of the word the work is to be carried on even to perfection Ephes 4.11 12 13. he contradictingly saith which shall be after grace consummate hereafter in heaven and so desperately concludes As for him that can find perfection here on earth let him never look for it in heaven As if it could not be had in both places or estates in several degrees contrary to Pauls hope 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Doth not the holy Ghost say Rev. 14.13 that those that die here to sin in the Lord that they may rest from their own works and labours as the fourth commandement requires that their works shall follow them But in the last place he tels us that he will lay down some of our arguments and some Scriptures which we wrest to maintain them Wherein he shews himself a better diviner then a divine for he had none of them as yet from us unless those which he findeth in the argument of Doctor Draytons sermons of which he mentioneth very few First he saith that we deny original sin Which thing in his sense is true But we say every mans first fall is his original sin Secondly we say as he tels you that original sin is taken away from the Saints on earth we say that it either is or ought to be there being sufficient grace and help offered and afforded in Christ to us for that end and therefore that such mortified Saints cannot derive it to their posterity What is this to the question in hand yet we confess more that neither the first Adam nor any parent descended from him can convey any such stain of sinfull corruption by generation to their children because a most holy God creates both soul and body innocent and without sin But as this argument of his is none of ours so his solution or answer is a meer figment of mans brain for he saith there are three things in sin the offence the guilt and the pollution or stain being an inclination to fall into the like sins Of which saith he the two first are taken away but the last which is the worst is left behind during this life Where ye may take notice of these absurdities or contradictions First that Gods hates the offence as he saith in his dearest Saints and as he saith it is abolished and blotted out by the blood of Jesus Christ If it be abolished as he saith it is how can it remain in them still and if it remain still how can it be but hatefull to God For the second the guilt or obligation to punishment he saith that is pardoned but as we have often shewed no sin is pardoned till it s left and forsaken Prov. 28.13 As for the third the pollution which he cals the pure essence of sin a very pure essence indeed if one look well upon it that saith he doth not reign in a regenerate man yet the life and being of sin is not taken away page 36. But he cites a Text there wherewith he cuts his own throat if rightly rendred Psal 103.3 Who is propitious to all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities or diseases The latter words explaining the former and certainly where diseases are healed they are wholly removed or taken away they leave no life nor being behind them and then follows vers 4. who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and mercy for where any life or being of sin is left there is so much destruction or condemnation left also as we shewed out of Rom. 8.2 True it is that the Lord doth heal our souls gradually as this puny Emperick speaks but he leaves not we say the full perfecting of the cure to the life of glory or yet to the hour of death But page 36. he feigneth a second objection of ours and then forgeth an answer for it as he did before Regenerate parents cannot convey the guilt of original sin to their children because to themselves it is pardoned Which objection is a strong barre against him though not made by us And upon this score the guilt of the first Adam's sin after his personal repentance could not be charged upon his
posterity But he saith by way of answer that they are freed from the guilt of sin and have righteousness imputed unto them by grace and not by nature but by nature they have in them original corruption and therefore they can leave the latter though not the former But we have shewed before that corruption and guilt as well as grace are all spiritual and preternatural things and pass not to the posterity by procreation In the same page he saith that grace and justification are not tyed to carnal propagation no more are original sin and condemnation but to the most sure election of God as Rom. 9. in Esau and Jacob. But as he understands not what the election of grace is on which justification depends so hath he no discerning of that Esau and Jacob to which Paul relates Rom. 9. yet are they both clearly set forth in the Scriptures the former 2 Pet. 1.10 Mal. 1.1 2 3. He hath also a third argument to prove that infants have sin because they are liable to death and stipendium peccati mors Rom. 6.33 But it were well for sinners if there were not another and that an everlasting death that is the just recompence of sin as we shewed before as for corporal death it being but a temporal punishment at the most it might be by the first Adam's sin brought upon all his posterity yet without any infection of sin derived unto them Fourthly he saith there and page 37. That infants want not the faculty of will by which they are inclined to sin though they do not sin in act Which evill inclination we have denied and disproved before with the affirmation fathered upon Irenaeus and Chrysostome by him that Adam's sin was not one personal sin In uno universi but this one is our personal Adam And therefore it is a false charge to say that the first Adams sin was his handwriting that made al his posterity debters unto God unless in some temporal evils inflicted on them for his sake as we shewed before He tels you likewise but with his wonted lying and impudency that we say concupiscence without consent unto it is no sin But we say the first motion to adultery or any other sin arising from mens or Satans immediate temptation is no sin till some titillation or liking of the same follows And though Aquinas and Coster seem to speak so of original concupiscence it self we deny it nor do we approve that saying of that Councel of Trent who as he saith have as many curses as Canons that the Catholick Church never counted concupiscence truly so called sin in the regenerate for we do count it no better till it be mortified And they in effect grant so much saying it comes from sin and tends to sin And Paul cals it expresly sin Rom. 7. where the Vindicator confesseth that he was sometimes captivated by it against his will And did it not then reign as a tyrant over him And is tyranny devoid of dominion and power where it bears sway and takes men captive True it is also that the Vindicator saith in the general that the law condemneth sin to wit in a prohibiting way as we said before as well in the branch as the root But that prohibition there shall not be in thine heart an evil thought against the Lord thy God doth onely restrain us from allowance of such for we cannot hinder Satan from suggesting such unto us nor was Christ upon earth wholly free from such injectments And that which the Vindicator page 30 saith of the motions of concupiscence is true but both he and Augustine himself are foully mistaken if they think that all sinfull motions come from concupiscence yet it is true in some sense which Augustine there saith It were better to have none then to overcome them True it were better for the mans ease and safety to have no temptations but it is better for his exercise and more for his glory if the Lord will have it so to have such and overcome them then not to be exercised at all therewith As for Bernard's saying take it single without the Vindicators double dealing in the end or conclusion and it makes against his position and scope which saying is this That kind of sin which so often troubles us I mean concupiscence and evill desires may and should be suppressed by the grace of God so that it reign not in us and that we give not our members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin and that way there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ For this is the summe of what we say and therein he directly contradicts himself and this the Vindicator observing adds this clause yet it is not cast out but in death Having in the two last pages made an impertinent digression to prove against the Papists that concupiscence is sin and page 39 and the two following he comes in his erratick and wandring way to visit the Pelagians who as he tels us page 39. were condemned in many Councels summoned and gathered together for the confutation he should have rather said for the censuring of Pelagius and Caelestius their heresies about the year 420 and some years after as in the Milevitan Councel the Councel of Carthage and the Councel of Palestine in the East some of whose objections with which we have nothing to do he to fill up his empty book like an empty shop with rols of painted wares produceth and answereth them with other mens solutions so solutive is he at this present As first that concupiscence because it is a natural propension to things forbidden by the Law is no sin To which he answers that our natural concupiscence and desires are now inordinate and sinfull which they were not before the fall the like he answereth to our affections and appetites to desire good and eschew evil things which as long as they are not carried to forbidden objects or immoderately are not exorbitant or sinful And so say we sed quid hoc ad Rhombum But page 40 he brings a second objection of theirs and a third and fourth the second is this That which is not in our power to cause it to be or not to be is no sin but concupiscence is not in our power to shake off therefore it is no sin Unto which he answereth something that is true and something that is false As first that sin is to be esteemed by the will and Law of God thereagainst Which is true But this is not so where he saith that God requiring of us impossible things doth not injure us because he commanded them when they were possible But this is not onely injurious to us without grace offered but inconsistent with Gods justice and goodness also The third objection is this Sin makes men obnoxious to the wrath of God but concupiscence in the regenerate doth not for there is no condemnation say they to them that are in Christ Iesus though they have concupiscence
but not of the old leaven of corruption which must be purged out 1 Cor. 5.7 And therefore that saying of Augustine though it pleaseth his tooth well for which he commendeth it is false that sin and concupiscence is taken away by baptisme non ut non sit sed ut non obsit not that it should cease to be but that it should not hurt us nor hinder our attainment of everlasting happinesse For as long as sin remaineth in us bringing forth the works of the flesh spoken of Gal. 5.20 21. it will barr us from entring into Gods kingdom See there and 1 Cor. 6.9 10. yea for such doth the wrath of God fall upon the children of disobedience Ephe. 5.6 Col. 3.5 6. Here he brings in the saying of Anselme also to second Augustine Not that our in-bred corruption should of a sudden be consumed in our flesh who said that it could be so consumed that liveth but that it should not be imputed when we are dead To which we say that if we be dead unto it in conformity with Christ it shal not be imputed unto us but if we live and die in it it shal be charged upon us Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die In the next place instead of citing the second place of Scripture which he fathers upon our quotation he heaps up three some wherof have small affinity with each other Rom. 6.2 How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 7.14 Wherefore my brethren ye are become dead to the Law Rom. 8.9 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sin and death 2 Cor. 5.17 Unto which last place he rather alludes then expresly refers us saying that a regenerate man is renewed in all things throughout in every part and power both of body and soul and therefore the regenerate are quite freed from all corruption of sin and indued with all perfection of grace But in these allegations he abuseth us for first we have not alledged any of them heretofore to maintain our positions Secondly that of Rom. 7.4 speaks of a freedome or deadnesse to the Law in its compulsive work and not of being dead to sin and though we might and shall conclude from Rom. 6.2 and 8.2 and 2 Cor. 5.15 17. that the regenerate may and ought to be so dead to sin freed from the law of sin and death and so renewed yet we doe not say that they all are so perfected or can be so on the sudden but in due time they may and shall be so even in this life if they quit themselves aright Howbeit page 43. he comes to answer these and the like places which speak of a totall death unto sin and a renewing of Gods image with his old distinction that it may be done inchoatively which is effected in the least infant or babe in Christ I speak of regenerate ones but not pefectively or fully Surely he is wont to cure his patients but inchoativè at the most or else if he do it perfectivè he will in his way put down Christ according to his doctrine But saith he the Spirit of God by these forms or phrases would teach us two special things what be those First that sin is now like a serpent crushed in the head Gen. 3.15 which saith he can never recover his former strength nor any ways hurt the regenerate man but only to bruise his heel that is by the wrigling of her tail to bring some temporary affliction upon him But when was sin so crushed by baptisme was it so crushed in Simon Magus but Paul tels the Romans that Satan the worker in and with them was yet to be bruised for the present Rom. 16.20 and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly and was afraid that he might through his subtilty deceive and seduce the Corinthians from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 Secondly that it should be the main scope of the Saints to strive continually to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to doe their best endeavours to be clean rid of them and to perfect holiness in the fear of God and this saith he is plainly intimated unto us in all the exhortations of the Scriptures as where it is said Abstain from fleshly lusts and mortifie the deeds of the body and the like But first those places or some of them as Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 5.16 17. doe shew us that the work was done already and both those and others incite as to set upon the work vigorously and under hope to effect it with hope which he denies And thirdly we are by those exhortations which are indeed express commands from the Lord whatsoever he or Augustine saith to the contrary enjoyned to labour after such a riddance from sin and perfection in holinesse not by our own endeavours alone but by invocating the help of Christ or else we shall effect little in in the businesse which makes many unfruitful And in conclusion he adds very impertinently though pertinaciously enough If there were no lusts nor deeds of the flesh in us yes there are too many till they be subdued to what end are we bid to mortifie them To which we will superad this that if they cannot be killed and slain why are we commanded to mortifie or kill them as we are often enjoyned to doe Then he comes to a third Scripture of ours as he cals it which he saith he had quoted before to wit that in the second place but we reserve it for this where he takes upon him to answer it after his wonted manner the place is 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin because his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Unto which he answers two ways first more largely and then more briefly but neither way to the purpose for he understands not of what sort of regenerate men Saint John speaks not of babes or young men but of such old men in Christ as with himselfe and his fellow-Apostles had the love of God perfected in them 1 Joh. 4.17 18. But let us hear what those his answers are First he saith that they to wit the regenerate do not sin unto death for they doe not wholly forsake God howbeit they may sin against their consciences and such saith Paul condemn themselves Rom. 14.20 21. but they retain some beginnings he should say seeds of true godlinesse by which as by spatks they are stirred again to repentance But here first he seems to contradict what he had said pag. 24. by the first account that the Holy Ghost withdraws as he is grieved driven away and quenched by such sins Ephe. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 then men are blind and wander as some such regenerate ones may wholly forsake God as we shewed out of 1 Tim. 5.11 12. Heb. 10.28 29 30. 2 Pet. 2.11 Secondly he
answereth that he sinneth not as he is regenerate but in his unregenerate part or as he is unregenerate But so do even the unregenerate sin in that part and manner and yet they sin to death or else they could not perish But he confesseth against himself that sin somtimes reigneth in the regenerate which thing he had denied before And then he brings in John as he hath done often to prove that all have sin in them 1 Joh. 1.8 which is his mistake of the place that he understands not for John doth not only explain his meaning better ver 10. but at the first of the next chapter writes even to the babes not to sin as we have shewed But he will give us his sense 1 Joh. 1.9 whose words are these If we acknowledge our sins he is faithful to forgive us This therefore saith he pag. 44. is the meaning of Saint John that the regenerate do sin but make not much of their sin or they doe not set open the door or yield to evil desires so as to cast off all love to godlinesse and not to repent But we have shewed the contrary even now and might doe further out of Ezek. 18.23 Mat. 12.43 44 45. Heb. 10.27 28. or more briefly because as he tels us yet with more words but to as little purpose that he which is born of God makes not a trade of sinning he lives not in his sin he fancies not his sin he delights not in his sin he sins not with purpose with pleasure with malice with perseverance sin reigneth not but as the Apostle speaks the evill that I doe I would not doe And cannot some of them that are yet unregenerate or but under the work of the Law at the furthest say so likewise we know who said Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor But here he brings the latter part of that verse 1 Ioh. 3.9 by way of objection His seed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God To which he gives his former answer that he sins nor unto death But is not this to adde to the word that is written our own words and so to come under that curse Rev. 22.18 Then he brings in a fourth Scripture of our alledging as he pretends to wit 1 Pet. 1.21 being born anew not of mortal but of immortal seed by the word of God who liveth for ever From whence he saith that we conclude that since this immortal seed never dieth in them that are born of it they ever remain regenerate retain grace and never fall into sin But as this objection is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impertinent and upon a new head or point of doctrine so his answer is suitable and false also into the bargain to wit that the regenerate may and do lose grace and the holy Spirit of God in regard of some gifts and those sometimes more and fewer but not in respect of all the gifts for still there remaineth in them some print of faith and conversion which yet by yielding to evil inclinations and desires is ofttimes so opprest and darkened that it can neither be known to others nor confirm themselves of the grace of God and their own salvation for the present howbeit saith he it suffers them not wholly to forsake God and the known truth or the embracements of Christs merits by faith so David prayeth Psal 51.10 11. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me and restore to me the joy of thy salvation But was this by vertue of the old seed of grace when David had been long in his sins of Adultery and murder without any true repentance for them or by Nathan's coming unto him to call him to repentance Therefore his conclusion from thence page 45 is not consequent to wit that David had not wholly left cleanness of heart righteousness of Spirit nor the way of salvation because then he would not have asked them afresh of God as he doth For though some cleanness of heart and rectitude of spirit might remain in him yet he had wholly forfeited and lost the joy of Gods salvation Secondly he further answereth that the seed of God which is his word working true faith and conversion abideth and dieth not Concerning their conversion he means a new and final perseverance however they may fall often grievously and foully before the end because John saith 1 John 2.19 If they had been of us they would have continued with us But we have proved the contrary before out of 1 Tim. 5.11 12. unto which adde 1 Tim. 1.19 holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning the faith have made shipwrack and 2 Tim. 1.15 and 2.17 18. 4.14 15. In the 45 page he brings out other Scriptures as produced against him by us and in the fift place that of our Saviour Matth. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit To which he answers that it cannot as it is a good tree which shall so come to pass in the life to come but as it is partly good and partly evil it may bring forth evil fruit whereof saith he we have sufficient trial and experience in this life Must we then bring forth no good fruit here But Solomon saith Whether the tree fall to the north or to the south in the place where it falleth there it shall lie Eccles 11.3 and David Psal 91.12 13 14 15. The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree he shall grow as the Caedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth much fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing to shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him A sixth Scripture he undertakes to answer which we shall truly own as alledged by Doctor Drayton in his sermon is this Ephes 5.25 26 27. but it seemeth the Vindicator was afraid to recite the words as being too full and evident against his position and purpose which are these Hu bands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word and 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 Concerning which he saith This Text shews us how Christ in this life by the word and Sacrament and by the operation of grace doth cleanse us that in the state of glory we may be perfectly holy without spot or wrinkle But how proves he that this must be then done and not before This saith he I shall prove by these ensuing reasons First because here we know but in part and consequently can love but in part But we have proved that by and in the new covenant it is promised that such a
measure of knowledge is to had if sought for that men shall not need to say know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Jer. 31.32 33. and that the knowledge of the Lord shall abound like as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 His second reason is that if grace were consummate in this life there should be no difference between the state of grace and of glory Yea grace may here be consummate in his degree and that in a very high one and yet fall short of that transcendent measure which shall be attained in the life to come What saith Paul Phil. 1.21 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain His third reason is petitio principii all the Saints on earth have sin remaining in them and they that deny it are liars and have no truth in them Yet we do deny that all Saints must while they are upon earth have sin remaining in them and have a greater Divine then Mr. John Tendring to warrant us even the holy Apostle John upon whose testimony which he understands not he ignorantly and confidently relieth See 1 Joh. 4.17 5.4 5. Rev. 7.14 15 17. 14.3 4 5. before often cited Yet we are not such liars as he is notoriously known to be and we hope have more truth in us then he and his book set forth But he adds that all the Fathers against the Novatians and Donatists understand this place Which if it were true as it is not the Novatians may convince them to be Novices not Fathers and the Donatists evict them to be Dotists or Dotards for the Scriptures shew clearly that we must or ought to be such before and for the obtaining of the kingdome of glory 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 10.11 That ye may be pure and without offence in the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 And I pray God that your spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless untill the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless But he saith it is the Church triumphant and not the Church militant that must be found without spot or wrinkle Yet the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. and much more the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. do appear to be such here because Christ himself who searcheth the hearts and reines Rev. 2.23 and who finds fault with five of the aforesaid Churches of Asia and upon occasion rebukes them sharply finds not the least fault with these but commends them highly and that may also be in some sense a triumphant Church who hath upon earth gotten victory over all her enemies and in that behalf triumpheth with Paul Rom. 8.33 39. In the seventh place he brings 2 Tim. 4.7 to be answered by himself where Paul saith I have fought a good fight and finished my course which he fortifieth against himself as if it were not of sufficient strength by it self for him to oppose which Text the Vindicator will not observe nor the other place 1 Cor. 9.27 where Paul saith but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away To both which he answers page 46 as he was wont to do without truth or judgment First that Paul fought a good fight being now ready to be offered up but that conflict was yet to come saith he not so as to obtain exact perfection of grace and to be without all inherent sin of which he complaineth Rom. 7. Yes he was even at that time of his complaint freed from the Law of sin and death as we have often shewed out of Rom. 8.2 and that long before he was to be so offered up He tels us also but we know not to what purpose that Peter was led where he would not But surely it was not into sin John 21.18 Thirdly he saith Paul kept the faith and he who said unto him my grace is sufficient for thee and my power is perfected in weakness enabled him to overcome though he had corruptions remaining in him and the buffetings of Satan But doth the man understand what he saith It is the office of faith to purifie the heart from sin Acts 15.9.1 John 3.2 3. which faith Paul did not onely keep and retain but fought the good fight of faith till the battel was ended and so finished his race and course in that kind in dying to sin yet he justly expected that promised reward of which he speakes Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. As to the second Text 1 Cor. 9.27 he saith that Paul kept down his body by fasting and prayer to bring it into subjection But was this the body of flesh and blood or the inordinate desires of the sinful flesh He tels us also that Augustine did use fasting prayers and tears to the same end But he did it not in the faith of Christs assistance and the hope of final victory of which it seems he despaired here and James shews that if we would obtain Jam. 1.6 we must him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like the waves of the sea c. In the eighth place he brings a second Scripture of which Doctor Drayton had made use in his sermon and these two are all that he can call his it is taken out of Ephes 4. from verse 10 to 15. And he gave some to be Apostles some prophets some Evangelists some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the work of the ministry and for the edifying the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfest man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Unto this he answereth after the old mode ignorantly and intricately First that the ministry of the word is given not onely to convert men from sin but to perfect men in holiness Then it must either effect that for which God hath designed it or else the Lord was mistaken in chusing and using too weak instruments But he adds yet so as the same Paul speaks Acts 20.32 Which is able to build you up that is to edifie and build the Saints more and more Where first he understands not that word of Gods grace which Paul speaks of there for it is the essential word which is almighty not onely able to build us up to perfection but afterwards to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly he contradicts himself because this is able to build us up to the uttermost in the way of sanctification that we may be fittted for that inheritance Thirdly that fitting must also go before in this life therefore the two things
following are false and his are his old picklocks for first he saith though the Saints do grow up under the word and Sacraments yet it is not to the attainment of an exact obedience in this life to be without sin in this life and to have grace consummate but they grow and edifie one another in love But we speak not here what the Saints do actually but what they may and ought to do nor of their mutual edification of each other but of the words design and abilitie to build them up to the top or the finishing of the edifice for a skilful and a faithful builder gives not over till the structure is finished Secondly he saith that the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is attained onely in glory Which in his sense is false for here we may have a perfection of degrees as well as of parts to wit the perfection of sanctification or grace which we call the perfection of the way as we have often proved before whatsoever he saith to the contrary In the ninth place he brings in two or three Scriptures together out of Doctor Draytons sermon upon one and the same head as he might have found more of the same kind there They are these that the Apostle prayes for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 and surely they prayed for things feasible and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same be in vain John 17.25 I in them and they in me that they might be made perfect in one Unto which page 47 he gives in the old lying and sinful distinction for an answer namely That the Apostles prayed for the perfecting of the Saints and so did our blessed Saviour and they obtained what they prayed for that is to say to have them sincere in this life and to have grace consummate in the state of glory But we have proved that the sincerity which Paul prayed for in the behalfe of the Saints was a state devoid of sin and to be had before and in order unto the kingdome of glory Phil. 1.10 11. That ye may approve the things that are excellent and that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ and that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be reserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But he brings in two replies of ours by way of Anticipation likewise the first of which is this is sin pardoned and mortified and doth it yet remain Which he answers with his old crambe centies posita It is so pardoned as not to be imputed it s so mortified that the power and dominion of it is taken away yet it remaineth to be more and more mortified and wholly cast out at the death of the body and death shall be destroyed at the general resurrection and so it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed But though he and others have often and confidently affirmed that sin shall be cast out at the death of the body they could never bring one Text of Scripture for this article of their belief nor should they be able to do it though they live to the age of Methushelah whose name and life is a dart of death against sin and their position Then he brings in our second reply which as he saith is this When must sin be purged out if not in this life must we carry the remainders of sin into the kingdome of heaven whereinto no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21.27 To which he gives us his old thred-bare and beggarly we had almost said and lowsie answer that men shall not carry the remainder of sin into Gods kingdome with them but they shall lay it down at the death of the body Then there is hope that none shall go to hell for corruption or thereby be debarred from heaven there is hope also that the Vindicator may then lay down his lying and his other lewd prrctises against God and man at that day The thief saith he onely converted shall be that day in paradise Therefore he may safely continue in his sin till the hour of death But what if that thief had repented long before even from his first apprehension or perhaps from the committing of the fact for this is possible and the Scripture hath nothing to the contrary Yea what if he belived on Christ afore having heard of or seen his miracles though he had not the opportunity to confess him till now nor to pray unto him face to face nor doth he understand what paradise this was into which Christ and he entred for the first paradise is a submission unto Gods will even under the punishing hand of God and the last is the third heaven unto which Paul was caught by way of vision 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. And as for Rev. 21.27 he saith it is confessed by our own fraternity to be the state of the Saints in patria It s true all the reformed Churches and that of England whose first reformation might have been a pattern to all the rest doe almost generally conceive that the new Jerusalem or heavenly City of God spoken of Rev. 21 22. chap. is the state of the Saints in patria and so do the Papists also for the greatest part which of those then must be our fraternity But there are some of both Religions that hold the new Jerusalem to be an estate attainable in this life because John saw it descending down from heaven unto men as a tabernacle of God wherein they were to worship him and he heard a loud voice following and saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.1 2 3. But herein all doe agree that men must cease to be of Mr. Tondrings fraternity before they can enter into this state for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Then he concludeth with the like confidence as he begun And thus have I briefly proved unto you the truth of the point which yet hath not one point of truth in it That sin will have a being in the best of men while their souls have a being in these houses of clay And this I hope saith he may be sufficient to satisfie the people Yea and perhaps some of the Priests also who are very easily perswaded to sleep still in sin and loth to be put upon an hard encounter against the Canaanites for such are apt to believe the unbelieving spies and much more the Scout-master-generall who like his Master doth go to and fro compassing the earth and walking up and down in it And if saith he I shall meet with any
they by him to wit in a cooperative way onely he actually performed so did they also and they by imputation yes if you take that for his free gift and contribution of his help he by vertue and merit internal they by gift grace Thus all his words are in some sort true but not in his sense And thirdly saith he as touching the beginning of inward and outward obedience in this life for this is the love of God that we keep his commandements 1 John 5.3 But here he is twice mistaken for first that obedience is the same thing which we speak of and he should have done if he had understood himself in the foregoing member and secondly that Text of St. John doth not in that Scripture speak of an inchoative obedience only but of a complete observance of the Law the which he and his fellow-Apostles with divers other other brethren had already attained But the Law is impossible saith he to the regenerate in respect of God that is saith he as he is the perfect outward and inward obedience of the Law Which is false but how proves he it Page 50. he first cites that of Psal 143.2 which we have had so often before Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord and there he alledgeth some of his former reasons First they fulfill not perfectly because they do many things against the Law But are the Saints necessitated to do so unto the end of their lives for in many things we offend all saith James c. 3.2 and I am sure he hath oftener then once offended in wresting this Scripture against the Apostles and perfect Saints which James speaks to the younger believers Then he adds out of Psal 19. who knoweth the errours of his life Surely not till God revealeth them which he doth to his servants who desire to be humbled for them and healed of them Phil. 3.15 And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal it unto you Is 30.21 And thine ear shall hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it when ye turn to the right hand or to the left Secondly those things which the regenerate do according to the Law are imperfect what in their youth and old age in Christ also for there are in the regenerate saith he as I have shewed in my former position but with much ignorance and errour many sins remaining as original sin ignorances and impurities he measures all men by his own last which they acknowledge and bewaile Is 64.41 But that is the Prophets confession in the behalfe of the unregenerate We have been as an unclean thing and all our righteousness is as filthy raggs which words we fear the Vindicator may use concerning his present estate for all his pretense to the work of regeneration for his life and doctrine bear witness unto it Then he comes to a second distinction or thesis the perfect obedience to Gods Law is fulfilled in us two wayes first by application of Christs righteousness unto us to wit like one of his outward emplasters he is our head saith he what of the evill doers and we his members what when we give our members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin and corruption and are so rivited with him that we are not to be taken asunder but as one body with him Which is true only of those which are first implanted into him by the similitude of his death and after by the likenesse of his resurrection as we said before but the Vindicator and his party hold neither of those estates attainable in this life By vertue of which communion saith he it comes to passe that that which is ours is his yes when we yield the whole desire and delight of our hearts over to him and his service in all righteousnesse and that which is his is ours then we can neither want understanding to know nor power to keep his Law for he hath both so that in our head that is in our conceit and imagination we have fulfilled the Law and satisfied Gods justice for our sins saith he as I have shewed before But to satisfie Gods justice for our sins is one thing which Christ alone hath done for them that leave their sins and to fulfil Gods Law is another which we also must do by and through Christ working in us and with us Rom. 8.4 otherwise all these are meer dreams and delusions of Satan to make men secure if not presumptions under the reliques if not the whol body of sin Secondly it wil be fulfilled within us whether we sleep or wake as he supposeth by and in our perfect sanctification to wit in another world though now our obedience is but in part The Lord Jesus saith he at the last day when the last enemy which is death shall be destroyed shall bring it in us unto perfection But what shall those that dye before want their consummation in grace and obedience till the generall resurrection and how is death the last enemy when our sins by perfect sanctification shall not be-destroyed and purged out till after death How doth this man contradict himselfe who said that in our personal death sin shal be perfectly purged away and grace consummate unto glory This is the end saith he which Christ hath proposed unto himselfe and whereof he cannot be frustrate Ephes 5.26 As he hath begun it so he shall finish it But what think you is that to us and how shall this be sought and attained by faith obedience and prayer as our full renovation must be He shall then conform us to the Law the righteousnesse thereof shall then be fulfilled in us saith he But Paul commands us Rom. 12.2 in the mean time not to conform our selves to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God Then the Vindicator goeth on with his swelling words of vanity promising liberty unto others when himself is the servant of corruption as the false teachers were always wont to doe 2 Pet. 2.18 19. and saith that there shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinful motion or desire but he shall at the last present us pure and without blame unto his Father he shall make us perfectly answerable to the holinesse which the Law requireth and shall bring it to passe in his own good time which is in this life time say we for the other life is a time of harvest and of reaping those things which we have done in the body 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or evil and unto this Judgement we must goe as soon as we give up the Ghost for it is appointed for all men once to die and after follows the judgement Heb. 9.27 and
therefore all these are vain words and lying promises wherewith he would comfort himselfe and others without any ground of truth Text of Scripture But he saith pa. 51. that the Law should be fulfilled in this life is denyed by some of our own fraternity sin is condemned saith Cajetan but not extinguished But if he abuse him not let him henceforth own him for one of his fraternity as he may Bellarmine about original sin many more Papists both of the Jansenians Anti Jansenians in other points which he holds forth with Romea good creatures as he cals them yet we wil not so impudently say that he hath wages from the Pope unlesse we knew it But here he fals upon the second proposition or member of his second position telling us that the Apostle saith positively that no man shall be justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.26 and yet the same Apostle saith Rom. 2.13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified and St. James backs him saying chap. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Law and not hearers onely deceiving your own souls for none else shall be found righteous before God as we have proved before And therefore he and we had need to have recourse to Christ for grace to fulfill it in us Rom. 8.7 for which purpose that Text which he next alledgeth but in a false sense and to a deceitful purpose must be both a direction and support unto us in this case Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to all that believe nor doth that of Galat. 2.21 dissent therefrom or any way thwart the same we do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness be by the Law and our own weak and humane obedience performed thereunto without the assisting and renewing grace of Christ then Christ died in vain both as to meriting the pardon of our guilt as also to example and motive also but we say there is no way for the fallen and corrupt man to enter into life but through conformity to Christs death in the burial of all known iniquity which yet the Vindicator holds to be for attainment impossible Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3. and yet it remains inviolate which he cites out of Gal. 3.11 That no man is justified by the Law or our own unregenerate works before God but the just shall live by faith to wit first the life of grace and then the life of glory also that 18 verse stands intire If the inheritance by the Law and our own obedience thereunto without the assistance of grace it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise But it is false which the Vindicator subjoyns It is faith that answers the promise to wit by closing with it and deriving from Christ by way of regeneration the things promised but obedience saith he holds no proportion with it Yes the obedience of faith must do it or else actum est de animabus in some measure Matth. 7.21 Rev. 22.14 18 19. But here he first cites Rom. 8.3 But that which was impossible to the Law insomuch as it was made weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh and afterwards he gives his connexion and false gloss upon the Text saying the Apostle having in the first verse set down a proposition of comfort to those that are in Christ he confirmed it in the second where also he shews us in his own person who they are to whom there is no condemnation in Christ namely to such whom the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed from the Law of sin and death and no other are absolutely and actually freed from that condemnation but they though others that are still in the work have a conditional promise of that freedome Vers 13. but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live But the Vindicator saith that the Apostle here shews us how Christ hath freed us from the condemning power of sin How is that not by his death alone as he would have it but by the Law of the Spirit of life in the first place subduing unto those that are dying with him the Law of sin and death But how is that done saith the Vindicator that is saith he Christ taking upon him our nature and therewith the burthen of our sins hath condemned sin in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemn This is false as he understands it for sin hath a condemning power so long as it remaines unmortified in us as the Apostle witnesses Rom. 6.23 and 7.24 and chap. 8.13 as we proved before Christ hath purchased the pardon of sin by his death and hath it in his own hand to dispose of but bestows it upon none save so farre as sin is bewailed and left There is then another body of Christ which must take away the condemning power of sin and that is the body and flesh of his like sufferance and grace and that in order to that purchased pardon of which the bread broken in the supper of the Lord is a type as well as of the flesh of Christs word Jer. 15.16 And this benefit saith the Vindicator doth the Apostle amplifie shewing that by no other means we could obtain it Yet we have shewed you but even now another means which must go before the pardon of sin for as saith he there is but one way without Christ for men to come to life namely the observance of the Law which way is still retained also in Christ Matth. 19.17 Rev. 22.14 he lets us see saith the Vindicator that it was impossible for the Law to wit now that we are fallen to save us and this impossibility proceeds not from any impotency in the Law but from our selves as the Vindicator truly sets it forth and that in a three-fold respect for first it craves of us that which we cannot perform even an absolute obedience unto all the commandements and that under pain of death But whereas the Vindicator saith page 53. that that obedience may most justly now be required of us because that by creation he means in our first parents we received an holy nature and ability from God to keep this Law This is a false ground as we have proved before yet here in words he expresly contradicts his former doctrine saying that by reason of the depravation of our nature drawn on by our selves which is as much as we affirm in that kind it is impossible that we of our selves can keep or perform the Law Secondly because the Law could not give us that whereof we stood in need to wit a full discharge for our infinite debt of guilt contracted by transgression for saith he it promiseth no pardon but binds us fast to the
promised to the keepers of the Law then the promise had been vain So it had without grace in Christ Secondly if righteousnesse were by the Law then Christ had dyed in vain because it were superfluous for him to dye for us if we could attain it by the works of the Law and therefore it is apparent that by the works of the Law no flesh living can be justified Thirdly for hypocriticall Gospellers such as seem Saints in ostentation that they may play the divell without suspicion as John Tendring did till he went away who say they have faith but shew forth no works which are not vailed with hypocrisie and which are not done or intended to wrong ends for such saith he let Isaiah tell you how acceptable their works be to God and whether they be like to justifie them Isai 1.16 17. For the Lord complaineth that he is weary of them and that his soul hateth them and bids them bring no more such sacrifices to him But we demand of him whether those men were Gospellers or pretended Professors whether the works which the Lord there forbids were Ceremonial or Morals For he forbids not the works of the Moral Law Fourthly he saith that for true Christians that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God if any works could justifie it must needs be their works which are wrought in and through them by the spirit of God and yet we say quoth he that the best works of the best regenerate men cannot justifie them before God And thus we prove it how doth he that First because all the graces that we receive in this life are given to us but in part page 55. sure they are wholly and freely given as we shewed in the proof of the other positions and so they are imperfect grace But see how he contradicts himself and lyes against the Holy Ghost in his next words which are these not that the Spirit of Gods works imperfectly but that he means not to inrich us with any grace here while we are conversant with sinful men in this vale of misery but only so far forth as he seeth it fit to bring us unto the kingdome of perfection where that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 But what if Paul looked for that here saying when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part or but a piece-work shall be abolished and swallowed up verse 11. yea what if Paul all that time enjoyed that which is so perfect for he saith verse the 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things And if so then the Vindicators conclusion will stand against us like the walls of Jericho which fell flat to the ground which follows in these words And therefore our inherent justice being but as our knowledg is imperfect and therefore it is impossible that it should perfectly justifie us before God But we have overthrown that supposition of his before Secondly he saith that though our good works are perfect in respect of the Spirit of God which effecteth them yet they are tainted when they pass through us who are so subject to sin as waters running through a dirty channel and therefore cannot justifie us before God in whose presence every polluted thing stands condemned whence the Prophet saith Is 64.6 All our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth But neither are all Saints subject to sin all their life long nor can that which proceeds from Gods Spirit be tainted by us nor is that the righteousness of Saints but of sinners and unregenerate men which is so menstruous as is said before Howbeit he brings in Gregorie's saying Moral lib. 21. cap. 15. and lib. 3. cap. 7. All mans righteousness should be unrighteousness if God should strictly judge it and then Augustine's saying Wo to the most laudable and best life of men Unto which we first oppose these sayings of the Apostle 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him chap. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous chap. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment and then those of the Psalmist Psal 11.2 3 4 5 6. and 119.1 2. and 128.1 2. unto which we could adde many more Howbeit he goeth on in the same lying strain saying if God laying aside his mercy should discusse our lives or righteousness in the strictness of his justice it would be so for God is a God of purer eyes who charged his angels with folly Indeed Eliphaz one of Jobs back-friends and of John Tendring's gain-saying spirit saith so but falsly Job 4.17 18. for the Lord never charged any but the fallen Angels with folly so But he tels us further if you will believe him that the best of men when he lives on earth is both a Saint and sinner a Saint by reason of grace wrought in him and a sinner by his own natural corruption which in some measure tainteth every grace of God and therefore the best of these who being compared with their fellows might seem just indeed yet looking to the strictness of Gods justice they disclaimed all their own righteousness What that of grace and regeneration also But who are those Saints St. Eliphaz a lying and contentious zelot with whom God is highly displeased Job 42.7 But he brings in Job himself saying chap. 9.2 3. But how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him to one of a thousand and David Psal 130. and 143. 2. of which we said before that all this is true of man in his corrupt estate and for a time afterwards but not of the Saints best estate and growth upon earth For whereas he saith page 56. that Paul affirmeth 1 Cor. 4.4 that he knew nothing by himself it is true But whereas the Apostle addeth that he was not thereby justified he renders a false reason of that saying of the Apostle and contradicts himself also saying though he served God most faithfully in the inner man yet he saw another law in his members warring against the law of his mind and hence he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death What did he feel surely a law of sin and felt such a body of death continually and yet knew nothing by himself Good Hyperbolick bring your ends nearer together as the servant said to his lying mother Thirdly saith he that although it were granted that some works of the Saints were perfectly good yet any one sin blotteth out the remembrance of our former righteousness Ezek. 18.24 But that Text speaks of a final Apostasie from righteousness not of one actual
justification whereby sin is purged out upon which the pardon and removing of the guilt follows through the mercy of God and the merits of Christs death we say that these are diverse and dissentaneous things But otherwise as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the new Testament frequently to be understood of the dimission and purging out of sin by the Spirit so both in the old and new Testament by prayer remission and forgivenesse of sins both these are connectively and collectively to be understood because where the Lord is pleased to purge out sin and heal men of it he always pardons it or takes away the guilt and never takes away the guilt but where the corruption and fault are first put away Hence it is that not to impute sin as we said before is first to purge it by sanctification and then to pardon i◠as Psal 32.1 2 3. and Rom. 4.6 7. and where sin is so purged and not imputed there the righteousness of grace for the renewing of the same is freely imputed or given to the believing and obedient soul But this premised we return now to consider what he saith who first brings that place Rom. 5.18 As by one offence or of one the sin guilt or judgment came upon all men to condemnation to wit all that offended or sinned in that one personal Adam of theirs as he said before so by one righteousness or the justification of one the free gift came upon all unto the justification of life that is of glory for there is a two-fold justification the one of grace or the foregoing righteousness and the other of glory or the evelasting righteousness But wherein doth this Text speak for him or against us and our doctrine The second Scripture which he brings is 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us to wit a sacrifice for sin and a patern and motive unto us teaching us how we should in him root it out that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him first in grace and then in glory as we said before Where the Apostles words make farre more for us and our sense and doctrine then they do for him for there is not the least mention made in all the Context or any where else in all the Scriptures that Christs personal obedience unto the law without us and for us should become or be made our righteousness The third Text of Scripture produced by him is that Acts 13.38 39. Be it therefore known unto you men and brethren that through this man or Messiah is published unto you dimission or remission of sins and in him he that believeth that he is or may be justified that is purged from all things from which ye could not be justified or purged by the law of Moses Which Text makes so clearly for us that by way of warning we will adde Pauls next words Look to it or take heed lest that come upon you which is spoken in the Prophets Behold ye despisers and wonder and vanish or come to nothing for behold I work a work in the days of perfect sanctification a work to which ye will in no wise give credit though one tell or shew it unto you Acts 13.40 41. The words are cited out of Hab. 1.5 6. and imply also an heavy judgment to come by the Chaldeans or the enemies figured thereby which are the Devils His fourth Scripture by him quoted is 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but now ye are sanctified but now ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And as other Scriptures made not at all for him but much more for us so this is clearly also against him shewing that washing from the act and habit of former sins sanctification by Gods Spirit and justification in in the name of Christ are one and the self-same thing as we further proved out of Titus 3.4 5 6 7. Rev. 22.11 and other clear places But here he saith that some may object and say this righteousness is Christs and how can a man be justified by the justice of another Unto the which he answers with some truth and some falshood that as sin is ours by propagation which we have often shewed to be false so righteousness is ours if we attain unto it truly by Christ by imputation But his righteousness which he here intends is onely such by putation and imagination And as Adam saith he derived sin to our condemnation which is one of his old Chimaera's so Christ brought life by his obedience to our justification Thus if many be made sinners by the disobedience of one man which if rightly understood is undoubtedly true then how much more shall many be made righteous by the obedience of man Jesus Christ Rom. 5.19 especially since the nature of Christ as he saith page 66. is far more divine then the nature of Adam and therefore is more powerfull in ability to work this effect to justifie us then Adams sin was to condemn us But as Adams sin without us and our conformity thereunto condemns us not so neither doth Christs obedience which is ab extra justifie us we speak of his active obedience and by his passive we have another benefit the pardon of sins upon our leaving of them and 1 John 5.11 12. saith he this is the record that God hath given us to wit eternall life to whom was it given to John and those in whom Christ was risen in the power of the eternal life and this life is in his Son so that he which hath the Son in that manner hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life as yet that is saith the Vindicator he hath the righteousness whereby he bringeth us to eternal life But this is his gloss upon the Text and a meer dream and delusion and this saith he doth the Apostle most excellently shew unto us when he saith that God made Christ to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.20 which we even now cited But he speaks no such thing as he aims at or dreams of for saith he as our sins were made the sins of Christ not by altering or transplanting them inhesively into his own person but by assumption of them imputatively to make satisfaction for them as fully and truly as if they had been his own inherent sins even so the righteousness of Christ but not his externall obedience is as truly made ours by imputation his inherent righteousness whereby he and we obey God is so as if we had perfectly fulfilled the law by our own personal and actual operation Prove this by Scripture Vindicator and you shall be made a Doctor in Divinity which you never was nor will be And therefore saith he justification is a gracious and judiciall act whereby he judgeth he should have said a judicious and moral a physical or metaphysical act of God whereby he judgeth first maketh
or imputed righteousnesse yet he justifieth the ungodly that turn from their ungodlinesse and that both by a proper and an imputed righteousnesse as we have shewed Secondly by the office of a mediator that was to undergo for us or rather to do for us whatsoever was required of us to be done But may not this be done as well within us by Christs grace and cooperation for us yea vvith much more piety and justice every man being created to a personal obedience tovvards God and his Lavv. Thirdly 〈◊〉 a recuperation or recovery of happiness vvhich could not be attained without perfect righteousnesse because the death of Christ as he saith freeth us from erernal death to wit when we are dead with him unto sin and the obedience of Christ that within us only brings us to eternal or everlasting life All which you must take upon his word and credit for he knows not how to prove it And therefore we say quoth he that Christ was born for us not only auferre peccata to take away the sins of the world to wit by sanctification by his voluntary suffering of the most bitter death of the cross but that only takes away the guilt and shews us how in order thereunto we should sacrifice flay and consume all our sins but adferre justitiam to bring righteousnesse unto us but how by his plenary obedience within us not without us to the most holy Law of God Which is yet unproved And therefore those Scriptures saith he that do ascribe our falvation unto Christs death which none do are not to be taken exclusively or as denying the active obedience of Christ to be imputed unto us but Synecdochically for the accomplishment of the whole obedience of Christ that was to be performed for us But none such was to be performed for us or upon our score as we have often affirmed nor can the contrary be proved out of the holy Scriptures And with this affirmation of his saith he agree the main and major part for his tooth and dyet as aforesaid of all orthodox he should have said heterodox Divines and most of the Fathers To wit since Calvins days Secondly saith he the passive obedience of Christ is all the sufferings of Christ both in life and death for our sins Yes and much more also in our inward man for us while we went on in our rebellion against God of which he never thinks because the justice of God required that we should never be freed from death without a just punishment in Christ like death also laid upon our selves or on some other for us both which we grant And therefore saith he the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah should be wounded yea had been so as we said before for your trausgressions and bruised for our iniquities chap. 53.5 And Daniel saith that he should be cut off but not for himselfe Daniel 9.26 and St. Peter saith should hear our sins in his our body on the cross but for what end that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse and then it follows by whose stripes or fellow-sufferings ye are healed 1 Pet. 2.14 and St. John saith Rev. 1.15 that he washed us him and his fellow-Apostles and Saints who were throughly clensed from sin in his own blood or Spirit Rev. 1.5 And here we must observe saith he that this obedience of Christ is of sufficient merit to satisfie for all sins and for those that were repented of and left more especially by reason of the dignity of the person that did obey or suffer for the hypostatical union of the Manhood of Christ with the Godhead makes the obedience of Christ to be of inestimable value or price Act. 20.18 True but that Te◠speaks of the blood of Christs Spirit for with that also is the Church of God purchased or redeemed from among men Rev. 14.3 4. Thirdly the formall cause saith he of our justification actively considered is a free imputation of Christs actual righteousnesse we say the inhesive whereby the merit of Christs obedience is applied unto all beleevers that is the accounting of us just and righteous for the merits of that obedience which Christ effected for us saith he pag. 71. But this is more formally then truly spoken for as we saith he apply unto our selves the righteousnesse of Christ and make the same our own by faith and acceptation he should have said by meer imagination so God himselfe saith he applieth it unto us by imputation according to his putation and accepts us for righreous for the righteousnesse of Christ which we have not and this imputation of righteousnesse saith he is a work of grace which God never spake or thought of not of nature a communicating of another righteousnesse and not a conferring of any real therein saith he truly or habitual righteousness upon us But without such a real or habitual one righteousness shall no man that hath polluted himself be justified or saved And this is a sweet exchange saith Justine Martyr if he belie him not or mistake not his sense in Epist ad Diog. that one should be sin for many and that the iniquity of many should be covered yea blotted out say we with the righteousness of one to wit his internal righteousness or that the justice or kindness of one should make many that are and were injust to be reputed yea to be just to omit that most of the Fathers which he had read speak to this purpose Frier Tarrus saith in serm de Dom. Advent Christ hath made all partakers of his justice and merits so say we that they might be able to stand in his sight and sustain the judoment of God see 1 John 4.17 18. often before alledged by us Because saith he there is no mortal man living whose righteousness to wit his own can be sufficient to obtain eternal salvation But if the Frier meant it as the Vindicator doth we hope the Vindicator will turn Frier also But saith the Vindicator Christs righteousness is made ours not because it is infused or translated into us Oh take heed of that for it would drive out sin too soon to abide habitually in us but because it is imputed and reputed unto us rather by him and his party then God as if it were theirs when it is not whom God doth acquit from sin and actually count just for the justice of Jesus Christ And therefore the force of our justification however I easily beleeve it is not any habitual sanctity subjectively remaining in us but the righteousness of Christ of which in his sense there is no mention in the Scriptures freely imputed unto us and so though it be without us and they without it yet it is made ours by right of giving if he knew by whose gift The Apostle saith he remarkably in Rom. 4.6 7. joyneth both the imputation of righteousness and the remission of sins together as the two special means to make us happy And so do we
ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this for you saith the Lord. Matth. 1.21 And thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins and 3.11 12. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner but he will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire Luk. 1.70 71 74. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from all our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace and 11.26 There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and chap. 2.1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have a comforter with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins by way of propitiation and purgation of them and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world A third Tropick is this That our subduing overcoming and rooting out of sin is made the condition of manifold spiritual and heavenly promises which would be frustraneous and void if the condition were not feasible by grace And such conditional but performable promises are these Psal 24.3 4 5. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord even righteousness from the God of his salvation Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall obtain mercy Isaiah 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean take away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayest be saved And Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 16.24 25. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life of sin shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it Chap. 24.13 But whosoever shall endure to the end of his race and mortification the same shall be saved Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted in him into the likeness of his death we shall be also into the likeness of his resurrection vers 8. For if we be dead with him unto the sin we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye shall mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shal be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore dearly beloved having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Hebr. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end to wit the end of sin as before vers 14. for we are made pertakers of Christ in the Spirit after the likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6.5 If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh all sins temptations and spiritual enemies will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God vers 11. He that overcometh sin which is the first spiritual death Rom. 7.24 he shall not be hurt of the second death which lay lurking and hid therein vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he which receiveth it vers 26 27 28. And he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end aforesaid to him will I give power over the nations to wit all the powers and faculties of the outward man or the natural being and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken in shivers if through any new temptation they shall offer to rebel Rev. 9.27 even as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning-starre and Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels vers 12. him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name vers 21 22. to him that overcometh will I give to set with me upon my throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Church which condition we had six times before in the former and this present chapter The fourth Topick shall be the end for which Christ was given by the Father and for which he gave himself for us which on his part cannot be disappointed cannot be frustrate if we be not wanting to our selves Isa 42.6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a covenant to the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring the prisoners out of prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house So again Isaiah 49.8 9. Isai 61.1 2 3. as before The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted who are troubled about
come salvation and strength the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast out who accused them before God day and night In hope of this kingdom and in order thereunto the Saints to whom it was published purified their hearts by faith in Gods sanctifying grace to be had in Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.2 3 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him or we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Act. 15 7 8 9. Men and brethren ye know that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and beleive and God which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse giving the Holy Ghost unto them even as he did unto us and put no difference between them and us purifying their hearts by faith Out of this faith and hope the souls of Gods elect do cry unto God night and day for vengeance against Gods spiritual enemies and theirs who first had crucified Christ in them and by them and afterwards did cruciate and vex them with continual temptations and assaults Luk. 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men always ought to pray and not to faint saying There was in a City a Judge that feared not God neither regarded man and there was a widow in that City and she came unto him saying avenge me of mine adversary and he would not for a while but afterwards he said within himself though I fear not God nor regard man yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her lest by her continuall coming she weary me And the Lord said hear what the unjust Judg saith and hall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and hight though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith upon earth Where now is this faith of Gods elect to be found yea where is the faith of the Apostles and their Churches to be heard or read of who looked for no life and glory by Christ unlesse they died with Christ unto all known sin Rom. 6.8 For if we be dead with him then we believe that we shall live with him and the doctrine which held forth that and no other way for the fallen man to enter into life the Apostle commends as a faithful and undeceivable word implying that the contrary doctrine and perswasions deceive mens souls in the end 2 Tim. 11.12 This is a faithful saying if we be dead with Christ we shall live with him if we suffer with him dying to sin we shall also reign with him If we deny him in this way he will also deny us The seventh Topick is the inequality between sin and Gods grace now to be had of Christ Jesus thereagainst Is 5.4.11 No weapon that is formed against the Lord shall prosper and every tongue that raiseth up against thee in judgment thou shalt condemne This is the heritage and so forth Rom. 5.17 For if by one or one mans offence death reigned by one how much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ vers 20 21. Moreover the law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did superabound that as sin had reigned unto death even so grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ The eighth Topick is the professed resolution of the Christians in the Apostles time to die unto all sin Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin namely by Christian profession and resolution live any longer therein Colos 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God The ninth Topick is from the true end and use of baptism to teach us this death and burial of sin in conformity to Christs death and resurrection Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk after we are dead and risen again with him in newness of life for if we have been planted into the likeness of his death we shall also be planted into the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead Colos 2.12 Buried with him in baptism wherein ye are also risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead The tenth Topick is from the admission and assertion of this mortified and purged estate every where Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is justified or freed from sin 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ according to the Spirit he is a new creature old things are past away and all things are become new Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Chap. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The eleventh Topick is from the omnipotency of true faith in Christ Marth 15.18 Then said Jesus unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Chap. 21.21 Jesus answered and said unto them Verily I say unto you if ye have faith and doubt not ye shall not onely do this which is done to the fig-tree but also if you shall say unto this mountain of sin be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done Mark 9.23 Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe all things are possible unto him that believeth John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these shall he do because I go to the Father Unto which joyn that of our Saviour John 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world even Satans world which ye through faith shall be by me enabled to overcome 1 John 5.4 5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even
signified therein A. A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness Hence it is that our Church prayed thus at the baptism of infants And humbly we beseech thee to grant that to the person baptised he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin And now we hope that the Vindicator had not renounc'd his baptism by sinful positions and his own wicked course of life Secondly in our late Liturgie we are taught thus to pray in the Collect on Easter-Tuesday and to like effect in many other places Almighty God which hast given thine onely Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may alwayes serve thee in pureness of living and truth through Jesus Christ Unto which we might adde that out of the Letanie From all evill and mischief and sin from the crafts and assaults of the Devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us From all blindness of heart from guile vain-glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and strife from all uncharitableness Good Lord deliver us From fornication and all other deadly sin and from all deceits of the world the flesh and the Devil Good Lord deliver us And thus much for the confirmation of the first position Come we now to the establishment of the second That the law of God may by the grace and help of Christ be so perfectly kept and fulfilled in this life as not to offend against the same yea as to be justified and that only by Christ of grace given whch we will divide into two branches and first prove the possibility of such a fulfilling by the like Topicks and authorities as we did the former and then briefly ratifie that which will follow by consequence namely that by such a fulfilling of the Law by the grace of Christ we may be justified before God and men according to the truth of the Gospel As for the first of these we take it for granted that the Law of God requireth no more of us then what is contained in those two commandements Mat. 22.36 37 38 39. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and the great commandement and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Because our Saviour saith vers 40. On these two commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Our first Topick to prove all this attainable by grace is taken from Gods predestination and election See Joh. 15 16. I have chosen and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain Rom. 8.29 30. For whom he did foreknow them he did predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren moreover whom he did predestinate those he also called and whom he called those he also justified and whom he justified those he also glorified Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love and chap. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained that we shall walk in them 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God in holinesse unto obedience and in order thereunto unto the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ that is his sanctifying Spirit as shall be proved hereafter The second Topick is from Gods expresse commands which cannot be impossible for they should be frustraneous tyrannical or unjust as aforesaid Gen. 17.1 I am the almighty God walk thou before me and be perfect Deut. 4.21 Ye shall not add to the words which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I commanded you chap. 5.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left chap. 6.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and those words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them dilligently unto thy children Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self fear the Lord. Deut. 6.24 25. And the Lord commanded us to do all those statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always that he may preserve us alive as it is at this day And it shall be our righteousnesse if we observe to do all these commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us chap. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul chap. 18.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Josh 22.5 But take diligent heed to do the commandement and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandements and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Jerem. 7.25 But this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Mala. 4.4 Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses which I commanded in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements The third Topick is Gods promises to enable us to fulfill these by grace in Christ Deut. 26.18 19. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou ' shouldst keep all his commandements and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in honour that thou mayst be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Deut. 30.6 7 8. And therefore thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live and the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee and which persecuted thee and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord thy God and do all these commandements which I commanded thee this day Isai 46.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no strength he increaseth might even the youths shall faint and be weary and
the young men shall utterly fail but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint chap. 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousnesse sake he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Which it would not be if it were impossible chap. 48.17 18. Thus faith the Lord thy redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shalt go O that thou hadst harkened to my commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea chap. 51.4 5. Harken unto me my people and give eare O Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgement to rest for a light to the Gentiles my righteousnesse is neer my salvation is gone forth vers 7 8. Harken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their revisings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them up like wool but my righteousnesse shall be sure and my salvation from generation to generation Jerem. 31.32 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah saith the Lord not according to the covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them or therefore I must overule them saith the Lord but this shall be the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more Where take notice of these things that the first covenant is a covenant of works and the effect a compulsive obedience out of fear of vengeance Secondly that the second covenant is made to those that now love God and righteousnesse and obey it out of good will after the days of compulsion are ended which must have their foregoing work to break mans strong lusts and inclinations to sin after which comes the revelation of free mercy and salvation out of grace unexpectedly witnessed from Heaven to the lost yet humbled penitent and praying or deprecating soul which melts his heart with godly sorrow and inflames his heart with love to God and righteousnesse and with an hatred of all known sin Thirdly that this second covenant is of sanctification and then of some degree of glory As to the former the Lord promiseth to put his Law into our inward parts and to work the same in our hearts which is done no other way but by regeneration and by the promised Spirit of Christ which is called the blood of the new covenant and the blood of the everlasting covenant for the purging or the dimission away of our sins whereof both the expiative and consecrating blood of the old Testament was a figure Exod. 24.8 and 14.14 10. and chap. 8.23 24. and whereof the wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the New Testament is a sign and representation as the bread broken is a representation both of his word to be broken received and eaten Jer. 15.16 and of his suffering patience and weakness which is a body of his to be broken unto us by degrees and received by faith and obedience where through we may remember Christs death and follow him therein crucifying sin till he come unto us in the Spirit and power of his resurrection Thus the Apostle saith ' Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ this Spirit and spiritual blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself as man without spot to God purge the consciences or souls from dead works to serve the living God And Heb. 10.29 He that falls from grace counts the blood of this covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing or a thing of smal price and so doth despite to the Spirit of grace and hence it is that the Apostle prayeth Heb. 13.20 that God who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep would through the blood of the everlasting covenant make the believing Hebrews perfect in every good work to do the will of the Lord as Peter also tells the Saints 1 Pet. 1.18 that they were through the same redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation in a Jewish righteousness received by tradition from their Fathers This blood is promised unto them that walk in the light with God and his Saints 1 John 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sin With this blood the Saints washed their robes or imperfect righteousness and made them white Rev. 7.14 with this Christ washed the Apostles and made them Kings and priests unto God Rev. 1.5 6. for which they give him praise and glory and with this is the Devil overcome and cast out Rev. 12.11 A third thing observable in this covenant is that there is a clear full and glorious wisdome promised to each Saint in due time so that they shall not need to say to each other know the Lord for they shall know him from the least of them to the greatest for that perfect knowledge and love is then come which makes the imperfect knowledge and prophecying to cease 1 Cor. 13.8 9. Lastly the time of that perfect wisdome power and love is also limited namely vers 34. in those words for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more it is then when God hath purged and taken away all their sins by the same blood where forgiving of sins as in many other places is to be understood of the purging them away by Gods grace which we call dimission and that is the principal taking away of sin upon which the pardon or taking away of the guilt follows of course and is cast in over and above out of Gods abundant mercy for the death and sufferings of Christ But to proceed Ezek. 36.25 26 27. we have another of these promises of enabling grace Then will I pour clean water upon you and from all your sins and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new
himself and many others in this life saying 1 John 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment But saw first many thousand servants of God of every tribe sealed And after I beheld a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands who came out of great tribulation here and had washed their robes and had made them white in the blood or spirit of the lamb Rev. 3.14 And the like spectacle he saw chap. 14.4 5. of men that follow the lamb wheresoever he goeth being redeemed from among men and made the first fruits unto God and the lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God The eleventh Topick shall be the two parts of all practical truth in Christ of which before out of Ephes 4.20 24. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupting through the deceitful lusts and be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds and put you on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth The last Topick shall be the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven which in its coming is called the Lord our righteousness from the presence of the holy Ghost or rather of the whole Trinity Jer. 33.15 16. At that day and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land in those dayes Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwel safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Which Jerusalem is promised to every overcomer of sin and Satan Rev. 3.12 as before and it is an estate to be had in this life as Mr. Brightman and most of the best interpreters among the the Protestants and Arrias Montanus among other Papists doth confess out of the clearness and evidence of the Text Rev. 21.23 And I John saw the holy city new Ierusasalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he shall be with them and be their God And at vers 9. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death viz. spiritual death which is either sin or the wages of sin neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more spiritual pain which being effects of sin are with their causes taken away before for the former things are passed away So our obedience to the law must go before as a preparative and a qualification hereunto Lev. 26.3 and 11.12 If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandements and do them then will I give you rain in due season c. and I will set my tabernacle among you and my soul shall not abhorre you and I will walk among you and I will be your God and you shall be my people See Ezek. 37.27 My tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people and Psal 128.1 5. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes and vers 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem to wit the spiritual Jerusalem aforesaid all thy dayes Thus much of divine authority now for humane Justine Martyr in Resp ad Orthodoxos saith That which is possible to one man is possible to any as to saile by sea for even as the Scripture saith that certain of them who live under the law were unblamable in righteousness so it was possible unto all those who lived under the law to have been alike unblamable for Saint Luke the Evangelist saith of Zacharie and Elizabeth chap. 1.6 that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements justification or righteousness of the law blameless But what is the total righteousness of the law even to love God above thy self and thy neighbour as thy self which is not impossible unto those men which apply their will and desire thereunto Wherefore that saying By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified was not spoken or used by the Apostle because we cannot perform impossibilities but because we will not frame our selves to do things possible Origen in his ninth homil upon Joshuah saith Doth not that man seem unto the Worthies to be reckoned among women who saith I cannot observe or do that which is written And again in the same place he that saith I cannot fulfill them doth he not manifest himself worthy to be ranked among the feminine sort who can do nothing that is virile or like a man or worthy of that sex Cyprian serm de Baptis Christi Neither doth this written law in any thing differ from the natural but the rejection or refusal of evil and the election of good are so infixed into the rational soul from above that no man hath just cause in this behalf to complain because there is neither knowledge nor power wanting unto any man for the prosecution and performance of the same because we know what ought to be done and have power to effect what we know whereas if the precepts were impossible or invironed with so great difficulties or thy will therein so abstruse and hidden that the thing could not be understood which thy Highness or Majesty requireth of us albeit no man sins against his will yet he might many ways excuse his offence or sin unless the equity and moderation of that which is commanded and the clear knowledge of the truth and the distinction of things to be done or not done had been sufficiently provided for us by an intelligible authority and therewith the possibility facility and power had therein embraced each other Basil Magnus homil 3. It is impious to say that the precepts of Gods Spirit are impossible And in Psalm 119.155 he saith I knowing that thou beholdest me have not onely fulfilled thy commandements but I have done it also with a fervent mind Chrysost homil 19. in Heb. Christ commandeth nothing that is impossible in so much that many go beyond the commandements and homil 18. de poeniton And if it be demanded who ever did this he presently answers Saint Paul Saint Peter and even the whole chorus or quire of Saints and homil de poenitent 8. Do not in any wise accuse the Lord for he doth not command things that are impossible Hieron Symbol Apost Epist 17. We detest their blasphemy who affirms that
he cast into the Sea then that he should offend a little one 9. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 7.2 where ' it is said With what measure thou metest it shall be meted unto thee again 10. Qu. What is meant by the false ballance Prov. 11.1 ' where it is said A false ballance is an abomination to God but a just weight is his delight See Prov. 16.16 20.10 Levit. 19.35 36. The reason of this Querie is because ' it is said Dan. 5.27 that the King was weighed in the ballance and found too light therefore other things are weighed besides natural or artificial things 11. Qu. What doth the Psalmist mean by those words ' Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law 12. Qu. What is the scope and intent of the Lord in those words Mal. 2.8 9. Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts v. 9. Therefore have I made you contemptible and base before all according as you have not kept my ways but the people have been partial in my Law 13. Qu. What did David mean by that 1 Sam. 26.19 For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other Gods 14. Qu. What is meant Heb. 8.10 11. After those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people v. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least unto the greatest 15. Qu. What is the meaning of those words of the Psalmist Psal 119.98 99 100. Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser then my enemies for they are ever with me v. 99. I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditations v. 100. I understand more then the ancients because I keep thy precepts 16. Qu. What is the meaning of that 2 Cor. 8.13 Not that one should be eased and another burdened but that there may be equality 17. Qu. What is the meaning of that Ezek. 17.18 19. The reason is because of the sore threatning declared by the Prophet for breaking oath with the King of Babel and we see that the Lord calleth it the despising of his oath and the breaking of covenant with him What will the Lords displeasure be lesse against such who have lifted their hands to him to reform in doctrine and discipline according to the word of God Exitus actu probabit what will you do in the latter end thereof Jer. 30.23 24. 18. Qu. What is the meaning of that Revel 2.2 3 4 5 6. The reason is because the Lord threatens to remove the Candlestick unlesse they repented for that they had left their first love 19. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 1.20 where it is said The wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God 20. Qu. What doth the Apostle mean v. 26. where he saith If any seem to be religious and refrain not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 21. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 23.25 where it is said These things thou oughtest to have done and not to have left the other undone 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 2.7 where it is said 'Faith without works is a dead faith The reason is because we are said by many to be justified by faith alone without works which if so then we are justified by a dead faith according to St. James and its contrary to the justification of Abraham v. 21 22. 21. Qu. What is the meaning of that Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man fall by an occasion you who are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meekness considering thou thy self maist be tempted one way or another The reason of this Querie is because of that mentioned v. 1. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Rom. 15.1 You that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak which are but such for a time 1 John 2.12 13 14. 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 15.26 where it is said ' The last enemie which shall be destroyed is death The reason is first because it s said v. 25. ' Christ must reign untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet and death is said there to be the last therefore what death is meant there is worthy of Divines enquiry Secondly if it be so that death is the last enemy then all sin must be destroyed before death come and so sinne shall not remain in all Saints as long as they live 23. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 11. v. 26. where it is said So ost as you eat c. you shew forth the Lords death untill he come The reason of this Querie is because it is spoken to every one who rightly receiveth the Lords Supper and if so it cannot be meant of his last coming which is so much spoken of among Divines 24. Qu. What is the meaning of that Luk. 18.8 where it is said ' When the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth The reason of this Querie is because we believe that it is not likely to be meant of the rarity of the faith to be-lieve that Christ came to save sinners or that he was made man to suffer for our sinnes 25. Qu. What is the meaning of that Rom. 8.4 where it is said That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The reason of this Querie is because it is usually affirmed that Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness of the law for us and the Apostle saith that it might be fulfilled in us 26. Qu. What is the meaning of that Mark 16.17 18. And these signs shall follow them that believe In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly poyson it shall not hurt them and they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover The reason of this Querie is because these signs are declared to follow not the Apostles who were to preach the belief in their order every believer as to know â—hether they believe a right or not which is set down ver 16. to be of that ' necessity that he who believeth not shall be damned therefore it concerneth us much to know whether we believe aright yea or not hence these signs shall follow them which believe and the believers shall do these ensuing things in their order It doth therefore concern us to find out what is contained under those stupendious expressions that every
our faith for who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God The last Topick shall be the summe of all practical truth in Christ which Paul reduceth to two heads Ephes 4.20 21 22 23 24. as was said before But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversâ—tion the old man which is corrupting according to the deceitful lust and be ye renewed in the Spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth Then who holds out the truth of Christ we or the Vindicator let all wise men judge impartially between us Thus much for divine authority now for humane we shall first produce divers of the Fathers and some of those which the Vindicator or his friends for him have alledged against us to out-ballance him and then the authority of our own Church the best reformed of all the Protestant Churches in her established doctrine and late Liturgie For the first of these Justin Martyr in quaest respon ad Orthodoxos All men do sin not because we cannot do otherwise which appeareth from hence because all men are not intangled with all sorts of sins but some fall into these offences some into others and some men are involved with many sins some with fewer and some with none at all those of whom I spake before to wit Zacharie and Elizabeth Origen super Gen. homilia 11. But let us see how a man may be made the good savour of Christ sin is a filthy stinking thing In a word sinners are compared to swine wallowing who wallow in the filthy dung If there be any of you in whom there is no savour of sin but the savour of righteousness and the sweetness of mercifulness he is the sweet savour of Christ Cyprian serm de Baptism Christi The Law teach us to avoid sin it reproves transgressors and to the intent we should walk with washed and clean feet it foreshews all things that may offend and makes known unto us all diverticles whereby dangerous out-turnings and passages may be avoided it commands nothing that is impossible nothing that is austere or difficult Chrysos in 2 Cor. 11. homil 3. speaking of Abraham's prayer made to God in the behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom and the neighbouring cities which were to be destroyed Gen. 18. saith he that Abraham speaking there vers 27. by way of self-abasment before the Lord said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes and thus he did Because saith Chrysostom Abraham at this time had no sin left therefore he flies unto nature it self and because the name of earth contains in it something that is honest and decorous in its kind he adds the word ashes thereunto Hieron in Epist He which desires to reign with Christ must of necessity be pure or clean from all naughtiness and guile if thou wilt have thy part or portion with Christ thou must live after Christs pattern if thou desirest the society of the Saints keep thy heart clean from the very thought of naughtiness and sin because the celestiall Court receives none but those that are holy chast simple innocent and pure Augustin de vera falsa poenitentia For he is first to be purged with the fire of purgation who deferreth the fruit of his conversion unto another world and albeit saith he this fire be not everlasting yet it is greivous after a wonderful manner for it exceedes all the pain that ever any man suffered in this life Therefore let every one so endeavour to amend his faults here that he may not have cause to endure such pain hereafter Here his exhortation and counsel is good though his ground concerning purgation wants an Index expurgatorius Idem in lib. de baptism par If it be demanded whether a man be without sin in this life I confess he may by grace of Christ and the right use of his free-will Greg. lib. 2. mara cap. 8. If we say that Job offended in his speech or words which were wickedness in us to think we should confess that God had lost the victory in his challenge or offer made to Satan concerning Jobs exposal to his sifting and trial Prosper in his book of senten ex Augustino As some parents do aggravate original sin so some do lighten or abate it but none doth take it away save he onely of whom it is said Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world to whom no good of man is impossible to work no evil is uncurable Unto which adde that saying of Bernards by the Vindicator quoted yet without his additional That kind of sin which so often troubles us I mean concupiscence and evill desires may and should be repressed by the grace of God so that they reign not in us and that we give not our members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Thus for the Testmony of the Fathers of which sort we shall alledge more in the confirmation of the second position Now for the doctrine of our English reformed Church heretofore established by law First in the Catechism is thus demanded and answered Q. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you A. They did promise and vow three things in my name first that I should forsake the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanity of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh Secondly that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian faith And thirdly that I should keep Gods holy will and commandements and walk in the same all the dayes of my life Q. Dost thou not believe that thou art bound to believe and to do all as they have promised for thee A. Yes verily and by Gods help so I will and I heartily thank our heavenly Father that he hath called me unto this state of salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour and I pray God to give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my livesend And afterwards reciting the Lords prayer Q. What desirest thou in this prayer A. I desire my Lord God who is the giver of all goodness to send his grace unto me and unto all people that we may worship him serve him and obey him as we ought to do c. And that it would please him to save and defend us in all dangers Ghostly and bodily and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness and from our Ghostly enemy and from everlasting death And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore I say Amen And afterwards concerning Baptism Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace