and then to Pray as is above shewed Sect. page 125. He says Quakerism tends to make Mortification of sin Useless and to me asking Whether Mortification be useless where the end of it which is Perfection is attained He answereth That Perfection is twofold Comparative and Absolute and seeing we are for an Absolute Perfection there is no use for Mortification Answ. There can none come to this Absolute Perfection as he terms it but by Mortification of Sin and even such Perfection attained by Mortification as are so Perfect while on Earth do constantly use Mortification to keep down Sin least it rise again and to resist the Temptations of the Enemy wherewith even such as be Perfect are daily assaulted He alledgeth I Triumph before the Victory in quarrelling him for saying That a sinless Perfection wounds the very Vitals of Religion But his silly Subterfuge in this place may easily be discovered I asked him in my last That seeing he says so Whether the Vitals of Religion consisted in sinning or not sinning Adding That if it consist in sinning they that sin most are most Religious but if it consist in not sinning than to plead for such a thing as attainable hurts not the Vitals of Religion To this he answereth That the Vitals of Religion consist in the means appointed of God Who seeth not this to be a meer Evasion Why did he not give a direct Answer But that he could not without either denying his former Antichristian Expression or else falling into palpable Grosness And whereas he adds That these Means are Repentance Mortification Believing Application of the Blood of Christ Though it be no Answer to my Question I deny not but that Religion consists in these things but I suppose he will not say that they are sinning It is not in the least absurd that one who hath attained to Perfection may practise these Duties Man though he have attained to Perfection cannot too much Repent of his former Wickedness And therefore it is without ground that he alledgeth That I shift and cannot deny but the forbearance of these Duties flow as a Consequence from our Principle Nor is my saying that they who come to Perfection witness the true use of these things any Shift at all though he be pleased to term it so without any proof after his wonted manner according to which he addeth That under the pretence of Perfection we take Men off from the practice of these Duties and so strike at Christianity in the Vitals of it Which though it fall of it self as being a meer Assertion yet the contrary is above abundantly shewn He saith He doth not contradict himself in inferring a sinless man to be sinful He affirmed only the Quaker's conceitedly sinless men to be sinful who discover much sin in their pride passion bitterness railing accusations adding If such say they have no sin they are but liars and the Truth is not in them Answ. There was no such Addition in his Dialogue as Conceitedly Sinless but absolutely he said Bring me to the Man that is sinless and therefore his Contradiction remains Moreover let him name that Quaker if he can that told him he was Perfectly free from all sin and yet was guilty of those Crimes he speaks of else he can deduce nothing from his own false Supposition Page 127. To prove the Saints Continuance always in Sin he desires to remark that 1 Joh. 18. It is even such who have heard seen and handled of the Word of God The Saints were cleansed from All Vnrighteousness c. Who say If we have no sin we are liars And here indeed is to be observed his detestable Impudence in adding to the Scripture-words citing verse 7. which he repeats thus We who are cleansed from the guilt of sin whereas there is no such word as Guilt in that place but only We are cleansed from all Sin which imports a Cleansing from the Filth Mark these words verse 9. From All unrighteousness now when the Guilt is only taken away and the Filth remaineth as W. M. falsly supposes they could not be said to be cleansed from All Vnrighteousness For it is an improper speech to say W.M. pleads for a Cleansing from the Guilt or Punishment but not from the Filth or Act of Sin We are cleansed from Guilt It is from the Filth we are cleansed and the Guilt is forgiven us Therefore saith the Apostle verse 9. first He is faithful to forgive us and next he adds To cleanse us from all unrighteousness Nor will John's saying If we say we have no sin import John himself to be of that number more than than the Apostle James speaking of the Tongue James 3.9 saying Therewith Curse we Men who are made after the similitude of God will prove James to have been of these Cursers Now in answer to me shewing that that Scripture 1 John 1.8 is Conditional else it would contradict what follows verse 9. Chap. 24. and Chap. 3 9. he returneth no Answer but his own Assertions He saith The 9 th verse speaketh of Forgiveness but it also adds Cleansing as is above observed He saith That 1 John 2.4 is understood of a sincere not absolute keeping of the Commands of God but for this he brings no proof at all He saith That John 3.9 whosoever is born of God sinneth not Is meant of sinning unto death from which the Child of God is secured The reason he gives of this gloss is Because the Apostle Chap. 5. verse 16. speaketh of a Sin unto Death which Sin W. M. supposeth to be that the Apostle means He that 's born of God cannot Commit But to prove this Supposition we have nothing but his own meer Assertion Reader These are the best and strongest Arguments he hath to prove his Doctrines His Seventeenth Head page 128. is to shew his Doctrines not to be acceptable to the Wicked and his Eighteenth Head page 131. is To prove ours to be so But he is so pitifully ridiculous in this matter that such as have the least measure of Vnderstanding and are Unprejudiced cannot but see his Weakness Yet that he may be left altogether without a Cover I shall Answer his Objections and leave the Unbiassed Reader as he desires to judge which Principles in their nature have most tendency to strike at or foster Wickedness To prove that it is not acceptable to the Wicked to hear they must always Sin he says Some are so conceited of their honesty that they cannot be convinced of their Sins And that Mortification of Sin is distastful to them But how he makes this to answer the other is not told us If Hypocrites love not to hear of their sins it doth not therefore follow that pleading for a constant Continuance in Sin is not acceptable to the Wicked Continuance in Sin pleaded for is acceptable to the Wicked they may be the easier induced to acknowledge their Sins that they hear it told them
then makes just he adds But let them have a care lest by too great and empty subtilty unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers they lessen and diminish the weight and dignity of so great and Divine a Benefit so much celebrated in the Scripture to wit Justification of the Wicked For if to the formal Reason of Justification of the Ungodly doth not at all belong his Justification so to speak i. e. his being made Righteous then in the Justification of a sinner although he be justified yet the stain of sin is not taken away but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification And so notwithstanding the benefit of Justification he remains as before Unjust and a Sinner and nothing is taken away but the Guilt and obligation to Pain and the Offence and Enmity of God through non-Imputation But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm that in the Justification of a sinner their sins are not only remitted forgiven covered not imputed but also taken away blotted out cleansed washed purged and very far removed from us as appears from many places of the Holy Scriptures The same Forbes shews us at length in the following Chapter that this was the Confessed Judgment of the Fathers out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion some whereof out of him I shall note Calvin Inst. l. 3. c. 11. § 15. As First Calvin saith That the Judgment of Augustine or at lest his manner of speaking is not throughout to be received who although he took from man all praise of Righteousness and ascribed all to the Grace of God yet he refers Grace to Sanctification by which we are Regenerate through the Spirit unto newness of life Chemnitius saith That they do not deny but that the Fathers take the word Justify for Renewing Chemnitius in Exam. Concil Trid. de Just. p. 129. by which works of Righteousness are wrooght in us by the Spirit And p. 130. I am not ignorant that the Fathers indeed often use the word Justify in this signification to wit of making just Zanchius saith That the Fathers and chiefly Augustine interpret the word Justify according to this signification Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. Thes. 1.5 to wit of making Just so that according to them to be Justified was no other than of Unjust to be made Just through the Grace of God for Christ. He mentioneth more but this may suffice to our purpose Assert I § VIII Having thus sufficently proved that by Justification is to be understood a really being made Righteous I do boldly affirm and that not only from a Notional Knowledge Christ revealed and formed in the Soul of a man is the formal Cause of man's Justification but from a real inward experimental Feeling of the thing that the Immediate Nearest or Formal Cause if we must in Condescendence to some use this word of a man's Justification in the sight of God is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Soul changing altering and renewing the mind by whom even the Author of this inward Work thus formed and revealed we are truly justified and accepted Proof I in the sight of God For it is as we are thus covered and cloathed with him in whom the Father is always well-pleased that we may draw near to God and stand with Confidence before his Throne being purged by the blood of Jesus inwardly poured into our Souls and cloathed with his life and righteousness therein revealed And this is that Order and Method of Salvation held forth by the Apostle in that Divine saying Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life For the Apostle first holding forth the Reconciliation wrought by the Death of Christ wherein God is near to receive and redeem man holds forth his Salvation and Justification to be by the Life of Jesus Now that this Life is an Inward Spiritual thing revealed in the Soul whereby it is renewed and brought forth out of Death where it naturally has been by the Fall and so quickned and made alive unto God the same Apostle shews Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath quickned us together in Christ by whose Grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together Now this none will deny to be the Inward Work of Renovation and therefore the Apostle gives that Reason of their being saved by Grace which is the inward Vertue and Power of Christ in the Soul but of this place more hereafter Of the Revelation of this Inward Life the Apostle also speaketh 2 Cor. 4.10 That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies and v. 11. That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh Now this inward Life of Jesus is that whereby as is before observed he saith We are saved Secondly That it is by this Revelation of Jesus Christ and the New Proof II Creation in Vs that we are Justified doth evidently appear from that Excellent Saying of the Apostle included in the Proposition it self Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost c. Now that whereby we are saved that we are also no doubt Justified by which words are in this respect Synonymous The Immediate Cause of Justification is the inward Work of Regeneration Here the Apostle clearly ascribes the Immediate Cause of Justification to this inward work of Regeneration which is Jesus Christ Revealed in the Soul as being that which formally states us in a capacity of being Reconciled with God the Washing or Regeneration being that inward Power and Vertue whereby the Soul is cleansed and cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ so as to be made fit to appear before God Thirdly This Doctrine is manifest from 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own Proof III selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates First It appears here how earnest the Apostle was that they should know Christ in them so that he presses this Exhortation upon them and inculcates it three times Secondly The Cause of Reprobation is Christ not known by Inward Revelation he makes the Cause of Reprobation or Not-justification the Want of Christ thus Revealed and known in the Soul whereby it necessarily follows by the Rule of Contraries where the parity is alike as in this case it is evident that Where Christ is inwardly known there the persons subjected to him are Approved and Justified For there can be nothing more plain than this that if we must know Christ in us except we be Reprobates or Vnjustified persons that if we do know him in us we are not Reprobates and consequently Justified ones Like unto
Singular Number as if thence he would Infer that One Sin is only Transmitted But how he proves his Consequence thence he has not shewen For albeit by that first Offence he gave Entrance for Sin that being his First yet it will not follow he then ceased to be a publick Person and if not nothing can be proved from granting him to be such as is above observed As by the Offence of one c. Objected Next the Words are The Offence of one and not One Offence as he would Insinuate which though in the Singular Number may include many yea all his Offences For whatever way he seek to urge this from this Place as to Adam the parallel will allow it to be Interpreted of Christ where the Apostle speaking of his Righteousness useth also the Singular Number and thence according to him we might say that it is only the first Act of Christ's Righteousness that is Imputed unto us and none of the rest so that we have nothing to do with his Death Sufferings and Resurrection What thinks he now of his own Divinity Let him loose his Knot the next time to give him one of his own modestest Proverbs The Absurdity he seeks to draw from denying this Consequence of his being a publick Person That if Adam had stood Infants should have no Advantage by him since they have no hurt by his Fall Toucheth not me at all who no where say That Infants have no Hurt by Adam's Fall Adam by his Fall became obnoxious to Temptations Adam by his Fall lost his Glory his Strength his Dominion by which he could have easily withstood the Devil and came under great Weakness whereby the Enemy's Tentations had a ready Access to him and he became very obnoxious to fall under them And so all his Posterity are come under the same Weakness and Obnoxiousness to the Enemy's Tentations who influenceth them by Entring into them and powerfully Inclining them to Sin and this malignant Influence is that Seed of Sin in all Men whereunto they become obnoxious by reason of the Fall which though in it self really Sin yet is it not Man's but the Devil 's until Man give Way to it But I deny not but the least yielding is Man's Sin among which I reckon Concupiscence to be one and so differ from Papists For albeit the Tentation simply considered or as presented by the Devil be not Man's Sin yet if he have the least Love or Desire to it albeit he join not Actually that shews his Mind is already defiled and corrupted and that he is become a Partaker of it Thus are answered his Reasonings and Questionings How this Seed of Sin can be and yet not the Persons Sin p. 121 122 c. as the Reader by Comparing may observe Only it is remarkable p. 121. where he seems to put a great Stress upon the Judgment of Augustin and citing him he brings him in saying these Words among others concerning Infants Shall they sin that are under no Command Now since they Infants are under no Law who are under no Command are under no Law for every Law imports a Command how will he reconcile this saying or his Holy Father which he brings as a matter of Authority with his accounting it both foolish and strange in me p. 119. to prove Children are under no Law J. B. taken in his own Snare So that either the Authority of Augustin he brings is not to be regarded or his Reasonings to prove Children under a Law that is a Command must be naught let him chuse which he will and clear himself of Impertinency His Argument in this page That as the Seed of Grace denominates a Man gracious even while not exercising works of Grace so the Seed of Sin must denominate a Man sinful is but a begging of the Question as in its place will appear when I come to treat of the Seed of Grace ¶ 7. When he cometh p. 123. n. 18. to Reply to my Answer to their Objection Rom. 5.12 among his preliminary Observations the first is very proper where he saith It is observable the Apostle makes Comparison betwixt Adam and Christ. I answer As Christ's Righteousness so Adam's Vnrighteousness is not Imputed to Men before actual Joining with either It is indeed so for as the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to Men for Justification until they actually Join with it or apprehend it by Faith as himself will acknowledge for I suppose by his accounting the Antinomians Hereticks he will not with them affirm that Men are Justified before they believe so neither is the Vnrighteousness and Disobedience of Adam Imputed to Men for Condemnation until they actually Join with it but this Comparison spoils all his Doctrine Then after he has beg'd the Question a while by meer Allegations affirming his Doctrine to be so clear from the Apostle's words that it cannot be Contradicted without doing violence to the Text he forms an Argument thus That Sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he saith it brought Death upon all Men that Men sinned by it and were made Sinners even they who could not as yet actually Sin that thereby all became guilty of Death and of Condemnation that Sin by Imputation is the Sin of the whole Nature included in Adam and rendreth the whole Nature obnoxious to Death and to Condemnation But The first Sin of Adam is described to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That Sin is the Sin of Nature c. This Argument may perhaps satisfy such as are already Proselites of his Theam but will not Convince one that either believes other ways or doubts since the Major is a meer begging of the Question And if any thing be a foisting-in of words to the Text this must be it since he foists-in the thing in Debate and words not in the Text such as Even they J. B. foist 's in words of his own to deceive his Reader who could not as yet actually Sin and joineth them with the words of the Text without distinction and not as an Interpretation that his unwary Reader may Conclude them to be of the Text. And yet the Man has the Impudence in the same page to Accuse me of Intolerable Boldness as foisting words into the Text while I expresly shew it is but an Interpretation by saying That is c. so much is he blinded with Self-Interest but I am Content there be neither Addition nor so much as Consequence made use of Let him shew me the plain Scripture that saith Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin If he say It must be necessarily Inferred from these words in whom all have sinned I say it as necessarily follows that it is only to be understood of all that could sin which Infants could not as not being under any Law as I have above proved and Augustin whom he so much reverenceth doth affirm if his Citation from him be true And
I think of those of Sodom Jude v. 7. the words are these Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange Flesh are set forth for an Example Sodom's Children c. not guilty of their Fathers Transgressions nor of Adam's suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire But it is strange the Man should be so desperately Audacious as to proclaim his own Sottishness to the World Is there a word here of Infants Is not the very Reason of suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire given because of their giving themselves over to Fornication which Reason could not touch Infants Pag. 129. he thinks I wrong Zuinglius upon the Credit of the Council of Trent but if the Council of Trent wronged Zuinglius in Condemning him for that he was not guilty of he and his Brethren have the honour to have their Judgment Approved by that Council while ours is Condemned and let him Remember how he useth to upbraid me with Affinity with Papists yea in this very Chapter upon less ground Pag. 130. he goes about to prove his matter from several Scriptures but how shallowly the Reader may easily observe 1. He citeth Gen. 6.5 Mans thoughts are evil continually What then Are Infants therefore guilty of Adam's Sin that 's the thing in Question But the Hebrew signifies a pueritiis from their Infancy What then how proves that the Case I do not deny but Children may become guilty of Sin very early but the question is Whether they be guilty of Adam's Sin even in their Mothers Womb And hereby we may see he thinks not their Version so Exact but J. B. must take upon him to Correct it to help himself at a Dead Lift as they say The same way is answered the other Scriptures that follow Ezek. 16.4 Matth. 15.19 Eph. 2.3 which are yet more Impertinent as the Reader by looking to them may see and I might easily by Examining them particularly shew Infants perishing in the Flood proves not them guilty if it were not that I study Brevity and delight not to glory over the Man's Impertinency And though Infants perished in the Flood and that was brought upon the Men and Women that sinned for their Iniquities yet it will not follow thence that Infants are guilty of Sins until he better prove that Natural Death is always and to all the Wages of Sin albeit I confess with the Apostle Eternal Death is And indeed if these Infants were punished at all it must have been for the Sins of their Immediate Parents which he will not affirm since the Flood is not said to have come for Adam's Sin but for their own so this Instance clearly overturns his Assertion I leave to the Reader 's Judgment the Scriptures not mentioned at length but set down by him in this to judge whether they prove the thing in Debate to wit That Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin The Citations out of Augustin and Origen brought by him in the next page 131. the Reader may also judge of in case they be truly cited which I cannot Examin at present whether they have Weight enough to Overturn what has been here proved from Scripture The words of Eliphaz Job 15.14 speak of a Man not of a Child and therefore not to the purpose neither do I believe though the Spirit of God gave a Relation of what Eliphaz said that we ought to build our Faith upon his Affirmations Next he urges Gen. c. 5. v. 3. And Adam begat a Son in his own Likeness after his Image but this would prove Adam's Sons as guilty of all Sins as that first which he denied or let him shew a ground for such a Distinction And thus is further Answered Circumcision argues not Infants guilty what he saith next page Gen. 17.14 where it is said The Man-Child that is Vncircumcised shall be cut off which he thinks so strong that in a Vapor he desires me to Chew my Cud upon it For if this Cutting-off was a Punishment of these Children for Sin it must be for that of their Immediate Parents who neglected to Circumcise them which Adam could not do and therefore could not Sin in omitting it and since he will not say this he can Vrge nothing from that place He saith The Fathers used to make use of these words of Christ Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water c. But their Vsing it was upon their Mistake that Baptism took away Original Sin and that therefore Infants Vnbaptized could not to be saved Regeneration of Infants That Regeneration is needful to Infants I deny not and whereas he asks how they are Regenerate I answered that before asking him How those he accounts Elect Infants whom he confesses to be guilty of Adam's Sin are Regenerate He Confesses The Fathers Argument taken from sprinkling Infants with Water which they and he falsly call Baptism will Conclude nothing against me But since he names here Initial Sacraments in the Plural Number which the Fathers made use of it seems they had some more than Baptism And since he and his Brethren make use of no more as Initial but Baptism it seems he differs from them in what they judged needful here as well as the Quakers I have shewen above how I Evite both Contradicting my self as to Vniversal Redemption and Excluding Infants from the benefit of Christ's death And as for his last Question Christ's Birth without Sin and the Birth of other Infants differ Wherein did Christ Excell other Infants if they be born without Sin he should have said not guilty of Sin I answer In that he had no Seed of Sin in him as other Infants have and that not only but he had nothing of that Weakness and Propensity to yield to the Evil Influence thereof as other Infants but was in greater Strength Glory and Dominion over it than Adam even before he fell This shews his Priviledge above others and in nothing Contradicteth what I have said before SECT VI. Wherein his Seventh and Eighth Chapters of Reprobation and Universal Redemption are Considered ¶ 1. IN his seventh Chapter of Reprobation he Expspatiateth himself at great length in large and tedious Homilies which will make my Reply the shorter who look not upon it as my concern to answer them because these Controversies are largely handled by others and what is said by him is abundantly answered Yet if he will affirm he has said something that is New upon this Theam and point to it it is like it may not want an Answer And indeed the Reader may observe him much pained and strained to put a fair Face upon these Foul Doctrines and though what he saith here may be and it is most probable is to be understood of the Reason he gives in his Epistle in being so Large because of the Opposition of others besides Quakers and also because I touched these things but passingly as
and worship him but to plead so obstinately as ye do that the Fourth Commandment bindeth to a particular observation of that day and yet to be found so slack in the observation of it as you generally are in such an Inconstancy as the Quakers cannot own And so whereas thou would'st confine the Lord his giving rest and comfort to the Souls of his People and the falling of the Manna to the First Days calling them Spiritual Market-days as if there were no other we cannot own it knowing that the Lord giveth rest and comfort every day and causeth the Manna plentifully to fall every day to those that walk in his fear and wait upon him and he has no such circumscribed Market-day as thou dreamest of The Priest's Market-day But that ye I mean the Priests make a Market-day of that day so that ye may call it Your Day as thou say'st Page 44. our day we know wherein you sell and vend your Babylonish Commodities and will be forcing and compelling all to come and buy of them or if not to send you Money whether they receive ought or not or else ye will endeavour by the help of the Magistrate to have them punished So that it is made manifest that it is only the Inventions of Men that we disown and not any of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Page 46. Thou grantest the word Original Sin is not found in Scripture and yet thou pleadâ—st for it because say'st thou the thing intended by it is contained and expressed in Scripture Answ. We deny that the thing by you intended is exprest in Scripture to wit That all Infants are sinners before God only for Adam 's sin and that there are Reprobate Infants who are sent to Hell only for Adam 's first sin This we deny nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove it Psal. 51. Behold I was conceived in sin But first if this place should prove the Infant guilty of any sin Infants not guilty of Adam's sin it should be of the sin of its own immediate Parents In iniquity did my Mother bring me forth Now you say the Infant is not guilty of the sin of its own immediate Parents but only of Adam's and Eve's first sin of which this Scripture speaks nothing 2. It doth not say I was conceived and brought forth a Sinner as you would have it why make you Infants guilty of Adam's sin and not the sins of their immediate Parents Now it is granted that there is a seed of sin derived unto Adam's Posterity The Seed of Sin but we say none become guilty of sin before God until they close with this evil seed and in them who close with it it becomes an Origine or Fountain of evil Thoughts Desires Words and Actions which are their sins who close with it But that the guilt of Adam's first sin lyes at the door of Infants who never actually sinned we deny For a Second Proof thou citest Rom. 5.12 alledging It should be rendred that in Adam all sinned But it is no such matter For the words however they be truly Translated can never be so rendred In Adam all sinned The strictest Translation of the words is thus upon which all have sinned or in which all have sinned They hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an entrance to Sin in the World and Death by Sin and so upon this accasion all others have sinned to wit actually in their own Person so that all who ever sinned actually it was upon the occasion of Adam's Sin For the Apostle is here speaking not of Infants who are not capable of any Law but of such as have a Law and act against it Yea from the Apostle's words in the other following Verse it is plain that Sin is not imputed to Infants For saith he Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Now there is no Law given to Infants as such for they are not capable of it What the Law saith it saith to them No Law no Transgression who have in more or less some exercise of understanding which Infants new born have not Or if the words be translated in which all have sinned that word WHICH hath a nearer Relative than ADAM to wit Death for the seed of sin is justly called Death because where it is joined unto and obeyed it killeth and so in this seed all have sinned who ever did actually sin And as for the 18 th Verse of Rom. 5. which is commonly used to prove Infants guilty and under Condemnation it is not rightly translated for the word Judgment or Condemnation or Guilt is not at all in the Greek but those who have drunk-in this imagination have added this word to the Scripture so bending and bowing the Scripture to their false Opinion And whereas thou say'st We were all in the Loins of Adam and therefore wouldest infer That Infants are sinners in him or guilty of his sin I say It follows not more than to say We are guilty of all the sins of our Fore-fathers because we have been in their Loins Again thou labourest to prove that Infants are sinners because they are subject to pains and diseases and death But this proveth them not to be Sinners as it proveth not that the Earth is a Sinner or that the Herbs and Trees of the Field are sinners for even these things have suffered by Adam's fall a great decay And as for the outward Death of those that are saved from Eternal Death it is rather a Sleep The outward and eternal Death than a Death as Christ said concerning Lazarus he sleepeth And concerning the Maid she is not dead but sleepeth And therefore that Scripture Rom. 6.23 cannot be applied to them who dye not or perish not eternally for though the Saints lay down the outward man is not as the punishment or reward of their Sins which are forgiven and from which they are delivered And so the sting of Death being taken away in those who are saved it is not that Death which is the Wages of Sin And seeing the Apostle said unto the Saints that all things were theirs even Death it cannot be that their Death should be reckoned the Wages of their Sin How many of the blessed Martyrs have looked upon their Suffering a most violent Death for Truth and Righteousness as a Gift of God How then could it be said to be the Wages of their Sins which implys as if their Sins were not all freely forgiven Page 48. From this Doctrine thou say'st it will follow First That all Infants that dye in their Infancy are saved and though Charity may be pleaded for this Opinion thou say'st yet what Scripture can be alledged for it Infants dying how saved Answ. If I should bring that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven It will much more naturally flow from the words than that they ought to be sprinkled which is the meaning
and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Q. That proves abundantly that Christ's Death is of sufficient Extent to make up any Hurt Adam 's Sin brought upon Mankind What is then the cause of Condemnation A. He that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already 1 John 3 18. because he hath not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God And with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that Perish because they received not the Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2 10 11 12. that they might be saved And for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness Q. Seeing it is so of a Truth according to the Scriptures Testimony that God has purposed Love and Mercy to all in the appearance of his Son Jesus Christ Is the Gospel or Glad Tidings of this Salvation brought nigh unto all by which they are put into a Capacity of receiving the Grace and being saved by it A. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every Creature which is under Heaven whereof I Paul am made a Minister Q. What is the Gospel A. I am not ashamed of the Gospel for It is the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 unto every one that believeth Q. Is this Gospel hid 2 Cor. 4.3 4. A. If our Gospel be hid It is hid to them that are Lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them Q. Is this Light then come into the World And are not Men condemned because they love it not and not because it is hid from them John 3.19 A. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light Q. Why do they so A. Because their Deeds are Evil. Q. Is every Man enlightened by this Light John 1.8 9. A. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light that was the True Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Q. Doth this Light discover all things A. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest Ephes. 5.13 is Light Q. Do Evil Men preach up this Light or mind it John 3 20. A. Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved Job 24.13 They are of those that Rebel against the Light Q. Do good Men love it and follow it John 3.21 A. He that doth Truth comes to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Q What Benefit doth redound to such as love the Light and walk in it 1 John 1.7 A. 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 cleanses us from all Sin Q. Doth Christ command to take heed to the Light A. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light John 12.36 Q. Were the Apostles Commanded to turn People to the Light Acts 26.17 18. A. Delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith that is in me Q. Doth this Light abide with every man all his Life time in order to save or only during the Day of his Visitation John 12.25 A. Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Again He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long time Hebr. 4.7 as it is said To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Q. How can it be proved that there is a Day wherein People may know things concerning their Peace which afterwards may be hid from them A. And when he was come near he beheld the City Luke 19.41 42. and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Q. Is there any further Scripture-Proof of the Lord's willingness to gather a People who would not and therefore were Condemned A. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Matth. 23.37 Luke 13.34 and stonest them which are sent unto thee How oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him Matth. 18.32 33 34. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all the Debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not thou also have had Compassion on thy Fellow-Servant even as I had Pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary Acts 13.46 that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life lo we turn to the Gentiles Because I have called and ye refused Prov. 1.24 25 26. I have stretched out my Hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity Jer. 18.9 10. I will mock when your Fear cometh And at what Instance I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do Evil in my Sight that it obey not my Voice then will I Repent of the Good wherewith I said I would benefit them Q. Doth God's Spirit strive then for a season and afterwards forbear A. And the Lord said Gen. 3.9 My Spirit shall not always strive with man Q. May it then be resisted A. Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always Resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Acts 7.51 For the Wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of man Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Q. Hath God manifested to Man
not under the Law but under Grace Q. How cometh the Apostle then to cry out and complain of Sin saying Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Doth he speak that as a Condition always permanent to him and other Saints or only that which he had passed through What saith he afterwards A. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 2 3 5 36 37 38 39. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. What saith that Apostle then unto such who taking Occasion from his words should plead for Continuance in Sin for Term of Life and think to be saved by the Imputative Righteousness of Christ as being under Grace A. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin Rom. 6.1 2. that Grace may abound God forbid What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Q. Is not the Apostle then so far from supposing that Condition of being always under Sin to be his own Constant Condition Freedom from Sin or that of all the Saints that he even supposes many of the then Church of Rome to whom he wrote to be free of it How bespeaketh he then as in relation to this matter A. How shall we that are Dead to Sin Rom. 6.2 7 11 12 13 16 23. live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were 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 in Newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in 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 for he that is dead is free from Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin but ye have Obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness I speak after the manner of Men because of the Infirmity of your Flesh for as ye have yielded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity even so now yield your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q It would appear then that God requires of us to be Perfect A. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.48 is Perfect Q. Is it then possible to keep the Commandments A. My Yoke is easie and my Burden is light For this is the Law of God Matt. 11.30 that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 Q. Is it necessary then for Salvation to keep the Commandments A. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 and may enter in through the Gates into the City Q. Do you understand by this Perfection that any have so kept the Commandments as never to have sinned 1 John 1.10 A. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his Word is not in us Q Do you understand that those who are Perfect may say they have no Sin or only that having sinned and so having Sin in respect they once sinned as the Apostle in the Passage cited mentions May they notwithstanding thereof come to know Forgiveness for the Guilt but also Cleansing from the Filth A. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 If we confess our Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Q. This Scripture seems to be very plain being compared with the other before mentioned But because some are apt to mistake and wrest the Words of that Apostle What saith he else-where Did he judge any could know God or be True Christians who kept not the Commandments A. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye Sin not 1 John 2.1 3 4 5 6 3.2 10. and if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him But who so keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in
they may be justly punished If these Sayings do not plainly and evidently Import that God is the Author of Sin we must not then seek these mens Opinions from their Words but some way else it seems as if they had Assumed to themselves that Monstrous and Twofold Will they feign of God one by which they declare their minds openly and another more secret and hidden which is quite contrary to the other Nor doth it at all help them to say That Man sins willingly since that Willingness proclivity and propensity to Evil is according to their Judgment so necessarily imposed upon him that he cannot but be Willing because God hath willed and decreed him to be so Which Shift is just as if I should take a Child uncapable to Resist me and throw it down from a great Precipice the Weight of the Child's body indeed makes it go readily down and the Violence of the Fall upon some Rock or Stone beats out its Brains and kills it Now then I pray though the Body of the Child goes willingly down for I suppose it as to its mind is Vncapable of any Will and the weight of its Body and not any immediate stroke of my hand who perhaps am at a great distance makes it Die whether is the Child or I the proper Cause of its Death Let any man of Reason judge if God's part be with them as great yea more Immediate in the Sins of men as by the Testimonies above brought doth appear whether doth not this make him not only the Author of Sin but more Vnjust than the unjustest of men § III. Secondly This Doctrine is Injurious to God because it makes him delight in the Death of Sinners yea 2. It makes God delight in the Death of a Sinner and to will many to Die in their Sins Contrary to these Scriptures Ezech. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.3 2 Pet. 3.9 For if he hath Created men only for this very End that he might shew forth his Justice and Power in them as these men affirm and for effecting thereof hath not only with-held from them the means of doing Good but also predestinated the Evil that they might fall into it and that he inclines and forces them into great sins certainly he must necessarily delight in their death and will them to die seeing against his own Will he neither doth nor can do any thing § IV. Thirdly It is highly Injurious to Christ our Mediator and to the Efficacy and Excellency of his Gospel 3. It renders Christ's Mediation Ineffectual for it renders his Mediation Ineffectual as if he had not by his Sufferings throughly broken down the Middle Wall nor yet removed the Wrath of God or purchased the Love of God towards all Mankind if it was afore Decreed that it should be of no service to the far greater part of Mankind It is to no purpose to alledge that the Death of Christ was of Efficacy enough to have saved all Mankind if in Effect its vertue be not so far Extended as to put all Mankind into a Capacity of Salvation 4. It makes the Gospel a Mock Fourthly It makes the preaching of the Gospel a meer Mock and Illusion if many of these to whom it is preached be by an Irrevocable Decree Excluded from being benefited by it it wholly makes Vseless the preaching of Faith and Repentance and the whole Tenor of the Gospel-Promises and Threatnings as being all relative to a former Decree and Means before appointed to such which because they cannot fail Man needs do nothing but wait for that Irresistible Snatch which will come though it be but at the last hour of his Life if he be in the Decree of Election And be his diligence and waiting what it can he shall never Attain it if he belong to the Decree of Reprobation 5. It makes the Coming of Christ an Act of Wrath. Fifthly It makes the Coming of Christ and his propitiatory Sacrifice which the Scripture affirms to have been the Fruit of God's Love to the World and transacted for the Sins and Salvation of all men to have been rather a Testimony of God 's Wrath to the World and one of the greatest Judgments and severest Acts of God 's Indignation towards Mankind it being only ordain'd to save a very few and for the hardening obduring and augmenting the Condemnation of the far greater Number of Men because they believe not truly in it the Cause of which Vnbelief again as the Divines so called above assert is the hidden Counsel of God Certainly the Coming of Christ was never to them a Testimony of God's love but rather of his Implacable Wrath and if the World may be taken for the far greater Number of such as live in it God never loved the World according to this Doctrine but rather hated it greatly in sending his Son to be Crucified in it 6. It renders Mankind in a worse Condition than the Devils § V. Sixthly This Doctrine is Highly Injurious to Mankind for it renders them in a far worse Condition than the Devils in Hell For these were sometimes in a Capacity to have Stood and to suffer only for their own Guilt whereas many Millions of men are for ever Tormented according to them for Adam's Sin which they neither knew of nor ever were Accessary to It renders them worse than the Beasts of the Field of whom the Master requires not more than they are able to perform and if they be killed death to them is the End of Sorrow whereas Man is for ever Tormented for not doing that which he never was able to do It puts him into a far worse Condition than Pharaoh put the Israelites for though he with-held Straw from them Than the Israelites under Pharaoh yet by much labour and pains they could have gotten it But from men they make God to withhold all means of Salvation so that they can by no means attain it Yea they place Mankind in that Condition Tantalus his Condition which the Poets feign of Tantalus who oppressed with Thirst stands in water up to the Chin yet can by no means reach it with his Tongue and being tormented with Hunger hath Fruit hanging at his very lips yet so as he can never layâ—hold on them with his Teeth and these things are so near him not to Nourish him but to Torment him So do these men They make the outward Creation of the Works of Providence the smitings of the Conscience sufficient to Convince the Heathens of Sin and so to Condemn and Judge them but not at all to Help them to Salvation They make the preaching of the Gospel the Offer of Salvation by Christ the Vse of the Sacraments of Prayer and good Works sufficient to Condemn those they account Reprobates within the Church serving only to Inform them to beget a seeming Faith and vain Hope yet because of a secret Impotency which they had from their Infancy all these are wholly
Doctrine of Papists that as the generality of them do not Vnderstand it so the Learned among them oppose it and dispute against it and particularly Bellarmine Thus then as I may say the formal Cause of Justification is not the Works to speak properly they being but an Effect of it but this Inward Birth this Jesus brought forth in the heart who is the Well-beloved whom the Father cannot but Accept and all those who thus are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and washed with it By this also comes that Communication of the goods of Christ unto us by which we come to be made partakers of the Divine Nature as saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 and are made one with him as the Branches with the Vine and have a Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us Christ's Obedience Righteousness Death and Sufferings are ours So that his Obedience becomes Ours his Righteousness ours his Death and Sufferings ours And by this Nearness we come to have a Sense of his Sufferings and to suffer with his Seed that yet lies pressed and crucified in the hearts of the ungodly and so travel with it and for its Redemption and for the Repentance of those Souls that in it are Crucifying as yet the Lord of Glory Even as the Apostle Paul who by his Sufferings is said to fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Body which is the Church Though this be a Mystery sealed up from all the Wise men that are yet Ignorant of this Seed in themselves and oppose it nevertheless some Protestants speak of this Justification by Christ inwardly put-on as shall hereafter be recited in its place Lastly Though we place Remission of Sins in the Righteousness and Expl. 5 Obedience of Christ performed by him in the flesh as to what pertains to the Remote procuring Cause and that we hold our selves formally Justified by Christ Jesus formed and brought forth in us yet can we not as some Protestants have unwarily done Exclude Works from Justification Good Works are not excluded Justification for though properly we be not Justified for them yet are we Justified in them and they are necessary even as Causa sine quâ non i. e. the Cause without which none are justified For the denying of this as it 's contrary to the Scriptures Testimony so it hath brought a great Scandal to the ProProtestant Religion opened the mouths of Papists and made many too secure while they have believed to be justified without good works Moreover though it be not safe to say They are Meritorious yet seeing they Prop. 5 6 are Rewarded many of those called the Fathers have not spared to use the word Merit which some of us have perhaps also done in a qualified Sense but no ways to infer the Popish Abuses above-mentioned And lastly If we had that notion of good works which most Protestants have we could freely agree to make them not only not necessary but Reject them as hurtful viz. That the best works even of the Saints are defiled and polluted For though we judge so of the best Works performed by man endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Law by his own strength and in his own will yet we believe that such works as naturally proceed from this Spiritual Birth and Formation of Christ in us are pure and holy even as the Root from which they come and therefore God Accepts them Justifies us in them and Rewards us for them of his own Free Grace The State of the Controversy being thus stated these following Positions do hencefrom arise in the next place to be proved Position I § IV. First That the Obedience Sufferings and Death of Christ is that by which the Soul obtains Remission of Sins and is the procuring Cause of that Grace by whose inward workings Christ comes to be formed inwardly and the Soul to be made Conformable unto him and so just and justified And that therefore in respect of this Capacity and Offer of Grace God is said to be Reconciled not as if he were actually Reconciled or did actually Justify or account any Just so long as they remain in their Sins really Impure and Vnjust Position II Secondly That it is by this Inward Birth of Christ in man that man is made Just and therefore so accounted by God Wherefore to be plain we are thereby and not till that be brought forth in us formally if we must use that word Justified in the sight of God because Justification is both more properly and frequently in Scripture taken in its proper signification for making one Just and not reputing one meerly such and is all one with Sanctification Position III Thirdly That since good Works as naturally follow from this Birth as heat from fire therefore are they of Absolute Necessity to Justification as Causa sine quâ non i. e. though not as the Cause for which yet as that Good Works are Causa sine quâ non of Justification in which we are and without which we cannot be Justified And though they be not Meritorious and draw no Debt upon God yet he cannot but Accept and Reward them for it is contrary to his Nature to deny his own since they may be perfect in their kind as proceeding from a Pure Holy Birth and Root Wherefore their Judgment is false and against the Truth that say That the holiest Works of the Saints are defiled and sinful in the sight of God for those Good Works are not the Works of the Law excluded by the Apostle from Justification Position I § V. As to the first I prove it from Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood Proof I to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Here the Apostle holds forth the Extent and Efficacy of Christ's Death The Efficacy of Christ's Death to Redeem man out of Evil. shewing that thereby and by Faith therein Remission of sins that are past is obtained as being that wherein the forbearance of God is exercised towards Mankind So that though men for the Sins they daily Commit deserve Eternal Death and that the Wrath of God should lay hold upon them yet by virtue of that most-satisfactory Sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Grace and Seed of God moves in love towards them during the day of their Visitation yet not so as not to strike against the Evil for that must be burned-up and destroyed but to Redeem man out of the Evil. Prop. 7 Secondly If God were perfectly Reconciled with men Proof II and did esteem them Just while they are actually Vnjust and do Continue in their Sins then should God have no Controversy with them * I do not only speak concerning men before Conversion who afterwards are Converted whom yet some of our Antagonists called Antinomians do aver were Justified from the beginning but also
Legal Acceptation As first in that of 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified as I before have proved which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge Neither diffide we saith Thysius because of the most great and strict Connexion Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3. that Justification doth sometimes seem also to Comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence as in Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 And such sometimes were ye Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. but ye are washed c. Zanchius having spoken concerning this sense of Justification adds saying There is another signification of the word viz. for a man from Unjust to be made Just even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy In which signification the Apostle said in the place above-cited And such were some of you c. that is of unclean ye are made holy and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit for Christ's sake in whom ye have believed Of this signification is that Rev. 22.11 Let him that is just be just still that is really from just become more just even as from unjust he became just And according to this signification the Fathers and especially Augustine have Interpreted this word H. Bullinger Thus far he H. Bullinger on the same place 1 Cor. 6. speaketh thus By divers words saith he the Apostle signifies the same thing when he saith ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified Proof II Secondly In that Excellent Saying of the Apostle so much observed Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the Golden Chain as being acknowledged to Comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation And therefore if Justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain Righteousness the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious Account makes the word Justified to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really Righteous is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification All for the most part do acknowledge the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge that as this is the most proper so the most common Signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledge We are not saith D. Chamierus such Impertinent Esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunate Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another yea we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called D. Chamier Tom. 3. de Sanct. l. 10. c. 1. because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of Inherent Righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Father I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely Beza in cap. 3. ad Tit. vers 7. so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by Imputation as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melanchthon saith Melancht in Apol. Confes. Aug. that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced Just but also of Unrighteous to be made Righteous Also some Chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrine whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Boraeus in Gen. c. 15. ad verb Credidit Abraham Deo pag. 161. Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our Justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our Justification the one is his Death the other is his Arising from the dead By his Death the sins of this World behoved to be Expiated By his Rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Idem lib. 3. Reg. cap. 9. v. 4. pag. 681. Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the Definition of Justification the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included both with the Remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost Bucerus in Rom. 4. ad ver 16. the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only Remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness Righteousness a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten which renders us Conform unto the Image of the First-Begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We always judge that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly adorned with all virtue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Country-man W. Forbes in Considerat Modest. de Just. lib. 2. Sect 8. Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word Justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce Just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make Just because that God doth otherways justify a wicked man than Earthly Judges For he when he Justifies a wicked or unjust man How God justifies the Wicked doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him Just because his Judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of Unjust to become Just. And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say That God first justifies and
therefore finding this to pinch him he brings it up again p. 126. where bringing me in saying Infants are under no Law J. B.'s proofless Assertion of Infants under a Law he answers But the Apostle saith the contrary He would have done Charitably to have told me Where that I might have observed it What he saith in this as well as the former page in answer to my Affirmation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relate to Death and that it 's understood upon which occasion Man sinnedâ— urging Absurdities by the like Application of Christ's Righteousness is solved by a serious observation of the Comparison as stated by me betwixt Christ and Adam His Arguing from Childrens dying doth not Conclude until he prove Death simply considered necessarily to infer guilt in the Party dying Whether Childrens DEATH argues Guilt in them of which I have spoken before p. 126. n. 20. to my answer to Psal. 51.5 alledged by them wherein I shew that David saith not My Mother conceived me sinning and therefore it proves not his Assertion His Reply is after he has given a Scoff It quite crosseth David's design But why so because in that Psalm he expresseth his Sorrow and Humiliation for his Sins and what then might not David lament upon that occasion that he was not only a Sinner himself but also came of such as were so But when I urge this place further shewing their Interpretation would make Infants guilty of the Sin of their Immediate Parents since there is no mention here of Adam His Answer to this is a Repetition of his own Doctrine A rare Method of Debate very usual to him And then taking it for granted he asks me Whether this Originated Sin of which he supposed David spake for he never offers to prove it though it be the matter in Debate came from another Original than Adam What he affirmed here of my Insinuating Marriage-Duties to be Sin is but a false Conjecture but as to the Hurt and Loss that Man got by Adam which I ascribe to no other Original as being no Manichee I spake before But he should first prove before he Obtrude such things upon others and I desire yet to be Informed of him In what Scripture he reads of Original Sin and whether if the Scripture be the only Rule he cannot find words in it fit enough to express his Faith or must he shift for them else-where The Wages of Sin is Death proved Eternal ¶ 8. Pag. 127. n. 21. He urges Paul's saying The Wages of Sin is Death and to my saying This may be a Consequence of the Fall but that thence it cannot at all be Inferred that Iniquity is in all those that are subject to Death he saith It is in plain terms but my Modesty dare not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not Truth Answ. Is not this to take upon him to judge of another Man's heart which elseâ—where he accounts a great Presumption and why takes he no notice or gives he no Answer to the Absurdity I shew followed from thence since the whole Creation received a Decay by Adam's Fall and yet we say not Herbs and Trees are Sinners And while he would make-out this great Charge of my Contradicting the Apostle he forgets the half of his business which is To prove the Apostle meaned in that place Natural Death and not Eternal since the Apostle opposeth it there to Eternal Life and Eternal Death he will Confess is the Wages of Sin which the Apostle shews they shun by Jesus Christ's obtaining Eternal Life whereas Natural Death they do not avoid Likewise he should have proved that all the Scriptures mentioned by him p. 128. are meant of Natural Death which he will not find very easie As for his citing Death as mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. the Apostle's words ver 56. Confirm what I say That Death is only a punishment to the Wicked not to the Saints for the words are The Sting of Death is Sin so where Sin is taken away there Death has no Sting and that is the Saints Victory Now he cannot Apply this to Infants without supposing that they have Sin which were to beg the Question And whereas he asks Whether Death be NO Punishment for Sin I Answer that I said not so neither is that needful for me to affirm seeing it is sufficient if it be not always a Punishment of Sin which if it be not it cannot be Concluded that because Infants die therefore they must be guilty of Sin Since then the Absurdities he after urges follow from his Supposition That Death is No Punishment for Sin which I say not they do not Touch me He judgeth p. 128. n. 22. That I run wilder than Papists in saying We will rather admit the supposed Absurdity of saying All Infants are Saved to follow from our Doctrine than with them say That Innumerable Infants perish Eternally not for their own but only for Adam's Fault This he reckons a Contradicting of my Doctrine of Christ's dying for all Infants saved without Christ J. B.'s horrible Lie saying I here grant That all Infants will be saved without Christ. What horrible Lie is this Where say I That all Infants will be saved without Christ If he say it is by Consequence that I say so which he must needs do or else be an Impudent Vnparallel'd Lyar then he Infers it either from my saying Christ died for all Therefore if all Infants are saved it must be without Christ or that If all Infants be saved Christ cannot have died for all for one of these two must be If I Contradict my self But such Consequences are only fit for such an Author as seems to have abandoned all sense of Honesty and Christian Reputation and resolves per fas aut nefas and without Rime or Reason as the Proverb is to bespatter his Adversary As for his adding They that have no Sin have no need of a Saviour to save them from Sin He Overturns it all by asking me in which also lies the pinch of his matter Since I affirm they have a Seed of Sin in them which is called Death and the Old Man how can they put-off this and sing the Song of the Redeemed which all that enter into Glory must do Infants are saved by Christ who died for them Does not this then shew I believe they have need of Christ as a Saviour who died for them to deliver them from this And is not the Contradiction his own in urging this Question which I thus answer How are those he accounts Elect Infants saved whom he affirms to be really guilty of Adam's Sin and so in a worse Condition than I affirm Infants to be for he will not say with Papists and Lutherans that the Administring of that they call the Sacrament of Baptism does it When he Answers this he will solve his own Argument To insinuate That some Infants are damned he asketh me What
there shall be no Application Whether this be Malice or Forgetfulness himself best knows But this is sad he seldom forgets to be Malitious but often to be Just yet as to the Bulk of his Reasonings of that matter perhaps he bestows them for the Confutation of those others he speaks of besides the Quakers against whom he saith he writes who if they judge it their Concern may Answer it â—et in this prolixe Disputation he has Cast-in some Arguments which seem not only to urge against this Meer Possibility as he terms it but also against Christ's dying for all in any respect such as from page 169. N. 19. to page 175. J. B.'s false Doctrine That Christ died to take away Peoples Sins with out Repentance But these are such as his usually are which only proceed upon the Question 's being begged For whereas he saith That those for whom Christ died he died to take away their Sins It is not denied provided they resist not the Grace purchased thereby so that Faith and Repentance be wrought in them But he urges this in the following page 170. That since this Non-performance of the Condition is a Sin if he died for all Sins he must have died for this also and if there be another Condition imagined for that too and so in Infinitum I Answer This Reasoning would infer those to be saved by the Death of Christ who never Repent especially with those who judge Men may sin yea must sin all their life-time and yet be saved Neither doth the Absurdity reach those who affirm Christ to have died for all as to obtain Remission of Sins that are past and Graee sufficient to work Faith and Repentance yea and Restore those that may Fall into sin after their Conversion if not Resisted and this is sufficient to Infer that Christ died for all neither can that Absurdity more reach them than the Apostle who speaks of such as Denied the Lord that bought them And since the Evangelist placeth the Benefit upon the Reception Why all are not benefitted by Christ's Death saying But unto as many as received him he gave Power to become the Sons of God all these Scriptures afterwards cited by him signifying the Efficacy of Christ's Blood is not denied they themselves Confess it was Sufficient and of Value enough to have Redeemed every Man but that doth not hinder it from proving Ineffectual to such as will not Receive it as is above shewen And therefore his Question p. 172. If Christ died for the Sins of all Persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned is easily answered Because of their Non-reception of the Grace Christ dyed for all yet all are not saved and why by which his Death should be made Effectual to them And albeit this maketh Free-will Author of Condemnation as himself will acknowledge yet not of Salvation as shall after appear His next Argument p. 174. is That if Christ had died for all Men all Men should be saved because he hath purchased Faith and Salvation for all for whom he has died and this he supposeth he has shewen before But his Confidence in his own Arguments doth not Influence other Men I am yet to see where he has proved any such thing The Scriptures he brings such as Rom. 8.32 39. c. to prove this speak of those who had really received the Grace and in whom Regeneration was working by it and do indeed very well prove that Christ died for them yea what if I should say hath purchased them Grace prevalent to Salvation Yet they will not prove that he has not died for others also also that may miss of Salvation Pag. 175. N. 25. he saith It is considerable that no where in Scripture we find it expresly affirmed That Christ died for all Men Why then is all trouble made But is it not expresly said Heb. 2.9 That we see Jesus That he by the Grace of God should tast Death for every Man Let him tell us what less that Importeth yea if it be not more Emphatick to say Christ tasted Death for every Man than to say Christ died for all Men It is much the Man would so proclaim his Ignorance ¶ 6. After more of his Tedious and Superfluous Reasonings against this Meer Possibility as he calls it he comes p. 194. N. 48. to Overturn my Grounds for Vniversal Redemption and first in answer to the Angels Song Luke 2.10 urged by me wherein they hold forth the Coming of Christ The Angel's good Tidings were to all People as well in general as in particular as Tidings of great Joy to all People This he saith is to shew the Offer was to be made now to all Kindreds Nations Tongues and Languages And what then It is not said only so excluding all Particulars of these since the Word ALL in the Common Acceptation comprehends every Particular as well as all Sorts and he should have given some Reason from Scripture why he Restricts it here But in stead of that he Contradicts himself in the very following Words saying For he was to Reign over the House of Jacob Luk. 1. v. 13. for this if it Vrge any thing it will Exclude his former Concession if it be not Exclusive he can prove nothing from it Neither doth he more pertinently alledge Matth. 1.21 That he was to save his People from their Sins for that Scripture doth not say That he purchased not a Capacity for some to be his People who by their Resisting lost the Benefit offered them How often would I have gathered you and ye would not saith Christ Mat. 23.37 Luke 13.34 He saith further This would not have been glad Tidings if it had been a meer Possibility But I affirm no such thing To my urging Christ's Commission Mark 16.15 To preach the Gospel to every Creature and that of Paul Col. 1.28 he saith It will no more prove That Christ died for all Men than for Devils and Beasts for they are Creatures But how silly and perverse this Answer is is easily apparent For is it lawful to preach the Gospel to Beasts and Devils or is it as unlawful to preach the Gospel to any Men J. B.'s Perversion Christ's Commission to preach the Gospel to every Creature for Salvation as it is to do it to Beasts and Devils But on the contrary since he will not deny but it is a Duty to preach the Gospel to all Men Indefinitely yea in this Place he acknowledges it they being the proper Subjects of it so that of them must be understood every Creature here mentioned Pag. 196. N. 50. To my arguing The Gospel Inviteth all and that it would be a mocking of Men if Christ died not for all to Command them all to believe that Christ died for them He saith This is built upon an Vntruth that the Gospel doth not Command all to whom it is preached to believe that Christ died for them but only to
Which is granted but that proveth not that it is not therefore Vniversal Next he taketh notice of the Context where it is said It became him in bringing many Sons unto Glory c. and therefore these are the All for whom he died But this is strongly to affirm not to prove Albeit Christ brought many Sons unto Glory and called such Brethren it doth not follow he Tasted death only for such The Apostle sheweth us first the general Extent of Christ's Death in saying He tasted death for every Man and then sheweth us how it became Effectual to many And yet the Man is so confident albeit he has urged nothing but only affirmed that he adds If this Context do not sufficiently Confute this Conceit J. B. c. regard the Scriptures no farther than it favours their Opinion and Confutes their Adversaries we need Regard the Scriptures no more But here he has spoken-out the Truth as it is For this evidently shews that for all their pretence to Exalt the Scriptures yet they regard it no more than it favours their Opinion This is the Account for which they Regard the Scriptures if it favour their Opinion and Confute their Adversaries but if it do not They need no more regard it else surely he should have said If the Scriptures do not Confute that which he esteems an Error then he will not judge it so any more but regard the Scriptutes more than his own Judgment but on the contrary he is Resolved if the Scripture do not Confute what he thinks a Conceit that he need no more Regard them Likewise in the rest of this page he gives himself a notable stroke for to my saying That their Doctrine would infer that Christ came to Condemn the World contrary to his own words Joh. 3.17.12.47 he answereth That Prejudice has so blinded mine Eyes that I cannot see the Beam in mine Eye for in my opinion not one Man might have been saved because Christ only procured a meer possibility and no certainty for any one Man c. But as I have above observed I assert as my judgment the express Contrary that Christ has so died for some that they cannot miss of Salvation and this himself also noticeth afterwards p. 276. I would know then and let all honest Men judge if there be any spark of honesty left in him whether himself be not the Man whom prejudice has blinded Almost at the same rate p. 207. he asketh me if my Argument from 2. Pet. 3.9 the Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto Repentance do hold What will I do with those that out-live the day of their Visitation is the Lord willing to give them Repentance I answer No and yet no overturning of my Argument For in respect All had a Day of Visitation wherein they might have Repented God may be said to be Long-suffering and not to have been Willing any should have Perished c. But this cannot be said if none ever had such a Day or Season as they affirm He would Insinuate as if This made all to depend upon Free-Will but how frivolous this Calumny is will after appear And whereas both in this and the following page he Rants at an high rate as if I did fight against God's Omnipotency saying God will be God whether I will or not and that Christ must turn a Petioner and supplicate Lord Free-Will exclaiming O cursed Religion The Man doth but shew his Malitiousness and Weakness For if God's Omnipotency because he doth whatsoever he Will God's Omnipotency willeth not Wicked Actions be Urged to prove that Men cannot Resist his Will and that therefore whatsoever Men do even the wickedest Actions are willed by God then Violence is offered to the Will of the Creatures and the Liberty and Contingency of second Causes are necessarily taken away Which yet is expresly denied by the Westminster-Confession Chap. 3. Nor will all his Distinctions far less Affirmations solve this that Peter speaketh only of the Elect because he mentioneth them elsewhere unless he prove All here to be Restricted is but a begging of the Question ¶ 8. Pag. 210. n. 65. Testimonies of Antiquity slighted by J. B. as not being for his Turn He quarreleth my bringing some Testimonies of Antiquity Agreeing with what I say which he termeth a Fouling of Fingers with humane Writings saying Himself layeth not so much Weight upon the Authority of Men in this matter and yet afterwards he Cites some as making for his purpose He may know I as little build upon the Testimony of the Ancients as he can for the bottoming of Faith and yet to shew their Agreement with us and against them is a good Check to their shameless Objection of Novelty considering how the same is Objected to them as strongly and with no less Reason by their Mother the Church of Rome whom when pinched by us they begin to Run to for the Ground of their Church Ministry and Maintenance That ever I said The Quakers whom he terms to be of Yesterday have only found the Truth is false albeit I say they have a more Clear and Full Discovery of it But one would think notwithstanding his pretending he lays little Weight upon the Authority of Antiquity in this matter that it is not so else why doth he so often in this matter Vpbraid us with the Heresy of Pelagius as Contradicting the Sense of the Ancient Church and their Doctors Who are those whose Testimony he calls the Authority of Men in this matter SECT VII Wherein his IX Chapter Of Universal Salvation Possible his X. Of Universal Grace and Light XI Of the Necessity of this Light to Salvation and his XII Of the Salvation of Heathens without hearing the Gospel are Considered ¶ 1. HE beginneth his 9th Chapter Of Vniversal Salvation Possible according to his Custom with Railing accusing me of Ignorance Folly Pride and Pedantry but he thinks it not worth his pains to spend words to discover it yet he gives a main Reason for all to wit I suppose our Opinions were never known in the World before we were raised up to declare them Which being a manifest Vntruth and never said by me the Reader may thence judge of the Grounds he has for this his Railing However he supposeth They are but Old Errors cloathed with New Notions and which himself has sufficiently enough Enervated in his former Chapter of Reprobation and Universal Redemption Which being the Basis of them is by him if he may be admitted Judge in his own Cause already overturned And then he thinks It was Impertinency to say That Quakers can by sensible Experience be Confirmed in their Doctrine and so brings to an end his first two Paragraphs J. B's Comment and false Insinution put upon our Doctrine of Grace and Salvation His next work is to play the Commentator and to tell his Reader my Meaning which to be sure is
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
As to the first We are justified by Christ Jesus both as he appeared and was made manifest in the Flesh at Jerusalem and also as he is made manifest and Revealed in us And thus we do not divide Christ nor his Righteousness without from his Righteousness within but we do receive and embrace him wholly and undivided THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESS Jeremiah 23.6.1.30 By which we are both made and accounted Righteous in the sight of God and which ought not nor cannot be divided Christ's Righteousness ours And the manner and way whereby his Righteousness and Obedience Death and Sufferings without become profitable unto us and is made ours is by receiving him and becoming one with him in our hearts embracing and entertaining that holy Seed which as it is embraced and entertained becometh a holy Birth in us which in Scripture is called Christ formed within Christ within the hope of glory Gal. 4.19 Coloss. 1.27 By which the Body of Sin and Death is done away and we cleansed and washed and purged from our sins not imaginarily but really and we really and truly made righteous and holy and pure in the sight of God which Righteousness is properly enough said to be the Righteousness of Christ for it is immediately from him and stands in him and is as unseparable from him as the Beams are from the Sun and it is through the Vnion betwixt him and us his righteous Life and Nature brought forth in us and we made one with it as the Branches are with the Vine that we have a true Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us for being so closely united to Christ his Righteousness becometh ours his Obedience ours his Death and Sufferings ours Thus we know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Philip. 3 10. By which Nearness and Fellowship we come to know an Vnity with the suffering Seed both in our selves and others and therein to travel for its raising and deliverance which yet no ways derogates from the Worth of the Sacrifice he offered up unto God without the Gates of Jerusalem while he humbled himself unto Death even unto the Death of the Cross tasting Death for every man This is an honest and plain and true Account of our Belief in this matter and is in Substance one and the same with that which at sundry times thou and thy Brethren hast received from us notwithstanding the bare scanty and dis-ingenuous Account thou givest of us in this matter Secondly As to the Vast Difference that lyeth betwixt us and the Papists any who are not wilfully blind may see it who know their Doctrine and ours in this thing It is not the Works of Christ wrought in us nor the works which we work in his Spirit and Power that we rest and rely upon as the Ground and Foundation of our Justification How Christ is our Justification but it is Christ himself the Worker revealed in us in-dwelling in us his Life and Spirit covering us that is the Ground of our Justification and we feeling our selves in him feeling him in us and his Spirit his Life covering us we feel our Justification and Peace with God in him and through him the alone Mediator betwixt God and Man Now this manner of Justification by the indwelling of Christ in the Saints and of his Spirit is not held by the Papists but is expresly denied by them and disputed against particularly by Bellarmine And Christ Jesus himself is both first and last our Justification and Foundation of it And as to being Justified by Works the Scripture is plain for it and so we may not deny it but plead for it according to the true sence and mind of the Spirit as we are taught of him But to be Justified by him is more than to be Justified by Works Works wrought in Christ. and therefore are we justified in our Works which we work in him and because the Lord accepteth and justifieth us in him therefore he accepteth and justifieth our Works wrought in him and accepteth and justifieth us in relation to these Works And though it hath been said by us that Good Works which are wrought in Christ and are rather his than ours are Meritorious yet we understand it not any other ways than thus That all their Merit or Worth is from Christ. And seeing they are said in Scripture to have their Reward and Reward and Merit are Relative Terms inferring one another in that sence wherein they are said to be Rewarded they may also be said to be Meritorious which yet hinders not the freedom of God's Grace in Justification For we do verily believe and confess that both the Works and the Reward are of the Free-grace of God and that the Lord giveth us all things not of Debt or as being in our Debt but of Free-gift and his infinite Goodness and Wisdom hath seen it meet to promise a Reward to Good Works and so he doth Reward them because of his Goodness and Faithfulness and not because he is addebted unto any of us otherwise then as he hath bound himself by his promise And this is contrary to that false Popish Doctrine which affirms That men deserve a Reward from God for Good Works upon the account of strict Justice without respect to the Promise And if it be answered That all Papists do not say so but are more moderate Well then I say If some of them be moderate and pass from the erroneous Opinion of Popery and speak that which is true if others speak what is true also in that particular should the Truth be accused and condemned for Rank Popery because some Papists at times confess to it You your selves know that Papists contradict one another in divers things and where men directly contradict one another one of the sides must speak true But as to that wherein the Justification stands and on which it is grounded to wit Christ himself as in-dwelling in the Saints none of all the Papists for ought we ever heard or read do own it but are against it Again As to the Works by which the Papists seek to be justified The Papists justifying Works pretended they are such as we believe none can be justified by viz. their outward Observations their Invocation of Saints bowing to Images saying Ave Maries telling their Beads their Pilgrimages their whipping themselves their keeping Lent and many other such like Works of voluntary Humility by which they seek to be justified though they are evil Works as not done in the Faith and Power of God Nor does it serve thy turn to say That Papists think not that Works considered as evil and sinful are sufficient to justify them for that is not the question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works sinful and evil but this is the Question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works which are really
pure Spirit of Christ doth never join in working with it but judgeth and reproveth it and therefore in so far as the unclean part worketh in any that man in whom it worketh is not throughly justified and approved by the Lord but there are who witness the cleansing from all the uncleanness and so as clean Vessels and Instruments throughout bring forth clean things clean works Thy Example how that Clean water passing through an unclean Pipe receives a tincture of uncleanness hits not the case The spiritual Water is undefilable For the spiritual Water is not like the common gross outward Water which an unclean Pipe can defile but like the fire and the Light which though it touch unclean things cannot be defiled by them Every thing of the Spirit is undefilable as the Spirit is which no unclean thing can defile And if thou wert well skilled in the outward Creation thou might'st find an outward Water so pure that passing through an unclean Pipe shall not be defiled with it But if thou knowest not these earthly things and believest them not as Christ said John 3.12 How shalt thou believe if we tell thee heavenly things Page 25. Thou chargest us with Erring grievously in confounding Justification and Sanctification Answ. Justification is either taken for God his adjudging a man unto Eternal Life A twofold Justification and in that sense it is not to be confounded with Sanctification yet it is not to be separated there-from for God adjudgeth no man but the sanctified unto Eternal Life or Happiness Or it is taken for the making a man righteous and then it is all one with Sanctification And that thou say'st The word is most frequently used in Scripture in that sense of adjudging being opposed to condemnation Doth imply thou hast not the confidence to assert that it is always so used as indeed it is not And whereas thou citest Philip. 3.9 to prove That the choicest Saints upon Earth have disclaimed all Righteousness wrought in them by which they could be justified I say that Scripture proves no such thing and thy Observation to prove it is insufficient to wit that the Apostle doth not speak of his Righteousness whilest he was a Pharisee for that he disowned vers 6 7. for admitting it yet he was still to deny and disown the Work and Righteousness which could proceed from his own Will and Spirit even all the willings and runnings which can arise from a man's self though he be a Saint Self-righteousness to be watched against without the immediate operation of the Spirit of Christ the Saints have this to watch against to keep down the active and working self-will and stop it from working the Self-righteousness which if it be not watched against and stood against will fall a working its Righteousness which God accepts not as being but the bare Righteousness of man And this is that Righteousness which Paul denied to have which he even calleth the Righteousness of the Law but this which is of the Law thou cunningly omittest because it made against thee it seems Now what that Righteousness of God through Faith was which he desires to have he plainly expresseth verse 10. That he might know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings in being made conform unto his death Now is not the knowledge of him and the power of his Resurrection a work of the Spirit of Christ in the Saints by which they are justified according to that By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many And is not the fellowship of his suffering or the suffering with him a work of his Spirit And Lastly is not the Conformity unto his Death a work of his Spirit in the Saints comprehending the whole work of Mortification Page 26. Thy last Argument from 2 Cor. 5.21 is most absurd and impious for accordingly it would follow that as Christ was made sin for us or suffered for our sins who himself had no sin no not in the least So we may be made righteous before God though we have no righteousness no holiness no faith no repentance no mortification no good thing wrought in us Christ's Righteousness made by the Priest a strengthning of the wicked And doth not this strengthen the wicked ungodly and profane in their Presumption to have title to Christ his Righteousness And so to return thy mis-applied Instance in another case Suppose some of the profane who plead a right to Christ's Righteousness having lost some of their number should happen to hear thee disputing against all Good Works as being profitable to Justification might they not say concerning thee and thy Brethren who teach such Doctrine We have not only got the lost sheep but the lost shepheards and the chiefest of them too on our side let us rejoice we have found them We find the Apostle makes a far better Inference from Christ his dying for us 2 Cor. 6.15 He died for all that they who live might not any longer live to themselves but to God yea and every where he holdeth forth Inward holiness and righteousness as that without which no man can lay claim to Christ If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature but he doth not say God reputes him a New Creature though he be not really renewed And though it be said that we are made righteous in him This hinders not as thou vainly inferrest That we are not made righteous by an inward righteousness for he is in the Saints and fulfils the righteousness of the Law in them that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The righteousness of the Law fulfilling in us Rom. 8.4 Therefore that 2 Cor. 5.21 is thus to be understood that Jesus Christ who knew no sin was made to be sin for us that is suffered for our sins that we who had really sinned and so deserved wrath might partake of the Love and Grace by him and through the workings thereof be made the Righteousness of God in him For that the Apostle understood here a really being made righteous and not a being esteemed or held as righteous while indeed impure is very evident by the whole following Chapter but especially towards the end What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness Wherefore come out from among them touch not the unclean thing be ye separate and I will receive you and ye shall be unto me for sons and daughters Now to be Received of the Lord is to be justified of him and here we see plainly that in order thereunto there is required a Righteousness by which they must be separated from the evil and unclean and must not touch it And whereas thou say'st That the holiest Actions of the Saints because of the sinfulness of these Actions deserve Condemnation I ask thee Whether did the Apostles sin in writing the Scriptures Then writing the Scriptures was Sin in the holy men of God according to
ye put upon them And whereas some object It is not said of them but of such I answer but that such includeth them and all others who are like them in harmlessness otherwise if they had been excluded he would not have given it as a Reason why he bid suffer them to come unto him But besides the 18 th Chapt. verse 20. of Ezekiel is a plain proof The soul that sinneth shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's iniquity unless that the Son be found acting the same iniquity and continuing in it for then he visits the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children Now thou hast produced no Scripture to prove That any Infants do perish and indeed there is nothing in Scripture for it but against it Secondly thou say'st It would follow that Infants dying in their infancy stood not in need of Christ as a Saviour for he is a Saviour to save his People from their sins Infants saved from sin Answ. He is a Saviour not only to save from sins but also from the Consequences of sin and not only from the fruits and branches of it but from the seed and they are saved from sin who are not suffered to fall into it And so these Infants whom the Lord takes away in their infancy that they might not sin are saved from it It is salvation to be kept from falling into a pit as truly as to be taken out of it after the falling in And as for that Scripture it maketh against you Matth. 1.12 For it speaketh of a salvation from sin whereas you dream of a salvation in your sins Nor doth Rom. 7.24 speak of Infants so thy citing it here is impertinent And though there be a time wherein there is a crying out for deliverance from the body of sin and death yet there is also a time of deliverance from it even before the laying down of the outward body as is plain from Rom. 6.6 7. Knowing this that the old man is crucified and he that is dead is freed from sin Yet we acknowledge there is great occasion to be Low and to be in great fear and care lest Sin which is once crucified revive again Page 48. Thou chargest us As holding a falling away from Regeneration and as agreeing therein with Arminians But if the Arminians hold a falling away from Regeneration we hold no such matter For those who fall away never attained unto the Regeneration and so were never the Children of God but only were in the way to it by having attained to some beginnings of Faith The falling away from Faith is of themselves from which some may and have fallen away For that it is expresly said by Christ some believe and afterwards fall away and some depart from the faith and make shipwrack of it and some who have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come Fall away These and many such Instances are in Scripture nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove the contrary as Philip. 1.6 which is to be understood no otherwise then as the Condition is performed upon their part As Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the Principle of our Establishment or whereby we are established firm unto the end and so these who hold fast this Principle witness the Work which God hath begun in them to be carried on until the day of Christ even till he be compleatly formed in them and they in him It may be supposed that Paul was as confident that God would perfect the Work begun in himself and yet he supposeth it might be otherwise where he saith Lest preaching the Gospel to others I my self become a Cast-away And though some fall away the dishonour of the foolish Builder cannot be cast upon God but upon them who fall away for it standeth very well with the Wisdom and Power of God to suffer them to fall away who knowingly and wilfully depart from the Lord and will not concur with him in the work as subordinate Instruments but resist him though he invite and call yea draw them The next thou citest is 1 Pet. 15. Answ. Such as are so kept by the Power of God it is through Faith but as they abide not in that power through Faith but wander from it they fall and cannot but fall away And as for Jerem. 32.40 cited by thee it should be translated thus I will put my fear into their hearts that they may not depart from me so Junius and Tremellius's Version or not to depart from me as the Septuagint hath it Now to say That they may not depart is one thing and to say They cannot depart is another Yet where the fear of God comes so to be raised and established in the heart over all we believe such cannot depart but every one is not attained to that state where yet the fear of God may have some place And as touching these other Scriptures John 10.27 28 29. and John 13.1 and 1 John 2.19 they speak of those who are come to a thorough-Regeneration who we do believe can never fall away as being begot in the perfect Nature of the Elect Sheep and Children Nor doth it follow from this that one may be a Child of God to day and a Child of the Devil to morrow for these who are once properly the Children of God through a true and thorough-Regeneration can never become the Children of the Devil nor be cast out of God's special love that he beareth to his own Children For to end this matter thou say'st It is safer to question the Truth of the Graces of those that fall away than the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints But dost thou look upon the Quakers as having fallen away if thou dost how comes it that thou bespeakest them in thy Epistle as those who have had real Grace saying to them Did ye attain to that knowledge of and acquaintance with God which ye have in the use of Ordinances And again Ye did run well who did hinder you And again Why should they asperse these Ordinances which have been the means of their Conversion Or are these words only a Joab's kiss by which thou would'st kiss the Quakers while in the mean time thou hast a Sword hid under thy Cloak to strike them through under the fifth Rib But the Quakers are aware of thee and having on the Armour of God are out of thy reach In the last place Page 50. thou undertakest to prove That our Errors as thou callest them tend to Irreligiousness and Atheism because they tend to take away the Worship due to God But it hath been heretofore proved that we deny not true Worship but only your Idolatrous superstitious Worships which cannot truly be called the Worship of God Our way thou say'st tends to Irreligiousness because frequently we go to Meat Prayer before Meat and come from it without seeking a Blessing or returning Thanks
be great Peace True Peace with God but we have not come by it after such a way as thou dost falsly and rashly judge as by neglecting the Worship of God and stopping the mouth of Conscience but by being turned to that living Word and Law of God in our hearts by loving it and cleaving to it yea by receiving the reproofs and chastisements of God through it and submitting to the Judgment of it when it hath been as a hammer and as a sword and as a fire in us breaking in pieces and destroying all that false unsound Peace we had created to our selves in the day of our alienation from the light of God in us And unto Peace we are come through great tribulation of Soul even such as thou art a stranger unto being ignorant both of the one and the other and so hast therein shewed thy folly in judging what thou knowest not And as for woful security we know not where it more abounds than among hypocritical Professors The Whore's Peace who with the Whore in the Proverbs offer up their Sacrifices of Morning and Evening Prayers and thereby create a Peace to themselves though they let their hearts go a whoring after their Lusts all the day Did not the Pharisees pray much outwardly and were much in other outward practices of Devotion and so created a false peace and esteem unto themselves And can you deny but that there are many such among you who make up a false peace to themselves by leaning upon their outward performances Now what if I should charge this upon your Principle would'st thou think it fair dealing Thirdly Page 52. Thou say'st Doth not that Opinion tend to Atheism which rendreth mortification of sin even in this life useless c. Answ. Here thou dealest dis-ingenuously Is Mortification of sin useless where the end of it is attained And is not perfection the end of mortification Again thou say'st The Opinion of a sinless perfection wounds the very vitals of Religion Answ. Who could have expected that one that pretends to Religion would have been so brazen-faced as to put such an Expression in print What is the end of true Religion The end of true Religion to lead out of sin but to lead out of sin Do the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or in not sinning If it consist in sinning then they that sin most are most religious But if it consist in not sinning and keeping the Commandments of God without sin then to plead for such a thing as attainable hurteth not the vitals of Religion What! cannot the Saints live better without sin than with it Yea surely they can live well without that which is a burden and as Death unto their life they whose life is in sin cannot live but in sin but the Saints life is not in sin but in righteousness And thy consequences are vain and foolish As 1. That men need not pray for pardon of sin 2. That they need not the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from sin 3. That they need not Repentance For we grant that All have sinned and so need those things by which they may attain unto perfection and who witness perfection are come to witness the true use of these things and as the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all the sin so it preserveth clean and such have received the forgiveness of their sins being turned from them unto righteousness which is the fulfilling of Repentance And whereas thou say'st Bring me to the particular person that is sinless and I shall apply to him that of the Apostle 1 John 1.8 Thou shewest openly thy confusion for by thy applying to him that of the Apostle wouldst thou infer a sinless man to be a sinning man That is a contradiction but though we should bring a man to thee that is made free from sin by the power of God thou couldst no more judge of him than a blind man can judge of Colours And as to 1 John 1.8 it is a plain case If we say we have no sin and have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness as verse 6. then we deceive our selves So it is Conditional otherwise it would contradict what follows Verse 9. and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.6 9. As to that of the Sabbath it is answered above Page 53. Your Religion say'st thou will be welcome to the worst and wickedest of men for you will please them exceedingly in crying down of Ordinances the observation of the Sabbath and private and family Prayer c. Answ. We cry down no Ordinance of God but your hypocritical ways and we know no worse men than those Hypocrites whom we are so far from pleasing Crying down Hypocrisie pleases not the Hypocrite in crying down their hypocritical Prayers and Performances that they frâ—t and gnash at us with their Teeth and if they could get their will would tear us in pieces for witnessing against those things And they are very blind who see not that the denying of those things in shadow and bare formality and establishing them in the power and substance can no ways be acceptable to the Wicked but most unpleasing to Hypocrites who can perform the one but not the other But now let us examine whether your Principles or ours be most acceptable to the wicked and hypocrites 1. Wicked men and Hypocrites love well to hear Hypocrites and wicked mens Principles of the Priests that they can never be free from their sins in this life and that they must always sin 2. They love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them and his Righteousness without but not by him and his Righteousness within them 3. They love well to hear that the words without them are the only Rule which they can wrest according to their own corrupt Inclinations but they love not to hear that the Word and Light of God within is to be their Rule which they cannot wrest nor bend 4. They love well to hear that they may use the fashions and customs of this World bow and cringe and give and receive the Honour of this World 5. They love to hear they may use Sports and Games and Plays 6. To wear Laces and Ribbons and Gold Rings and other superfluity 7. They love well to hear that men must not expect to hear God immediately being such as those who said Let not God speak unto us 8. They love well to hear that Water-baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of God and the true Baptism and Supper for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things and they are mad against us who call them shadows And as for their Observation of that called the Sabbath we find none more plead for it than profane light men and women for they can easily dispense to hear a man talk for an hour or two and then have all the rest of the day to spend in idleness vain communication
Act of Sin and never actually sin in their own Persons do for this sin of Adam Eternally perish Now whether this Doctrine be sutable either to the Justice or Mercy of God I leave the Christian Reader to judge I shall examine the Reasons he brings for it His chief Argument for this in his Dialogue page 47. was That because Children die citing Rom. 23. The wages of sin is death Now I shew him pag. 41. of mine how that made nothing because natural Death of the Saints is not the Wages of Sin for their Sins are forgiven them c. this he hath not so much as mentioned far less answered And whereas he might as well argue that the Earth The Saints natural Death is not the Wages of Sin Trees and Herbs were Sinners because they received great decay by Adam's Sin He slightly passes it over alledging It will not therefore follow that all Mankind who suffer Death are not Sinners Now this is no answer but a meer shift and the thing I intended against his Assertion doth very naturally follow from my Argument thus If as W. M. says Infants be guilty of Adam's Sin because they are subject to Diseases and Death then the Beasts who are subject to the like and the Earth Herbs and Trees who have received their decay are Sinners before God But this is absurd therefore the other Let him answer this the next time more effectually The first proof he brings here is 1 Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh adding This intimates man by his natural Birth to be Corrupt and Fleshly But for this his gloss he bringeth no proof Though That which is born of the flesh be flesh he sheweth us not how it followeth thence that Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin After the like manner he concludes this his Doctrine from Job 14.4 Psal. 5.5 Whether Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin But as the words in these places do not plainly express any such thing so he brings no Reasons to make his Consequences deduceable from them After the like proofless manner he alledgeth Rom. 5.14 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Now though the matter in question be Whether these many were made Sinners before they actually sinned in their own Persons He doth not so much as offer to prove it In the like manner though David said his Mother conceived him in sin he sheweth us not how it followeth from thence that David was guilty of Sin before he actually sinned And here I observe how he asserts That men are guilty of the Sin of their immoderate Parents contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezek. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father To prove Infants thus guilty he further addeth Rom. 5.12 alledging these words For that all have sinned includes Infants But I shew him this includes not Infants because the Apostle clears it in the next verse saying Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and that there being no Law to Infants they cannot be guilty of sin To this he Replies There was a Law to Adam and that he represented mankind and stood as a publick Person Therefore Children had a Law in him But for this signification of his own he produceth no proof and it cannot be received as being direct contrary to the Scripture above-mentioned The Son shall not bear the Father 's Iniquity He alledgeth That those the Apostle speaks of who sinned not after the similitude of Adam 's Transgression are Infants But after his usual manner bringeth not the least proof for it The 1 Cor. 15.22 cited by him is so far from making anything for his purpose that it maketh directly against him which any that have the least grain of true understanding may perceive The words are As in Adam all died even so in Christ all are made alive for here All are said to die in Adam None die in Adam until they actually join with his Vnrighteousness even as All are said to be made alive in Christ now as none are made alive in Christ until they actually receive and join with his Righteousness so none die in Adam until they actually receive and join with his unrighteousness c. He maketh a deal a do page 110 111. about the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein though it were easie to refute him were it not needless to fill up Paper with Grammatical Criticisms For giving but not granting the words might be Translated In Adam all have sinned it will not from thence follow that Infants are guilty before they actually sin seeing All are said to die or have sinned in Adam even as All are said to be made alive in Christ and yet none are said to be so until they actually receive his Righteousness as is above demonstrated Page 113. He alledgeth Though it be said that the Kingdom of God is of little Children yet some Infants are not saved because they are not of the Kingdom of Grace But for this he bringeth no proof at all And I here take notice That he acknowledges that God Sanctifies and Regenerates some Infants W.M. contradicting himself and thereby he notably contradicts his second Section concerning the Light and page 29. of his Dialogue where he condemns it as a dangerous Error in us to say Any can be saved without the outward Knowledge of Christ of which Infants are not capable To prove That some Infants perish even Eternally he alledgeth The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah citing Jude 7. But his wresting this Scripture is very manifest For the reason Jude gives of their suffering Vengeance was because they gave themselves up to Fornication and went after strange flesh Now of this Infants were not capable of whom therefore Jude speaks not one word He terms Impudent or else Ignorant for bringing Matth. 1.22 against them alledging It is an unjust charge to say they plead for a Salvation in their sins And yet he has the Impudence immediately to aver it himself saying They are but in part delivered or saved in this Life do they not then dream of Salvation while in part they remain in their Sins Compare Matth. 1.21 with 1 Joh. 1.7 Christ is said to cleanse us from All Iniquity not a part of it It is bad Inference drawn from my Assertion that Children are not guilty of sin to say that therefore they need not a Saviour I told him in my last Christ was truly a Saviour unto them in that he kept them from sinning as one How Christ is a Saviour to Children that 's kept from falling in a Ditch is as truly saved as he that 's taken out of one It is altogether Inconsequential to infer from this That Christ died to save the holy Angels from sin because they are not suffered to fall into it For Christ is said only to have died for Adam's Posterity of which number Infants are but not Angels It is likewise
the Love of God because He laid down his Life for us Hebr. 9.15 And for this Cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of the Redemption of Transgressions that were under the first Testament They which are called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Q. Is Christ then the Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 A For there is One God and One Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. Was not Christ the Mediator until he appeared and was Crucified in the Flesh Rev. 5.12 and 13.8 A He is the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World Q. Is it then needful to believe that the Saints of old did partake of Christ as then present with and nourishing them 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. A. Moreover Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Q. But whereas most of these Scriptures before-mentioned do hold forth that the Death and Sufferings of Christ were appointed for the destroying removing and remitting of Sin Did he so do it while he was outwardly upon Earth as not to leave any thing for himself to do in us nor for us to do in and by his Strength A. For even hereunto were ye called 1 Pet. 2.21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps Whereof I Paul am made a Minister Col. 1.23 24. who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Always bearing about in the Body the Dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 11. that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Body For we which live are alway delivered unto Death for Jesus 's sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Flesh. And that he died for all that they which live 2 Cor. 5.15 should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and also rose again That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death CHAP. IV. Of the New Birth the Inward Appearance of Christ in Spirit and the Vnity of the Saints with him Question DOth Christ promise then to Come again to his Disciples Answer I will not leave you Comfortless I Come unto you John 14.18 Q. Was this only a Special Promise to these Disciples Or is it not the Common Priviledge of the Saints A. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabits Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place Isa. 57.15 with him also that is of a Contrite and Humble Spirit c. For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my voice Rev. 3.20 and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Q Doth the Apostle Paul speak of the Son of God's being Revealed in him A. But when it pleased God Gal. 1.15 16. who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace To Reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Heathen Q. Is it needful then to know Christ within A. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Q. Was the Apostle Earnest that this Inward Birth of Christ should be brought forth in any A. * Gal. 41.9 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Q What saith the same Apostle of the Necessity of this Inward Knowledge of Christ and of the New Creature beyond the Outward A. Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 17 Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become New But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him Ephes. 4.21 22 23 24. 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 corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be Renewed in the Spirit of your Mind and that ye Put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Q. Is this Christ-within the Mystery of God and Hope of Glory which the Apostle Preached Col. 1.27 28. A. To whom God would make known what are the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom ye preach Q. Doth the Apostle any where else press the putting on of this New Birth A. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Q. Doth he write to any of the Saints as having put off the Old and on the New Man A. For as many of you as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3 27. Seeing that ye have put off the Old Man with his Deeds and have put on the New Man Col. 3.9 10. which is renew'd in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him Q. What speaketh Christ himself of the Necessity of this New Birth John 3.3 A. Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Q Of what Seed cometh this Birth 1 Pet. 1.23 A. Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Q. What doth the Apostle Paul witness of himself concerning this New Life A. I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Q. What is the Preaching of the Cross of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 A. For the Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto us that are saved it is the Power of God Q. What Effect had this Cross in the Apostle and how much preferreth he the New Creature to all outward and visible Ordinances
and Observances A. * Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature Q. What speaketh Christ of the Unity of the Saints with him A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father John 14.20 and ye in me and I in you Abide in me and I in you John 15.4 5. As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the Vine ye are the Branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Neither pray I for these alone but for them also John 17.20 21 22 23. which shall believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in Vs that the World may believe it that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Q. What saith the Apostle Paul to this purpose A. For both he that Sanctifies and they that are Sanctified Hebr. 2.11 are all of One for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Q. What saith the Apostle Peter A. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. CHAP. V. Concerning the Light wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightned every Man The Vniversality and Sufficiency of God's Grace to all the World made manifest therein Question WHerein consists the Love of God towards Fallen and Lost Man Answer For God so loved the World John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World 1 John 4.9 that we might live through him Q. What is intended here by the World all and every Man or only a few A. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour Hebr. 2.9 that he by the Grace of God Should taste Death for every Man 1 John 2.1 2. And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Q. Methinks the Apostle John is very plain there in mentioning the whole World which must be not only the Saints but all others seeing he distinguisheth the World from himself and all the Saints to whom he then wrote What saith Paul elsewhere in this matter A. Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom we Preach warning every Man Col. 1.27 28. and teaching every Man in all Wisdom That we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.3 4 6. I Exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Giving of Thanks be made for All Men for this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour who will have All Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. What is the Apostle Peter 's Testimony in this A. The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward 2 Pet. 3.9 Not willing that any should Perish but that All should come to Repentance Q. Are there any more Scripture-Passages that prove this thing A. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Ezek. 33.11 but that the Wicked turn from his Way and Live The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion slow to Anger and of great Mercy Psal. 145.8 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works To wit That God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto him self 2 Cor. 5.19 Q. Seeing then by these Scriptures it appears that the Love of God is held out to all that all might have been or may be saved by Christ What is to be judged of those who assert that God nor Christ never purposed Love nor Salvation to a great part of Mankind and that the Coming and Sufferings of Christ never was intended nor could be useful to their Justification but will and must be effectual for their Condemnation even according to God's Purpose who from their very Infancy to their Grave with-held from them all means of Salvation What saith the Scripture to such A. For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved John 3 17. I am come a Light into the World that Whosoever believeth in me John 12.46 47. should not abide in Darkness And if any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World Q. From what Scripture then came these Men to wrest an Opinion so contrary to Truth A. For the Children being not yet born neither have done any Good or Evil Rom. 9 11 12 13. that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand it was said unto her The Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Q. I perceive in that Scripture it was only said before the Children were born The Elder shall serve the Younger These other Words Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated are mention'd out of the Prophet Malachy who wrote them many hundred Years after both were Dead Doth not the Scripture mention any other Cause of God's hating Esau than meerly his Decree What saith the same Apostle elsewhere A. Lest there be any Fornication or Prophane Person as Esau Hebr. 12.16 17. who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Q. But seeing that such alledge that it is because of Adam 's Sin that many even Children are Damned Doth not the Scripture aver that the Death of Christ was as large to Heal as Adam 's Sin could Condemn A. For if through the Offence of one many be Dead Rom. 5.15 18. much more the Grace of God
Spirit of Life maketh free from the Law of Sin and Death s Rom. 8 1 2. For such are become dead unto Sin and alive unto Righteousness and being made free from Sin are become Servants of Righteousness t Rom. 6 2.18 Therefore ought we to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect u Matth. 5.48 For the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burthen is light x Matt. 11.30 And his Commandments are not grievous y 1 John 5.3 And whosoever will enter into Life must keep the Commandments z Matth. 19.17 Hereby do we know that we know God if we keep his Commandments a 1 John 2.3 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him b 1 John 2.4 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him c John 3.6 Let no Man deceive us he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God d 1 John 3.7 8 9. For not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven e Matth. 7.21 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God f 1 Cor. 7.19 ARTICLE XV. Concerning Perseverance and Falling from Grace WE ought to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure which things if we do we shall never fall g 2 Pet. 1.10 For even Paul kept under his Body and brought it into Subjection lest by any Means when he preached to others he himself became a Cast-away h 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us therefore take heed lest there be in any of us an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the Living God i Hebr. 3.12 Likewise let us labour to enter into that Rest lest any Man fall after the same Example of Vnbelief k Hebr. 4.11 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance l Hebr. 6.4 5 6. For he that abideth not in Christ is cast forth and is withered m John 15.16 Yet such as overcome he will make as Pillars in the Temple of his God and they shall go no more out n Rev. 3.12 And these are perswaded that nothing shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus o Rom. 8.38 ARTICLE XVI Concerning the Church and Ministry THe Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth p 1 Tim. 3.15 Whereof the Dear Son of God is the Head q Col. 1.18 From which all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God r Col. 2.19 Which Church of God are they that are sanctified in Christ Jesus s 1 Cor. 1.2 Who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry t Ephes. 4.9 11. Who ought to be blameless vigilant sober of good Behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Strikers not greedy of filthy Lucre but patient not Brawlers not Covetous u 1 Tim. 3.2 3. but Lovers of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faith as they have been taught that they may be able by sound Doctrine both to Exhort and to Convince Gain-sayers x T it 1.8 9. Taking heed to themselves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God y Acts 20.28 Taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but as being Ensamples to the Flock z 1 Pet. 5.2 3. And such Elders as rule well are to be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine a 1 Tim. 5.17 And to be esteemed very highly in Love for their Works sake b 1 Thess. 5.5 12. As every Man hath received the Gift so ought the same to be Ministred If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth c 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Preaching the Gospel not with the Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ be made of none effect d 1 Cor. 1.17 Nor yet with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that the Faith may not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God e 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Howbeit such spake Wisdom among them that are Perfect yet not the Wisdom of this World not of the Princes of this World which cometh to nought but they speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to their Glory f 1 Cor. 2.6 7. Which things they also speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth g 1 Cor. 2.13 For it is not they that speak but the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father that speaketh in them h Matth. 10.20 Who if they sow spiritual things ought to reap carnal things for so the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward i 1 Cor. 9.11 14 Yet a necessity is laid upon them yea Wo is unto them if they preach not the Gospel and their Reward is that when they preach the Gospel they make the Gospel of Christ without Charge k 1 Cor. 9 15 17 18. Not coveting any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel but their Hands ministring to their Necessities that so labouring they may support the Weak remembring the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It 's more blessed to give than to receive l Acts 20 33 34. For they are not of the greedy Dogs that can never have enough m Isa. 56.11 Nor of the Shepherds that look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter n Ibidem That Feed themselves and not the Flock o Ezek. 34.8 That make the People Err biting with their Teeth and crying Peace and
carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ y 2 Cor. 10 3.4 5. For Wars and Fightings come of the Lusts that war in the Members z Jam. 4.1 2. Therefore Christ commands not to resist Evil but whosoever will smite on the right Cheek to turn the other also a Mat. 5.39 Because Christians are Lambs among Wolves b Luke 10.3 Therefore are they hated of all Men for Christ's sake c Mat. 10.22 And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution d 2 Tim. 3.12 Such are Blessed for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven e Mat. 5 10. For though they have lost their Lives yet shall they save them f Mat. 16.25 And because they have confessed Christ before Men he will also confess them before the Angels of God g Luke 12.8 9. We ought not then to fear them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell h Mat. 10.28 ARTICLE XXII Concerning Magistracy LEt every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have Praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Wherefore we must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake For for this Cause pay we also Tribute for they are God's Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour i Rom. 13.1 2 7. Therefore are we to submit ourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-Doers and for the Praise of them that do Well for so is the Will of God that with well-doing we may put to Silence the Ignorance of Foolish Men k 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Yet it is right in the Spirit of God to hearken unto him more than unto them l Acts 4.19 And though they straightly Command us not to teach in Christ's Name we ought to obey God rather than Men m Acts 5.28 29. ARTICLE XXIII Concerning the Resurrection THere shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust n Acts 24.15 They that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation o John 5.29 Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption p 1 Cor. 15.50 Nor is that Body sown that shall be but God gives it a Body as it has pleased him and to every Seed his own Body It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption It is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory It is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body q 1 Cor. 15.37 38 42 43 44. CHAP. XVII A short Expostulation with and APPEAL to all other Professors COme let us reason with you all ye Professors of Christianity of what sort or kind soever and bring forth your Catechisms and Confessions of FAITH to that which by most of your selves is accounted the Touch-Stone or Rule And suffer your selves no more to be blinded and to Err through your Ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Power of God but freely acknowledge and confess to that Glorious Gospel and Light which the Scriptures so clearly witness to and your Experience must needs answer as also to these other Doctrines The Noble Principle of Truth all are Invited unto which consequentially depend upon the behalf of that Noble and truly Catholick Principle wherein the Love of God is so mercifully exhibited to all Men and his Justice and Mercy do like Twins so Harmoniously Concord his Mercy in the oft tendering of his Love through the Strivings and Wrestlings of his Light during the day of every man's Visitation and his Justice both in the destroying and cutting away of the Wicked Nature and Spirit in those that suffer themselves to be Redeemed through his Judgments and in the utter Overthrow of such who rebelling against the Light and doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace hate to be Reformed Now not only this Fundamental Principle is clearly held forth in this Treatise but all these that depend upon it as the real and inward Justification of the Saints through the Power and Life of Jesus Revealed in them their full and perfect Redemption from the Body of Death and Sin as they grow up by the Workings and Prevalency of his Grace And yet lest Security should enter there is great need of Watchfulness in that they may even depart after they have really witnessed a good Condition and make Ship-wrack of the Faith and of a good Conscience with all the parts of the Doctrine of Christ as they lie linked together like a Golden Chain which doth very much evidence the Certainty and Vertue of Truth above all Heresies Error and Deceit however so cunningly gilded with the specious Pretences thereof For Truth is intire in all its parts and consonant to it self without the least Jar having a wonderful Coherence and notable Harmony The Harmony of Truth as of a well-tuned Instrument answering together like the Strings of a well-tuned Instrument whereas the Principles of all other Professors though in some things most of them come near and divers acknowledge that which is Truth yet in most things they stray from it so that their Principles greatly contradict and Jar one against another And though they may alledge Scriptures for some of their Principles yet they are put strangely to wrest it and to deny it for others My Appeal then to and Expostulation with all sorts of Professors is not to prove some one or two Points by the Scriptures for there be some general Notions of Truth which most if not all agree to but the whole Body of our Principles as they stand in relation to each other which none of them all is able to do For among the many Professors their Catechisms and Confessions of Faith I
Foolish Fashions of this World But we felt as we were obedient all these things to be for Condemnation and that as we obeyed the pure Manifestation of the Light of Jesus in our Hearts there was no Hesitation We might and should have parted with all those things at the first and what occasioned such Scruples was but that which drew back through being unwilling to give pure Obedience to the Cross of Christ for as many as gave Obedience and believed in the Light found no Occasion of stumbling but such as believed not were Condemned already because they believed not in him that Appeared Now the Boldness and Courage and Efficacy of these Messengers Testimony wrought such Astonishment The Courage of the Messengers Fear and Amazement in the Hearts of such as were Ingenuous that many began to be inwardly pricked as in the Days of old and the Foundations of many began to be shaken and some that were asleep were awakened and many that were dead and buried in the Graves of Sin and Formality and Superstition and Idolatry of all Sorts were Alarmed and many were brought in from the Hedges and the High-Ways and the Truth was received by Thousands with great Cheerfulness and a Readiness of Mind and the Feet of those were beheld to be beautiful upon the Mountains that brought the Glad Tidings of these good things And great Lowliness and Simplicity of Heart was upon such that were newly Convinced of the Truth and Deep Humiliation of Spirit and Subjection to the Power both in themselves and in those who were over them in the Lord and had gathered them into the Truth But as it was in the Gatherings of Old so it also fell out in this Day all kept not their first Love As among those Thousands which Moses led out of Egypt and carried through the Red Sea who had sung Praises to God upon the Banks of Salvation many Carcases fell in the Wilderness some who Murmured and longed to return again to the Flesh-pots of Egypt Opposition and and some for Opposing and Contradicting the Servant and Servants of the Lord whom the Lord had made Use of to lead them out of Bondage in saying Ye take too much upon you hath the Lord indeed only spoken by Moses hath he not spoken also by us And as among these Multitudes which were gathered by the Apostles there were many who continued not faithful to the End some returned back again with the Sow to the Puddle after they were washed some embraced the present World some again separated themselves Separation entring being sensual and without the Spirit despising Dominion and speaking Evil of Dignities their Mouths speaking great swelling Words being puffed up and not abiding in these things which they were taught of the Apostles So it is to be lamented that among these many Thousands whom the Apostles and Evangelists whom God raised up in this Day for the gathering of his Seed and People out of spiritual Egypt and Babylon into his pure Light and Life did bring forth and gather there are that have fallen upon the right Hand and the left Some are turned back again into Egypt running into the same Excess of Lust and Riot from whence they were once purified and Redeemed some could not bear the Reproach of the Cross of Christ and were by and anon offended in him some could not bear the Tribulations Sufferings and Persecutions which came for the Truth 's sake and the Seed in them was soon scorched with the Heat of the Day And some not abiding in Subjection to the Truth in themselves were not contented with that Place and Station in the Body which God had placed them in but became vainly puft up in their Fleshly Minds intruding into those things which they have not seen and would needs be Innovators given to Change Innovators causing Divisions and introducing new Doctrines and Practices not only differing but contrary to what was already delivered in the Beginning making Parties causing Divisions and Rents stumbling the weak and denying despising and reviling the Apostles and Messengers of Christ the Elders of the Church who loved not their Lives unto Death but through much Care and Travel and Watchings and Whippings and Bonds and Beatings in daily Jeopardy gathered us by the mighty Power of God in the most pretious Truth Yet in all this there hath nothing befallen us but that which hath been the Antient Lot of the Church of Christ in the Primitive Times Now He that was careful for his Church and People in old times hath not been wanting to us in our Day The good Shepherd of Israel his Care over his Church and People but as he has again Restored the Truth unto its primitive Integrity and Simplicity and as he has delivered our Understandings from these false Doctrines and Principles which prevailed in the Apostacy so he hath not gathered us to be As Sheep scattered without a Shepherd that every one may run his own Way and every one follow his own Will and so to be as a Confused Mass or Chaos without any Order but He even the LORD hath also gathered and is gathering us into the Good Order Discipline and Government of his own Son the Lord Jesus Christ therefore he hath laid Care upon some beyond others who watch for the Souls of their Brethren as they that must give account The several Stations in the Church 1 Cor. 4.15 16 17. There are then Fathers that have begotten us unto Christ Jesus through the Gospel of whom We ought to be Followers and to remember their Ways which be in Christ. There are then Fathers and Children Instructors and Instructed Elders and Young Men yea and Babes there are that cannot cease but must Exhort Instruct Reprove Condemn Judge or else for what End gave Christ the Gifts mentioned Ephes. 4.11 12 And how are the Saints perfected and the Body of Christ Edified of those who come under the Cognizance and as it were the Test of this Order and Government I may chiefly sum them up in three sorts though there be divers others little subdivided Species of them 1. Profane Backsliding Apostates The First is Those that turn openly back to the World again through finding the Way of Truth too narrow These have not been capable to do us any considerable Hurt for being as Salt that has lost its Savour they mostly prove a Stink among those to whom they go And I never knew any of them that proved any ways steadable to those to whom they go I find other Professors make but small Boast of any Proselytes they got out from among us I hear little of their proving Champions for the Principles of others against us And indeed for the most part they lose all Religion with the Truth for I have heard some of them say That if ever they took on them to be Religious they would come back again to the Quakers c. 2. Unwary Repenting Sinners
Imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm Eph 2.1 That Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air. The Fifth and Sixth Propositions Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition Ezek. 18.23 Isai 49.6 John 3.16 and 1 9. T it 2.11 Eph. 5 13. Hebr. 2 9. God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a Sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation if not Resisted Nor is it lessVniversal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death 1 Cor. 15.22 who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Vniversality of Christ's Death are easily solved Neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in those places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and Common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those Remote parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This certain Doctrine then being received to wit that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Vniversality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted death for every Man Hebr. 2 9. not only for all kinds of Men as some vainly talk but for every one of all kinds the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Suffering as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightning their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoied so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn To do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be included As they have then falsly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the absolute necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to the obtaining its saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Asserters of Vniversal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 The Seventh Proposition Concerning Justification As many as resist not this Light but receive the same in them is produced a holy pure and spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all these other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his work in us as we are Sanctified so are we Justified in the Sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Eighth Proposition Concerning Perfection In whom this holy and pure Birth is fully brought forth Rom. 6.14 Id. 8.13 Id. 6.2 18. 1 John 3.6 the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and removed and their hearts united and subjected unto the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestion or Temptation of the Evil one but to be Free from actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect Perfect Yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth there remaineth a possibility of sinning where the Mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover in whom it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection 1 Tim. 1.6 Hebr. 6.4 5 6. by disobedience such may fall
called with respect to their Animal property and not their Rational or that that Wisdom that is Foolishness with God is not meant of the Rational but only the Animal Property any Rational Man laying aside Interest may easily Judge § IV. I come now to the other part to wit That this Evil and Corrupt Seed is not imputed to Infants until they actually join with it Infants no Sin imputed to them For this there is a Reason given in the End of the Proposition it self drawn from Eph. 2. for these are by nature Children of Wrath who walk according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Here the Apostle gives Their evil walking and not any thing that is not reduced to Act as a Reason of their being Children of Wrath. And this is sutable to the whole strain of the Gospel where no man is ever threatned or judged for what Iniquity he hath not Actually wrought Such indeed as continue in Iniquity and so do homologate the sins of their Fathers God will visit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children Is it not strange then that men should entertain an Opinion so Absurd in it self and so cruel and contrary to the Nature as well of God's Mercy as Justice concerning the which the Scripture is altogether silent But it is manifest that man hath Invented this Opinion out of Self-love The Absolute Decree of Election springs from Self-love and from that bitter Root from which all Errors spring for the most part of Protestants that hold this having as they fancy the Absolute Decree of Election to secure them and their Children so as they cannot miss of Salvation they make no great difficulty to send all others both old and young to Hell For whereas Self-love which always is apt to believe that which it desires possesseth them with a Hope that their part is secure they are not solicitous how they leave their Neighbours which are the far greater part of mankind in these Inextricable Difficulties The Papists again use this Opinion as an Art to Augment the Esteem of their Church and Reverence of its Sacraments seeing they pretend it is Washed away by Baptism only in this they appear to be a little more Merciful in that they send not these Vnbaptized Infants to Hell but to a certain Limbus concerning which the Scriptures are as silent as of the other This then is not only not Authorized in the Scriptures but Contrary to the express Tenor of it The Apostle saith plainly Rom. 4.15 Where no Law is there is no Transgression And again 5.13 But sin is not imputed where there is no Law To Infants there is no Law so no Transgression Than which Testimonies there is nothing more positive since to Infants there is no Law seeing as such they are utterly Vncapable of it the Law cannot reach but such as have in some measure less or more the Exercise of their Vnderstanding which Infants have not So that from thence I thus argue Sin is Imputed to none where there is no Law But To Infants there is no Law Therefore Sin is not Imputed to them The Proposition is the Apostle's own words the Assumption is thus proved Those who are under a Physical Impossibility of either hearing knowing or understanding any Law where the Impossibility is not brought upon them by any Act of their own but is according to the very Order of Nature appointed by God to such there is no Law But Infants are under this Physical Impossibility Therefore c. Secondly What can be more positive than that of Ezech. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity For the Prophet here first sheweth what is the Cause of man's Eternal Death which he saith is in his Sinning and then as if he purposed Expresly to shut out such an Opinion he assures us The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity From which I thus argue Infants bear not Adam's Transgression If the Son bear not the Iniquity of his Father or of his Immediate Parents far less shall he bear the Iniquity of Adam But the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father Therefore c. § V. Having thus far shewn how Absurd this Opinion is I shall briefly Examine the Reasons its Authors bring for it Object 1 First They say Adam was a publick person and therefore all men sinned in him as being in his Loins And for this they Alledge that of Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned c. These last words say they may be translated in whom all have sinned Answ. To this I answer That Adam is a publick person is not denied and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all men which in its own Nature is sinful and Inclines men to Iniquity yet will it not follow from thence that Infants who Join not with this Seed are guilty As for these words in the Romans the Reason of the Guilt there alledged is For that all have sinned Now no man is said to Sin unless he actually Sin in his own person for the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the nearest Antecedent so that they hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an Entrance to sin in the World And so death entred by sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. upon which viz. Occasion or in which viz. Death all others have sinned that is actually in their own persons to wit all that were Capable of sinning of which number that Infants could not be the Apostle clearly shews by the following Verse Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and since as is above proved there is no Law to Infants they cannot be here Included Object 2 Their Second Objection is from Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Hence they say it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty How they infer this Consequence for my part I see not The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more Ascribable to the Parents Answ. than to the Child It is said indeed In sin did my Mother Conceive me not My Mother did Conceive me a sinner Conceived in Sin Answer'd Besides that so Interpreted Contradicts expresly the Scripture before-mentioned in making Children guilty of the Sins of their Immediate Parents for of Adam there is not here any mention Contrary to the plain words The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity Object 3 Thirdly They Object That the Wages of Sin is death and that seeing Children are subject to diseases and death therefore they must be guilty of sin Answ. I answer That these things are a Consequence of the Fall and of
Adam's Sin is Confessed but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are Subject to them is denied For though the whole outward Creation suffered a Decay by Adam's Fall Death the Wages of Sin Answer'd which groans under Vanity according to which it is said in Job That the Heavens are not clean in the sight of God yet will it not from thence follow that the Herbs Earth and Trees are Sinners Next Death though a Consequent of the Fall incident to man's Earthly Nature is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints but rather a Sleep by which they pass from Death to Life which is so far from being Troublesom and Painful to them as all real punishments for sin are that Prop. 5 6 the Apostle counts it Gain To me saith he to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 Some are so foolish as to make an Objection further saying Object That if Adam's sin be not imputed to those who actually have not sinned then it would follow that all Infants are saved But we are willing Answ. that this supposed Absurdity should be the Consequence of our Doctrine rather than that which it seems our Adversaries reckon not Absurd though the undoubted and unavoidable consequence of theirs viz. that Many Infants Eternally perish not for any sin of their own but only for Adam 's Iniquity where we are willing to let the Controversy â—ist commending both to the Illuminated Vnderstanding of the Christian Reader This Error of our Adversaries is both Denied and Refuted by Zwinglius that Eminent Founder of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland in his Book De Baptismo for which he is Anathematized by the Council of Trent in the fifth Session We shall only add this Information That we Confess then that a Seed of Sin is Transmitted to all men from Adam although Imputed to none Original Sin no Scripture-Phrase until by sinning they actually join with it in which Seed he gave occasion to all to sin and it is the Origin of all Evil Actions and Thoughts in mens hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Romans 5. i. e. in which death all have sinned For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scriptures and The body of death seeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteousness and Holiness Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man the Old Adam in which all Sin is for which cause we use this name to express this sin and not that of Original sin of which phrase the Scripture makes no mention and under which Invented and Vnscriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took place among Christians PROPOSITIONS V. VI. Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is Inlightened PROPOSITION V. GOD out of his Infinite Love Ezech. 18.32 and 33 11. who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a LIGHT that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Joh. 3.16 who enlighteneth EVERY man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and maketh manifest all things that are Reprovable Eph. 5.13 and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light lighteneth the hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation and this is it which Reproves the sin of all Individuals and would work out the Salvation of all if not Resisted Nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death who tasted Death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 PROPOSITION VI. According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Universality of Christ's Death are easily solved neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God useth to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in the places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and common Grace For as hence it well follows that some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may some who by Providence are cast into those Remote Parts of the World where the knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they Receive and Resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This most certain Doctrine being then received that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted Death for every Man Hebr. 2.9 not only for all kind of men as some vainly talk but for every man of all kinds the benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily Excluded from the benefit of this Knowledge by some Inevitable Accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightening their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoyed so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn to do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be Included As They have then falsly and erroneously Taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have They sufficiently Taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the Absolute Necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to obtain its Saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Assertors of Universal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of his Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightened Every man that cometh into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9 16. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 HItherto we have Considered Man 's fall'n lost corrupted and degenerated Condition Now is it fit to Inquire How and by what means he may come to be Freed out of this miserable
this Seed is received in the heart and suffered to bring forth its natural and proper Effect Christ comes to be formed and raised of which the Scripture makes so much mention calling it the New man Christ within the Hope of Glory This is that Christ within which we are heard so much to speak and declare of every where preaching him up and exhorting People to believe in the Light and obey it that they may come to know Christ in them to deliver them from all sin But by this as we do not at all intend either to Equal our selves to that Holy man the Lord Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily nor to Destroy the reality of his present Existence That the Fulness of the God-head dwells in Christ bodily c. so neither do we as some have falsly calumniated us For though we Affirm that Christ dwells in us yet not immediately but mediately as he is in that Seed which is in us whereas he to wit the Eternal Word which was with God and was God dwelt Immediately in that holy man He then is as the Head and we as the Members he the Vine and we the Branches Now as the Soul of man dwells other ways and in a far more immediate manner in the Head and in the Heart than in the Hands or Leggs and as the Sap Vertue and Life of the Vine lodgeth far otherwise in the Stock and Root than in the Branches so God dwelleth otherwise in the Man Jesus than in us We also freely reject the Heresy of Appollinarius who denied him to have any Soul but said the Body was only acted by the Godhead As also the Error of Eutyches who made the Manhood to be wholly swallowed up of the Godhead wherefore as we believe he was a true and a real Man so we also believe that he continues so to be glorified in the Heavens in Soul and Body by whom God shall judge the World in the great and general Day of Judgment § XIV Thirdly We understand not this Seed Light or Grace to be Quest. 3 an Accident as most men ignorantly do but a Real Spiritual Substance which the Soul of man is capable to feel and apprehend That the Light is a Spiritual Substance which may be felt in the Soul and apprehended from which that Real Spiritual Inward Birth in Believers arises called the New Creature the New Man in the heart This seems strange to carnally minded men because they are not acquainted with it but we know it and are sensible of it by a true and certain Experience though it be hard for man in his natural Wisdom to Comprehend it until he come to feel it in himself and if he should holding it in the meer Notion it would avail him little Yet we are able to make it appear to be true and that our Faith concerning it is not without a solid Ground for it is in and by this Inward and Substantial Seed in our Hearts as it comes to receive nourishment and to have a Birth or Geniture in us that we come to have those Spiritual Senses raised by which we are made capable of tasting smelling seeing and handling the things of God For a man cannot reach unto those things by his natural spirit and senses as is above declared Next We know it to be a Substance because it subsists in the hearts of Wicked Men even while they are in their Wickedness as shall be hereafter proved more at large Now no Accident can be in a Subject without it give the Subject its own Denomination as where Whiteness is in a Subject there the Subject is called White So we distinguish betwixt Holiness as it is an Accident which denominates man so as the Seed receives a place in him and betwixt this holy substantial Seed which many times lies in man's heart as a naked grain in a stony ground So also as we may distinguish betwixt Health and Medicine Health cannot be in the Body without the Body be called Healthful because Health is an Accident but Medicine may be in a Body that is most Vnhealthful for that it is a Substance And as when a Medicine begins to work The Degrees of its Operation in the Soul of man the Body may in some respect be called Healthful and in some respect Vnhealthful so we acknowledge as this Divine Medicine receives place in man's Heart it may denominate him in some part holy and good though there remain yet a corrupted unmortified part or some part of the evil humors unpurged out For where two contrary Accidents are in one Subject as health and sickness in a body the Subject receives its denomination from the Accident which prevails most So many men are called Saints good and holy men and that truly when this Holy Seed hath wrought in them in a good measure and hath somewhat leavened them into its Nature though they may be yet liable to many Infirmities and Weaknesses yea and to some Iniquities For as the Seed of Sin and ground of Corruption yea and the capacity of yielding thereunto and sometimes actual falling doth not denominate a good and holy man Impious so neither doth the Seed of Righteousness in evil men and the possibility of their becoming one with it denominate them good or holy .. § XV. Fourthly We do not hereby Intend any ways to lessen or derogate from the Atonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ but on the contrary Quest. 4 do Magnify and Exalt it That Remission of sins is only and alone by Christ. For as we believe all those things to have been certainly Transacted which are Recorded in the Holy Scriptures concerning the Birth Life Miracles Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension of Christ so we do also believe that it is the duty of every one to believe it to whom it pleases God to Reveal the same and to bring to them the Knowledge of it Yea we believe it were damnable Vnbelief not to believe when so declared but to Resist that Holy Seed which as minded would lead and incline every one to believe it as it is offered unto them though it revealeth not in every one the outwardly and explicite Knowledge of it nevertheless it always assenteth to it ubi declaratur where it is declared Nevertheless as we firmly believe it was Necessary that Christ should come that by his Death and Sufferings he might offer up himself a Sacrifice to God for our sins who his own self bore our sins in his own Body on the Tree so we believe that the Remission of Sins which any partake of is only in and by virtue of that most satisfactory Sacrifice and no otherwise For it is by the Obedience of that One that the Free Gift is come upon all unto Justification For we affirm that as all men partake of the fruit of Adam's Fall in that by reason of that Evil Seed which
Fear God and work Righteousness â—hen what can be said to do so seeing the Apostle calls the Lawâ— spiritual holy just and good But this appears manifestly by another Medium taken out of the same Chapter vers 13. So that nothing can be more Clear The words are The doers of the Law shall be justified From which I thus Argue without Adding any word of my own Arg. The doers of the Law shall be justified But The Gentiles do the things contained in the Law The Gentiles Justified in doing the Law All that know but a Conclusion do easily see what follows from these Express Words of the Apostle And indeed He through that whole Chapter labours as if he were Contending now with our Adversaries to Confirm this Doctrine vers 9 10 11. Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For there is no respect of persons with God Where the Apostle clearly homologates the Sentence of Peter before-mentioned and shews that Jew and Gentile or as he himself explains in the following verses both they that have an outward Law and they that have none when they do good shall be Justified And to put us out of doubt in the very following verses he tells That the doers of the Law are Justified and that the Gentiles did the Law So that except we think he spake not what he intended we may safely Conclude that such Gentiles were Justified and did partake of that honour glory and peace which comes upon Every one that doth good even the Gentiles that are without the Law when they work good seeing with God there is no Respect of persons So as we see that it is not the having of the Outward Knowledge that doth save without the Inward so neither doth the Want of it to such to whom God hath made it Impossible who have the Inward bring Condemnation And many that have wanted the Outward have had a Knowledge of this Inwardly by virtue of that Inward Grace and Light given to every man working in them by which they forsook Iniquity and became Just and Holy as is above proved who though they knew not the History of Adam's Fall yet were sensible in themselves of the Loss that came by it Many wanting the History were sensible of the Loss by Adam and Salvation come by Christ in themselves feeling their Inclinations to sin and the Body of Sin in them and though they knew not the Coming of Christ yet were sensible of that Inward Power and Salvation which came by him even before as well as since his Appearance in the flesh For I question whether these men can prove that all the Patriarchs and Fathers before Moses had a distinct Knowledge either of the one or the other or that they knew the History of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and of Adam's Eating the forbidden Fruit far less that Christ should be Born of a Virgin should be Crucified and treated in the manner he was For it is justly to be believed that what Moses wrote of Adam and of the first times was not by Tradition but by Revelation yea we see that not only after the Writing of Moses but even of David and all the Prophets who prophesied so much of Christ how little the Jews How little the Jews knew Christ mistaking the Prophets that were expecting and wishing for the Messiah could thereby Discern him when he came that they Crucified him as a Blasphemer not as the Messiah by mistaking the Prophecies concerning him for Peter saith expresly Acts 3.17 to the Jews that both They and their Rulers did it through Ignorance And Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.8 That had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory Yea Mary her self to whom the Angel had spoken and who had laid up all the Miraculous things accompanying his Birth in her heart she did not understand How when he disputed with the Doctors in the Temple that he was about his Father's business And the Apostles that had believed him Conversed daily with him and saw his Miracles could not understand neither believe those things which related to his Death Sufferings and Resurrection but were in a certain respect stumbled at them § XXVII So we see how that it is the Inward Work and not the Outward History and Scripture that gives the True Knowledge The Heathens were sensible of the Loss received by Adam and by this Inward Light many of the Heathen-Philosophers were sensible of the Loss received by Adam though they knew not the outward History Hence Plato asserted That Man's Soul was fall'n into a dark Cave where it only conversed with shadows Pythagoras saith Man wandereth in this world as a stranger banished from the Presence of God Heathen-Philosophers Divine Knowledge Plato Pythag. Plotiâ— And Plotinus compareth man's Soul fall'n from God to a Cinder or dead Coal out of which the fire is extinguished Some of them said That the Wings of the Soul were clipped or fall'n of so that they could not flie unto God All which and many more such Expressions that might be gathered out of their Writings shew they were not without a sense of this Loss Also they had a Knowledge and Discovery of Jesus Christ Inwardly as a Remedy in them to deliver them from that Evil Seed and the Evil Inclinations of their own hearts though not under that particular Denomination Some called him a Holy Spirit as Seneca Epist. 41. who said There is a Holy Spirit in us that treateth us as we treat him Cicero calls it an Innate Light Lactan. In Sect. Cicero calleth it an Innate Light in his Book de Republicâ cited by Lactantius 6. Instit. where he calls this Right Reason given unto all Constant and Eternal calling unto duty by Commanding and deterring from deceit by Forbidding Adding that it cannot be abrogated neither can any be freed from it neither by Senate nor People that it is One Eternal and the same always to all Nations so that there is not one at Rome and another at Athens who so obey it not must flee from himself and in this is greatly tormented although he should escape all other punishment Plotinus also calls him Light saying That as the Sun cannot be known but by its own Light so God cannot be known but with his own Light and as the Eye cannot see the Sun but by receiving its Image so man cannot know God but by receiving his Image and that it behoved man to come to purity of heart before he could know God Calling him also Wisdom a name frequently given him in Scripture see Prov. 1.20 to the end and Prov. 8.9 34. where Wisdom is said to Cry Intreat and Invite all to come unto her and learn of her And what is this Wisdom but Christ Hence such as came among the Heathen to forsake Evil Philosophers Whence Called and cleave to Righteousness were
Principle in and by which this Salvation * Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian partakers of the Salvation of Christ. of Christ is exhibited to all men both Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian of whatsoever Country or Kindred he be And therefore God hath raised up unto himself in this our Age faithful Witnesses and Evangelists to preach again his Everlasting Gospel and to direct Prop. 7 all as well the high Professors who boast of the Law and the Scripture and the outward Knowledge of Christ as the Infidels and Heathens that know not him that way that they may all come to mind the Light in them and know Christ in them the Just One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom they have so long killed and made merry over and he hath not Resisted James 5.6 and give up their sins iniquities false faith professions and out-side righteousness to be Crucified by the Power of his Cross in them so as they may know Christ within to be the Hope of Glory and may come to walk in his Light and be saved who is that True Light that inlightneth Every man that cometh into the world PROPOSITION VII Concerning Justification As many as Resist not this Light but Receive the same it becomes in them a Holy Pure and Spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all those other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his Works in us as we are sanctified so are we justified in the sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 § I. THE Doctrine of Justification comes well in order after the Discussing of the Extent of Christ's Death and of the Grace thereby Communicated some of the sharpest Contests concerning this having from thence their Rise Many are the Disputes among those called Christians concerning this point and indeed if all were truly minding that which justifieth there would be less noise about the Notions of Justification I shall briefly review this Controversy as it stands among others and as I have often seriously observed it then in short State the Controversy as to us and open our Sense and Judgment of it and Lastly prove it if the Lord will by some Scripture-Testimonies and the certain Experience of all that ever were truly Justified Observ. I § II. That this Doctrine of Justification hath been and is greatly vitiated in the Church of Rome is not by us questioned though our Adversaries who for want of better Arguments do often make Lies their Refuge have not spared in this respect to stigmatize us with Popery The Method of Justification taken by the Church of Rome but how untruly will hereafter appear For to speak little of their Meritum ex Condigno which was no doubt a very common Doctrine of the Romish Church especially before Luther though most of their modern Writers especially in their Controversies with Protestants do partly deny it partly qualify it and seem to state the matter only as if they were Propagators and Pleaders for Good Works by the others denied Yet if we look to the Effects of this Doctrine among them as they appear in the generality of their Church-members not in things disapproved but highly approved and commended by their Father the Pope The Pope's Doctrine of Merits the most beneficial of all his Revenues and all his Clients as the most beneficial Casuality of all his Revenue we shall find that Luther did not without great ground oppose himself to them in this matter and if he had not himself run into another Extream of which hereafter his Work would have stood the better For in this as in most other things he is more to be Commended for what he pulled down of Babylon than for what he built of his own Whatever then the Papists may pretend or even some good men among them may have thought Experience sheweth and it is more than manifest by the universal and approved Practice of their people that they place not their Justification so much in Works that are truly and morally good and in the being truly renewed and sanctified in the mind as in such things as are either nor good nor evil or may truly be called Evil and can no otherways be reckoned Good Papists Justification depends upon the Pope's Bulls than because the Pope pleases to call them so So that if the matter be well sifted it will be found that the greatest part of their Justification depends upon the Authority of his Bulls and not upon the Power Virtue and Grace of Christ Revealed in the heart and Renewing of it As will appear First from their Principle concerning Proof I their Sacraments which they say Confer Grace ex opere operatô Their Sacraments So that if a man partake but of them he thereby obtains Remission of sin though he remain as he was the Vertue of the Sacraments making up the want that is in the man So that this Act of Submission and Faith to the Laws of the Church and not any Real Inward Change is that which justifieth him As for Example If a man make use of the Sacrament as they call it of Penance so as to Tell over his Sins to a Priest Papists Penance though he have not true Contrition which the Lord hath made absolutely necessary for penitent sinners but only Attrition a figment of their own that is If he be sorry he hath sinned not out of any love to God or his Law which he hath Transgressed but for fear of punishment yet doth the Virtue of the Sacrament as they affirm procure to him Remission of Sins so that being Absolved by the Priest he stands accepted and Justified in the sight of God This man's Justification then proceedeth not from his being truly Penitent and in any measure inwardly Changed and Renewed by the working of God's Grace in his heart but meerly from the Authority of the Priest and Virtue of the Sacrament who hath pronounced him Absolved so that his Justification is from somewhat without him and not within him Secondly This will yet more appear in the matter of Indulgences Proof II where Remission of all Sins not only past Papist-Indulgences but for Years to come is annexed to the Visiting such and such Churches and Reliques saying
us § III. First then as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears Expl. 1 we Renounce all Natural Power and Ability in our selves in order to bring us out of our lost and fallâ—n Condition and first Nature Justification springs of and from the Love of God and Confess that as of our selves we are able to do nothing that is good so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own so as to merit it or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us but we acknowledge all to be of and from his Love which is the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Acceptance Secondly God manifested this love towards us in the sending of his Expl. 2 Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the World who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Christ giveing himself a Sacrifice for us and having made peace through the blood of his Cross that he might Reconcile us unto himself and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God and suffered for our Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Thirdly then Forasmuch as all men who have come to man's Estate the Man Jesus only Excepted have sinned therefore all have need of Expl. 3 this Saviour to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences in this respect he is truly said to have born the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree and therefore is the Only Mediator having qualified the Wrath of God towards us so that our former sins stand not in our way being by virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice Removed and pardoned To Remission of Sins Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected sought or obtained any other way or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever though as has been said formerly they may come to partake of this Remission that are Ignorant of the History So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath Reconciled us to God The only Mediator betwixt God and Man even while we are Enemies that is he offers Reconciliation unto us we are put into a Capacity of being Reconciled God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities and to accept us as is well expressed by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation And therefore the Apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience of Christ Jesus he is willing to be Reconciled unto them and ready to Remit the sins that are past if they Repent A Twofold Redemption We Consider then our Redemption in a twofold Respect or State both which in their own nature are perfect though in their Application to us the one is not nor cannot be without respect to the other I. The Redemption of Christ without us The first is the Redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for us in his Crucified Body without us The other is the Redemption wrought by Christ in us which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former The first then is that whereby man as he stands in the Fall is put into a Capacity of Salvation and hath conveyed unto him a measure of that Power Virtue Spirit Life and Grace that was in Christ Jesus which as the Free Gift of God is able to Counter-ballance Overcome and Root-out the Evil Seed wherewith we are naturally as in the Fall leavened II. The Redemption wrought by Christ in us The second is that whereby we Witness and Know this pure and perfect Redemption in our selves purifying cleansing and redeeming us from the power of Corruption and bringing us into Vnity Favour and Friendship with God By the first of these two we that were lost in Adam plunged in the bitter and Corrupt Seed unable of our selves to do any good thing but naturally joined and united to Evil forward and propense to all Iniquity Servants and Slaves to the power and spirit of Darkness are notwithstanding all this so far Reconciled to God by the death of his Son while Enemies that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us and God is Reconciled unto us in Christ calls and invites us to himself in which respect we understand these Scriptures * Eph. 2.15 1 John 4.10 Ezech. 16.6 1 Pet. 2.22 24. and 3.18 He slew the Enmity in himself He loved us first seeing us in our blood he said unto us live he who did not sin his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and he died for our sins the Just for the Vnjust By the second we witness this Capacity brought into Act whereby receiving and not resisting the purchase of his death to wit the Light Spirit and Grace of Christ Revealed to us we witness and possess a real true and inward Redemption from the power and prevalency of sin and so come to be truly and really Redeemed Justified and made Righteous and to a sensible Union and Friendship with God Thus he died * Tit. 2.14 Phil. 3.10 for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and thus we know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to us This last follows the first in order and is a Consequence of it proceeding from it as an Effect from its Cause So as none could have enjoyed the last without the first had been such being the Will of God so also can none now partake of the first but as he witnesseth the last Wherefore as to us they are both Causes of our Justification The first the Procuring Efficient the other the Formal Cause Fourthly We understand not by this Justification by Christ barely the Expl. 4 good works even as wrought by the Spirit of Christ for they as Protestants truly affirm are rather an Effect of Justification than the Cause of it The Formation of Christ in us begets Good Works But we understand the Formation of Christ in us Christ born and brought forth in us from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree It is this Inward Birth in us bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us that doth Justify us which having removed and done away the Contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation now is in Dominion over all in our hearts Those then that come to know Christ thus formed in them do enjoy him wholly and undivided who is the LORD our RIGHTEOVSNESS Jer. 23.6 This is to be Cloathed with Christ and to have put him on whom God therefore truly accounteth Righteous and Just. This is so far from being the
touching those who according to the common Opinion of Protestants have been Converted whom albeit they confess they persist always in some Misdeeds and sometimes in hainous Sins as is manifest in David's Adultery and Murder yet they assert to be perfectly and wholly Justified How comes he then so often to Complain to Expostulate so much throughout the whole Scripture with such as our Adversaries Confess to be Justified telling them That their sins separate betwixt him and them Isa. 59.2 For where there is a perfect and full Reconciliation there is no Separation Yea from this Doctrine it necessarily follows either that such for whom Christ died and whom he hath thus Reconciled never Sin or that when they do so they are still Reconciled and their Sins make not the least Separation from God yea that they are Justified in their Sins From whence also would follow this Abominable Consequence That the good Works and greatest Sins of such are alike in the sight of God seeing neither the one serves to Justify them nor the other to break their Reconciliation which occasions great Security and opens a door to every lewd Practice †Proof III. Thirdly This would make void the whole practical Doctrine of the Gospel and make Faith it self Needless For if Faith and Repentance and the other Conditions called for throughout the Gospel be a Qualification upon our part necessary to be performed then before this be performed by us we are either fully reconciled to God or but in a Capacity of being Reconciled to God he being ready to Reconcile and Justify us as these Conditions are performed Which latter if granted is according to the Truth we profess And if we are already perfectly Reconciled and Justified before these Conditions are performed which Conditions are of that Nature that they cannot be performed at one time but are to be done all one's life time then can they not be said to be absolutely Needful Which is contrary to the very express Testimony of Scripture which is acknowledged by all Christians For * Hebr. 11.6 John 3.18 Luke 13.3 Apoc. 2.5 Rom. 8.13 without Faith it is Impossible to please God They that believe not are Condemn'd already because they believe not in the Only begotten Son of God Except ye Repent ye cannot be Saved For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die And of those that were Converted I will Remove your Candlestick from you unless ye Repent Should I mention all the Scriptures that positively and evidently prove this I might transcribe much of all the Doctrinal Part of the Bible For since Christ said It is finished and did finish his Work sixteen hundred years ago and upwards if he so fully perfected Redemption then and did then actually Reconcile every one that is to be Saved not simply opening a Door of Mercy for them A Door of Mercy opened by Christ upon Repentance offering the Sacrifice of his Body by which they may obtain Remission of their Sins when they Repent and Communicating unto them a measure of his Grace by which they may see their sins and be able to Repent but really make them to be Reputed as Just The Antinomians Opinion of Reconciliation and Justification either before they believe as say the Antinomians or after they have Assented to the Truth of the History of Christ or are sprinkled with the Baptism of Water while nevertheless they are actually Vnjust so that no part of their Redemption is to be wrought by him now as to their Reconciliation and Justification then the whole doctrinal Part of the Bible is useless and of no profit in vain were the Apostles sent forth to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins and in vain do all the Preachers bestow their labour spend their lungs and give forth Writings yea much more in vain do the people spend their money which they give them for preaching seeing it is all but Actum agere but a vain and uneffectual Essay to do that which is already perfectly done without them Proof IV But lastly To pretermit their humane Labours as not worth the disputing whether they be needful or not since as we shall hereafter shew themselves Confess the Best of them is Sinful this also makes void the present Intercession of Christ for men What shall become of that great Article of Faith Christ's daily making Intercession for us by which we Affirm That he sits at the right hand of God daily making Intercession for us and for which end the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered For Christ maketh not Intercession for those that are not in a possibility of Salvation that is absurd Our Adversaries will not admit that he prayed for the World at all and to pray for those that are already Reconciled and perfectly Justified is to no purpose To pray for Remission of Sins is yet more Needless if all be Remitted past present and to come Indeed there is not any solid Solving of this but by acknowledging according to the Truth that Christ by his Death removed the Wrath of God so far as to obtain Remission of sins for as many as Receive that Grace and Light that he communicates unto them and hath purchased for them by his Blood which as they believe in they come to know Remission of sins past and power to save them from sin and to wipe it away so often as they may fall into it by unwatchfulness or weakness if applying themselves to this Grace they truly Repent For to as many as receive him he gives power to become the sons of God So none are sons none are justified none reconciled until they thus receive him in that little Seed in their hearts and life Eternal is offered to those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek glory honour and immortality For if the righteous man depart from his righteousness his righteousness shall be remembred no more And therefore on the other part none are longer Sons of God and justified than they patiently continue in righteousness and well-doing And therefore Christ lives always making Intercession during the day of every man's Visitation that they may be Converted and when men are in some measure Converted he makes Intercession that they may Continue and go-on and not faint nor go back again Much more might be said to Confirm this Truth but I go on to take notice of the Common Objections against it which are the Arguments made use of to propagate the Errors Contrary to it § VI. The First and Chief is drawn from that saying of the Apostle before-mentioned 2 Cor. 5.18 19. God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not Imputing their Trespasses unto them Object 1 From hence they seek to Infer That Christ fully perfected the Work of Reconciliation while he was on Earth I Answer If by Reconciliation be understood the Removing of Wrath
and the Purchase of that Grace Answ. by which we may come to be Reconciled we Agree to it but that that place speaks no more appears from the place it self For when the Apostle speaks in the perfect Time saying He hath Reconciled us The Difference between Reconciled to Christ and Reconciling he speaks of himself and the Saints who having received the Grace of God purchased by Christ were through Faith in him actually Reconciled But as to the World he saith Reconciling not Reconciled which Reconciling though it denote a time somewhat past yet it is by the Imperfect Time denoting that the thing begun was not perfected For this Work Christ began towards all in the days of his flesh yea and long before for he was the Mediator from the beginning and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world But in his flesh after he had perfectly fulfilled the Law and the Righteousness thereof and Rent the Vail and made way for the more clear and universal Revelation of the Gospel to all both Jew and Gentile he gave up himself a most satisfactory Sacrifice for Sin which becomes Effectual to as many as receive him in his Inward Appearance in his Light in the heart Again this very place sheweth that no other Reconciliation is intended but the Opening of a Door of Mercy upon God's part and a removing of Wrath for sins that are past so as men notwithstanding their Sins are stated in a Capacity of Salvation For the Apostle in the following verse saith Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye Reconciled to God For if their Reconciliation had already been perfectly accomplished what need any Intreating then to be Reconciled Ambassadors are not sent after a peace already perfected Reconciliation made to Intreat for a Reconciliation for that implies a manifest Contradiction Secondly They object verse 21. of the same Chapter For he hath made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him From whence they Argue That as our sin is Imputed to Christ who had Object 2 no sin so Christ's Righteousness is Imputed to us without our being righteous But this Interpretation is easily Rejected For though Christ bare our sins and suffered for us and was among men accounted a sinner Answ. and numbred among Transgressors yet that God reputed him a Sinner is no where proved For it is said He was found before him holy harmless and undefiled neither was there found any guile in his mouth Hebr. 7.26 1 Pet. 2.22 That We deserved these things and much more for our Sins which he endured in Obedience to the Father and according to his Counsel is true but that ever God Reputed Him a sinner is denied Neither did he ever die that we should be Reputed Righteous though no more Really such Mens Imputed Righteousness solidly Refuted than he was a sinner as hereafter appears For indeed if this Argument hold it might be stretched that length as to become very pleasing to wicked men that love to abide in their Sins For if we be made Righteous as Christ was made a Sinner meerly by Imputation then as there was no sin not in the least in Christ so it would follow that there needed no more Righteousness no more Holiness no more inward Sanctification in us than there was Sin in him So then by his being made Sin for us must be understood his Suffering for our Sins that we might be made partakers of the Grace purchased by him by the Workings whereof we are made the Righteousness of God in him For that the Apostle understood here a being made really Righteous and not meerly a being Reputed such appears by what follows seeing in vers 14 15 16. of the following Chapter he argues largely against any supposed Agreement of Light and Darkness Righteousness and Vnrighteousness which must needs be admitted if men be to be reckon'd Ingrafted in Christ and real Members of him meerly by an Imputative Righteousness wholly without them while they themselves are actually Vnrighteous And indeed it may be thought strange how some men have made this so fundamental an Article of their Faith which is so contrary to the whole strain of the Gospel A thing Christ in none of all his Sermons and gracious Speeches ever willed any to Relie upon always recommending to us Works as Instrumental in our Justification and the more 't is to be Admired at because that that Sentence or Term so frequent in their mouths and so often pressed by them as the very Basis of their Hope and Confidence to wit Christ's Imputed Righteousness not found in all the Bible The Imputed Righteousness of Christ is not to be found in all the Bible at least as to my Observation Thus have I past through the first part and that the more briefly because many who Assert this Justification by bare Imputation do neverthelss Confess that even the Elect are not Justified until they be Converted that is not until this Imputative Justification be applied to them by the Spirit Position II § VII I come then to the Second thing proposed by me which is That it is by this Inward Birth By Christ formed within we are Justified or Christ formed within that we are so to speak formally Justified in the sight of God I suppose I have said enough already to demonstrate how much we ascribe to the Death and Sufferings of Christ as that whereby Satisfaction is made to the Justice of God Remission of Sins obtained and this Grace and Seed purchased by and from which this Birth proceeds The thing now to be proved is That by Christ Jesus formed in us we are Justified or made Just. Let it be marked I use Justification in this sense upon this occasion Proof I First then I prove this by that of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Justified i. e. being made Just really not by Imputation and by the Spirit of our God First This Justified here understood must needs be a Being really made Just and not a Being meerly Imputed such else Sanctified and Washed might be reputed a being Esteemed so and not a being Really so and then it overturns the whole intent of the Context For the Apostle shewing them in the preceeding verses how the Vnrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and descending to the several Species of Wickedness subsumes That they were sometimes such but now are not any more such Wherefore as they are now Washed and Sanctified so are they Justified For if this Justification were not Real then it might be alledged that the Corinthians had not forsaken these Evils but were though still they Continued in them notwithstanding Justified Which as in it self
this is that other saying of the same Apostle Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you and therefore the Apostle terms this Christ within the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 28. Now that which is the hope of glory can be no other than that which we immediately and most nearly Rely upon for our Justification and that whereby we are really and truly made Just. And as we do not hereby deny but the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Justification is the love of God manifested in the Appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh who by his life death Christ by his Death and Sufferings has open'd a way for our Reconciliation sufferings and obedience made a way for our Reconciliation and became a Sacrifice for the Remission of sins that are past and purchased unto us this Seed and Grace from which this Birth arises and in which Jesus Christ is inwardly Received formed and brought forth in us in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness by which our Souls live unto God and are cloathed with him and have put him on even as the Scripture speaks Eph. 4.23 24 Gal. 3.27 We stand Justified and Saved in and by him and by his Spirit and Grace Rom. 3.24 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.7 So again reciprocally we are hereby made partakers of the fulness of his Merits and his cleansing Blood is near to wash away every Sin and Infirmity and to heal all our back-slidings as often as we turn towards him by unfeigned Repentance and become Renewed by his Spirit Those then that find him thus Raised and Ruling in them have a true ground of Hope to believe that they are Justified by his Blood But let not any deceive themselves so as to foster themselves in a vain Hope and Confidence that by the Death and Sufferings of Christ they are Justified so long as sin lies at their door Gen. 4.7 Iniquity prevails and they remain yet Vnrenewed and Vnregenerate lest it be said unto them I know you not Let that saying of Christ be remembred Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter but he that doth the Will of my Father Matth. 7.21 To which let these excellent sayings of the beloved Disciple be added Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil because if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 1 John 3.7 and 20. Many famous Protestants bear witness to this inward Justification by Christ inwardly Revealed and Formed in man Borhaeus in Gen. pag. 162. As 1. M. Borhaeus In the Imputation saith he wherein Christ is Ascribed and Imputed to believers for Righteousness the Merit of his Blood and the Holy Ghost given unto us by virtue of his Merits are equally Included And so it shall be Confessed The Testimonies of Famous Protestants of Inward Justification that Christ is our Righteousness as well from his Merit Satisfaction and Remission of sins obtained by him as from the Gifts of the Spirit of Righteousness And if we do this we shall consider the whole Christ proposed to us for our Salvation and not any single part of him The same man p. 169. In our Justification then Christ is considered who breaths and lives in us to wit by his Spirit put-on by us concerning which putting-on the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ. And again p. 171. We endeavour to Treat in Justification not of part of Christ but him wholly in so far as he is our Righteousness every way And a little after As then blessed Paul in our Justification when he saith Whom he Justified them he Glorified comprehends all things which pertain to our being Reconciled to God the Father and our Renewing which fits us for attaining unto Glory such as Faith Righteousness Christ and the Gift of Righteousness exhibited by him whereby we are Regenerated to the fulfilling of the Justification which the Law requires so we also will have all things comprehended in this cause which are contained in the Recovery of Righteousness and and Innocency And p. 181. The Form saith he of our Justification is the Divine Righteousness it self by which we are formed just and good This is Jesus Christ who is esteemed our Righteousness partly from the Forgiveness of sins and partly from the Renewing and the Restoring of that Integrity which was lost by the fault of the first Adam so that this New and Heavenly Adam being put-on by us of which the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ ye have put him on I say as the Form so the Righteousness Wisdom and Life of God So also affirmeth Claudius Alberius Inuncunanus Inuncunanus see his Orat. Apodict Lausaniae Excus 1587. Orat. 2. p. 86 87. Zuinglius also in his Epistle to the Princes of Germany as cited by Himmelius Zuinglius c. 7. p. 60. saith That the Sanctification of the Spirit is true Justification Essius which alone suffices to Justify Essius upon 1 Cor. 6.11 saith Lest Christian Righteousness should be thought to consist in the Washing alone that is in the Remission of Sins he addeth the other Degree or part but ye are sanctified that is Ye have attain'd to Purity so that ye are now truly holy before God Lastly expressing the sum of the Benefit received in one word which includes both the parts But ye are Justified the Apostle adds in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that is by his Merits and in the Spirit of our God that is the Holy Spirit proceeding from God and communicated to us by Christ. And lastly R. Baxter R. Baxter a famous English Preacher who yet liveth in his Book called Aphorisms of Justification p. 80. saith That some ignorant Wretches gnash their Teeth at this Doctrine as if it were flat Popery not understanding the nature of the Righteousness of the New Covenant which is all out of Christ in our selves thô wrought by the Power of the Spirit of Christ in us § IX The Third thing proposed to be considered is Concerning Good Position III Works their necessity to Justification I suppose there is enough said before to clear us from any Imputation of being Popish in this matter Good Works But if it be queried Whether we have not said or will not affirm Quest. that a man is Justified by Works I answer I hope none need neither ought to take Offence Answ. if in this matter we use the plain language of the Holy Scripture which saith expresly in Answer hereunto James 2.24 Ye see then That Works are necessary to Justification how that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only I shall not offer to prove the Truth of this saying since what is said in this Chapter by the Apostle is sufficient to Convince any man that will read and
and always have denied that Popish Notion of Meritum ex Condigno Nevertheless we cannot deny but that God out of his Infinite goodness wherewith he hath loved mankind after he Communicates to him his holy Grace and Spirit doth according to his own Will Recompence and Reward the good Works of his Children and therefore this Merit of Congruity or Reward God Rewards the good Words of his Children in so far as the Scripture is plain and positive for it we may not deny neither wholly Reject the Word in so far as the Scripture makes use of it For the same Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Merit is also in those places where the Translators express it Worth or Worthy as Matth. 3.8 1 Thess. 2.12 2 Thess. 1.5 8. concerning which R. Baxter saith in the above cited Book p. 8. But in a larger sense as Promise is an Obligation and the thing Promised is said to be Debt so the Performers of the Conditions are called Worthy and that which they Perform Merit although properly all be of Grace and not of Debt Also those who are called the Fathers of the Church frequently used this word of Merit whose sayings concerning this matter I think not needful to insert because it is not doubted but evident that many Protestants are not averse from this word in the sense that we use it The Apology for the Augustan Confession Art 20. hath these words We agree that Works are truly Meritorious not of Remission of Sins or Justification but they are Meritorious of â—ther rewards Corporal and Spiritual which are indeed as well in this life as after this life And further Seeing Works Prop. 8 are a certain fulfilling of the Law they are rightly said to be Meritorious it is rightly said that a Reward is due to them In the Acts of the Conference of Oldenburgh the Electoral Divines p. 110. 265. say Conference of Oldenburgh In this sense our Churches also are not Averse from the word Merit used by the Fathers neither therefore do they defend the Popish Doctrine of Merit G. Vossius G. Vossius of the word Merit in his Theological These concerning the Merits of Good Works saith We have not adventured to condemn the word Merit wholly as being that which both many of the Ancients use and also the Reformed Churches have used in their Confessions Now that God judgeth and accepteth men according to their Works is beyond doubt to those that seriously will read and consider these Scriptures Matth. 17.26 Rom. 2.6 7 10. 2 Cor. 5.10 James 1.25 Hebr. 10.35 1 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 22.12 § XIII And to conclude this Theam let none be so bold as to mock God supposing themselves Justified and Accepted in the sight of God by virtue of Christ's Death and Sufferings while they remain unsanctified and unjustified in their own hearts and polluted in their sins left their Hope prove that of the Hypocrite which perisheth Neither let any foolishly Imagine Job 8.13 that they can by their own Works or by the performance of any Ceremonies or Traditions or by the giving of Gold or Money or by afflicting their Bodies in Will-worship and voluntary Humility or foolishly striving to Conform their Way to the ouward Letter of the Law flatter themselves that they Merit before God or draw a Debt upon him The Hope of the Hypocrite shall perish but Grace is to the Humble or that any man or men have power to make such kind of things Effectual to their Justification lest they be found foolish Boasters and Strangers to Christ and his Righteousness indeed But blessed for ever are they that having truly had a sense of their own Vnworthiness and Sinfulness and having seen all their own Endeavours and Performances fruitless and vain and beheld their own Emptiness and the vanity of their vain Hopes Faith and Confidence while they remained inwardly pricked pursued and condemned by God's Holy Witness in their hearts and so having applied themselves thereto and suffered his Grace to work in them are become chang'd and renew'd in the spirit of their minds past from death to Life and know Jesus arisen in them working both the Will and the Deed and so having put on the Lord Jesus Christ in Effect are Cloathed with him partake of his Righteousness and Nature such can draw near to the Lord with Boldness and know their Acceptance in and by him in whom and in as many as are found in him the Father is well-pleased PROPOSITION VIII Concerning Perfection In whom this Pure and Holy Birth is fully brought forth the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and Removed and their Hearts united and subjected to the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestions or Temptations of the Evil one to be free from Actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect perfect yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth and there remaineth always in some part a Possibility of Sinning where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully Attend unto the Lord. § I. SInce we have placed Justification in the Revelation of Jesus Christ formed and brought forth in the heart there working his Works of Righteousness and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit The question is How far he may prevail in us while we are in this life or we over our Soul's Enemies in and by his strength Those that plead for Justification wholly without them meerly by Imputative Righteousness denying the Necessity of being cloathed with real and inward Righteousness do consequently affirm These are the words of the Westminster larger Catechism That it is Impossible for a man even the best of men to be Free of Sin in this life which they say no man ever was but on the contrary that none can neither of himself nor by any Grace received in this life O wicked Saying against the power of God's Grace keep the Commandments of God perfectly but that every man doth break the Commandments in thought word and deed Whence they also affirm as was a little before observed That the very best Actions of the Saints their prayers their worships are impure and polluted Whether it is possible to keep the Commandments of God We on the contrary though we freely acknowledge this of the Natural Fall'n Man in his first state whatever his profession or pretence may be so long as he is Vnconverted and Vnregenerate yet we do believe that those in whom Christ comes to be formed and the New Part I Man brought forth and born of the Incorruptible Seed as that Birth and man in Vnion therewith naturally doth the Will of God so it is possible so far to keep to it Controversy stated as not to be found daily Transgressors of the Law of God And for the more clear Stating of the Controversy let it be considered § II. First That we place not this possibility in Man 's own Will
II § IV. Secondly It is Inconsistent with the Justice of God For since he requires Purity from his Children It s Inconsistency with the Justice of God and Commands them to abstain from every Iniquity so frequently and precisely as shall hereafter appear and since his Wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men it must needs follow that he hath Capacitated man to answer his Will or else that he Requires more than he has given power to perform which is to declare him openly Vnjust and with the slothful servant to be a Hard Master We have elsewhere spoken of the Injustice these men ascribe to God in making him to damn the Wicked to whom they alledge he never afforded any means of being good But this is yet an Aggravation more Irrational and Inconsistent to say That God will not afford to those whom he has Chosen to be his own whom they confess he loveth the Means to please him What can follow then from so strange a Doctrine This Imperfection in the Saints either proceeds from God or from themselves If it proceed from them it must be because they are short in Improving or making use of the Power given them whereby they are Capable to Obey and so it is a thing possible to them as indeed it is by the help of that Power but this our Adversaries deny They are then not to be blamed for their Imperfection and Continuing in sin since it is not possible to them to do otherwise If it be not of themselves it must be of God who hath not seen meet to allow them Grace in that degree to produce that Effect And what is this but to attribute to God the Heighth of Injustice to make him require his Children to forsake sin and yet not to afford them sufficient means for so doing Surely this makes God more Vnrighteous than Wicked men Who will give their Children a Stone instead of Bread Who if as Christ saith Their Children require bread of them will not give them a stone or instead of a fish a serpent but these men confess We ought to seek of God power to Redeem us from Sin and yet believe They are never to Receive such a power such Prayers then cannot be in Faith but are all vain Is not this to make God as Vnjust to his Children as Pharaoh was to the Israelites in requiring brick and not giving them straw But blessed be God he deals not so with those that truly Trust in him and Wait upon him as these men vainly imagine for such Faithful ones find of a truth that his Grace is sufficient for them and know how by his power and Spirit to overcome the Evil one Proof III § V. Thirdly This Evil Doctrine is highly Injurious to Jesus Christ and greatly derogates from the Power and Vertue of his Sacrifice and renders his Coming and Ministry The great and principal End of Christ's Coming and Appearance was for the removing of Sin and to redeem us from all Iniquity as to the great End of it Ineffectual For Christ as for other Ends so principally he appeared for the Removing of Sin for gathering a righteous Generation that might serve the Lord in purity of mind and walk before him in fear and bring-in Everlasting Righteousness and that Evangelical Perfection which the Law could not do Hence he is said Tit. 2.14 to have Given himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works This is certainly spoken of the Saints while upon Earth But contrary thereunto these men Affirm That we are never Redeemed from all Iniquity and so make Christ's giving of himself for us void and ineffectual and give the Apostle Paul the Lie plainly by denying That Christ purifieth to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works How are they Zealous of Good works who are ever committing Evil ones How are they a Purified people that are still in Impurity as are they that daily sin unless sin be accounted no Impurity Moreover it is said expresly 1 Joh. 3.5 8. That for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins But these men make this purpose of none Effect for they will not have the Son of God to destroy the works of the Devil in his Children in this World Neither will they at all believe that he was manifest to take away our sins seeing they plead a necessity of always living in them And lest any should wrest this place of the Apostle as if it were spoken only of Taking away the guilt of sin as if it related not to this life the Apostle as of purpose to obviate such an Objection adds in the two following verses Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not c. I hope then they sin not daily in thought word and deed Let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil But he that sinneth daily in thought word and deed committeth sin how comes such a one then to be the Child of God And if Christ was manifest to take away sin how strangely do they overturn the Doctrine of Christ that deny that it is ever taken away here And how Injurious are they to the Efficacy and Power of Christ's Appearance Came not Christ to gather a people out of Sin into Righteousness out from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of the Dear Son of God and are not they that are thus gathered by him his Servants his Children his Brethren his Friends Who as he was so are they to be in this World holy pure and undefiled And doth not Christ still Watch over them Stand by them Pray for them Preserve them by his Power and Spirit Walk in them and Dwell among them The Devil dwells among the Reprobates even as the Devil on the other hand doth among the Reprobate ones How comes it then that the Servants of Christ are less his Servants than the Devil 's are his or is Christ unwilling to have his Servants throughly pure which were gross Blasphemy to assert contrary to many Scriptures Or is he not able by his Power to preserve and enable his Children to serve him which were no less blasphemous to affirm of him concerning whom the Scriptures declare that he has Overcome sin death hell and the grave and Triumphed over them openly and that all power in heaven and earth is given to him But certainly if the Saints sin daily in thought word and deed as these men Assert they serve the Devil daily and are subject to his power and so he prevails more than Christ doth and holds the Servants of Christ in bondage whether Christ will or not But how greatly then doth it Contradict the End of Christ's Coming as it is
3 4 5. be considered where though their being found without fault be spoken in the present time yet is it not without respect to their Innocency while upon earth and their being Redeemed from among men and no guile found in their mouth is expresly mentioned in the time past But I shall proceed now in the Third place to answer the Objections which indeed Sect. III are the Arguments of our Opposers § IX I shall begin with their chief and great Argument Object I which is the words of the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us This they think Invincible But is it not strange to see men so blinded with partiality How many Answ. 1 Scriptures tenfold more plain do they Reject and yet stick so tenaciously to this that can receive so many Answers As first If we say we have no sin c. will not import the Apostle himself to be included If we say we have no sin c. objected Sometimes the Scripture useth this manner of Expression when the person speaking cannot be Included which manner of speech the Grammarians call Metaschematismus Thus James 3.9 10. speaking of the Tongue saith Therewith bless we God and therewith curse we men adding these things ought not so to be Who from this will conclude that the Apostle was one of those Cursers But Secondly this Objection hitteth not the matter he saith not Answ. 2 We sin daily in thought word and deed far less that the very good works which God works in us by his Spirit are sin Yea the next verse clearly shews that upon Confession and Repentance we are not only forgiven but also cleansed He is faithful to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness Here is both a Forgiveness and Removing of the guilt and a Cleansing or removing of the Filth for to make forgiveness and cleansing to belong both to the removing of the Guilt as there is no reason for it from the Text so it were a most violent forcing of the words and would imply a Needless Tautology The Apostle having shewn how that not the Guilt only but even the Filth also of sin is removed subsumes his words in the time past in verse 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar Thirdly as Augustine well observed in his Exposition upon the Epistle to the Galatians It is one thing not to sin another thing Answ. 3 not to have sin The Apostle's words are not If we say we sin not It is one thing not to sin and another thing not to have sin or commit not sin daily but if we say we have no sin And betwixt these two there is a manifest difference for in respect all have sinned as we freely acknowledge all may be said in a sense to have sin Again Sin may be taken for the Seed of Sin which may be in those that are Redeemed from actual Sinning but as to the Temptations and Provocations proceeding from it being Resisted by the Servants of God and not yielded to they are the Devil's Sin that tempteth not the man's that is preserved Fourthly this being considered as also how positive and how plain once and again the Answ. 4 same Apostle is in the very same Epistle as in divers places above cited Is it equal or rational to strain this one place presently after so qualified and subsumed in the time past to contradict not only other positive Expressions of his but the whole Tendency of his Epistle and of the rest of the holy Commands and Precepts of the Scripture Secondly Object II Their second Objection is from Two places of Scripture much of one signification The one is 1 Kings 8.46 For there is no man that sinneth not The other is Eccles. 7.20 For there is not a Just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not I Answer first These affirm nothing of a daily and continual sinning so as never to be Redeemed from it but only that all have sinned or that there is none that doth not sin though not always so as never to cease to sin and in this lies the Question Yea in that place of the Kings he speaks Answ. within two verses of the Returning of such with all their Souls and hearts Diversity of Seasons and Dispensations respected which implies a Possibility of leaving off sin Secondly There is a respect to be had to the seasons and dispensations For if it should be granted that in Solomon's time there was none that sinned not it will not follow that there are none such now or that it is a thing is not now Attainable by the Grace of God under the Gospel for A non esse ad non posse non valet sequela And lastly This whole Objection hangs upon a false Interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sinneth not or who may not sin for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be read in the Potential Mood thus There is no man who may not sin as well as in the Indicative so both the old Latin Junius and Tremellius and Vatablus have it and the same word is so used Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy Word in my heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say that I may not sin against thee in the Potential Mood and not in the Indicative as it is in the English which being more answerable to the universal scope of the Scriptures the Testimony of the Truth and the sense almost of all Interpreters doubtless ought to be so understood and the other Interpretation rejected as spurious Object III Thirdly They object some Expressions of the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.19 For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do And verse 24. O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Answ. I Answer This place infers nothing unless it were apparent that the Apostle here were speaking of his own Condition and not rather in the person of others or what he himself had sometimes born which is frequent in Scripture as in the case of Cursing in James before-mentioned But there is nothing in the Text that doth clearly signify the Apostle to be speaking of himself or of a Condition he was then under or was always to be under yea on the contrary in the former Chapter as afore is at large shewn he declares They were Dead to sin demanding how such should yet live any longer therein Paul personates the Wretched man to shew them the Redeemer Secondly It appears that the Apostle only personated one not yet come to a Spiritual Condition in that he saith vers 14. But I am carnal sold under sin Now is it to be Imagined that the Apostle Paul as to his own proper Condition when he wrote that Epistle was a Carnal man who in Chap. 1. testifies of himself that
he was Separated to be an Apostle Capable to impart to the Romans Spiritual gifts and Chapter 8. vers 2. That the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the Law of sin and death so then he was not Carnal And seeing there are Spiritual men in this life as our Adversaries will not deny and is intimated through this whole 8 Chapter to the Romans it will not be denied but the Apostle was one of them So then as his calling himself Carnal in Chap. 7. cannot be understood of his own proper state neither can the rest of what he speaks there of that kind be so understood yea after verse 24. where he makes that Exclamation he adds in the next verse I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord signifying that by him he witnessed deliverance and so goeth on shewing how he had obtained it in the next Chapter viz. 8. v. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ and vers 37. But in all these things we are more than Conquerors And in the last verse Nothing shall be able to separate us c. But wherever there is a Continuing in sin there is a separation in some degree seeing every Sin is contrary to God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Trangression of the Law I Joh. 3.4 and whoever committeth the least Sin is overcome of it and so in that respect is not a Conqueror * Whom sin has Conquer'd is no Conqueror but Conquered This Condition then which the Apostle plainly testified he with Some others had obtained could not consist with Continual Remaining and Abiding in Sin †Obj. IV. Fourthly They object the Faults and Sins of several Eminent Saints as Noah David c. I Answer That doth not at all prove the Case For the question is not Whether good men may not fall into sin which is not denied Answ. but Whether it be not possible for them not to sin It will not follow because these men sinned that therefore they were never free of sin but always sinned For at this rate of arguing it might be urged according to this Rule Contrariorum par ratio i. e. The reason of Contraries is alike That if because a Good man hath sinned once or twice he can never be free from sin Can they that sin be never freed from sin but must always be daily and continually a sinner all his life long then by the Rule of Contraries If a Wicked man have done good once or twice he can never be free from Righteousness but must always be a Righteous man all his life time which as it is most Absurd in it self so it is Contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezech. 33.12 to the 18 th Lastly they Object That if Perfection or Freedom from sin be Attainable Object V this will render Mortification of Sin useless and make the Blood of Christ of no service to us neither need we any more pray for forgiveness of sins I Answer I had almost omitted this Objection Answ. because of the manifest Absurdity of it For can Mortification of sin be useless where the End of it is obtained seeing there is no attaining of this perfection but by mortification Doth the hope and belief of Overcoming render the Fight unnecessary Let rational men judge which hath most sense in it to say as our Adversaries do It is necessary that we fight and wrestle Who fights and not in hopes to Overcome his Foe but we must never think of overcoming We must resolve still to be overcome Or to say Let us fight because we may overcome Whether do such as believe they may be Cleansed by it or those that believe they can never be Cleansed by it render the Blood of Christ most effectual If Two Men were both grievously diseased and applied themselves to a Physician for Remedy which of those do most Commend the Physician and his Cure he that believeth he may be Cured by him and as he feels himself Cured confesseth that he is so and so can say This is a skilful Physician This is good Medicine behold I am made whole by it or he that never is Cured nor ever believes that he can so long as he lives As for praying for forgiveness we deny it not Praying for Forgiveness of Sin for that all have sinned and therefore all need to pray that their sins past may be blotted out and that they may be daily preserved from sinning And if hoping or believing to be made free from sin hinders praying for forgiveness of sin it would follow by the same Inference that men ought not to forsake Murder Adultery or any of these gross Evils seeing the more men are sinful the more plentiful occasion there would be of asking forgiveness of sin and the more work for Mortification But the Apostle hath sufficiently refuted such sin-pleasing Cavils in these words Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid But Lastly It may be easily answered by a Retortion to those that press this from the words of the Lord's Prayer Forgive us our debts that this militates no less against perfect Justification than against perfect Sanctification For if all the Saints the least as well as the greatest be perfectly Justified in that very hour wherein they are Converted as our Adversaries will have it then they have Remission of sins long before they die May it not then be said to them What need have ye to pray for Remission of Sin who are already Justified whose sins are long ago forgiven both past and Prop. 9 to come § X. But this may suffice Concerning this Possibility Jerom speaks clearly enough Testimonies of the Fathers concerning Perfection or Freedom from Sin lib. 3. adver Pelagium This we also say that a man may not sin if he will for a time and place according to his bodily weakness so long as his mind is Intent so long as the Cords of the Cythar relax not by any Vice And again in the same Book Which is that that I said that it is put in our power to wit being helped by the Grace of God either to sin Jerom. or not to sin For this was the Error of Pelagius which we indeed reject and abhor and which the Fathers deservedly withstood that man by his natural strength without the help of God's Grace could attain to that state Augustine so as not to sin And Augustine himself a great Opposer of the Pelagian Heresy did dot deny this possibility as Attainable by the help of God's Grace as in his Book de Spiritu Literâ cap. 2. and his Book de Naturâ Gratiâ against Pelagius cap. 42 50 60 63. de Gestis Concilii Palaestini Gelasius cap. 7. II. and de Peccatô Originali lib. 2. cap. II. Gelasius also in his Disputation against Pelagius saith But if any affirm that this may be
true Faith This Objection is very weak and apparently Contrary to the Text 1 Tim. 1.19 Answ. Where the Apostle addeth to Faith a good Conscience by way of Complaint A good and evil Conscience whereas if their Faith had been only seeming and hypocritical the men had been better without it than with it neither had they been worthy of blame for losing that which in it self was Evil. But the Apostle expresly adds and of a good Conscience which shews it was Real neither can it be supposed that men could truly attain a good Conscience without the operation of God's Saving Grace far less that a good Conscience doth consist with a seeming false and hypocritical Faith Again these places of the Apostle being spoken by way of Regret clearly Import that these Attainments they had fall'n from were good and real not false and deceitful else he would not have Regretted their falling from them And so he saith positively They tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. not that they seem'd to be so Which sheweth this Objection is very frivolous Secondly they Alledge Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that Object 2 he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ c. and 1 Pet. 1.5 who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Answ. These Scriptures as they do not affirm any thing positively Contrary to us so they cannot be understood otherwise than as the Condition is performed upon our part seeing Salvation is no otherways proposed there but upon certain Salvation is proposed upon certain Conditions by us to be performed necessary Conditions to be performed by us as hath been above proved and as our Adversaries also acknowledge as Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the end For if these places of the Scripture upon which they build their Objection were to be admitted without these Conditions it would manifestly overturn the whole Tenor of their Exhortations throughout all their Writings Some other Objections there are of the same nature which are solved by the same Answers which also because largely treated of by others I omit to come to that Testimony of the Truth which is more especically ours in this matter and is contained in the latter part of the Proposition in these words Yet such an Increase and Stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a total Apostasy § IV. As in the Explanation of the fifth and sixth Propositions I observed that some that had denied the Errors of others concerning Reprobation and affirmed the Vniversality of Christ's Death did notwithstanding fall short in sufficiently holding forth the Truth and so gave the contrary party an occasion by their defects to be strengthened in their Errors so may it be said in this Case * The two Extreams some run into by Asserting a final falling or not falling from Grace Impossible As upon the one hand they Err that affirm That the least degree of true and Saving Grace cannot be fall'n from so do they Err upon the other hand that deny any such Stability to be attained from which there cannot be a total and final Apostasy And betwixt these Two Extreams lieth the Truth apparent in the Scriptures which God hath Revealed unto us by the Testimony of his Spirit and which also we are made sensible of by our own sensible Experience And even as in that former Controversy was observed so also in this the defence of Truth will readily appear to such as seriously weigh the matter for the Arguments upon both hands rightly applied will as to this hold good and the Objections which are strong as they are respectively urged against the two opposite false Opinions are hereby easily solved by the establishing of this Truth For as the Arguments which these alledge that affirm There can be no falling away may well be received upon the one part as of those who have attained to this Stability and Establishment and their Objections solved by this Concession so upon the other hand the Arguments alledged from Scripture-Testimonies by those that affirm the possibility of falling away may well be received of such as are not come to this Establishment though having attained a measure of true Grace Thus then the contrary Batterings of our Adversaries who miss the Truth do Concur the more strongly to Establish it while they are destroying each other But lest this may not seem to suffice to satisfy such as judge it always possible for the best of men before they die to fall away I shall add for the proof of it some Brief Considerations from some few Testimonies of the Scripture § V. And first I freely acknowledge that it is good for all to be Humble and in this respect not over-Confident so as to lean to this Watchfulness and Diligence is of Indispensible necessity to all to foster themselves in Iniquity or lie down in Security as if they had attained this Condition seeing Watchfulness and Diligence is of indispensible necessity to all mortal men so long as they breath in this World for God will have this to be the Constant Practice of a Christian that thereby he may be the more fit to serve him and the better armed against all the daily Temptations of the Enemy For since the Wages of sin is death there is no man while he sinneth and is subject thereunto but may lawfully suppose himself capable of perishing Hence the Apostle Paul himself saith 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away Here the Apostle supposeth it possible for him to be a Cast-away and yet it may be judged he was far more advanced in the Inward Work of Regeneration when he wrote that Epistle than many who now a-days too presumptuously suppose they cannot fall away because they feel themselves to have attained some small degree of true Grace But the Apostle makes use of this Supposition or possibility of his being a Cast-away as I before observed as an Inducement to him to be Watchful I keep under my body lest c. Nevertheless the same Apostle at another time in the sense and feeling of God's Holy Power and in the Dominion thereof finding himself a Conqueror there-through over sin and his Soul's Enemies maketh no difficulty to affirm Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. which clearly sheweth that he had Attained a Condition from which he knew he could not fall away But secondly It appears such a * A Condition attainable in this life
readily to Wait that he might Answer the King when he speaks and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will and to do accordingly would be still deafening him with Discourse though it were in praises of him and running to and fro without any particular and immediate Order to do things that perhaps might be good in themselves or might have been Commanded at other times to others Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service Since then we are Commanded to Wait upon God diligently and in so doing it is promised that our Strength shall be renewed this Waiting cannot be performed but by a Silence To Wait in Silence or Cessation of the natural part on our side since God manifests himself not to the outward man or senses so much as to the inward to wit to the Soul and Spirit If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will The thinking busie Soul excludes the Voice of God and busily exercised in her own Imaginations though the matters as in themselves may be good concerning God yet thereby she incapacitates her self from discerning the still small Voice of the Spirit and so hurts her self greatly in that she neglects her Chief Business of Waiting upon the Lord. Nothing less than if I should busie my self crying out and speaking of a Business while in the mean time I neglect to hear one who is quietly Whispering into my Ear and informing me in these things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business And since it is the Chief Work of a Christian to know the natural Will in its own proper motions Crucified that God may both move in the Act and in the Will the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial For some men please themselves as much and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curious Speculations of Religion Religious Speculations affecting a Name and Reputation that way or because those things by Custom or other ways are become pleasant and habitual to them though not a whit more Regenerated or inwardly Sanctified in their Spirits Sensual Recreations as others gratify their Lusts in Actions of Sensuality and therefore both are alike hurtful to men and sinful in the sight of God it being nothing but the meer Fruit and Effect of man's natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit Yea should one as many no doubt do from a sense of sin and fear of punishment seek to terrify themselves from Sin by multiplying thoughts of Death Hell and Judgment and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven The Thoughts of Death and Hell to keep out sin are Fig-leaves and also by multiplying Prayers and other Religious Performances as these things could never deliver him from one Iniquity without the secret and inward Power of God's Spirit and Grace so would they signifie no more than the Fig-leaves wherewith Adam thought to cover his Nakedness And seeing it is only the Product of man's own natural Will proceeding from a Self-Love and seeking to save himself and not arising purely from that Divine Seed of Righteousness which is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation it is Rejected of God and no ways acceptable unto him since the natural man as natural while he stands in that State is with all his Arts Parts and Actings Reprobated by him This great Duty then of Waiting upon God must needs be exercised in man's denying self both inwardly and outwardly Denial of ones self in a still and meer dependence upon God in abstracting from all the Workings Imaginations and Speculations of his own mind that being emptied as it were of himself and so throughly Crucified to the natural products thereof he may be fit to Receive the Lord who will have no Copartner nor Corrival of his Glory and Power And man being thus stated the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul and Christ hath purchased for him even the measure of Grace and Life which is burthened and crucified by man's natural thoughts and imaginations receives a place to arise and becometh a holy Birth and geniture in man The Holy Birth and is that Divine Air in and by which man's Soul and Spirit comes to be leavened And by Waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the sight of God to stand in his presence hear his Voice and observe the Motions of his Holy Spirit And so man's place is to Wait in this and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his mind concerning God or things relating to Religion his Soul may be exercised in them without hurt and to the great profit both of himself and others because those things have their rise not from his own Will but from God's Spirit And therefore as in the arisings and movings of this his mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating so also in the more obvious acts of preaching and praying No Quakers are against a Meditating Mind From Nature's Thoughts all Errors rise we find And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation as some have sought falsly to infer from our Doctrine but we are against the thoughts and imaginations of the natural man in his own Will from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded But if it please God at any time when one or more are Waiting upon him not to present such Objects as gives them occasion to exercise their Minds in Thoughts and Imaginations but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence and as they persist therein to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them then they have good reason to be Content because by this as we know by good and blessed Experience the Soul is more strengthened renewed and confirmed in the love of God and armed against the Power of sin than any ways else The Soul Renew'd by what the holy Life of God this being a Foretaste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God which the Saints in Heaven daily possess which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement especially when they are Assembled together to Wait upon him § XI For there are Two contrary Powers or Spirits to wit Whatever Man does Act without the power of God is not Accepted the Power and Spirit of this World in which the Prince of Darkness bears rule and over as many as are acted by it and work from it and the Power or Spirit of God in which God worketh and beareth rule and over as many as Act in and from it So whatever be the things that a man thinketh of or acteth in however Spiritual or Religious as to the notion or form of them so long as he acteth and moveth in the natural and corrupt
figured whereas it is usually translated as if the like Figure did now save us thereby insinuating that as they were Saved by Water in the Ark so are we now by Water-baptism But this Interpretation crosseth his sense he presently after declaring the Contrary as hath above been observed and likewise it would Contradict the Opinion of all our Opposers * The Protestants deny Water-baptism its absolute necessity to mens Salvation Altho' the Papists say none can be Sav'd without it yet grant Exceptions For Protestants deny it to be absolutly necessary to Salvation And though Papists say None are saved without it yet in this they admit an Exception as of Martyrs c. and they will not say that all that have it are Saved by Water-baptism which they ought to say if they will understand by Baptism by which the Apostle saith we are Saved Water-baptism for seeing we are saved by this Baptism as those that were in the Ark were Saved by Water that all those that were in the Ark were Saved by Water it would then follow that all those that have this Baptism are Saved by it Now this Consequence would be false if it were understood of Water-baptism because many by the Confession of all are baptized with Water that are not saved but this Consequence holds most true if it be understood as we do of the Baptism of the Spirit since none can have this Answer of a good Conscience and abiding in it not be Saved by it Fifthly That the One Baptism of Christ is not a Washing with Water as Proof V it hath been proved by the Definition of the One Baptism The Effects and Fruits of the Baptism of Christ. so it is also manifest from the Necessary Fruits and Effects of it which are three-times particularly expressed by the Apostle Paul As first Rom. 6.3 4. where he saith That so many of them as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death buried with him by Baptism into death that they should walk in Newness of Life Secondly to the Gal. 3.27 he saith positively For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and Thirdly to the Col. 2.12 he saith That they were Buried with him in Baptism and Risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God It is to be observed here that the Apostle speaks generally without any Exclusive Term but Comprehensive of all he saith not Some of you that were baptized into Christ have put on Christ but As many of you which is as much as if he had said Every one of you that hath been baptized into Christ hath put on Christ. Whereby it is evident that this is not meant of Water-baptism but of the Baptism of the Spirit because else it would follow that Which Efects Water-Baptism wants whosoever had been baptized with Water-baptism had put on Christ and were Risen with him which all acknowledge to be most Absurd Now supposing all the Visible Members of the Churches of Rome Galatia and Coloss had been outwardly baptized with Water I do not say they were but our Adversaries will not only readily grant it but also contend for it suppose I say the Case so they will not say they had all put on Christ since divers Expressions in these Epistles to them shew the contrary So that the Apostle cannot mean Baptism with Water and yet that he meaneth the Baptism of Christ i. e. of the Spirit cannot be denied or that the Baptism wherewith these were baptized of whom the Apostle here testifies that they had put on Christ was the One Baptism I think none will call in question Now admit as our Adversaries Contend that many in these Churches who had been baptized with Water had not put on Christ it will follow that notwithstanding that Water-baptism they were not baptized into Christ or with the Baptism of Christ seeing as many of them as were baptized into Christ had put on Christ c. From all which I thus Argue If the Baptism with Water were the One Baptism i. e. the Baptism of Arg. 1 Christ as many as were baptized with Water would have put on Christ. But the last is false Therefore also the first And again Since as many as are baptized into Christ i. e. with the One Baptism which is the Baptism of Christ have put on Christ Then Water-Baptism is not the One Baptism viz. the Baptism of Christ. But the first is true Arg. 2 Therefore also the last Prop. III § V. Thirdly Since John's Baptism was a Figure and seeing the Figure gives way to the Substance Proved albeit the thing figured remain to wit the One Baptism of Christ yet the other ceaseth which was the Baptism of John I. John's Baptism was of Christ's a Figure That John's Baptism was a Figure of Christ's Baptism I judge will not readily be denied but in case it should it can easily be proved from the Nature of it John's Baptism was a being baptized with Water but Christ's is a baptising with the Spirit Therefore John's Baptism must have been a Figure of Christ's But further that Water-baptism was John's Baptism will not be denied That Water-baptism is not Christ's Baptism is already proved From which doth arise the Confirmation of our Proposition thus Arg. There is no Baptism to continue now but the One Baptism of Christ. Therefore Water-baptism is not to continue now because it is not the Baptism of Christ. II. John's Baptism is Ceas'd our Opposers confess That John's Baptism is Ceased many of our Adversaries confess but if any should alledge it otherwise it may be easily proved by the express words of John not only as being insinuated there where he Contradistinguisheth his Baptism from that of Christ but particularly where he saith Joh. 3.30 He Christ must Increase but I John must Decrease From whence it clearly follows that the Increasing or taking place of Christ's Baptism is the Decreasing or abolishing of John's Baptism so that if Water-baptism was a particular part of John's Ministry and is no part of Christ's Baptism as we have already proved it will necessarily follow that it is not to Continue Arg. If Water-baptism had been to continue a Perpetual Ordinance of Christ in his Church he would either have practised it himself or Commanded his Apostles so to do But that he Practised it not the Scripture plainly affirms John 4.2 And that he Commanded his Disciples to baptize with Water I could never yet read As for what is alledged that Matth. 28.19 c. where he bids them baptize is to be understood of Water-baptism that is but to beg the Question and the grounds for that shall be hereafter examined Therefore to baptize with Water is no Perpetual Ordinance of Christ to his Church This hath had the more Weight with me because I find not any standing Ordinance or Appointment of Christ necessary to Christians for which we have not either
of them In like manner our receiving benefits and blessings from God has a necessary respect to our Praying because if we Ask he hath promised we shall Receive Now the Communion or Participation of the flesh and blood of Christ hath no such necessary relation to the breaking of Bread and drinking of Wine For if it had any such necessary relation it would either be from the Nature of the Thing or from some Divine Precept But we shall shew it is from neither Therefore c. First It is not from the Nature of it because to partake of the flesh and blood of Christ is a Spiritual Exercise and all confess that it is by the Soul and Spirit that we become real Partakers of it as it is the Soul and not the Body that is nourished by it but to eat Bread and drink Wine is a natural Act which in it self adds nothing to the Soul neither has any thing that is Spiritual in it because the most carnal Man that is can as fully as perfectly and as wholly eat Bread and drink Wine as the most Spiritual Secondly Their relation is not by Nature else they would infer one another but all acknowledge that many eat of the Bread and drink of the Wine even that which they say is Consecrate Transubstantiate into the very Body of Christ who notwithstanding have not Life Eternal have not Christ dwelling in them nor do live by him The Patriarchs and Prophets without this Ceremony's Use were true Partakers of Christ's Flesh and Blood as all do who truly partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ without the Vse of this Ceremony as all the Patriarchs and Prophets did before this Ordinance as they account it was Instituted Neither was there any thing under the Law that had any direct or necessary Relation hereunto thô to partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ in all Ages was indispensibly necessary to Salvation For as for the Paschal * The Paschal Lamb 〈◊〉 End· Lamb the whole End of it is signified particularly Exod 13.8 9. to wit that the Jews might thereby be kept in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt Secondly It has no relation by Divine Precept for if it had it would be mentioned in that which our Adversaries account the Institution of it or else in the Practice of it by the Saints recorded in Scripture but so it is not For as to the Institution or rather Narration of Christ's Practice in this matter we have it recorded by the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke In the first two there is only an Account of the matter of Fact to wit That Christ brake Bread and gave it his Disciples to eat saying This is my Body Matth. 26 26. Mark 14.22 Luke 22.19 and blessing the Cup he gave it them to drink saying This is my Blood but nothing of any desire to them to do it In the last The Institution of the Supper or Narration of Christ's Practice therein after the Bread but before the blessing or giving them the Wine he bids them do it in Remembrance of him what we are to think of this Practice of Christ shall be spoken of hereafter But what necessary Relation hath all this to the Believers partaking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ The End of this for which they were to do it if at all is to Remember Christ which the Apostle yet more particularly expresses 1 Cor. 11.26 To shew forth the Lord's Death But to Remember the Lord or Declare his Death which are the special and particular Ends annexed to the Use of this Ceremony is not at all to partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ neither have they any more necessary Relation to it than any other two different Spiritual Duties For thô they that partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ cannot but Remember him yet the Lord and his Death may be Remembred as none can deny where his Flesh and Blood is not truly partaken of So that since the very particular and express End of this Ceremony may be witnessed to wit the Remembrance of the Lord's Death and yet the Flesh and Blood of Christ not partaken of it cannot have had any necessary Relation to it else the partaking thereof would have been the End of it and could not have been attained without this Participation But on the contrary we may well infer hence that since the positive End of this Ceremony is not the partaking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ and that whoever partakes of the Flesh and Blood of Christ cannot but Remember him that therefore such need not this Ceremony to put them in Remembrance of him But if it be said That Jesus Christ calls the Bread here his Body Object and the Wine his Blood therefore he seems to have had a special relation to his Disciples partaking of his Flesh and Blood in the use of this thing I Answer His calling the Bread his Body and the Wine his Blood Answ. would yet infer no such thing tho it is not denied but that Jesus Christ in all things he did yea and from the use of all Natural things took occasion to raise the Minds of his Disciples and Hearers to Spirituals Hence from the Woman of Samaria her drawing Water The Woman of Samaria John 4.14 he took occasion to tell her of that Living Water which whoso drinketh of shall never Thirst which indeed is all one with his Blood here spoken of Yet it will not follow that that Well or Water had any necessary relation to the Living Water The Well the Loaves the Bread and Wine Christ takes occasion from to shew the Inward Feeding or the Living Water to it c. So Christ takes occasion from the Jews following him for the Loaves to tell them of this Spiritual Bread and Flesh of his Body which was more necessary for them to feed upon It will not therefore follow that their following him for the Loaves had any necessary relation thereunto So also Christ here being at Supper with his Disciples takes occasion from the Bread and Wine which was before them to signify unto them that as That Bread which he brake unto them and That Wine which he blessed and gave unto them did contribute to the preserving and nourishing of their Bodies so was he also to give his Body and shed his Blood for the Salvation of their Souls And therefore the very End proposed in this Ceremony to those that observe it is to be a Memorial of his Death But if it be said that the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 Calls the Bread which he brake the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup the Communion of his Blood I do most willingly subscribe unto it but do deny that this is understood of the outward Bread neither can it be evinced but the Contrary is manifest from the Context for the Apostle in this Chapter speaks not one word of
that Ceremony For having in the beginning of it shewen them how the Jews of Old were made partakers of the Spiritual Food and Water which was Christ and how several of them through Disobedience and Idolatry fell from that good Condition he exhorts them by the Example of those Jews whom God destroyed of Old to flee those Evils shewing them that they to wit the Corinthians are likewise partakers of the body and blood of Christ of which Communion they would Rob themselves if they did Evil because they could not drink of the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils and partake of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils ver 21. Which shews that he understands not here the using of outward Bread and Wine because those that do Drink the Cup of Devils and Eat of the Table of Devils yea The Wickedest may take the outward Bread and Wine the Wickedest of Men may partake of the outward Bread and outward Wine For there the Apostle calls the bread One ver 17. and he saith We being many are One bread and one body for we are all partakers of that One bread Now if the bread be One it cannot be the Outward or the Inward would be excluded whereas it cannot be denied but that it 's the partaking of the Inward bread and not the Outward that makes the Saints truly One body and One bread And whereas they say that the One bread here comprehendeth both the Outward and Inward by vertue of the Sacramental Vnion The Sacramental Vnion pretended is a Figment that indeed is to affirm but not to prove As for that Figment of a Sacramental Vnion I find not such a thing in all the Scripture especially in the New Testament nor is there any thing can give a rise for such a thing in this Chapter where the Apostle as is above observed is not at all treating of that Ceremony but only from the Excellency of that Priviledge which the Corinthians had as believing Christians To partake of the flesh and blood of Christ dehorts them from Idolatry partaking of the Sacrifices offered to Idols so as thereby to offend or hurt their weak brethren Object But that which they most of all Cry out for in this matter and are always Noising is from 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle is particularly treating of this matter and therefore from some words here they have the greatest Appearance of Truth for their Assertion As ver 27. where he calls the Cup the Cup of the Lord and saith That they who eat of it and drink it unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and ver 26. Eat and drink their own Damnation intimating hence that this hath an immediate or necessary relation to the body flesh and blood of Christ. Answ. Thô this at first View may catch the Vnwary Reader yet being well considered it doth no ways Evince the matter in Controversy As for the Corinthians being in the Vse of this Ceremony why they were so and how that obliges not Christians now to the same shall be spoken of hereafter it suffices at this time to consider that they were in the Vse of it Secondly That in the Vse of it they were guilty of and committed divers Abuses Thirdly That the Apostle here is giving them Directions how they may do it aright in shewing them the right and proper Vse and End of it These things being premised let it be observed that the very express and particular Vse of it according to the Apostle is To shew forth the Lord's Death c. But to shew forth the Lord's Death and partake of the flesh and blood of Christ are different things He saith not As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye partake of the Body and Blood of Christ but Ye shew forth the Lord's Death So I acknowledge that this Ceremony by those that practise it hath an Immediate Relation to the outward Body Death of Christ upon the Cross as being properly a Memorial of it but it doth not thence follow that it hath any inward or immediate Relation to Believers communicating or partaking of the Spiritual Body and Blood of Christ or that Spiritual Supper spoken of Rev. 3.20 For though in a general way as every Religious Action in some respect hath a common relation to the Spiritual Communion of the Saints with God so we shall not deny but this hath a relation to others Now for his calling the Cup the Cup of the Lord and saying They are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and eat their own Damnation in not discerning the Lord's Body c. I answer that this infers no more Necessary Relation than any other Religious Act and amounts to no more than this that since the Corinthians were in the Vse of this Ceremony Christ's Act of Bread and Wine is not Obliging others and so performed it as a Religious Act they ought to do it Worthily else they should bring Condemnation upon themselves Now this will not more infer the thing so practised by them to be a necessary Religious Act obligatory upon others than when Rom. 14.6 the Apostle saith He that regardeth the Day regardeth it unto the Lord it can be thence inferred that the Days that some esteemed and observed did lay an obligation upon others to do the same But yet as he that Esteemed a Day and placed Conscience in keeping it was to Regard it to the Lord and so it was to him in so far as he dedicated it unto the Lord the Lord's Day he was to do it Worthily and if he did it Vnworthily he would be guilty of the Lord's Day and so keep it to his own Damnation so also such as observe this Ceremony of Bread and Wine it is to them the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord because they Vse it as a Religious Act and forasmuch as their End therein is To shew forth the Lord's Death and to Remember his Body that was Crucified for them and his Blood that was shed for them If notwithstanding they believe it is their Duty to do it and make it a matter of Conscience to forbear if hey do it without that due Preparation and Examination which every Religious Act ought to be performed in then instead of truly Remembring the Lord's Death and his Body and his Blood they render themselves Guilty of it as being in one Spirit with those that Crucified him and shed his Blood The Pharisees Guilt of the Blood of the Prophets though pretending with Thanksgiving and Joy to Remember it Thus the Scribes and Pharisees of Old though in Memory of the Prophets they garnished their Sepulchres yet are said by Christ to be Guilty of their Blood And that no more can be hence inferred appears from another saying of the same Apostle Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat c. where he speaking of those that
First that as often imports a Command the contrary whereof is shewen neither will they ever be able to prove it Secondly Christ's Outward and Inward Coming That this Coming is understood of Christ's last outward Coming and not of his Inward and Spiritual that remains to be proved whereas the Apostle might well understand it of his Inward Coming and Appearance which perhaps some of those Carnal Corinthians that used to come drunken together had not yet known and others being Weak among them and inclinable to dote upon Outwards this might have been Indulged to them for a season and even used by those who knew Christ's Appearance in Spirit as other things were of which we shall speak hereafter especially by the Apostle who became Weak to the Weak and All to All that he might save some Now those Weak and Carnal Corinthians might be permitted the Vse of this To Remember Christ's Death till he Come To Arise in the Heart to Shew forth or Remember Christ's Death till he come to Arise in them for thô such need those outward things to put them in mind of Christ's Death yet such as are dead with Christ and not only dead with Christ but buried and also arisen with him need not such Signs to Remember him And to such therefore the Apostle saith Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God but Bread and Wine are not these things that are above but are things of the Earth But that this whole matter was a meer Act of Indulgence and Condescendence of the Apostle Paul to the Weak and Carnal Corinthians appears yet more by the Syriack * And likewise the other Oriental Versions as the Araebick and Aethiopick have it the same way Copy which ver 17. in his entring upon this matter hath it thus In that concerning which I am about to command you or instruct you I commend you not because ye have not gone forward but are descended unto that which is less or of less Consequence Clearly importing that the Apostle was grieved that such was their Condition that he was forc'd to give them Instructions concerning those Outward things and doting upon which they shew they were not gone forward in the Life of Christianity but rather sticking in beggarly Elements And therefore ver 20. the same Version hath it thus When then ye meet together ye do not do it as it is just ye should do in the day of the Lord ye eat and drink Thereby shewing to them that To Meet together to eat and drink Outward Bread and Wine was not the Labour and Work of that Day of the Lord. But since our Adversaries are so zealous for this Ceremony because used by the Church of Corinth though with how little ground is already shewen how come they to pass over far more positive Commands of the Apostles To abstain from things strangled as matters of no moment As First Acts 15.26 where the Apostles peremptorily Command even the Gentiles as that which was the Mind of the Holy Ghost To abstain from things strangled and from Blood And Ja. 5.14 where it is expresly Commanded The Anointing with Oil. That the Sick be Anointed with Oil in the Name of the Lord. If they say These were only Temporary things but not to Continue Object What have they more to shew for this there being no express Repeal of them Answ. If they say The Repeal is implied because the Apostle saith Object We ought not to be jugded in Meats and Drinks I admit the Answer Answ. but how can it be evited to militate the same way against the other Practice Surely not at all nor can there be any thing urged for the one more than for the other but Custom and Tradition And for that of James they say There followed a Miracle upon it Object to wit the Recovery of the Sick But this being Ceased so should the Ceremony Though this might many ways be answered to wit Answ. That Prayer then might as well be forborn A Ceremony ought to Cease its Vertue failing to which also the saving of the Sick is there ascribed yet I shall accept of it because I judge indeed that Ceremony is Ceased only methinks since our Adversaries and that rightly think a Ceremony ought to Cease where the Vertue fails they ought by the same Rule to forbear the laying on of Hands in imitation of the Apostles since the Gift of the Holy Ghost doth not follow upon it Thus Laying on of Hands § IX But since we find that several Testimonies of Scripture do sufficiently shew that Such External Rites are no necessary part of the New Covenant-Dispensation therefore not needful now to Continue however they were for a season practised of old I shall instance some few of them whereby from the Nature of the thing as well as those Testimonies it may appear that the Ceremony of Bread and Wine is Ceased as well as those other things confessed by our Adversaries to be so The Ceremony of Bread and Wine is Ceas'd The first is Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Here the Apostle evidently shews that the Kingdom of God or Gospel of Christ stands not in Meats and Drinks and such like things but in Righteousness as by the Context doth appear where he is speaking of the Guilt and Hazzard of judging one another about Meats and Drinks So then if the Kingdom of God stand not in them nor the Gospel nor Work of Christ then the Eating of Outward Bread and Wine can be no necessary part of the Gospel-Worship nor any perpetual Ordinance of it Another is yet more plain of the same Apostle Col. 2. Col. 2.16 the Apostle throughout this whole Second Chapter doth clearly plead for us and against the Formality and Superstition of our Opposers for in the beginning he holds forth the great Priviledges Christians have by Christ who are come indeed to the Life of Christianity and therefore he desires them ver 6. As they have received Christ so to walk in him and to beware lest they be spoiled through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Rudiments or Elements of the World because that in Christ whom they have received is all Fullness And that they are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands which he calls the Circumcision of Christ and being buried with him by Baptism are also arisen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God Here also they did partake of the True Baptism of Christ and being such as are Arisen with him let us see whether he thinks it needful they should make use of such Meat and Drink as Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of Christ's Death or whether they ought to be judged that they did it not ver 16. Let
sometimes fled but to persecute is the Invention and Argument of the Devil which he seeks against all And after he saith In so far as the Arrians banish those that will not subscribe their Decrees they shew that they are contrary to Christians and Friends of the Devil But now O lamentable Hil. contra Aux saith Hilarius it is the Suffrages of the Earth that recommend the Religion of God and Christ is found naked of his Vertue while Ambition must give credit to his Name The Church reproves and fights by Banishments and Prisons and forceth her self to be believed which once was believed because of the Imprisonments and Banishments her self suffered She that once was consecrated by the Terror of her Persecutors depends now upon the Dignity of those that are in her Communion She that once was propagated by her banished Priests now banisheth the Priests And she boasts now that she is loved of the World who could not have been Christ's if she had not been hated of the World The Church saith Hierom was founded by shedding of Blood Hieron Ep. 62. ad The. and by Suffering and not in doing of Hurt The Church increased by Persecutions and was crowned by Martyrdoms Ambrose speaking of Auxentius saith thus Ambr. Ep. 32. tom 3. Whom he viz. Auxentius could not deceive by Discourse he thinks ought to be killed by the Sword making bloody Laws with his Mouth writing them with his Hands and imagining that an Edict can command Faith And the same Ambrose saith That going into France Ambr. epist. 27. he would not communicate with those Bishops that required That Hereticks should be put to Death The Emperour Marcio who assembled the Council of Chalcedon Marc. Ep. ad Archimand c. Mon. Eg. in acta concil Chalced. tom 2. conc gen protests That he would not force nor constrain any one to subscribe the Council of Chalcedon against his Will (a) Hosi epist. ad Constit. apud Ath. in epist. ad solit vit tom 1. Hosius Bishop of Corduba testifies That the Emperour Constans would not constrain any to be Orthodox (b) Hil. l. 1. ad Const. Hilarius saith further That God teacheth rather than exacteth the Knowledge of himself and authorizing his Commandments by the Miracles of his Heavenly Works he wills not that any should confess him with a forced Will c. He is the God of the whole Vniverse he needs not a forced Obedience nor requires a constrained Confession (c) Ambr. comm in Luc. l. 7. Christ saith Ambrose sent his Apostles to sow Faith not to constrain but to teach not to exercise coercive Power but to extoll the Doctrine of Humility (d) Cypr. epist. 62. Hence Cyprian comparing the Old Covenant with the New saith Then were they put to Death with the outward Sword but now the Proud and Contumacious are cut off with the Spiritual Sword by being cast out of the Church And this answers very well that Objection before observed taken from the Practice of the Jews under the Law See saith Tertullian to the Heathens if it be not to contribute to the renown of Irreligion to seek to take away the Liberty of Religion Tertull. Apol. c. 24. and to hinder Men their Choice of God that I may not be admitted to adore whom I will but must be constrained to serve him whom I will not There is none nay not a Man that desires to be adored by any against their Will Id. Apol. cap. 28. And again It 's a thing that easily appears to be unjust to constrain and force Men to sacrifice against their Wills seeing to do the Service of God there is required a willing Heart And again It is an Human Right and Natural Power that every one worship what he esteems Idem ad Scapul c. 2. and one Man's Religion doth not profit nor hurt another Neither is it any piece of Religion to enforce Religion which must be undertaken by Consent and not by Violence seeing that the Sacrifices themselves are not required but from a willing Mind Now how either Papists or Protestants that boast of Antiquity can get by these plain Testimonies let any rational Man judge And indeed I much question if in any one Point owned by them and denied by us they can find all the old Fathers and Writers so exactly unanimous Which shews how contrary all of them judged this to be to the Nature of Christianity and that in the Point of Persecution lay no small part of the Apostacy which from little to more came to that that the Pope upon every small Discontent would Excommunicate Princes absolve their Subjects from obeying them and turn them in and out at his Pleasure Now if Protestants do justly abhor these things among Papists is it not sad that they should do the like themselves A thing that at their first Appearance Luth. lib. de Captivitate Babylon when they were in their Primitive Innocency they did not think on as appears by that Saying of Luther Neither Pope nor Bishop nor any other Man hath Power to oblige a Christian to one Syllable except it be by his own Consent And again I call boldly to Christians that neither Man nor Angel can impose any Law upon them but so far as they will for we are free of all And when he appeared at the Diet of Spiers before the Emperour in a particular Conference he had before the Archbishop of Triers and Joachim Elector of Brandenburgh History of the Council of Trent when there seemed no possibility of agreeing him with his Opposers they asking him What Remedy seemed to him most fit He answered The Counsel that Gamaliel proposed to the Jews to wit That if this Design was of God it would stand if not it would evanish which he said ought to content the Pope He did not say because he was in the Right he ought to be spared For this Counsel supposeth That those that are tolerated may be wrong and yet how soon did the same Luther ere he was well secure himself press the Elector of Saxony to banish poor Carolostadius because he could not in all things submit to his Judgment And certainly it is not without ground reported That it smote Luther to the Heart so that he needed to be comforted when he was informed That Carolostadius in his Letter to his Congregation styled himself A Man banished for Conscience by the Procurement of Martin Luther And since both the Lutherans and Calvinists not admitting one another to Worship in those respective Dominions sheweth how little better they are than either Papists or Arrians in this particular And yet Calvin saith That the Conscience is free from the Power of all Men. If so why then did he cause Castellio to be banish'd because he could not for Conscience-sake believe as he did Calvin Inst. c. 19. sect 14. That God had ordained Men to be damned And Servetus to be
all Evil hence they say We vilify the Scriptures and set up our own Imaginations above them Because we tell them That it is not their Talking or believing of Christ's outward Life Sufferings Death and Resurrection no more than the Jews crying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord that will serve their Turn or justify them in the Sight of God but that they must know Christ in them whom they have crucified to be raised and to justify them and redeem them from their Iniquities Hence they say we deny the Life Death and Sufferings of Christ Justification by his Blood and Remission of Sins through him Because we tell them while they are talking and determining about the Resurrection That they have more need to know the Just one whom they have slain Raised in themselves and to be sure they are partakers of the first Resurrection and that if this be they will be the more capable to judge of the Second hence they say that we deny the Resurrection of the Body Because when we hear them talk foolishly of Heaven and Hell and the last Judgment we exhort them to come out of that Hellish Condition they are in and come down to the Judgment of Christ in their own Hearts and believe in the Light and follow it that so they may come to sit in the Heavenly places that are in Christ Jesus hence they malitiously say That we deny any Heaven or Hell but that which is within us and that we deny any General Judgment Which Slanders the Lord knows are foully cast upon us whom God hath raised for this End and gathered us that by us he might confound the Wisdom of the Wise and bring to nought the Vnderstanding of the Prudent and might in and by his own Spirit and Power in a despised People that no Flesh might glory in his Presence pull down that dead dark corrupt Image and meer Shadow and Shell of Christianity wherewith Antichrist hath deceived the Nations For which end he hath called us to be a First-Fruits of those that serve him and Worship him no more in the Oldness of the Letter but in the Newness of the Spirit And though we be few in number in respect of others and weak as to outward strength which we also altogether reject and foolish if compared with the wise ones of this World Yet as God hath prospered us notwithstanding much Opposition so will he yet do that neither the Art Wisdom nor Violence of Men or Devils shall be able to quench that little Spark that hath appeared but it shall grow to the Consuming of whatsoever shall stand up to Oppose it The Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Yea he that hath arisen in a small Remnant shall arise and go on by the same Arm of Power in his Spiritual Manifestation until he hath Conquered all his Enemies until all the Kingdoms of the Earth become the Kingdom of Christ Jesus Unto Him that hath begun this Work not among the Rich or Great Ones but among the Poor and Small and hath Revealed it not to the Wise and Learned but unto the Poor unto Babes and Sucklings even to him the Only-Wise and Omnipotent GOD be Honour Glory Thanksgiving and Renown from henceforth and for ever Amen Hallelujah A True and Faithful Accompt of the Most Material Passages OF A DISPUTE Betwixt some Students of Divinity so called of the University of ABERDEEN AND THE PEOPLE called QUAKERS Held in Aberdeen in Scotland in Alexander Harper his Close or Yard before some hundreds of Witnesses upon the fourteenth Day of the Second Month called April 1675. There being Opponents Iohn Lesly Mast. of Art Alexander Shirreff Mast. of Art Paul Gellie Mast. of Art And Defendants upon the Quakers Part Robert Barclay and George Keith Praeses for Moderating the Meeting chosen by them Andrew Thomson Advocate And by the Quakers Alexander Skein sometime a Magistrate of the City Published for preventing Mis-reports by Alexander Skein John Skein Alexander Harper Thomas Merser and John Cowie To which is added Robert Barclay's Offer to the Preachers of Aberdeen Renewed and Re-inforced Acts 4.27 For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast Anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together London Printed for Tho. Northcott 1691. The Epistle year 1675 Friendly Readers FOrasmuch as our Opposers threatned they would Print an Accompt of the Debate and boasted of a Victory we thought it our concernment for the Truth 's sake and to undeceive those that may be abused by such Reports to give this True and Faithful Accompt of what past Which we are confident all the Impartial and Attentive Auditors will affirm to be a True Accompt neither is there any one Argument omitted that we can remember of or any thing added There were many things spoken extrinsick from the matter and sometimes confusedly Two or Three of our Opposers speaking often at once and also some others that were not concerned as particularly one Brown the Bishop's Chaplain who though he refused to Subscribe the Articles and so was excluded from speaking did often most impertinently interrupt and intrude himself But these being only transient and no Arguments insisted on we have not inserted them studying to keep to the Matter And we do faithfully declare that we have herein dealt impartially according to our Memory as we hope such serious Auditors as may read this will acknowledge So leaving you to the Perusal hereof we rest Your Souls Well-Wishers Alexander Skein Iohn Skein Thomas Mercer Iohn Cowie An Accompt of a DISPUTE at ABERDEEN In the first Place the Articles were read which are as followeth I. IT is hereby declared That this is to be a Private Conference betwixt the Students of Divinity so called of the Colledges of Aberdeen and the People called Quakers as a fulfilling of any Challenge wherein these Students may be included within the Theses set forth by Robert Barclay or may have received from any of that People but abstract from the Publick Challenge given to the Preachers in general in the end of the English Theses because it is offered with particular Condition of having the Publick Places to dispute in before the Auditories before whom they conceive they have been mis-represented II. It is provided That when any of either Party is speaking if any of their Company offer to speak he that is speaking is to be silent but if two of a Party speak at once he that is seen to obtrude himself shall be judged Impertinent and excluded thereby from farther Access III. That each Speaker on any of the Sides have full Liberty and Time to speak without interruption of the contrary Party and that he that interrupts shall be debarred from farther Speaking IV. That each Side abstain from School-Terms and Distinctions as much as possible but if any use them that they may be opened to the People in plain English so that any
Outward Miracles discussed But further these stout and hardy Warriours could have used these same Arguments against the Prophets when they wrought Miracles for they could have alledged The Miracles were not true Miracles but false and such as may be done by the power of the Devil And so if any could produce Miracles now as there have been they would no more be believed than the unbelieving Jews believed the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles For they still looked upon them to be Deceivers It is clear from Scripture that Antichrist shall be permitted to work false Miracles but that they shall so Counterfeit the true that it will be hard to discern the one from the other without God's Immediate Direction and Teaching And therefore the preaching of sound Doctrin accompanied with a holy Life is a better Evidence of a true Prophet than all outward Miracles whatsoever The Fruits prove the Doctrin as Christ said By their Fruits ye shall know them he doth not say by their Miracles but by their Fruits Now we are most willing to be tryed by this Rule if both our Doctrin and Life and manner of Conversation be not answerable to that of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles then let them say we have not that Spirit which was in them But if they cannot make out this they but fight as Men beating the Air. Pag. 80. They Argue That there is no Substantial living Principle in Man that is the good Seed because then the evil Seed or Principle should also be Substantial But this is absurd Therefore That this is Absurd they argue For then it should be Created by God and so God should be the Author of Evil and Sin or it should be Uncreated and consequently God To this we answer The same Argument militates as much and rather more against their own Principle for seeing they hold Sin to be somewhat whether a Substance or an Accident is all one as to the Argument we Argue by a Retortion against themselves Either it is Created or Vncreated and so the same Inconvenience would follow But to answer directly we say Sin considered in its formal Reason is rather a Privation than any real being as Blindness or Lameness in a Man's body or Corruption in Wine or any other Liquor But if they enquire about the Subject of this Privation whether it be a Substance We answer It is Sin a privation in the Subject And it is clear from the Scriptures Testimony that as Christ rules in the Saints so the Devil rules in the wicked and is in them and as God hath his Seed and Birth in the Saints so the Devil hath his seed and birth in the Wicked which is of the Devil's nature But if it be asked further whether it is a Substance We answer first with inquiring at them another Question and Retorting the Argument upon them Whether the Devil is a Substance yea or nay If yea either he is Created or Vncreated if Created then God is the Author of the Devil If Vncreated then he should be God their own Consequence which is Blasphemy But 2. the true Answer to both is that he who is now the Devil was Created of God a good Angel but by his own voluntary Fall he hath reduced himself to be a Devil not by any real Creation but by a Degeneration and as is the Devil himself so is his Seed a corrupted degenerated Principle from what it was originally before Sin was But if we take the Seed of the Devil distinctly The Seed of Sin as distinct from himself we do not say it is any percipient Principle that seeth or knoweth c. for it is rather of the nature of a Body than of a percipient intelligent Spirit and the Scripture calleth it a Body to wit the Body of Death But whether the Seed of Sin be a Substance or not the Students Argument is altogether impertinent to argue that because the good Seed is a substantial living Principle c. then the evil Principle or Seed should also be substantial living c. for the same Reasons We deny this Consequence for there are greater Reasons whereby to prove the one than the other If they think to argue from the Rule of Contraries they think foolishly for it would as much follow that because a Man is a Substance who seeth and heareth c. that therefore a Mans blindness and deafness and lameness are also Substances and that blindness seeth deafness heareth lameness walketh Do they not know the Maxim in Logick that telleth them Substantia substantiae proprie non contrariatur i. e. One Substance properly is not contrary to another But last of all we may more justly retort this blasphemous Consequence upon many of their own Church who hold That God stirreth up the Devil and all wicked Men unto all their wicked Actions by an irresistible Motion or Quality which he infuseth into them commonly called Praedeterminatio Physica Is not this to make God the Author of Sin Original Sin so called As also many of them teach that Original sin is a positive quality infused into the Souls of Men at their Creation Concerning which positive quality we thus argue Either it is Created or Vncreated c. and so the Inconveniences of their Argument will fall much more upon their own heads for they cannot alledge that this positive Quality at its first Creation was first good and afterwards became changed into evil because no Quality can admit any such Transmutation As for Example Whiteness can never become Blackness nor Sweetness Bitterness nor Streightness Crookedness although a Substance that is White may lose its Whiteness and may become Black and that which is Sweet may become Bitter and that which is Streight become Crooked In the prosecution of their second Argument they bring their matter to this Issue That G. K. holds the Seed it self to be contradistinct from the Manifestation because the Manifestation is in the Seed but we deny the Consequence Their Arguments about Manifestation of the Will of God Answered Do not they say that the Manifestation of God's Will is in the Scripture And also that the Scripture it self is the Manifestation of God's Will That G. K. calleth the Seed both a Substance and a Manifestation is as reasonable as to say There are outward Manifestations of God's goodness power and wisdom in the Heavens and Earth and yet the Heavens and Earth are the very outward Manifestations themselves Are not our Meat and Drink and Cloathing natural and outward Manifestations of the goodness of God to us And are not these things Substances And doth not God manifest his Goodness also in them What blind Reasons are these which those poor blind Men bring forth against the Truth Again they Argue That this Manifestation which we say is a Substance depends not a solo Deo cannot exist without a Subject nay not without the Vnderstanding to which it is made
Lives is no New-Coin'd Doctrine as those may see that will read Athanasius de Definitionibus and his Third Dialogue de Trinitate and Fourth Oration against the Arians and Cyrillus Alexandrinus in his Treatise upon John lib. 2. and 3. and lib. 8.47 and in his Thesaurus lib. 4. and Others that might be mentioned As for his arguing p. 96 that because I affirm The Seed of God is a Substance therefore according to me the Seed of Sin must be a Substance also which Consequence I deny and therefore what he builds against me upon this Supposition falls to the ground What he saith here and there scattered in these Pages of the Light will in its proper place come more fully to be Considered ¶ 2. Pag. 98. n. 17. after he has saluted me with the Titles of Effronted and Impudent he will have me one with Socinians and Pelagians because I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall but where he proves I do so I see not It 's true I say The death threatned Gen. 2.17 was not outward death Adam did not die an outward Death the day he did Eat for Adam did not so die the Day he did eat and I do still believe so neither offereth he me any thing to give me ground to alter my mind but to Conclude thence I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall was too hastily Inferred But what if I were Vndetermined in this matter and that it remained a Mystery to me for I believe not the being positive therein Essential to my Salvation which if I were truly what he saith seems not to me sufficient to Proselite me to his Opinion For albeit I willingly Confess with him that Sickness and all the other Miseries attending this Life yea and Death it self considering the Anguishes wherewith it is now generally accompanied are the Consequence of the Fall and of Sin yet I see not how it would thence follow that Adam should not have died seeing Death to him if he had not fall'n would have been freed of all these Miseries and rather a Pleasure than a Pain which has been known to have befall'n many Saints As for his n. 19. he Confesseth the matter of it is left to the next Chapter where I may meet him ¶ 3. Pag. 100. n. 20. He goes on at an high rate of Perverting For after he has said Who would suspect but I mean honestly He applieth to me the saying of Solomon He that hateth dissembleth with his Lips we must not believe him for there are seven Abominations in his heart But why am I with him guilty of this great Charge Because albeit I affirm That Man is wholly degenerate yet I say Whatever good Man doth in his Nature that doth not proceed from him but from the Divine Seed in him Answ. These words are none of mine but a Forgery of his own so incident it is for the Man to lie and pervert And therefore all his vapouring and absurd Inferences drawn from this throughout this Paragraph fall to the ground My words are That the nature by which the Apostle saith the Gentiles did the things Contained in the Law How the Gentiles did the things of the Law cannot be understood of the proper Corrupt Nature of Man but of a Spiritual Nature which proceedeth from the Seed of God as he receiveth a New Visitation of the Divine Love Where it is very plain I consider Man as visited a-new and that in the Strength of that Grace thereby received not of his degenerate Nature he doth that which is good Nor do I any where say as he falsly insinuates That this Spiritual Nature is in all Men though I do say That all Men are visited by God in order to beget this spiritual Nature in them as will after come in its place to be spoken of Now all his battering of this my Assertion in the three following pages depends upon this Supposition That the good Acts done by the Gentiles are not done by vertue of any such Visitation but only by a Light of Corrupt Nature which remained in them after the Fall So that it is but a meer begging of the Question until that be first debated But he thinks he has brought me under a great Dilemma p. 103. urging That since I say All their Imaginations are Evil I must say Every Heathen has this Spiritual Nature in him yea and the Devils must be Partakers of it because they believe there is a God which is a good Thought Answ. The difference between Head-Knowledge and the partaking of the Divine Nature He is too hasty in his Reasonings for that the knowledge a Man may receive from the Divine Seed makes him instantly to partake of the Divine Nature is not proved by him and he knows I believe all Men to be Visited by this Divine Seed which may give them an Head knowledge which they may retain as some Men do the Truth in Vnrighteousness and yet not receive it in the Love of it So though they have it from a Divine Seed yet it will not follow they must necessarily so receive it as to become Partakers of the Divine Nature And as for the Devils he will Confess that once they had this Knowledge from a Spiritual Nature and though they have fall'n yet they may retain the Memory of it for that their Fall and Man's is every way alike he will not Affirm He saith p. 102. That to believe good done by Heathens that is by such as have not the benefit of the outward Knowledge of Christ is done in vertue of a Divine Seed overturns the Gospel but he leaves the Confirmation of it to the Sequel where I shall attend him N. 25. he tells me very fairly The Apostle doth not Contradict himself as if I had ever imagined he did but the question is Whether the Meaning he gives the Apostle's words implies not a Contradiction which indeed he can no ways Reconcile but upon the Supposition above denied And the Reader may judge whether he or I do most fully acknowledge Man's fall and most truly Exalt the Grace of God he that affirmeth That Man notwithstanding the Fall yet retaineth some Reliques of the Image of God yea so that the Law of God which is Holy Just Good and Spiritual is written in his Heart pag. 105. and all this Considered as fall'n Man without receiving any Grace and Benefit from Christ or I J. B's false Assertions that Man retained some Relicks of the Image of God in the Fall who affirm That Man by the Fall was wholly degenerated retaining nothing of the Image of God in whom albeit there remained a Seed of Righteousness yet no other ways than as a Naked Seed in Barren Ground in vertue of which he can do nothing until visited by a New Visitation which he receives by vertue of Christ as Mediator And yet while he ascribeth all this to Vnregenerate Men he saith in a few Lines
have quick Eyes indeed that see it from thence to be Inferred that they were such ere they Committed any Actual Sin since the Apostle expresly mentions his and their having had their Conversation among the World as a Reason of their having been in the same Condition He saith further 1 Confess 1 Cor. 2. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood of the Rational Soul And what then Therefore so soon as they partake of the Rational Soul they become Children of Wrath This is indeed a rare Consequence But he must Excuse me for not Admitting it till better proved It would seem much more Rational to say That so soon as they come to the Exercise of their Rational Soul and then do Evil they become guilty for he cannot deny That the Gospel nor Condemneth nor Threatneth any Man but him that has Actually Sinned And whether this destroys not his Cause the Reader may judge That Except a Man be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom I never denied Albeit Children be capable of Death yet it will not follow that they are Guilty of Sin since Death is no Punishment but rather an Advantage to such to whom it 's a Transition to a better Life He thinks p. 117. that my saying Such as homologate their Fathers Sins God will visit the Iniquities of their Fathers upon them is no worth Noticing but whether his Answer be worth Noticing the Reader may judge which is That Adam 's sin was not a personal Sin as other Mens are and his own After-sins but the Man forgot to prove this and therefore may do it next But he thinks the Children of Core The Children of Core c. Instanced Dathan and Abiram of Achan and the Sodomites were judged guilty of their Fathers Sins for unless he proves that he saith nothing But for what Reason I know not unless that they were outwardly destroyed But until he prove that infers Guilt he must forbear making his Conclusion He is highly offended should say Their Opinion is contrary to the Justice and Mercy of God alledging It is without proof But if to account one guilty for a Sin committed by another Thousands of years ere they had a Being and to punish for it be not against Justice and inconsistent with Mercy I desire to know of him what is more Vnjust and Vnmerciful To say that this is an Accusing of God is but a silly begging of the Question until he has first proved his Opinion to be true It 's no Accusing of God to Condemn Mens Opinions when contrary to his Nature He will have it to be a Rapsody of Non-sense when I say This proceeds from Self-love founded on their Opinion of Absolute Reprobation but whether it be or not the Reader may judge Sure his saying it makes it not so That this of Infants being guilty of Adam 's Sin and therefore many of them being damned depends upon their Doctrine of Reprobation no Man of Sense that knows their Doctrine will deny since they say some Infants are saved because Elected Are not the rest then according to them Damned because Reprobated He gives me nothing here in answer but Railing and so concludes this Paragraph with this notable Saying Wo Isay that is Some Infants Elected some Reprobated J. B.'s Opinion J. Brown forsooth and thrice Wo to such as drink-in this Man's Doctrine and live and die accordingly p. 118. n. 14. He thinks my saying Papists are more Charitable in allowing a Limbus to Children shews my Affection to them but he has not heard me allow of their Notion of a Limbus as he does in the Chapter of Justification p. 310. of the Opinion of a certain Popish Cardinal preferring it not only to what is said by William Forbes a Protestant Bishop but even as it would appear to Richard Baxter his ancient Presbyterian Brother And in pursuance of this he asks How they come to Heaven meaning Children who have nothing to do with Christ But then what will he say of those he accounts Elect Children go they to Heaven without Christ If not the difficulty is the same way resolved To prove Children are under a Law and subject to Transgression he gives the Common Practices among Men who forfeit Children yea such as are unborn with their Fathers for great Crimes But in what Country do they use to kill all the Children when the Father is put to Death for a Crime and unless this were done his Comparison infers not the Point His plain answer he saith is Adam his being a Publick Person of which hereafter To my Citation Ezech. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity how Explained by J. B The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity he preaches at large upon the Words alledging his Meaning is that those Persons he wrote to had so much Sin of their own that God might justly judge them albeit he did not visit them for their Fathers Iniquities And this is the quick Dispatch he saith this Place receives It is a quick Way to Dispatch indeed if it were Valid to make the Meaning destroy the Text But Men of Sense use not to be sudden in receiving such Dispatches The Words are plain and positive The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity therefore until he give Ground from plain Scripture to take it away it must stand to the overthrow of his Doctrine for the greater Sinners those Men were the more justly and deservedly might their Father's Iniquity be laid upon them ¶ 6. Pag. 120. n. 17. He cometh from my Confession J. B. Infers Original Sin from Adam's being a publick Person That Adam was a publick Person to infer That the guilt passeth from him to all And first in this page he affirmeth That this Sin of Adam 's from whence Original Sin proceeds is the Sin of the whole Nature of Mankind and not like Adam 's After-sins and the Sins of other Men which he confesses are not the Sins of the whole Nature And because upon this dependeth much of what he infers he had done well to have proved this in the first Place by some Scripture Till which Time his Inference is not to be Received For did Adam Cease to be a publick Person after he had Committed that Sin If he say Yea let him prove it by plain Scripture for I deny it If not then his other Sins must be Imputed to all Men which he denies or else nothing can be urged from his being a publick Person And while to urge it he asketh Did ever any hear one stated as a Publick Person whose Failings could have no Effect until the Persons represented did testify their Approbation of it For here speaking of Failings he must either Conclude in Contradiction to himself That Adam's Sins are laid to the Charge of his Posterity or his Instance is wholly Impertinent And yet to go round again he takes notice p. 125. That the Apostle names One Offence in the
be saved without the outward Preaching must be true with this Quaker though the Apostle saith the Contrary For this citing Rom. 10.14 Eph. 2.12 1 Cor. 1.20 21 22. All which say nothing Contrary to my Assertion J. B.'s Proofs against the Heathens Salvation disproved unless by the Hearing there he prove is meant only Outward Hearing And what though the Apostle say to the Gentiles That they are Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel and That by Wisdom they knew not God and That the Preaching of the Gospel was foolishness to them All this may be said of some living in and esteemed Members of the Visible Church who have the Advantage of the outward Preaching and therefore it cannot prove that the Want of this takes away the Possibility of Salvation To that of Peter I agree Act. 4.12 That there is not Salvation in any other c. but it follows not therefore that none can partake of his Salvation without the outward Knowledge himself overturns this Conclusion by granting Infants and Deaf Persons may Pag. 287. To my Argument That since the Gospel is preached to Every Creature they may be saved by it he saith A May be will not evince a Shall be but I said only may be saved not shall be saved and if it evince that it doth my Business That some have been saved without it himself acknowledges in the Example of Job Pag. 288. To overturn my using of the Gospel's being preached to every Creature he refers to his former Answer to this Place and so do I to my Reply Beza's Sense to whom he refers me moves no more than his doth but when it is Agreeable to Truth J. B. restricts the Word All only to the Elect. Next he comes to answer my Argument drawn from Tit. 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men And for Answer he will have all here not to be understood Vniversally but with a Restriction alledging It is my part to prove it But that needs no more Proof than to prove That John Brown signifies John Brown and for all his pretended Skill in the Rule of Dispute he is under a Mistake To take it Vniversally is to take it as the common and proper Signification of it so by the Rule of all Commentators we are to hold the Words of Scripture so until by solid Reasons we be moved to the Contrary and therefore it is his part that denies it to give the Reason That all sometimes is taken with a Restriction I deny not that therefore it 's so taken here doth not follow That the Gospel is said to be preached by Men outwardly I deny not but that therefore it is only so and never preached but when outwardly by the Ministry of Men is no Conclusion Himself acknowledges in the Example of Job who he saith was Taught by God without Scripture His other Explications upon this place are his meer Assertions not to the Business He calleth it upon the Credit of his own Affirmation false and childish pedantry to say They take all for the lesser part because they take it indefinitely while yet they understand that Indefinite Number to be the lesser part But do they not take the Whole World 1 Joh. 2.2 for the far lesser part of the World Which is yet more Absurd To my Argument taken from Rom. 5.18 where it is said As something came upon all to Condemnation so something is come upon all to Justification Which shews the last All to be of as large Extent as the first which they confess is Vniversally taken He saith This will prove more viz That all Men are and shall be saved because Judgment came actually upon All to Condemnation by Adam 's Fall But this is only his own Assertion The Word Judgment is not in the Text The Apostle's Words Rom. 5.18 Adulterated by the Translators and Beza's putting in Reatus or Guilt proveth not It ought to be so Whatever he do we account not Beza Infallible and therefore reject his Sense until he prove it Agreeable to Scripture nor yet his Enlargments afterwards upon the Place because alledged without Probation Pag. 285. N. 5. He accounteth my citing Esai 49.6 where Christ is said to be given for a Light to the Gentiles Impertinent because albeit the Gentiles are not excluded from the Dispensation of the Gospel it will not follow that such as hear not of Christ can be saved as well as such as are brought within the Church But this Answer is founded upon the Supposition that I affirm That any are saved which are not within the Church Catholick or Vniversal which is false And how Men may be of the Church who want outward Preaching will after appear I think no sober Man will say supposing Salvation possible to the Gentiles without outward Preaching that it is blind Charity to judge some of them have been saved for upon that Supposition it were against all Charity to say None of them were ever saved His Example of the Captives to whom one that Redeemed them did not communicate the Conditions remaining real Captives to answer my Argument from the Rule of Contraries That as Men are hurt by Adam 's Fall who know not of it so they may be benefitted by Christ's Death who know not of it hiteth not the Matter It is as strange for Men to be Captives and not to know How nor by Whom as to be Redeemed and not know How nor by Whom If he suppose the first he may do the last And this Example himself Overturns in what he grants of Deaf Persons and Children as will after appear To my asking Why Men cannot be saved who never heard of the Death and Resurrection of Christ as well as Men are damned who never heard of Adam 's Sin he tells me very fairly Because God hath appointed this way of Salvation by Faith in Christ which cannot be without the Knowledge of Christ By which he meaning the Outward as he needs must his Answer is none at all but a ridiculous begging of the Question As he doth also when he mentions that of Esai 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant Justify many For though that should be understood of outward Knowledge which yet remains for him to prove it will not follow because Christ shall Justify many by that Knowledge that therefore he shall Justify none without it ¶ 10. When he comes pag. 186. N. 7. to answer what I urge from the Example of Deaf Persons and Infants the Reader may observe how much he is pained so that he is forced after so long Contending and wearisom Wrestling at last to give-away his Cause by confessing J. B. excepts Deaf Persons and Infants from having the Gospel and why They except both these from the necessity of outwardly Hearing the Gospel If so then Salvation is not Impossible without the Hearing of the Gospel and the outward preaching of the Gospel is not of absolute
I say That as to us they cannot be separated Then all must be Redeemed the one way who are Redeemed the other and that then every Man must be Redeemed from the power of Corruption and saved But here according to his Custom he cites not my words justly which are That they are both perfect in their own Nature albeit in their Application to us-ward they cannot be separated that is he that comes Effectually to Enjoy the Benefit of the one must Enjoy the other he that Receives the second partakes of the first also he that really receives the first receives the second also but that hinders not but many may be offered the Benefit of the first and by rejecting and resisting it lose the Benefit both of first and second and he that rejecteth it at any time albeit he receive it for a season as by his falling he loses what of the second is wrought in him to wit of Purification so he doth also lose the first which was Remission of Sin His last Cavil at this is very Impertinent which is by way of Question That if this second Redemption be necessary to Salvation as indeed it is what shall become of the Child of God that hath no Light What shall become of them J. B's Absurdities that Saints may be Vnited to Christ and not see it that have true Grace uniting them to Christ c. and yet through darkness can see and acknowledge no such thing For to pass-by the Absurdities here supposed that Saints can be said to have no Light or have Grace and be Vnited to Christ yet neither be able to see it nor acknowledge it and that not during their life-time here for unless this be also supposed he cannot Conclude what he will for that a Saint may be clouded at a time is not denied yet this maketh nothing for his purpose Will it follow because they see it not that it therefore is not needful to their Salvation His own words Imply a Contradiction to this And thus the Man Confutes that by which he would urge another in the very words by which he expresses it For is not Grace to unite the heart to Christ necessary to Salvation He will surely say Yes If then the acknowledgment of that and seeing of it which is needful to Salvation be not needful then the not-seeing or not acknowledging of a thing makes it not a thing unnecessary to Salvation which is the Absurdity he would Insinuate ¶ 3. Thus having removed out of the way his most obvious Perversions and Abuses I come to Treat of the main matter which all depends upon this one Question What is that whereby a Man is Justified so as to appear truly Just in the sight of God This he supposes to be done by the Righteousness and Death of Christ without even before any work of Righteousness be wrought in Man even as a Cautioner to whom he Compares Christ in this case frees him whose Debt he pays I on the contrary affirm By the Death of Christ no Man can be said to be Justified until Christ received in the heart there Renew and make him Just. That albeit Reconciliation and Remission of Sins be by the Death of Christ without and the door opened so that all may be at Peace by the Offer of Grace made in Christ if they reject it not yet hereby no Man can be said to be Justified or appear Just properly until Christ be received in his heart there to renew and purify him and make him Just so that however Justification may be distinguished from Sanctification yet not divided nor yet so distinguished that a Man can be truly said to be Justified who is Vnholy and Vnsanctified And therefore upon the Examining of what he urges against this and for his Position as also what he answers to my Probations for it depends the whole matter But before I enter particularly upon this and that there may no Interruption meet me when entred in it I will first take notice and remove his Mistakes and Misapplied Proofs thereupon both in what he Opposes me and Affirms for himself as also here take notice of his meer Assertions And first then pag. 299. he supposes There can be no Reconciliation by the Blood of Christ's Cross c. unless for such in whose Room Christ died as a Cautioner and Surety and so made Satisfaction that they should be Redeemed and Delivered But albeit upon this Notion and Affirmation all depends yet I miss the Proof of it if his After-Proofs say any thing to it I shall Examin them That which he mentions here written Rom. 8.3 4. is so far from doing it that it proves the Contrary For albeit the Death of Christ was that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us yet it follows not that the Righteousness of the Law must be fulfilled in all for whom he died yea the following words who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit shew The Benefit of Christ's Death is to them that Walk after the Spirit this to be the Condition Requisite on our part that we may partake of the Benefit of his Death If to prove that Man should be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered by the Death of Christ he bring the Instances of the Righteousness of the Law to be fulfilled in us then Men cannot be said to be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered until this Righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in them What he addeth to this That we cannot be said to be accounted Righteous and absolved from Accusation upon the account of our works of Righteousness I say no such thing freely confessing that not only pardoning of Sin but removing of the Filth as well as of the Guilt is the Act of God's Mercy and Grace as saith the Apostle Tit. 3.5 6. And yet we are saved The removing both Filth and Guilt of Sin is the Act of God's Grace and Mercy and consequently Justified according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration since this is the Fruit of the Grace and Spirit of God freely given us And therefore it is not enough for him pag. 203. to affirm That I pervert the Apostle's words 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself upon this bare supposition That this World is only understood of the Elect for if this Reconciliation had been Absolute and not in part only that is a Readiness on God's part to be Reconciled with them if they Repent which I affirm to what purpose should the Apostle as an Embassador Intreat them to be Reconciled there needed no Intreaty to that which was already done neither are his meer Assertions to this p. 303. any Answer It is strange that to prove That all for whom Christ died are certainly made alive one time or other he brings these words And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them
Printer the Figures may be misplaced and so miss Truly they must be very happy that can secure themselves from this hazzard he has not been so happy who denied the Words to be in a place where the knowing of it depended not upon the diligence of others but of his own locking to it as I have just now shewen Pag. 315. to prove That Justified is not taken in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Romans Corinthians Galatians for Making Just as I affirmed in the Passages cited by me he saith To take it so would make the Apostle Contradict himself But this he affirms upon the meer Supposition that the Apostle with him Excludes all Works from Justification which is but to beg the Question as will after appear What he adds here and in the following page in answer to the Citations I bring out of divers Protestant Authors I need not trouble the Reader with a Reply to it because he turns by the most material of them as not having the Authors by him to examin them Others he positively Rejects as not agreeing with them as Forbes and Baxter And at last Insinuates That the Trial is not to be by Humane Testimonies for such he accounts all the Writings of his Brethren whereunto I do very well agree Only I brought some of his own Folks not as if I needed them to Confirm me in my Opinion but as having Weight with those among whom they are esteemed Doctors In this page answering what I urge from Rom. 8.30 shewing how in that Golden Chain Sanctification must be excluded or Justification must be taken in its proper Sense he saith That Sanctification is comprehended under Vocation If this be true which he asserts then he gives again away his Cause for then no Man is sooner Called than he is Sanctified and since he will not say seeing he disclaims to be an Antinomian that any Man is Justified before he be Called it follows then necessarily That no Man is Justified No Man is justifed before he be Sanctified before he be Sanctified and then to what purpose has he been fighting and wrestling all this while Pag. 316. N. 33. he acccuses me of Vnparalleled Falshood Impudency and Boldness for saying That I have sufficiently proved that by Justification ought to be understood to be made really Just whereas I undertook only to prove that the Word might be so understood without Absurdity Adding I wonderfully conclude a must be from a may be c. But the best is his greatest Charges are built either upon forged Calumnies or his own pitiful Mistakes I never Concluded by Justification ought to be understood to be made really Just only upon that which I said from the Etymology of the Word nor by Justification there did I understand meerly the Word but I conclude from all my Scripture-Arguments of the thing as my following Words manifest where I say We know it from Sensible Experience But he may be sure it is not the Etymology of the Word we know so And if thence he urge That this falleth not under the inward Sensation of the Soul he but fights with his own Mistake For that the Real Justification of the Saints falleth under the Inward Sensation of the Soul I think no Man of Sense will deny for Christ is formed in the Mind where he is said to be Revealed Inwardly and that gives a Sense of Justification Albeit he seem to wonder at it asking What Scripture speaketh so He may read Gal. 1.16 Whether was not the Apostle here Justifyed and under the Sense of it He is angry p. 317. that I call the Life of Christ an Inward and Spiritual Thing but will he say it is an Outward and Carnal Thing The Life of Christ is an Inward and Spiritual thing But what thinks he of 2 Cor. 4.10 11 He Confesseth This Life of Christ supported and carried the persecuted Apostles through many Miseries and Deaths Will he say then it was not an Inward and Spiritual thing that carried them through these Trials But he addeth But who except a Quaker could say That the Apostle says We are Justified by this Life I answer All except such Absurd Men as will deny that where we are said to be Saved by a thing we are said to be Justified by it Rom. 5.10 Tit. 3.5 we are said to be saved by Regeneration And whereas he saith The Apostle saith not That this is the Formal Objective Cause of Justification These are Words the Apostle useth not at all and therefore no wonder there be no Word of it here He looks upon it as being Absurd for me to think that Reprobation is Non-justification but I would know of him if there be any Reprobates who are Justified That the Marks and Evidences are not always taken from the Immediate Nearest and Formal Cause I confess but that therefore the not having Christ revealed in the Soul is only a Sign and no Cause of Reprobation remains for him to prove The Cause Reprobation Wickedness is a Sign of Reprobation will he therefore affirm it is not the Immediate nor Formal Cause of it After the same manner he denieth p. 319. That we must lean to that which the Apostle calleth Col. 1.27 28. Christ within the Hope of Glory his Reason is because the Apostle saith Phil. 1.28 And in nothing terrified by your Adversaries which is to you an evident Token of Salvation asking Must we also lean to that in Justification But will he say there is no difference betwixt that which is only a Token and Christ within If there be his Reason concludes nothing ¶ 6. Lastly he comes to answer The Necessity of Good Works to Justification what I say of the Necessity of Good Works to Justification And what I urge from Isai 2. he confesseth that Good Works are an Instrumental Cause Which Concession doth prove all I Affirm If they be an Instrumental Cause they must be a Cause sine qua non and Necessary since the Instrumental Cause of a thing must be necessary towards its being What! though Abraham was Justified before he Offered up his Son it will not follow that he was Justified without Works His Absurdity as if it would thence follow That no Man is Justified when he sleeps or is not actually doing some Work looks liker the Objection of a Man Sleeping who knows not what he saith than of one Awake for by the same way it might be said that Faith is not Necessary since Men do no more actually believe than do Good Works when they are sleeping My Argument deduced from Heb. 12.14 Matth. 7.21 John 13.17 1 Cor. 7.19 Revel 22.14 he sayes proves the Necessity of Works unto final Salvation but not to Justification and if it do so it doth the business unless he will say that full and perfect Justification is not sufficient to Salvation My answer to their first Objection he observes but replies not To the second answering what
Sense above mentioned it doth as also for the necessity of pressing after Regeneration begun and Perfection pressed after and for the possibility of obtaining it after Regeneration begun since so far as Man is joined to Sin his perfect Regeneration is Retarded Yet as himself towards the end of this Paragraph saith It may be begun where some Members may yet be to be mortified and albeit some Corruption be not wholly purged out yet God can have Fellowship with his own work of Grace in the Soul and with the Soul so far as it is sanctified and renewed but no further Pag. 339 n. 19. he saith I wickedly dispute for God c. to say It is against his Wisdom not to have found Means whereby he might be served but by such Actions by which the Devil is no less yea is more served But his Charge is upon the naked Supposition that their Doctrine is the Truth which is pitifully to beg the question Yea he indirectly notwithstanding much winding about to avoid it Confesseth my Charge saying There is no formal service performed to the Devil so he grants some Material Service to be performed to him Is not the Devil served and that Service justly displeasing to God unless it be a Formal Service for to serve the Devil formally is to acknowledge him as their Master and give him Service as due to him which many do not who yet may be said truly enough to serve him He addeth The Spiritual Warfare J. B. pleads for is not to Overcome but to break daily the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed. That God bath seen meet his Children be in a spiritual Warfare What then Can no Man be in a Warfare unless he be Overcome Men may be Engaged in War and may be liable to be Assaulted yea may be often-times narrowed straitned and beset by the Enemy and sometimes wounded and yet never overcome but what he pleads for is not only a Warfare but a being Worsted and Overcome and that Every Day for so truly are such Overcome by the Devil Who daily break the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed as he affirms of all God's Children He goes on n. 20. to say I run my self blind in saying it is against God's Justice to require Men to abstain from all Sin and not enable them to do it because it would prove all the Wicked are Perfect for God requires of them Obedience But it seems himself has been blind when he made this Answer I never urged that because God gave Men power therefore they are perfect as he foolishly throughout this Paragraph Imagineth and then battereth against this Man of Straw of his own making And that this proves that Wicked Men might if they had not Resisted God's Grace have forsaken their Wickedness and been Perfect I deny not neither doth he prove the Contrary He confesseth Manâ—s Imperfection to be of themselves but he thinks it cannot be accounted Vnrighteousness in God to Require and yet not to give that measure of Grace whereby Men should become Perfect because that power which was once given was sinfully Cast away But all this dependeth upon the Supposition that Man lost his power in Adam which was before Discust and is now in him but a begging of the Question And when I shew That their Doctrine maketh God more Vnjust than the vilest of Men J. B.'s Doctrine makes God to give a Stone instead of Bread c. who will not give to their Children asking Bread a Stone c. he reproacheth me as a Blasphemous Tongue But let us see how he frees their Doctrine of this foul Consequence The Lord forbid saith he they hope for a full Deliverance but it is in Heaven This Answer confirmeth the Charge and doth not lessen it and so for all his Brag the Stone yet remains according to them instead of Bread and is like to Choke him unless he find some better way to digest it than thus for God requires to forsake Sin here and yet according to them denies the power here for concerning being free from Sin in Heaven there is no question He addeth pag. 341. That my saying Their Doctrine is Injurious to the Sacrifice of Christ's Death which was To take away Sin destroys all I said of Vniversal Redemption but he forgets to shew How perhaps we may Expect it next since his 8 th Chapter is already Answered His saying They affirm that the stain of Sin is taken away and Victory obtained doth not answer because they refer that to another Life and the question is concerning this And to my saying That if the Children of God Sin in Thought Word and Deed daily then there is no difference betwixt the Holy and Profane he answereth The difference is great because what the Wicked do is done with full purpose of heart c. but the Other mourneth over and repenteth of his Sin This difference is in respect of Repentance not of Sinning in their Sinning they are both alike That there is a Difference betwixt him that Continueth in Sin J. B.'s Godly continue in Sin all their Life-time and Sin daily and him that Repenteth I deny not but since he supposes the Godly to Continue in Sin all their life-time yea in daily Sinning the Similitude still remaineth and such will do well to take heed Who break God's Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed lest notwithstanding they may be in J. B.'s Account the Godly yet in Jesus Christ's they prove such to whom it shall be said Depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not ¶ 4. Pag. 343. N. 23. Instead of answering my Argument shewing Their Doctrine maketh the Work of the Ministry Preaching and Praying useless he saith Hence we see the necessity of a standing Ministry which I am against This is false as shall appear He adds The Ministry is to bring them on toward Perfection but the question is Whether that Perfection is not attainable here For a Perfection that admitteth not of a growth I plead not If he would have had this Answer understood to be to the purpose he should have said That such as Sin not cannot be said to admit of a growth which he doth not so much as attempt nor offer to prove What I affirm to the Contrary in the Example of Christ who notwithstanding he was always free of Sin is said to Increase both in Favour with God and Man Luk. 2.52 To this mentioned in my Apology notwithstanding his Prolixity he is as Mute as a Fish How their Doctrine makes Prayers useless I have shewen before Instead of answering Col. 4.12 where Epaphras is said To labour fervently in Prayers Perfection prayed for and Vnblameableness c. that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God and to 1 Thess. 3.12 13. where Paul prays That the Lord would make them increase and abound in Love c. to the end he might
Tribunal I desire daily to stand that he may more narrowly search me by his Light and both discover and destroy what he finds contrary to his Pure Nature and Holy Will whether mediately or immediately Revealed and before whose Tribunal thou and I will ere long more solemnly appear to give an Account of things we have done in the body Which that thou mayst do with Joy and not with Grief hereafter when thou commend'st thy Advice to the Readers of thy Epistles have so much Mercy upon thy own and the Souls of those thou writ'st to as to desire them to ponder their path and be establisbed and be sure they be come to the holy Faith and not to an Implicite believing the Tradition of men for by so doing indeed thou and as many as thou canst influence may come to fare well according to Prov. 4 26. Ponder thy path and be established and turn not to the right hand nor the left I am one Newtyle the 8th of the Fourth Month 1678. Who in my measure Travel for the Redemption of the Seed of God in all Souls and in thine LILLIAS SKEIN A Catalogue of some of the many downright Lies and Calumnies which he asserts in the Index before his Book to be the Assertions of the Quakers All these things he Asserts falsly of us 1. THat we arrogantly Stile our selves the Servants of God 2. That we glory of the Title Quakers 3. That we account our selves the only Teachers of Truth Equalizing our selves to the Apostles 4. That we say we are perfect without Sin 5. That we only tast see and smell the Inward Light 6. That we Assert our Experiences in matters that cannot be experienced 7. That we assert our selves to be Equal with God 8. That we say all is done without the Spirit that is not done in our Way 9. That we remain Covered when they Pray or Praise really to Mock 10. That we ascribe as much to our own Writings as to the Scriptures 11. That we speak basely of Learned Men. 12. That we Condemn the Study of Original Languages 13. That we speak most basely of the Scriptures 14. That we say they are no Rule to us 15. That we call them Imperfect 16. That we disswade from Reading and Studying them 17. That we say God only worketh a possibility of Salvation 18. That we say God ordaineth nothing from Eternity 19. That we deny Christ's second Coming 20. That we are not Clear concerning Jesus of Nazareth his being the Son of God 21. That we acknowledge no Christ but a Christ within us 22. That we make him nothing but a meer holy Man 23. That a Christ without us is but a Carnal Christ with us 24. That we are unclear touching the Sin of Adam and the Fall 25. That we make Original Sin to be a Substance 26. That we deny that Heathens have any thing of the Law written in their Hearts 27. That we say a Pagan can perform all inward Worship easily 28. That we confound Revelations with the gratious Operations of the Spirit 29. That we succeed to the Old Enthusiasts 30. That we turn the History of Christ's Death into Allegories 31. That we Wildly describe it 32. That we say there is no more Advantage to be had by the History of Christ's Death than by the History of other Saints 33. That we miserably mistake the Judgment of the Orthodox about Reprobation 34. That in exaggerating the matter of Reprobation we miserably belch out against God 35. That we deny Faith and Repentance to be the Gifts of God 36. That we vilify the Vertue and Efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction 37. That we deny all Imputation of Righteousness 38. That we say the Patriarchs had no Faith of the Messiah to come 39. That with us all Members of the Church are Officers 40. That we say all Worship must be done by inward Inspirations as to Time Place and Duration 41. That we make no Vse of the Scriptures in our Worship 42. That in our Worship we Vnchristian and Vnman our selves 43. That we deny Magistrates to be lawful that are not of our Way 44. That we are against giving of all Honour and Respect to Superiors or Equals 45. That we assert no Heaven nor Hell but what is within us I could have noted several others which are direct enough Lies set down in the Index besides not a few he has in the Book which are not in his Index and which the Reader will in this Vindication observe There are also several in the Index which are false and not owned by us in the Terms he writeth them of which I shall give the Reader a few Examples that he may judge thereby of his Fallacy in most of the rest As where he saith 1. That we say The Knowledge of the Fall is not necessary Now this is false for we hold it necessary for all to be sensible of their Loss and Want only we say a distinct Knowledge of the History of Adam's Fall is not of Absolute Necessity to such as God never afforded the means of knowing it 2. That we deny bodily Death to be a Punishment for Sin This is also false only we say that it is not a Punishment for Sin unto all but rather a Pleasure and Satisfaction according to the Apostle's Words To me to die is gain 3. That with us the Preaching of the Gospel is not Necessary This is a meer Fallacy for we say the Preaching of the Gospel is absolutely Necessary only we do not think the External Knowledge of Christ to be only the Preaching of the Gospel and that the Preaching of the Gospel has been or may be where this is wanting If I should go through the rest of the Index thus I should find very few particulars in which there is not some such Perversion or Fallacy so that very few are set down as they are truly owned by us Some indeed are such as 1. That we deny Men to be Christians by Birth for we believe That Men by nature are born Children of Wrath and yet this may have Exceptions as in the case of Jeremiah and John the Baptist who are said to be sanctified from their Mothers Womb. 2. That we would have Ministers learning Trades whereby to live We truly think it were no Disparagement for Ministers to work with their Hands as the honest Apostle Paul did who commended the same to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.34 And yet we think a Man may be a good Minister though he have not a Trade and Work none but yet never the Worse if he have one 3. That in Worship we think Men should be silent in the first place Yes for Silence goes before all solemn Actions of Speaking 4. That we think to Command Men to pray without the Spirit is to Command Men to see without Eyes Yes because we know not what to pray for as we ought without it Rom. 8.26 and no Man should be Commanded to Pray as
the Testimony of the First Protestants 91 92. the Lord's day is not the First Day of the Week 39. nor is it limited to a particular Day 92. the First Day is not come instead of the Sabbath 93. superstitious observing of Days is the Inventions of Men 92 146. and an Inlet to all the Popish Holidays 39 92. the Priests make the First Day of the Week their Market-day to sell and vend their Babylonish Commodities in 40. It is convenient and necessary that a Day be set apart to meet and Worship God in 146 the Divines Nonsensical Proofs that the First Day of the Week is instead of the Sabbath 177 178. no Man is to be judged in respect of an Holy Day or the Sabbath-days c. 170. the observing of Days being a returning to the beggerly Elements 224. the first Dawning and breaking forth of the heavenly Day of the Lord in this our Age described 689-691 Deacons 508. ‖ Deaf Persons see Light Death see Adam Redemption it entred into the World by Sin 316 317 In the Saints it is rather a passing from Death to Life 316. a Sleep 41. and their Natural Death is not the Wages of Sin 94. Devil he eares not at all how much God be Acknowledged with the Mouth provided he be Worshipped in the Heart 272 355 356. he can form an outward Sound of Words 278. he haunts among the Wicked 391. How he can be a Minister of the Gospel 425 427. when he can work nothing 453 454. he keeps Men in outward Signs Shadows and Forms while they neglect the Substance 489 491 507. The Rage of the Devil against the Lord's Chosen 713. Differences in the Church in outward Matters to be Composed 207. as coming from the besetments of the Enemy 228. the Spirit of God giving Judgment in the Church of Christ 240. Dispute The Dispute of a Shoo-maker with a certain Professor 422 423. of an Heathen-Philosopher with a Bishop in the Council of Nice and of the Vnletter'd Clown 423 424. Divinity School-Divinity 417. how pernicious it is 423 to 427. Divisions see Schism Dreams see Faith Miracles Doctrine That Doctrine which is both contrary to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it 601. the Fruits prove the Doctrine 624. J. B. brings his own Author in for Devilish Doctrines 749. Duty The hardned and blinded see not their Duty 242. Duties natural and spiritual differ 636. E. Ear There is a Spiritual and bodily Ear 271 278. whether the outward Hearing is necessary to make a Man a Member of the Visible Church 806. Easter is Celebrated other ways in the Latine Church than in the Eastern 289. the Celebration of it is grounded upon Tradition 289. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name J. B's false Gloss upon it 859 487. see Baptism Ejaculations proved from Scripture 852. Elders 277 430. How Christ in Revealing his Will ordinarily makes use of the Elders and Officers in his Church 229. in Cases of Differences and Controversies 236. Election and Reprobation of Infants 766 767. J.B. makes the Word All express of two Numbers the least to be Elected 784 804. by the whole World he falsly understands the Elect only ibid. Elector of Saxony the Scandal given by him 471. Eminency Your Eminency see Titles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oftner translated in than among as in 1 Cor 2.2 p. 66. Endowments the Author glories not in natural Endowments Enjoyments inward former Feelings and Enjoyment are far exceeded by the Feelings and Enjoyments of this day 28 29. Enoch walked with God 394. Enthusiasm its proper signification 658. Epistle see James John Peter Esau and Jacob did strive in the Womb 447. Ethicks or Books of Moral Philosophy are not needful to Christians 424. Evangelist who he is and whether any now a days may be so called 429 430. Evidence the best and most principal is the Immediate Evidence of the Spirit and the greatest outward Evidence that can be given is the Scripture 593 594. the Spirit 's Evidence is that it teacheth to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts c. 575 576. an Evidence that no Hypocrite can have 657. See Ministry Spirit Revelation Exaltation self-Exaltation leads to Separation and Division 192 193. Excellency Tour Excellency see Titles Excommunication the evil thereof 690 691 Exorcism or Adjuration in the use of Water-baptism denied 492 Eye The Spiritual Eye sees and discerns the true Confessor from the false 657 837. F. Faith its Definition and what its Object is 277 278. how far and how Appearances outward Voices and Dreams were the Object of the Saints Faith 278. that Faith is one and that the Object of Faith is one 279. It s foundation 293 294. see Revelation Scripture Little Faith is perfect in the measure of it 23 80. what it is its absolute necessity 129. Accidental Objects of Faith 602. wherein the nature and Essence of Faith consists 603. J. B's halting Examples to prove true Faith 759. Sadeel's Testimony concerning Succession of Faith 648. the material and formal Object of Faith distinguished 742 744. whether Faith comes by the outward Hearing 904. falling away and departing from Faith 42 43. who they were that fell from Faith 96. not holding it in a good Conscience 137. thou that standest by Faith c. ibid. see Grace Fall of Man see Man Farellus 506 Father see Knowledge Revelation Fathers so called they did not Agree about some Books of the Scripture 296 303. they affirm that there are whole Verses taken out of Mark and Luke 288. concerning the Septuagint-Interpretation and the Hebrew Copy 303. they preached Universal Redemption for the first four Centuries 326. they frequently used the Word Merit in their Doctrine 387. concerning the possibility of not Sinning 397 398. the possibility of falling from Grace 400. many of them did not only contradict one another but themselves also 423 424. concerning Baptism and the Sign of the Cross 492. concerning an Oath 550. Feet Concerning the Washing of one anothers Feet 447 498 499. Christ washed the Disciples Feet 169 170. the Washing of Feet c. 651. a spiritual Washing of Feet pointed at by Christ 652. Washing of Feet observed by Christians in the Primitive Times ibid. which though Commanded with so great solemnity yet Ceased 863. Forbearance of God see God Franequer all things are set to sale at Rome to Franequer apply'd 433. Freedom from sin see Perfection Freely the Gospel ought to be preached freely 403 432 434. Nic. Arnoldus his Answer to Freely ye have received c. 433. G Games see Plays Gentiles by what Nature the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law 313 763. The Gentiles justified in doing the Law 360 362. Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian partakers of the Salvation of Christ 363. see Heathens Gifted Brethren 416. Gifts 204. diversities of Gifts Administrations and Operations from the same Spirit makes no division 220. Gifts differing according
297 304. there is no necessity of Believing the Scripture to be a filled up Canon 308. many Canonick Books through the Injury of Time lost ibid. whether it can be proved by Scripture that any Book is Canonical 208 209. they were sometimes as a Sealed Book 422. to understand them there is need of the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit 271 272. no Man can make himself a Doctor of them but the Holy Spirit 271. Noah and Job were Preachers of Righteousness before the Scriptures were written 703. the Knowledge of the Scriptures to be of great Advantage is owned 7 117 162 700. the Synod of Paris their Opinion concerning the Scripture's certainty viz. to be by the Inward Testimony and Perswasion of the Holy Spirit 72 see 116 162. the Scriptures cannot beguile Men but Men may beguile themselves by a wrong use of them 577. the Scriptures the best Outward Rule in the World ibid. Scriptures are a Clear and Perfect Copy as to all Essentials of Christian Religion 603. that the Scriptures are a sufficient objective Revelation of all things necessary to Salvation is denied 631. the Scriptures are the Words of God 747. a Secondary Rule 754. that Supposition is false which supposes the Will of God can be only known by the Scriptures 759. John Calvin's Testimony concerning the Scriptures and the Spirit 72. to understand the Scriptures we need the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit Hierom 271. the Scriptures though they do declare the Mind of God are therefore not his Word which came from God immediately to the Prophets by which the Scriptures came which Word is ceased Professors say 14. the Canon of the Scripture not compleated 735 750. they are not the means of knowing God in Spirit 887 889 903. see Gifts Scriptures explained Gen. 2.17 p. 762. Isai. 8.20 p. 755 756 Prov. 10.11 p. 644. John 1.9 p. 797. 1 Cor. 11.5 p. 839. 2 Tim. 3.16 p. 755. 2 Pet. 1.19 20. p. 743. Jam. 1.25 p. 757. 1 John 4.1 p. 658. Sect The Ignatian Sect loveth Literature 423. they call those that are sent unto India Apostles 430. the Definition of a Sect 696 698. those cannot pretend to Universal Love who confine all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings to their Sect 691. one Mark of a Sect is when People seek to Advance and Propagate their Way in the Strength of their own Spirits c. 698. those whose Unity arises from Notions and Opinions do derive their Names and Designations from the first Authors Inventors and Fomenters of those Opinions 698 699. Security among hypocritical Professors 47. Seed of Righteousness 452. the Seed of Sin see Sin Redemption The Seed a distinct Principle from the Soul 795 579 580. Self-denial 451 Semi-pelagians their Axiom Facienti quod in se est Deus non 〈◊〉 gratiam 328. Sense supernatural 657 897 〈…〉 904 905. Servant Whether it be lawfu◠〈◊〉 I am your humble Servant 538. Servetus 527. Shoemaker he disputes with the Professor 423 424. Silence see Worship Silence and an inward turning of the Mind necessary to the entring upon Worship 845. Simon Magus 431. Sin see Adam Justification It shall not have Dominion over the Saints 298. the Seed of Sin is transmitted from Adam unto all Men but it is Imputed to none no not to Infants except they actually join with it by Sinning 310 311 315 318. Augustin's Testimony concerning Infants 768. and this Seed is often called Death 318. Original Sin of this Phrase the Scripture makes no mention 318. by virtue of the Sacrifice of Christ we have Remission of Sins 335 367. forgiveness of Sin among the Papists 365. a Freedom from actual Sin is obtained both when and how and that many have attained unto it 388 398. every Sin weakens a Man in his Spiritual Condition but doth not destroy him altogether 389. it is one thing not to sin another thing not to have Sin 395. whatsoever is not done through the Power of God is Sin 445. the fear of God remaining upon the Heart Sin is shut out 28. continuance in Sin ecclipses and takes away the Sense of God's Favour ibid. 884. Singing of Psalms and Musick 473. Society see Religion Principles Socinians see Natural Light their rashness is reproved 281. they think Reason is the chief Rule and Guide of their Faith ibid. 289. albeit many have abused Reason yet they do not say that any ought not to use it and how ill they argue against the Inward and Immediate Revelations of the Holy Spirit 288 290. yet they are forced ultimately to recur unto them 394. they exalt too much their Natural Power and what they think of the saving Light 354. their Worship can easily be stopped 337. they exalt Self or Nature 699. their scanty Confession does not reach to Universal Love 693. Son of God see Christ Knowledge Revelation Soul The Soul hath its Senses as well as the Body 272. by what it is strengthened and fed 453 499. Spirit The Holy Spirit see Knowledge Communion Revelation Scriptures Unless the Spirit sit upon the Heart of the Hearer in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor 271 279. the Spirit of God knoweth the things of God 275. without the Spirit none can say that Jesus is the Lord 272 275. he rested upon the seventy Elders and others 277. he abideth with us for ever 280. he teacheth and bringeth all things to remembrance and leads into all Truth 280 281 284 286 296. he differs from the Scriptures 280. He is God 281. he dwelleth in the Saints 281 284. without the Spiâ—â—â—â—â—ristianity is no Christianity 282 297. whatsoever is to be desired in the Christian Faith is ascribed to him 28â— 281. by this Spirit we are turned unto God and we Triumph in the midst of persecutions 282. he quickens c. 282.283 an observable Testimony of Calvin concerning the Spirit 282 284 296 297. it is the Fountain and Origin of all Truth and right Reason 292 293. it gives the Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences 296. his Testimony is more excellent than all Reason ibid. he is the chief and principal Guide 301. he reasoneth with and striveth in Men 342. those that are led by the Spirit love the Scriptures 304 405. he is as it were the Soul of the Church and what is done without him is vain and impious 423. he is the Spirit of Order and not of Disorder 427. such as the Spirit sets a part to the Ministry are heard of their Brethren 428. it is the Earnest of our Inheritance 444. to be led by the Spirit of God is a Priviledge common to all Christians and members of the Church if Obedience thereunto be yielded 703. all have the Spirit in a certain Day some to reprove some bringing forth of Fruits 8. the Spirâ—t calls invites and draws but men resist his Drawings 8. J. Calvin preferreth the Testimony of the Spirit before all other Evidences 15 16. what proceeds not from the Spirit of God
we make absolutely necessary for the building up of true Faith neither do nor can ever Contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or right and sound Reason yet from hence it will not follow that the Divine Revelations are to be subjected to the Test either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or of the Natural Reason of man as to a more-noble or certain Rule and Touch-stone For this Divine Revelation and inward Illumination is that which is evident and clear of it self forcing by its own Evidence and Clearness the well-disposed understanding to Assent irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the common principles of natural Truths do move and incline the mind to a natural Assent As That the whole is greater than its part That two Contradictories can neither be both true nor both false § I. IT is very probable that many Carnal and Natural Christians will oppose this Proposition who being wholly unacquainted with the Movings and Actings of God's Spirit upon their hearts Revelations by Apostate Christians Rejected judge the same nothing Necessary and some are apt to flout at it as Ridiculous Yea to that Heighth are the generality of all Christians Apostatized and degenerated that though there be not any thing more plainly Asserted more seriously Recommended nor more certainly Attested to in all the writings of the Holy Scriptures yet nothing is less minded and more rejected by all sorts of Christians than Immediate and Divine Revelation in so much that once to lay Claime to it is matter of Reproach Whereas of old none were ever judged Christians but such As had the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 But now many do boldly call themselves Christians who make no difficulty of confessing They are without it and laugh at such as say they have it Of old they were accounted the Sons of God who were led by the Spirit of God ibid. vers 14. but now many aver themselves Sons of God who know nothing of this Leader and he that affirms himself so led is by the pretended Orthodox of this Age presently proclaimed a Heretick The Reason hereof is very manifest viz. Because many in these days under the name of Christians do experimentally find that they are not acted nor led by God's Spirit yea many great Doctors Divines Teachers and Bishops of Christianity commonly so called have wholly shut their Ears from hearing and their Eyes from seeing this inward Guide and so are become strangers unto it whence they are by their own Experience brought to this Strait either to Confess that they are as yet Ignorant of God and have only the shadow of knowledge and not the true knowledge of him or that this knowledge is acquired without Immediate Revelation For the better understanding then of this Proposition we do distinguish betwixt the Certain Knowledge of God Knowledge Spiritual and Literal distinguished and the Vncertain betwixt the Spiritual Knowledge and the Literal the Saving heart-Knowledge and soaring airy head-Knowledge The last we Confess may be divers ways obtained but the first by no other way than the Inward Immediate Manifestation and Revelation of God's Spirit shining in and upon the heart inlightning and opening the understanding § II. Having then proposed to my self in these Propositions to Affirm those things which relate to the True and Effectual Knowledge which brings Life Eternal with it therefore I have Affirmed and that truly That this Knowledge is no otherways attained and that none have any true ground to believe they have attained it who have it not by this Revelation of God's Spirit The Certainty of which Truth is such that it hath been acknowledged by some of the most Refined and Famous of all sorts of Professors of Christianity in all ages who being truly Vpright-hearted and Earnest Seekers of the Lord however stated under the disadvantages and Epidemical Errors of their several Sects or Ages the true Seed in them hath been answered by God's Love who hath had regard to the Good and hath had of his Elect ones among all who finding a distast and disgust in all other outward Means even in the very Principles and Precepts more particularly relative to their own Forms and Societies have at last concluded with one Voice That there was no true Knowledge of God but that which is Revealed inwardly by his own Spirit Whereof take these following Testimonies of the Ancients 1. It is the inward Master saith Augustin that teacheth it is Christ that teacheth Aug. ex Tract Epist. Joh. 3. it is Inspiration that teacheth where this Inspiration and Unction is wanting it is in vain that Words from without are beaten in And thereafter For he that Created us and Redeemed us and called us by Faith and dwelleth in us by his Spirit unless he speaketh unto you inwardly it is needless for us to Cry out 2. There is a difference saith Clemens Alexandrinus betwixt that which any one saith of the Truth and that which the Truth it self Interpreting it self saith A Conjecture of Truth differeth from the Truth it self a Similitude of a thing differeth from the thing it self It is one thing Clem. Alex. Lib. 1. Strom. that is acquired by Exercise and Discipline and another thing which by Power and Faith Lastly the same Clemens saith Truth is neither hard to be arrived at nor is it impossible to apprehend it Paedag. for it is most nigh unto us even in our houses as the most Wise Moses hath insinuated 3. How is it Tertullianus Lib. de Veland Virginibus Cap. 1. saith Tertullian that since the Devil always worketh and stirreth up the mind to Iniquity that the work of God should either cease or desist to act Since for this end the Lord did send the Comforter that because human Weakness could not at once bear all things Knowledg might be by little and little directed formed and brought to perfection by the holy Spirit that Vicar of the Lord. I have many things yet saith he to speak unto you but ye cannot as yet bear them but when that Spirit of Truth shall come he shall lead you into all Truth and shall teach you these things that are to come But of his work we have spoken above What is then the Administration of the Comforter but that Discipline be derived and the Scriptures Revealed c. 4. The Law saith Hierom is spiritual Hieron Epist Paulin. 103. and there is need of a Revelation to understand it And in his Epistle 150. to Hedibia Quest. 11. he saith The whole Epistle to the Romans needs an Interpretation it being involved in so great Obscurities that for the understanding thereof we need the help of the holy Spirit who through the Apostle dictated it 5. So great things saith Athanasius doth our Saviour daily Athanasius de Incarnatione Verbi Dei he Draws unto Piety Perswades unto Vertue Teaches Immortality Excites to the desire of Heavenly things Reveals Knowledge from the Father
Inspires power against Death and shews himself unto every one 6. Gregory the Great upon these words He shall teach you all things saith That unless the same Spirit sit upon the heart of the Hearer Greg. Mag. Hom. 30. upon the Gospel in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor Let no man then ascribe unto the man that teacheth what he understands from the mouth of him that speaketh for unless he that teacheth be within the Tongue of the Doctor that 's without laboureth in vain 7. Cyrillus Alexandrinus plainly Affirmeth That men know Cyril Alex. In Thesauro Lib. 13. Cap. 3 that Jesus is the Lord by the Holy Ghost no otherwise than they who taste Honey know that it is sweet even by its proper Quality 8. Therefore saith Bernard we daily exhort you Brethren by speech Bernard in Psal. 84. that ye walk the ways of the heart and that your Soul be always in your hands that ye may hear what the Lord saith in you And again upon these words of the Apostle Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord with which Threefold Vice saith he all sorts of Religious men are less or more dangerously affected because they do not so diligently Attend with the Ears of the Heart to what the Spirit of Truth which flatters none inwardly speaks This was the very Basis and main Foundation upon which the Primitive Reformers walked Luther in his Book to the Nobility of Germany saith This is certain Lutherus that no man can make himself a Doctor of the holy Scripture but the holy Spirit alone And upon the Magnificat he saith No man can rightly understand God or the Word of God unless he immediately receive it from the Holy Spirit neither can any one Receive it from the Holy Spirit except he find it by Experience in himself and in this Experience the Holy Ghost teacheth as in his proper School out of which School nothing is taught but meer Talk Philip Melanchthon in his Annotations upon John 6. Who hear only an outward and bodily Voice Phil. Melanchthon hear the Creature but God is a Spirit and is neither discerned By the Spirit alone God is known nor known nor heard but by the Spirit and therefore to hear the Voice of God to see God is to know and hear the Spirit By the Spirit alone God is known and perceived Which also the more Serious to this day do acknowledge even all such who satisfy themselves not with the Superfice of Religion and use it not as a Cover or Art Yea all those who apply themselves effectually to Christianity and are not satisfied until they have found its Effectual Work upon their hearts redeeming them from sin do feel that no knowledge effectually prevails to the producing of this but that which proceeds from the warm Influence of God's Spirit upon the heart and from the comfortable shinings of his Light upon their Vnderstanding And therefore to this purpose a late Modern Author saith well videlicet Dr. Smith of Cambridge concerning Book-Divinity Dr. Smith of Cambridge in his Select Discourses To seek our Divinity meerly in Books and Writings is to seek the Living among the Dead We do but in vain many times seek God in these where his Truth is too often not so much Enshrined as Entombed Intra te quaere Deum Seek God within thine own Soul he is best discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plotinus phraseth it by an Intellectual Touch of him We must see with our Eyes and hear with our Eears and our hands must handle the Word of Life to express it in S. John 's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Soul it self hath its Sense as well as the Body And therefore David when he would teach us to know what the Divine Goodness is calls not for Speculation but Sensation Taste and see how good the Lord is That is not the best and truest Knowledge of God which is wrought out by the labour and sweat of the brain but that which is kindled within us by an heavenly Warmth in our hearts And again There is a knowing of the Truth as it is in Jesus as it is in a Christ-like nature as it is in that sweet mild humble and loving Spirit of Jesus which spreads it self like a Morning-star upon the Spirits of good men full of Light and Life It profits little to know Christ himself after the flesh but he gives his Spirit to good men that searcheth the deep things of God And again It is but thin airy Knowledge that is got by meer Speculation which is usher'd in by Syllogisms and Demonstrations but that which springs forth from true Goodness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen speaketh It brings such a Divine Light to the Soul as is more clear and convincing than any Demonstration § III. That this certain and undoubted Method of the true Knowledge of God hath been brought out of Use hath been none of the least Devices of the Devil to secure Mankind to his Kingdom Apostacy and a false Knowledge Introduced For after the Light and Glory of the Christian Religion had prevailed over a good part of the World and dispelled the thick Mists of the Heathenish Doctrine of the plurality of Gods he that knew there was no probability of deluding the World any longer that way did then puff man up with a false Knowledge of the true God setting him on work to seek God the wrong Way and perswading him to be content with such a Knowledge as was of his own Acquiring and not of God's Teaching And this Device hath proved the more successful because accommodated to the Natural and Corrupt spirit and temper of man who above all things affects to Exalt himself In which Self-Exaltation as God is most greatly dishonoured so therein the Devil hath his end who is not anxious how much God be acknowledged in Words provided himself be but always served he matters not how great and high Speculations the Natural man Entertains of God so long as he serves his Lusts and Passions and is obedient to his Evil Suggestions and Temptations â—â—ristianity is become an Art acquired by human Science and Industry Thus Christianity is become an Art Acquired by Human Science and Industry as any other Art or Science is and men have not only assumed unto themselves the Name of Christians but even have procured to be esteemed as Masters of Christianity by certain Artificial Tricks though altogether Strangers to the Spirit and Life of Jesus But if we shall make a right Definition of a Christian according to the Scripture videlicet That he is one that hath the Spirit of Christ and is led by it How many Christians yea and of these great Masters and Doctors of Christianity so accounted shall we justly Divest of that Noble Title If then such as have all the other Means of Knowledge and are sufficiently Learned therein whether it be
to all the Saints that then were So that according to these mens Comment there should be a very unnecessary and foolish Redundancy in the Apostle's words as if he had said He is a Propitiation not only for the sins of all Believers but for the sins of all Believers Is not this to make the Apostle's words void of good sense Let them shew us wherever there is such a manner of speaking in all the Scripture where any of the Pen-men first name the Believers in Concretô with themselves and then Contra-distinguish them from some other whole World of Believers That Whole World if it be of Believers must not be the World we live in But we need no better Interpreter for the Apostle than himself who uses the very same Expression and Phrase in the same Epistle c. 5.19 saying We know that we are of God and the Whole World lieth in Wickedness there cannot be found in all the Scripture two places which run more parallel seeing in both the same Apostle in the same Epistle to the same persons Contra-distinguisheth himself and the Saints to whom he writes from the Whole World which according to these mens Commentary ought to be understood of Believers as if John had said We know particular Believers are of God but the whole World of Believers lieth in wickedness what Absurd Wresting of Scripture were this and yet it may be as well pleaded for as the other for they differ not at all Seeing then that the Apostle John tells us plainly that Christ not only died for him and for the Saints and Members of the Church of God to whom he wrote but for the Whole World Let us then hold it for a Certain and Vndoubted Truth notwithstanding the Cavils of such as Oppose This might also be proved from many more Scripture-Testimonies if it were at this Season needful All the Fathers so called and Doctors of the Church for the first four Centuries preached this Doctrine according to which they boldly held forth the Gospel of Christ The Heathens invited to Salvation none predestinated to Damnation and Efficacy of his Death Inviting and Intreating the Heathens to Come and be Partakers of the Benefits of it shewing them how there was a Door open for them ALL to be Saved through Jesus Christ not telling them that God had predestinated any of them to Damnation or had made Salvation Impossible to them by with-holding Power and Grace necessary to believe from them But of many of their Sayings which might be Alledged I shall only Instance a Few Augustine on Psalm 95. saith The Blood of Christ is of so great Proof 4 worth that it is of no less value than the Whole World Prosper ad Gall. c. 9. The Testimonies of the Fathers and Doctors of the first Church that Christ died for all The Redeemer of the World gave his Blood for the World and the World would not be Redeemed because the Darkness did not receive the Light He that saith the Saviour was not Crucified for the Redemption of the Whole World looks not to the vertue of the Sacrament but to the part of Infidels since the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the price of the Whole World from which Redemption they are Strangers who either delighting in their Captivity would not be Redeemed or after they were Redeemed Returned to the same Servitude The same Prosper in his Answer to Vincentius's first Objection Seeing therefore because of one Common Nature and Cause in Truth undertaken by our Lord all are rightly said to be Redeemed and nevertheless all are not brought out of Captivity the Property of Redemption without doubt belongeth to those from whom the Prince of this World is shut out and now are not Vessels of the Devil but Members of Christ whose Death was so bestowed upon Mankind that it belonged to the Redemption of such who were not to be Regenerated but so that that which was done by the Example of one for all might by a singular Mystery be Celebrated in every one For the Cup of Immortality which is made up of our Infirmity and the Divine Power hath indeed that in it which may profit all but if it be not Drunk it doth not Heal. The Author de Vocat Gentium lib. 11. cap. 6. There is no Cause to doubt but that our Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners and wicked men and if there can be any found who may be said not to be of this Number Christ hath not died for all he made himself a Redeemer for the Whole World Chrysostom on John 1. If he Inlightens every man coming into the World how comes it that so many men remain without Light For all do not so much as Acknowledge Christ how then doth he Inlighten every man He Illuminates indeed so far as in him is but if any of their own Accord closing the Eyes of their Mind will not direct their Eyes unto the Beams of this Light The Cause of remaining in Darkness the Cause that they remain in Darkness is not from the Nature of the Light but through their own Malignity who willingly have rendred themselves Vnworthy of so great a Gift But why believed they not Because they would not Christ did his part The Arelatensian Synod held about the Year 490. pronounced him Accursed who should say That Christ hath not died for all or that he would not have all men to be saved Ambrose on Psal. 118. Serm. 8. The Mystical Sun of Righteousness is arisen to all he came to all he suffered for all and rose again for all And therefore he suffered that he might take away the sin of the World But if any one Believe not in Christ he Robbs himself of this general Benefit even as if one by Closing the Windows should hold out the Sun-beams The Sun-beams shut out heat not the Sun is not therefore not Arisen to all because such a one hath so robbed himself of its Heat but the Sun keeps its prerogative It is such a ones Imprudence that he shuts himself out from the Common Benefit of the Light The same man in his 11 th Book of Cain and Abel cap. 13. saith Therefore he brought unto all the Means of Health that whosoever should perish may ascribe to himself the Causes of his Death who would not be Cured when he had the Remedy by which he might have Escaped § IX Seeing then that this Doctrine of the Vniversality of Christ's Death is so Certain and Agreeable to the Scripture's Testimony and to the Sense of the purest Antiquity it may be wondered how so many some whereof have been Esteemed not only Learned but also Pious have been Capable to Fall into so gross and strange an Error But the Cause of this doth evidently appear in that the Way and Method by which the Vertue and Efficacy of this Death is Communicated to all men hath not been rightly understood or indeed hath been Erroneously Affirmed
Pelagians Errors The Pelagians ascribing all to Man's Will and Nature denied man to have any Seed of Sin Conveyed to him from Adam and the Semi-Pelagians making Grace as a Gift following upon Man's Merit or right Improving of his Nature according to their known Principle Facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam This gave Augustine Prosper and some others occasion labouring in Opposition to these Opinions to magnify the Grace of God and paint out the Corruption of Man's Nature as the Proverb is of those that seek to make straight a Crooked Stick to Incline to the other Extream Extreams fall'n into by some making God the Author of Sin So also the Reformers Luther and others finding among other Errors the strange Expressions used by some of the Popish Scholasticks concerning Free Will and how much the Tendency of their Principles is to Exalt Man's Nature and lessen God's Grace having all those Sayings of Augustine and others for a pattern through the like Mistake ran upon the same Extream Though afterwards the Lutherans seeing how far Calvin and his Followers drove this matter who as a man of subtile and profound Judgment foreseeing where it would land resolved above board to Assert That God had decreed the Means as well as the End and therefore had Ordained men to sin and Excites them thereto Which he labours earnestly to defend and that there was no avoiding the making God the Author of Sin thereby received occasion to discern the falsity of this Doctrine and disclaimed it as appears by the latter Writings of Melanchthon and the Mompelgartensian Conference Epit. Hist. Eccl. Lucae Osiand Cent. 16. l. 4. cap. 32. where Lucas Osiander one of the Collocutors terms it Impious calls it a Making God the Author of Sin and a horrid and horrible Blasphemy Yet because none of those who have Asserted this Vniversal Redemption since the Reformation have given a Clear Distinct and Satisfactory Testimony how it is Communicated to all and so have fall'n short of fully declaring the perfection of the Gospel Dispensation others have been thereby the more strengthened in their Errors Which I shall Illustrate by one singular Example The Arminians and other Assertors of Vniversal Grace use this as a Chief Argument That which every man is bound to believe is True But Every man is bound to believe that Christ died for them Therefore c. Of this Argument the other Party deny the Assumption saying That they who never heard of Christ are not obliged to believe in him and seeing Remonstrants Opinion strengthens the precise Decree of Reprobation the Remonstrants as they are commonly called do generally themselves acknowledge that without the outward knowledge of Christ there is no Salvation that gives the other Party yet a stronger Argument for their Precise Decree of Reprobation For say they seeing we all see really and in Effect that God hath with-held from many Generations and yet from many Nations that Knowledge which is absolutely needful to Salvation and so hath rendered it simply Impossible unto them why may he not as well with-hold the Grace necessary to make a saving Application of that Knowledge where it is preached For there is no ground to say that this were Injustice in God or Partiality more than his leaving those others in utter Ignorance the one being but a with-holding Grace to apprehend the Object of Faith the other a withdrawing the Object it self For Answer to this they are forced to draw a Conclusion from their former Hypothesis of Christ dying for all and God's Mercy and Justice saying That if these Heathens who live in these remote places where the Outward Knowledge of Christ is not did improve that Common Knowledge they have to whom the Outward Creation is for an Object of Faith by which they may gather that there is a God then the Lord would by some Providence either Send an Angel to tell them of Christ or Convey the Scripture to them or bring them some way to an Opportunity to meet with such as might Inform them Which as it gives always too much to the power and strength of Man's Will and Nature and savours a little of Socinianism and Pelagianism or at lest of Semi-pelagianism so since it is only built upon probable Conjectures neither hath it Evidence enough to Convince any strongly tainted with the other Doctrine nor yet doth it make the Equity and wonderful Harmony of God's Mercy and Justice towards all so manifest to the Vnderstanding So that I have often observed that these Assertors of Vniversal Grace did far more pithily and strongly Overturn the false Doctrine of their Adversaries than they did Establish and Confirm the Truth and Certainty of their own And though they have Proof sufficient from the Holy Scriptures to Confirm the Vniversality of Christ's Death and that none are precisely by any Irrevocable Decree Excluded from Salvation None by an Irrevocable Decree Excluded from Salvation yet I find when they are pressed in the respects above-mentioned to shew how God hath so far Equally Extended the Capacity to Partake of the Benefit of Christ's Death unto all as to Communicate unto them a sufficient Way of so doing they are somewhat in a strait and are put more to give us their Conjectures from the Certainty of the former presupposed Truth to wit that because Christ hath certainly died for all and God hath not rendred Salvation Impossible to any therefore there must be some way or other by which they may be saved which must be by improving some Common Grace or by gathering from the Works of Creation and Providence than by really Demonstrating by Convincing and Spiritual Arguments what that Way is § X. It falls out then that as Darkness and the great Apostasy came not upon the Christian World all at once but by several Degrees one thing making way for another until that thick and gross Vail came to be overspread wherewith the Nations were so blindly Covered from the seventh and eighth until the sixteenth Centuries Even as the Darkness of the Night comes not upon the outward Creation all at once but by Degrees according as the Sun declines in each Horizon so neither did that full and clear Light and Knowledge of the Glorious Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ appear all at once the work of the first Witnesses being more to Testify against and Discover the Abuses of the Apostasy than to Establish the Truth in purity He that comes to build a New City must first remove the Old Rubbish before he can see to lay a New Foundation and he that comes to a House greatly polluted and full of dirt will first sweep away and remove the filth before he put up his own good and New Furniture The Dawning of the Day dispells the Darkness and makes us see the things that are most Conspicuous but the distinct Discovering and Discerning of things so as to make a certain and perfect