〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He likewise vindicates the Imputation of Sin to Christ in the sense of Guilt opposed to Punishment from all these odious Consequences that you would lay upon it such as this That if our Sins be Imputed to Christ then Christ is a Sinner and Child of the Devil A. That which the Scripture affirms is that he was made Sin for us this the Greek Expositors Chrisostom Theophyl Oecumen and many others take for a Sinner but all affirm that denomination to be taken from Imputation only he had Sin Imputed to him and underwent the Punishment 2. This Imputation did not carry with it any thing of Pollution and Filth of Sin to be communicated by Transfusion 3. The Denomination of an Idolater Drunkard belongs not to him upon this account c. In Sin there are three things 1. The Offence of God which is the fault 2. Obligation unto Eternal Punishment which is the Guilt 3. The Stain or Pollution of the Soul the Inherent Vicious Inclination of the Soul Sin doth not remain in those that are Justified in the two first respects of Fault and Guilt both which are taken away by the Death of Christ But Sin doth remain in the Regenerate according to the third respect viz. the Vitious Quality and Corruption thereof inherent in the Soul Pemble of Just p. 183. fol. Pinch saith 2 Cor. 5.21 The meaning of these words is not that he was made Sin for us but as a sacrifice for sin c. Norton against Pinch p. 53. Answ He was made sin for us as we are made Righteousness i. e. by Judicial Imputation without the Violation yea with the Establishing of Justice he was made sin as he was made a Curse Gal. 3.13 the Greek word used here and there are the same But he was made a Curse by Judicial Imputation because he was the sin-offering in truth therefore he was made sin by real Imputation as the Legal Sin-Offering was made sin by Typical Imputation Likewise in Vindication of Isa 53.6 from Pinchon's false Glosses who used this Argument against Imputation Christ's sacrifice was Effectual to procure Atonement therefore sin was not imputed to him p. 4. § 46. Here is a meer non-sequitur nay the contrary consequence is true Christ appeared to put away Sin Heb. 9.26 28. was once Offered to bear the Sins of many ver 28. The Greek word used here by Paul and elsewhere by Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 signifieth to take carry bear up on high and that so as to bear away and in Allusion to the whole Burnt-offering the Person that brought the Sacrifice was to put his Hand upon the Head thereof The Apostle whilst he was speaking of the Antitype chuseth out such a word to express Christ's bearing of sin to teach us thereby that Christ did both carry up and bear the load of our sins Imputed to him on the Cross and also bear them clear away And thus Isaiah Paul and Peter sweetly agree together and Interpret one another as concerning Christ's bearing the Imputation of Guilt and Punishment of sin See more in his Refutation of that Socinian I do not see how he could be said to bear the Punishment of sin that being strictly taken if first he should not take its Guilt We all grant Christ's sufferings to be Penal but how could they have been so without Guilt Therefore having no Guilt of his own he must be lookt upon as assuming ours upon which he might be said properly to undergo Punishment And he also vindicates 2 Cor. 5.21 shewing that his being made sin is his voluntary susception of the sinners Guilt Dr. Jacomb on Rom. 8. p. 490. Etsi Peccatum interdum vocatur Victima ex Hebreor Idiotissimo c. yet the reason of the Antithesis here requires that Christ should rather be said to be made Sin for us i. e. the sinner not in himself but from the Guilt of all our sins Imputed to him of which thing that pair of Goats was a Figure Levit. 16. Beza on 2 Cor. 5.21 Quemadmodum Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coram Deo peccatum nostrum Execrationem sustinuit non fictè sed reverà ita fidelis fiunt Justitia Dei i. e. Justi in conspectu Dei c. i. e. As Christ being Righteousness and Holiness himself bore our Sin and Curse before God not feignedly but really so the Faithful are made the Righteousness of God Camerar upon the same place It is of singular Consolation so to Cloath Christ with our sins and to wrap him in my sins thy sins and the sins of the whole World And so to behold him bearing our Iniquities for the beholding him after this manner shall easily vanquish all the Fantastical Opinions of the Papists concerning Justification by Works for they do imagine by a certain Faith formed and adorned with Charity sins are taken away and Men are justified before God and what is this but to unwrap Christ and strip him quite out of our sins to make him Innocent and to charge and overwhelm our selves with our own sins and to look upon them not in Christ but in our selves yea what is this but to take Christ clean away and to make him unprofitable to us Luth. on Gal. 3.13 Let us receive this most sweet Doctrine and full of Comfort with Thanksgiving and assured Faith which teacheth that Christ being made a Curse for us i. e. a sinner subject to the Wrath of God did put upon him our Person and laid our sins upon his own shoulders saying I have committed the sins which all Men have committed therefore he was made a Curse indeed according to the Law not for himself but for us for unless he had taken upon himself my sins and thine and of the whole World the Law had had no right over him which condemneth none but sinners only and holdeth them under the Curse but because he had taken upon him our sins not by constraint but of his own good will it behoveth him to bear the Punishment and Wrath of God not for his own Person which was Just but for our Person Fol. 140. Spanhem saith Culpam Poenam esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adeoque se mutuo ponere tollere nec illam dari sine abnoxitate ad istam nec istam sine retentione illius absurdum est esse hominum culpae omnis propriae Imputatae expertem poenae ulli addici The sum whereof is It is absurd to say that a Man can be void of his own sin or the sin of another and yet Condemned to any Punishment Spanhem Dub. Evang. pars tert p. 117. DEBATE III. Of the Discharge of the Elect from Sins upon their being laid on Christ Neonom GEntlemen you may remember what Point was discoursed the last time we met in this Conference now Mr. Antinomian is come I pray let us proceed in order and method and if you please I will propound the subject of our Discourse because I
for He thanks God tho' naturally a Body of Death grew up by Sin yet there is no prejudice can come to him thro' Christ Ch. 8. 1. There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ c. No you will say no Condemnation in Hell but yet there is the remainder of Sin in God's own people so there will some Evil or other fall upon the Commission of Sin But mark what the Apostle saith Vers 3 4. The Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of Sin and Death c. Here Christ stands for the deliverance of his People from Condemnation from Eternal Wrath say some Yea but saith the Apostle We are delivered from the Law of Sin and Death what is the Law of Sin but what the Law may do to persons for those Sins which are committed by them Now what can Sin do when it is Condemned c. 'T is true indeed every Sin is a great Debt and we commit Sins daily and hourly against the Lord Dr. C. p. 512. and the Torments of Hell are the merit of the least Sin in the World for I speak not this to Extâ—nuate any Sin but to shew the greatness of God's Grace and to ease upon good grounds distressed Consciences Therefore such as look upon these Sins as uncancelled and these Debts as true Debts it is true so long theâ—e Sins may work a Horrour and Trembling in Persons but for Believers that are Members of Christ they may Read fairly all the Sins that ever they have committed they may Read also the desert of these Transgressions which should be executed and inflicted on them if they were not cancelled and blotted out Isa 43. I even I am he c. It is true our Sins themselves do not speak Peace but Christ bearing the Sin and Wrath that these Sins do deserve speaks Peace to every Believer Dr. C. p. 513. see 1 Cor. 15.56 57. Tho' naturally Sin hath a Sting yet there is a Victory over this Sting Christ is the death of it and he took away the Sting of it It is true before Men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their Sins stare in their Faces seeming to Spit Fire at them but as Children will put one of their Company into a hideous posture causing every one that knows it not to run from him so Sin is set up by Satan with a terrible Visage as it were to Spit Fire in the Faces of the Godly and Faithful and seems very threatning and dreadful but they are to know there is no fear from the Sins of Believers all the terrour and fearfulness of Sin Christ hath drunk it and in the drinking of it Christ himself was Crucified and in that regard I say all the terrour and ghastliness and hideousness as it is represented by Satan is spent and Sin it self is dead It is true indeed a living Roaring Lion is a Terrible Creature but in a dead Lion there is no more fear than there is in a stick or stone to him that knows he is dead While Sin is alive it is fearful and terrible and deadly but when Sin it self is dead then there is no more terrour in it than there is in a dead Lion Thus I speak of Sin not as it smiles upon a Man with a promising Countenance Dr. C. p. 513. before it be committed for so it is most dreadful and odious to the Faithful as that which Crucified their sweetest Lord But as committed and lying upon the Conscience of a Believer endeavouring to drive him to deny the free Grace and Love of God and the Alsufficiency of Christ for in this regard it is Crucified by Christ and so a Believer need not be afraid of Sin the Hand-writing of Ordinances is taken away and they that are Christs have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Calvin Mr. Antinom hath sufficiently cleared himself in this point for he hath told us of the odious nature of Sin it self the natural hurt and evil effects of it he hath abundantly shewed the hurt he means and speaks of is the penal effects of Sin in its condemning power which condemning nature is taken away in the Atonement made by Christ he speaks of Sins past that lie upon Conscience so as to drive Men from Christ and the free pardoning Grace of God he speaks not of Sin as it comes with alluring smiles to tempt us to the committing of them for so he saith they are most dreadful and odious to the Faithful as that which Crucified our dearest Lord. Besides all this he hath made it appear that you your self have made an Assertion which no way falls short nay to me it 's far more Condemnable than any Expression that you have charged him with under this Head For he speaks only of the effects of Sin which he saith are taken away as you do there in our Sponsor's Answering the Penal Sanction so far you Justifie all he saith but you say that the Obliquity of the Fact as against the Precept which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin it self shall not hurt so that it must needs follow that all the hurt of Sin is only in the Punishment nay that Sin in its proper nature and filthiness hath no hurt in it and that we need not the Blood of Christ in Justification to take it away Now how comes Sin as Sin and Fault to be pardoned for there is no more of Sin pardoned than Christ bore but you say there was no need of his bearing it no more then as to the punishment and then the Obliquity and Fault will do no hurt Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum I think Gentlemen we may dismiss this Point the matter of Charge proving so false an Accusation I shall not have patience to hear him any further upon it and I think Gentlemen you are ashamed of it as well as I. Antinom Pray Mr. Calvinist have a little Patience and hear what he saith to this Point how and in what sense he understands the hurt of Sin Calvin Well I will do what I can with my self but you must Whip the Top with him he will put me out of Breath in Answering his Impertinences I pray then go on and tell us what you call truth in your usual Dogmatizing way Neonom Truth its true of Believers that if Sin should have dominion over them they would thereby come to Condemnation D. W. p. 180. Antinom How can you make a Truth upon Supposition of that which will never be I can call that nothing but a Rule of Falshood in Logick tho' there 's a Connexion of Antecedent and Consequence Si homo sit Leo est etiam Quadrupes such Propositions are Childish When the Sky falls we shall catch Larks throw the Peth of a Quill over the House and it will be a Silver Spoon But it may be you mean
by the dominion of Sin the prevailing of Sin this I deny to be dominion in a Justified One You should have made this Proposition if a true Believer be not in Christ he shall come into Condemnation Would not this look Ridiculous Neonom And tho' the Grace of God will prevent the dominion of Sin in every Elect Believer and so keep them from Eternal Death yet true Believers may by Sin bring very great hurt to themselves in Soul and Body which they ought to fear and they may expect a share in National Judgments according as they have contributed to the common guilt Antinom Here now you add a preservation from another hurt and it 's certain that as Sin shall not hurt them as to the wages of Sin and penal effects answering the Sanction of the Law so it shall not have dominion over them which you say well in Grace hath secured them from Rom. 6. and yet you begin with a bounce in your proposition made up of impossibilities by your own concession 2. You say the grace of God prevents the dominion of Sin and so keeps them from Eternal Death as if you thought the grace of God made no use of Christ in preserving Men from Eternal Death Hath Christ not delivered us from the dominion of Sin and Eternal Death too but I find you 'l have as little to do with Christ in the Salvation of Sinners or Believers as you can 3. Notwithstanding Sin cannot bring them under Condemnation nor under its dominion the Two great real hurts of Sin yet you would seem to say something contrary to me and that is it doth do them hurt in Soul and Body which they ought to fear we tell you 1. It can do them no real hurt it may do them supposed 2. It doth them no hurt directly as to punishment or dominion it may by accident i. e. thro' the weakness of their Faith lie upon their Consciences defile them and drive them to warp from the free love and grace of God this you would call good and not hurt for you would have them put themselves under Wrath. 3. We speak of Sins past yet lying upon Conscience and driving the Soul from Christ we speak not of Sins not committed those we should fear with a fear of watchfulness and dependance on grace for strength against them and we say they are odious to the Faithful 4. We say true Believers shall have a share in National Calamities which shall not be Judicial Punishments to them but sanctified afflictions and therefore no real hurts tho' seeming ones Neonom But I will tell you wherein the difference is not Antinom What then I must run the Gantlet for my Error forward and backward with whether and neither Neonom Yes if you will know the Truth rightly stated you must know it when it is not as well as when it is as they that look for that which is lost 1. It is not whether God will preserve Elect Believers from Eternal Condemnation by keeping them from the Dominion of Sin Antinom But it is whether keeping Men from the Dominion of Sin is the proper Reason of their being kept from Condemnation Doth Mortification of Sin save Men from Condemnation or the strictest degree of Holiness It 's true that the Will of God is our Sanctification but our Sanctification did not die for us and hath no more to do in taking off Condemnation than Paul in taking off Condemnation from the Corinthians it peculiarly belongs to Christ to deliver from the Wrath to come and from all Condemnation Neonom Nor whether a justifyed Person be freed from the Curse of the Law or the Sanction of the Law of Works Antinom But it is whether he be free from the Sanction of your new Law which is a Law of Works too Neonom Nor whether a Believer should fear his Eternal Condemnation no further than his Sins bring his Sincerity in question or lead to Security or Apostacy Antinom But it is out of question Hypocrites and Apostates were never Believers 2 Whatever a Believer doth do yet you own he ought upon some Grounds or other to be delivered from the fear of Condemnation We say it ought to be grounded on the Faith of his full deliverance from Condemnation by the attonement and satisfaction of Christ You say it ought to be founded upon his Sincerity and Perseverance that when he is rid of all his Hypocrisy and hath persevered to the end of his Life he may be free from fear of Condemnation but not before 3. Where 's the true Believer but is daily complaining and not without cause enough of his Unbelief Hypocrisy Security Backsliding And if he should have no better assurance of the safety of his State and freedom from Condemnation than his own Sincerity and Perseverance he could not be freed from the fear of Condemnation in this Life nor walk comfortably an hour Neonom Nor whether God may in sovereign Mercy spare to execute those Rebukes National or Personal which a godly Man's Sins may expose him to Antinom You love to dance about in Ambiguities There is a great deal of difference between sovereign sparing Mercy and Covenant-Mercy God exerciseth sparing Mercy and long Suffering towards the worst of Men but deals with a true Believer always in a way of Covenant-mercy and whether he rebukes him or not it 's all from his Fatherly Love and Wisdom God cannot deal with him but according to his Covenant relation God indeed deals with Nations and mixt Societies of Men according to his Sovereignty but the same visible Dispensations are made Covenant-mercies to all true Believers within the compass of such Providences Neonom Nor whether God may or can over-rule the Sin of a Believer afterward to his Benefit these I affirm Antinom It 's not only out of question that he may or can over-rule the Sin of a Believer for his Benefit but that he always doth do it if he is truly belonging to God Neonom Nor whether the Afflictions of the Godly be the execution of the damnatory Curse of the Law or any satisfaction or attonement for Sins This I deny and add That Christ alone satisfied Justice Antinom But it 's a question what you mean by the damnatory Curse of the Law Is then one Curse damnatory and another not damnatory You mean Afflictions are an Execution of the Curse of the Law but are not of eternal Damnation 2. You say They are not any satisfaction and attonement but if they be execution of a Curse if but temporary it cannot be avoided but they must be satisfying and attoning in one kind or another in whole or in part 3. You add That Christ alone satisfied Justice if so then he suffered the whole penal part of Sin and this is all the Doctor saith that there remains none of it for a true believing Member of Christ to bear and what 's the reason you make such a noise when here you yield all the
the Works of it and therein is a Neonomian and the rather because by that Rectoral Rule of Government which he hath usurp'd to himself and the Rule of Sin he hath judicially Sentenced all his Opposers to the Name of Antinomians or Abetters of them Insomuch that all our first Protestant Reformers and any known by the Name of Calvinists fall under his severe Censure as Ignorant Setters up of the Name of Christ and his Grace against his Government I thought it meet to call in the long-ago deceased Doctor also under what Name or Title soever he is pleased to call him whom he carries about to scare Children with and as a Trophy of his pretended Triumph that he might be made speak and the World may hear what he hath to say for himself and be acquainted how he is abused and that he may be hereafter permitted to rest quietly in his Grave and not used as Wickliff was i. e. Burnt for an Heretick so many Years after be hath been dead In a Word Shall we stand still with our Fingers in our Months in such a Day of Peace and Liberty while we are Brow-beaten or wheadled out of the great Fundamental Points of Eternal Life and Salvation which in all Ages of Antichristian Tyranny have triumph'd over the smartest Persecutions through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony in the Faith and Patience of the Saints who have not loved their Lives unto Death in the Heroick Defence of them against the very same sort of Opposition And who I pray will harm us now if we as strenuously defend the Truth as it is audaciously attack'd Have any of us suffered to the spoiling of our Goods in the Defence of Truth of a subordinate and subservient Nature to these and shall we suffer all this in vain and cast our selves tamely at the Feet of such a confident Invader of our most choice and precious things in the World yea our very Life in Christ What is it that affrightens us Doth the Scripture Law or Learning terrify us If so little a Foot-man can run us out of Breath how do we think to contend with Horses Dragooners I mean if they should come And if in the Land of Peace we are wearied what shall we do in the Swelling of Jordan If Popery should ever over-run us again which God forbid and we should be called to bear Testimony to these Truths at Fire and Paggot as the Famous Martyrs have done It 's to be feared now that many Protestants would provide for their Safety by flying to the Neonomian Asylum But to conclude however we shrink from the despised Truths of Christ shuffle and cut with him and sometimes huff and bounce at him or some Truth of his I am fully assured the God of Glory and all Grace who hath hitherto preserved the pure Doctrine of his Gospel not only from the impure Mixtures of Pretenders to Holiness the crafty Methodists of Satan as an Angel of Light but also from his open Rage as a roaring Lion will continue yet to maintain it against all the bâ—ting Winds of False Doctrine That Christ hath his Fan in his Hand and will thoroughly purge his Floor and that if any Man lay any other Foundation than what is laid which is Jesus Christ and continues so to do his Root shall be Rottenness and his Blossom go up as Dust I. C. Some of the Paradoxes contained in the Neonomian Scheme 1. SINS of the Elect are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by Christ's Enduring Sufferings but there were by Divine Appointment to interpose a Gospel Promise of Pardon the Work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the Person to be pardoned and a Judicial Act of Pardon by that Promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof 2. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive Part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are Promised to Lower Degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Death with a Barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every Degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did 3. This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to Imperfect Man and yet insists on some Degrees of Obedience to which of his meer Grace he enableth us 4. The Degrees of Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our Personal Claim depends upon the Gospel Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 5. The Gospel-Sanction determins as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did tho' it be not the same for while it promiseth a Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to Pardon to the Impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon 6. When it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven 7. Hence the use of Faith and Holiness as to those Benefits is not fron the Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise 8. Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our Holiness would Save us were it not for the Gospel-Promise God will justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 9. God in dispensing Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith when he admits to Heoven he judicially declares a Man sincerely holy and persevering 10. The Wedding-Garment Matth. 22.11 is true uniting Faith 11. Forgiving Adopting Glorifying and Conveyance of every Gospel-Benefit given on God's Terms are Judicial Acts of God as a Rector if not he doth blindly and promiscuously dispense them without any regard to our being Believers 12. With respect to what is declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith and it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits 13. The Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Gospel-Ordination his Righteousness Imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we do answer the Rule of the Gospel 14. The Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intends the Gospel Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in 15. The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is Consistent with his Government and judicial rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments THE Ancient Gospel
should not be cut off any more by the Waters of the Flood nor shall there be a Flood to destroy the Earth any more God laid Man under the performance of no condition to Entitle him to this Promise yea though he lay under a Forfeiture of all good things promised in the first Covenant and a Desert of all Calamity and Destruction and neither able or willing to enter into Covenant with God by the performance of any Duties yet God tyes himself that for that this kind of Destruction should no more come upon the Earth there was also the Covenant concerning the continuance of Day and Night and that the Seasons of the Year should be opportune regular and constant Gen. 8.22 To both these Covenants is the Covenant of Grace compared in respect of its Absoluteness and Perpetuity Isa 54.9 Jer. 33.25 The Promulgation thereof under the Old and New Testament are thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Covenants of Promise 3. Such a Covenant as this is a Testament which takes place among the most Entitling Covenants in the World The Apostle doth more than once speak of the Covenant of Grace by the Nature of a Testament which is the immutable purpose of God and suspendible upon no condition but as it were his last Will of bestowing Eternal Life upon the Elect which being built upon the unchangeable Counsel of God and hath its Sanction in the Death of Christ the Testator it can't be subverted by any Infidelity of the Elect neither it's firmness depend upon any Faith of man seeing in the said Covenant God hath provided unchangeably no less for their Faith than Salvation Wits de foed p. 195. whereby a Legacy is freely Bequeathed Entitling the Legatee to the Estate Bequeathed without any Duties or Conditions previous to the said Title by Bequeathment but the Estate Bequeathed by Will and Testament becomes due upon the Death of the Testator according to his free Constitution hence the Exhibition of the Covenant of Grace in the Old and New Dispensations are called Testaments because of their Absoluteness under whatever Vails of Conditions they seemed to be cloathed and because it was confirmed and become due by Death Typically under the Mosaical Dispensation by the Death of the Sacrifices but really by the Death of the Testator accomplished in the Gospel-Days And this was it's Sanction and the proper Sanction of a Testament 4. This Covenant is said to be absolute free and unconditional in respect of us that are saved by it because there was no Capacity Ability or Will in Man since the Fall to perform any Covenant-Conditions or Duties to God as such but he lay utterly condemned and dead in Sin All Salvation must come to him of Free Gift even Life whereby he might perform any vital Act for all Action is from Life and no Action can be before Life but must proceed from it Man in Innocency acted from Life in Innocency and that he should act before or without Life is most absurd to think or that in a state of Spiritual Death he should act for Life The natural Man can do neither before he can do any thing for God the Absolute Promise must be performed of giving him Resurrection from the Dead the new Birth the new Nature the new Heart So that the Covenant of Grace is considered as totally free and absolute as to the Tenure of and Performance relating unto Man in his lost and fallen estate and condition all the good contained in it relating to us by way of Promise and bestowed upon us by way of Free Gift even Faith and all Holiness Grace and Glory 5. But taking the Covenant of Grace or Promise in the full extent of it Foedus gratiae respectu Sponsoris magìs foederis notionem habet significationem pactum mutuae fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectu nostri magis Testamenti rationem habet quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse Witsas p. 597. de Foedere it is a mixt Covenant a conditional and absolute a Covenant of express Compact between two stipulating Parties upon propounded Terms and a Covenant of Promise wherein God hath freely given us his Son and in him Life eternal It is therefore to be considered as it respects Christ and as it respects the Elect in him 6. As it respects Christ it carries the Nature of an express compleat Covenant of Works Sponsor Testamenti Christus vocatur Heb. 7.11 non eo precipuè nomine qui pro Deo promissis illius nobis spondet aut quia pro nobis spondet nos obedituros quemadmodum Moses Exod. 19.3.3 Quanto Christus major Mose tanto prestantiori modo sponsor fuit sponsio illius in eo consistet quod in sese recepit prestare conditionem illam citra quam salvâ Justitiâ Dei gratia promissiones ipsius ad nos non poterat pervenire quâ prestirâ omninò illae ad filios foederis perventurae erant Nisi ergo Christi sponsionem evacuare velimus Socinianis pessimis Scripturae perver soribus gratificari velimus necesse est foedus aliquod concipiamus cujus conditiones Châ—istus in se recepit spondendo apud parrem se eas pro nobis prestiturum quibus prestitis spondere nobis pro parre possit de gratiâ gloriâ infallibiliter nobis donandâ Herm. Witsus de Oeconomia Foed p. 104. and that in respect of the Party 's covenanting and the tenure of the said Covenant The Party 's covenanting was the Father and the Son God the Father proposing and God the Son accepting the Terms Here the Parties Contrahentes or Confederantes were equal Phil. 2. and had equal freedom of accepting or refusing the Terms hence the Agreement was Mutual and Reciprocal The Tenure of the Covenant was Express Conditions and Promises upon the performance of them by Reward in a way of Remunerative Justice Isa 53. The Conditions were of the highest Nature 1. To satisfie offended Justice on the behalf of the Elect looked upon as fallen by the Transgression of the Law Covenant in the first Adam and to be the end of the Law for all Righteousness both Active and Passive to all them that should believe 2. That the Condition performed by Christ should not only be Meritorious Virtute compacti as therefore Adam's should have been but that they should be adequately so they bearing an equality to and with the Eternal Life promised by reason of the Transcendent Excellency of the Person and the performances And herein he became and stands the Middle Person or Mediator betwixt God and Man and hence as he was the Covenanting Head and Representative of the Elect so he undertook to be and was the Foederal Condition in what he was and what he did and to him as such was all the Promises primarily made and in him performed all being Yea and Amen in him and hence he became the Fundamental Promise the Father giving us his Son and Eternal Life
Saved Do we not obtain all Salvation in Christ We are Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works but I find you 'll have nothing to be Salvation but Glorification and that must be Earn'd at our Fingers ends and we may lose all at last for all Christ if we do not look the better to it to perform sincere persevering Works till the last Breath the first Justification though by Works gives no Evidence for Heaven you 'll be sure to be far enough from the Errour as you call it of Faith Justifying Evidentially We say Christ is the Way John 14 6. and Holiness our business in that way Neonom Or whether Heaven is promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue Wicked and Disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates Antinom Observe what Doctrine here is 1. Here his Discourse is limited to the Elect. 2. He supposes the Elect may lose Heaven 3. That their Obedience and Perseverance are the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation you take him for any Salvation for that of the first Justification which he makes to be by Works and Perseverance the obtaining condition of his Second Justification But I pray what 's the Condition of Persevering Sanctification which is Salvation too 4. He doth not only suggest but express falling away from Grace for what is that when he suggests an Elect Person may fall away from Grace turn Apostate and lose Heaven 5. He suggests that the Elect Person before Faith must perform these Works before he can be saved by Justification but this Doctrine is nothing with him this Doctrine I deny from the bottom of my Heart notwithstanding his affirming of it Is this right stating of Truth and Errour Neonom The Question is Whether the good Works of a Believer are Rewardable of Grace for Christ's sake Antinom The Question hath been clearer stated to your purpose long ago between the Papists and we Whether Christ hath Merited that we may Merit Whether you 'll call your Doctrine the Doctrine of Merit or not We 'll call a Spade a Spade and Antichrist must not creep in amongst us again with his Serpentine Tricks to beguile us as the Devil did into Paradise to Rob us of our first Righteousness Neonom Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judâ—ment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient altogether wilfully neglectful of good Works shall be condemned this I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. The Gospel is no Law as it hath to do with the Unbelieving Wicked World 2. It is no Rule of Judgment that 's the Law only 3. The Gospel did never condemn any Elect Person to Eternal Death neither is any Elect Person as such under a contingency of Salvation whether he be holy or unholy though as Sinners unholy and wicked Persons they are for as such they may be saved and they may not but it 's not so with the Elect as such Neonom Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from Eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performances of several Duties as to the Improvement of Grace c. This you deny and I affirm Antinom We ask all outward Mercies for the sake of Christ with submission to his Will we reckon them not due to us because of our Duties performed and the Connexion of Blessing as you say and Duty is but the Connexing two Blessings in the Promise upon the same Condition for Duty is a Blessing to the Saints and part of that Salvation purchased by Christ and promised in the Covenant I divide not what God hath joined together and call Duty not a Condition and Outward or Spiritual Good Things the Salvation for I look upon the Service of God to be the great Thing we are Redeemed to the Salvation bestowed on us and not the Condition of it Neonom Whether upon the acting such Graces and upright performing such Duties a Christian may not in the vertue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This you deny and I affirm Antinom And you affirm and teach a low servile Spirit and too bold to set aside Christ out of the Promise and challenge any Mercy at the Hands of God upon the account of Duty I think the best of the Saints have always thought themselves less than the least of God's Mercies and all their Righteousness i. e. their sincere Obedience and Perseverance to be but filthy Rags but that 's false Doctrine with you as I suppose we shall hear of e're long Neonom Yet allowing that God may sometime exert his Sovereignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and he may exchange a Blessing of a lower Nature Antinom i. e. Rules of distributive Justice in rewarding him according to his Works and if God must do it he must fly to his Sovereignty for Permission to go beside this Rule and no more than in exchanging one good thing for another there 's no such Dispensation in the Covenant of Grace What if God should deny to give the Blessing workt for and give no Succedaneum Neonom Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm Antinom Let me ask you Do you mean in a way of Benevolence or Complacency in respect of his Person or his Services And do you mean He is pleased for the Duties sake or for Christ's sake Neonom Now I shall proceed to confirm the Truth and the Points are too many to admit Enlargement and many carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgone when they are denyed Can two or three wrested Texts over-turn the constant Language of the Scriptures Antinom You should have first stated the Question in clear Terms and let it have been but one and not reserve to your self your principal Intention and give us out 20 Whethers and Neithers delivered forth in a Heap of Amphibologies which having been sufficiently demonstrated to you it signifies little for the Discovery of Truth to joyn issue with you upon such rambling Discourses as you make and it 's easier to call Scriptures brought against you wrested Texts than to prove them so Neonom And it is strange that all Religion and Humane Nature it self in a state of Tryal should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceipt that the Infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule D. W. p. 128. Antinom Here is nothing but Huff and Bounce to talk at this rate of wrested Texts overturning the Language of Scripture and Humane Nature gross Concelâ—s of God c. Now let me tell you one of the wrested Texts which in it's plain Literal Sence must overthrow your whole Scheme of Distribution of Rewards
not seen thence it comes to pass that the present Afflictions are light and shall be succeeded with an Eternal weight of Glory it 's an instance of the abundant Grace redounding towards him for the inward and outward Man for things Temporal and Eternal Neonom Were doing for Life and an Eye to gain by service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the Blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answered them as he doth Mat. 19.28 29. Antinom This Arguing would well enough become a Papist but it is strange at this time a day from the Mouth of a Protestant but it 's easie to see the Devil is at work to betray us again into our Spiritual Egypt our Mouths hang too generally after the Leeks and Onions of their Corrupt Doctrine Now we must go to work upon the Terms of the Old Law for Life not Finalitèr as aimed at and travelled to as terminus ad quem taken for Glory but for Life as a Premium of our Works That this is intended by you clearly appears by the Application that you make of this place of Scripture as if it Justified the Doctrine of Merit The Disciples hearing our Saviours discourse concerning a Rich Man and how hard it is for him to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they were amazed and said Who then shall be saved Peter hence concludes then surely poor Men may better be saved we are poor enough and have lest all for thee what shall we have And there is no doubt but something as yet remained in them of that legal Spirit as prevailed in and among the Jews expecting or enquiring after some proportionable Reward to their Sufferings which Spirit was not fully removed from them till after the Resurrection of Christ and sending down of the Spirit when they came clearly to see the Grace of Christ in the Gospel but it was not Christ's time yet to remove all Clouds and Obscurities from the Doctrine of the Gospel he did it not in his own Ministry it was to be the Work of the Comforter the Spirit as peculiarly belonging to his Office after Christ's Ascension As yet they had not askt any thing in his Name neither did Christ in the platform of Prayer teach them so to do as yet they were strangers to the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ as yet they looked that the Kingdom of Christ would immediately be a Temporal and External Now the answer of our Saviour imports these things 1. That none shall lose any thing by following him though in parting with worldly advantages 2. That those Blessings that he bestows upon his true Followers are of another Nature than they expected they were of an Eternal Nature ver 29. and of a Spiritual Nature Mark 10.30 For their outward Enjoyments should be with Persecutions shewing how much the Cross and Reproach of Christ as in the Opinion of Moses is to be preferred before the greatest worldly Emoluments 3. He shews them though he abundantly Rewards his Followers yet they ought not to serve him as such that were led by that Principle to serve for Life and Glory as for Wages but they must do all for his own Name sake they must not act from a principle of intending advantage but for Christ's sake for the Love of his Person and for the sake of the Love that he hath shewed us 1 Cor. 3.20 21 22. The Lord knows how vain the Thoughts of his best People is apt to be as if they must by their Duties Earn something of God but there must be no glorying in Men and there 's no need of it for all things are yours already the Means of Grace the World Life Death things present and to come ye are Christ's and Christ God's Neonom Your Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falsehood should not poor Sinners pray as they can apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Should they not Believe and Repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and Escaping of Wrath Why else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms D. W. p. 157. Antinom You go upon many Mistakes 1. You talk absurdly of God's Decree overthrowing his Government as if the Decree succeeded God's Government of the Creature that which overthrows a thing comes after the thing overthrown so God's Decree in its proper Nature as a Constituting Immanent Act must succeed his Government 2. Why should not God's Acting in a way of Free Grace be consistent with his most right and just way of proceeding in Government seeing the whole Gospel Revelation asserts that it is so and that therein lyes a great part of the Gospel Mystery which Natural Men and Carnal Reason will not receive 3. Is it any way absurd to say it's vain to propose our own gain by Labour and Duties when the Spirit of God hath expunged the Efficacy of Works as to procurement out of the Covenant of Grace Works are our Price and Money God saith We are to buy without Price and Money Isa 55.1 2. And saith Why do you spend Money for that which is not Bread i. e. Spend your Duties and Labours and get nothing by them Because you make Money of them and reckon you make advantage of them and pay a valuable consideration for the good expected and will not receive it as of Free Gift you will have all for the Money of your Duties and hence you labour and have not that which satisfieth you ask and labour for things to spend upon your own Lusts as the proud Pharisee did 4. You mistake in judging the Offers of the Gospel is in a way of Government it 's in order to Christ's gracious Rule and Government under which Unregenerate Sinners are not till through Grace they are translated into the Kingdom of Christ 5. You wickedly suggest that unless God intend that poor Sinners in their Unregenerate Estate should do some Duties whereby they might gain Life and Salvation God is chargeable with Weakness and Falshood this I take to be an ill Inference all the Offers of Grace must be upon Condition of Works or else God is chargable with Weakness and Falshood 6. You grosly mistake my Discourse or willingly pervert my Sence and Meaning I do not say but poor Sinners at their first believing are very apt to lay too great a stress upon their Duties as if thereby they obtained a Title to Life and Salvation or mâ—de a considerable addition to what Christ hath done and procured for them this legal Spirit I endeavour to take them off from that they should serve God more under the Conduct of the Grace of Adoption Rom. 8.14 15. And therefore say Except you fall to the performance of Duty without such Conceits