in no sense it can hurt him and that it is not a sting and terrour to the Conscience even of a Believer while his Faith is unactive and under a Cloud he wrongs him for he saith in fol. 512. The Torments of Hell is the merit of the least sin in the World I speak not to Extenuate any sin such as look upon these sins as uncancelled So long these sins may work an horror and trembling in Persons and Mr. Williams will not say but this is harm to a poor Souls peace and comfort and this Dr. Crisp holds nay he saith in fol. 513. Before Men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their sins stare in their Faces seeming to spit fire at them and is this no harm and this is to the Elect till they believe so that this is no good charge of Mr. Williams But if Mr. Williams mean 't is an error of Dr. Crisp to say there is no sin the People of God commit can possibly do them any hurt if it be taken in the sense the Doctor expresses calling it real hurt in fol. 510. This may be matter of debate but will doubtless issue on the Doctors side or rather on the Apostle Paul's who saith all things work together for good to them that love God If so then the Affliction that the Lord chastens withal for sin doth not argue that sin brings a real hurt If sin could do real hurt to a Believer such as to take away his Title to Heaven or cause him totally to fall from Grace then Christ did not for ever by one Sacrifice of himself save us and wash us from our sins in his Blood and perfect those that are sanctified but if he did make an end of sin and brought in everlasting righteousness for all that the Father gave him then he having purged our sins by himself on the Cross nailing them there never to be able to rise in Condemnation to those that are in Christ then this stingless Serpent sin will never do real hurt to Believers as the Doctor saith But if Mr. Williams mean that sin doth hurt even Believers because it brings natural death the Wages of sin being Death to Believers yet the sting of that being taken out by our Lord Jesus that is so far from real hurt that it is the Inlet to Eternal glory and if that be hurt the Lord grant Mr. Williams and I may be so hurt or rather Blessed with it in our exits Several other such hurts come by sin not from its own Nature but from Gods Ordination as that where sin abounds grace much more abounds not that any should think sin the less dreadful and terrible and as sin hath reigned to death so Grace reigns to eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord and yet still sin is to be avoided as the greatest horridest evil in the World but notwithstanding this the Apostle encourageth poor Souls when they do fall into sin not to be afraid of their sins but to flie for Refuge to the Mercy-Seat the hope sure and stedfast set before them saying if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and thus I hope this grand Cavil is evaporated and that it appears groundless for any to think Dr. Crisp had slight thoughts of sin when he saith it cannot do a Believer any real hurt yet he saith the Torments of Hell is the merit of the least sin and they will work an horrour and trembling till we see them Cancelled The next is Nor can God afflict them for any sin saith Mr. Williams against the Doctor This expression is no where quoted but inferred from the Doctor and it is put here contrary to the Doctor 's sense in which he speaks of Affliction and seems harsh Mr. Williams might see that what the Dr. saith is spoken by way of punishment that all the Afflictions that God lays on his People are in love and not by way of punishment for their sins seeing their sins were laid on the Lord Jesus and he bare them and all punishment due for them and if those that scruple saying Christ bare the very sins of the Elect will yet allow he bare the punishment for them sure then they must grant that God doth not lay affliction on his People by way of punishment God saith indeed you only have I known therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities but this cannot be taken properly for punishment unless Men will make God worse than the foolish Servant who made him a hard Master viz. an unjust Oppressor to punish sins on his Son and to punish them also on the sinner and besides that affliction which a man bears in this life be it never so great is so far from punishment proper for sin the least of which deserves as Doctor Crisp saith eternal Hell Torments that it is not so much as a flea-biting compared with a stab at the Heart but I take the ground why persons will call afflictions on God's Children punishments for sin is on this double account First they would make God an easie tender-hearted Judge that will commute Penance and for a great Crime as every sin is he will take a small amends as a little temporal Affliction and next they will be as kind to our Lord Jesus Christ and reckon he bears the less if the sinner bear part with him but without any mincing this must be owned that all afflictions on Gods people are in love all I love I rebuke and chasten and 't is for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness and it is fatherly to deter from sin I do not mean that sin hath no hand in many Afflictions for as the Apostle said of the disorderly Corinthians for that cause many were sick and weak But what the Dr. insisted on was that Affliction for sin was not proper punishment but pure love to their Souls though I cannot see but afflictions are a Fruit or effect of sin in many yet I may not from thence conclude that those Afflictions are from Wrath in the Father or for punishmenr proper on the Child but the effects of a Fatherly love for if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons so that this Exception against the Doctor is a small one but because it hath some seeming harshness to say God doth not afflict the Elect for sin therefore it must be hookt in to fill up the Charge though the Charge in the Preface be varying and harsher then it seems Mr. Williams could lay in his Book for there is no such word as nor can God afflict them for any sin Mr. Williams having laid the Charge in the next words he comes with a deadly thunder-clap conclusion full of Indignation saying All the rest of his Opinions follow in a Chain to the dethroning of Christ which if true then say I let his memory for ever perish and his
peace by the Blood of his Cross But in regard plain Scriptures will not go down but Christ's Righteousness must be our Gospel Holiness I proceed with the Testimony of those blessed maintainers of the absolute irreversible vertue of the sufferings of Christ which sufferings contained in them the daily pardon of our offences and yet these I hope Mr. Williams will not say have laid down Doctrines to the dethroning Christ though the same with Dr. Crisp they say in the same Passion Sermon in fol. 177. In this Death of Christ resteth our Justification How Sure Arch-Bishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley and you famous Martyrs you will be Antinomians by and by have a care Mr. Williams do not see this he 'll get 49 and 49 and more if the Press be not in too much haste to subscribe a Paper to countenance his accusing you for enervating Christs Laws what our justification rest in Christs death what justified in the sight of God who calleth things that are not as though they were Rom. 4.17 before we believe Sure either you are mistaken or Mr. Williams must retract his black Titles he hath given to this Doctrine however Mr. Williams take it the Doctrine is good stands firm is allowed nay commanded by many Acts of Parliament to be read and by Queen Elizabeths Letter to be read again and again by all Parsons Vicars and Curates that our justification resteth in the Death of Christ and if so having the Apostle Paul on my side Being Justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 and the Apostle John Who washed us from our sins in his Blood and our Statute Law and the Queens Letter to the Bishops that our Justification resteth in his Death I will oppose it against all Gospel Mincers though 1000 times 49 and will say that on God's part all the Elect were justifyed when Christ died or rather rose again for our justification that is for the Declaration of it tho' on man's part no man is personally justified 'till Christ come and unite himself to him and work Faith in him which is always accompanied with all other Graces in Faith the Seed and Root planted by Christ with himself in the Soul the Homilists go on for the farther ascertaining the benefits that accrew to the Elect in the Death of Christ and say In this death we be allowed how will Mr. Williams and his Friends take this In this we be allowed will they say in Christs death there is only a Foundation for Pardon or a Foundation for our being allowed O 't is much more doubtless 't is thus we now are allowed or accepted in that death of his that death had such an efficacy that we being justified by it are allowed or accepted in it he don't say we are accepted for it or allowed for it but in it we are allowed in it God looks on nothing else but that Death of his Son in which he allows or accepts of those Sheep his Son dyed for and that this is the meaning the next words shew they saying In this is purchased the everlasting Health of our Souls Ay saith Mr. Williams now they lean on my side Christ purchased this for them that is to say provided they repent believe walk holy no 't is not with that connexion tho' God works all those Graces where Christs death is imputed But they say everlasting Health is purchased and it is in this death of Christ there 't is firmly fixt on that unmoveable Rock without mentioning any previous Qualifications as terms or conditions to concur to our Title for the Title is freely given in the Purchase and the Qualifications are wrought by the Purchaser all of Grace and as sure as he laid down his life for his Sheep so surely they shall come to him the Father drawing But without any limitation to any Condition 't is asserted plainly by above 49 of these holy Reformers that in this Death of Christ I say in it which is more than by it in this is purchased the everlasting health of our Souls and we may not think that Christ will lose his Purchase he having paid the Price Salvation is sure and secure without any Ifs and And 's and connexions and distributions as their next words plainly say Yea there is none other thing than the death of Christ that can be named under Heaven to save our Souls but this only work of Christs precious Offering of his Body upon the Altar of the Cross Here are words without Sophisticating connexions saving our Souls is the thing aimed at now say they he hath not only purchased it so will say most Arminians but nothing else out the Death of Christ saves us name what you will name Repenting Believing Gospel-Holiness blessed graces all but what have they to do with Salvation they are found in the Subjects saved they being the free gift of God but as for Salvation as for the everlasting Health of our Souls that was wrought out long before our complying with the Gospel rule and made firm to all the Seed the foundation of God standing sure this work was over and so allowed by these great men when Christ died and so well and effectually done that nothing can be named under Heaven to have any thing to do in saving our Souls but this Death of Christ tho' I grant many things tend to the manifesting of it to us and making us meet for it as Faith and Holiness being the things that must and will accompany Salvation Are you for works for Conditions 'T is this only work say they saves our souls Christs precious offering of his Body upon the Altar of the Cross then and upon that Altar the material Cross on which our Lord Jesus hung and died upon that the work of saving our Souls was finished when he cryed out it is finished so that here is more than a Foundation for pardon for here is Justification nay more than Justification here is everlasting Health and Salvation of our Souls wrought upon the Cross of Christ 1657 years ago or thereabouts this was good Divinity in our great Grand-Father's days and in Dr Crisps Eyes and Lips that our Justification and Salvation was really actually in Christs Death as they say and so confirmed by every Parliament that ever Confirmed the Book of Common Prayer but now a poor sinners salvation must be tortured with our personal holiness coming in with an as it were as the Apostle saith Rom. 9.32 that is to say with our inherent Righteousness concurring complying with conformity to Gospel Rule under threats and promises or else we are for the Dethroning Christ for enervating his Laws and the Rabble that know nothing of either Justification or Sanctification shall be let loose upon asserters of Free Grace by Mr. Williams crying out O these be men against Gospel Holiness when their Opposers know in their Conscience there is such a strain of Holiness all along in Dr. Crisps Book that though it be against the grain they
he gives of converting Souls for the Gospel it self preacht by the Apostles themselves had no aptness in its Nature to convert Souls nay it was so far from that in its own nature that it became a savour of Death to the non Elect the Apostle did not Preach a deal of trumpery qualifications must be found in Men to prepare them to true Conversion but he preacht Christ Crucified to the Jews a stumbling Block and to the Greeks Foolishness but to them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.25 and in 2 Cor. 2.16 the Apostle saith We are of God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that Perish to the one the savour of Death to Death Where is the aptness of the Gospel in its own nature to convert Souls when you find it is the occasion of stumbling and is a Savour of death where there doth not go forth the same Almighty Power with it as raised up Christ and now though the Apostles preaching was far from having any thing in its own nature of aptness to convert Souls yet a human Invented way of Preaching the Gospel with threats and promises you say is apt nay 't is most apt in its Nature to convert Souls what doth this tend to but the taking off the effectual Irresistible Grace of God in calling some by the same word which hardens others I fear the conversion that is wrought by the natural aptness of a certain Ministry is only a Conversion to a natural Religion not to that which is from above Well you say your Ministry is not only apt in its nature but by Christs Ordination to convert Souls If it be by Christs Ordination it must have a tendency to what Christ hath ordained it for but the Ministry of Christs Ordination is not to set up any thing in Man to convert him unless deadness in a Man is a Qualification to make him live he saith the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live and you who were dead in sins hath he quickned you may tell a dead Man of many Qualifications that be necessary to make him live but 't is all in vain till Christ by his Omnipotent Power say the word and with the word speaks life But this aptness of a Ministry in its nature and then hooking in Christs Ordination of it without any Proof shews we must take things for granted because you say it though the Scripture say just the contrary in saying When thou wast in thy blood I said to thee live Ezek. 16. What Threats and Promises were here what aptness in denouncing the Terrors of the Law when even the Promises of the Gospel have not a natural aptness till Christ speaks the word and say Lazarus come forth The other side ignorantly set up the Name of Christ and Free Grace he says 'T would be good Manners first to prove 't is done ignorantly and next it would help your cause to prove that the Name of Christ and free Grace are not of more value in the Case than your Promises and Threats O have a care of a fling at the Name of Christ for by Faith in his Name the Apostle made the Cripple to go This is set up against the Government of Christ and the rule of Judgment D. W. No 't is set up by the Authority of the Apostle who desired to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him Crucifyed not a rag of Mens Righteousness to cover the least speck would the Apostle know As for the Government of Christ he needs none of your stating I believe many Abettors of these mistakes are honestly Zealous for the honour of Free Grace M. W. Again he comes with his these mistakes before he names any so positive in his Nonsense through Zeal of Opposition is he they are honestly zealous But if they be in the right as will appear if the Word of God be right then 't is to be feared the Opposer will not be honestly a Dictator and to calumniate before he prove is no sign of over much modesty nor discretion If he had said I suppose the Reader will find Dr. C. guilty of mistakes by the following Discourse he might have acquitted himself of modesty But presently these Errors and these Mistakes without a tittle of Proof requires a reproof he taught his venerable Vouchers Dr. B. c. modestly to say he hath rightly stated the Truths and Errors mentioned not these Errors and these mistakes they may be rightly stated and yet come far short of being sufficiently proved and whereas they modestly say they account he hath in this work done considerable service to the Church of Christ. I am of their mind too by many considerable Pens being engaged in answering it and will say what an excellent Christian told me I bless God with all my heart every day I rise for the oppposing Dr. C's Doctrine at Pinners Hall for it hath occasioned the light to break forth more gloriously thereby in illustrating and confirming what was opposed I suppose they refer'd to the Reverend Mr. Coles Discourses They have not light sufficient to see how God hath provided for this honour of Free Grace in his Rectoral distribution of benefits by a Gospel Rule Mr. W. If he had said they have not confidence sufficient to prescribe God a Rule as some others have I had agreed but for light Let us to the Law and Testimony when we come to the point but this Rectoral Distribution is the business Men have coyned an Office for God they prescribe him a model of Government he must distribute Benefits by a Gospel Rule but this Gospel Rule is of their own Scheme whereas the Apostle said to the Jaylor reeking in his sin going about to kill himself Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved this Rectoral Distribution must have been by threats and Promises you Jailor what have you to do with the Free Grace of God in Christ sure you have heard of Dr. C. Doctrine that Christ saves the worst Sinner that comes to him by believing no hold a while the Apostle Paul runs too fast he hath made abundance of such Antinomians as Dr. C. stay a little consider have you gracious Qualifications Have you wept and mourned and given full proof of your Humiliation Godly Sorrow Repentance and the like Don't tell us these are the Fruits of Faith and follow Faith but when you have found these then come to us for Comfort shew us your Gospel Holiness and then we can tell you Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved Many of our Ablest Pens were engaged against these Errors as Mr. Gataker c. The Provincial Synod at London As for Able Pens God gives various Light and if Paul and Barnabas contended much likelyer for Mr. Gataker and Dr. C. but 't is easier refuting a dead Man than a living one for one cannot answer what
and Son and Spirit delighted in during all eternity past and will in all Eternity to come is this vanisht into nothing in present being I may say God's Decree is so far from putting nothing into present Being that it puts all things into past present and future being for if God be one Eternal act and all things past present and to come are ever in being in his Eye or knowledge so he puts every thing into present being with himself to be manifest in their proper Seasons according to his eternal purpose which he purposed in himself Ephes 1.11 And accordingly the Election of Sons to glory is in present being when there are such Sons in being This putting nothing into being by God's Election is the way these Men take to evaporate God's Election into Man's Election 't is not God doth absolutely Elect any Man to salvation except the man Christ I hope they grant that but man Elects himself to Salvation and then Election hath put somewhat into present being But though Mr. Williams say of Election it puts nothing into present being I hope all Orthodox Protestants will say that Election hath put the Elect into an happy state for Election hath obtained though the rest are blinded and nothing can be laid to the charge of God's Elect and they are loved with an everlasting love and is God's love nothing in present being So it bars not God as a Governour to fix a connexion between Benefits and Duties No but it bars man from framing a Model for God and from making God's Righteousness to be Mans Gospel Holiness and it baâ—s man from putting in any leven into the lump of being Justifyed freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus it bars man from ploughing with an Ox an Ass and from wearing a Linsey Wolsey Garment and from putting new Wine into old Bottles and from thinking a Branch can bring sorth any good Grapes except it be first in the Vine the Lord Jesus there being no gathering Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles or any good work from any Soul till he is in Christ and though there is a blessed Connexion of Benefits and Duties yet no good Duty is done till the Benefit of being united to Christ be first bestowed by God God fixes a Connexion 't is true he makes the Tree good first and then the Fruit good and this was eternally in the Decree but man must not fix the connexion by making Duties Procurers of Benefits or making Gospel threats and promises to have in their own Nature a tendency to Convert Souls without the Operation of the Holy Spirit Mr. Williams saith If the Doctor had animadverted that Christs sufferings were the foundation of our Pardon but not formally our Pardon This intimates that the Dr. saith Christs sufferings were formally our Pardon I can shew how far our great Reformers went beyond Mr. Williams in asserting the vertue of the sufferings of Christ in the Pardon of sin which if Mr. Williams had consulted he would not have reflected as he doth on the Dr. they say in the Doctrine of the Church of England that which is tantamount to a formal pardon in Christs Sufferings they do not amuse the World with Mr. Williams his Rectoral distribution that he allows to God in pardoning sinners upon account of their being found in their Gospel Holiness joyning Faith and Holiness together as they entitle to Gospel Benefits which Benefits he saith are not from the conformity of Faith and Holiness c. to the Precept but from their Conformity to the rule of the Promise and so plunging poor Souls in his deeps and amazing them with his rules and Connexions But these Homilists give a certain sound of the Gospel and say upon the Sermon of the Passion of Good Fryday fol. 177 Such favour did he purchase by his Death of his heavenly Father for us that for the merit thereof we are now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sin These are plain wholsome intelligible Gospel Truths such as suit with the Doctors Testimony they are not Bombasted with If we continue to repent and believe to our Death then our Evangelical Righteousness shall justifie us at the great day from Satans Charge of unbelief But they speak home against all Arminianism and say that by the merit of his death we are in Gods grace again nay we are now in God's grace and that fully not we shall be and we are discharged from sin nay we are clearly discharged from sin and in the next words they put it home and say to the confounding all the mincers of the vertue of the death of Christ as to the pardon of sin thus No tongue surely is able to express the worthiness of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daily Offences Had such a passage as this been found in the Notes taken from Doctor Crisp that there is a continual pardon standing firm in the death of Christ of our present daily Offences this would be accounted dethroning Christ by giving more honour to him than some distinguishers can allow or if Reverend Mr. Cole had said that in Christs death stands the Pardon of our daily offences nay there stands a continual Pardon and this mentioned without naming Faith and Repentance but be our Offences what they may be there stands a continual pardon if we be Christians indeed say these holy Reformers this had been Dangerous Doctrine as an eminent Divine said of as harmless expressions of his as these in Pinners Hall I wish those worthy Gentlemen who are so exceptious against the freeness of God's Grace in and through Christ and must eke it out by our Gospel Holiness would seriously consider in the simplicity of the Gospel Spirit of these Homilists such expressions as these of theirs before they pass their hard Censures of crying dethroning Christ enervating his Laws because some who may be clearer than themselves Preach we are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus without any thing of Mans works cooperating therein or thereto nothing can be plainer than these Reformers newly come out of the School Terms of Popish justification for renouncing every thing in man to have any concurrence into our Pardon But now the simplicity of the Gospel must be lost by some Mens Distinction of our Pardon by Christs death his sufferings were not our formal Pardon but the foundation of it I believe none of his Publishers of Free-Grace too freely ever said Christs sufferings were the formal Pardon of a sinner it being perfect Nonsense but I hope they may say his sufferings were a real Expiation of the sins of all the Elect without offending most of the Subscribers to Mr. Williams his Book else how could the Apostle say by one offering he for ever perfected those that are sanctified and he loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood having made
cannot but own they believe him a holy Person and well they may if they compare his Sermons on Free Grace teaching to deny Ungodliness with his other Sermons on our sins laid upon Christ in the last side of which Vol. fol. 444. the Dr. saith For my own part I abhor nothing in the World so much as this namely a licentious undertaking to continue in any sin because that such fulness of Grace hath abounded and I shall recommend to them if any such be here the reading of the Epistle of Jude where they may see the fearful wrath of God upon such persons as abuse the Grace of God to sin O Beloved let not the love of the Lord God in Jesus Christ thus manifested be so basely requited at your hands seeing the Lord hath so freely loved you and given Christ to you that you might be to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace in a Godly and Christian Conversation whereunto you are Ordained for you are Created in Christ Jesus to good Works that you should walk in them and I beseech you always to remember that you cannot answer the free love of God toward you any other way but by shewing it in a fruitful Conversation in the World and considering that one end for which the Lord did redeem you was that you might be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good Works Titus 2.24 Thus ends the third Volume To stop the mouths of Gain-sayers especially Mr. Williams who accuses the Dr. to be for Licentious Doctrine but because our holiness must not come in to concur to our Justification this is to enervate Christs Laws But to our purpose again The Homily saith as to the respect Christs sufferings have to the Pardon of our sins though his sufferings be not a formal pardon as saith Mr. Williams as a piece of nonsense charged upon Dr. Crisp yet his Sufferings are tant-amount to a Pardon in the Account of those holy compilers of the Homilies who say in fol. 178. His Passion is the Ransom and whole amends for our sin If so then with submission I may say this whole amends for sin is in the Eye of a just and gracious God tant-amount to a Pardon for God cannot but acquit where amends is made though the Person acquitted is never the better for it as to his Conscience till he believe in the Lord Jesus no more than a Criminal in New-gate condemned for Treason is the more at peace in his mind when his Friend hath got a Pardon for him in his Pocket till he see it or believes it but will any man in his senses say this Criminal is not really benefited by the Pardon his Friend got him till he see and plead this Pardon much less may Mr. Williams say that an Elect person is not benefited by the Justification by Christs Resurrection because 't is not applyed to him till believing They go on in fol. 185. and say Christ being perfect God and the Son of God gave his Body to be bruised and broken on the Cross for our sins this Mr. Williams will grant but they go on and say our Saviour Christ hath delivered us from sin this Mr. Williams must temper with ifs and Connexions they proceed Yet not so that we shall be free from committing sin but so that it shall not be imputed to our Condemnation So they have allowed a benefit to Believers before they believe though Mr. Williams questions it and affirm Christ on the Cross delivered from sin bearing it away so as it shall not be imputed to them and whether this be not more than a bare foundation of our Pardon it being a real making amends for sin a real justification a real saving our Souls in these great mens account and in the Nations account let Mr. Williams ponder and not conclude that Dr. Crisp entertained these Opinions which dethrone Christ as he calls it by not animadverting that Christs sufferings were barely a foundation of pardon and let him muse what his vilifying this Doctrine of the Church of Englamd will amount to To proceed he saith that the sins of the Elect They are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by his enduring those sufferings this is directly contrary to the Doctrine in the Homily 177. which saith In this death of Christ standeth our continual Pardon I hope he will allow that Christ did put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself because God saith it without any Trope or Ifs or Connexions Heb. 9.26 Also he will allow that before Christ sat on the right hand of God he purged our sins by himself Heb. 1.3 And that at the end of seventy Weeks he made an end of sin and brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 and bare our sins in his Body and was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World John 1.29 If so that sins be satisfyed for and if put away and if purged and made an end of and born away and took away then what will remain to be forgiven even nothing and yet still neither the Dr. or any I know of hold that the Conscience of a sinner is acquitted hereby or at all by Christs death till Christ be applyed by Faith with all his Benefits to the Soul so that though with Mr. Williams our sins be not forgiven immediately upon Christs death as pertaining to the Conscience of the Elect sinner dyed for yet by Mr. Williams leave God is not so hard a Creditor to keep the Debt upon Record when he is satisfied for it and when 't is blotted out by the Blood of Christ sure he will allow that in the Court of Heaven the Book is crost and no debt appears against the Elect after Christ made payment sure this will not be gainsaid but by those who deny Christs satisfaction which many will nibble at tho' 't is too plain Popery to say downright that Christ did not make full satisfaction to God by his Death for the sins of all the Elect. Sins are not forgiven meerly by his enduring Sufferings W. What is our Gospel Holiness to help our Faith Holiness c. Yes for saith he There were to intervene a Gospel Promise of pardon the work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned and a Judicial act of Pardon by that promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof here 's a tedious lesson for a poor terrified Soul to get by heart when the Spirit of God hath convinced him of his miserable condition by sin when he cries to a Gospel Minister good Sir for the Lords sake tell me how I may get a pardon into my Bosom I have heard may he say God saith there is forgiveness with him 't is now ready by him that he may be feared I have heard that when the Jaylor cryed out What shall I do to be saved The Apostle bid him only believe in the Lord Jesus and thou
shalt be saved I have heard and read that in Ephes 1. and Col. 1. the Apostle saith in him we have Redemption through his Blood forgiving of sins so that as soon as I have him by faith I have forgiveness and I am bid to fly for Refuge to the hope that is set before me which I take to be Jesus my City of Refuge and not my Gospel Holiness Now good Sir may this poor Soul say what shall I do under the load of my sins may I take the Apostles words and Christs call Come to me and you shall find rest for your Souls as soon as ever you find your selves weary and heavy laden or must I stay till I find by a long seven or ten or 38 years lying at the Pool searching if I can find Mr. Williams draught agree with me that I have attained to a full compleat answering the Rule of the Gospel which he calls conformity to the rule of the promise Must I stay till I can understand Mr. Williams School terms of a Judicial Act of Pardon by that promise to the Person thus conformed to the Rule that is to say must I stay till I can love my Enemies they being my Neighbours as well as my self till I can turn my left Cheek patiently to him that smites me on my right till I can having two Coats give one to him that hath none till I can hate Father Mother sell all and follow Christ and in every thing conform to Gospel Rule in a word till I am perfect as my Father which is in Heaven is perfect before I may dare believe my sins are forgiven Or may I satisfie my self with Dr. Crisps quotation Look to me and be ye saved as the Serpent was only lookt to for healing I say if a poor Soul should put this to a Gospel Minister would he not answer the plain short Scripture way is best hearken to Jesus saying come take the Water of Life freely this is the work of God that ye believe in him the Father hath sent If you have me you have Life as many as receive me that is believe on my Name are Sons of God As for Mr. Williams distinctions Connexions Judicial act of Pardon he may please the Schools with them but there is more nourishing food in one calâ— of Christ Come to me come come buy Wine milk and honey without money without price in such a promise well prest than in a thousand of Mr. Williams distinctions Next I must attack an odd expression savouring of God's dispensing with the breach of his righteous Law without satisfaction which is the back door of Arminianism wherein creeps in mans free will and his good works concurring to his salvation the expression which I cannot digest is this Mr. W. saith a continuance in a state of death with a bar to the blessing are not threatned in the Gospel against every degree of sin as the Covenant of Works did This is Mr. Williams sense of the Gospel and its differing from the Law or Covenant of Works viz. the Law condemned for every sin but there are some degrees of sin the Gospel allows or doth not threaten Death for which I suppose without wronging him I may instance thus The Law condemned a Man for killing his Brother and for hating his Brother and for ill will to his Brother but the Gospel hath compounded the matter and made God reconcileable through Faith in Christ for a mans murdering his Brother but God will take no notice of a man's ill will to his Brother that degree of sin there is no threatning of Death for if this be his sense I take it to be far wide of the Apostles sense when he said the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin that is to say there is as real need of the vertue of the blood of Christ to cleanse from a vain thought as from murder though I do not say both are alike heinous yet both need the blood of Christ to wash them away or there is no standing Justified at God's Bar. Oh we should have a care of letting this poyson down that any sin can be pardoned but by the blood of Christ cleansing it for he that is guilty of one sin is guilty of all so that to say there is any degree of sin under the Gospel against which death is not threatned will amount in the conclusion to render the blood of Christ not needful to take away that degree of sin O sin sin how small soever must not be so treated for if the grain of Mustard seed small faith but true will grow to a great Tree and reach to Heaven this grane of Henbane the smallest degree of sin if not accounted for in the Gospel by the blood of Christ will grow to a vast depth even the Regions of darkness and Hell Upon this dangerous position of Mr. Williams That a continuance in a state of death and a bar to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of works did Mr. Williams propounds a splendid question Can any doubt this to be the grace of the Gospel Promise O profound grace of the Gospel promise it doth not bar from blessing nor continue in a state of death for every degree of sin a Heaven-born Soul that lives day by day on the Blood and Flesh of Jesus and feasts on the infinite love of God in Jesus would have thought that an eminent Minister of the Gospel a Gentleman of great parts supported by some of the greatest names in our Israel would havâ— thought that when Mr. Williams was rescuing the Lord Jesus as he intimates from the dethroning Principles of Dr. Crisp as he pleases to call them and when he is bringing back the Lord Jesus to his Throne one would think I say when Mr. Williams is celebrating the glory of the Grace of the Gospel promise he should have called for the aid of the holy Spirit to help him and have said somewhat to this purpose O the heighth and depth O the superlative Excellency of the Love of God in Christ that he should love us and wash us from our sins in his blood that the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin that he hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly places in Christ Thus our Lord Jesus is to be enthroned though it comes too near Dr. Crisp his way of dethroning Christ no this is not his Clue or way to raise Monuments of Glory to our Blessed Lord but thus he celebrates him by sniping off a Lap of his Garment as David did Sauls can any doubt but this the not being in a state of Death for every degree of sin is the grace of the Gospel promise If he had said this is a grace of the Gospel it had been a degree of modesty in Mr. Williams to the Gospel though it were not a truth but to say 't is the Grace and so the grace that none can doubt of it
this needs a remark and the chief that I shall make is that I will beg of God and now do that I and Mr. Williams also may have the grace of the Gospel promise in a more full stream than that a continuance in a state of Death and a bar to the blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of works did but that we may swim in the Rivers of infinite Love that God chose us in Christ before the World and gave us to the Lord Jesus that no sin should pluck us out of his hand and that by one offering he hath for ever perfected those that are sanctifyed so that now there is no more conscience of sin because where sin abounds grace doth much more abound and yet still for every sin and for every degree of sin we may not think our selves freed from Condemnation for it by vertue of the Gospel promise relaxing the Covenant of Works but I beg that he and I may for our cleansing our Consciences from the least degree of sin make use of the Apostles remedy If any man sin be it in any the least degree we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins ay that 's the business that 's it we must trust to he is the propitiation for our sins of sin in the least degree it must have this participation or wo unto us this I implore of God in the name of Jesus that I and Mr. Williams may by a daily applying to this propitiation get our Consciences free from every degree of sin Before I leave this clause I reflect that the greatest Grammarian may make blunders which I note that Mr. Williams in the next Edition may mend this that so the World may not think Mr. Williams allows false Grammar as this Clause gives suspicion or I must go to School again The false Grammar in this clause is in these words At the Covenant of Works did which follows these words And a continuance in a state of death with a bar to the blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of Works did so that the sentence in brief by Mr. Williams ordering runs thus Death and a Bar are not threatned as the Covenant of Works did and if this be sense or Grammar it must be by some Outlandish Figure and Rule I suppose he means thus Death and the Bar are not threatned as in the Covenant of Works they were and not as the Covenant of works did Mr. Williams next makes his Queries to confirm â—is assertion that every degree of sin is not threatned under the Gospel with Death and for confirmation of it saith Doth it the Gospel promise Life to all men however vile and impenitent they be I confess this rimes like brains and stairs he propounds that every degree of sin doth not bar the blessing of the Gospel and Confirms it by this the Gospel don't promise Life to the vilest and impenitent If it don't promise life to the vilest and impenitent doth it follow that any degree of sin can be so small as not to deserve death under the Gospel A strange Inference and stranger Doctrine as if he had said thus there are some sins under the Gospel do not deserve death because the Gospel doth not promise life to the vilest and most impenitent But to leave the Illogicalness of his Argument I 'll consider his Question as a positive Assertion single and by it self The Gospel doth not promise Life to all men however vile and impenitent they be saith Mr. Williams and I never heard of any that ever said it did that all men of all Nations since the World began to the end of it had promise of Life by the Gospel and then Mr. Williams rambling Question supposes some such Universalians there are but to help and amend the question it may be Mr. Williams intends thus Doth the Gospel promise Life to all that hear it however vile c. I answer none that he opposes ever asserted it as I see they with every good Christian say it promises life to all that truly believe in the Lord Jesus nay it promises life to all the Elect But the grand Question is still if it promise Life to the Elect however vile and impenitent they be this I take to be Mr. Williams Question now if he mean that the Gospel do not promise life to those that continue vile and impenitent to those that are never effectually called by the grace of God I am satisfied he must fight with the Air for none disputes him in that point but if he mean that the Gospel doth not promise Life to the chief of sinners to thâ— most vile and most impenitent which cannot be worse than the chief of sinners if they be elected chosen Vessels if he asserts this he mistakes but I will not question his Integrity to the Gospel in this point I fear there lies somewhat at the Bottom that wiâ—â—â—â—t bear the standard or touchstone of the word that is that God promises Life and Salvation upon our repentance and growing from vile to good for he doth not promise it to the vile and impenitent If this be his meaning that there is no promise of life to an Elect person till he return from vileness and till he repent this is as near Arminianism as four pence is to a groat and as far from the scripture as the West is from the East for that saith in Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began so that I conclude against Mr. Williams with the Apostle that the Gospel promise was before the foundation of the World for Life and Salvation to all the Elect according to the Promise of God though they be the chief of sinners however vile and impenitent they are till the Gospel comes and turns them from darkness to light from dumb Idols to serve the living God and the Gospel promise when it first touches their Hearts by the Spirit of God though it finds them so vile and impenitent it does not leave them so but first puts in a new spiritual life and carries it on in sanctification more and more every day and in this sense I give my Judgment the Gospel promises life to all men that are Elected that is all that are by vertue of their Election effectually called which promise was before the World began this cannot be too much insisted it because it is for the praise of the glory of his grace and hath no tendency to lessen the true value of the blessed graces of Repentance and new obedience which flow from and do give life to the promise His next Question is or doth it the Gospel threaten damnation or a continuance of it on any true Penitent believing Godly man because he is imperfect This is as wild a question as the former that was doth the Gospel
save all thus doth it damn all for what man lives and sins not So that every true Penitent is imperfect and this question needed not be askt but only to insinuate that true Penitence believing and godliness come in equal sharers in intituling Men to salvation by Christ that they go hand in hand to give an Interest in the promise only Repentance must take the Right hand and go next the Wall though the Apostle say justified by Faith we are saved by grace through Faith yet Repentance and Godliness will crowd in for a little boasting though it rob Christ whereas true faith gives him the glory of all by being the hand that receives all from Christ In the next place we have the yet most dangerous position for establishing our works in the business of our Salvation in this long sentence to bring in a degree of obedience a little finger we must have in the Pye or it will not be well made he brings it in thus This change of the Sanction that is of Life from Gospel Obedience instead of the Law Obedience supposes the death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own glory while he promises Life by forgiveness to imperfect man and yet he insists on some degree of Obedience to which of his meer grace he enableth us Here 's a long series or train to bring in a degree of Obedience first the sanction is changed this needs pondering next this supposes the death of Christ O fit what only supposes the death of Christ is his death to have no better encomium upon it one would think that glorious price and ransom of our redemption should have been set off with a glorious title as thus this is owing to the infinite love and mercy of God in the Unvaluable purchase by the blessed death of Christ But repenting believing a godly life that must have the high praises the Death of our blessed Lord Jesus must come off with a supposition this supposes the Death of Christ 〈◊〉 the next place it supposes the honouring the Law and is that all doth it not suppose the satisfying the Law I find not a word of that that Christs death satisfyed the Law O there is care taken that string must not be harped upon it would drown the sweet melody of some degrees of Obedience and our repenting believing and godliness which though excellent in their place yet are not to eclips the glory of our Lord Jesus in becoming the end of the Law I must say 't is a mean business to say Christs death honoured the Law so Cranmers death honoured the Gospel but Christs death to all sound Protestants was the end of the Law by his fulfilling our Righteousness but there must come in with it some degree of our Obedience this seems pretty broad compounding the matter with God for the sin of man Christ honoured the Law by his Obedience yet God insists on some degree of our Obedience this looks like a linsey woolsey Garment but it must be laid aside for it will not prove the wedding Garment the Bridegroom will scorn that any of his Guests shall sit down with the glorious Garment of his righteousness patcht up with the degrees of our Obedience If the King should send a Garment for Mr. Williams to come to Court in and stand before him I am confident he would wear that and that only and not go about to clap a patch here and a patch there of his own Coat much less will he do it to the Lord Jesus on serious thoughts Wherein God hath provided for his own Glory But it is but a mean provision if Christ have only honoured the Law and not fully satisfyed it and if our Obedience must come in with his Sons Obedience can is be thought that our imperfect obedience provides for God's glory by joyning it with Christs most perfect Obedience God indeed hath provided well for his glory in mans Salvation only from his own free Grace through the Blood of Christ but Mr. Williams makes but a slender providing for God's glory while he leaves room for the flesh to glory in his presence by his own obedience is this that no flesh may glory in his sight But Mr. Williams takes care to prevent that he 'll say by the last clause that God of his men grace enables us to this our Obedience I answer not in the least doth this take off from glorying for though 't is Gods grace inables to Obedience yet the Obedience is still our work and the Scripture saith plainly not of works lest any boast Every breath I breath is of God's grace and if God should enable me to speak for two hours together to the King Lords and Commons in Parliament so as to perswade them to imploy none but those that truely fear God in any place of trust should I not be apt to applaud my self though I should still own the ability and efficacy to perswade them was of God how much more will any poor Creature boast if his Obedience hath any hand in the salvation of his Soul O that we could cry grace grace not to us but to thy name be the praise and as for our Obedience cry all our righteousness is as filthy Raggs and so let us set the Crown on the head of our Lord Jesus say continually To the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever for his being all in all Author and finisher Alpha and Omega in our Salvation He promises Life by forgiveness to imperfect Man This is the next step to bring in some degree of our obedience but a false step if by promising Life by forgiveness he excludes Christs satisfying Gods Justice as that which leads to forgiveness of which there is not a word in this Paragraph and doth God promise life barely by forgiveness this is a sorry and nonsensical account of mans Redemption and Salvation And yet he insists on some degree of Obediences saith Mr. Williams Here comes the great master wheel by which our Salvation is secured Christs death is supposed the Law hath honour by Christs Obedience life is promised but yet God insists in our Obedience at least on some degree of it That God insists on our obedience and on more than some degree of it must be owned by all for God insists on our being holy as he is holy God insists on our loving him with all our heart God insists that we be blameless and unreproveable in his sight this is more than some degree of Obedience and it is our duty doubtless to endeavour to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect But this hath nothing to do in our obtaining Life and is not such an Obedience as Mr. Williams saith God insists on He is more easie in his terms to poor sinners than to run it so high well what is it God insists on he in
looketh for the righteousness of God by Faith Phil. 3. Here is not a word of our Gospel Holiness brought in but a total contempt of his own righteousness call it what you will the righteousness of the Law or Gospel holiness if it be his own 't is contemned and somewhat plainer is Mr. Perkins on the same Text in fol. 659. Vol. 1. who saith thus The Apostle Paul in desiring to be found not in his own righteousness but in Christs desired nothing else but that he might be accepted of God for Christs sake and be esteemed righteous in his righteousness and this very Obedience which is in Christ and not in us is the very matter of the Justice of the Gospel and this is made ours by Faith the Gospel requires not the conditions of Merit or of any work to be done on our parts in the Case of Justification Toletus writing on the Rom. 10.3 the not submitting to the righteousness of God which is the same righteousness of God by Faith as is in Phil. 3.9 he hath this expression upon it and saith it is Justitiam partam morte Christi quam Deus Credenti imputat donat and Pareus saith 't is Justitiam Christi and Vatablus on Rom. 10.4 concerning Christs being the end of the Law for righteousness saith Vt qui credit in Deum reputetur Justus à Deo perinde ac si totam legem impleverit finis legis per se est ut ex ejus prestatione Justificentur homines hunc finem lex obtinuit in solo Christo qui legi penitus satisfecit per Christum in nobis quoque obtinet quibus data ei legi satisfactio per fidem imputatur thus Vaâ—ablus Gomarus gives in his Testimony very plainly against Gospel holiness being the righteousness of God and saith on Rom. 1. on the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith in this Question Quid sit justitia non qua Deus Justus est sed effectivè quod à Deo data est Estius Quâ nos revera in oculis ejus Justos facit Tirinus Quâ nos Deus à Peccatis absolvit And Zanchy on the Righteousness of God without the Law Rom. 3.21 saith Quomodo fides Justificat assert fides justitiam non effectivé quasi habitualiter Justos efficiat nec materialiter quasi ipsa sit illud quo justi censemur sed objectivè quatenus in Christum qui est Justitia nostra dirigitur organicè quatenus Justitiam Christi nobis imputatam fides apprehendit And on this very Text Phil. 3.9 but the righteousness which is of God by Faith Id est Justitia quae est ex Deo quae tota penitus omnibus suis partibus merum est Donum Dei gratuitum venit haec Justitia è Caelo unde cadit Super fidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non dicit hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi fides prout opus est nostrum vel sit pars hujus Justitia vel illud promereatur sed tantum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus these Worthies on this Text agree with Dr. Goodwin who saith p 40. of Election which righteousness by Faith to be Christs Righteousness all sound Protestants profess wherein they are as far from saying the righteousness of God by faith is our Gospel holiness as that it is our Gospel unholiness I suppose it might easily be shewn whence Mr. Williams had this unsound Interpretation of this glorious Text even from Grotius as he from the Mother of Harlots Rome who Joyns mans works with Christs for Justification But methinks every true Lover of the Lord Jesus and honourer of him with his Righteousness made ours should rise in Arms against such an Exposition of this Text and say Sir I would rather the Pen though Steel should be thrust into the Ball of my right Eye than thus to pierce again the side of the Lord Jesus and let his righteousness run waste while 't is joyned so corruptly with our Holiness But what need the suffrage of these Worthies be called in to oppose this exposition they may as well be called in to say White is not Black and black not white for 't is positively against the express word of God and such an Interpretation is to make the Word a Nose of soft Wax to turn it which way one will the Spirit of God saith expresly 't is the righteousness of God by Faith that is 't is the righteousness of him who is God blessed for ever and 't is ours by Faith No saith this bold Pen 't is our Gospel Holiness that is 't is our conformity to all the Rules of the Gospel From such Divinity the Lord Deliver us By this preface it may be guessed how he will attack the free Grace of God set forth in the Gospel and held up to the light by Dr. C. ex pede Herculem ex ungue Leonem This is the first part of the proof of his opposing Dr. C. in order to bring in our righteousness to concur with Christs in our Justification by his perverting the Text in calling the righteousness of God by Faith our Gospel Holiness which is near a kin to the Quakers Light within being their Christ so if our Gospel Holiness be the righteousness of God then 't is our Christ for Christ is called by Thomas his God and by the Apostle Paul he is made of God our Righteousness and by Mr. Williams this Christ our righteousness is our Gospel Holiness So that by this Clew or Thread at the entrance into his Book we are led into the Mystery of his laying so great Blame on Dr. C. for renouncing all our Righteousness in the matter of Justification before God But to trace him from the beginning he enters on the Stage with so much heat against Errors of his own forming that he forgets himself and the first dash in his Preface is a trip of nonsense making his beginning to sound as if it were his ending saying the Revival of those Errors whereas he had named no Errors before but Zeal and his Passion puts and begins on these Errors which hath no reference and instead of saying the Errors which I have proved against Dr. C. he saith the revival of these Errors Well what will the revival of these Errors in the air do they must not only exclude that Ministry as Legal which is most apt in its Nature and by Christs Ordination to convert Souls but also renders Vnity amongst Christians a thing impossible But what if they be found sound Gospel Truths what you take for Errors then the Ministry excluded as Legal will be found not very apt in its nature to Convert Souls and not of Christs Ordination so to do Whether they be Errors or no will be seen when Examined in the mean time this expression looks like Legal and Ungospel to say the Ministry he pretends to hath an aptness in its own nature to convert Souls and is Forreign to the Apostle's account