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A35667 Truth outweighing error, or, An ansvver to a treatise lately published by J.B. entituled, A confession of his faith and a reason of his practice, or, With who he can, and with who he cannot hold church-fellowship ... by John Denne ... J. D. (John Denne) 1673 (1673) Wing D1027; ESTC R11873 57,462 128

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been performed by his personal acts there had then been no need of his Death and Passion the necessity whereof is declared by Christ himself Luk. 24.46 Thus it behoved the Christ to suffer and confirmed by the Apostle Acts 17.3 that the Christ must needs have suffered wherefore it must be concluded that the aforesaid blessings were not effected by the personal acts of Christ And therefore although the Confessor J. B. Epist presumeth a candid Christian may judge the root of the matter to be found in him it may from what hath been said be feared that the root is evil and then it is easie to judge what the branches will be But now in the second place let us see wherefore the aforesaid Article is believed I was enforced to consider it because he urgeth it so emphatically I believe therefore as if there was something preceding that would demonstrate the truth thereof But I have weighed both the precedent and consequent Articles with the Scriptures annexed and I profess I know not what he means by Therefore The Article precedent is I believe this very Child is both God and Man the Christ of the Living God J. B. Art 14. pag. 8. And the Scriptures annexed are Luke 2.7 12. Matth. 1.21 22. But why he should say from thence I believe therefore c. to me doth not appear This Confessor tells us J. B's Epist That above eleven years he hath weighed paused examined paused again these Doctrines and that in cold blood Surely it demonstrates his instability to be so tedious a tract of time to use his own words in pausing and weighing I wish that may not be true in him according to the words of Paul 2 Tim. 3.7 Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth For hitherto his Judgment and Understanding notwithstanding his long pausing seems as cold as his blood If any object That it is written Christ gave himself for us laid down his life was obedient to death all which amount to acts of Christ I Answ 1. That the sufferings were all voluntary that he readily condescended to obey his Father's Will wherein we have cause to accept the Grace of Christ But 2. This was no act viz. no Personal act of his There may be a voluntary submission a free condescension even so far as we may be said to lay down our lives to obey God and yet no personal act Christians are required to obey God in sufferings and it is accounted an Obedience to God when we lose our lives for his sake wherefore although I do extol the personal acts of Christ in the days of his Flesh and desire to respect them in their own Sphere yet I must conclude as aforesaid that those blessings are not wrought by his personal acts but by his sufferings as it is written The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 Christ hath also once suffered for us that thereby he might bring us unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 J.B. Art 16. pag. 10. I do believe that for the compleating of this work he was always sinless did alwayes the things that pleased God's Justice that every one of his acts both of doing and suffering and rising again from the dead was really and infinitely perfect being done by him as God-man Wherefore his acts before he died are called the Righteousness of God his blood the blood of God and herein perceive we the love of God in that he laid down his life for us The Godhead which gave vertue to all the acts of the humane nature was then in perfect union with it when he hanged upon the Cross for our sins Answ It is the advice of the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 4.11 That if any man speak he should speak as the Oracles of God But sure this Confessor's words are more like the Oracles of the Devils that of old were accustomed to be given so ambiguous and obscure that no body could understand them aright yet they might be wrested to the understanding of any Such is the matter of the aforesaid Article wherein it is hard to determine what he means unless it is that the Godhead of Christ suffered death which although he doth not plainly declare yet he doth imply if he saith any thing For saith he every one of his acts of suffering was really perfect being done by him as God-man I wonder that he who pretends that he doth not abusively present to the Reader any other Doctrine but what he holds J. B's Epistle professeth and Preacheth should be so abusive to himself and Doctrine as to Preach and Print that which is so inconsistent with common sense But to proceed he saith The Godhead which gave virtue to all the acts of the Humane Nature was then in perfect union with it when he hanged upon the Cross Now to be in perfect union was to be even as that was viz. hanged upon the Cross and also dead which sure the Confessor means for he further urgeth that therefore his blood was called the blood of God and hereby perceive we the Love of God in that he laid down his life for us Now if this be his meaning it is directly contrary unto Truth for the Godhead that was equal with the Father Phil. 2.6 with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning Jam. 1.17 an Eternal Spirit immortal c. as it hath neither flesh nor bones Luk. 24.3 cannot die hath no blood to shed Death and Immortality are not congruous and therefore herein this Confessor is mistaken for the death of Christ was only as he was man And therefore it is said Heb. 10.5 When he cometh into the World A body hast thou prepared me If the Godhead could have died there needed not the preparation of this body of flesh but thereby being made man he became subject to death which he was not before as it is written Heb. 2.14 15. Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that bad the power of death wherefore he did not assume the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham vers 16. As it is said Heb. 2.9 He was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death This also our Confessor acknowledged saying Art 12. The great reason why Christ clothed himself with our flesh and blood was that he might be capable of obtaining Redemption and that was by his Death even the death of the Manhood As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 3.18 Being put to death in the flesh in the body of his flesh Col. 1.22 And therefore although some Scriptures alledged by the Confessor call the blood of Christ the blood of God and God's Life it must not be taken as properly spoken but in respect to that conjunction between the Deity and Humanity as figuratively Christ is said to be Hungry Thirsty Naked c. Matth.
that are saved are saved through Election without respect to qualifications Then must the residue be reprobated without respect to qualifications But God reprobates no man without respect to qualification Ergo. The Major is evident for if there be a certain number Elected the residue must be damned let their qualifications be what they will The consideration whereof hath induced Learned men to blaspheme saying That God ordained men to sin that he might justly accomplish his Determination So saith Zanchius Reprobates are held so fast under God's Almighty Decree that they cannot but sin and perish And again he saith There lieth upon Reprobates by the power of their unchangeable reprobation a necessity of sinning yea of sinning unto death without Repentance and consequently of perishing everlastingly Zanch. lib. 5. de Nat. Dei The same also saith Piscator Reprobates are precisely appointed to sin that they might be justly punished Piscat resp ad dupl vorst part 1. pag. 220. Maccovius also was of this mind saying God did will sin ordain men to sin that he might justly accomplish his determination Macc. disp 17. pag. 11. Thus you see the Major is acknowledged by those that believe such an Election as J. B. describes The Minor I shall prove thus viz. Arg. 4. If God reprobates any man without respect to qualifications Then are not his tender mercies over all his works But God's tender mercies are over all his works Ergo. The Major is unquestionable for sure no mercy much less tender mercy can be to that man reprobated and that without respect to qualifications to Eternal damnation The Minor is proved Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all without exception and his tender mercies are over all his works This that hath been said may suffice also to shew that there is no such Eternal purpose which necessarily produceth John Bunyan's Effectual Call For the aforesaid Arguments have the same validity against that as the former Proposition I come therefore now to shew you that there is no such Call as John Bunyan pretends to be beyond all opposition Which I shall prove thus viz. Arg. 5. If God's Call is oft-times rejected his Spirit resisted and his Counsel despised Then his Call is not beyond all opposition But God's Call is oft-times rejected his Spirit resisted and his Counsel despised Ergo. I think I may spare the proof of the Major for sure unless as J. B. seems to do you will so distinguish in this case as if God did not Call those that reject it with such an intention as he doth others as Piscator presumes to affirm That although God commands Reprobates to believe the Gospel yet he will not have them believe And again God doth not offer Grace to those that are Called with an intent to give it And he further saith Though God in words protest that he would have Reprobates believe yet indeed he will not have them Piscat contra Scasm pag. 60 pag. 74 pag. 143. which I hope you will not lest you make the God of Heaven as deceitful as the false Godds whom the Poets feign did once set Tantallus up to the Chin in a goodly River under a Tree full of beautiful Fruit which hung even to his Nose but so that he could neither reach the fruit nor stoop to the water to drink which far be it from the Lord who is true and holy in all his words and actions Wherefore I shall proceed to the proof of the Minor which is evident Prov. 1.24 I have called but you have refused Acts 7.51 Ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Spirit ye have set at nought all my Counsel Prov. 1.25 The next thing I come to is to shew that there are impediments which hinder the Conversion and Salvation of men which will thus appear Arg. 6. If God useth such means with the Unconverted as is sufficient for their Conversion and yet they continue unconverted Then something in themselves is an impediment But God useth such means with the Unconverted as is sufficient for their Conversion and yet they continue unconverted Ergo. The Major is true for if the means be sufficient and such means used by the God of Heaven their own obstinay must hinder The Minor I prove from the words of Christ to Chorazin and Bethsaida Matth. 11.21 If the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago Now hereby it appeareth That the means used with Chorazin and Bethsaida would have been sufficient for the Conversion of Tyre and Sidon and if so why not to them Surely because they were more obstinate So that we must conclude that was an impediment which did hinder their Conversion and consequently their Salvation But further concerning Salvation I offer this Arg. 7. If the Righteous man may turn from his Righteousness put away a good Conscience and make shipwrack of Faith Then something may impede his Salvation But a Righteous man may turn from his Righteousness put away a good Conscience and make shipwrack of Faith Ergo. The Major is undeniable and the Minor I prove Ezek. 18.24 When the righteous man turneth from his righteousness and committeth iniquity he shall die Hymeneus and Alexander put away a good Conscience and made shipwrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 Wherefore also Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have Preached to others I my self should be a cast-away It seems Paul was not of J. B's mind to think that no impediment could hinder his Salvation for then he would not have used these words Lest that by any means I my self should be a cast-away But he thought and knew as it was said of Eli to Samuel 1 Sam. 2.30 They that despise me shall be lightly esteemed As the Lord said by Oded 2 Chron. 15.2 If ye forsake me I will forsake you Whereof David did advisedly admonish Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou forsake thy God he will cast thee off for ever I proceed now to the last thing viz. To shew you that no Persons are originally so far blinded by the God of Heaven that they cannot turn to to him which is thus proved Arg. 1. If God doth so blind any man Then he is willing that some should perish But God is not willing that any should perish Ergo. The Major is plain for God must needs be willing to that which himself is the cause of The Minor is proved 1 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not willing that any should perish He confirms it by an Oath which ought to put an end to all strife Heb. 6.16 and because he could swear by no greater he swears by himself As I live saith the Lord Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked but desire that he may turn from his sin and live Arg. 2. If God doth so blind men viz. originally Then their unbelief is no sin But