Innocence which did threaten the least Sin Every Sin with Damnation is vacated and made void And the Gospel threatens Damnation against none but them who Die in Final Vnbelief and Impenitence But what Sins are or rather what Sins doth he think are not consistent with Sincerity I presume he can't be of Opinion that Lying or False Accusing Reviling or Reproaching his Innocent Brethren or acting the Part of a Delator or Irish Evidence are inconsistent with Sincerity and therefore it must be a Sin to threaten Damnation against these Harmless Abominations if committed by himself Sir This is such a Peice of Antinomianism a Doctrine so Licentious and vile yea such a Consecration of the most Villanous Practices that it Amazes the most Solid and Grave Divines amongst us to understand that not a man of you hath the Courage to Witness against this Mans Abominations What! when the Foundations are struck at To look on be silent and revile them who are hardy enough to write against this Man What can the Orthodox Divines of the Church of England Scotland and beyond the Seas or what will Posterity think of these things What is it that shuts up the Mouths of our Grandee's of a Bates a Howe a Veal a Glascock And what is it that hath Infatuated an Alsop together with the whole Assembly in Bishopsgate-street that they must become Advocates for a Man who Publisheth such Licentious and Libertine Principles as these No wonder our Ministry is no more successful when we make the Preaching of the Law void I mean the Old Law under whose Curse all that Remain in unbelief still are and which makes the Sins of the best on Earth to be Obnoxious to Damnation Upon which Account we may yea we must threaten the sins of Believers themselves with Damnation assuring them that unless when they sin they Flee to Christ their sin will be their Ruine For there is no change of its Threatnings no Mitigation or Abatements The least sin is as much of a Damning Nature as ever which makes it necessary for him who commits the sin Exercise Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus for Pardon The Do this and Live Sin and Dye is so much in Force that without a full satisfaction to the Threatning Part of the Law and a Righteousness fully Answering the Do this there can be no Life attain'd unto by any of us and it is our Duty to Preach the Law of Innocency and Denounce its Curse against all that abide in Unbelief and against the Sins of Believers themselves This is the Doctrine of Protestants of the Fathers and Blessed Apostles But I will go on to show the difference there is between Mr. Williams and Father Alsop Distinctly in these Points Mr. Williams The threatning of the Law was Eternal Death as Eternal Eternity was an Ingredient into the misery of every Sinner and can be removed by nothing but the Lawgivers Dispensing therewith upon Considerations equally Vindicating the Gâ—ory as this Eternity of Sinners Torments would do Man made Right p 14. Note the Dispensation is of the Penalty to be suffered and not only as to the Person suffering Father Alsop I would observe That he supposeth God to have Dispensed with the Moral Law which is News to me and I confess I do not believe it nor shall I till I have it confirm'd Some Errors though Speculative are Damnable and such may this Prove For if we like Foâ—ls Goggled in with the Rhetorical Divinity of this Age should Trust to Gods Abatements of bis Law and at last it should Prove That God Loved Righteousness and Hated Iniquity as such we were in a most Wretched Miserable and Undone Condition meerly by Trusting to Indulgence How much of this Law God will Dispense with what Part of it or what Degrees of the Violation of it is to me unknown and iâ— with any whether he may not Possibly Dispence with the whole by the same Reason is more than our Author's Principles can inform me He that may Dispense with One Part of it may with an other and so of the Rest. For where to stop or put Bounds to such a Dispensation as comes from the Grace of God is very Impossible to Determine unless we knew the true Bounds of God's Grace Anti Sozzo p. 687 688. Mr. Williams Though Nothing be Abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are promised to Lower Degrees of Duty Pref. to Gosp. Tr. p. 6. Father Alsop I do not find that God has Abated any thing of his Law but is as Peremptory as ever For Do this and Live Nothing will pâ—ease God less than Exact and Perfect Obedience tho in the Covenant of Grace He is pleased to admit another a Mediator to do it for Believers I would rather he would hear the Reverend and Learned Bishop Reynolds upon Psal. 110. p. 492. In point of Validity or Invalidâ—ty there can be but and five things said of the Law 1 Either it must be Obeyed and that it is not Rom. 3. 23. Or 2. It must be Executed upon Men or the Curse and Penalty thereof be inflicted and that it is not neither Rom. 8 1. Or 3. It must be Abrogated or Extinguished and that it is not neither for Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away Or 4 It must be Moderated and that it cannot be neither For it 's Inflexible and one Jot or Tittle mâ—st nâ—t be Abated Or Lastly The Law it self Remaining the Obâ—igation thâ—reof notwithstanding mâ—st towards such or such Pâ—rsons be so far forth Dispensed withal as that a Surety shâ—ll bâ— Admitted both to Do all the Duties and to Suffer all the Curses of the Law in behalf of that Pâ—â—son who in Rigor should have done or suffered â—ll so that â—he Law not One Jot or Tittle thereof is abrogated in regard of the Obligation therein contained but they are aâ—â— Reconciled in Christ. Thus far Father Alsop in his Anti Sozzo p. 216 217 who hath câ—eâ—red it tâ—at there are no Abatements in the Law no Dispensing either with the Commandment or with the Penalâ—y but only as to the Person And Grotius has Evinced That though iâ— be â—ssâ—ntial unto Punishment that it be for Sin yet is it not Essential unto it that it be on the Person that sinned and the Learned Bishop adds as I have it page 396 397. That in the First Covenant we were to do it in our own Persons in the Second Christ is appointed aâ—d allowed to do it for us He â—ullfilled All the Obligations of the Law the Duties thereof by Active Obediencâ— in his Life and the Curses thereof by Passive Obedience in his Death One more Father Alsop Though God hath not Abated of his Law yet he hath Admitted a Surety called therefore the Surety of the Covenant Anti-Soz p. 699. Mr. Williams The Gospel-Law doth not Denounce Death for the same Sins as Adam's Law did that Law threatned Death â—or the Least Sin yea
for One Sin but the Gospel threatens Death not for Every Sin Def of Gospel-Truth p. 30 Well then seeing the Gospel-Law doth not threaten Death against Every Sin and the threatning of Adam's Law is vâ—cated or at least Dispensed with Every Sin deserves not Death For though the Desâ—â—t of and Obligation to Punishment are Distinct and the Obligation may be 〈◊〉 there is no Desert yet wherever the Dâ—sert is there thâ— Punishment is due and the Peâ—son obliged to undergo it till by an Apâ—lication of Christ's Blood that Obligation be Dâ—ssâ—lv'd â—he Sins which are Committed and Deserve Punishment if they Oblige not thereunto there is no need if tâ—ere is no Râ—â—m for Pardon which lyeth in a Dissolving the Obligation For where there is no Obligation there can be no Dissolving it and where no â—hreatning there no Obligation for an Obligation to Punishment is by Vertue of the Threatning of the Law Thus he must hold That no Sins but Final Vnbâ—lief and Impenitence falling under the Threatnings of the Gospel-Law can need a Pardon and these he allows shall never be Pardoned or at least those Sins which are consistent with Sincerity or the Imperfections of our Faith Repentance and Obedience need not a Pardon because they fall under no Law Threatning against which Notion I may Justly set down what hath been Asserted by Father Alsop God is by Nature a Holy God as he is Governour of the World he is a Righteous Judge Sin is both contrary to his Holy Nature and his Holy Law And therefore as a Holy God he cannot but hate Sin as a Righteous Judge he cannot but Punish Sin And because this Sin is Inherent in and Committed by Man God hates the Sinner upon the account of his Sin his Person and his Best Services are an Abomination to the Lord. From Hence it follows That Sin being a Transgression of the Law in its Preceptive Part renders the Sinner Guilty that is Obnoxious and Liable to the Law in its Sanction to the Punishment Now this Righteous Judge will certainly Charge the Guilty Sinner with the Penalty due to his Sin But there is a way found out That he may not Impute to Sinners their Traspasses which is by Christ and as he adds by his being made Sin for us Anti-Sozzo p. 631. Mr. Williams That Legal Preaching which is a Crime is to Preach the Law as a Covenant of Innocency or Works Every Threatning used by God to Conversion is a Gospel Threatning Gospel Truth stated p. 222 and 133 134. So that it 's sinful to endeavour to Convince Men of their Sin and Misery by Preaching to them the Law of Works that is to say Adam's Law but we must confine our selves wholly unto the Gospel Law the very Error held by Agricola Islebius the Antinomian and Confuted by Luther Father Alsop The Law is God's Law and when it witnesses to a sinner it witnesses home convinces him of the Perfect Holiness of that God who gave the Law of the Peremptoriness of God in not Abating One Jot or Tittle of the Law of the sinners utter Inability to come up to the Demands of the Law and therefore the utter Impossibility of being Justified by the Law of the Severity of God's Justice in Punishing the Violaters of his Law and therefore unless he can find another Righteousness he must utterly perish 'T is true the Law speaks its Old Language still Do this aud live but then it speaks it only to those who are upon the Bottom of Innocency for to a Transgresser its Language is Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things Anti-Sozzo p. 544 In Rom. 7. 13. it 's said I had not known sin excâ—pt the Law had said thou shalt not covet From whence I Argue By that Law which says Thou shalt not covet comes the Knowledge of sin Therefore by the Moral Law comes the Knowledge of sin The Major is the Apostle's own in the place last Quoted The Minor needs no Proof but that a Man be able to Read the Ten Commandments which is the Summ of the Moral Law the Tenth whereof is Thou shalt not covet Anti-Sozzo p. 538. The Knowledge of Sin being by the Law which saith Thou shalt not covet and which saith The Man that continueth not in all things is Accursed That we may Convince Men of their Sin and Misery and of the Necessity of Believing in the Lord Jesus that they may by his Righteousness Receiv'd by Faith be Justify'd We must Preach to them this Law and Denounce the Threatned Curse thereof This is the Doctrine of Protestants this the Doctrine Taught us by the Holy Apostles On the other hand if with Mr. Williams we must confine our selves in our Attempts to convince sinners unto the Gospel Law how can we charge them with the Guilt of Original Sin or Threaten Death against them for any other sins than their Unbelief and Impenitence An Error so Gross so Absurd and Pernicious to the Souls of Men that it becomes Every Good Man to Express his Abhorrence of it But as if the Design was That Men of our Way may Deservedly fail under the Reproach and Scandal of Sheltering supporting Aiding and Abetting a Real Antinomian who that he may cover his mischievous Purposes makes a frightful Out-cry against Antinomianism not a Man of our Number but your self that I know Opposes them so far as to lie under the Rage of these snarling Scriblers Sect. III. Of Procuring and Purchasing the Covenant of Grace One Great Point in Controversie between the Reformed Churches and the Remonstrants was Whether Christ by his Death did Procure Purchase and Merit a New Covenant of Grace The Remonstrants Positively Affirm'd That Christ did by the Merit of his Death and Satisfaction Procure and Enact a Covenant of Grace with sinners The Reformed Churches in Opposition unto them were as Express That Christ did not Merit the New Covenant of Grace but that he was the chief Blessing of this Covenant Promised in Gen. 3. 15. from whom all other Covenant Blessings such as Reconciliation with God Remission of Sins and Eternal Life did as from their Fountain flow That God in Renewing this Covenant with Abraham Isaac Jacob David and the other Patriarchs and Prophets in the Old Testament did first make mention of Christ as the Seed in whom their Posterity together with all Nations are Blessed That in regard hereunto it is that Christ is called a Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 8. 6. ch 9. 15. ch 12. 24. For the Mediator of the New Testament and the Promise of this Mediator must belong to the New Covenant of Grace Judic Theol. Exteror de quinque Artic. Synod Dordrech Exhib an 1619. pag. 117 118. Now it must be yeilded That a Great Deal turns on this Point for from this Notion of the Remonstrants it doth saith the Learned Voetius Select Disp. Theol. Par. 2. not pag. 133. as Mr. Lobb in his Defence p. 23. cites it but pag.
time our Father and Faithful Pastor His Promises are Limited by certain Conditions and yet these Conditions are not over-rigidly insisted on in those Cases where somewhat of Ignorance or other Infirmities intervenes The Promise of Eternal Life Requires an Observation of his Commands but he knowing our Frailties will not Impute to us our Daily Sins if so be there Remain in us a Sincere and Upright Heart True Repentance and a Certain Purpose of Amendment Wolzog. Instruct ad Util. Lect. lib. N. T. cap. 4. 6. That this is Mr. William's Sense appears clearly on an Observing how much he Insists on the Rule of the Grace of the Promise as it accepts of our Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience for the sake of Christ notwithstanding our many Frailties Failings and Infirmities Mr. Williams The main of our Ministry consists in pressing Men to Answer the Rule of the Gospel c. Pref. to Gosp. Tr. p. 9. The Blessings promised on the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace are meerly of Grace They be for another's sake and not our own p. 57. The Gospel Promise being the Way which Christ Appoints to Dispence Saving Benefits to Sinners must have the same Rules with the Covenant of Grace This Gospel promiseth its Benefit to such as do Believe It Invests Believers in those Saving Benefits p. 65 c. This Convenant is the War c. Father Alsop His Description of the Covenant is this A Promise of the Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel A more full Description than Mr. Williams gives in his Answer to the Question What is the Covenant of Grace yet saith Father Alsop A Description so liable to Exceptions that it Describes neither the whole of the Covenant nor a New Covenant nor upon the matter any Covenant at all 1. This Description gives us little very little of the True Covenant of Grace For 1. Tho he thinks to put us oâ—t with a Promise of Pardon and Life to those who believe and obey the true Covenant of Grace hath given us a Promise of that Faith whereby we may believe and of that New Heart whereby we are Enabled to obey the Gospel And first we have a Promise of the Right Faith made to us in the True Covenant John 6. 37. Eph. 2. 8. We have a Direct and Express Promise too of the New Heart Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. 10. 2. As it Describes not the whole of the Covenant so it Describes not the Nature of a New Covenant c. 3. Upon the matter it 's no Covenant of Grace at all For 1. A Promise of Pardon and Life upon Condition of Believing and Obeying is neither better nor worse than a Threatning of Condemnation and Death to them who Believe not and Obey not It may with equal right be called a Threatning of Death as a Promise of Life It 's no more a Covenant of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath. Anti-Sozzo p. 580 581 c. There are other Notions in the Writings of Mr. Williams confuted by what is in Father Alsop's Anti-Sozzo which at this time I Forbeare to mention tho a Small Invitation will draw them out and a great deale more in Some Points of weight wherein he Differs from the most Emiment Reformers under whose shaddow according to his Deceitfull ways he Endeavours to shelter himself whilst it is his Vnwearyed Labour to subvert the common Faith of Protestants In the mean time I do solemnly Protest to use Father Alsop's own words That as I have no Personal Quarrel with this Gentleman so I have not willingly wronged his Discourse in the smallest Instance The worst I wish him is That he may Seasonably Repent of his Injurious Dealing and his Unworthy Treatment of those Persons who have Deserved well of Religion and the Commonwealth of Learning and not ill of himself particularly of his Ungenteel not to say Unkind and Unchristian Carriage towards that Learned that Holy that Modest and Humble Mr. Sylvester between whom and Mr. Baxter he Sneakingly and with Unmanly Flattery worm'd himself into the Good Old Gentleman's Opinion and by unwearied Begging Prevail'd to be the Man to supply his Absence at Pinners-Hall Lecture to the End he might make his way the more Plain and Easy for the thrusting himself into the same Lecture on the Decease of that Great and Good Man and have the better opportunity to play those Pranks he has since done to the breaking once an Hopeful Union and according to his Irish Practices cause Divisions amongst you to the great Dishonour of God the Reproach of Religion the Ruine of Mens Souls as well as to the Grief of the most Godly and Triumph of the Wicked and Profane All that remains were to do Right to your Merit and to Testify the Esteem I have for your Learning and Piety tho wholly unknown to you but that I am informed there is a Person who hath out of Duty to God Veneration for Holy Ministers and Kindness to the Generation of the Righteous undertaken it and who I doubt not will express the same concern for the Vindication of your Pastoral Wiâ—dom and Conduct as might be expected from SIR Your Vnworthy Brother and Servant