from the Father and the Son And if the knowledge of this be such an essential part of Christianity and a ground of that knowledge of God which leadeth to salvation and so necessary for the right uptaking of the great work of Redemption and Salvation as it is and cannot rationally be denyed by any sober man who considereth what a sure basis this is unto the Christians hope peace and comfort how cometh it to pass that there is no express and distinct mention made of this fundamental point in all his Theses we have heard how the Quakers of N. England have denied this foundation And Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked part 1. sect 7. tels us that the Quakers against whom he wrote dâ—nied thâ—t there was any Scripture for the Trinity and said that the Holy Ghost was no Person It is known also how others of them inveigh against this fundamental Truth It is true I finde not this man either in his Theses or in his Apology directly writing against this truâ—h Yet as I finde no expressions hereanent in his whole book others than such as might come out of the mouth of an Antitrinitarian Socinian so I judge if his Theses had answered his great brags in the Preface they had expresly and distinctly not only mentioned but clearly have unfolded this truth 7. In the 3. place If by his Theses he would direct us into the Saving knowledge of God and make a plaine discovery to us from the very fountaine of all that knowledge that leadeth unto life eternal how cometh it to pass that we have no declaration made to us of the Eternal Purposes and Decrees of God whereby some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others foreordained unto everlasting death and whereby according to the most wise and holy counsel of his will he hath freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever cometh to pass Shall we think that the knowledge of this hath no interest in the saving knowledge of God or in that knowledge which leadeth unto life which yet undeniâ—bly yeeldeth such a noble ground of Faith Dependence Praise Reverence Humility Hope Consolation Admiration and holy Fear Nay this Man not only doth not asserte or explaine this but as we shall hear doth deny and impugne it with all his might 8. How cometh it 4 That in all his Theses or Apology there is not the least mention direct or indirect made of the Covenant of Redemption or of those mutual actings of the blessed Persons of the Trinity resembling a mutual Covenant and engagement concerning the everlasting Interest of man Shall any man think that this point of truth which is such a sure ground of all our hopes and consolation such a sure support of staggering souls and such an armour of proof against the assaults of Satan maketh no part of that knowledge which leadeth unto life or hath no place in true and saving knowledge 9. Further 5. Doth not the doctrine of the first Câ—venant of Works entered into with Adam as the representative of Mâ—n-kiâ—de upon condition of Personal Perfect and Perpetual obedience belong to that necessary knowledge which bringeth forward unto life or unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is begun felicity How is it then that his Theses are so silent herein or at most give us such a darke and jejune hint of this as is next to none as we shall see It is one of the Quakers tenets as Mr Stalham Sheweth in his forecited book Part 1. Sectâ—7 â—7 that Adam was not under a Covenant of Works that the Law which Adam had in innocency written in his heart was not the moral law that Adam did not stand by the observation of the positive branches given him in command according to that Law So said I. Nayler and R. F. as he sheweth us and that the same Iames Nayler in his Book called The discovery of the Man of sin Pag 23. went about to prove this by such pityful Arguments as these The Covenant of Works saith do this and live but he that is Adam had the life already while he stood in it and so it was not to be obtained by working as if do this and live could not hold forth the condition of continueing in life and againe That the law was added because of transgression which if it had been before the transgression could not have been as if the law must not of necessity be before sin which is the transgression thereof 1. Ioh. 3.4 and could not afterward beheld forth as a glass to discover the foule spots of transgressions and the same would R. F. in the 12. Pag. of his Book go about to prove 10 Moreover 6. If his Theses be such an unfolding of clear and naked truth how cometh it that he speaketh so obscurely and enigmatically of the fall of Adam Doth not the clear and distinct knowledge of this truth concerne such as would be acquaint with true and saving knowledge 11. But especially 7. We may wonder how it cometh to pass that in his Theses which he would give out as a summe of saving knowledge nor in his great Apologie we have no description explication or delineation yea or mention of the Covenant of Grace wherein Life and Salvation Pardon and Acceptance Grace and Glory is promised and offered through faith in Jesus Christ or acceptance of Him as He is offered in the Gospel Shall we think that the knowledge of this is no part of that pure and naked Truth which is necessary to be known Or that it can contribute nothing unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is the sure way unto eternal life How shall he be able to perswade us hereof 12. Againe 8. Shall we think that the doctrine of the Redemption purchased by Christ of the Atonement made by him unto Justice for the sinnes of his people and of their Reconciliation unto and Acceptance with God upon the account thereof of the Sufferings of Christ in Body and Soul in his state of Humiliation of his Death Resurrection and Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand of his Obedience and of the Sacrifice of himself which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up unto God to satisfie Justice and purchase not only Reconciliation but also an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all such as were given to him of the Father shall we think I say that the knowledge of this is not necessary unto Salvation nor necessary to such as would have such a knowledge of God as is eternal life If he dar not be so impudent as to say so why is there such a shameful silence hereof in his Theses and Book as there is Had he no will to displease his friends the Socinians 13. Further 9. Shall it be thought that the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God the Second Person in the Trinity hath no great interest in that pure and naked truth the knowledge whereof leadeth
is I know not are the ground of our Iustification But seing Iustification and Sanctification stand upon the same ground with him he must also say that we are not Sanctified by good works considered by themselves and if good works or works of Sanctification and holiness considered as such will not ground the denomination of Sanctification I would faine know what will 5. But if they neither be Sanctified nor Iustified by these good works by what are they Sanctified or Iustified It is by Christ saith he who is the gift and the giver and the cause produceing the effects in us But this Christ is nothing else but a Creature produced in man by mans industry and goodwill not stubbornly resisting but piously receiving the illumination of the light and that out of this light which is in every Son of Adam for he told us that this Light when thus religiously entertained becometh a holy pure and spiritual birth and this is the Christ formed in us who is the gift and the giver and producer of all the fruits of holiness which are acceptable unto God Are we not then Iustified by our works when Iustified by this Christ or Principle produceing these works in us especially seing this Christ is a Christ formed within and not that Christ who laid downe his life a ransome for sinners and offered up himself a sacrifice to divine justice to satisfie justice and the Law by his Obedience and Death for the Redemption of his people We heard lately that this Christ and his Blood is far off in their account and cannot cleanse or do us any good But further I think that even in this Quakers are far worse then Papists for when Papists will have us Iustified by works they speak of works wrought in the soul by the Spirit real works of grace flowing from an inward principle of grace but our Quakers though they give goodly words yet really their works by which they are Sanctified and Iustified are but works wrought at best by the Power of Nature For that Light within every man as was shewed above is but pure Nature and whatever is borne of or proceedeth from this seed is but Nature for that which is borne of the flesh it flesh Ioh. 3 6. And from nothing that is in man by nature or in all men can that which is heavenly and spiritual spring unless we turne Pelagians this is to be held And that Light within them if its eyes were not blinded with prejudice though it be not sanctified nor of the Spirit might even cauâ—e them understand so much And when all the Efficient cause that we hear of from him produceing this pure and spiritual birth or educeing it out of its matter or causing its change and being some other thing than it was is only man and man doing nothing but receiving the illumination of this light can we suppose this to be any thing else than a pure product of nature which Heathens and Pagans Turks and Tartars who never heard one word of Christ may be partakers of And can this Sanctification and Justification be that mentioned in the Scriptures when it is common to infidels who are without God and without Christ in the world if they will but obey the light of nature Is this which he talketh of to be borne of God No certainly but rather it is to be borne of bloud or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man but so are not any borne that receive Christ and beleeve in his name Ioh. 1 12 13. One thing more Seing this Light which the Quakers say is in every man is in Devils and that in a greater measure than in man may it not also be said of them that if they will receive this light and not resist it it shall become an holy pure and spiritual Birth and Christ formed within And shall not they likewise upon this account be capable of this Sanctification and Justification I must still put Sanctification first that I may speak according to the Quakers Language and shall we have no other Sanctification and Justification preached to us by Quakers than what Devils are capable of and have the real feed of already O poor deluded wreatches Is this the top of all their endeavours and the upshot of all their hopes Sall we get nothing at most but a Paganish Iustification and Sanctification 6. He closeth his Thesis thus who i. e. Christ when he reconciled us while enemies according to his wisdome doth save and justifie us this way as the Apostle saith else where He hath according to his mercy saved us by he lawer of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Ans. But what way did he reconcile us while enemies was it by his bloud and by his crosse Ephes. 2 16. Or by the bloud of his crosse or in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1 20 22. Or was it by his death Rom. 5 10. If so then sure he died for the ungodly Rom 5 6. And for sinners vers 8. that they might be reconciled to God by his death vers 10. And then the grace of God and the gift by grace must abound unto them vers 15. and that unto justification vers 16 18. Then sure Christ died in their roome and place as their Cautioner and Surety and as their Surety made satisfaction to justice that they should be redeemed and delivered from Law Justice and Wrath for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his owne son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8 3 4. And if so as the Scriptures do richly witness then that mediatory Righteousness of Christ the Redeemer and Cautioner must legally be made over unto them to the end that they may be legally acquit and freed from the Accusation and Condemnation of the Law And by vertue of that Righteousness of Christ the Cautioner imputed unto them by God they as cloathed therewith by faith and appearing therein must be Iustified before God and not by any thing wrought in them at what hand so ever And thus all that he hath said in his Thâ—sis is overturned 2. It is true that the Lord in wisdom hath ordered things aright and appointed the way how we should be partaker of the benefites which he hath purchased and particularly of Iustification and Sanctification But that the wisdom of God hath appointed that we should be Iustified by any thing done by us whether from a principle of Nature or of Grace wrought in us even by the Spirit of God as the formal objective reason or that upon the account of which we can be accounted Righteous and Absolved from Accusation and have our inquities pardoned is not revealed to us in all his word but the contrare rather as hath been seen 3. Nor doth these words of Paul to Titus Chap.
comp with Ioh. 7 38 39. 2. It is affirmed that he is in them and abideth in them Psal. 51 11. Rom. 8 9 11 15. 1 Cor. 2 12. Gal. 4 6. 1 Tim. 3 14. 1 Ioh. 2 27. Rom. 5 5. 3. He Sealeth them unto the day of redemption Ephes. 1 23. 4 30. 2 Cor. 1 21. 4. He is a Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8 15. Gal. 4 5 6. 10. Fourthly If we consider the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Iehovah and the Lord Mediator this will be abundantly evinced For 1. The Father hath given a number to Christ to save Ioh. 17 2 9 11 12. 6 37 39. And Christ hath undertaken to save them Ioh. 6 37 39 40. 2. The Father hath undertaken that Christ shall see his seed Esa. 53 10. and see of the travel of his soul be satisfied Esa. 53 11. Psal. 72 8. 3. Christ had a commission to goe about this work to bring many sones unto glory was qualified for this end Esai 61 1 2 3. Esa. 42 6 7. 49 9. Heb. 2 10. 4. The Fathâ—r hath promised to give Christ what he asketh Psal. 2 8. 89 2â— 27 28. 5. Yea He hath sworne that he shall have an issue Psal. 89 35 36. Act. 2 30 31. Psal 132 11 12. 2 Sam. 7 12. 1 King 8 25. Luk. 1 61. 11. Fiftly The consideration of the nature of the Covenant of Grace will conâ—â—rme this for that is an everlasting and unchangable Covenant and haâ—h the promise of Perseverance in its bosome Gen. 17 vers 7. Ier. 31 vers 31 32 33. 32 vers 38 â—9 40. Ezech 11 17 18 19 20. Hos 2 19 23. Ioh 6 54 56. Esai 54 10. 12. Sixtly The Grace infused in souls according to the Covenant of grace is of an enduring nature especially considering how it is Watered Preserâ—ed and Cared for It is a remaining seed 1 Ioh. 3 9. sowne in good ground Luk. 8.15 by the rivers of water Psal. 1 3. And watered every moment Esai 27.3 See Ioh. 4 14. 7 38. And so is differenced from Gifts and Common graces and from temporary Faith and grace that evanisheth in the day of tryal 1 Ioh. 2 19. Luk. 8 18. Ioh 2 23 24. Mat 13 21. Ioh. 17 9. what this true faith is see Tit. 1 1. 1 Tim. 1 5 Gal. 5 6. 2 Pet. 1 1. 13 Seventhly The consideration of the hurt and dammage that the Asserting of the Apoâ—tasie of the Saints bringeth necessarâ—ly with it unto Christians may have its owne weight here For 1 Then they could not in faith and confidence pray for it for what is purely in the power of mans Free will and is not the sole work of God and of his grace we cannot we need not pray for contrare to Ioh. 14 13 14. Ephes. 3 17 18. 1 Thes. 5 23 â—4 and the Lords prayer teacheth us to pray that his Name be hallowed that his Kingdom come and that his Will be done in earth as in heaven 2. This would destroy their Hope and Confidence in God for preservation in the times of tryal and temptation contrare to Rom. 8 vers 35 38 39. 3. This would take away their joy of the holy Ghost anâ— Consolation and give ground of continual Anxiety Doubts Feares c. 14. Eightly The consideration of the blow that this doctrine would give unto many articles of our Faith and undoubted truths of our Religion may confirme us against it As 1 It would render the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ null and useless for he should then suffer and die and no man might be saved or healed by his stripes and death 2. It would also render his Resurrection Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand ineffectual For notwithstanding thereof no man might be saved 3. It destroyeth his Death as the Death of a Cautioner for no man can be said to have died with him risen with him and to sit with him in heavenly places contrary to Rom. 6 3 4 5 8. Eph. 2 5 6. Col. 3 1. nor can he be said to prepare mansions for anâ— contrare to Ioh. 14 2 3. 4. It maketh the grand promise of the Spirit null of no effect 5. It taketh away the Catholick Church that shall certainly come to mount Zion and to the innumerable company of angels c. Heb. 12 22 23 24. 6. It would null that Christian Communion and sweet Fellowship of Saints 7. It would make Remission of sins of little comfort 8. And take away the faith of Life Everlasting 15. Having premised these things for clearing and confirming of the truth we come to examine what he sayes against it Pag. 167. § 2. He reasoneth from Iud vers 4. and supposeth that these that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness had once grace not knowing that this was not grace inherent or the true grace of God placed and planted in the soul and wrought there by the Spirit of grace but external grace held forth in the Gospel offer even that grace that shouâ—d have taught them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to have lived soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2 12. It is that grace which is outwardly spoken and preached Act. 14 3. Ephes. 3 2. 1 Pet. 4 10. Next He reasoneth from 1 Tim. 1 19. supposing that that faith which some made shipewrak of was true and saving faith contrare to 2 Tim. â— 17. 4 14. while as it was nothing but the doctrine of faith as the word also is taken 1 Tim. 3 9. 4 1. Gal. 1 23. 3 2 5 23 25. Act. 6 7. Rom. 1 5 8. In the third place he reasoneth from Heb. 6 4 5. Not so much as noticeing that the words are but Conditional and not Absolute if they fall away And that there is nothing here no not one expression that is necessarily to be understood of true and saâ—ing grace and not of meer gifts and common graces given in a more than ordinary measure no one expression here of Regeneration of true Sanctification of Closeing with Christ of their being Justified or Adopted or Elected c. Nay the Apostle compareth them to ground upon which the raine falleth and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars vers 8. distinguisheth them from those to whom he wrote of whom he expected better thingâ— that accompany salvation vers 9. and from true beleevers vers 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19. When our Quaker out of his friends the Socinians Arminians shall say any thing to prove that these expressions import true and saving grace we may then think it time to spâ—ak more of this but seing he is pleased to give us no more here but his naked assertion we have said enough and so proceed 16. The next thing he alleigeth against this truth is a supposition that he hath undermined the ground thereof viz. Election But how superficially this was attempted we have seen But he sayes
suffered without the gates of Ierusalem and by his death and offering all things is accomplished for them and no sin shall be imputed to them though they live in it that is are not Quakers and through his Mediation and Intercession for them as â—e is at the right hand of God at a distance from them they beleâ—ve that they have access to God and are accepted of him and yet they neither know God nor Christ nor the place where they saâ— he sits at the right hand of God and being in their minde perswaded that Christ hath satisfied and hath reconciled them to God though they be yet in their sinnes that is not Quakers This evidenceth what account they make of a Christ without and of his Righteousness 2. What doth their common taking of a Spiritual body bloud which Christ had which came downe from heaven mean Do they mean by the blood of Christ the blood that came from that man that died a Ierusalem as a sacrifice for sin No they cannot mean that for that is but outward blood that cannot cleanse the conscience This body was but his Temple or Vessel and not his body which went to heaven And this it seemeth they have learned from Mahomet who speaketh of Christ in his Alcoran not much unlike to this Azoar XI what mean they by that Spiritual body whereof that blood was a part which Christ brought with him from heaven and which dwelt for a while in the man Jesus who died at Ierusalem Can such as talk thus be orthodox in this mater Do they not meane by the blood through which Justification and purifying cometh the blood of that spiritual body which Christ brought from heaven with him and which is in every Quaker as really as in Maryâ—s Son Do they mean by the body of Christ that boâ—y which was crucified at Ierusalem Or not rather the thing which they call a Spiritual body which tabernackled in the body of Jesus the Son of Mary and which is as well in them as it was in him And is not this to deny the life and death of Christ without us and Justification thereby Do they mean by Christ by whom we are justified and saved God-man or a real man that was born of Mary assumed into the subsistence of the Godhead Or any thing created and that was visible to the bodily eye or any thing but that which is within themselves What else meaneth that expression of Penningtons quaest p 20. For that which he that is Christ took upon him was our garment but he is of an heavenly nature and his flesh and bloud and bones are of his nature And p. 33. This we certainly know and can never call the bodily garment Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in the body Do they not hereby deny the man Christ Jesus and any interest in him who was of the seed of Abraham and had our nature and is maâ— still in glory Of all this we need doubt no more now since G. Keith hath so fully unvailed this mystery in his late book now come to hand wherein instead of confuting that Postcript to Mr Rutherfoords letters which he pretended he hath more then sufficiently confirmâ—d the same as may be shown in due time 3. Do they not deny that Christ who came in the fulness of time according to the Prophecies and promises and took on our nature and suffered therein and renunce all benefite thereby when they say that Christ's nature is not humane and talk of his being now manifested in the flesh that is in them who are Quakers See Fox's mystery c. p. 71. what else can be the import of their denying a Christ without and calling it a carnal Christ but a plaine denying of him who was touched with the feeling of our infirmities and was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin 4. When they ascribe salvation to a Christ within do they not deny the Christ without Fox in his great mystery p 8. And no one knowes salvation but who knowes thiâ— Christ in you who is the Salvation and where he is within there is salvation Fox the younger p. 49.50.54 And you whom the power of the prince of the air hath led out of me you scorn me the light in you They have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that beleeve in me That if you would believe and wait in me the light I will purg out all your iniquities and forgive all your trespasses and I will change your nature and make you new Creatures if ye will hearken to me and obey the light in you Smith Cat. c. p. 64.71 And this Christ in us is he in whom our salvation standeth as the mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus and we also know and beleeve that he is the same Chriâ—t in us which in dispensations past did humble himself to the cross Mason's loving Invit p. 5. If ever man be justified by his maker then by believing in God's Covenant of light which in the conscience bears its testimony against all iniquity then let me â—or ever be condemned from the presence of the righteous God Smith prim p. 9. tels us expresly thaâ— the Christ without and the Christ within have no more followship together than the East hath with West And therefore the asserting of the one must be a quite destroying of the other Hear once more the Morning watch p. 41. And as you give up to that measure of light in your own consciences and wait to be guided by it and exercised in it you will know Christ revealed within you whom you are looking â—or without you and put his day far off from you and so live in want of him and know not how to come to him nor the place where to finde him but live in the dreamings and night visions and have a talk of him and what he hath done for you and so spend your precious time in slumbering and dreaming c. 5 What meaneth that of Ed. Burroughs p 31. cited by Mr Hicks in his 2. Dial. Pag. 21.22 Silence flesh wouldst thou who art an enemy to God know how we are reconciled to God and by what obedience Owne the light in thy conscience and be obedient to that then thou shalt know by what obedience we are râ—conciled to God c. is this to speak soundly of the Righteousness of Christ 6. What meane they by Christ's sufferings still and by satisfaction made by Christs sufferings in his saints Burroughs p. 31. saith Thou blasphemer askest thou knowest not what is not â—hrist the same as ever And is not the sufferings of Christ satisfactory wherever We need adde no more there being enough here to discover their renunceing of the sufferings and death of Christ who died at Ierusalem as being any way satisfactory to the justice of God or sinnes 6.
the Law written in their hearts 103 2. They deny all in bred notions of a God and of honesty c. 106 3. They say a Pagan can performe all inward Worshipe easily 461 4. For God is nigh to help him 461 14. Of Enthusiasmes 1. They plead for immediat Revelations as necessary in place of the Scriptures 19. c. 2. They confound these Revelations with the gracious operations of the Spirit 20 21 80 3. They succeed to the old Enthusiasts 22 4. They preferre their Enthusiasmes to Scripture 57 15. Of the Gospel 1. They turne the history of Christs death resurrection into allegories 11 2. They wildly describe it 11 3. The preaching of the Gospel is not necessary with them 244 4. They say there is no more advantage to be had by the history of Christ then by the history of other Saints 244 5. They call the Gospel an inward power and vertue that is in every creature 259 6. They call every thing the Gospel that revealeth any thing of God 260 7. They plead for an Universal Gospel 267 16. Of the Light within 1. They make the light within their only guide 11 2. They preferre it to the Scriptures 59 3. They make the authority of the Scriptures to depend upon it 59 4. They make it the Supream Judge of all Controversies 60 85 5. They call it Christ God the Divine Essence the Saviour of the world c. 92 6. They call it the Essence of God 228 230 7. And the Omnipresence of God 228 8. They call it damnable heresie to deny the worshiping of it 228 9. They call it a measure of Christ and of God and God Father Son and H. Ghost 228 10. They say it is sufficient to salvation ibid 11. They deny it to be a Creature 228 12. It is a Teacher beyond the Scriptures 229 13. It is the Word of God grace and gifts and what not 229 14. It is a spiritual heavenly invisible Principle the Vehicle of God in which God dwelleth as Father Son and H. Ghost 230 231 233 15. It is an instrument of God 230 16. It is a divine glorious life 231 17. It inviteth all Men to good 232 18. It is the flesh and blood of Christ that came down from heaven 233 19. It beareth witness against all evil 234 20. It can be crucified and exstinguished 234 21. Where it is God and Christ are involved 235 22. Where it is resisted God is resisted 235 23. From it is Christ formed in the soul 236 237 24. All men are commanded to beleeve in and obey this Light 238 257 25. It delivereth from all sins 238 26. They call it a Substance 240 27. They call it the Sure Mercies of David a Leader a Commander 264 28. And that word by which faith cometh 264 265 29. And the fire and hammer spoken of Ier. 23 29. 264 266 30. They say by it God seeth the thoughts of men 264 31. They say the illumination hereof when received becometh an holy birth c. producing righteousness c 296 32. All may confidently appeare before God who hearken to the light and are thereby renewed 324 33. They say the light manifesting sin and nakedness is the body of Christ 489 34. This alone searcheth the heart and by it alone God manifests himself and saveth from the wrath to come men see their own faces 548 35. It can forgive sins and make new creaâ—ures 551 36. It is the Man Christ Jesus the Mediator which humbled himself to the crosse 551 37. They expect no justification or Salvation but by this light 551 38. Hereby they come to know Christ revealed in them 552 39. Who seek Christ any where else but in this light seek dreamings and night visions and spend their time in slumbering and dreaming 552 40. By owning and obeying it they are reconciled to God 552 41. This Christ within suffereth his sufferings are satisfactory wherever 552 42. They speak of killing the just one within us of his riseing againe 552 17. Of the Seed 1. They talk of a seed which they call a measure of God Christ the Spirit c. 95 100 2. They talk of its being wounded 247 3. They call it the manifestation of the Spirit 278 4. They say it is hid in the earthy part of every Mans heart and that herein is the kingdom of heaven as man in the embrio 279 5. As this small seed of righteousness say they ariseth and is suffered to come to the birth that new substantial birth is naturally fed with the spiritual body of Christ 489 18. Of Reprobation 1. They deny all absolute Reprobation 133. c. 2. They miserably mistake the orthodox judgment hereanent 143 144 3. In exaggerating the matter of Reprobation they belch out against God 254. c. 19. Of Grace 1. They deny Faith and Repentance to be the gifts of God 153 2. They deny that the grace of God in Conversion taketh away the resistance of the heart 273 3. They imagine the grace of Conversion to be as physick which a man may hinder to operat 273 4. They imagine that God putteth all some way out of the pit of misery and thereafter letteth such fall againe as spurn and resist 275 5. They will not grant that the grace of God maketh any real change of the corrupt nature of man or giveth a new heart 276 20. Of Vniversal Grace 1. They say God hath granted to all men Schythians and Barbarians a day of Visitation wherein they may be saved if they will 212 214. c. 2. And that God offereth Remission and Salvation to all upon condition of non-refusal 249 3. They plead for sufficient grace to all 269 4. They say Heathens that never heard of the Gospel may be saved 282 5. And that Paul Rom. 3. proveth that the Heathens were saved by doing the works of the Law 289 6. They say the Heathens had the knowledge of Christ though not under that denomination 290 7. And that because they spoke of Wisdom which is one of Christ's names 291 8. They grant remission of sins to some adult persons that never heard of Christ 302 9. Every man hath sufficiency of influence for praier till his day of Visitation passe say they 454 10. Every man hath that which is as good as the Spirit of Christ 546 21. Of Vniversal Redemption 1. They plead for Universal Redemption 157. c. 22. Of Salvation They say there is no possibility of Salvation after the day of Visitation is ended 215 2. And that God giveth to every man a certain measure of grace in order to salvation 226 c. 23. Of Christ's Satisfaction 1. They speak not distinctly of Christ's Satisfaction 242 2. They vilifie its vertue and efficacy 243 3. They say the outward blood of Christ or the blood of his vail cannot cleanse 295 4. They call it an abomination to say that God punished Christ that he might thereby
as this man putteth beyond all debate in his writings and others clearly demonstrate by their books containing such positions as overturn and destroy the Gospel Mr Norton teacher of the Church at Boston in New England being appointed to write against the Quakers by order of the General Court tels us in his Tractat printed A. 1660. Pag. 6.7 c. that the Quakers deny that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct Persons that Christ is God and Man in one Person that Christ is a distinct person from the person of the Father that Christ is a distinct person from any of His Members And so their Christ doth unchrist Christ. He tels us moreover that they deny the Scriptures or written word to be the Rule of life and that they make the light within them and the Spirit without the Scriptures to be their guide that they owne none as lawful magistrats who are not of their way that they assert an infallible light within them above the trial of the Scriptures that they will not acknowledge that they sinne but professe perfection of degrees in his life Mr Stalham in his Epistle to the Reader prefixed to his Reviler rebuiked sheweth us that they make nothing of the historical letter of Christ's Death Resurrection c. but turne all into allegories And that they are with H. N. in his joyful message of the Kingdom Pag. 170. ready to call these things meer lies which the Scripture-learned through the knowledge which they get out of the Scriptures bring-in institute preach teach As also how they joine with Iacob Behme who slighted the imputed righteousness from without and magnified the little spark within whereby the Father draweth them all to Christ and teacheth all within them and say further that in Adam stood the Covenant of grace that there is no certaine Ordination from eternity upon any soul particularly which is yet to be borne but only a common universal foreseeing of grace He sheweth us also how Will. Erbury in his Call to the Churches Pag. 4. said what Gospel or glade tideings is it to tell the world that none shall be saved but the elect and believers and that the Gospel which Christ taught was but in part that which was proper only to the Iewish Church not that to be preached to the world And moreover Pag. 6. he telleth us that he said the Gospel which the Apostles preached to the world was not that which they wrote to the Churches nor yet what they read in the Scriptures of the Prophets but the Gospel was a mystery which in the light of God they could manifest to men and make all men see themselves in God that 's in Christ. And Pag. 9. that God is in our flesh as in Christ's for the mystery of faith was more than men imagine and it may be more than Paul wrote to the Romans and Churches of Galatia And Pag. 37. that Christ's coming againe promised Act. 1 11. was nothing but his coming in Spirit and power in the Saints and in their flesh when they are most confused and dark Further the same Mr Stalham in the book cited sheweth how they contradict Scriptures in several points as concerning Scriptures Trinity the Light within the Law Sin Iustification Regeneration Sanctification and its Perfection Christian warfare Repentance Meanes of grace Baptisme Lord's Supper Prayer Singing Elders and Ordination Ministers maintainance Immediat calling Immediat teaching Civil honour Swearing unto which might be added several things brought out of their writings by Mr Hicks beside what we shall have occasion to remark in this Author with whom we now deal By all which we may conjecture what a Gospel this is which they teach even another than we have in the Scriptures and than that which the Apostle taught And what welcome such as come with another Gospel were their credentials angelical unto which these men are strangers should have Paul hath taught us Gal. 1 8 9. as was mentioned above which is a sufficient warning for all that fear God to beware of these men 20. This man hath an high and mighty conceit of his Theses calling them though short yet ponderous and saying that they comprehend many things and denote the true original of knowledge of that knowledge which leadeth to life eternal And I do indeed conceive that they containe much though I dar not say the whole of the marrow of that Gospel whereof he is a dispensator we may look upon ourselves therefore as called more narrowly to consider and examine them If the matter contained in them were good I should not quarrel at their brevity but I see what they want in length the Apology hath Ponderous he calleth them but we know wet sand though of smal value is more ponderous than what is more worth and indeed so ponderous are they that they will sinke the poor soul that embraceth them without any other super added weight into the bottomless pit His saying that they pointe forth the true original of saving knowledg will never perswade me that they do so How defective they are as to this we may shew in the next Chapter Nay rather I dar say that they discover the true original of that science falsly so called which leadeth to the bottomless pit and this I hope to make appeare ere all be done 21. He tels us that he beareth witness to this truth in this his work But he must hold us excused to seek for a more sure ground to our faith and perswasion than his bare testimony especially when he speaketh not only not consonant to Scripture but so manifestly contrary thereto Indeed if we were called to rest upon his and his co-partners bare testimony all further dispute were at an end and we might cast our bibles at our heels and learn all our divinity at their mouth or at the light with in us rest thereupon notwithstanding it contradict sound reason and experience let be Scripture But through grace we have not yeâ— drunk-in that principle and therefore must stand upon our old bottome and go to the Law and to the Testimony 22. In fine he tels us that he leaveth this his testimony unto the light of Christ illuminating every one of our consciences which words may have a double sense as expressed in his latine and either import that he leaveth this his testimony as a confirmation of that light of Christ which illuminateth every man and if this be his meaning the preaching up of this light must be the whole of his Gospel worâ— and the whole Intent and designe of his writting and publishing these Theses yea if so these Propositions of his must serve for no other end but to confirme the truth and reality of this light of Christ But then I think They or He by them should have given us some clear discovery and explication of the nature of that light of Christ which is as he saith within every man which I finde
unto life because it hath no place in his writings 14. The like 10. may we say of the work of Grace and of Sanctification of which his account is so darke and enigmatical that it is far from an holding forth of pure and naked Truth And how cometh it that he is so silent in explaining to us the nature of Faith in Jesus Christ and of its Actings and of Repentance unto life and of our Communion with the Father and his Son through Faith do not these appertain to that knowledge of God which is Eternal Life What shall we then think of this Gospel which He taketh upon him to be a publisher of 15. In the next place 11. To speak nothing of the law of God in obedience whereunto with a right frame of Spirit consisteth true Sanctification and that Obedience which is a real mark of true Love to God and so must be necessarily known to the end we may come to the possession of Eternal life whereof notwithstanding he not only giveth no plaine or naked account but also with the rest of the Quakers layeth downe grounds destroying all obedience to the law of God as we shall heare How cometh it that in all his explication of the true nature and original of that knowledge which leadeth unto life whether in his Theses or Apologie we have no account given to us of that Eternal life which we are to aime at and intend as our last end nor yet of its opposite Eternal Death and Hell whereby we might come to know some thing of the nature worth and necessity of Glory 16. Yet once more 12. I would aske why it is that in his Theses he giveth us no account of the Resurrection of the Body nor of the last Judgment He cannot say that the knowledge and faith of these particulars are not necessary unless he be of the same opinion with other Quakers who either speak dubiously thereof or do down right deny it Mr. Hicks sheweth us in his Book called The Quakers appeal answered Pag 21. that one Whitehead asserted in the hearing of many witnesses that this body shall not rise againe and that Will. Pen in his Book intituled Reas. against Rail Pag. 133. saith That it is inconsistent with Scripture Reason and the beliefe of all Men right in their wits And Pag. 134. that the absurdity of the Transubstantiation is rather outdone than equalled by this carnal Resurrection And that Pag. 138. he called it a Barbarous conceit Shall I think that this our Apologizer is of the same minde If not it concerneth him to speak more positively thereunto for his silence will go for an approbation of what his party speak expresly and further as concerning the last Judgment we may suppose that such as look on the Resurrection of the dead as a figment will give no place in their creed unto the doctrine of Christs coming againe to judge quick and dead and indeed I finde in the second Dialogue of Mr. Hicks Pag 42 43 that Whitehead in his Christ ascend Pag. 18 20 21 69. denyeth That Christ hath a personal being at the Right-hand of God without all men And Pag. 2â— that he denyeth That he shall come visibly againe saying that they are like to be deceived who are expecting that Christs second comeing will be a personal comeing And I finde G. Keith in his Immediat Revel Pag. 77. applying the second or next comeing againe of Christ mentioned by Iames Cap. 5 7 8. by Paul Heb. 9.28 and by Peter 1 Pet 1 13. to Christs revelation when he shall appeare in us glorified who before was crucified in weakness yet now raised in power and living by the power of God and raising us up together with him setting us in heavenly places in him Whereby he cannot but meane a second coming againe of Christ which is already past and nothing else 17. By these particulars several others which might be added every one may judge what a delineation of that knowledge which leadeth to Salvation this confident man will give us in these his Theses when so many so important and so necessary and essential parts of our Christian faith are not once by him mentioned or asserted let be cleared up or explained but rather tacitely or expresly rejected and condemned We may also judge what that knowledge of God wherein is life eternal is which he shall pointe forth to us in his Theses when so many things so manifestly belonging to true divine and saving knowledge are if not denied yet waved by him as not necessary to be known and believed Hereby also we see ground to suspect that Original and Foundation of knowledge which he followeth and would propose to our understanding faith in the two next following Theses for either that must be a false Original and rotten Ground of saving knowledge or he is yet a stranger to the true and genuine Knowledge thereof otherwise he should be in case to give us a more distinct faithful account of these and such like particulars which are so necessary to be known and believed 18. I Shall readily grant that it is very necessary and usefull to know what is the true ground and original out of which we are to draw that knowledge of God and of his wayes which is necessary for us to know and believe in order to the obtaining of that felicity which consisteth in and is had further by the knowledge of God in Christ not only because many are ready to drink-in false Notions and Principles as he sayeth but very obscurely and indistinctly in his Apology Pag. 1. and 2. of God and of his Truth to hold fast what they have so through Ignorance Misinformation and Prejudice imbibed but especially because so many Pretenders to high and great matters as he and his like are ready to imbrace a Shadow for a Substance and take a suggestion of Satan the Father of lies or a dream of their own braines or a lying Vision of the Prince of the powers of the aire for Revelations and Manifestations of the God of Truth and the Motions of their own corrupt minds enlightned with the wildfire of their owne fancies or the fire flaughts of the God of this World for the Motions of the â—pirit of God That such things have been and may be himself dar not deny and if he should deny it sad experience of the fantastick Enthusiasts and false Teachers which every age hath produced will put it beyond all denyal as also the Idolatry and Superstition of so many Nations and People as himself affirmeth Pag. 2. which were a clear evidence of the false and fictious Opinions and Apprehensions which they had of God and a fruite of the false Divinations and pretended Revelations which they trusted to And therefore with good warrand and with his own approbation I shall say That it is a most dangerous thing to lay a wrong foundation of Knowledge and to draw the same out of
is this That God inspired Man with some thing of his own substance bestowed something of his own divinity upon him That God did inspire Man with the Holy Ghost 4. Now if this man be of the same judgment with these mentioned we may saifly conceive or conjecture at least that his meaning in these words now under consideration is this That the Body of man which is of the First and Earthly Adam was degenerat and became dead but not the Soul which being a part of God's substance and being and having relation to the Second and Spiritual Adam who is the Bishop thereof was not obnoxious to this Death and Degeneration for being eternal as well as Infinite it could neither die nor degenerate nor fall But how blasphemous an opinion this is every one may see This is the old damnable opinion of the Gnosticks Manichees and Priscillianists and of Cerdo See August Lib. de Origine Animae c. 2. and De Haeres c. 46. and 70. Aquin. 1. q. 90. Ar. 1. Col. Conimb ad 2. de Anima q. 1. Art 6. and was owned by that blasphemous man Servetus and of late also by the Author of Theologia Germanica and of the Bright Star See Mr Rutherf Survey of Spiritual Antichrist Chap. XIV These hold that the soul was a part of God's essence Though God's essence be most Pure Simple and Indivisible and cannot be a part of any composed thing If the Soul were thus of God and a part of God God should be the forme of man Because the soul is the fâ—rme of Man and consequently Man should be God for the whole may be denominated from the forme The Scripture tels us that God is Immutable and that there is no shadow of turning with Him but by this opinion he should be Mutable and change from Power to Act from Ignorance to Knowledge from Vice to Vertue c. and back againe reciprocally Hence also it must follow that either no souls can go to hell or that a part of God must be tormented in hell And what will they say of Devils Either they must deny that there are any or say that they are a part of God for they are Spiritual Substances being Intelligences and with the Quakers forementioned spiritual substances are parts of God and are Infinite in themselves they are no Creatures and if no Creatures they must be the Creator or a part of the Creator It is true Man was created according to the Image of God which as to the Soul consisted as in the spirituality of its substance so chiefly in Wisdome Righteousness and Holiness Eccles. 7 29. Ephes. 4 24. Col 3 10 But the Scripture tels us that as to this Image it was lost even as to knowledg nothing being left but some rubbish of that once stately Fabrick of which afterward and that thus the soul was corrupted and damnified by the fall all the Powers and Faculties thereof being perverted so that thereby Man became not only utterly Indisposed but also Opposite to all that is spiritually good and wholly Inclined to all evil and that continually Rom. 3 vers 10 20. Ehes. 2 2 3. Rom. 5 6. 8 7 8. Gen. 6 5 And this is confirmed by what this Man addeth in the Thesis and prosecuteth at large in his Apology 5. If this be not his true meaning let us try another Conjecture They commonly speak of a Christ within them as Mr Hicks cleareth Dial. 1. Pag. 44. c. and taunt such as beleeve in a Person without them saying Christ is within and that there is no other Christ but that within every man Mr Hicks there tels us also that Crisp one of their ministry asking what Christ he owned and receiving this answere That he did not beleeve any meer Principle or Spirit in men to be the Christ because that was not capable to suffer what Christ suffered returned this reply That this was blasphemy And when Mr Hicks said further that the Christ he beleeved was no other then that person the Scriptures speak of The word made flesh God and man in one person Crisp. replied that then he knew the beginning and date of his Christ Moreover he tels us Pag. 45 46. that Georg Fox in the forecited Book Pag. 206. saith if there be any other Christ but he that was crucified within he is a false Christ and he that hath not this Christ that was crucified within is a Reprobat And Pag 207. That God's Christ is not distinct from the saints and he that eats the flesh of Christ hath it within him Pag. 201. Mr Hicks tels us also Dial. 2. Pag. 10. How G. Whitehead in his Dip. Plu. Pag. 13. saith Christ Iesus a Person without us is not Scripture language but the Anthropomorphites and Muggletonians This language is very suteable unto the language of the Old Libertines against whom Famous Calvin wrote in his Instructio adv Libertinos Cap 17. They made Christs sufferings to be a meer Histrionick Action or Comedie and Quintinus used to be very angry when any asked him how he did saying How can it be ill with Christ. But yet that they may put a difference betwixt themselves and others They use to say as Mr Stalham informeth us Pag. 276. That Christ is in all but none is in Christ except themselves Shall we think that this is thâ—s Mans meaning to wit That man is Corrupt Fallen Degenerated and Dead not according to that part in him which is Christ but according to that part in him which is the Old man As this should contradict what he saith afterward upon this account that then it were manifest that whole man did not fall or became dead and was degenerate so it could not be satisfying for it would have but this import That man was Corrupted Dead and Degenerated in so farr as he was corrupted dead and degenerated and then we should be no wiser than we were Moreover if we should ask how this Christ came into every man The answer must be that he was created in him and as to this part of man Adam did not fall And if we should ask what is this Christ in every man Will. Pen in his Innocency with open face P. 8. as Mr Hickâ— sheweth Dial. 2. Pag. 41. answereth It is God himself And He with Nailer and Hubberthorn in their Answer to the Phanaticque History Pag. 13. will say it is the Light in us and Burroughs Pag 9 and 149. will say that he that was slaine upon the crosse is the â—ery Christ of God and the very Christ of God is in us The same Mr Hicks in his postscript to the Dial. 1. Pag. 82. tels us that Ed. Borroughs and Franc. Howgil said in the hearing of credible witnesses That Christ was as really in every man as he was in that Flesh which suffered at Ierusalem 6. But as yet we are arrived at no clear discovery of the truth in this matter but rather further off from any clear
doth he think that his saying he exalteth not the Light of nature and that he rejecteth the Socinians and Pelagians will make wise men and acquanted with these controversies think otherwise than that he and his Fraternity are as great enemies to the grace of God and as great exalters of the Light of nature as ever Pelagius or Socinus were Thinks he that his calling the dimme Light of corrupt Nature by and holding it forth to us under the name of Grace or Light or whatever other name he is pleased to name it by will make us think that it is in truth the true Gospel-grace of God and not to be what it is indeed the meer Light of Corrupt Nature Did he never hear how Pelagius to escape the Anathema of a Synod called that which he pleaded for Grace and was he lesse what he was an enemy to the grace of God for all that never one white and so is it with this Man we are confident ere all be done to finde him as great a Pelagian and Socinian and Iesuite in this point as any and I judge it intollerable Eâ—trontedness or shameless Ignorance in him to place the Pelagians Semipelagians Socinians and some Papists one the extreme as to his Opinion as he doth Pag. 54. of his Apology but of this more afterward 16. When he cometh in his Apology to explaine his Thesis Pag. 54. forbearing to speak of the State of Adam before the Fall because forsooth in his judgment these are but curious notions as the Arminians thought before him Apol. Cap. 5. and yet I judge his plaine expressing of his Opinion in this matter would have contributed not a little to our understanding of his meaning as to the Nature and Consequences of the Fall But it is true the full explication of the State of Adam's righteousness thâ—rein and of the Covenant under which he and mans Nature in him stood would have marred all this Mans Pelagian and Socinian designe and have made him and the rest whom he patronizeth too too naked 17. But behold the 〈◊〉 of â—his Impudent man just now he told us that he was neither Pelagian nor Socinian and yet within a few lines he tels us that the death threatned Gen. 2 17. was 〈◊〉 and death or the dissolution of the 〈◊〉 Man which is the same that Pelagian and Socinian both hold that they may the better maintaine that Principal Errour viz. the Non imputation of Adam's sin to Infants which is also a Cardinal point of this Mans Religion That the Pelagians were of this Opinion Augustine tels us Lib. 1. contra posterior Response jul c. 66. saying you will not say that because of sin death passed upon all originally lest you be forced also to confess that sin did passe upon all for you know how iniquous it is to saâ— thâ— punishment passed without the merite And though Pelagius himselfe as the Synod in Palestine did dissimulate herein as Augustin sheweth Lib. 1. uâ—tani Operis contra jul Cap. 65. Lib. 2 C 113. yet julianus and others still maintained that Adam was so created that though he had nor sinned yet he would have died not as punished for sin but by necessity of nature And Orosius Apol. de Arbitrii libertate advers Pelag. Pag. â—37 tels Pelagius that his disciples that had sucked poison out of his brests affirmed that Adam was made mortal and suffered no dammage herein by his transgression See Vossij Hist. pelag Lib. 2. par 2. P. 188.189 That the Socinians maintaine that Man by nature was mortal before the fall is manifest out of their writings See Socin prael Cap. 1. and contra Puccium Cap. 5. Volkel Lib. 3 Cap. 11. and 14. Socin de Servatore part 3 c. 8. Item ad articulos Cutenj The Arminians Apol. c. 4 so express themselves in this matter as not to displease the Socinians This is also the opinion of Anabaptists who deny original sin Hence already appeareth one cause why this man would not speak anything of the state of Adam before the fall for if he had he behoved so to have explained that excellent staâ—e as that it might appear how notwithstanding thereof Adam was obnoxious to death and dissolution which is inconsistent with such a state of full felicity Eccles. 9 4. But the Lord when he came to passe sentence upon Adam according to the commination because of his transgression Gen. 3 19. tels him that his outward man must be dissolved and that he must return unto the ground and unto the dust So the Apostle holdeth forth death or this dissolution of the outward man as a just punishment and as the wages of sin Rom 5 12 21.806 23. 1 Cor. 15 21 56. So doth the Scripture elsewhere Hos. 13 1. Ezech. 18 4. 1 Cor 11 30. Deut. 30 15 19. Ier. 21 8. Psal. 49 14 55 15. Iâ—m 1 15. what else importeth the law for putting of so many sorts of sinners unto death Exod. 21 29 35 2. Levit. 19 20. 20 11. Numb 1 51. 3 10 38. 18 â— 35 30 Levit. 24 21. Deut. 13 5 9. 17 6 7. 21 22. 24 16. Ios. 1 18 2 Chron. 15 13. is not death called the last enemy which must be destroyed Esa. 25 8. Hos. 13 14. 1 Cor. 15 26 59 Yea nature teacheth this truth Rom. 1 32. See further Ier. 31 30. 2 Chron. 25 4. Ezech. 18 20. Amos. 9 10. with many moe 18. what is his reason why natural Death is not here to be understood for says he as to this death he did not die till many yeers afterward But was he not made Obnoxious thereunto by vertue of that Threatning Threatnings properly declare only the dueness of punishment and say that the transgressour is worthy of or deserveth the punishment threatned or is liable and obnoxious thereunto and not alwayes the certanty of the execution as to the event other wise this man must say that by death here is not to be understood the everlasting separation of soul and body from God and the paines and torments of hell for neither was that presently executed upon Adam And then I would faine know what he understandeth by this Death If he sâ—y that this was begun to be executed that same day in testimony whereof he was cast out of paradise that same day So shall I say that the bodily death began to be executed that same day for it was said to him Gen. 3 17. in sorrow shall thou eate of it the ground all the dayes of thy life 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground Will this Man say that Paines Sicknesses and temporal Calamities that attend us from the womb to the grave in one measure or other are not the due fruits of sin Then he shall contradict manifest Scripture Lam. 3 39. 1 Cor. 11 30. Deut 28. Levit. 26. with many moe If he dar not say
himself By this accusing of conscience Paul proveth here that the Gentiles had the Law in their heart 10. He would know that there is a twofold writing of the Law in the heart One is whereby the knowledge of the Law is so fixed in their mindes as that it cannot be utterly delet howbeit their wils cannot and will not comply therewith and of this the Apostle is here speaking for the Heathens have this Law of nature so imprinted and fixed in their Mindes as to several things concerning God and their carriage and walk in the world that they cannot but see a difference betwixt Righteousness and Iniquity Honesty and Dishonesty in several particulars and in their judgment preferre the one to the other though their hearts and wills be not reconciled thereunto and made to comply therewith even according to thâ— measure of their Knowledge and Judgment The Other is whereby the whole will of God revealed in Law and Gospel is by the Spirit of God deeply imprinted in the soul of Beleevers so that as their Mindes know it and their Judgments approve it so their Wills imbrace it with love and desire and their native Endeavour is after Full Pure Sincere and Spiritual conformity thereto in the strength of the same Spirit and it is their griefe and matter of unfaigned sorrow when through the workings of a remanent body of death they come short of what is commanded whether as to Matter or Manner or End intended c. If he shall evince that Paul speaketh of this here he shal do more than all the Socinians no persons else ever dreamed of this ever have been able to do to this day But the truth is I apprehend all this is a riddle to this man who understandeth no other writing of the Law in hearts than the first for as he is an enemy so is he a stranger unto the Gospel of the Grace of God as will evidently enough appear ere we have done 25. He addeth a second reason for his Interpretation Pag. 57 saying that if nature here be understood of the proper nature of Man then the Apostle should contradict himself who elsewhere saith that the natural man cannot perceive the things of God but among these things of God the Law is comprehend seing Paul Rom. 7 12 14. itâ—oly â—oly just and good and Spiritual and calleth himself carnal which must be understood as he was unregenerat I answere 1. Paul no way contradicteth himself except in this mans dreaming fancy for these spiritual things whereof the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2 14 are not the things of Nature or of the Law or Light of Nature But the things of the Spirit of God which must be spiritually understood vers 14. which none can know without they have the minde of Christ vers 16. which concerne Christ and Him Crucified vers 2. the same which Paul preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power vers 4. which was Wisdom among such only as were perfect vers 6. and which only the Spirit which is of God did reveal and not the Spirit of the world vers 11 12. and which eye had not seen nor eare heard c. vers 9. It was the preaching of the Crosse of Christ which even the Wise and Understanding and such as had not only Natures Light but the Light of the Law could not know It was that which even to the Jewes was a stumbling block and to the wise Grecians was foolishness Chap. 1 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Hence we see the Law which was written in the hearts of the Gentiles is not among those things whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 2. 2. It is truâ— the Law both that which is written in the heart of the Gentiles and that which was more clearly and amply declared and explained by God to the Jewes was Good Holy Just and Spiritual yet was it not the same with the things of God whereof the Apostle spoke 1 Cor. 2. 3 This man must have a strange antipathy at â—ruth and against the Orthodox for he will joyne with any before he take part with them we heard but just now how he joyned with Smalcius the Socinian and here in interpreting Rom. 7 14. c. he deserteth the orâ—hodox and joyneth himself with Pelagians Arminians and Socinians who will have the Apostle there speaking not of himself but as assumeing the person of one in nature not yet regenerated as if such were not wholly â—in and whâ—lâ—y flesh or had an Inward man delighting in the Law of God or â—ad a Law in their minde contrary to the Law in their members or were capable of this captivity when they are willing slaves or could groan under a boâ—y of death and account themselves miserable upon that account or thank God through Jesus Christ because of the begun delivery and certane expectation of the full victory or as if they with their minde could serve the Law of God 4. His sole reason viz. because the Apostle said he was carnal proveth nothing for what the Apostle speaketh in a certane respect must not be understood in an absolute sense He was it is true carnal as all â—egenerat persons are not absolutly nor wholly but in part in so far as the old man remained in which respect the best have a Law in their members warring against the Law of their minde and have the flesh lusting against the Spirit as they have the Spirit lusting against the flesh Gal. 6.17 And the Apostle calleth even such babes in Christ carnal in a certane reâ—pect 1 Cor. 3 1. 26. Thereafter he tels us That when we are urged with this testimony by Pelagians anâ— Socinians and by them so â—hat we see with whom he and his party are birds of one feather we use to answere that there were some remnants of the spiritual image left in Adam But sayes he this is affirmed without probation In which he either speaketâ— aâ—ainst his Light or he â—aâ—â— neâ—er read what hath been said upon this by the orthodox against Socinians and Arminians and such as would defend that there were some speculative Atheisâ—s unto whom this Mans assertion doth no small service as we may shew hereafter But next he saith that hereby we contradict ourselves and destroy our own cause Why so For saith he If by these relicques they could fulfil the law then either Christ's coming was not necessary or men could be saved without him or that these thâ—ugh they keeped the Law were damned because ignorant â—f Christ to come which the Lord had made impossible for them to know Answere 1. We never said that they could fulfil the Law by these relicques nor doth the Apostle say so It is true they did and could do by nature somethings contained in the Law and this was sufficient for the Apostles designe not all Even Paul though many stages above many heathens while in the state of nature did not know till the written Law told him that
evils but what that was they knew not The proud and vaine glorious Stoicks thought that all this sinne and misery did proceed from every mans own Free Will and Choise immediatly and that there was no other cause Hence they thought that every man came into the world free of any Vice or Inclination to sin errasti sayes Seneca Epist. 94. si existimas nobiscum vitianasci supervenerunt ingesta sunt so againe ib. nulli nos vitio natura conciliat nos illa integros ac liberos genuit And yet the same man must elsewhere lib. 3. quaest c. 30. confess that vice is learned without any teacher Hence also they thought that man by his owne Ability Paines and Industrie might recoveâ— all his losses and that nothing more was requisite but to live according to nature Senec. Epist. 41. Howbeit their very care and industrie to make lawes for bearing down of vice and setting forward of vertue was sufficient to Redargue and Confute their foolish Imagination had they but improven Natures light as they might or made use of right Reason as they pretended However we see Stoicks and Quakers are nigh of kin 2. Plato speaks more clearly concerning this Fallen and Degenerat State of Man but it is not improbable as Mr Galâ— sheweth in his Court of the Gentiles part 1. lib. 3. c. 5. that â—e had help from Scriptures or Iewish Tradition when he speaketh of the â—ron age and particularly when he sayeth in his Timâ—eâ—â— Locrus fol. 103. That the cause of vitiosity is from our Parents and first Principles rather than from ourselves and elsewhere There is well nigh in every one an ingenitâ— evil and disease And de legib lib. 5. The greatest evil of all is implanted in many men and fixed in their souls And this state of misery he tearmes Gorgias fol. 493. a moral or spiritual death and that according to the opinion of the wise saying I have heard from the wise men that we are now dead and that the body is but our sepulchre 3. However the generality of Philosophers were utter strangers to the Rise of this contagion and the hints that Plato giveth are but very dark But when Christianity came and spread it self through the world that which the wise Men of the world were utterly ignorant of became plaine and notoure to every one for without the knowledge of this there could be no right Improvement of the Remedie offered in the Gospel and therefore the knowledge of this was a necessary part of Christianity In causa duorum hominum said August lib. de Pecc orig c. 24. quorum per unum venundati sumus sub peccato per alterum redimimur a peccatis proprie fides christianâ— consistitpunc So that the doctrine of original sin with the reality and manner of its â—raduction from Adam and downeward by natural Generation was unquestioned in the Christian Church until that unhappy enemie of the grace of God arose who raised up his heresie upon the ruines of the proud â—ottages of the Heathen Philosophers I mean Pelagius who to strengthen himself in his opposition and enmity to the Grace of God in Christ Iesus did take upon him the defence of Corrupt Nature and denyed Original sin saying lib. de Natura apud August lib. de Nat. and Grat. c. 9. that all sinned in Adam not because of sin attracted by birth but because of Imitation See more of this Vossij Histor Pelag. lib. 2. par 2. thes 1. And Iulianus the Pelagian as we may see there also said against Augustine that God could not impute the sin of another unto Infants and that no man is born with sin And that the children cannot be guilty until they commit some thing by their owne will How Augustine set himself against this Palagian cardinal errour his books declare And how the whole Church did appear against it is notoure Pelagius himself subdolously seemed to deny his owne opinions in a Council in Palâ—stine at Diopolis condemning himself for saying That Adam was made mortal and so should have died whether he had sinned or not That Adams sin did only hurt himself and not mankinde That infants new borne are into the same condition that Adam was in before the fall And againe these and others of Pelagius errours were anathematized by the Councel of Milevum in Numidia And August tels us lib. â— de Bono persever cap. 2. that the Catholick Church defended against these Pelagians among other truths this That man is borne obnoxius to Adams sin and bound by the bond of damnation 4. This same Pelagian errour is maintained by the Socinians Socin Pral c. 4. de Christ. Serv. part 4. c. 6. Catech Racov. cap. 10. de Proph. Mun. Christ. Smale de justif disp 4. Volkel lib. 5. c. 18. Ostorod Instit. c. 33. By Episcopius against Heidanus Pag. 116. and by the Remonst Armin. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 84. So is it maintained by the Anabaptists And D. Voetius Select disp part 1. pag. 1079. tels us that the Jewes ordinarily this day deny Original sin citeing the words of one at Venice saying that the sin of Adam doth not condemne souls but only hurt the soul in so far as it bringeth in the body of Adam whence it is that it becometh more difficult to the Posterity of Adam to do good c. Mr Stephens in his defence of the doctrine of Original sin sheweth that one Mr Robert Everard and D. Ieremiah Taylor and some Examiners of the late Assemblies Confession of faith did appear against Original sin and in his preface he tels us that Anno 1654. Feb. 22. Some Brethren of the Separation did at a private dispute maintaine That all Infants were-free of Original sin To these Opposers of Original sin This Quaker in the name of the rest adjoyneth himself and so deserteth the Truâ—h maintained by the Orthodox Churches and explained in their several Confessions and particularly by our Confes. of faith Chap. 6. § 2.3 4. By this sin they i. e. our first Parents fell from their Original righâ—eousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body They being the root of all Mankinde the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do proceed all actual transgressions And thereafter § 6. Every sin both Original and Actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subject to death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal And more briefly in the larger and shâ—rter Catechismes to this Question Did all mankinde fall in
Adams first transgressiâ—n t is answered thus The Covenant being made with Adam as a publick person not for himself only but for his posterity all mankinde descending from him by ordinary generation sinned in him and fell with him in that first transgressiâ—n 5. Concerning this sin which is under various names and titles pointed forth to us in Scripture being called Sin by way of eminency Rom. 6.12 7 8. the Old Man Rom. 6 6. a Law in the members Rom. 7 23. the Body of sin Rom. 6 6. a Body of death Rom. 7 24. In dwelling sin Rom 7 17 20. Evill present Rom 7 21. These are meaned of this Sin as seated in and derived unto the posteriâ—y but as committed first by Adam Paul Rom. 5 calleth it Sin Offence Transgression Disoâ—edience and concerning its Propagation or Traduction unto the posterity many questions and doubts are moved which we are not to meddle with our purpose not being to treate of this Subject but only to vindicate the orthodox doctrine from the exceptions of this Quaker and to discover his errour in this particular For which cause we need only take notice of two things concerning this Original sin First There is the Sin disobedience offence and transgression of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit This though it was the sin of our nature in Adam yet is said to be imputed to our persons when we come to have a being by natural Generation and deâ—cent from Adam Secondly There is that wâ—ich followed upon and flowed from that transgression of Adam according to the nature and tenour of tâ—e Covenant wherein he stood as the head and representer of all mankinde viz. The Privation or Want of that Original righteousness which our Nature possessed in Adam and the Depravation Corruption Deordination of the whole man whereby he is Disabled to all good and wholly Inclined and disposed to evil and all evil and only evil continually till grace make a change This cannot properly be said to be imputed but being a just punishment as well as a sin of the sin committed by Adam is justly inflicted by the righteous God and conveyed from Adam to all his posterity as a leprosy and infectious disease corrupting the whole man which therefore is seated and subjected in the man so soon as he hath a being by natural generation from his immediat parents though both the guilt and this contagion be not received immediatly from our next parents but immediatly from Adam from whom we have our Nature as our Personal being from our immediat parents who stand in no nearer relation to Adam as the Head of Nature than we but all Father Son and Nephew c. stand in the same near relation to him in respect of Nature as lines to the same centre 6. Having premised these things let us now consider what this Quaker hath to say against this in his Fourth Thesis towards the end he setteth downe his Assertion in few words where before we mentione his words we cannot but take notice of a piece of more than ordinary shamelesness in this Man for in the words immediatly before he cometh in with a triumphing parad saying hence the errours of Socinians and Pelagians c. are rejected as if he would make his Reader beleeve thâ—t he did anathematize all the errours of Pelagians and Socinians wâ—en yet he licks up and hugs in his bosome a special fundamental part of Pelagianisme and Socinianisme adding which are the words we are now to take notice of Yet nevertheless this seed is not imputed unto infants but when they joyne themselves to it actually by sinning We must beare with this man's following the Quakers dialect for he will speak but as he pleaseth But for understanding of wâ—at he meaneth we must call to minde his foregoing words which we took notice of in the foregoing Chapter and examined where he mentioned the Seed of God of the touch whereof he said all Adam's posterity was deprived This cannot be the seed he here meaneth He mentioneâ— another Seed of Satan to which Adam's posterity was subject and this Seed he said Satan did sowe in the hearts of Men c. Now this must be that malignant and depraved seed whence all their Thoughts Words and Actions are evil which he here meaneth And this Seed he sayeth is not Imputed to Infants And we said lately that this originated sin or Corrupâ—ion of nature could not properly be said to be impuâ—ed becauâ—e it was properly inherent as a disease of nature But the thing that he would say is plainly enough expressed in his Apology Pag. 54. But others sayeth he go so far in the â—ther extremity to whom Augustine in his declineing age moved with zeal against the Pelagians did first of all the Ancients open the way as not only to confess that Men of themselves are unfit for good and inclined to evil but also to affirme that man even while in his Mothers womb and before he commit any actual sin is under the guilt and crime of sin by which he deserveth eternal death Whereby we see that he freeth Infants from the guilt of Adam's first sin and againe Pag. 55. he sayeth they impute nothing of Adam's sin unto Men until they make it their owne by such like acts of disobedience He is clear then for the Non-imputation of Adam's sin unto Infants and the Arguments he adduceth cleare his judgment yet more 7. Thus we have seen what are his thoughts of the Imputation of Adam's guilt But what thinketh he of the other particular the Corruption of Nature His Thesis could meane nothing else by the Seed of the Serpent and when he cometh to the explication of this part of the Thesis in his Apâ—logy Pag. 59 § 4. he tels us that this evil and corrupt seed is not imputed unto infants until they actually joyn themselves unto it by sin And by this evil and corrupt seed he meaneth that whicâ— he had been speaking of viz. the Corrupt nature of Man But Pag. 55. he would seem to câ—ntradict this when he sayeth We cannot conceive how Man who is naturally come of Adam can have any good in his nature pertaining to it which he had not from whom he is derived if then we may affirme that he in his nature retained no will belonging to it nor light capable of it self to manifest spiritual things so nor his posterity Whence you might think that as Adam by his fall lost Original righteousness and all aptitude in Will or Undeâ—standing unto spiriâ—ual things so â—lso his Posterity that came naturally of him in this mans opinion but his tâ—ue meaning is that though Infants descend naturally from Adam yet this Privation of Righteousness and Corruption of Will and Understanding is not imputed to Infants nor do they partake thereof until they sin actually for in the end of his discourse upon this head Pag. 62. he sayes that this seed of sin is not imputed to any till by
sinning they actually joyn themselves to it And this seed of sin is frequently in Scripture called dâ—ath and the body of death and that this seed and that which cometh of it is called the old man the old Adam Thus then in â—hort his judgment is that nothing of original sin neither Originans nor Originatum neither the Guilt of Adam's sin nor the Corruption of nature is imputed to or inherent in any man till he commit some actual transgression and so sin cometh not by Propagation or Traduction but by Imitation as said the Pelagians of old and as the Socinians and Anabaptists to day maintaine And the Arminians with their Episcopius deny that any thing that is truely sin is found in any of Adams Posterity before their own proper act 8. Let us now see what he sayeth in defence of this Errour and let us first take notice of what he said of Augustine that much honoured Instrument of the Lord against the errours that Satan was soweing in the Church in his time He would make us beleeve that Augustine wrote of this subject when under the dottage of old age while as it is manifest to such as read his life that what he wrote against Pelagius was written while he was in the prime of his Vigour and Understanding and his works themselvs declare the same But what will this pedantick Quaker think of that singular and self-denying woâ—k of that worthy person called his Retractations wherein he reviewed all his former writings and retracted several thâ—ngs asserted by him in his younger and lesse studied yeers belike this man will look upon that work being written after these he now excepteth against as containing nothing but greater dottages because as he â—upposeth the longer persons live though not yet comeing near the ordinary attendants of stouping or declineing old age they grow the greater fools and consequently that himself must now be a greater fool though I see little dâ—ffâ—rence while become a Quaker than he was in his younger dayes when he was a Papist Next the man is not ashamed to judge of the very Thoughâ—s and Motives of that noble Instrument yea he is so bold as to condemne him of acting upon corrupt motives as if noâ—hing had moved him to write for Oâ—iginal sin but eagerness of Zâ—al against Pelagius no inward conviction of the truth not of the damnableness or danger of the Pelagian heâ—esie in this no conviction of his duty to appear for truth Doth this Qâ—aker consider that hereby he is audaciously arrogating to himself Gods prerogative royal of judging the secrets of the heart Remembeâ—eth he that God is a Jealous God who will not give his glory to another But what grounds can he give of this his bold presumption What evidence is there of that holy Fathers writting against his own conscience I â—ay no more of this but leave this Quaker to his judge and take notice of a Third untruth when he sayeth that Augustine was the first that appeared in this controversie against the Pelagians Had he but consulted Vossius in his Historia Pelagianismi a book that sometime he citeth he should have found that whole Councils appeared against Pelagius himâ—elf to speak nothing of Hierome in this particular before that Augustine wrote of it particularly the first Synod at Carthage and that Synod in Palestine where Pelagius himself was present and hideing his abominations deceived the Fathers with faire words and the Council of Milevy that dealt more roundly with that heresie tels us in plaine tearmes that the Truth which they maintained was owned by the whole Catholick Church all the world over and so it was indeed and never once questioned till that unhappy instrument of Satan to whom this Quaker adjoyneth himself broached his pernicious doctrine It is true the Pelagians called this Orthodox truth a forged device of Augustines as this man doth but Augustine replyed as Vossius tels us Hist. Pelag lib. 2. part 1. Thes. 6. in these words I did not devise original sin which the Caâ—holick faith beleeved of old but thou who denyest this without doubt art a new heretick and lib. 1. contra Iulian. Cap. 2. he citeth no fewer then ten or twelue of the Fathers for him and lib. de Pecc Merit Remis he saies he never heard one that owned the Scriptures speak otherwise If this Quaker had perused Vossius in the place last cited he would have seen how the â—ame truth which Augustine maintained was asserted by ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine before Augustine's dayes such as Ignatius Dionysius Areopagia Iustin Martyr Tatianus Ireneus whom Augustine himself citeth Origen Methodius Macarius Hierosol Macarius Aegyptius Athanasius Cyrillus Nazianzenus Chrysostome and others of the latine Fathers he citeth Tertullian Cyprian Arnobius Reticius Olympius Hilarius Ambrosius whom Augustine citeth Hilarius Diaconus Hieronimus whom he also citeth And moreover he should have found Pag. 179. that Augustine did not assert this truth meerly out of zeâ—l gainst the Pelagians as he ignorantly and boldly affirmeth for he had asserted it in hâ—s books de Libero Arbitrio written before Pelagianisme appeared and how in his 6. book against Iulianus the Pelagian Cap. 4. he sayes expresly that he was in that judgment from the very beginning of his conversion that he had said nothing through heat of disput which was not the ancient doctrine of the whole Church Ego sayeth he per unum hominem in mundum intrasse peccatum per peccatum mortem ita in omnes homines pertransisse in quo peccaverunt omnes ab initio conversionis meae sic tenui semper ut teneo Extant libri quos adhuc laicus reâ—entissimâ neâ conversiâ—ne conscripst et si nondum sicut postea sacris literis eruditus tamen nihil de hâc re jam nunc sentiens ubi disputandi ratio poposcerat dicens nisi quod antiquitus discit and docet omnis Ecclesia Let this Qâ—aker read these words and if he be not above measure effronted let him blush at his shameless boldness Let hiâ— read also August lib 4 ad Boniâ—ac c. 8. contra duaâ— Pelagianorum Eâ—istolas lib. 3. de Pecc Mer. remiss cap. 6. 7. lib. 1. adv jul resp poster Pag 5.8 125. and he will see further cause of repenting of his groundless confidence and audacity if his conscience be not feared 9. We have had one great proof of this Quakers confident boldness now theâ—e followeth another for the only confirmation which he adduceth of his Heâ—esie in his Thesis and that which he first speaketh to in his Apology Pag. 59. is brought from Ephes. 2 1 2 3. a passage out of which the old Fathers proved Orâ—ginal sin against the Pelagians as August lib. 6. c. 12. cont jul Scriptor Hypognost lib. 2. Fulgent and fourteen Bishops with him ad Petrum diaconum c. 26. Theodoret on the place also Primasius and Haimo commenting on the place and others cited by
and yet behold the Righteous God cannot be acquite in that which is every way more justifiable though He hath absolute dominion over us and may dispose of us as He will which no man hath over another The truth is this dissatisfaction with God in all his wayes is an argument beyond all deniall of our Rebellious Natural Inbred Corruption and Wickedness of heart what would they not have said that it had been Goodness and Equity both in God if Adam had stood to have made us all partakers of the Benefite thereof and shall it now be against both Goodness Equity if by reason of his Fall we be deprived thereof and be Obnoxious to the evils threatned what unequal dealing is this In fine This is the old câ—ant of the Palagians as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 206. And what Augustine replyed he way see Ibid. Pag. 20â— 13. He addeth a rhapsody of non-sense telling his readers our opinion floweth from our self lâ—ve because we maintaine an absolute decree of election for ourselves and ours and so care not to send all the rest to hell and leave them into inextricable difficulties The reading of whâ—ch might indeeâ— excite any man of Understanding to commiserate this mans case who is thus so transported with paâ—sion as he knoweth not what he is saying only we see that he muâ—t spew out his gall againâ—t the Orthoâ—â—x doctrine of Election before the fit time come but when he cometh to tâ—e right place of speaking to this as we shall see in the next Chapter he dar not meddle with Election but contents himself with Reprobation But what an evident demonstration of Corrupt Self love and Pride against God is in his Pelagian heresie he is blinde that seeth not These Quakers with other Pelagians will not be beholden to the Grace of God but as little as may be and therefore so frame their doctrine that themselves and not the grace of God may have all the praise of their Salvation as we will have occasion frequently to shew ere all be done When he hath deluded himself and other Quakers and made some others beleeve that they have no Original sin to mourne for and thereby hath brought them under the dominion of Satan more than befoâ—e hath he done them any good service Is it good service to poor souls to hoodwinke them that they may post to the pit witâ— a lie in their right hand Woe I say and thrice woe to such as drink-in this mans doctrine and live and die accordingly 14 Thereafter he is better pleased with Papists who allow a limbus to the Infants dying without baptisme than wâ—th us But we must be satisâ—ied that he look more warmly to his old friends the Papists among whom he drank-in no doubt much of that prejudice which now he is pleased to voâ—ite foâ—th as Quaker rather than as a Papist And as to this particular whereupon now we are his opinion will accord better with the Papists than with Ours for Bellarm. will not have concupiscence to be owned as sin Formally but only Originally and Effectively or Terminatively and they say that Adam was created in puris naturalibus which naturals remain whole and intire as yet and will not this Quaker grant all this as to Infants Nay he agreeth well with the Errour of Albert-Pighius who will have no sin propagated to us from Adam and sayeth that there is nothing in us when new borne but what is good and that death cometh not upon Infants because of sin but floweth from the constitution of the body But whether he will say with him that because of Adam's sin all his posterity are banished out of Heaven though not obnoxious to eternall Death I know not It may be he will allow them a limbus or else make them all sure of heaven if he will grant a heaven to any But how come they thither seing they have nothing to do with Christ all thaâ— come to heaven must be beholden to Christ the Redeemer and hold their crown of Him But this Qvakers Religion will teach old persons let be Infants to be little beholden to Christ as we shall heare 15. He is so bold as to tell us next that our opinion is contrary to Scripture Because the Apostle sayeth Rom. 4 15 that where there is no Law there is no transgression and 5 13. but sin is not imputed when there is no Law And he like a man proveth that Infants are under no Law But is the man such a stranger to the common practices among men who forfeite the Children yea Infants yea such as are not borne with their Fathers for great crimes and yet they know that Infants are not obnoxious to their Lawes especially if as yet unborne But our plaine answere is That the Nature of Mankinde was under the Law proposed unto Adam as the Head and when he as the Head and Representative broke that Law the whole nature of Mankinde became guilty and consequently every Infant becometh guilty when they partake of that guilty nature And that thus it was with all the posterity of Adâ—m the Apostle expresly asserts in the last place cited viz. Rom 5 12 13 14. even notwithstanding of this very Oâ—jection which he proleptically bringeth-in there as the cohesâ—on cleareth and we shall evince afterward 16. His last reason is from Ezechiel 18 20. which Socinians also urge and it receiveth a quick dispatch for he himself must loose this doubt if there bâ— any as well as we for he said before that God punisheth the sins of the Fathers on the children when guilty of actual sinnes whereby they homologate their Fathers wickedness And Ezechiel doth plainly and frequently enough make it out â—hat tâ—ese children were as wicked as their fathers if not more and so the Lord might according to this Man 's owne concession visite the iniquities of their Fathers upon them But the scope of the place being clearly this That so little grouâ—d had these people to alleige that they were innocent and that God had no quarrel againâ—t them but for their fathers transgressions so that their fathers did eat thâ— soure â—rapes and their teeth were therefore set on edge though they themselves did eat no soure grape being innâ—câ—nt that on the contrary the Lord tels them by the Prophet that though he should not visite one iniquity of their Fathers upon them as hâ— might do in justice and had one with others but should follow a way with them more suteable to their owne minde viz. only take notice of their own guilt personal yet they could not escape because their owne personal iniquities were so many and so great This I say being the scope of the place it is obvious how impertinent it is for him here to alleidge it And beside let him make of it what he will it cannot reach us for we have told him that this original sin is not the sin of another Person as Adam's after sins were
and the sinnes of other parents are but it is the proper sin of all Mankinde who are partakers of that Nature by ordinary generation and so it is the proper sin of every infant so descended of Adam as well as it was Adam's for it was not Adam's sin as a Particular Person but a sin committed by the Head and Representative of â—umane Nature to be propagated by ordinary generation 17. He cometh § 5. c. to consider what are our Arguments and first he mentioneth our saying that Adam was a publick person and therefore all sinned in him when he sinned He replyeth thus That Adam was a publick person I deny not and that by hiâ— the seed of sin was propagated to all men which of its owne nature is defiled and inclineth men to sin yet it will not thence follow that Infants that do not joyn themselves thereunto are guilty thereof Excepting what must be allowed to the Quakers as their peculiar dialect this is not far different from what the Arminians say Apol. Cap. 7 Fol. 84. They own not original sin as a proper sin which makes Adam's posterity obnoxious to God's haâ—red nor as an evil which cometh upon them as a proper punishment but as an evil infirmity vice or by what other name it can be called which is propagated from Adam void of original righteousness whence all his posterity are dâ—stitute of the same righteousness and indisposed for life eternal c. The Socinians speak also much after this mans dialect for Smalcius saieth We confess that we are now corrupt and far from that state of Innocency which Adam had but this is not to be ascribed to the fall of Adam but to men themselves who of their own accord corrupt themselves and Ostorodus saith we willingly confess that there is a great proclivity to sin almost in all men but that cometh not from the first sin but from mens corrupting of themselves which afterward they propagate to their children But to returne to our Quaker 1. In what tolerable or intelligible sense can he yeeld that Adam was a Publick Person if what he did as such is not to be accounted as done by all whom he did represent Did ever any hear of one stated as a publick Person whose failings could have no eâ—fect until the persons represented did testify their approbation of it By this reasoning if Adam had stood and continued in innocency infants could have had no benefite thereby for if the evil that Adam did as a Publick Person could not hurt infants neither could his good have advantaged them And then I would faine know wherein did consist his being a Publick Person or what he thinketh a Publick Person is 2. whether is this Seed of sin it self sin or not If it be not sin why calleth he it afterward the Original of all sin why calleth he it the body of death and the Old Adam The Scripture speaketh of these as Master sinnes If it be sin how can it be propagated to all Men and to Infants among others and they not be denominated sinfull thereby Can the seed of sin be transmitted to â—nfants and they be the subjects â—hereof and yet they not be sinfull shall the seed of all poison and venom be transmitted from the old serpents to the young and shall the young thereby not be accounted poysonful and venemous 3. He saith this seed inclineth those in whom it is unto sin But this inclination to sin is sin and contrary to the Law of God Therefore Infants in whom is this seed inclining to sin must have sin within them 4. This which he saith is propagate by Adam to all his posterity is either something good or something evil good it cannot be because of what is said If it be evil it must either be the evil of sin or the evil of punishment or both If it be the evil of sin than sin is propagated If it be the evil of punishment than it presupposeth sin for all punishment that is just is the punishment of sin poenam istam esse said August lib. 2. de lib. arb c. 18. quis dubitet omnis autem poena si justa est peccati poena est supplicium nominatut 5. But it may be he will say with the Arminians that because it is a punishment therefore it is not a sin But thâ— Scripturâ— calleth it Sin and the Body of sin Indwelling sin and several other Epithets it getteth all shewing that it is sin and contrary to the Law of God and so deserving death spiritual temporal and eternal Let him consider Col. 2 11. 3 11. Ephes 4 22. Rom. 6 6 7 17. not to mention Rom. 7 15. c. And himself calleth it the Fountaine and Spring of all actual transgressions And that concupiscence which Iames sheweth to be the spring of evil Iam. 1 14. Paul calleth sin Rom. 7 7 18. is prohibited by the Law saying thou shalt not covet 6. Iulianus the Pelagian spoke at this rate saying that the Law in our members which is repugnant to the Law of our minde dwelleth indeed in Man and doth instigat the resisting minde so that the conflict though it be not damnable because it doth not perfect sin yet is miserable because it hath not peace See August lib. 1. adv Iul. c. 68. To which Augustine replyed That it was madness in the man to confess that sin was evil and yet say that the concupiscence of sins was good and yet more intolerable to say that it did provoke to evil and yet was not evil And else where in the same book Cap. 83. he chargeth Manicheisme upon Iulianus upon this account that he granted misery did attend the posterity and yet would not grant sin was imputed Tu ergo adjutorem Manichaei te non esse ostende si potes qui miserias hominum cum quibus eos nasoi quoniam sine dubio sentit genus humanum noâ—ens tribuere peccato vitiatae naturae nostrae facis ut eas ille permixtae nobis naturae tribuat altenae 7. This man would faine have fastned this sin upon us that we made God Unrighteous and Unjust but here he declareth himself manifestly chargeable therewith for evil and misery he granteth is propagated to all men and the seed of sin which inclineth to sin and yet will not have sin the procureing cause propagated Quia ergo said August lib. 2. cont Iul. oper posth Cap 110. gravi jugo à die exitus de ventre matris puniti sunt parvuli agnosce judicem justum confitere originale peccatum punire enim nullius peccati meritum habentes sicut etiam ipse confiteris non potest sine eversione justitiae in the following Chapt. he hath these words In illo gravi jugo quo etiam parvuli premuntur quomodo est Iustus Deus si nullus nascitur reus 8. He talketh of Infants joyning themselves unto this Seed of sin before they become guilty But when
thing which we inferre is manifest viz. the originated sin or the corruption of nature which here David calleth Sin And if this Quaker think that this came from another Original than from Adam let him tell us what it is and not joyn in with the Manichees nor make God the Author and cause of sin if he can 21. Another of our Arguments is from that word of Paul's the wages of sin is death And seing infants die they must have sin as a procuring cause That death was and is a Punishment of sin we cleared above and the Apostle asserteth it here so manifestly calling it the Wages and due Desert that it must argue wonderful impudence in any to question it What sayeth this Quaker He granteth that death is a Consequence of the fall but denyeth that hence we can necessarily inferre iniquity to be in all those that are subject to death That is in plaine termes but the mans modesty dar not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not truth who ever imagined that wages were no more but a Consequent of the workmans labour If Death be the Wages and Reward and just Punishment of sin it can certanely be inflicted by the Righteous Judge of the world upon none but such as are guilty of sin How oft doth the Apostle speak of death as the just Desert and Punishment of sin Rom. 5 12 death entred by sin death passed on all for all had sinned suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie in whom as it doth Marc. 2 vers 4. Luk. 5 vers 25.2 Cor. 5 vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being several times put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 10 15 1â— but did only import the Cause as Socinians would have it it would sufficiently confirme this that death is inflicted because of sin so vers 15. through the offence of one many be dead and this is called vers 16. judgmnt to condemnation and vers 17. by one mans offence or by one offence death reigned And vers 21. sin reigned unto death And then againe Chap. 6 23. for the wages of sin is death So likewise 1 Cor. 15 21.22 by man came death for as in Adam all die He addeth as a reason of his denyal that it might appear he did not contradict the Apostle without reason For sath he all the outward creation suffered detriment and ruine in some respect by Adam's fall and yet the herbes and trees c. are not therefore sinners Ans. Is not this a valide reason wherefore to reject death as a punishment of sin Nay seing the vanity under which the world groaneth because of sin is a punishment to all Mankinde to Infants as well as to Adult persons it is hence manifest that all are guilty of sin that is all mankinde who are capable of sin as trees and herbes are not But yet more he addeth to Confront the Apostle and sayeth death is no wages of sin to the saints but is gaine Phil. 1 v. 21. Answ. Why is death called an enemy and the last enemy 1 Cor. 15 v. 26. wâ—at meaneth that that when corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortal hath put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15 vers 54. Because the Lord by grace through Jesus Christ hath taken the sting of death away and made it a passage to glory unto his owne shall we therefore look upon it in it self as no punishment of sin or as not coming into the world because of sin This will tend as much to prove that Adult persons are not sinful as that Infants have no sin and that a womans paines in child birth or a Mans purchaseing his bread with the sweat of his face c. are no punishments of sin Original or Actual because all these Paines Troubles Afflictions c. worke together for good to such as love God Rom. 8 vers 28. And so the Godly have no Punishments Chastisements Visitations Corrections or the like for sin though the Scripture say so in hundereds of places Here this Quaker joineth with Antinomians 22. He mentioneth another argument which as he thinketh fools only make use of which is this If Infants have no sin they must all be saved Well what replyeth he to this argument We will rather saith he admit this supposed absurdity as a Consequent of our doctrine then say that innumerable Infants perish eternally not for their owne but only for Adams fault But though he should not value such Absurdities notwithstanding he therein run wilder than Papists and joine with Anabaptists and some Pelagians Yet me thinks he should take heed of contradicting his owne doctrine for afterward we will heare of his pleading for Christs dying for all Mankinde And sure if that be true he must say that he died also for Infants and yet here he granteth that they will be all saved without Christ for they have no sin they have no need of a Saviour to save them from their sinnes But how can they be all saved seing they have the Seed of sin â—n them and the Spring of all actual sinnes and that seed of sin which in Scripture is called death and the body of death the old man and the old Adam as he himself speaketh Pag. 62 When Paul speaketh of the body of death Rom. 7 24. he looks upon it as that from which Christ must deliver him How will this Quaker reconcile these things The old man must be put off or we cannot enter into glory and if Infants have the old man how can they enter into glory And beside All in glory must sing the song of the Redeemed and praise him that hath redeemed them by his blood Revel 5 9 10. How can Infants do this who have never been washen from their sinnes in the blood of the lamb as never having had sin And Pag. 55. he told us that none of Adam's posterity had any good in them which he had not from whom they descended Adam then being deprived of his Original Righteousness none of his Posterity no not Infants can lay claim to that Righteousness how I pray can Infants go to heaven who want a righteousness The heaven then which they go to must be a heaven wherein dwelleth no Righteousness and what can this be but some new Limbus But to be more plaine with him It is not enough for him to say he may grant such a Consequence from his doctrine for we must have sure Scripture grounds ere we beleeve that all Infants even of Turks and Heathens shall certanely go to heaven The Scripture giveth more ground of hope of those that are within the Covenant I am sure than of those who are without what thinks he of the Infants of Sodom See Iud. vers 7. and of Coreh and his company not to mention the Infants of the old world And why doth the Scripture call the children of such as are without the church 1 Cor. 7 14. unclean
giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things and vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard there from being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real and Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap 9 24 to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncerâ—ane 18. If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable this Quaker is Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end and fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we think that Christ might have died and yet not one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Free will upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1 Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So 2 Cor. 5 15 He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These and the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him and by himself and shall we suppose that this great and chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick and uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargan and purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all 19. Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted and Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinns But let us see what the Scripture saith 1 Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what redemption foâ—giveness of sins according to the riches of his grace So likewise Col. 1 14. Now when sinnes are thus taken away they are blotted ouâ— and not remembered Esai 43 25. Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. Yea they are blotted out as a cloud and as a thick cloud Esai 44 22. So they are said to be subdued casten into the depths of the sea Mica 7 19. Shall we now say that Christ hath died to purchase this Redemption the Forgiveness and blotting out as a thick cloud and casting into the depths of the sea of sin and yet multitudes of those for whom this was purchased and that by the blood of God should never obtaine this benefite but have all their sins charged upon their owne score This so pincheth the Adversaries that the best evasion they can fall upon is to say that none shall have Original sin charged upon them But the Scripture no where estricteth this Remission to that sin only Others therefore say That no sin now shall be charged upon any but the sin of Unbeleef Then Iudas doth not suffer to day for betraying his master was it for this sin only that the Old World was drowned or that the Cities of Sodom are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Iude seemeth to say some other thing vers 7. so are there other sins there reckoned up vers 8 9 10 11 12. to which is reserved the blakness of darkness for ever vers 13. But some say that these are all but pardoned upon condition Then the Redemption is neither Actual and Real nor Compleat but a poor May be and a may be may not be and how can such sins be said to be forgiven or blotted out and casten behinde God's back and into the depths of the sea Did Christ know whether or not this condition would be performed If not then He is not the omniscient God If he knew that it would not be performed by the greatest part how can we imagine that he would notwithstanding lay downe his life to purchase a Remission for them And how can we think that He should purchase a Pardon to all and let the event hang upon the pendulous tottering will of a sinfull creature But as to that condition we shall 20. Propose 9. this consideration The not performance of that Condition was no doubt a sin and if Christ died for all the sinnes of the world he died for that too And if he died for that too that is taken out of the way or there must be another condition imagined upon performance of which that is to be taken out of
his Church Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. his Elect Rom. 8 32 34. his Children Heb. 2 12 13. 26. If we would consider aright 15. What Christ did undergoe suffer while he was made sin or was making satisfaction for sin we should hardly think it probable that Christ Jesus God-man who was the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3. and thought it no robbery to be counted equal with God Phil. 2 6. Should have undergone what he did undergoe and that the Father should have laid all that upon him which he did lay upon him and that to purchase only a meer Possible Redemption from sin and wrath whereby not one person should be saved or pardoned if so it had seemed good to captaine Free will Not to Mention his condescending to be Born of a woman and to be Made under the Law Gal. 4 4. nor his being in the Forme of a servant Phil. 2 7. nor his Poverty and mean condition in the world 2 Cor. 8 9 nor his Conflicting with the indignities of the world Psal. 22 6. Heb. 12 2 3. with the temptations of Satan Mat. 4 1 -12. Luk. 4 15. and his being under the infirmities common to the nature of man being in all things like us except sin Heb. 2 17. 4 15. Esai 52 13 14. Nay nor his sufferings in his Body Name Honour at death when he was Betrayed by Iudas Mat. 2â— 4. Forsaken by his disciples Mat. 26 56. Scorned and Reviled by the world Esai 53 2 3. Condemned as a malefactor by Pilat and Tormented by his persecuters Mat. 27 26 50. Ioh. 19 34. and Endured the Painful Shameful and Cursed deatâ— of the crosse Phil. 2 8. Heb. 12 2. all which and the like being endured by Him who was the Son of God could be no mean suffering nor undergone for an uncertain end or for the procureing of a meer Possible and Uncertain good But that which we would most take notice of here is his Soul sufferings being pursued by divine justice when that Zach. 13 7. was accomplished awake O sword against my shepheard against the Man that is my follow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered Mat. 26 31. and the Lord did bruise him and put him to griefe Esai 53 5 10. and he began to be sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26 37 38. and was sore amazed and very heavy Mark. 14 34. and was put to offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him Heb. 5 7. when notwithstanding that an angel appeared unto him from heaven strengthening him yet being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Luk. 22 43 44. and at length was made to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22 1. Mat. 27 46. Mark 15 34. This was no mean business when the Rayes and Irradiations of Divine Love were drawn-in and withheld from him who had such a sharp sense of the happiness in the enjoying of God's favour because of the Personal union with the Godhead But that which is most of all to be considered is his being made a Curse Gal 3 13. and so made to wrestle with the Justice and Wrath of a sin-revenging God This was the gall and the wormwood that made him cry Ioh. 2 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Shall we suppoâ—e that all this was about an Uncertane Bargane Shall we think that he died the cursed death of the crosse and bore the weight of God's wrath Luk. 22 4â— Mat. â—7 46. and so became a sacrifice to satisfie divine justice Heb. 9 14 18 all to purchase a meer Possâ—bility or a meer Possible Redemption Shall we think that the Second pâ—rson of the Trinity should do and suffer all these things for to redeem man when possibly if Freewill should be so ill natured not one man should reap any advantage thereby Me thinks the asserting of this should be a great temptation to cause people turne Socinians and deny all these soul sufferings of Christ and his bearing the wrath of God and making any satisfaction to justice 27. Adde to this 16. That the Scriptures speak of Christ's Death Sufferings as being not for himself but for Others and that not only for the good and advaâ—tage of others and doubtless the advantage of all this should be but little if it were nothing else but a meer Possible Redemption which Free will might make Actual or Not Actual as it pleased but in their Roome and Place hence it is called the chastisement of our peace Esai 53 5. and he is said to have bâ—rne our griefs and carryed our sorrowes vers 4. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities vers 5. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. for the transgression of my people was he stricken vers 8. for he shall bear their iniquities vers 11. he bare the sin of many vers 12. He bear our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 24. the just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3 18. Hence beleevers are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2 20 to be baptized into his death Rom. 6 3. buried with him by baptisme into death vers 4. planted together in the likeness of his death vers 5. dead with Christ vers 8. He was cut off but not for himself Dan. 9 26. See also Heb. 2 9. 1 Pet. 2 21. Shall we say that this was meerly for our good seing it was in some respect for the good of the whole creation Rom. 8 20 21 22 23. Act. 3 21. and not in our Place and Stead Paul saith 2 Cor 2 14. If one be dead for all then were all dead And iâ— is manifest that he payed the Law-debt having taken on him the seed of Abraham for this end Heb. 2 16. and being made a curse for us he redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3 10. So that it was in our stead Rom. 5 6 7 8. Ioh. 11 50. 10 11 15. And the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath clearly this import Mat. 5 38. 17 27. Esa. 4â— 4. Exod. 21 23 24. 1 Chron. 14 1. 1 King 3 7. 2 King 1 17. 11 43 Prov. 11 8. Iob. 16 4. 34 â— 1 Pet. â— 9. Rom. 12 17. See many other places cited by worthy Mr Rutherfoord in his book of the Covenant Pag. 25.255 where both in the N. T. and to the LXX version of tâ—e old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his impâ—rt And this tâ—uâ—h is abundantly made out by our Orthodox Divines writing against the Socinians so thâ—t I need say no more of it only I â—hink such as aâ—â—ert the Reâ—emptâ—â—n puâ—chased by Christ to have been a
for some sinnes of all and not for all their sinnes for whom he died seing he was a Compleet Cautioner So then as Christ died in their roome and stead as their Cautioner and Sponsor for whom he died wrong should be done to Him if all these for whom he was a Cautioner should not at length actually be delivered out of prison freed from the accusation of the law They for whom he died being in him legally when he died and morally and virtually dying in him and with him must not in justice be made to pay their own debt and satisfie the law over againe Christ's stricking hands as the phrase is Prov. 22 26. and so putting his name in the obligation and accordingly making satisfaction the Principal 's name is blotted out and he freed in the time appointed for he beare our griefs and carryed our sorrowes c. Esai 53 4 5. and by meanes of death he delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime ubject to bondage Heb. 2 14 15. 37. This matter will be further clear if we consider 26. How the death of Christ was a Satisfaction and none can deny this but Antichristian Socinians Others willingly grant that Christ did substitute himself in the room of sinners and was willing to undergo the punishment threatned in the Law against sin that the sinners for whom he undertook satisfaction might be freed So he bear their sins Esai 53 11. 1 Pet. 2 24 And he was made sin 2 Cor. 5 21. Hence he is called a Propitiation 1 Ioh. 2 3. 4 10. Rom. 3 25. Whereby we see that Christ took upon him the whole Punishment that was due to sin and that God whom sinners had offended was well pleased with what he did and suffered according to that undertaking yea more pleased than he was displeased with all the sinnes of those for whom he suffered for hereby His Authority and justice was made to appear more glorious excellent How then can we think that many of those it may be all for whom he gave that satisfaction may notwithstanding possibly be made to make satisfaction for themselves as they may by our Adversaries way Was not his satisfaction full compleat Why should any then for whom he gave that satisfaction be liable to Punishment Is this consonant to justice Did not the Lord Jehovah send Christ and fit him with a body for this end Psal. 40 6. Heb. 10 5. laid upon Him the iniquities of us all Esai 53 6 that He might make full satisfaction for them to justice suffer for them all that the Law could demande of them or they were liable unto by the broken Law Did not Christ do suffer all which he undertook to do suffer for this end And did not the Father accept of what he did suffered as a full Compensation Satisfaction And seing this cannot be denied it is manifest that this was done by Christ as a Cautioner Heb. 7 22. how can it be imagined that the Principal debtor shall not thereupon have a fundamental right to freedom pardon in due time after the Gospel method be actually Discharged delivered from the penalty of the Law Redeemed by the Satisfactory Price payed by the Cautioner accepted of the Creditour Doth not the denying of this certain infallible Effect call in question the value worth of Christ's satisfaction and give ground to say that Jehovah was not Satisfied with the price or that Christ made no Satisfaction Did not Christ make Reconciliation for the sinnes of his people Heb. 2 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. Adde for a further confirmation of this 27. That Christ's death was a propitiating sacrifice He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He offered up himself once Heb. 7 27. He is a sacrifice for us 1 Cor. 5 7. the lamb of God which beareth or taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1 29. He offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9 14 he was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Heb. 9 28. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all he offered one sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. 10 10 12. Now as the sacrifices under the Law which were a type of this did not procure a General Possible benefite but did procure a Real favour only to the People of God for they sanctified to the purifying of the fâ—esh Heb. 9 13. So certanely this Real and Perfect sacrifice must have a Peculiar and Real Effect and sprinkle consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And this is not a thing common to all nor is it a meer Possible thing They must then do a great indignity unto the Sacrifice of Christ who speak of an Universal meerly Possible Redemption 39. Adde to this 28. How upon this Sacrifice which Christ offered up in his death we read of a Reconciliation made Ephes 2 â—6 and that he might Reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity by it or in himself 2 Cor 5 10. when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to Reconcile all things unto himself Therefore is he called our Peace Ephes. 2 14. he maketh Peace vers 15. we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5 1. Now this Reconciliation being of parties that are at varience must be a Reconciliation of both to other and so a mutual Reconciliation and Christ effectuateth both and both are purchased by his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger and Wrath were not appeased and taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us and upon us Ephes 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live and die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2 Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin and he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. 40. Adde 29. That it seemeth
by the Covenant of works for that is broken and all are become heires of hell wrath because of the violation of that Covenant Not by the Covenant of Grace for that requireth faith before persons be interessed in these special favoures privileges And the Scripture tels us that all men have not faith how then come all men to share of these highest privileges or of this divine and glorious life which are promised in the Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ by whom they are purchased Is this divine and glorious life so meane and common a thing that even Heathens and Reprobats share of it Sure the divine and glorious life pointed forth in the Scriptures is a rare thing and is the privilege of very few and even of few of those that are members of the visible Church Will this Quaker tell me if this â—ivine and glorious life whereof all Iaponians Brasilians Cannibals are made partakers be distinguished from the divine and glorious life peculiar to the Saints And if it be distinguished how Or if it be the same in kinde why Regeneration Union with Iesus Christ by faith the Effectual Working of the grace of God and a through Renovation is requisite to the enjoyning of that in some greater measure which all have Naturally in some measure 8. He saith this measure of the divine and glorious life is a seed But whereof Is it the seed of the Eternal weight of glory that the Saints live in the hope of Wherever that seed is it cometh at length to the harvest of glory as the Scripture teacheth us and if this seed be sowne in all all shall at length be saved If it be not the seed of Glory whereof I pray is it the seed Is it the seed of Grace This seed abideth 1 Ioh. 3 9. and is incorruptible and is by the Word of God even that Word of God which is preached by the gospel 1 Pet. 1 23 25. So that this seed is no common thing but peculiar to such as are borne againe who by Christ do believe in God who raised him up from the dead and who have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1 21 22. 9. He saith this seed inviteth and inclineth all men to good But doth it invite and incline the Iaponians Braâ—ilians Artigovanteans and such Heathens who never heard of Christ nor had any shew of Religion to faith in Christ Or even to all that is enjoyned by the Law of Nature or the Law of the two Tables How cometh it then that Paul who was far better versed in the Law than Heathens are saith he would not have known concupiscence unless the Law had said thou shall not covet And how can this consist with the sinful state of every natural person whose thoughts and imaginations incline and invite to evil Read Rom 3 10 to 20. All are under sin vers 9. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God vers 23. Nay how can this be seing the carnal minde is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom 8 7 Is not the heart of every man by nature deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked Ier. 17 9. is not their very minde and conscience defiled Tit. 1 15. Where then can this good seed lodge It lodgeth neither in Heart Minde nor Conscience And shall it lodge in the Flesh It is true there is left in every Man a bit of a Natural Conscience informing concerning some Natural good requisite for self-preservation and for the preservation of Societies and inclineing thereunto but what is this to that Spiritual good required now by the Gospel and discovered by its Light Alas I see the hieght of the Quakers divinity is what a Natural Conscience can teach a Man-eater and this is their Gospel and this is their divine and glorious life O poor wretches 10. This seed he calleth the Vehicle of God A wonderful expression savouring more of a distracted braine and of an audacious blasphemous spirit than of a sober Christian fearing God 11. He calleth it the Spiritual body of Christ But by what Scripture I know not Christ is called the Saviour of the body Ephes. 1 23. Is Christ the Saviour of this seed The spiritual and mystical body of Christ is the Church Ephes 4 4. 1 Cor. 10.17 12 12 13 20. Rom. 12 4 5. Col. 1 24. Ephes. 2 23. Râ—m 12 27. Ephes. 3 6. 4 12 16. Col. 1 18. 2 19 What are the members of this body the body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 12.14 12. He saith it is the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven But had Christ no other flesh and blood than this Then the whole Incarnation of Christ is denyed And where is our Christian Religion then where is the Death of Christ where is his Resurrection where is his Ascension where is all the History of his life Is all that but dreames and lies whither will the Quakers lead us Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world Ioh. 6 51. did he give this seed for the life of the world was this seed a sacrifice to satisfie the justice of God what foolries be these Now the man in deed appeareth in his colours a Quaker in graine speaking non-sense at random and hereby evidencing what Spirit acteth him But one word more where readeth he that Christ's flesh and bloud came out of heaven They mean that Christ had the same Spiritual flesh and blood within his carnal flesh and blood which they have and so they are as much the Christ's of God as he was O dreadful blasphemy 13. He saith all the Saints eat of this What do only the saints eat of this while it is in every Man Every man by this mans doctrine is partaker of Christ's Spiritual body and hath Christ's flesh and bloud in him but they do not all eat thereof a strange phancy that persons have food in their belly before they eate it that persons are partakers of Christ's flesh and blood before they eat him by faith what wilde Notions be these Men are partakers of a glorious and divine life by having the spiritual body of Christ in them and the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven and that before they make any application of him to themselves by faith where read we of such things Christ tels us the contrary that except we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood we have no life in us Ioh 6 53. and that with a doubled asseveration verily verily And he tels us moreover that he dwelleth in such as eate his flesh that is in beleevers vers 56. and not in others and vers 57. that he that eateth him even he shall live by him But these Impudent Quakers whose work is as it seemeth to câ—ntradict Christ and all the Gospel tell us that even
were challenged and rebuked for the contempt of the Gospel or of Christ offered in the Gospel that was never revealed unto them for as man as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law Rom. 2 vers 12. So as many as have sinned without the Goâ—pel shall pâ—rish without the Gospel for how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how can they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10 14 15. 3. What blasphemy is it to say that God and Christ are involved in this thing Do not their hearts quake at such expressions 9. What more And as saith he it is received in the heart and is not hindered from produceing its own natural and proper effect Christ is formed and raised in the heart of which the Scripture maketh frequent mention which is called the new man Christ in the saints the hope of glory This is that inward Christ of which we only and so often speak and whom we declare every where preaching him and exhorting all that they would believe in the light and obey it that they might know Christ born and raised up in themselves and delivering them from all sin Ans. Here is a short and clear account of the mysterie of iniquity the abomination of desolation which they owne maintaine and preach who are called Quakers the sworne enemies of the Gospel grace of God To which we say 1. When it is said to be received in the heart it is supposed that formerly it was not in the heart And how can this be seing he said before that it was in every one Or was it only in their head and not in their heart 2. Did ever Pelagius more Pelagianize than doth this Quaker Or can there be anything imagined more opposite to the Gospel and to the rich grace of God therein revealed than to say that there is in every man Heathen Barbarian and Scythian who never heard of Christ in the Gospel that the proper and natural effect of which is to forme Christ in the soul Why did the Apostle Paul then say Gal. 4 19. My little children of whom I travail in birth againe until Christ be formed in you What needed the Apostle be at all this paines and paine to travail in birth for that which could have been wrought though he and the Gospell which he preached had never been heard of And what need is there of the preaching of the Gospel if the whole Gospel and the whole Grace of God necessary to the forming of Christ in the soul be in every Heathen that never heard of the Gospel Can there be any thing invented by Satan more contradictory to that Gospel whereby life and immortality is brought to light Is there any thing imaginable that more directly crosseth and annulleth the whole frame of the Gospel in all its parts and overturneth its very Foundations 3. The Scripture indeed maketh frequent mention of the Grace of God manifested in the Gospel and of the effects brought to passe by the Gospel and the Grace of God working thereby but it no where saith that there is any thing in the heart of man by nature which produceth Christ in the soul the hope of glory as its proper and natural Effect Nay the whole book of God declareth the plaine contrary when it not only sheweth us the blindness and wickedness of the heart of every man till it be renewed by grace consequently the utter impotency of nature to worke salvation but also sheweth that all that which the light in every man can eye as its object being only the works of Creation Providence is utterly insufficient for attaining this end because those works can declare nothing of the Gospel mystery whatever it may do of the Law Hence the times of the Gentiles living without the Gospel are called times of ignorance at which God winked Act. 17 30. and times wherein God suffered all nations to walk in their own wayes Act. 14 vers 16. so that they were alienated from the life of God Ephes. 4 18. having the understanding darkened and being under ignorance because of the blindness and hardness of heart The Gospel doth every where tell us that we cannot be justified by the works of the Law and yet all that which this Common Light can do is but to â—nforme and that most imperfectly of somethings required by the Law of Nature it speaketh nothing of faith in Christ which is Absolutely requisite to Justification and Salvation for without it it is impossible to please God Heb. 11 6. and by it we are united unto Christ the only Mediator for there is not another name given to men under heaven by which they can be saved but by the Name Iesus Act. 4 12. and it is life eternal to know God and Him whom He hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17 3. But should we expatiat here in the confutation of this grosse Pelagianisme we should transcribe the whole Gospel â— Christ in saints the hope of glory is not brought about by Nature nor by the Works of the Law but by the Gospel and faith in it for this is the riches of the glory of this mystery whereof Paul was a minister according to the dispensation of God and which had been hid from ages and from generations Col. 1 25 26 27. and wherein Paul laboured striveing according to his working which wrought in him mightily vers 29. Nay before they were reconciled in the body of Christs flesh through death they were alienated and enemies in their minde by wicked works vers 21 22. and this was the peculiar priviledge of such as had received Christ Chap. 2.6 and were in him circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ were buryed with him and risen with him in baptisme through the faith of the operation of God and were quickened together with him vers 11.12.13 5. If this be all the Christ which they preach and declare their Christ and theame is but the dim and dark Light of Nature or the Corrupt Nature of Man which is enmiâ—y to God and to the Gospel And so they are Heathenisâ— Preachers no Gospel Ministers they are Nature Teachers and Admirers and Gospel Subverters Therefore all that love their own souls should keep far from their tents and look upon them as the most desperat Enemies to the Gospel of the Grace of God that ever Satan sent abroad in the world to destroy souls 6. The Christ whom the Gospel commands us to beleeve in and obey is Christ the Son of God God man our Immanuel the promised Messiah the Fellow of God against whom the Sword of Justice did awake the Servant of God who was Incarnat God made manifest in the flesh who grew up as a tender plant as a root out of a dry ground was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes
and consequently it is no part of the image of God in man 3. How can the man not be denominated from this seed and accounted an holy man upon the account thereof seing he called it before a Spiritual Principle and Organ and the Vehicle of God and that wherein God dwelleth and from which God and Christ cannot be separated And a divine and glorious life Shall a man have a Spiritual Principle of holiness in him and a divine Life and yet not be accounted a spiritual and holy man Nay shall a man have Christ in him dwelling and abideing in him yet not be called an holy man Shall a man have God dwelling in him as Christ had though not in that measure and yet not be accounted a spiritual holy man 4. The Scripture acquanteth us with no Seed or Principle of a spiritual life communicated to every man by his Birth or Conception nor to any but in Regeneration when they are borne againe not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1 13. And these are they who receive Christ offered in the Gospel and by beleeving on his name receive power to become the Sons of God vers 12. for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Ioh. 3 6. This being so we passe his comparison and that which he addeth as being founded thereupon all being grounded upon a fundamental errour his reasons for which are afterward to be examined 14. In the fourth place § 15. he saith That hereby they do not derogate from the Sacrifice and propitiation of Christ. But how is this imaginable seing this Seed which is born with every man will sufficiently save them if they will but suffer it to work in them so that there is no necessity for a man once to hear the name of Christ named in reference to Salvation And what improvement doth or can this Seed or Light in Heathens that never heard of Christ make of the Sacrifice of Christ We are told that Christ the true Messias by his knowledge that is by the knowledge of him as making his soul an offering for sin and as bearing their iniquities should justifie many Esai 53 10 11. And further we heard before how this Man joyneth with Socinians in denying the Deity and Incarnation of the Son of God and how having done this he can plead for or maintaine Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation is intelligible only to Quakers who can as they pretend understand unintelligible things But let us heare how he vindicateth himself and the rest from this imputation He saith They beleeve all that is written of Christ's Conception Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension to be true And what then Socinians will say the same and yet are no friends to Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation Do you beleeve that that body which was crucified at Jerusalem rose again and is now in glory Speak your minde here if you dar that that Body was personally united to the Godhead we think saith he further all to whom these things are revealed are bound to beleeve them But what will the beliefe of them signifie seing the devil believeth them to be true Yea saith he we think incredulity here damnable And why so Because that divine seed would incline all to believe for it assenteth to all truth that is declared But all this being but an historical faith can effectuate no salvation Hath the devil who is no stranger to this historical faith this divine Seed in him also inclineing him to beleeve this truth If not then this divine seed is not requisite unto this Faith if yea then God and Christ dwelleth in the devil and he is partaker of a glorious and divine life for this and more was said above of this seed as we heard 15. We hear nothing yet said for the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ Therefore he addeth that they firmly beleeve that Christs coming was necessary that by his death and passion he might offer himself a sacrifice to God for our sinnes and who ever obtaine remission of sins it is by vertue of his Satisfactory sacrifice These are faire words but containe nothing that can satisfie any understanding person for the Socinians themselves will say as much as may be seen in Hoornb Socinianismi Confut. lib. 3. Cap. 1. Pag. 490.491 Doth he say that the Quakers grant that Christs sufferings were a proper punishment suffered by Him as a cautioner in the room and stead of any sinner and that thereby He did truely and properly make satisfaction to the justice of Goâ— for the sinnes of his people and so purchase unto them Grace and Glory Remission of sins having pacified God and reconciled him unto them by a true and proper sacrifice and so properly and truely did redeem his people As the Socinians make Christ only a Metaphorical God in respect of his Office so they ascribe to him a Metaphorical Redemption and Satisfaction And if this patron of the Quakers can say no more on their behalfe it is too too manifest how small account they have of the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ. And what if all this be meant of the Christ within them 16. Yet he would make us beleeve that they magnifie and exalt Christ's propitiation above what we do we beleeve saith he that as all men were made partakers of the evil fâ—uits of Adam's fall though thousands never heard of him so many may feel the vertue of this divine seed and by it be turned from evil to good albeit thâ—y be utterly ignorant of Christ by whose obedience and suffering they obtaine this benefite Ans. 1. All men are actually made partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall so soon as they have a being because this is propagat by nature all mankinde being in Adam as their head and root But grace is not propagat by nature Had Adam this seed in him after he fell and before the promise of the seed of the woman was made to him Then he lost it not by the fall but by the fall sure he lost all inclination to spiritual good If he represented all Mankinde in the New Covenant of grace as he did in the Old Covenant of works then as his fall did redound in the one to the actual condemnation of his posterity so should his faith for we charitably suppose he was a beleever redound in the other to the actual salvation of all of what necessity then should the sacrifice of Christ be 2. All were partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall actually and not potentially only for there is none that escapeth but the feeling of the vertue of this divine seed is but a possibility so that notwithstanding this divine seed be said to be in all yet it might so fall out that not one should be saved for to have a power only to feel this seed importeth no actual
feeling till Free will come in and determine the matter nor hath it any efficacious influence upon Free will to determine it but leaveth it to its free choice 3. Is this all the benefite that is had by Christ's Obedience and Death that people may be turned from evil to good then it seemeth Christ's death was not so effectual for the good of any as Adam's sin was for the hurt of all Is this to magnifie and exalt the Sacrifice of Christ 4. If this be all that Christ purchased to wit a power to turne from evil to good and to feel the vertue of this seed if men will he hath purchased nothing but what is Natural or what is inferiour to common moral vertues for it is natural to have a power to do or not do as men will and a moral vertue is more than such a power because it leaveth not the man in a state of pure indifferency but inclineth him to acts of such a vertue and only to such acts And if Christ purchased only this power he purchased no more a power to do good than a power to do evil for the power of it self is indifferent to both no more inclined to the one then to the other So that Christ hath purchased â—o Supernatural Grace which effectually moveth and determineth to good but only the Pelagian Natural Grace by which no man is more inclined to good than to evil and which a man may make use of or not as he will and so if he will it shall be of no benefite to him 5. If this be all that Christ hath obtained it is not much mater though we say that such are partakers of it that never heard of Christ. 6. But why saith he Many may feel this seed that never heard of Christ not All Is there any difference if there be what is it and upon what is it founded 7. We deny that any partake of the Supernatural and Saving Benefites of Christ's death who are without the Covenant and never heard of him we mean persones come to age for we except the Elect Infants who are within the covenant and are not capable of hearing And this Mans doctrine rendereth the knowledge of the Gospel very useless at least not very necessary though life and immortality be â—rought to light thereby 2 Tim. 1 10. and it be the mean through which people are begotten unto God 1 Cor 4 15. and the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1 16. the glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1 11. though by it we are called to sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thes. 2 14. And in the word of the truth of the Gospel we heare of the hope which is laid up fâ—r us in heaven Col. 1 5. Though by it the Gentiles be made fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ Ephes. 3 6 And it be the Gospel of our salvation Ephes. 1 13. Though it be a glorious Gospel having light in it to shine into the heart of beleevers 2 Cor. 4 4. and hath a blessing and a fulness of blessing in it Rom. 15 29. so it is called the Everlasting Gospel Rom. 14 6. and for preaching of which Christ himself was anointed Luk. 4 18. What unworthy creatures must these Quakers be that think so little of the Gospel of Christ and of the preaching of it and cry up so much the Light within 17 But he saith they beleeve that it is necessary for such as hear the Gospel to beleeve it Ans. Necessary how Wherein consisteth this necessity seing we may be saved without it Is it because it is a Revelation of God's truth But that speaks out no more the necessity of the faith of the Gospel or of the History of Christ unto salvation than the faith of this that Paul left his cloak at Troas or the History of Cain Ismael Iudas c. which is recorded in the Scriptures And thus he maketh the great mercy of enlarging the borders of the Church under the New Testament and of taking-in all nations by the preaching of the Gospel without discrimination to be no mercy at all or at least a very small mercy He addeth That they ingenuously confesse the outward knowledge of this to be full of comfort to such as are under it and are acted by this inward seed and Light Ans. But this comfort is not necessary to Salvation according to them This inward Seed and Light is sufficient for this and we are enquiring after its necessity but finde none in this mans opinion Yet let us see wherein this comfort consisteth For saith he Pag. 86. not only are they humbled by the sense of Christs death and sufferings but they are also confirmed thereby and encouraged to follow his excellent example 1 Pet. 2 2. and are also refreshed by his gracious speaches Ans. And is this all Then I see there is no more necessity for any to be acquanted with the History of Christs life and death than with the History of other holy saints of God and we have no more interest in that than in these is that to exalt Christ's Satisfaction and Propitiation All that was written afore time was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15 4. And is the History of Christ of the same nature and use with the History of others And is there no more to be gathered therefrom than what an example may contribute This is pure Socinianisme in graine 18. In fine he discovereth to us another mystery concluding thus The History indeed is profitable and comfortable conjoyned with the mystery but not without it but the mystery is and can be profitable without the explicite and external knowledge of the History Ans. That the knowledge of the History without the receiving of Christ held forth therein conforme to the Gospel termes is of little use as to Salvation we grant but what else he meaneth by the mystery I know not unless he meane the light within 2. Can he shew us how the mystery can be known without the History Or to whom and when it hath been known 3. Why was the Gospel written and that by so many several hands And why have we any books of the New Testament And why did Christ appoint Oâ—fâ—cers to continue to the end Why did he send forth his Apostles to bear witness of his Death and Resurrection Why saith Iohn Chap. 20 vers 31. but these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Thus we see how at one dash this Mischievous Man would destroy the whole administration of the Gospel by making it altogether unnecessary unto salvation what a desperat designe must these men have 19. In the fift place he cometh to clear how
followeth upon a rejected Mediator and the wo of Bethsaida above the wo of Tyrus Sydon the wo of Capernaum above the wo of the men of Sodom I shall grant his consequence to be good though it be absurd and ridiculous in a general sense His question asking why such as never heard of Christ's death resurrection cannot be saved as well as such as never heard of Adam's first sin can be damned therefore Is no proof And the answere is manifest because all were naturally and foederally in Adam But all are not so in Christ And it hath pleased the Lord to appoint this way of salvation by faith in Christ which cannot be without knowledge of Christ and the Lord hath thought it good to apply the benefites of Christs death by bringing such who are to partake thereof within the bond of the Covenant within the visible Church and under the administrations of the Gospel and so to joyn to the Church such as should be saved Act. 2 47. Therefore the Lord saith Esai 53 11. by his knowledge or by knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many And the predestinated ones are made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ according to the riches of God's grace wherein he hath abounded towards them in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto them the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Ephes. 1 7 8 9. And if the will and good pleasure of God so ordaining maters for the praise of the glory of his grace will not satisfie this Quaker but he will frame a Gospel out of his own braines we cannot helpe it but must tell him we will rather beleeve God and submit to his wise dispensations than embrace the delusions of fantastical Quakers who purpose to overturne the whole Gospel of the grace of God and destroy souls His simile of medicine curing such as know not whereof it is made nor by whom is but a further evidence of his desperat designe to destroy the Gospel for medicine will as well cure such as know nothing of its composition or Author as such as know both And thus he would inferre that the Gospel is not more necessary to the Salvation of souls than the knowledge of the composiâ—ion and Author of a meâ—icament is to its working on humors But alas the silly man knoweth not the way of the Gospels workiâ—g on souls but supposeth it to be in a physical manner as medicine worketh on the humors of the body wherein he declareth his intollerable folly and ignorance beside his desperate designe 7. But he alleidgeth against us the Instance of Infants and deafe persons to very little purpose seing his question is of â—dult persons and of such also as have eares to hear And as for Infants we grant no salvation to such unless they be within the Covenant and born within the visible Church not to all such either that die in infancy but to those only who belong to the election of grace And the same we say of deafe persons And we except both these from the necessity of outwardly hearing the Gospel And every exception destroyeth not the Rule but confirmeth it rather in all cases not excepted His saying that being within the Church and partaking of the Sacraments give no certain title unto Salvation is impertinent for we say not that all such as are within the Church and partake of the Sacraments shall cerâ—ainly be saved but only that there is no salvation without the Church We know that many are members of the Visible Church who are nâ—t members of the Invisible Church But we know likewise that none are members of the Invinsible Church actually who are not members also of the visible Church His question Pag. 115. Why our charity doth not extend to those without the Church to whom the hearing of the Gospel is impossible aâ— well as to such within the Church Receiveth a short answere to wit Because we have no ground and Christian charity must be ruled by the word of God and not by the phancie of a deluded Quaker He multiplieth his Questions instead of probations according to the usual manner of the Quakers for he asketh againe Is not one in China and India as excusable for not knowing that which he never heard as a deaf man To which we answere Yes But we deny that the one may be as well saved as the other being within the Covenant and Church Of Salvation are we here speaking and not of persons being excusable or inexcusable We know that to be true which Paul saith Rom. 2 12. As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And we know that albeit God will not challenge the Indians or men of China who never had any possible opportunity of hearing the Gospel for ignorance and contempt of the same yet they may and will perish being without the saving meanes of grace and if he think otherwayes let him goe preach up the Light within among them and not laboure to blinde our eyes that we maâ— not see the sun with his smoaking snuff 8. He hath another proof from Act. 10 34. But how will he prove that Cornelius conversing so much among the Jewes had no knowledge of the Messias and of salvation through him though he did not as yet know that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah Do we not finde that Peter cleareth up to him that great question and tels him how God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power c. And this Jesus of Nazareth Peter Preached unto him and told him that to Him gave all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins vers 38 43. And by this instance Peter was brought to understand that now under the Gospel administration in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him so that the benefite of Christ the Mediator was not now restricted to one Nation as of old under the Law Peter had yet too much of that national prejudice which the Jewes had against the Gentiles sticking in him and so thought that all except the Jewes were alwayes to remaine as our casts and to have no share or interest in the Gospel blessings and the good things of the Messias but now he is made to understand the matter aright Our Quaker may if he will read Calvin and Beza both upon the place and see his Imagination confuted 9. Next he tels us that Iob was a perfect man c. and enquireth who taught him How did he understand the fall of Adam Out of which Scripture did he draw all that excellent knowledge And then answereth That it was this inward grace that taught him But all this is founded upon a very improbable conjecture to wit That Iob was coaetaneus with Moses and so was without the Church which the Lord erected among the
â—ewes Whileas it is much more probable that he lived before the children of Israel were brought out of Aegypt and that for this one reason That in all this book where so much is spoken by Iob and by his friends of God's power and faithfulness there is not one word of God's delivering his people out of the furnace of Egypt which would not have been omitted it being so apposite to what is there oftentimes handled if so be it had been done before this time His questions then may easily be answered without that inward common grace which he dreameth of to wit that God taught Iob as he did other holy men before the giving of the Law and that without Scripture which was not then written His supposing thereafter Pag. 116. that Iob speaketh of this light Chap. 24 13. is another of his fond imaginations What he saith next of Iob's friends receiveth the same answere that we gave to what he said of Iob seing the ground of the mistake is the same in both and requireth no new consideration 10. Then he tels us how Paul Rom. 2. saith that the Gentiles did those things which are contained in the Law and hence inferreth that they feared God and wrought righteousness Ans. 1. That the Gentiles were not without all knowledge of what was just and unjust honest and dishonest is most certain for so much was remaining ingraven in their hearts that could not be delete and this was evidenced by their commanding and forbidding by their Laws somethings commanded and forbidden by the Law of God as appeareth by their Laws against Theft Adultery Manslaughter and the like which yet was not universal It is in the original only thus they do by nature the things of the Law And as Beza well observeth this differeth from doing what the Law commandeth being a doing of what the Law doth that is commanding or prohibiting what the Law commandeth or prohibiteth And therefore is it added these having not a Law are a Law unto themselves 2. Hence it appeareth that it will not follow that they therefore feared God and wrought righteousness for the same Apostle tels us Chap. 1 21. that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Is this to fear God and work righteousness And though hereby the Apostle evinceth the Gentiles to be without excuse Yet he tels us Chap. 3 9. that he hath proved both Iewes and Gentiles that they are all under sin And will this Quaker contradict the Apostle and say it is not true that the Gentiles are under sin though the Apostle hath charged it home upon them for they feared God and wrought righteousness This were indeed blasphemous boldness suiteing only a Quaker But he thinks that vers 13. confirmeth all where Paul saith the doers of the Law are justified As if Paul were speaking that of the Gentiles which is spoken of the Jewes who heard the Law which the Gentiles did not And as if Paul did hereby insinuat that any man Jew or Gentile could be justified as a doer of the Law that is by his owne obedience which is diametrically opposite to his whole disput and scope in this part of the Epistle and to his conclusion set down Chap. 3 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Vers. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight What shall we think of this Quaker who thus maketh the Apostle contradict himself and inferreth out of the Apostles words perverted the contrary of what the Apostle himself who knew the force of his owne premises best concludeth And what boldness and blasphemy is comparable to this And withal he will be yet so bold as to tell us that nothing is more clear and that the Apostle vers 9 10.11 doth confirme this doctrine yea and Pag. 117. declare moreover that unless we suppose the Apostle to have spoken otherwayes then he thought we may saifly conclude that those Gentiles were justified and partakers of glory honour and peace and that by their owne works O what miserable miscreants must these men be that dar thus expose the Apostle yea the Spirit of God speaking in him and by him to open laughter as proving and concluding contradictories and that by the same medium and premises which is hardly supposable of a man in his wits and that knoweth what he saith His repetitions Pag. 117. I wave they being formerly confuted and repititions being jejune probations need not be againe examined He doubts whether we can prove that all the Patriarches and holy men before Moses had any distinct knowledge either of Adams fall or of the coming of the Messias for I see not what else he can understand by his vel hujus vel illius these being the only two things spoken of by him immediatly before and his following words confirme this And if he doubt whether we can prove it it is no great matter if he doubt not himself of the thing And if he do doubt of the thing Where is his charity to the Patriarchs and Saints What charity can this be which is so large to Heathens and so straitned to the Saints of God Can this be divine charity No it is a Pagans charity suting him who would have us all turn Pagans But seing the Scripture tels us that they all obtained a good report by faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11 1 2. And that they all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them vers 13. And Christ himself tels us that Abraham saw his day Ioh. 8 56. what needs us more proof These and the like passages satisfie us concerning their knowing as much as was then requisite in order to salvation And that the Gentiles who never heard of Christ know so much is that which he should prove and doth it not nor never shall 11. He tels us that the Iewes even after David's dayes who prophecied more largely of Christ than did others before could not out of all these prophecies discerne Christ when he came Act. 3 17. 1 Cor. 2 8. Yea Mary herself did not know that her Son was about his Fathers work when disputing with the Doctors and the Apostles that long conversed with him and saw his miracles did not beleeve what belonged to his death and resurrection Ans. Is not this a wonderful proofe that the holy Patriarchs had no saving knowledge of and faith in the Messias who was to come because the wicked Jewes did crucify him when he came Who would not simile at this But David had many clear prophecies of the Messias and yet they did not understand these And what then Ergo they were saved without the understanding of these prophecies
Iustification is an act of Gods free grace unto sinners Rom. 3 23 24 25 and â— 5. in which he pardoneth all their sins accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight 2 Cor. 5 19 21. Rom. 3 22 24 25 27 28. not for any thing wrought in them or done by them Tit. 3.5 Ephes. 1 7. but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ by God imputed to them Rom. 5 17 18 19. 4 vers 6 7.8 and received by faith alone Act. 10 53. Gal. 2 16. Phil. â— 7. Adde to this Q. 72. What is justifying faith A. justifying faith is a saving grace Heb. 10 39. wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit 2 Cor. 4 13 Ephes. 1 17 18 19. and the word of God Rom. 10 â—4 17 whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition Act. 2 â—7 and 16 30. Ioh. 16 8 9. Rom. 5 6 Ephes. 2 1. Act. 4 12. not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gospel Ephes. 1 13. but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin Iâ—h 1 12. Act. 16 31. 10 53. and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for Salvation Phil. 3 9. Act. 15 11 And Q. 73. How doth faith Iustifie a sinner in the sight of God Answ. Faith justifieth a sinner in the sight of God not because of these other graces which do alwayes accompany it or of good works that are the fruits of it Gal. 3 11. Rom. 3 28. Nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his justification Rom. 4 5. with Rom. â—0 10. but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ his righteousness Ioh. 1 1â— Phil. 3 19. Gal 2 16. With all we will be hâ—lped to understand the orthodox truth in this matter by considering two other questions to wit Q 75. What is Sanctification A. Sanctification is a work of Gods grace whereby they whom God hath before the foundation of the world chosen to be holy are in time through the powerful operation of his Spirit Heb. 1 4. 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Thes. 1 13. applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them Rom. 6 4 5.6 renewed in their whole man after the image of God Ephes. 4 23 24. having the seeds of repentance unto life and of all other saving graces put into their hearts Act. 11 18. 1 Ioh. 3 9 and those graces so stirred up increased and strengthened Iud. vers 20. Heb. 6 11 12. Ephes. 3 16 17 18 19. Col. 1 10 11. as that they more and more die unto sin and rise unto newness of life Rom 6 to 14. Gal. 5 24 with Q. 77. Wherein do Iustification and Sanctification differ Answere Although Sanctification be inseparably joyned with Iustification 1 Cor. 6 11. and 1 30. Yet they differ in that God in Iustification imputeth the righteousness of Christ Rom. 4 6 8. in Sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace and inableth to the exercise thereof Ezech. 36 27. In the former sin is pardoned Rom. 3 23 25. in the other it is subdued Rom. 6 6 14. the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God and that perfectly in this life that they never fall into condemnation Rom. 8 33 34. the other is neither equal in all 1 Ioh. 2 v. 12 13 14. Heb. 5 12 13 14. Nor in this life perfect in any 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. but groweth up to perfection 2 Cor. 7 1. Phil. 3 12 13 14. â—hus we have the orthodox doctrine in this point fully cleared and confirmed 3. Let us next see whâ—t is the opinion of the Qâ—akers in this matter And before we examine particularly what this Man with whom we deal saith we shall shortly see what other Quakers have maintained before Mr Clapham in his book against the Quakers Sect. 5. tels us that I. Nayler in his Love to the lost P. 3. joyneth with the Papists and pleads for our being made righteous by Gods putting in righteousness in us and by righteousness wrought in the creature And P. 50. with Papists he confounds Justification Sanctification and Mortification and argueth for it as they do So Mr Stalham in his book against them Part. 1 Sect. 22. sheweth out of their owne words what friends they are unto the man of sin by laying the bottome of a believers justification not upon Christs obedience but upon sanctification And Sect. 25. he tels us that I. Nailer said that the man of sin is discovered in them who say beleevers are pure and spoteless too by reason of imputation and in his Love to the lost p. 51. that men are so justified as they are sanctified and mortified and no further And that F. Howgil in The inheritance of Iacob Pag. 29. hath these words Christ fulfilled the Law and he fulfils it in them who know him and his work and herein man becomes to be justified in Gods sight by Christ who works all our works in us and for us Mr Hicks in his 2 Dialogue Pag. 4. tels us that Isaak Pennington asks this question Can outward blood cleanse And saith Therefore we must enquire whether it was the blood of the vail that is of the humane nature or the blood within the vail viz. of that spiritual man consisting of flesh bloud and bones which took on him the vail or humane nature It is not the bloud of the vail that is but outward and can outward blood cleanse And that Edward Billing most wickedly said that the mystery of iniquity lyes in the bloud of Christ. And that these words frequently drop from their mouthes dost thou look at Christs death afar off What will that bloud avail Didst ever see any of it That carnal bloud cleanse If thou hadst a great deal of it would it do thee any good If such as speak thus of the precious bloud of Christ can have right thoughts of Justification the sober may easily judge And what intimation Edward Burroughs giveth about this may be seen there P. 18 22 c. I love not to transcribe the words only that which he hath Pag. 26. seemeth to be plaine Thou beast who would have another righteousness than that which Christ works in the saints and by them He tels us likewise ib. Pag. 31. that Will Pen Sandy foundation Pag. 29.30 hath these words Obedience to justification ought to be as personally extensive as was mans disobedience to condemnation In which real not imputative sense those various termes of Sanctification Righteousness Resurrection Life Redemption Iustification c. are most infallibly understood for impute or imputing signifies no more in Scriptures but to express men really and personally to be that which is imputed to them whether as guilty or remitted For any to
glory though we must alwayes lament our shortcoming and run to the bloud of Iesus that the defilement cleaving to our best works may be purged away Nor do we think that this hyperbolick expression of the penitent church will warrant any to caâ—l all the work of the Spirit of God in his people sordide and filthy rags What is of God should be acknowledged good acceptable though the defilements that adhere to the best of God's works in us here because of our continueing corruption and because of the lustings of the flesh in us should be mourned over and keep us humble One thing I would further note here That if our Gospel-works be such why are we not Justified because of them as well as in them He further answereth pag. 149. § 12 That though it were granted that the best of men are imperfect Yet God can produce perfect works in them by his Spirit Ans. the qustion is not what God can do but what he doth God can make all his perfect Yet the supposition made saith he doth not so He hath thought it fit for his owne glory so to work in his Saints as they may have so long as they are here a body of death to wrestle with and occasion to pray dayly forgive us our sinnes and to run to the fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleanness that they may be washen He proceedeth The Spirit of God is not capable of a blot and therefore all Christ's works wrought in his children are pure and perfect Ans. The Spirit it is true is not capable of pollution yet his works as received by us and as we are the formal actors of them are obnoxious to pollution And doth not the Scripture tell us that God first beginneth a good work in us and afterward perfecteth it Phil. 1 6. How can then all the works of Christ in us be perfect And if it were so his children here should be as holy as they will be in heaven for what is higher than perfection Thus we see this man will outstripe Bellarm. who confessed that our actual righteousness was imperfect because of the admixtion of venial faults and stood in need of dayly remission And will run the length of bold Vasques who thinketh that such have no need of remission in 1. 2. Disp. 204. c. 2. 3. He further argueth It would then follow that the miracles and works of the Apostles themselves as the conversion of the Gentiles gathering of Churches writting of Scripture and giving of themselves to the death for Christ were defiled with sin Ans. we must distinguish betwixt these works which were extraordinary I meane as to the manner of their performance and so peculiar to such extraordinary persons in which they were not in a manner formal actors but passive organs such as working of miracles and writting of Scripture in these the Apostles moved as they were immediatly Acted Inspired and Led of the Spirit so that these were not properly their formal acts And these which are of a more ordinary nature wherein they were more formal actors through the assistance of the Spirit whether in works belonging to their office as preaching and gathering of Churches or in works of Christianity as giving themselvs to the death and the like As to the first sort we may grant that they were undefiled as being pure acts of the Spirit wherein the Apostles were but organs used by the Spirit as he saw meet But as to others I see no absurdity to say that they needed to use that petition forgive us our sinnes The Apostle Paul had his infirmities and weakneses a body of death that made him cry out wo is me miserableman and was thereby made to do what he would not and hindered from doing what he would Rom. 7 The Apostle Iames saith in many things we offend all Iam. 3 2. and the Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 1 8. that if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us 43. Thereafter he giveth unto works an instrumental part in Iustification which is true of faith laying hold on the righteousness of Christ the only Objective Formal cause of Justification but cannot agree to works But he citeth some Protestants assenting to this as Polanus Symphon c. 27. whose words if understood of after pardon that is of sinnes committed after Justification as they may containe nothing but truth and that truth which we question not acknowledging that even iustified persons before remission of after sins must repent confesse and mourne for their sinnes and act faith on Christ. Zanchius in the words he citeth is expresly speaking of salvation not of Justification and to this end he might cite all the Protestants that I know of Amesius is speaking of the same As for Mr Baxter I have told already that his notions about Justification are not acceptable to all As for what he addeth about the word merite I shall not contend only I would say that seing it sounds so ill because of the common and known abuse thereof by Papists the less we use it the better seing Verba valent usu 44. Nor shall I say much against his conclusion of this mater Only while he tels us that such may confidently appear before God who sensible of their owne unworthiness and of the unprofitableness of all their works and endeavours c. did apply themselves unto the light within and suffered that grace to work in them and thereby are renewed quickened and have Christ risen in them and working in them to will to do having thus put on Christ and being clothed with him and made partakers of his righteousness When I say he speaketh thus he but cheateth his Reader giving him faire words and no more for as we have formerly seen in the examination of his Principles This light is but a Pelagian Grace if not worse common to all men Scythian and Barbarian And by vertue of this light without the least help of the grace of God for of grace assisting far lesse regenerating such as are in nature and so beginning every good work there is not in his writings the least mention if the man will but yeeld and of power and full ability to do this he maketh no question he becometh regenerated begotten of God partaker of the divine nature and what not And this is this Mans Sanctification and foundation of Justification whereof Pagans and Barbarians who never did nor never shall hear of Câ—rist are as capable as such who live within the visible Church and that without any new grace communicated by that which is borne with them Let the Reader now Judge what a Regeneration and Sanctification can flow from this which is in every man and what Justification that can be which is founded hereupon And whether or not this be a sure bottom to stand upon and with confidence to rest upon
while we are thinking of appearing before God And what an antievangelick Justification and Salvation it is which Quakers maintaine O what a dreadful Disappointment will such wretches that live and die according to these Principles meet with in end when it will be too late to helâ—e the matter by changing their thoughts Let all that fear God and would not destroy their owne souls beware of these men for their doctrine is damnable and devilish CHAP. XIV Of Perfection and a Possibility of not sinning 1. WE heard toward the end of the preceeding Chapter how he pleaded for the Perfection of the Saints and of the work of grace in them Here in his S. Thesis and its explication he giveth us his minde more fully In his Thesis he saith That this holy and immaculate birth when it is fully produced in any the body of sin and death is crucified and takâ—n away and their hearts become subject unto and united with the truth so that they obey no suggestions or temptations of Satan and are freed from actual sin and transgressing of the Law and in that respect they are perfect But yet this perfection admitteth of an increase and there remaineth alwayes in some respect a possibility of sinning if the minde doth not diligently and vigilantly attend unto God And so high and confident is he in this mater that he accounts the answere given to the 149. Question in our Larger Cathechisme Impious and spoken against the power of divine grace because it is there said No man is able either of himself Iam. 3 2. Ioh. 15 5. Rom. 8 3. or by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the commandements of God Eccles. 7 20. 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 18 19. but doth dayly break them in thought Gen. 6 5 8 11. word and deed Rom. 3 9. to 21. Iam. 3 3 to 13. But whatever he thinketh we are not ashamed of this Answere nor of what is said Conf. of Faith Ch. 16. § 5. towards the end That our best works as they are wrought by us are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment Esa. 64 6. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 15 18. Psal. 130 3. 143 2. And ibid. § 4. They who in their obedience attaine to the greatest hight which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short in much which in duty they are bound to do Luk. 17 10. Neh. 13 22. Iob 9 2 3. Gal. 5 17. Nor yet of what is said Chap. 13. § 2. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part 1 Ioh. 1 vers 10. Rom. 7 vers 18 23. Phil. 3 vers 12. whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5 17. 1 Pet. 2 11. 2. This Perfection is commonly maintained by them all Mr Hicks in his 1. Dial. Pag. 50. tels us that they hold a perfect freedome from all sin in this life saying too Alas for thee where wouldest thou be perfâ—ctly free from sin if not in this lift Mr Stalham also in his book against them Pag. 138 c. manifesteth it by their owne words and arguments And though it may be matter of amazement to some to hear men speak so who of all others one would think have least cause to preach this doctrine without a publick declaration withal that they are not the men who are thus Perfect and consequently according to their owne doctrine are not Christians upon the account that he shall not ordinarily meet with in any hereticks writings so much Ignorance Boldness Foolish Confidence Abusing of Scripture Untruth Heresie Blasphemy Reproaching Revileing Calumnies Scolding c. As is every where to be found in theirs Yet when we consider what blasphemous grounds they lay downe we shall see that it is a native consequence of their doctrine For Mr Hicks in his 2. Dialog showeth us that Edw. Burroughs calleth Sanctification Christ himself and hence concludeth that to say Sanctification is imperfect is as much as to say Christ is imperfect But Christ is perfect therefore Sanctification is perfect And againe The Law in the minde is the Spirit of God To say the Law in the minde is imperfect is errour in the highest degree this is an abominable corrupt principle of errour the new man is perfect Peace and perfect Sanctification And Mr Clapham in his book against them Sect. 4. affirmeth out of a book called Saul's errand to Damascus that they maintaine themselves to be equal with God And that Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock Pag. 30. doth alleige that place Phil. 2 5 6. to confirme it 3. It might also seem strange to hear men asserting their own Perfection who pretend so much to spiritual inward experiences and to so much acquantance with their owne hearts for who that will not wilfully put out their own eyes may not see and be assured of the deceitfulness of their heart above all things finde corruption riseing up on all occasions and setting forward to sin or hindering from good But when persons are given up of God to strong delusions as a punishment of their Pride and Vanity what high thoughts may they not have of themselvespunc seing such a doolful state is attended with more pride puffing them up and that blinding their eyes that they cannot see their spots nor see what the Law of God requireth and all this attended with ignorance of God and of his holy and Spiritual Law and worshipe And it may be this man supposeth with some Papists that venial faults as they call them are not against the Law of God or that command which they violat is not properly a command of the Law 4. What the truth is in this matter is declared above out of our Confession Catechisme and the passages of Scripture which are there cited to confirme the truth may be there seen and considered But before I speak any thing more for clearing of the Truth in this particular I would have the Reader take notice of one thing To wit That it cannot but be a stupenduous and astonishing thing and a manifest demonstration of the dreadful power of delusion when the Lord giveth up any unto that Spirit to hear men who pretend to Reason and to Religion and have not yet openly renunced all Faith of a God and all natural and humane Reason talke at this rate upon such grounds and assert with such boldness and confidence a Perfection of Degrees or a possibility of not sinning attaineable upon the principles and grounds which they lay downe what these are we have on several occasions hinted now shall do it yet once more The first rise and beginning of all their Religion
him is the love of God truely and really and not feignedly or by mere profession See Beza on the place As also 1 Ioh. 4 12. where the word hath the same import And the ground is clear because obedience to God's command must flow from love and love to God and our neighbours is the summe of all the commands Hence love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 10. So Iames 3 2. the same is a perfect man who showeth by bridling his tongue that he offends not in word that he is a real Christian For the Apostle is here in the first verse meaning men like our Quakers of a supercilious spirit masterly quarreling with and superciliously inveighing against all though it be a certain truth that we offend all in many things And therefore he saith to such that if they would shew themselves good and excellent Christians who are so ready to be masters in their reprehensions of others they would first bridle their owne tongues I wish Quakers would learne this See Calv. on the place 3. They may be called Perfect in regard of the Uprightness Sincerity Honesty godly Simplicity and Singleness that is in their way thus the word frequently signifieth as we saw above and is rendered bâ— the Dutch and in the margine of our Bibles Vpright Gen. 6 9. 17 1 Deut. 18 13. Iob 2 3. and in several places it is rendered so in the text Ps. 18 23 25. 2 Sam. 22 vers 24 26. Iob 1 vers 1 8. 12 4. Psal. 19 v. 13. 37 18 37 and elsewhere Hence oft Perfect and upright are joined together as Iob 1 1 8. 2 2. 4 They may be and are called Perfect in regaird of Perfection of Parts as being compleet and wanting nothing of the integral parts of Christianity thus a childe may be called a perfect man as having all the Essential and Integral parts of a man though but in their infant and tender grouth The saints are thus perfect as having the Spirit and thereby the seeds and beginnings of all grace In regeneration the whole man is changed so that he is new borne a new creature sanctified wholly in Minde Heart Spirit Affections Conscience Memory and Body though but in a small degree and measure See 1 Thes. 5 23. 5. They may be called Perfect because Respecting all the commands of God Ps. 119 6. and yeelding impartial obedience through the grace of God unto all God's precepts waving none 6. In that their good works have all the Essential Parts requisite as proceeding from a right principle done for a right end c. though not in the degree called for by the Law 7. They may be called Perfect in regard that the state whereinto they are is a state that certainly tendeth to perfection they are advancing thereunto and shall certainly reach that top of perfection in end which they look for and strive to attaine Ephes. 4 13. Phil 3 15. For as the several lusts of the body of death are more more weakened and mortified dayly so they are more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces Rom. 6 6 14. Gal. 5 14. Rom. 8 13. Ephes. 3 16 17 18 19. And so are perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7 1. and advanceing Phil. 3 12 13 14. 8. They may be called Perfect Comparatively in respect of others who are yet lying in nature And they may be so called in comparison of what sometimes they were themselves while Blinde Ignorant Dead and Lifeless lying in the state of nature which is indeed a fearful state of imperfection misery and woe 9. So in respect of young believers weak in knowledge and babes in Christ Others who are further avanced may be and are called Perfect as having attained an higher degree and measure of grouth in grace Thus Beza thinketh the word is taken Phil. 3 15. 1 Cor. 2 6. And it is clearly so taken 1 Cor. 14 20. Heb. 5 14. Ephes. 4 13. where each hath his owne stature according to the measure of the gift of Christ vers 7. Rom. 12 3 6. and its meaning and import we may see 1 Cor. 3 1. where such an one is only called spiritual 1 Cor. 13 11. where such is called a man 10. Why may they not also be called perfect in regard of Justification seing the Righteousness wherewith they are cloathed which is imputed unto them upon the account of which thâ—y are justified is a Perfect Righteousness being the Rghteousness of Jesus Christ And seing the sentence pronunced upon them to wit of Absolution in their Justification shall never be recalled they brought againe into Condemnation Rom 8 1. As also seing the state they are brought into thereby is an unchangeable state so that once in a justified state alwayes in a justified state 7. But all this will not satisfie our Quakers who with Familists Antinomians and Libertines will have this to be the privilege of all Christians after their Mode that they be as Perfect as Adam was in the state of innocency free of all sin and from yeelding to Temptation or Corruption and this taketh-in much if not a Perfection of parts and degrees Now to assert this Perfection which even Papists are ashamed of and to assert this as common to all them in whom this new birth is fully produced as it must be in all Justified and Sanctified Persons according to his owne principles is false and dangerous For 1. There are in Christ's house diverse syzes and degrees of persons some babes 1 Cor. 3 1. Heb. 5 13. or children or little children 1 Ioh. 2 12 13. and others young men and old men or Fathers 1 Ioh. 2 13 14. 2. Christians are exhorted to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. last and to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and to put on the new man Epes 4 22 23 24. And to mortifie their members which are upon the earth Col. 3 5. But to cry up this perfection is to render all Gospel commanâ—s useless whereof we have abundance in the Epistles 3. This takes away the exercise of Repentance for where there is no sin there can be no sense of nor sorrow for sin and the exercise of Faith in running to the fountain for washing and the exercise of Prayer in seeking grace to withstand Temptations to strive against Corruption in seeking for pardon in the bloud of Christ. And 4. So this maketh these petitions in the Lords prayer useless forgive us our sins and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil 5. This saith that either beleevers are fully freed from an indwelling body of death contrary to Rom. 7 11 17 18 23 24. or that the motions of this body of death are not sin or sinful contrary to Rom. 7 5 7 8 15. Gal. 5 v. 17. Iam. 1 ver 14 15. 6 This tendeth to foment Pride and Security
the Gospel doth not strickly and precisely oblige to perfection in degrees but only to an Endeavour after this perfection for then we were under no obligation to repent of and ask pardon of our short-comings in the name of Christ nor to run for cleansing by faith unto the fountaine of Christ's blood and this neither can tender Christians assent to nor will their practice comply therewith 17. I think a serious pondering of these Rules for the right understanding of the commands set downe in our greater Chatechisme quaest 99. might make all who knew themselves sober in this matter Who dar plead for this Perfection who beleeveth That the Law of God is perfect and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof and unto entire Obedience for ever so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty and to forbid the least degree of every sin Psal. 19 7. Iam. 2 10 Mat. 5 21. to the end That it is Spiritual and so reacheth the Understanding Will Affections and all other Powers of the soul as well as Words Works and Gestures Rom. 7 14. Deut. 6 5. with Mat. 22 37 38 39. Mat. 5 21 22 27 28 36. That where a duty is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden Esai 58 13. Deut. 6 13. with Mat. 4 9 10. Mat. 15 4 5 6. And where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded Mat. 1 21 22 23 24 25. Ephes. 4 28. That what God forbids is at no time to be done Iob 13 7 8. Rom. 3 8. Iob 36 21. Heb. 11 29. That under one sin or duty all of the same kinde are forbidden or commanded together with all the Causes Meanes Occasions and Appearances thereof and Provocations thereunto Mat. 5 21 22 27 28. 15 4 5 6. Heb. 10 24 25. 1 Thes. 5 12. Iud. vers 23. Gal. 5 26. Col. 3 24. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves we are bound according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others according to the duty of their places Exod. 20 10. Levit. 19 11. Gen. 18 19. Iosh. 24 15. Deut. 6 6 7. That in what is commanded to others we are bound according to our places and callings to be helpfull to them And to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them 2 Cor. 1 24. 1 Tim. 5 19. Ephes. 5 11. Who I say that rightly considereth these particulars and how the Law requireth That obedience should be performed thereunto in the most high and intense degree without the least remissness of zeal and fervour That the manner of our obedience be spiritual from a right principle to a right end in an heavenly spiritual manner that it may done in the Spirit Gal 5 16. 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16. And that there be no corrupt Motion Affection or Inclination to evil no tickling of delight in the thing nor any discontent at our restraint from the evil even though our formal assent be not given thereto So that the very involuntary motions of the minde to evil though not assented to are prohibited as being against the holy Law and as flowing from a corrupt fountaine Yea and the very in-being of that body of death which is the spring of evil motions He I say will in sobriety speak of a perfection attainable here But the only remedy here is to curtail the Law that seing they cannot conforme to it it may conforme to them as did the Pharisees of old whence it is usual for such perfectionists to call the motions of Lust and Concupiscence within no sin to plead for venial sinnes and to give us a grosse exposition of the Law and of the duties therein enjoyned One might wonder that these forementioned should be for perfection who of all persons would seem to have least ground But the cause is They are all devoted to the exaltation of Free will and enemies to the grace of God and know no other holiness but what Free Will hath a chiefe hand in whereof they are whole masters 18. Now we come to examine what he saith against our judgment which is That in the best of our actions which we here do there is some admixture of sin corruption and none of them so perfect as to abide the strick examination of divine justice For his representation of our opinion That the saints neither can be nor ever shall be delivered from sin in this life And that the Saints are under a perpetual necessity of sinning is ambiguous and very indistinct as might be showne if it were worth the paines His first Reason is That it is contrary to the wisdome glorious vertue and majesty of God who is of purer eyes then he can behold iniquity Ans. Is it against these attributes of God that sin should be in the world Then we must say by this argument that all wicked men are Pâ—rfect and sinless Yea that the devils are perfect for the pure eyes of God can not behold iniquity in wicked men of whom these words are spoken by Habbakuk no nor in devils or is it only against these attributes that any remnant of corruption or sin should be in the Godly then this will prove the last Perfection to wit an impossibility to sin to be common to all the godly which yet he dust not say and not only the first perfection viz. a possibility of not sinning Let us see if what he addeth can make him any reliefe Sâ—ing saith he God would gather a people to himself to worship him be his witneses on earth without all doubt he sanctifieth purifyeth them Ans. True he sanctifieth purifieth them by degrees till He bring them to the full perfection he hath appointed for them in glory but himself will not say that he sanctifieth them alwayes in the hiâ—hest degree and that as soon as they are Regenerated Is there no sanctification but that which is perfect or is there no sanctification where there is the least sin Then he must say that all the saints are as holy and as free of sin here as they will be in heaven then he must goe higher then ever Pelagians Socinians Papists or Arminians went and must joyn himself to the old Beguards and Beguines We grant with him That God delighteth not in iniquity but abhorreth all sin and that he delighteth not in man as he joyneth to sin Yet he delighteth in man as joyned unto Christ and as turning from sin by Repentance and as fighting the battels of the Lord against the body of death within and as delighting in the Law of the Lord after the inner man And sayes he if man were alwayes to be joyned unto sin he should be alwayes disjoyned from God according to Esai 59 2. But on the contrary they are partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and are one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6 17. But what is impure cannot be so for there
is no agreement betwixt light and darkness 2 Cor. 6 14. Now God is Light and all sin is darkness Answ. 1. All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration Yea and for the highest degree of Perfection 2. Though corruption abideth in the Regenerated man as a vanquished enemy strugling in the dead thrawes yet is not the Regenerated man joyned thereto but separated therefrom in Minde Will and Affections in so far as regenerated and is fighting and lusting against it as his greatest enemy 3 It is sin delighted in and unrepented of loved and intertained in the soul that separateth betwixt God and the soul and that text Esai 59 2. speaketh of soul-wasting and land-destroying sinnes to which that people had given up themselves and would not turne from as we see vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15. And yet we see there vers 16 17. What soveraignity of free grace can do to and for such a people for the glory of his name 4. What is impure as impure cannot be one Spirit with Christ But beleevers are reckoned according to what hath now the throne and the heart and the dominion in the soul with their free and sanctified consent for now they are maried to a new Husband and are engadged in warfare under a new Captaine They are dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore they are under an obligation to strive against all that would labour to set sin againe upon the throne wrong the interest of their new Lord Soveraigne Rom. 6 11 12 13. And though they be risen with Christ and are dead have their life hid with Christ in God Yet they have members to mortifie uppon earth Fornication Uncleanness c. Col. 3 2 3 5. 5. God hath no fâ—llowshipe with corruption more then light can have fellowshipe with darkness yet he can have fellowshipe with his owne work of grace in the soul and with the soul as sanctified and renewed 19. But sayes he further Is it not against the wisdom of God to say He could finde no other methode whereby he should be served than by such actions by which the devil is no lesse yea more served for he that sinneth is the servant of sin Rom. 6 16. Ans. It is not fit for man to stand up and disput wickedly for God and under a shew of zeal for and patronage of his Wisdome condemne the same His folly is wiser than our wisdome What methods God could have found out whereby He might have been served by men what proud man will take upon him to determine The methode he hath chosen should satisfie us But to the matter when God's people are serving Him with some measure of sincerity and uprightness of heart howbeit the devil opposeth and by his temptations and the co-working of corruption prevaileth much to hold back or to cause the soul move slowly Yet the heart and the renewed part of the man being for God and for God only and directly against Satan and all his wayes doings and designes there is no formal service performed unto Saâ—an for the Lord regardeth the heart And though oft times there be more corruption in the work than grace Yet the heart being upright in the main the denomination is from the better part And albeit how more sin be in the action that is gone about by the honest Beleever in weakness Satan be the glader Yet in that the beleever cannot be called his servant For the Apostle in the place cited saith not he that sinneth but he that yeeldeth himself up as a servanâ— to obey sin is the servant of sin No doubt if the Lord had seen it for his glory he could have so ordered it that his children from the day of their new birth should never have sinned more but He hath thought it good that they should be exercised with a spiritual warfare all their dayes against Satan and a wicked world without and a body of death and its members within that his power might be made perfect in their weakness that they might live by Faith and get continual proofs of God's Power Love Care Faithfulness Grace Mercy and Tenderness that they might daily have use of the blood of Christ to wash in and so exercise Humility Godly sorrow Repentance Faith Patience Submission Watchfulness Diligence and might groan under the body of death that they might see through daily experience the riches and worth of their Redemption and read their great Obligations to their Lord Ransomer and Soveraigne King And if we were sober we might here mark wonderful wisdome and see a piece of the manifold wisdome of God But when we be come distracted as doubtless we are when we will be wise above what is written no wonder we become blinde and speak as fools as this man doth here and in the following words which I shall not so much as honour with a transcribing 20. He sayes our doctrine is repugnant to the justice of God requireing them to abstaine from all sin and not enabling them hereunto and requireing more then he giveth ability to do Ans. 1. The man runneth so hard that he runneth himself blinde Seeth he not that if this argument prove any thing it will prove that all the wicked world are perfect for God requireth of them obedience to his Law and it may be a question if hence it may not likewise be proven that the damned and the Devils are all perfect and without sin seing it may be a doubt if they be loosed from the Law of their Creation But 2. Though it were granted they had power I mean moral power for no other can be here understood yet this will not prove their perfection or freedom from sin many may have power and yet not use it Adam had power to resist Satans suggestion yet did it not His perfect ones may grow slack in their watch and so sin though he will grant they have power to do otherwise 3 This is old Pelagius's argument as Vâ—ssius cleareth to us Hist. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. where among other evidences he citeth Hieron adv Pelag. bringing-in Critobolus as a Pelagian reasoning thus Either God gave commandements that were possible or that were impossible if possible it is in our power to do them if we will if impossible we are not guilty if we do them not seing we cannot And thus whether the Lords command be possible or Impossible man may be without sin if he will Our Quaker is yet worse for the Pelagian would hence prove but a possibility of Perfection but he will hence evince the real being of Perfection and that common to all believers â— God made man upright and able to fulfil all his Law and when he hath dilapidated his stock of strength must God be unjust if he require due debt Or doth mans inability dissolve his obligation Seing God is pleased of his grace
to help his owne to performance of duty in part upon a new score let them mourne for shortcomings and flee to the bloud of Christ conforme to the Gospel that there they may get extracts of pardon and be thankful that the Lord hath so secured the matter that they shall never come into condemnation 21. As to the saints he reasoneth further thus Their imperfection is either from themselves or from God If from themselves then it is because they use not the power they have for that effect and if they have a power it is not impossible if from God as not giving them that measure of grace whereby they may be enabled to do all his will then He should be unrighteous Ans. Thus reasoned the Pelagian Caelestius of old and Crellius the Socinian of late See Hoornb ubisupra Pag. 103. And we say 1. This will at most conclude only for a possibility of Perfection or immunity from sin and so will not serve his point 2. If he mean a culpable cause I say it is from themselves and that not because they have any moral power now for keeping the whole Law perfectly though I grant withall that they have more than they make good use of but because that power which was once given was sinfully cast away 3. It is false that God should be unrighteous if he gave not that measure of grace whereby they should become perfect Nay sayes he God shall be more unjust than are the vilest of men who will not give to their children asking bread a stone nor a serpent to them when asking for fish Ans. The Lord rebuke this blasphemous tongue what ground is there for this They confess sayes he that they must ask of God deliverance from sin Very true And yet such a thing is never to be expected The Lord forbid We expect and hope for growing deliverance and final and full deliverance in end when the saints shall say and sing O grave where is thy victory and O death where is thy sting And they shall come unto the upper mount Zion the city of the living God to the Spirits of just men made perfect when all teares shall be wiped away from off their faces But it seemeth our Quakers expect all their heaven here Where is now the stones that God giveth instead of bread the serpents he giveth instead of fish His following calumnious insinuation hath been spoken to already elsewhere 22. His third argument followeth Pag. 156. § 5. He sayes our opinion is injurious to Christ and his sacrifice Christ was manifested chiefly for this end to take away sin and gather a people to himself zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. and to bring in everlasting righteousness that is Evangelical perfection Answ So hote is this man in his pursuite that to reach us he careth not though he pierce his owne bowels for by this one argument he destroyeth all that he said of Vniversal Redemption as we cleared above Chap. VIII But as to us it reacheth us not for we grant that Christ came to take away sin both as to guilt and this he did by the sacrifice of himself and as to the staine and being of it and this he doth by his Spirit piece and piece till in end he give full victory and so he hath a people redeemed from the guilt and power of iniquity though not fully from its presence and stirrings and a people zealous of good works which is not inconsistent with the stirrings of a crucified body of death That that everlasting righteounsess mentioned by Daniel Chap. 9. is to be understood of Evangelical perfection is said but not proved Againe he sayes It is said 1 Ioh. 3 5 8. that the Son of God appeared for this end to take away our sinnes and to destroy the works of the devil Answ. True and so he hath done by taking away the guilt and by destroying daily the works of the devil in his people mortifying lust and corruption and carrying on the work of grace till at length it be perfected Ay but he sayes it is added he that is borne of God doth not commit sin that is doth not break the Law in thought word or deed Answ. What that is to commit sin we shewed above and also that by this passage thus interpreted he shall prove what is against himself to wit that that highest degree of Perfection which whosoever hath attained cannot sin any more is not peculiar to some but common to all that are borne of God Is not Christ sent saith he further to turne a people from sin unto righteousness and from the Kingdom of Satan unto the Kingdom of his dear Son Answ. Yes Are not these thus converted his servants children brethren friends Ans. They are Are they not as he in the world holy pure and immaculate Answ. The text saith not this Read againe 1 Ioh. 4 27 Doth not Christ watch over them care and pray for them save them by his Spirit walking in them and among them Ans. This is all true and â—hence we inferre that they shall certainly be perfected in end and shall persevere unto the end contrare to what he saith as we shall see in the next Chap. But all this will not prove a sinless Perfection common to all the saints But will not Christ have them perfect or is he not able to make them perfect Ans. Yes But he will do it in his owne time and way He himself will not deny but Christ is able to make them all perfect in the highest degree so as not to be able to sin any more yet for all that he will not say that it is so He citeth also Ephes 5 25 26 27. But nothing to his purpose for we grant that the Lord will present his Bride to himself one day faire and cleane without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and that he is about this work bringing all his forward unto this state of perfection washing them cleansing them in his blond and by his Spirit sanctifying them more and more But saith he if they do sin in thought word and deed dayly there is no difference betwixt the holy and profane the cleane and unclean c. Answ. Notwithstanding of this the difference is great for what the profane doth is nothing but sin and in nothing accepted of God through Christ and is done with full purpose of heart without any contrary lusting of the Spirit all they do as it floweth from an evil principle so it is done for an evil end and in a corrupt sinful manner and so is wholly defiled But it is not so with the child of God He mourneth over and repenteth of his shortcomings and striveth against sin The other not So there are many moe differences too many here to be insisted upon 23. His fourth Argument Pag. 157 § 6. is That our doctrine maketh the work of the ministry preaching prayers c. useless while as Paul sayes Ephes.
4 11. that pastors are given for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come unto the unity of faith c. Answ. 1. Hence we see the necessity of a standing Ministrie which yet he and is brethren are against as we shall heare 2. The Ministrie is to bring them on toward perfection and is for the edifying and building up of the body and of particular souls till we all come at length into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. How is it proved that this ultimat end is attained here And further we told above that there was a perfection comparative and in parts here attainable and attained according to the measure of grace of the gift given to every man Ephes. 4 7. 1 Cor. 12 11. But not a perfection of degrees which excludeth all increase and grouth contrare to 2 Pet. 3 18. Phil. 3 12 2 Thes. 1 3. not such a perfection as excludeth all sin He addeth Pag. 158. doth not the Apostle say that the Scriptures are given to make the man of God perfect 2 Tim. 3.17 Answ. Yes And they do that in their owne manner as a perfect and compleat Rule giving full instruction and information in all things necessary to salvation contrare to what himself taught above so that the the man of God needeâ—h to hearken to no Dreames Enthusiasms or Precepts of men to learne what is God's wiâ—l How doth our doctrine make Prayers useless Are not these prayers saith he useless and without faith that are made for preservation from sin if withall they beleeve that God will not give them what they ask Answ. So said Crellius the Socinian But the doctrine of Perfection seemeth rather to take away all use of such Prayer for who will pray for that which they have 2. If saints pray for a sinless state here they pray without warrand He that taught us to pray that we be not led into temptation taught us also to pray for forgiveness of sinnes But saith he what shall we say of the prayers of the Apostles Col. 4 12. 1 Thes. 3 13. 5 22 c. Did they pray so without faith Ans. This is another of Crellius arguments But we say The Prayers of the Apostles were not for a sinless state nor did they beleeve that the Saints here could be in such a state as to sinne no more Nay while they prayed thus for the saints they supposed that the saints had not yet attained to it Epaphras not the Apostle Paul is said Col. 4 12. to labour fervently in prayer that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God that is might set the will of God only before them as their Rule and hang upon no man as to their Christian conduct but walk in sincerity as becometh Christians following the rule of Gods Law and might not be alwayes câ—ildren tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine and spoiled through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ as there was ground to feare as we see Chap. 2. Paul 1 Thes. 3 12 13. is clear against this imagined Perfection for he prayeth that God would make them to increase and abound in love so that thâ—re was yet some shortcoming to the end he might establish their hearts unblameable in holiness at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. So that he sheweth not what a measure of love and holiness they will attaine unto here but prayeth that it might alwayes be growing untill it attaine its full perfection at the coming of the Lord. The same is clear from 2 Thes. 5 23. Which maketh against this imagined perfection and speaketh only of a perfection of parts not of degrees 24. In the fift place he reasoneth thus Pag. 158. § 7. Our doctrine is repugnant to common sense and reason Why so for these two opposite principles in the children of darkness and in the children of light are sin and righteousness And as men are respectively fermented with the one or the other so are they to be called justified or reprobated seing he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord Prov. 17 15. Ans. This argument would prove as well that full perfection which he denieth to be common to all the Regenerat to be essential to the state of Christianity and therefore he must answere it as well as we But 2. That there are contrary principles in the godly and wicked is true and it is as true that there remaineth sin in the godly which floweth from a principle of corruption yet the Godly man is not fermented to speak in the dialect of the Quaker or rather to speak in the dialect of the Scriptures is not under the dominion of that principle nor given up thereunto as the wicked are with full will consent and pleasure without any reluctancy or lusting of a contrary principle 3. It is not saife to call all not yet justified reprobat 4. The Lord justifieth none upon the account of their Inherent Righteousness and indeed this mans opinion tendeth to a setting up of Justification by the works of the law or inherent righteousness for if man can abide in all things that are written in the Law he should be free of the curse Gal. 3 10. But this is contrary to the experience of the best of Saints Psal. 130 3. 143 2. Iob. 9 3. 4â— 5. 1 Cor. 4 4. And the Law should not then be weak because of flesh contrare to Rom. 8.3 And contrare to that Iam. 2 10. He who trangresseth in one is guilty in all and contrary to these Scriptures Gal. 3 21 22. 2 21 3 10. further sayes he Then a man should be called just who sinneth in all his actions Ans. No man is calleâ— just before God in point of Justification becauâ—e of his Inherent Righteousness but because of the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to him by God received by faith And as to sanctification such may be called just because of Integrity Sincerity Uprightness of heart because of Endeavouring after conformity to the Law in the strengh of the Lord upon which account the man is approven of God but not because he is sinless for then no man should goe under that denomination But sayes he the subject is donominated by the accident that adhereth Ans. Yet a wall is called white though the whiteness be not perfect but mixed And God giveth the denomination according to grace that is according to the better part though it sometimes should be the lesser part He asketh where are then the children of God and of light the sanctified and purified ones Ans. Even where these are who are groaning under a body of death and running daily to the
irreprehensible and sinless It is said of them indeed that they were blameless as all Pastors should be 1 Tim. 3 2. anâ— all Christians Phil. 2 15. but not that they were sinless And August lib. cont Caelest distinguisheth betwixt esse sine peccato esse sine querela and he sayes this may be said of some but that of none but of Christ. What he saith from Ephes. 2 5 6. is true viz. that such as sit with Christ to wit Actually sin no more but now they sit not actually there but only in Christ Jesus their head As for Heb. 12 22 23. whatever beginnings there may be thereof here Yet its fulness is above Revel 14 5. speaketh not of Perfection here but of their blamelesness that is their Sincerity and Uprightness And this is all that he adduceth to prove his Opinion by and how slender his grounds are let any judge 28. He comes at length to answere some of our arguments § 9. Pag. 161. c. And to that brought from 1 Ioh. 1.8 if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves the truth is not in us He wondereth that we are so blinde partial as to alleige this place against which so much might be said Let us hear what can be said He saith That we doth not include the Apostle as we see Iam. 3 9 10. Ans. That place of Iames taketh in all even the Apostles though not for the present time and that was sufficient to prove what a member the tongue was And he might say as well that the Apostle is not included 1 Ioh. 1 7 9 10. Nor Chap. 2 1 2 3. But nâ—xt be it so that the Apostle is not here expresly included it is sufficient for us that it is spoken of beleevers to whom Iohn wrote that their joy might be full vers 4. and who have interest in the bloud of Christ vers 7. and are children Chap. 2 vers 1. and have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous ibid. and are brethren vers 7. who had their sinnes forgiven them vers 12. and knew the Father vers 13. and among these come in also the young men and the Fathers mentioned vers 13 14. What saith he next Here it is not said that we daily sin in word and deed far less that all our best works are sinful for the following verse showeth the contrary where it is said that such as confess their sins get pardon and are washen and this cleansing cannot be meaned of remitting the guilt for that was expressed by forgiving otherwise there should be a tautology here Ans. 1. It is sufficient that this place proveth that beleevers are not so perfect as to be sinless here 2. It is true beleevers confessing their sins and fleeing to Christ by faith obtaine remission of their sins and it is also true that Christs bloud cleanseth them from guilt and staine but that cleansing from the staine and filth is not perfect here for then there were no need of remission and beleevers might say they had no sin contrare to what is here said verse 8. and Chap. 2 1. In the 3. place he distinguisheth betwixt sinning and having sin as Volkelius the Socinian lib. 5. c. 19. did to elude this place betwixt having of sin and being accustomed to sin and then tels us that because all have sinned it may be said of them that they have sin Just as Smalcius the Socinian said disp 6. de Bonis Oper. Pag. 178. But we Ans. That the Apostle expresly saith both that we have sin vers 8. and that we have had sin vers 10. And he that sinneth in the present time he hath sin in the present time And beside this having of sin he supponeth that they may sin saying Chap. 2 1 My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not that is not that ye have not had sin And if any man sin that is in the present and future time We have an advocate with the Father c. And it is observable that the Apostle cleareth vers 9. what he meaned by having of sin vers 8. by saying if we confess our sinnes he is faithful and just to forgive us our sinnes For here he can mean no other than such sinnes as need foregiveness and not such as were formerly was hen away by the bloud of Jesus vers 7. Moreoveâ— he tels us that sin may be taken for the seed of sin that for some time remaineth even in such as are redeemed from actual sin and when the children of God resist the temptations that come from this seed it is not their sin but the Devils that tempteth Ans. 1. This seed of sin is sinful and as lonâ— as this seed of sin is in them they cannot be perfect 2. The Apostle is speaking of actual sins not excluding this seed and body of death which must be confessed before they be actually pardoned and they cleansed from the guilt of them vers 9. 3. In so far as the godly resist these temptations they do well but even these sinful motions of corruption within them are transgressions of the Law and should be mourned for and are evidences that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that they do not what they should do every way as they ought to do What he saith in the last place to wit That this place should not be so wrested as to speak against what the same Apostle saith frequently in the same Epistle Is founded upon his presumption and false supposition that he hath proven this Perfection from this Epistle the conâ—rary whereof is shown 29. To 1 King 8 46. and Eccles. 7 20. he answereth That there is nothing here said of sinning daily Yea Salâ—mon in that place two verses thereafter speaketh of them that turne from their sinnes with all their heart which insinuateth a possibility of relinquishing sin Ans. It is expresse in Ecclesiastes that there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not clearly importing that even in their doing good they sinne and so that they sinne daily What followeth 1 King 8 48. speaketh only of their Repentance which we deny not to be possible but nothing of this possibility of not sinning He answereth 2. Though it were granted that at that time there was no man that sinned not yet it will not follow that there are none such now or that it is Impossible there should be any such Ans. 1. Then he must say either that at that time there were none Regenerate no not Solomon himself or that his position is false which maketh this common to all Regenerate persons 2. We have proven it not only under the Old Test. but also under the New what needs more 3. We do not speak of a simple impossibility as if it surpassed the power of God to cause such a thing but of an ordinary impossibility matters standing as they are in the wise ordination of God who
will so have it In the 3. place he comes to criticize tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the potential mood and so it signifieth who may not or cannot sin as Ps. 119 11. Ans. And why not also ought not seing this Mood is used to expresse that This is but vanity for the Hebrew hath not properly potential moods And though interpreters do usually render it so as more congruous latin yet the sense abideth the same and the Dutch translate it as we have it And what will this say to other places Nay the very scope of Solomon evidenceth our translation to be right his gloss to be but vanity as is obvious to every Reader 30. To that argument from Rom. 7 14. c. he answereth the same that Socinians and Arminians answered of old to wit That the Apostle is not there speaking of himself but of an unregenerate person While as all the circumstances of the text evince the contrary to wit that he is speaking of himself and that in the present time for he useth alwayes from vers 14. and forward verbs in the present tense and he distinguisheth betwixt the Old and New man in himself ascribeing to each their proper work and speaketh many things of himself which cannot be spoken of the Unregenerat as 1. To will and approve what is good and to nill and disapprove what is evil and that alwayes and to approve all good and disapprove all evil discovered to be such 2. To consent unto the Law that it is good and to delight therein and that according to the inner man which is the Regenerat part opposite to the Old man 3. Not to do evil not I it is no more I and that was according to the Renewed part 4. To have an inner man which is proper to the Regenerate Ephes. 3 19. 5. To feel a strife and warre betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit which also agreeth to the Regenerate Gal. 5 17. 6 To hate evil which no Unregenerate person can do 7. To approve of the Law as Spiritual 8. To have will present unto good even when he findeth not how to performe what is good 9. To be brought into captivity to the Law of sin while as the wicked are willing slaves 10. To be groaning under this body of death and accounting himself wreatched because of it 11. To have a Law in the minde against which the Law in the members maketh warre 12. To be expecting full delivery in Jesus Christ. 13. To be thankfull to God upon that account 14. To be serving the Law of God when the flesh is serving the Law of sin 15 And Chap. 8 1. being an inference from whaâ— is said Chap. 7. he inferreth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which supposeth that he was speaking of one that was in Christ otherwise his Inference had not been pertinent 31. These things are clear and might be further explained and confirmed if it were necessary Let us see what he saith against this 1. He saith The Apostle declared the contrary Chap. 6 2. Answ. No such matter for what he said there and what he saith here can well agree for he that is thus resisting sin striveing and protesting against it when he can do no more is abundanâ—ly evidencing that he is dead unto it as to its dominion and that he is not living therein 2. He saith Paul could not call himself a carnal man as vers 14. Answ. So said Schlightingius the Socinian So Arminius But we say Paul doth not call himself simply and every way carnal but only in a certain respect distinguishing betwixt his better part which he owneth as himself and this Flesh vers 18. And we finde also that Paul called the Corinthians who were babes in Christ carnal in some respect 1 Cor. 3 1 2. He saith 3. The Apostle Chap. 8. saith he was made free from the Law of sin and death and so he could not be then carnal Answ. Neither say we that he was carnal in so far but spiritual 4. He saith That Paul Chap. 8 35. saith who shall separat us from the love of Christ vers 37. that in all these things we are more then conquerours And vers last nothing can separat us But where sin is and is continued in there there is a separation for all sin is contrary to God 1 Ioh. 3 4. Answ. That sin where it is striven and wrestled against as Rom. 7 15. c. will make a separation from God I deny 2. That sin is contrary to God I no where read that it is a breach and transgression of his Law is true 32. To the instances of the failings of Noah and David He saith They are nothing to the purpose Why so The question is not saith he whether good men cannot sin num non possint peccare but whether they be able not to sin num possint non peccare And this may be true though they have sinned Answ. But our Argument lyeth thus If these men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and men according to God's heart have had their failings and these failings are registrated for our use then we have no Scripture warrant for such a Perfection here as is not attended with sin But the former is true Let him of now apply his answere to this argument and see what it will say Or thus we may frame the Argument If we finde no instances in Scripture such persons as were so perfect as that they did not sin then to imagine such a perfection is but a groundless fancy a dream But the former is true Or If we finde sin consisting with a state of Regeneration than it is false that all Regenerat persons are in a sinless state Hereby also is that which he addeth in the second place obviated And further we say that from these instances we do not prove that the godly sin in all they do because of a body of death and corruption cleaving to them other Arguments evince that But from these instances we shew that his sinless state is but a Quakeristick dream 33. To that argument That this doctrine taketh away the study of Mortification and Usemaking of the blood of Christ and Praying for remission He very civilly tels us Tâ—at because of its absurdity he had almost forgoten it As if he had answered all the arguments we use against this errour But wherein consists its absurdity Is sayes he mortification of sin useless when its end is attained But he mistaketh after his usual manner our argument which in forme runneth thus If mortification be a duty pressed on persons regenerated then persons regenerated have sin and corruption in them to be mortified and so are not sinless But the former is true Therefore c. May it please him to shew the absurdity of this argument When all sin is mortified there is no more need of this duty of studying mortification and if all sin
unnatural and anticque motions at their set times and solemnities which are here spoken of But I wonder whence this power of darkness cometh unto them to cause this inward battel and occasion this quaking we heard before that he said they were freed from the body of death and it was taken away so that they were made free from the Suggestions and Temptations of Satan and from actual sinning See his Eight Thesis and our Chap. XIV of Perfection or he must say that the immaculate birth he spoke of is not yet produced in them and consequently that they are not yet Justified nor Sanctified and so not yet Church-members according to his former doctrine But seing he will not acknowledge this But rather that they are the purest and only Church of Christ and are Justified and Sanctified yea and Perfected whence I say can this power of darkness come to oppose the workings of life and that when they are most devote turning-in unto themselves to waite upon God and upon the light and never but then when they are about this their solemne worshipe for we hear not much of their quakings at other times or is there alwayes a battel but they feel it not till they be about this Introversion And cometh this trembling alwayes upon their retireing inward or if not whence is it that it cometh more at one time that another Is it from the greatness of the opposition made by the power of darkness or from the greater sense thereof or both And whence doth the one or the other come more at one time than at another These things I would have cleared if he thought fit Againe is there no striveing betwixt light and darkness grace and corruption flesh and the Spirit in any beside them If not then all others must eitheir be all flesh or all Spirit and if this last these must be more perfect then they are If yea how cometh it that that combate in others causeth not such trembling and quaking as in them Is it because corruption in them is more violent then in others then their perfection is less Or is it because they are more sensible and their life is more quick their mindes more agitated and their spirits more stirred Yet I am sure there might be trembling and quaking of limbes and joynts more or less proportionably to the opposition or to the sense of it in others But the truth is whatever he feigne this trembling and quaking hath another cause and may confirme all rational men that their way is more of the Devil than of God let themselves think what they please 11. We have now heard of all the parts of their solemne Worshipe 1. Silence which is alwayes necessary and beginneth the action 2. speaking praying or singing as is immediatly suggested but this is not necessary for it may be wanting yet the whole solemne Worshipe be performed to edification neither is their speaking praying or singing such as is used in the Churches as we will hear afterward 3. Their Trembling Quaking though this it may be is not alwayes necessary yet it is peculiar unto them Let us hear how he explaineth or confirmeth these for it may be no other confutation will be necessary He saith § 9. p. 23. That their worshipe doth not consist in silence as silence Wherein then but in an holy and humble dependance of soul on God from which necessarily floweth silence in the first place Ans. Dependance on God is good and necessary and is a part of inward worshipe but we are here speaking of Outward and solemne worshipe and this silence must make a necessary part thereof for he sayes afterward we judge in the first place that there is a necessity of silence for some time both for speaker and hearer And he told us before that this silence may be continued all the time and not one word spoken and yet the worshipe be solemne and edifying and he saith the same immediatly thereafter Must not this be a fruitless and unedifying silence to others at least present But when he calleth it thus necessary there must be some thing more in it then we can at the first see or he will think fit to acquant us with as yet What more life saith he Pag. 232. might flow in every one and be increased so as words may also well be spoken by the influence of life and yet because it was imposed upon none necessarily they might all for the time rather choose to possesse God in quietness Ans. What this life is and what the flowings and increasings of it are we have seen But as to this Silence we say how cometh it that such in whom this life floweth do not speak Is not this a call sufficient how then dar they sit and disobey this call how dar they follow their owne choise Or is it no call that because a necessity was not imposed why then saith he that words might well be spoken by the influence of life Might words be spoken without an inward impulse and call no certainly according to his principles Where are we then 12. He goeth about to prove this their silence § 10. And for this end he tels us that to attend and waite upon God is a duty incumbent upon all and is a part of Worshipe And who denieth it Yet he citeth a number of Scriptures whereof none speak of such a waiting as he hath before pointed forth unto us accompanied with silence in the publick Worshipe of God for Ps. 27 14. speaketh of a waiting opposite to fainting through unbeleef or doubting to see the goodness and deliverance of God in the land of the living Psal. 37 7 34. speaketh of a waiting opposite to freting because of the prosperity of the wicked and a freting to do evil and so is a waiting for Gods pleading the oppressed mans cause is accompanied with a keeping of Gods way v. 34. not his waiting that layeth aside Gods way and Ordinances Prov. 20 22. speaketh of a waiting opposite to recompensing of evil Esai 30 18. is meant of a waiting for Godâ—s coming with redemption to Zion Hos. 12 6. speaketh of a waiting accompanied with keeping mercy judgment which is more than doing nothing Zach. 3 8. speaketh nothing of waiting These are out of the Old T. whereby I see that O. T. Scriptures will prove N. T. worshipe Now follow passages out of the New Test. Mat 24 42. 25 13. 26 41. Mark 13 33 35 37. Luk. 21 36. 1 Cor. 16 13. 1 Thes. 5 6. 2 Tim. 4 5. 1 Pet. 4 7. which speak of Watching of and such a Watching as is accompanyed with Prayer and all Christian Duties Col. 4 2. speaketh of a watching in Prayer and not of a waiâ—ing that puteth away Prayer Act. 1 4. is a waiting at Ierusalem till the promise of the Father came Act. 20 31. is a watching over the flock that it miâ—ht be keept from wolves The same line
Socinus his followers policy or prudence who afterwards perceiving what an odium this would be to all Christendome how detestable it would render them condescended at length that the outward forme should be observed but peremptorily adhered to this that it was no Ordinance of Jesus Christ constantly to be observed by the Churches by vertue of a command but only a meer indifferent thing These men with gigantine audacity dar appear and downe right plead against any use of it at all upon any account whence it is evident that they would have this Ordinance quite taken away that so there might not be so much as an outward signe of Christianity left or any thing remaining that might give the least import or signification of a relation that people have unto Jesus Christ as being once baptized in his name and solemnely by profession given away to Him and publickly received in his Kingdom and visible Church and so distinguished from such as are without What a paganish designe this is to take away all outward and visible discriminating difference betwixt Christians and Turks or Pagans every one may see Thus would they bring-in Pagans as equally sharers of all external privileges of the Church with Christians that so Christ might have no distinct house or Kingdom This was several times hinted to us before but now the vaile is taken off their faces and their designe is open and manifest Hereby also we see how near a kin this Spirit that acteth them is unto the Spirit that covenanteth with and acteth in the witches for as these miserable creatures must in the entry of their covenanting with the Devil renunce their bapâ—isme so the Quakers as being more active and masculine servants will not only renunce it for themselves but will have all others whom they can seduce to their party do the like and so far as they can by their penne make it null every where that so the very profession of Christianity might be banished out of the world O! what desperat Runagadoes must these men be 2. We need not here spend time in the confirmation of this Institution which was never in all the ages of the Christian world called in question till Antichristian Socinus and Swenkfeldus arose except what the Manichees of old said and a Seck called Whippers It cannot be denyed that Iohn baptist had a commission from heaven to baptize Ioh. 1 25 26 28 33. Luk. 3 2 3. Mat. 11 25. Luk 7 29 30. It is also certaine that Christ who came to fulfil all righteousness did submit unto it Mat. 3 13 c. Mark 1 9. It is likewise unquestionable that the disciples of Christ baptized which would not have been without his warrand for it is said of him that he baptized though not in his owne person Ioh. 3 22. 4 1 2. And a commission is amply in full forme given to the disciples by him after the resurrection to baptize in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28 19. Mark 16 15 16. And it is no less evident that in obedience to this command his Apostles did baptize wherever they came and made converts Act. 2 41. 8 12 13 38. 9 18. 10 48. 16 15 33. 18 8. 22 16. 1 Cor. 1 13. What unparalleled boldness must it then be to call this ordinance into question which hath such a divine original such a manifest divine warrand and was so religiously observed by the Apostles and by all the Churches of Christ since their dayes unto this very day And who can sufficiently admire the madness of these men who would have us lay aside and cast away such an ordinance so appointed and so observed and which withall is so usefull and necessary being not only ordained to be for a solemne admission of the party baptized into the visible Church 1 Cor. 12 13. but also to be a signe and a seal of the covenant of grace whereof these Quakers know nothing Rom. 4 11. Col. 2 11 12. And to be unto the beleever a signe seal of his ingrafting into Christ. Gal. 3 27. Rom. 6 5. of his Regeneration Tit. 3 5. of Remission of sinnes Mark 1 4. of his Adoption Gal. 3 26 27. and Resurrection unto life 1 Cor. 15 13. And of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life Rom. 6 4 And by which when rightly used the grace promised is not only offered but really exhibited and conferred by the holy Ghost to such whether of age or Infants as that grace belongeth unto according to the counsel of God's own will in his appointed time Gal. 3 27. Tit. 3 5. Ephes. 4 25 26. Act. 2 38 41. Would we but seriously ponder What is briefly set down in answere to the 167. Question in our Larger Catechisme we might see what desperate enemies unto true Christianity these Quakers are who would despoile us of this profitable and advantagious Ordinance which might and should be improved to rich advantage How is our baptisme to be improved by us Answ. The needful but much neglected duty of our improving our Baptisme is to be performed by us all our life long especially in the time of temptation and when we are present at the administration of it to others Col. 2 11 12. Rom. 6 4 6 11. by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it and of the ends for which Christ instituted it the privileges and benefites conferred and sealed thereby and our solemne Vow made therein Rom. 6 3 4 5. by being humbled by our sinful defilements our falling short of and walking contrary to the grace of baptisme and our engagments 1 Cor. 1 11 12 13. Rom. 6 2 3 by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament Rom. 4 11 12. 1 Pet. 3 21. by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ into whom we are baptized for the mortifying of sin and quickning of grace Rom. 6 3 4 5. and by endeavouring to live by faith Gal. 3 26 27 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness Rom. 6 22. As those that have therein given up their names to Christ Act 2 28. and to walk in brotherly love as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13 25 26 27. 3. These things considered and thereby it being manifestly discovered what a relation this Ordinance hath unto the cardinal duties and privileges of Christians to wit Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Regeneration Adoption Justification Sanctification and Salvation Luk. 3 3. Mark 16 16. Act. 2 38 41. 8 36 37. 16 14. 18 8. 12 6. Rom. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 3 27. Ephes. 4 5. Col. 2 2. 1 Pet. 3 21. And withall considering how dangerous it is to neglect it and contemne it Luk 7 39. And how by Christ's owne appointment it
to be circumcised when he did this to Cornelius the common opinion was that the Gentiles should be circumcised Ans. Where readeth he that Peter compelled the Gentiles to be circumcised That failing of his Gal. 2 12. will not prove this much and this was also after the unanimous resolution of the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem Act. 15. â—not to put the burden of circumcision other Jewish ceremonies beside the few excepted for avoiding of Scandal upon the neck of the Gentiles And though this calumny of the Quakers had some ground Yet the difference betwixt the one practice the other is great Christ by his death did break down the middle wall of partition so put an end to the Jewish ceremonies but he did not so with his owne Gospel Institutions but rather confirmed them Where readeth he that at that time when Cornelius was baptized it was the common opinion that the Gentiles should be circumcised And how came it that Peter did not circumcise Cornelius if that was the common opinion But we must take dreames for reasons from Quakers For it is much that they will give any thing like a reason though it be but a reason with a rag and sometimes worse 18. Against the native signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wash with water he giveth in his exceptions Pag. 283. § 10. saith That baptisme with water was in use among the Iewes before Iohn's dayes as Paulus Riccius witnesseth and so that ceremony gote the name from the nature of the thing Ans. Though all this were true it will be but a confirmation of this native signification of the word And he and his Paulus Riccius both will have enough to do to make it but probable that baptisme was in use among the Jewes before Iohn Baptist's dayes for as for the Jewish writings the eldest whereof come not near to Iohn's dayes we owe them no faith their designe being the same with the Quakers designe to wit to destroy Christianity the foundation of which was laid by Rabbi Iehuda Hakkadosh about the year 190. or 200. when he wrote the Misnaioth or Iewish Alcoran He addeth Christ and his Apostles give these terms a more spiritual signification Ans. That the word is sometimes taken figuratively as when we read of baptizeing with the holy Ghost and with fire we know as we read also of circumcision of the heart will he therefore interpret the Law concerning Circumcision of the heart excluding the outward circumcision of the foreskin of the flesh Why hath he forgoten his owne axiome granted by all mentioned Pag 278. that the propriety of the word should not be forsaken nor a figurative sense admitted unless necessity compel May not this serve to convince him that we must hold by the proper signification of the word and reject his figurative till he demonstrate the necessity He addeth if we hold to the etymology of the word we must dip in baptisme Ans. Whether we baptize by dipping or sprinkling it is all alike to him for neither will please him and either will prove that baptisme is with water Neither doth the word alwayes signify washing by dipping in the N. T. see Mark 7 4. Heb. 9 10. 1 Cor. 10 2. Act. 9 11 18. As for Iohn 3 5. I shall not urge it and so passe what he saith to it And what followeth is either little or nothing to the purpose or is answered already And as to the baptizing of Infants we need not be at paines to prove this to him who denieth all baptisme whether of Infants or of old Persons And so we come to hear what he saith of the Lords Supper against which he also fighteth CHAP. XXVII Of the Lords Supper 1. WE have seen this Mans weak reasons and strong rage against the Institution of Baptisme And must have a little more patience and hear the like against the Lord's Supper Such is their malice against all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ that nothing will satisfie them but a total extirpation of them all without exception of any and such is their enmity against Christ that they will have every memorial of him quite taken away that there might nothing remaine to discriminate us from Pagans And indeed if their Principles prevaile all Christianity is overturned and manifest Paganisme is introduced Christ did institute a Supper to be religiously observed in remembrance of himself and these men will not be satisfied to take away Baptisme the engadging and honourable badge of Christians but they must have the ordinance of the Supper of our Lord also quite Cashiered that by time when this lasting memorial is removed people may be more easily enduced to renunce all Christianity and perswaded to embrace Paganisme And thus they have sucked-in the venome of some of old who were against all Sacraments such as the Ascothyptoe Messalians Acephali Henry Nicolas the Father of the family of love Swenckfeldus and Almaricus the first broacher of the Seculum Spiritus S. wherein there was to be no use of Sacraments And they are in this worse then the Antichristian Socinians who though they destroy the principal end of these Sacraments viz. to be sealing and confirming ordinances owneing them only for outward professions of faith and thanksgiving yet keep up something of the practice but these our Quakers would take away both name and thing and the thing it self with all its uses and ends that so nothing might stand in their way while posting towards Paganisme 2. But whatever these Desperadoes say we must hold for a sure truth That our Lord Jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood called the Lords Supper to be observed in his Church unto the end of the world for the perpetual remembrance of the Sacrifice of himself in his death the sealing all benefites thereof unto true believers their spiritual nourishment and grouth in him their engadgment in and to all duties which they owe unto him and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him and with each other as members of his mystical body 1 Cor. 11 23 to 26. and 10 16 17 21. and 12 13. For therein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ his death is shewed forth and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood to their spiritual nourishment and grouth in grace Mat. 26 26 27 28. 1 Cor. 11 23 24 25 26. have their Union and Communion with him Confirmed 1 Cor. 10 15. Testifie and Renew their Thankfulness 1 Cor. 11 24 25 26. and Engagement to God 1 Cor. 10 v. 14 15 16 21. and their Mutual Love Fellowshipe each with other as members of the same mystical body 1 Cor. 10 17. And though the body and blood of Christ be not Corporally or Carnally present in with or under the outward Elements of bread and wine Act. 3 21. yet they are spiritually present
to the Faith of the Receiver no less truely and really then the elements themselves are to their outward senses Mat. 26 26 28. And they that worthily Communicate in this Ordinance do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ not after a Corporal and Carnal but in a Spiritual manner yet truely and really 1 Cor. 11 24 29. while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified and all the benefites of his death 1 Cor. 10 16 Therefore as upon the one hand we must reject all Corruptions of corrupt opinions concerning this Ordinance such as the Popish sacrifice of the Masse a most abominable device injurious to Christs one only sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sinnes of the elect Heb. 7 v. 23 24 27. 10 11 12 14 18. for in this Sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real sacrifice made at all for the remission of the sinnes of quick or dead Heb. 9 22.25 26 28. but only a Commemoration of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the crosse once for all and a Spiritual Oblation of all spiritual praise unto God for the same 1 Cor. 11 24 25 26. Mat. 26 26 27. As also private masses or receiving this sacrament by a Priest or any other alone 1 Cor. 10 6 And the denyal of the Cup to the people Mark 14 23. 1 Cor. 11 25 26 27 28 29. Worshiping the Elements the Lifting them up or Carrying them about for Adoration and the Reserving them for any pretended religious use they being all contrary to the nature of this Sacrament and to the Institution of Christ Mat. 15 9. As also the doctrine which maintaineth a change of the Substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christs body and blood commonly called Transubstantiation by consecration of a Priest or by any other way as being repugnant not to Scripture alone but even to Common sense and Reason and overthrowing the Nature of the Sacrament and hath been and is the cause of manifold Superstitions yea of gross Idolatries Act. 3 21 with 1 Cor. 11 24.25 26. Luk. 24 6 39. for though the outward Elements here duely set apart to the uses ordained by Christ have such Relation to him crucified as that truely yet Sacramentally only they are sometimes called by the names of the things they represent to wit the body and blood of Christ Mat. 26 26 27 28. Yet in Substance and Nature they still remaine truely and only bread and wine as they were before 1 Cor. 11 26 27 28. Mat. 26 29. As I say we must reject these errours about this Ordinance So upon the other hand we must owne the right manner of its Administration according to Christs appointment which is that his Ministers Declare his word of Institution to the people Pray and Bless the element of bread and wine thereby set them apart from a common to a holy Use and Take and Break the bread take the Cup and they communicating also themselves give both to the communicants Mat. 26 26 27 28 Mark 14 22 23 24. Luk 22 19 20. with 1 Cor. 11 23 24 25 26 but to none who are not then present in the Congregation Act. 20 7. 1 Cor. 11 20. and the Communicants are by the same appointment to take and eat the Bread and to drink the Wine in thankful Remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given and his blood shed for them 1 Cor. 11 v. 23 24. Mat 26 v. 26 27 28. Mark 14 22 23 24. Luk. 22 19 20 And minde the right way of approaching both as to Preparation before in the time of Administration and after all which is plainely set downe in the Larger Catechisme Quaest 171 174 175. And withall remember that although ignorant wicked men receive the outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord to their own damnation Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lords table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remaine such partake of these holy mysteries 1 Cor. 11 27 28 29. 2 Cor. 6 14 15 16. may and ought notwithstanding of their profession of the faith and desire to come to the Lords Supper be keeped from this sacrament by the power which Christ hath left in his Church 1 Cor. 11 27. to the end Mat. 7 9. 1 Cor. 5. Iud. v. 23. 1 Tim. 5 22. until they receive instruction and manifest their reformation 2 Cor. 1 7 Withall it would be remembered that this Sacrament and baptisme though they agree in these things that the Author of both is God Mat. 28 v. 19. 1 Cor. 11 23. the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefites Rom. 6 3 4. 1 Cor. 10 v. 16. both are seals of the same Covenant Rom. 4 v. 11. with Col. 2 vers 11 12. Mat. 26 27 28. both are to be dispensed by Ministers of the Gospel by none other Iohn 1 33. Mat. 28 19. 1 Cor. 11 23. 4 1 2. Heb. 5 4. and to be continued in the Church of Christ until his second coming Mat. 28 19 20. 1 Cor. 11 26. Yet they differ in that Baptisme is to be administred but once with water to be a seal signe of our regeneration ingrafting into Christ Mat. 3 11. Tit. 3 v. 5 Gal. 3 27. and that even to infants Gen. 17 7 9 Act. 2 38 39. 2 Cor. 7 14. Whereas the Lords supper is to be administrated often in the Elements of bread and wine to represent and exhibite Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul 1 Cor. 11 23 to 26 to confirme our continuance and grouth in him 1 Cor. â—0 16. and that only to such as are of years ability to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11 vers 28 29. 3. This short account out of our Confession of Faith and larger Catechisme of this mater I thought fit to premise that all may see what that doctrine is which we owne and these men oppose And all may see the desperat wickedness of these Sacrilegious Anti Christians who laboure thus desperately to deprive the Church and people of God of all the soul quickening and soul strengthening and comforting Ordinences which Christ out of great love to his redeemed people hath graciously instituted for establishing and building them up in their most holy faith What gracious soul that hath ever tasted of the sweet Refreshing and soul-rejoyceing Communications of grace and love from the God of all grace and love in this special Ordinance can endure to heare these Soul-murtherers thus bereaving the people of the Lord of the meanes of their sweetest feasts These deluded deceivers talk much of their Experiences which yet are but the delusory gratifications of their blinded imaginations and the
at this rate of heathenish opposition and profane paganish contradiction to the wayes of grace 6. He goeth on notwithstanding Pag. 289. and will needs have this to be all that which Christ there speaketh of because all these things cannot agree to that body which was borne of the virgine Mary which came not downe from heaven As if their corrupt light of Nature could be said to come down from heaven and as if Christ were not there speaking of himself as God-man Jehovah's servant and the Mediatour betwixt God and man And as if we were with these carnal Capernaites dreaming of eating the flesh of Christ with our bodily teeth Or as if there were no other way of feeding upon Christ but this Paganish way of living by the light of nature But if this be all to what end is faith in Christ called for vers 35 And what necessity is there of God's divine teaching and drawing unto this vers 44 45 65 Yet the man tels us that all these great things do agree to this light and seed of which Iohn testifieth Chap. 1. that it is the light of men and life of the world Imagining that this is nothing else but what is in every Pagan as he cometh into the world a Paganish fancy and dream yea a devilish delusion as we have shown above Chap. X. And according to his former doctrine he tels us how all this salvation is brought about This spiritual light and seed sayes he as it getteth roome to rise up in mans heart it is bread to the hungry soul which was dead and buried in the lusts of the world and is now revived as it tasteth this heavenly bread and such as are partakers of this are said to come to Christ nor can any enjoy this bread but by coming to Christ and beleeving in the manifestation of his lighâ— in the heart by receiving and believing in which communion of the body and bread is known That is The Pagan hath the light of nature within him and if he will not with his wickedness smother it but give way to it it is heavenly bread that came down from heaven and giveth life to him And if he but taste of this by hearkening to it he is a beleever in Christ and by believing the dark dictats and manifestations of this glimmering light of nature he hath communion with God with Christ with Christ's body and bread And what should more He is a saved mâ—n a brave Christian though he knoweth not so much of Christ as the Devil doth He is feasted at this banquet of love Christ is in him and he is in Christ though he never heard of the Name of Christ let be of his Death and Sufferings Resurrection Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand and living for ever Nay nor never knew or heard of a Covenant of works let be of a Covenant of grace or any thing belonging to the grace of God Are not our Quakers now brave Pagan-preachers And is their Religion any thing but pure Paganisme Kâ—ow they any other Gospel O how Paganish and Hellish is this light that is within them Iâ— is not sure the light of nature but it is hellish darkness that hath exstinguished even that 7. He rageth aâ— the same rate of madness Pag. 290. telling us that as Christ had an outward and visible body or temple which had its original from the virgine Mary so he had a spiritual body by which he revealed himself to the sones of Men in all ages and by which they were made partakers of eternal life and had communion with God and with Christ. Then by this spiritual body he revealed himself to the worshipers of Baal Zebub Baal Peor Bel Dagon Astaroth Adrammelech Chemosh Nisroch to the Phenicians that sacrificed yeerly young infants to Saturne or to the Devil rather and practised Sodomy in the temple of Venus and to all Paganish Idolaters who worshiped Sun Moon Serpents Trees Fire Earth Water Windes Iupiter Apollo Venus Mars Hercules c. even to such as did prostitute their Daughters in honour of Venus and their Wives and Sisters and did many other unnatural brutalities and by this body spiritual of Christ which was within them they were made partakers of Eternal life and had communion with God and with Christ is not this excellent Christianity And he thinks that by this Adam Seth Enoch and all the Patriarchs and Prophets were nourished and that this was all that which was shadowed forth by the types under the law And thus all Religion through all the ages of the Church was but Nature And consequently was more pure among the heathen Idolaters than among the people of Israel where it was so hid and obscured with so may types and covered with so many dark vails that as he saith the Jewes even some of Christs owne disciples did not understand Christ speaking of it What a perversion is here of all the doctrine of grace from the beginning and an overturning of the Faith and Religion of all the ancient and renouned Patriarchs Prophets and People of God But as concerning this Spiritual body and blood of Christ what meaneth he thereby Had Christ two bodies One Carnal and another Spiritual and if we have two such bodies too what difference betwixt Him and us where is that body of his today which they call Carnal Hath he both these bodies now in heaven or only the Spiritual body if only this what shall then become of his Resurrection and Ascension was this Spiritual body of the seed of Abraham and of David Thus at one blow they deny the Christ of God and overturne all Christianity 8. And as if he had not yet given us a clear enough discovery of his paganish Religion he Pag. 292. § 3. in answere to this question How is man made a partaker of this and nourished by it He saith Know this light manifesting thine iniquities opening up thy barrenness nakedness and emptiness is that body whereof thou must partake and by which thou must be nourished and as this small seed of righteousness ariseth in thee and is suffered to come to the birth that new substantial birth is naturally fed and nourished with this Spiritual body That is this dim light of Nature which is in all Pagans is the body of Christ the Spiritual body by which we must all be nourished unto eternal life for it is a seed of righteousness and if we will but give way to it it will become a new substantial birth and be naturally nourished of it self and so Nature is the seed of the new birth and is the new birth it self and is all the Spiritual nourishment whereupon it liveth Is it any wonder that these say much of this light which is all their grace and all their Christianity We pity such as sacrificed their children to the Devil And what shall we think of them who thus sacrifice their souls unto this Goddess blinde Nature This is
are other wayes such as a Promise which is different from a precept and divine Institution virtually including a promise And because he taketh no notice of these wayes his whole discourse is to no purpose for we grant there is no Relation here flowing from the nature of the thing And we see not what way a precept hath any efficacy to the making of such a Relation It is not because God hath commanded us to be holy that therefore such as are holy shall see God's face but because of a promise What will he now do his light hath confounded him so as he knoweth not what he saith But howbeit a precept hath no interest here while speaking of his Relation Yet least he boast as supposing we could not maintaine that there was a command for the use of this ordinance we must see What he saith here If there were any such precept saith he it should be found there where the institution is Which is very true for the very Institution hath the force of a command though there were no more Matthew and Mark saith he mentione no command and Luk only saith this do in remembrance of me Answ. Here is an express command mentioned by Luk and what needeth more The Institution say I hath the force of a command and that the Apostles after practice declared and the practice of the primitive Church and beside all this we have Paul's large commentary upon this 1 Cor. 10. 11. for if there had been no command for this why was the Apostle at all that paines to rectifie abuses among the Corinthians about this mater why spoke he of a cup which he blessed and of bread which he brake 1 Cor. 10 16 Why did he deliver this unto them and tell them that he had received it of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 23 Why doth he not discharge this altogether as he doth the Love feasts why saith he not There is no such ordinance of Christ There is no command for it Is there no precept presupposed nor included in all this wonderful The end which paul expresseth saith he 1 Cor. 11 26. is to declare the Lord's death but this hath no necessary â—elation to or connexion with partaking of Christ's body and blood for though such as partake of this cannot but commemorat his death yet his death can be commemorated without this participation Ans. 1. That declaration of Christ's death is a comprehensive end and includeth a Christian improvement and application of Christ's death to all the ends for which he is held forth in this Sacrament which appeareth by the whole context for where this is not there is an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup unworthily and an incurring the guilt of the body and blood of the Lord vers 27. and to which is required self examination as a necessary preparation and an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup so And such as includeth a discerning of the Lord's body the want of which maketh persons eat and drink judgment to themselves and was the cause why many were weak and sickly among them and many were asleep vers 29 30. And such as requireth self judging to this end that we may prevent God's judging vers 31. Thus we see that such a Commemoration of the death of Christ as is here understood cannot be without this partaking 2 This same end includeth a command to use this Sacrament until Christ's second coming 3. What thinks he of the ends mentioned 1 Cor. 10 16 17 4. How such as partake of Christ's body and bloud in his sense cannot but declare his death is a mystery to me Let him clear to me how a Pagan that never heard of Christ or of his death can by introverting unto the light within him declare Christ's death 5. Though Christ's death could be commemorated without partaking of his body and blood in this Ordinance Yet it will not hence follow that it must not be commemorated by this Ordinance He might as well argue that because Christ's death can be declared in this Ordinance therefore it must not be declared in the Word but the truth is this man would have all declaration of it laid aside that it might be quite forgotten or no otherwise declared than as may be by a Pagan introverting to his Light 12. What saith he to these words This is my body and this cup is the New Testament in my blood As Christ saith he used by the use of natural things to lead the mind of his disciples up unto spiritual things so here Christ took occasion from the bread and the wine which was before them while supping to tell them that as bread and wine served to nourish their bodies so his body and blood should be for their souls Answ. Are not these excellent Commentators Is it any wonder that they will not take this word for their Rule Who ever heard even mens words so abused and perverted O the patience of God! Though I think the very reciting of his words were enough to shame him if he could be ashamed and them both yet let me soberly ask him a few things 1. Why doth he not give us a like instance That which he mentioneth of Christ's speaking to the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. is nothing to the purpose for Christ sayes not there This well is my body Or this well is the New Testament in my blood 2. What signified Christ's blessing of the bread and blessing of the cup if this was all 3. To what end did he break the bread and give it to his disciples and said take eat c. when they had been eating and drinking already 4. Why said he of the cup drink ye all of it if there was no more imported 5. Why said he this do in remembrance of me 6. Was this all that Paul delivered to the Corinthians 7. Was this all that he received of the Lord 8. How cometh it that the Spirit of the Lord in Paul giveth us not that commentary of the words But enough of this piece of profane blasphemous boldness 13 What sayes he to 1 Cor. 10 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ He answereth Pag. 298. That in all this Chapter Paul is not speaking a word of this ceremonie he should say Ordinance Answ. For as bold as he is we will not beleeve him Let us yet hear his reason He saith vers 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils c. but they could drink of the cup of Devils and of the outward cup. Answ. Not morally and lawfully because the Apostle here disswades them from having communion with idols upon this very account though they might physically as Robert Parclay may steal and murther But sayes he Paul speaks of one bread vers 17. and this cannot be outward bread
otherwise the inward should be excluded Answ. Both may consist for by the inward they become all one body really and spiritually and by the outward they became one body in profession and open declaration And what inconsistency is here He next tels us that he can see no ground or occasion in the Scripture for this figment of Sacramental union And what remedie seing Institutions of Christ must be figments with him it is no wonder he cannot see what others see But some are so far master of their sight that what they desire not to see their eyes can not see But it may be it is worse with him He cannot but see and yet the light within will not let him see We have mentioned lately some passages to this purpose both in the Old and New Testament and that may satisfie such as will see 14. He findeth the Apostles discourse 1 Cor. 11. A great mountaine in his way therefore Pag. 299 he laboureth all he can to blow it away He must grant that the Corinthians were in use of celebrating this Sacrament and that Paul rectifieth the abuses that were committed in their manner of going about it Yet he saith that the express and special use hereof in the Apostles judgment was to declare Christs death but this is far different from partaking of Christ's flesh and blood Ans. One use doth not destroy another the Apostle had in the preceeding Chapter mentioned the other use and needed not here againe repeat it expresly and we have showne already that this was a comprehensive use and could not but take in their eating of Christs body and drinking of his blood and this is clear in that the Apostle saith that whosoever did eat and drink unworthily were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and did not discerne the Lord's body Nay himself granteth in the following words that to such as use this it hath an immediat relation to the outward body and death of Christ. And so there is a Sacramental union But he addeth It hath not a necessary relation to the participation of the Spiritual body and blood of Christ. Answ. We grant it as to that which he taketh the spiritual body and blood of Christ to be For there is no relation of the world there But that true beleevers partaking of these elements by faith are really and spiritually made partakers also of Christ and his benefites we assert and he dar not disprove it He addeth That these words of Paul vers 27. say only That seing the Corinthians would needs performe this ceremony as an act of religion they should do it worthily otherwise bring condemnation on themselves Answ. 1. If the Corinthians performed this ceremony as an act of Religion without a divine warrant they were guilty of will worshipe And shall he make us beleeve that Paul or the Spirit of the Lord rather in Paul would not discharge this superstition Nay not only not so but denunce such judgments on them for doing of it but amisse 2. Shall he make us beleeve that Paul would have taught and delivered to them modes of will-worshipe and prescribed the exercise of Superstion Yet Paul sayes vers 23. that he delivered this unto them 3. Shall he make us believe that the Lord would give Paul commission to establish among the Corinthians will worshipe and Superstition Yet he sayes vers 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you 4. What way can people go worthily about an act of will-worshipe 5. Would God have punished them with sickness weakness and death for an escape in the manner of will-worshipe and not for the will-worshipe it self What wilde and bold conceits are these He needeth not tell us that from their practice it will not follow that this was a religious act incumbent to others also for we lay not down their practice as our ground but what was their ground is ours the Institution of Christ which he delivered unto Paul and Paul received to deliver unto the Corinthians And therefore it is not a thing indifferent and so not to be compared with that Rom. 14 5. as he dreameth and the practice of things indifferent as such is no act of Religion or of worshipe such as this is And therefore what he addeth Paâ— 300. is but a laying of a further imputation of unfaithfulness on the Apostle for fomenting the Corinthians in their errour and mistake and never once rectifying or informing their erroneous consciences What wonder is it that these proud Quakers account our Ministers unfaithful and what not when this Man dar lay such a foule imputation in Print upon the Apostle Paul Nay blasphemously impute this to the Spirit of God that acted Paul 15. In the next place he thinks he will prove that this Ordinance is not a lasting ordinance § 6 Pag. 300. c. Passing what is but a repetition let us hear his arguments Matthew and Mark sayes he expresseth this as done while they were eating And this was usual among the Iewes as Paulus Riccius observeth for at their eating of the passeover the master of the family took bread and brake it and did distribute it and so did he with wine So Christ who would fulfil all righteousness and would observe the Iewish feasts used this ceremony for his disciples only and took occasion thereby to raise up their mindes to higher things Answ. 1. To this last we have spoken before and why did not Christ take occasion to give this Christian document before this time while they were eating 2. It is true Christ instituted this Supper before they rose from table and what then 3. As for what is reported of the Jewish practice not only by this Paulus Riccius but by several others I doubt if all that is said shall demonstrate that the Jewes had this custome before Christ's dayes seing the eldest of the Jewish writters out of whom they have it wrote not till a considerable time after the Temple was brunt And what credite is to be given to what they wrote when their purpose and designe was to deface and annull Christianity let sober men judge 4. Sure I am there was no divine command for this practice at the eating of the Paschal Lamb and how our Quaker can say that Christ would do this because he would fulfil all righteousness I know not seing righteousness stands in obeying the command of God 5. Though Christ did observe the feasts prescribed to the Jewes by the Lord Yet he would not observe their sinful additions and traditions No he condemned these Mat. 15. 6. That which we are to look to is Christ's practice and we are sure that that should oblige us more then the Jewish practice could oblige Christ. 7. We not only have Christ's practice but a command mentioned by Luk do this in remembrance of me This evinceth no more saith he but that seing that was to be the last occasion of his eaâ—ing with
themselves Are not these sufficient to evidence to all the world how the Quakers vilify the Scriptures of truth 5. Do they not disswade all in their writings as the cited passages evidence from reading or studying the Scriptures or from expecting any light or comfort from them Though Christ in express termes commanded to search the Scriptures Yet they perswade to the contrary And is not this a clear proof of their undervalueing of the Scriptures 6. Whereunto else tendeth that expression of Fisher's in his Velata quaedam revelato p. 4. Ye have Moses the Prophets within you but to disparage and vilify the Scriptures See also Parnel p. 11. For the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without 7. Is it not a manifest vilifying of Scripture to say that there is no light in it Yet so faith The lip of truth opened p. 7. That light is in the Scriptures prove that or tell me what one Scripture hath light in it 8. Do not they say that whaâ— is held forth in the Scriptures is not bindeing to us Naylor love to the lost p. 16. for all the Saints have their commands in the Spirit but yours is in the letter and so another ministration We have mentioned more above Chap. IV. to this purpose and is not this sufficient to declare the Scriptures null in their esteem 9. What else doth that of Iohn Story in his discovery savour of And I. A. further saith let light without be guide to light within Reply if by this exhortation I. A. meanes that light without should try true light within which shines in the hearts of the Saints then I must needs say it is a very absurd and foolish exhortation and being spoken upon a divine account it is full of idolatry and evil 10. Do not the fore cited passages fully clear that in the Quakers judgment we canâ—ot come by the Scriptures to the knowledge of God or of Christ or of ourselves And is not that sufficient to disparage the Scriptures 11. Whâ—n Christ himself made use of the Scriptures to repel the temptations of Satan Mat. 4. Can we think the Quakers haâ—e any high esteem for the Scriptures who declare them utterly useless as to this as Martin Mason doth in his Loving Invitation p. 11 12. Can they value the Scriptures aright who desire the Lord that he would stripe us of all our knowledge of the Scripture and say that they only make us wise to oppose truth and so bring us into a state of condemnation wrath and misery beyond the heathen See Pennington's quaest p. 12. See also W. Pen's Spirit of truth p. 23. 13. Do they not undervalue the Scriptures who still set them in opposition to the Spirit And is not this the common language of the Quakers 14 If the Quakers have an high opinion of the Scriptures what meaneth all these expressions in the Morning watch Pap. 22.23 of them and of the doctrines received from them viz Traditions of men earthly root darkness and confusion Nebuchadnezzars image Putrefaction and corruption rotten and deceitful all out of the liâ—e and power of God Apostacy the whores cup the mark of the Beast Babylon the Mother of harlots Bastards brought forth of flesh and â—lood the birth that persecutes the son and heire Babylons brats and children graven images c. These sure are no expressions of great estimation 15. What shall we think of what the same Author saith p. 45. So amongst the words you finde how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make something to yourselves and to observe it and do it as near as yoâ— can and here you are found transgressours of the Law of God who saith thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing Now what difference is there in the ground betwixt you and the Pope Hath this man the same esteem of the Scriptures that Paul had when he said Rom. 15 4. For whatsoever things were wâ—itten afore time were writen for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 16. Do we not all know how reproachfully the Papists speak of the Scriptures And do not Quakers and they go one way here Let any look Mr Faldo's parallel in the end of Chap. 12. of his book Pag. 131. c. and judge If this be not enough to discover what enemies to and undervaluers of the Scriptures the Quakers are I know not if we can get any more out of hell See what is said above Chap. IV. § 2. 4. 12. 5. What saith he more Hâ—nce moreover because we say that their clatterings and outward faith of an external life passion and death of Christ will no more justify them in the sight of God then the Iewes crying the Temple of the Lord c. but that they must acknowledge a Christ within themselves whom they have crucified to be risen and justifying and redeeming them from all iniquity they say we deny the liâ—e suffering and death of Christ and justification by his blood and remission of sinnes through him Answ. What meaneth he by that ill favoured word clatterings garritiunculae It hath no sound in latâ—ne and no good sound in Engâ—ish in this mater And what meaneth he by an external faith And what meaneâ—h he by an external faith of an external life and death of Christ These expressions are very quakerish that is unsavoury salt of non-sense But when he layeth all the weight of justification and redemption on a thing which they call Christ within every man formerly crucified but now risen is not that as much as if they denied all that Christ did for our Redemption and Justification an Pardon through his righteousness and blood What this man hath said of these things we have seen and examined and because he would fame wipe off this Aspersion from his fraternity let us see what they say in this mater Mr Faldo will help us to some others then we have seen and mentioned formerly 1. What meaneth that expression of Edâ— Burrughs Truâ—peâ— c. â— 17. All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their seeding upon the report of a thing dead many hundered yeers ago And that of Farnworth what righteousness Christ performed without me was not my justification neither was I saved by it Is not this a plaine denial of justification through Câ—rist and hâ—s righteousness Pennington quaestions p. 2â— is clear enough Can saith he outward blood clause the conscience Can outward water wash the soul clean Parnel's Shield of truth p. 30. And this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reigne above the world death hell and the Devil But none can witness this whose eye is outward looking at a Redeemer a far off Morning watch p. 21. And conclude to themselves a beliefe in Christ and apply his promises what he did for them in the body that
He addeeh Hâ—nce againe because we say to them when they clatter and determine of the resurrection that it were more necessary for them to know the righteous one whom they have killed in themselves to be arisen that they may be made partakers of the first resurrection and that if that be they will be more able to judge of the second they say we deny the resurrection of the body Answ. What unsavoury language is that clattering about a resurrection Is this spoken like a Châ—istian Is the Resurrection such an inconsiderable thing with him Or is it a meer problem or a thing that shall never be Next see we not here in his owne words a confirmation of what we were last saying to wit that the Quakers deny a Christ without dying and riseing and all advantage for us thereby What meaneth he by the killing of the just one within us and the riseing againe of that just one Is that the just one crucified at Ierusalem whereof Peter speaketh Act. 3 14. And Stephen speaketh Act. 7 52. and Ananias Act. 22 14 And if not to what else teâ—deth this but to banish away the very historical fâ—ith of that But now as to the Resurrection if he beleeve any such thing how cometh it that in all his great book he hath made no mention thereof Is it no article of our faith Or is it a whimsey and a fictitious notion Then let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die and no matter whether we be Quakers or Christians Againe seing he made no meâ—tion of hâ—s fundamental article in his whole book who did he not upoâ— this occasion speak alittle to it to manifest his râ—al beleefe of it And as to others of the Quakers they give at best a most instinct sound in this point wherein they are worse then some heathen philosophers as may be seen in Mr Hicks 1. Dial. Pag. 57. c. But Turnâ—r a Quaker is more positive against it disproving it by these arguments If the bodies of men rise againe then there is a preheminence in the bodies of Men above the bodies of Beasts which is to give Solomon the lie Eccles. 3 19. Againe If the bodies of men should rise againe this is to give Iob the lie who saith The eyes that see me shall see me no more Iob 7 8. And 3. That flesh and blood shall not inherite the Kingdom of God The same Mr Hicks in his Quakers appeal answered p. 21. sheweth how Will. Pen in several of his books denieth the resurrection saying Such a resurrection is inconsistent with Scripture reason and the beliefe of all men right in their wits And againe for shame let us never make so much stir against the doctrine of Transubstantiation For the absurdity of that is rather outdone than equaled by this carnal resurrection And againe he calleth it a barbarous conceit Mr Faldo in his book against them Chap. 17. cleareth how they speak of a Resurrection and meaneth thereby only Regeneration and showeth how they shift the giving of any distinct and positive answer thereanent All which is enough to shew that it is no calumny to say they deny the resurrection of the body Adde that passage of W. Pen in his book against Mr Faldo cited in his answere Pag. 88. Either the resurrection of the body must be without the mater or it must not If it must then it is not that same numerical body and so their proper and strick taking of the word Resurrection they must let go if it must not be without the same gross mater it died with then I affirme it cannot be incorruptible because it will carry with it that which will render it corruptible ad infinitum I say we cannot see how that which is of the dust should be eternal whilst that from whence it came is by nature but temporal and that which is yet most of all irreconcilable with Scripture and right reason is that the loss and change of nature from corruptible to incorruptible natural to spiritual should not make it another body 7. Yet more he saith Hence finally because when we hear them speak inadvertently of heaven hell and the last judgment we exhort them to come out of that infernal condition in which they stand and come unto and believe the judgment of truth within their own hearts and follow the light that in this life they may sit in celestial places which are in Christ Iesus they maliciously say that we deny all heaven and hell but that which is in us and that we deny the last and general judgment Answ. But if they do account this a calumny why do they not blame themselves for not being more plaine and distinct in these necessary and fundamental points Why doth not this Man in his great book which he stileth an Apology of the Christian Religion deliver in plaine termes his judgment hereof Mr Faldo tels us in his key that he could never hear or read them mention any other heaven to be enjoyed by them as distinct persons but what they have within them in this world And by hell he tels us they mean the present torment and loss within And that by their Trembling and Quaking they mean the horrour and consternation they are under from as they say the wrath of God while the flesh is judged and they are in the hell of condemnation and he can finde no other hell that they hold And this trembling and quaking they say is such as Moses and other Prophets were seized with at the appearance of God And by the State of glory he tels us they meane the state of peace and joy resulting from the witnes of the light within in the life And that by the judgment of the great day they meane sin being judged in the conscience by the light within in this life And it is considerable that when Mr Faldo had said let them profess that they believe a happiness to be enjoyed by Men and Women after their bodies be rotted to dust distinct from the being of God or that which they had not a thousand yeers before they were born i. e. to be in God from whom as of his being they say the soul came and it will be newes to me and all that are acquanted with them Yet Will. Pen in his answere will not be plaine to declare their meaning What can this silence import else than that they are guilty in this matter And as for the last judgment how can they believe it when they deny Christ's second coming visibly personally so doth Whitehead see Mr Hicks in his 2. Dial. p. 43. 75.76 8. Notwithstanding of all this this bold man dar say that God knoweth all these calumnies are â—alsly and undeservedly cast upon them And yet they neither can will nor dar vindicat themselves What followeth being but a meer commendation of themselves which we have heard so oft I think it not worth the translating let be