Righteous and by that Righteousness I must say with them where they have our Divines on the blind side are justified to wit according to the Law of Faith or as they are judged at the Throne of Grace but they do sin they are Unrighteous and no flesh living can be justified according to the Law of Works or at the bar of the Ten Commandements When the Apostle argues against justification by the Law he proves none can be justified by it because all do break it Those that will follow truth shall argue as strongly if we be juâ—â—ified by grace then we must be righteous and perfect according to the Law of it The Orthodox are quite out that will have any justified without a Righteousness that is perfect according to the Law that justifies him to wit in regard to the conditional though not the preceptive part of it The Quaker is quite out that will have this Righteousness perfect according to the ten Commandements which does not justifie him The lover of Truth and Mediocrity will have every man have the Righteousness of a perfect heart for his justification and yet no man be justified but by the grace of God through the Redemption which we have in Christ Jesus There is pardon of sin and justification these may be distinguished not divided Pardon refers to the law of works justification to the law of Faith or the Gospel For this cause saith the Apostle he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called may receive the promise of eternal Inheritance The first Covenant originally is that of Nature and the first Testament belonging to the Jew represented that first Covenant and the Transgressions for which Christ shed his blood are our sins only against that Covenant If there be any body sins against the new Covenant there is no Redemption for such We have a pardon then in reference to the law of works but we are justified in reference to the law of Faith To wit If we are accused as Transgressors of the Law we may confess it that we are guilty and plead our pardon through Christs Redemption but if we are charged as Transgressors of the law of grace we must not plead our selves guilty but righteous and such as perfectly come up to the terms required in the Gospel or else we are gone It is true Christ hath purchased forgiveness but it is upon condition Pardon is of the Transgressions of the Law but this condition is of Righteousness according to the Gospel and our justification lyes in the performance of the condition In the seaventh place This Opinion instead of leading these friends to the Spirit and the Life as they speak does lead them from both and bring them back to the letter and the flesh and ministration of death To understand this The Apostle we know does distinguish between the Letter and the Spirit The Letter killeth the Spirit giveth Life This distinction is expressed otherwhere by the Law of the Spirit of life and the Law of sin and death The Law of Faith and Law of Works The Covenant of Nature and Covenant of Grace The Law of Works is call'd the Letter as having been writ in stone and is the ministration of death the Law of sin and death or that which killeth because there is none but break it and so are guilty of fin and death by it The Covenant of grace is the Law of Faith that being the condition of it it is the Law of the spirit of life or the ministration of life for the contrary reason because we are enabled through grace or this spirit to the performance of this Law so as to be Righteous according to it and live by it The just man shall live by his Faith And unto the Law of the spirit of life is added in Christ Jesus because it is he hath procured this Law for us which is indeed the great benefit of our Redemption Now while the Spirit is given us for the performance of the condition of this Covenant it being the New Testament not the Law which is the ministration of the Spirit it is a great mistake in these Friends to expect such help from it as to perform the condition of the Covenant of Nature or Law of Works The Spirit indeed does help us but it is to keep his own Law the Law of the Spirit and that Law whereby we may have life If we do look to fulfill the Covenant of Nature we must return to our original Righteousness and our free will which we lost in Adam and that is to go from the Spirit to our selves who are but flesh But what Is not the Law of God the rule of our lives and does not the Spirit of God lead us according to rule and bring us to a conformity to his law I answer no doubt of it but that is a conformity so far as reaches the fulfilling the terms of the Gospel but not those of Works The law of grace does require a sincere walking before Go in all his Commandements and the Spirit of God does certainly help us so far as we sin not against that sincerity or sin no sins inconsistent with these terms but the spirit is not given to bring us up to the terms of the Law and that we should not sin at all What shall we say that Abraham as pertaining to the flesh hath found By the flesh we are to understand works as appears in the next verse and so is the spirit opposed to the flesh as it is opposed to the law of works If we seek therefore for a Righteousness by our works that is according to that law we shall find what Abraham did as pertaining to the flesh We shall find no such matter O ye foolish Galathians says the Apostle having begun in the spirit are ye now made peâ—fect by the flesh The Galathians belike who had received the doctrine of grace by Paul were come to be seduced to the opinion that they must keep Moses Law or else they could not be saved and this is their seeking to be made perfect by the flesh The flesh and nature are Synonymous terms and as in respect of those who were Jews by Nature the works of the Law as given by Moses are called flesh so must the works of the Law as a Covenant by Nature be flesh in respect to the rest of man-kind If the Quaker then is come to seek life by such a following his light as must answer the Covenant of Nature it self that is by a perfection as is without sin against the Law he is plainly under the notion of the spirit brought at last to the flesh for what he seeks In the last place It is an ancient saying that he who looks but one thing is easily mislead It seems that these Friends do apprehend that our doctrine which opposes perfection does serve
THE Middle-Way OF PERFECTION With Indifferency between The ORTHODOX AND THE QUAKER By J. H. Doing nothing by Partiality LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheap-side 1674. Of Perfection PErfection is one of the Doctrines of the Quaker that there is a state of perfect separation from sin in this life That it is not onely possible for a man to keep the whole Law of God but that every true Christian doth attain it That the work of Christs Redemption does consist in this to bring men up to such a state to be free not onely in regard of the guilt but the inhabitaton of sin so that it is not indeed so much pardoned as abolished There are no mean Doctors in the Schools have gone before them and taught us that though there remain that which is fomes peccati to use Augustines expression yet not that which is peccatum in the regenerate after Baptisme and consequently the righteousness which they through Christ or grace perform the Quaker chooses to call it Christs Righteousness being perfect does not onely constitute them just in the sight of God but enables them to stand before the Throne of Gods justice and so justifyes them and saves them They now who are read here in the Controversies between us and the Papists may guess how far these friends are like to be supported and that they are not therefore to be put off as some think with sleighting and contempt onely For my part I will confess it is not the designe of these Papers to endeavour so much a refutation of any Party as to build up others in that Truth which Errour on all sides leanes upon Omne falsum innititur vero And as the best Physitians have been noted sometimes to take very great regard to the ordinary receipts of old women and the meanest persons so will it become the modest Divine to endeavour rather to discover and sift out that Truth which lies in his Adversaries meaning then to expose and shame their Opinions Before I come to my present subject it is necessary that I set a little out of my way which may else engender dispute in my last paper It is about pardon of sin which I take to be the effect not formal Reason of justification Pardon sayes Mr. Bradshaw is neither the whole nor any essential part of justification but onely a contingent effect of it Treat of Just c. 8. That a man must repent and believe which is to perform the condition of the Covenant of Grace in order of nature before he be pardoned is out of question That God accounts the person a performer who is so arises of necessity because his judgment is alwayes according to Truth Now when Gods accounting a man Righteous according to the Covenant which is all one with his accounting him a penitent Believer or performer of the condition is justifying him as I say there and pardon followes this it appeared to me that Remission must not be the form it self or part but the effect of justification And it is true remission is the effect and no part of this justification But there may be some other or further justification then this To avoyd needless difference therefore with Brethren I must distinguish justification Justification we agree to be a forensical act opposed to the laying any thing to a mans charge whereby he may be condemned Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Now there is a double charge the charge of the Law that we are sinners and so condemnable for violation of it And the charge of the Gospel that we have not performed the remedying condition which God requires of us for the escaping that condemnation Though it be an acquittal of us from the latter charge is that justification which every man is so much concerned to provide for as that which depends upon the plea of what himself does and the acquittal of us from the former depends onely on the plea of what Christ hath done for us which can hardly suffer any debate I think before our Judge yet will I not deny but justification may be taken so comprehensively as to contain in it our discharge from the Law also There is a justification then in regard to a particular charge the charge of the one or a universal justification against all accusation or the charge of both As we must answer the charge of the Gospel by denying that charge and pleading our performance we answer the charge of the Law by confessing it and pleading Christs satisfaction that is we acknowledge that we areguilty and have deserved Death but yet that we are not condemnable because we are pardoned by the Law of Grace through the Meritorious Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ Jesus supposing such a Charge can find place before our Law-giver Our Faith and Repentance is our Righteousness in regard to the Gospel but pardon of sin together with this righteousness may go both into Vniversal justification I cannot indeed but say still that that justification which is particular in regard to the Gospel Charge seemes to me to be the justification which St. Paul and James mainly intend if not altogether for when the one sayes we are justified by Faith and the other by works also and both prove it from one and the same Text that Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness I pray what else can justification be with either but Gods imputing evangelical obedience to a person for Righteousness that is Gods accounting of him righteous upon his believeing repenting or performing the condition of the Gospel That the Apostles Righteousness without Works and Pardon is not the same and consquently that the one is a probation and not a description of the other as I noted upon reflection must be granted by those who make both these to be parts of our justification for such is the nature of parts to be diverse one from another Haec est natura partium ut unum corpus diversa componant Boethius de Cons l. 3. p. 3. Again Quod a qualibet re diversum est id non est illud a quo intelligitur diversum It must be also confessed by me that the diversity of two things as the cause and effect does not hinder those things to be parts of another third which is the compositum of both and consquently that Gods justifiying us by this Righteousness that is by Faith or Evangelical Obedience without the Works of the Law and then pardoning us as the effect of that act may both make up the compositum of Vniversal justification You see how tender I am of persisting in any mistake wherein I have or may prejudice others I doe not find that the Scripture does denominate or pronounce any one righteous or a just Man from one end to the other upon any other account then his doing Righteousness yet will I not quarrel with any
whole Law to man for a Covenant and if one part onely be transgressed the condition of that covenant is broken as well as if all were transgressed For otherwise he that hath layen with a woman is not therefore to be accused for mnrder nor he that hath sworn an oath is therefore guilty of theft We must understand the like in reference to the Law of faith or covenant of grace and its observation Let a mans sins be what they will so long as the condition be performed he may according to this Law be judged no transgressour In the one a man hath committed no theft no adultery nor idolatry and yet in the sense of the Apostle he is guilty of all In the other he hath bin an idolater an adulterer a thief such were some of you but you are justified and he is guilty of none The reason in both I say is the condition still in the one is broken but performed in the other As we distinguish of the Law Quâ faedus Quâ regula so may we of the performance Sub genere officii Sub genere conditionis Though we fail in our Duty we fulfill the Condition as have said already To this purpose it is not to be forgotten what is said of David that his heart was perfect that he kept Gods Commandements and that he sinned not but in the matter of Uriah And how I pray was that Do not we read of Davids Passion his Lying his Numbring the people his dealing with Mephibosheth was there no sin indeed that David did commit besides this what makes him then complain so much that he was born in Iniquity and that his sins were more than the hairs upon his head I answer there are sins consistent with sincerity and inconsistent with it Sins inconsistent with sincerity are breaches both of the Law of Works and Covenant of Grace and that sub ratione conditionis Sins consistent with it are transgressions indeed of the Law but sub hac ratione no breach of this Covenant Davids sins of the first sort were very many and his acknowledgments pious and true Davids sins of the latter sort was but only in that matter and otherwise it is said that he sinned not To be clear as I goe even for that matter As I have distinguished between the breach of our duty and the condition or of the preceptiue part of the law of grace and the conditional So must I distinguish this breach of the condition into that which may be pro tempore making the punishment so far due as that God may cut off the Sinner and damne him or else final also making it peremptorily and remedilesly due which will be ever executed by him There is a sin unto death and a sin not unto death says the Apostle A sin against the Holy Ghost Whatsoever instance there may be in which such a sin hath been committed as in the obstinacy of the Jews against Christ that rather than they would believe they would impute his Miracles to the Devil the general nature of this sin does lye in this that it is such as is inconsistent with and exclusive of the performance of the terms which are required unto pardon and life The Spirit and New Testament are one and this is to sin N. B. against the New Testament De peccato ad mortem quoniam non expressum est possunt diversa sentiri Ego autem dico id esse peccatum fidem quae per dilectionem operatur deserere usque ad mertem Concerning the sin unto death because it is not expressed divers things may be thought of it but I say that sin is this to desert or never come up to that faith which worketh by love unto death Augustine De Cor. gra c. 12. It must be demanded then what shall we think of David in the matter wherein he is accounted to have sinned I say that David according to our Brittish Divines in the Synod of Dort in that present state could not have been saved if he had died but God having Elected David provided Repentance for him that he could not dye in that estate There is a sin therefore which is inconsistent with sincerity of heart or the terms of grace at present or such a sin or sins which are exclusive of it This I said in other words but now The latter only are sins unto death The breach of the Covenant of grace sub ratione conditionis is that sin and when final that alone which is unpardonable I reassume that whatsoever sins consequently they be which any man commits if they be not such as are incompatible with Sincerity Repentance and Faith they are fins against the Law and our pardon is purchased but they are no breach sub hac ratione I must intend still of the Law of Grace no sin unto death or no sin as can hinder the person from being judged as righteous by that Law or Covenant and to be accepted accordingly unto everlasting Salvation And now Sirs Behold here a kind of Heaven opened to you I mean to you who are the Children of God and fear his Name where all your sins and iniquities are removed and where every one of you are righteous and perfect and sin not For this is the benefit and fruit of Christs Death and Redemption that he hath delivered you from that Law which you break and would condemn you for every breach and he hath brought you under a new Law the Law of Grace which requires nothing of you but what sub rat one Conditionis you do keep for he gives his holy Spirit herein to enable you to the performance So that it is not only your sins are done away that is not imputed or forgiven The Iniquities of Judah it is faid shall be sought for and not found but this Covenant hath nothing to lay to your charge And you that were sometimes alienated hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight if ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Cospel And thus we are come to our period We grant a perfection which Divines call Evangelical to the Quaker that is an integrity of heart and life which the Gospel requires of every man that shall be saved If these Friends will have more who have not understood perhaps before how much indeed this is and what truly they impugne then they must come to that our Divines call Legal righteousness or perfection which is to live so as never to break any of Gods precepts both ratione officii conditiouis and if they will maintain this either that they have it or have attain'd it in themselves or that it is necessary to others unto salvation I shall tenderly offer them these ensuing Arguments Reasons or Consideratious for reclaiming them from so desperate an opinion In the first place Be it
for the boulstring up men in their sins and lull them into security that though they live and dye in their wickedness they must be saved and this being taught especially among us Protestants who believe that we are justified by Christs Righteousness without works does appear very destructive to many souls which makes them out of an intention which we may suppose zealous for godliness and the promotion of a good life to fall on our Divines with so much tragical exclamation as they do on this point When in the mean time they neither have considered what our Divines do say that removes all ground for any such abuse nor what indeed are the consequences of their own doctrine which under Pelagianisme Donatisme and the like names hath been so often exploded as utterly intolerable in the Church of God For their conviction in both these I would not in the way have them ignorant what doctrine it was Paul Preached and upon which the like consequences was fastened by some persons at that time that if grace abounded they might therefore live in sin It is but the same doctrine of Gods abounding free grace mercy and forgiveness through Christ to poor Sinners that our Divines do bring against the doctrine of perfection setting the unsound sense of imputed Righteousness aside which Paul Preached and pleaded against those who would bring in the works of the Law for their justification And when these Friends have pondered the Apostles answer to what was alleadged against him there will need but little more to be said by us here unto the same There are two things particularly our Divines teach The one is that notwithstanding grace be imperfect in this life there is no man may sin for all that in any the least thing whatsoever That is though our holiness be imperfect yet is it our duty to be perfect and we are still to be pressed to go on to perfection The other is that a state of grace will not stand with any sin in dominion That is that whosoever does willingly and wilfully live in any known sin without Repentance unto death he cannot be saved And what is the reason then when these two things are still taught that these men should charge the Orthodox with that consequence which they do so effectually disclaim Let them look into any practical Books of ours and see if obedience which is universal be not given as the chief note still of an upright man and of that Faith which is saving And what would they themselves now say more If this rather without some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as so far as human frailty according to the several complexions circumstances and temptations of persons by infinite goodness and wisdom will be allowed be not more strict than can be borne Will it not indeed suffice that a man is upright before God in his desires and endeavours after perfection that is the having respect to all his commandments unless he also be perfect and his works overtake his will What then shall become of the generation of the most just Let us see when this one inconvenience they apprehend as consequent to our doctrine is wiped off whether the several inconveniences that follow their doctrine doe not require more heed First then where they say our doctrine does lead men into security remisness of life neglect of their duty a sinfull course how must their doctrine hurle men into despaire and lead them by that to the casting off the whole care of God and their souls altogether There is no meanes under Heaven so likely to bring a man to give up all as to make him desperate If it will not serve a man for his acceptance with God that he is sincere in his desires and endeavours of walking before him unless he attain to perfection or to a life that is wholy without sin in this world then must the heart of the most holy and mortified man upon earth be quite broke and discouraged for ever There is mercy with thee sayes David that thou maist be feared If God were nor good and merciful to consider mans frailty to pardon his shortnesses and imperfections and bear with him we should not fear him that is worship or serve him for it were to no purpose to go about it seeing we could never please him Alas that these folkes did but know what they do when they bring in such doctrine who themselves must tremble to be judged by it O ye foolish Galathians who hath bewiched you that you should depart from that comfort and peace which some of you I believe sometimes had in believing and truâ—ting on Christ altogether for your pardon and reconciliation with God that you should be brought now to the works of the Law and these terms that if you do them you shall live in them Is there any indeed of you think that you are able and doe continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law or in all things that are written in the tables of your hearts to do them And are you ignorant that upon that account and that alone that none do or are able to do so the Apostle tells you As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Alas Sirs what mean you when we are under the ministration of the New-Testament which brings the Spirit and liberty where the Spirit is there is liberty and righteousnes for by the law of faith the Christian hath a righteousness to plead and to be justified by and so life you should be ready to return into a Jewish or Natural bondage to seek for it from that onely which can bring death and is the ministration of sin and condemnation Secondly I wish into whatsoever consequence our doctrine may lead some of our people that your doctrine does not lead your people into some evils more secret and spiritual but much more deadly to the soul then our ordinary sins are When we shall see a person suppose some Youth of either Sex as soon as they are but wrought over to your party be ready immediately to look on all the rest of people at a distance to a neglect nay even to a contempt of the most grave serious holy of professours which they before conversed withall and so talk to them as if they knew nothing streight in comparison of them but as men altogether in the dark without light or life were to be separated from till they arrive to their attainment or higher state I know not what you your selves may say at such a sight nor what some others may think who passe it by with a smile or jest at the folly or else with wrath scorn and indignation at the insolence and infinite presumption but I for my part must professe it as to my own soul to be a matter of a very deep sad and afflictive apprehension to behold such a novice falling into the condemnation of the Devil Alas what is it if