page 48 in his differencing of gratia gratis data and gratia gratum faciens you will find him as excellent a Schoolman or schoolboy rather Page 2. he saith that in Religion the Law is our marke or way from which if we swerve we sin But is not the Gospel our way therein also and that in a speciall manner of our Christian Faith and Religion That defect is the general nature of sin but is not excess which is the other extreme sinfull also That this defect is an inclination or action repugnant to the Law But what thinks he of evill words as false accusation lying cursing and swearing such as he frequently useth are not they sinfull also That there is in sin a double formality repugnancy to the Law and guilt But guilt is the effect and not the form of sin That the former of these two is a comparison with the Law but it is a disparison or dissimilitude therewith that the first fin of man was the disobedience of our first Parents in eating the forbidden fruit But if he understands it of their actuall eating of that fruit he is much mistaken for as the womans actual eating thereof did go before the mans so many gradual evils did precede them both as first diffidence incredulitie to Gods word who had expresly said in the day that thou shalt eat thereof dying thou shalt dye Secondly too much eare and credence given to the devils lying promise who said ye shall not die but be as gods knowing good and evill Thirdly the too much liking and approbation of the forbidden fruit Fourthly the hungring or thirsting after it Fifthly contempt of Gods justice Sixthly ingratitude towards him for all his former goodnesse And lastly their consenting to Satan and resolution to eat of that fruit That in the generall all our corruption and misery is sprung from that first sin of the first Adam Contrary to what the Lord saith Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe But here he saith more particularly that eternall death came upon all their posterity by that first sin Contrary to Gods express Law Deut. 24.16 where God will not have the son to suffer a temporall death and much lesse an eternal for the fathers sin and directly contrary to Gods oath Ezek. 18.3 4. As I live saith the Lord God ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall die So ver 20. The son shall not be are the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him Num. 16.22 Shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the Congregation That the corruption aversnesse of our nature came from that fall aforesaid Pag 3. that all our actuall sins doe spring from thence See to the contrary Eccles 7.29 That the first sin of man is the cause of all other sins and punishments which is true of each mans personal fall and disobedience and not of the other That the Spirit by the Law entitles us to Adams sin He means the first Adams as a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountain to the cistern and as the children of traitors have their blood tainted with the treason of their fathers and as the children of bondslaves are under their parents conditions But all these similitudes are but shaws to catch woodcocks for neither was the first Adam either the root or fountain of our soules which are Gods immediate workmanship Isai 57.16 for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made nor are our bodies unclean by birth being created to be Temples for the Holy Ghost nor are traytors children usually tainted with their fathers treason though by the civil Law of some Countreys in proditionis terrorem they are ignobled in their blood and dignity nor was Adam himselfe a bond-slave to sin but by the grace of regeneration Gods free-man Rom. 6.18 before he begat any children nor doth the sinful corruption of our parents pass to us more then the graces and virtues of those that are or were righteous for both these are spiritual things which nature cannot convey but he seeks to prove what he saith by some Scriptures long since worn thred-bare by allegation to that effect Joh. 3.5 Rom. 5.12 20 21. 1 Cor. 15.47 48 49. Ephes 2.3 Iob 4.4 Psal 51.5 Isai 48.8 Gen. 8.21 To all which we will give answer in the order set down with what brevity we can having answered the same at large in our Examen As for that Ioh. 3.5 Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh it is true of the wisedome of the flesh and of the righteousnesse of the flesh as well as of the open sin but Christ speaks not here of the naturall birth of men but of a spiritual be it true or false As for Rom. 5.12 13 20. the Apostle speaks there thus Therefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death went over all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so far as all have sinned for so Chrysostome and Erasmus and others read those words for untill the Law sin was in the world but where there is no Law sin is not imputed or reputed for sin Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that is to come But not as the offence so is the free gift for the judgment was of one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of Righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to the justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Unto which long Text we give this short answer First that it is a parallel and opposition betwixt Adams mischief and Christs remedy and cure but few in these days of supposed rather then true light understand either the one or the other aright for besides the first Adam or man whom the Vindicator with many more for want of a true Judicator here understands there are foure Adams mentioned both in the Scriptures and other writers The first is our natural or earthly man which is the creature of this world of whom our Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15 41. The first man is of the earth earthly The second is
receive those two gifts of justification and regeneration by the death of Christ for though remission of sins is purchased thereby for the true beleevers yet that is neither regeneration nor justification in the Apostles sense nor is justification purchased thereby for he that made us had power to regenerate without any such purchase That therefore it follows that out of the first Adam to wit our first parent there issued a double evil unto and upon us to wit guilt and corruption we deny as false and inconsequent That in this derivative the sin which he speaks of is an universal corruption is false likewise in which are two great evils as he saith Sed sublato sub ecto tollitur ad unctum Pag. 5. That in it first there is a general defect of all righteousnesse in which we were at first created to wit in our first patents First it is manifestly false as also that any such defect is derived unto us who are still created righteous and holy and after the image of God as these ensuing Texts doe clearely prove besides many more that might be added Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God created he man to wit him that is so killed or else the argument is of no force Jam. 3.9 Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God and therewith curse we man who is created after the similitude of God Ecclesiast 7.29 Lo this have I found that God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions Jer. 2.21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me That this pretended derivative sin to be so conveyed from the first Adam to us is an inherent deordination evil disposition disease propension to all mischief and antipathy and aversation to all good which the Scripture calls the flesh the wisdome of the flesh the body of sin earthly members the works of the Devil the Hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire Jam. 3.5 6. Rom. 8.6 7. Jam. 3.15 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 3.8 Unto which I say that although all those names are justly given to the body of sin especially when it is fully formed in men with all his members yet first there is no such thing found in children of whom our Saviour saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such and that unlesse we be born again after our fall and corruption and become like them in humility righteousnesse love and meeknesse we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Matth. 18.3 Mar. 10.14 15. Doth not Paul also give us this charge 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be ye not children in understanding howbeit in malice or naughtiness be children where he implyeth that children have no malice or naughtinesse in them and if sin be the workmanship of the Devil as he out of 1 John 3.8 confesseth I would demand whether the Devil had an hand in the creation of children which he must if this sin be his workmanship But that which follows there that no man can be more sensible of the through-malignity of this derivative corruption then Paul was when he cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Is first the old mistake and afterwards backed with this errour and peice of nonsense untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualness penetration and compass of the holy Law which measures the very bottome of every action for Paul could not be so sensible of his sins malignity till his understanding was so opened nor till he had been scourged also for it by the work of the Law as all men are whom God brings to be and maketh his sons Psal 94.12 Heb. 12. That the Law condemns as well the original as the Acts of sin is true of prohibition but not of condemnation for each sinful motion is by the Law discovered and prohibited but we are not condemned for the same till we approve or like of the temptation in some measure Those ensuing positions are also false First that Paul Rom. 5.14 understands by Adam and Moses our first parent and him that was the Lawgiver but two distinct estates in men as was said before which may appear out of the foregoing verse compared with this For untill the Law sin was in the world that is before the inward Moses Lawgiver or reprover cometh unto men but where there is no Law sin is not reputed for sin for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred Secondly because he saith that death reigned from Adum which is the natural man in his first defection till Moses or one that draweth out of the water of sin That the men who sinned between the first Adam's age and the time of Moses did not sin after the similitude of Adams transgression against the clear revelation of Gods holy will as Adam did Yet they did for the same God that did forbid the eating of the forbidden fruit doth ever since prohibit and forbid every sin in every mans soul that is against the moral Law Rom. 2.15 Which shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Was not Enoch a Prophet in his time see Jude 1.14 and was not Noah the eight preacher of righteousness as the Apostle calls him 2 Pet. 2.5 were not the men of the old World destroyed for their known wickedness and shut into the infernal prison for their apparent disobedience 1 Pet. 3.19 20. so that the Vindicators misapprehension of this place of mens sinning for want of such light as Adam had is full of darkness As for those over whom death reigned from Adam to Moses and who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression we say that as Adam and Moses are two inward states so may these be inward spiritual messengers of God represented by Abel and others as well as the inward Adam and Moses of which he speaks for such a generation of righteous ones which never sinned we find slain by the wicked and incorrigible generation of men Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah the son of Barachiah for though men usually in reading this and other Scriptures look no further then the letter yet I demand of them how in justice could all the righteous blood shed from the beginning come upon that wicked and unbeleeving generation of the Jews if they had not inwardly slain a spiritual Abel and other messengers of God even to a spiritual Zachariah that is the Lord remembrancer the son of Barachiah that is of the Lords benediction as all his inward messengers are yea it is true which Abraham answered to
but not of the old leaven of corruption which must be purged out 1 Cor. 5.7 And therefore that saying of Augustine though it pleaseth his tooth well for which he commendeth it is false that sin and concupiscence is taken away by baptisme non ut non sit sed ut non obsit not that it should cease to be but that it should not hurt us nor hinder our attainment of everlasting happinesse For as long as sin remaineth in us bringing forth the works of the flesh spoken of Gal. 5.20 21. it will barr us from entring into Gods kingdom See there and 1 Cor. 6.9 10. yea for such doth the wrath of God fall upon the children of disobedience Ephe. 5.6 Col. 3.5 6. Here he brings in the saying of Anselme also to second Augustine Not that our in-bred corruption should of a sudden be consumed in our flesh who said that it could be so consumed that liveth but that it should not be imputed when we are dead To which we say that if we be dead unto it in conformity with Christ it shal not be imputed unto us but if we live and die in it it shal be charged upon us Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die In the next place instead of citing the second place of Scripture which he fathers upon our quotation he heaps up three some wherof have small affinity with each other Rom. 6.2 How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 7.14 Wherefore my brethren ye are become dead to the Law Rom. 8.9 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sin and death 2 Cor. 5.17 Unto which last place he rather alludes then expresly refers us saying that a regenerate man is renewed in all things throughout in every part and power both of body and soul and therefore the regenerate are quite freed from all corruption of sin and indued with all perfection of grace But in these allegations he abuseth us for first we have not alledged any of them heretofore to maintain our positions Secondly that of Rom. 7.4 speaks of a freedome or deadnesse to the Law in its compulsive work and not of being dead to sin and though we might and shall conclude from Rom. 6.2 and 8.2 and 2 Cor. 5.15 17. that the regenerate may and ought to be so dead to sin freed from the law of sin and death and so renewed yet we doe not say that they all are so perfected or can be so on the sudden but in due time they may and shall be so even in this life if they quit themselves aright Howbeit page 43. he comes to answer these and the like places which speak of a totall death unto sin and a renewing of Gods image with his old distinction that it may be done inchoatively which is effected in the least infant or babe in Christ I speak of regenerate ones but not pefectively or fully Surely he is wont to cure his patients but inchoativè at the most or else if he do it perfectivè he will in his way put down Christ according to his doctrine But saith he the Spirit of God by these forms or phrases would teach us two special things what be those First that sin is now like a serpent crushed in the head Gen. 3.15 which saith he can never recover his former strength nor any ways hurt the regenerate man but only to bruise his heel that is by the wrigling of her tail to bring some temporary affliction upon him But when was sin so crushed by baptisme was it so crushed in Simon Magus but Paul tels the Romans that Satan the worker in and with them was yet to be bruised for the present Rom. 16.20 and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly and was afraid that he might through his subtilty deceive and seduce the Corinthians from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 Secondly that it should be the main scope of the Saints to strive continually to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to doe their best endeavours to be clean rid of them and to perfect holiness in the fear of God and this saith he is plainly intimated unto us in all the exhortations of the Scriptures as where it is said Abstain from fleshly lusts and mortifie the deeds of the body and the like But first those places or some of them as Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 5.16 17. doe shew us that the work was done already and both those and others incite as to set upon the work vigorously and under hope to effect it with hope which he denies And thirdly we are by those exhortations which are indeed express commands from the Lord whatsoever he or Augustine saith to the contrary enjoyned to labour after such a riddance from sin and perfection in holinesse not by our own endeavours alone but by invocating the help of Christ or else we shall effect little in in the businesse which makes many unfruitful And in conclusion he adds very impertinently though pertinaciously enough If there were no lusts nor deeds of the flesh in us yes there are too many till they be subdued to what end are we bid to mortifie them To which we will superad this that if they cannot be killed and slain why are we commanded to mortifie or kill them as we are often enjoyned to doe Then he comes to a third Scripture of ours as he cals it which he saith he had quoted before to wit that in the second place but we reserve it for this where he takes upon him to answer it after his wonted manner the place is 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin because his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Unto which he answers two ways first more largely and then more briefly but neither way to the purpose for he understands not of what sort of regenerate men Saint John speaks not of babes or young men but of such old men in Christ as with himselfe and his fellow-Apostles had the love of God perfected in them 1 Joh. 4.17 18. But let us hear what those his answers are First he saith that they to wit the regenerate do not sin unto death for they doe not wholly forsake God howbeit they may sin against their consciences and such saith Paul condemn themselves Rom. 14.20 21. but they retain some beginnings he should say seeds of true godlinesse by which as by spatks they are stirred again to repentance But here first he seems to contradict what he had said pag. 24. by the first account that the Holy Ghost withdraws as he is grieved driven away and quenched by such sins Ephe. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 then men are blind and wander as some such regenerate ones may wholly forsake God as we shewed out of 1 Tim. 5.11 12. Heb. 10.28 29 30. 2 Pet. 2.11 Secondly he
that such as are in Christ who are truly incorporated first into his death and then into the similitude of his resurrection that they have no sin in them for they walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that Paul rejoyceth here that sin was not able to condemn him though it was in him as he had confessed in the former chapter that the evil that he would not that he did and that he saw a Law in the members rebelling against the Law of his mind But this sin will condemn any man where it remaineth as the Apostle saith Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sin is death and that of corruption Ephes 4.22 that ye put off the old man which is corrupting or destroying with its deceitful lusts for so the best Translators read the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being the Apostles argument why he would have the old man put off But he saith that here he expects Cajetan's or Aquinas his false exposition and he shall have it to do him a pleasure out of his own book pag. 23. by the former account Cajetan one of their own fraternity saith damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Yet the worst of these two Epositors here are and will be of better repute even among the Protestants then the Vindicators glosses ever were or will be He saith further that here he expects that of Mr. Parkers that the Apostle spake this when he was a babe in grace But this is another of Mr. Tendring's lies for he saith onely the contrary and proveth it out of Rom. 8.2 1 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 4.13 that Paul was not now in that weak and corrupt estate complained of Rom. 7.14 24. and that therefore he speaks it not of his own condition though figuratively in his own person but in the behalfe of such as were babes in Christ Pag. 26. by the former account he citing Pauls words 1 Tim. 1.15 that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am cheif bids us mark it that Paul speaks it not in the preterperfect tense of whom I have been chief but in the present tense of whom I am cheif as if Paul at that time were the chief of sinners But did ever any man besides himself that was not besides himself think or say so Is there not such a figure in the Scripture as Enallage temporum the putting of one tense for another Doth not Paul 1 Cor. 15.8 9 10. Ephos 2.4 5 6. Titus 3.3 4 5 6 7. and even at the 13 vers before set forth his corrupt estate of unbelief as a condition that was past But he goes on out of Paul his 2 Epist to I know not whom or what Church for none is named chap. 1. from vers 6. to the 13. to prove that Paul was not now a babe or child in Christ but rather an old man as he cals himself Paul the aged in his Epistle to Philemon Truly as old as the Vindicator would make himself he shews himself very young and childish in that his reasoning for we know none that affirms the thing that he goeth about to disprove but he loves to fight with his own shadow In conclusion he saith that these Jesuitical cavils which yet are his own are too well known and never did nor shall prevail against Gods truth Then he goeth on from Rom. 8.1 to the second verse upon which he makes as learned observations as he did formerly upon the first verse for whereas the Apostle saith that the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death Here saith he we may observe that the Apostle saith not that we are fully freed from sin in this life but from the Law of sin But first it is evident that Paul saith that he was made free from that Law of sin of which he had so much complained chap. 7.21 22 23. Secondly that he cals it a Law of death as he doth chap. 7.24 a body of death because it hath death and condemnation appendant to it and involved in it And thirdly that he was now actually even in this life and for the present freed therefrom And lastly that it was not the death of Christ that had thus freed him to wit from guilt leaving the pollution behind as this Champion of corruption speaks hereafter but it was the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that had now freed him both from that Law of sin and of death its concomitant so that he cannot possibly speak of his present condition in chap. 7. from ver 14. to the 24. And whereas he adds in the close of that page that Christian experience shews that no sort of men are more troubled with temptations then they whom God hath begun to deliver from the Law of sin Though this be true yet what is this to his purpose or the proposition which he would now maintain for we speak not what befals regenerate men at their first conversion but of that which they do or may attain by grace in the end Nor do all temptations arise from corruption they may proceed immediately from Satan and assault such as have no sin or corruption left in them as they did our first parents in innocency and Christ himself as he was man Heb. 4.15 Pag. 19. by the latter account he rols the old stone with Sysiphus saying that our deliverance from sin is but begun not perfected here but that God is faithful by whom we are called Then they are unfaithful that seek not to have the work finished Phil. 1.6 And there he breaks out into a great rapture saying blessed be the Lord that whereas before we were captives to sin now the case of the battel is altered Why what battel did we fight against sin before grace did convert us unto God That sin is become our captive through Christ Was it so with them in whose behalf Paul complaineth but I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin that is in my members we trow not sin was here too often the superiour That it remaineth in us not as a commander but as a captive of the Lord Jesus But doth it not till it be subdued often circumvent us and prevail against us and if so then that of Peter is true 2 Pet. 21.19 Of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage at leastwise for a time He saith further that the bolts of sin are yet upon our hands and are left to admonish us of our former miserable condition What are we under bolts and Irons and yet no prisoners or captives But Christ is sent to preach deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to wit against his enemies Esay 61.1 2
good and bad indifferently Christ onely excepted It is well he will except Christ himself here for he did not in his positions But he might have excepted all who were Christs truly unto the end Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Zephan 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth See Rev. 14.5 6. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God Therefore all his affirmations that follow in that page are false at leastwise in his sense and notion as That all mens hearts are alike by nature True they are alike moulded at the first but not corrupt as he would have it That corruption is not from the instrument but from the Author Then God must be the Author of our corruption by his doctrine That men beget children as they are men not as they are regenerate and holy men Yet the Apostle giveth the Saints some priviledge above others saying 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children unclean but now they are holy That nature with its corruption is derived but not grace for that is supernatural And is not corruption a preternatural and an adventitious thing also That grace makes no such change in this life but the hearts of the best are in some sort deceitful Which he presently contradicteth saying though he gave Nathaniel that praise that there was no guile in his heart Yea David saith he doth the like to any justified man Psa 32.1 2. howbeit saith he this is onely true of the spirit or regenerate part and not of the flesh of the old man who by reason of his age is often too hard for the young man where he contradicts himself in what he had said before that sin is our captive and doth not reign at any time but onely remaineth in the regenerate That it hath its deaths blow pag. 21. by the former account so that the best Expositors he meaneth for his tooth and palate read this Text thus the whole heart of the wicked is deceitful with a full strong and reigning deceitfulness and but part of the heart of the godly namely the unregenerate part but in a weaker measure as being discerned and stroven against That the heart of the wicked shews it self such in the whole course of their lives And yet by and by he contradicts himselfe saying that nevertheless the heart of the wicked may be upright in some particular actions as Abimelech was in taking of Sarah Gen. 20.6 That the heart of the godly is only deceitfull in some particular actions as David was upright in all things save in the matter of Uriah But I demand whether David might not have avoided even those sirs of bloodshed and murther by watchfulnesse and prayer as well as other Saints should have done if so he might have overcome all sinne and no doubt he did so in the end He saith further that every regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit True he is so at the first but not always Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death saith Paul where was then the flesh That hereupon ariseth the war in their hearts like the strugling in Rebecca's womb But did that strugling last all her life long That the regenerate here are but like the dawning of the day wherein darknesse and light are mixed But Solomon saith Pro. 4.18 The path of the just is like the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day That the regenerate may be like a cup of wine mingled with water True both at the beginning of their new birth and for a good space after yea all their life long through their own default which vessel or cup saith he is not halfe water and halfe wine but wholly wine and wholly water Doth the man understand what he saith By this saying of his and his similitude the regenerate should be wholly renewed and wholly corrupt which he contradicts with another comparison saying even as a vessel filled with equall proportions of hot and cold water it would make a dog spue to heare him it is not halfe cold and halfe hot it is both but wholly lukewarm that is partly hot and partly cold in all the parts of it If this be not a clear contradiction or an absolute piece of nonsense I know not what is such And whereas he saith that a regenerate man is partly holy and partly unholy in all the parts and powers of the body and soul what is he so in the regenerate part also of which he spake erewhile yet the denomination of a regenerate man is always given him in Scripture à parte praestantiore But he is mistaken where it hath not the upper hand it is otherwise 1 Cor. 11.3 13. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as spiritual men but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ I sed you with milk and not with strong meat for ye were not able to beare it nor yet are ye able for ye are yet carnal for whereas there are among you envying strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men He saith that the Lord who made the heart Pag. 22 by the new account pronounceth us all guilty of sin Gen. 6.5 Doth he so to us did we live in that age But yet it is true of every fallen man in the generall but that guilt doth not always lye upon the Saints for new sins and there he heaps many Texts of Scripture which speak of the state of the unregenerate to prove that the regenerate are here always sinful as Iob 5.2 Psalm 14.2 3 4 5. Isai 54.2 and 64.6 Rom. 3.3 19. Gal. 2.16 yea though the godly have many failings in their babeship and some in their growing up in which regard they cannot justifie themselves but must take guilt and shame to themselves as Iob doth chap. 8.29 30. and David Psalm 130.3 and 43.2 and Solomon testifieth of all men till they be throughly purged 1 Kings 8.46 That there is no man that sinneth not or may not sin yet none of those places lays upon us a necessity of continuing in sin all our days nor makes sin impossible to be subdued here by the grace and helpe of Christ which is the point that he should prove But he bids us mark what is written 2 Cor. 5.21 that Christ was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Which we admit but not in his sense saying that the Apostle doth not say actively that we should make or work out our own righteousnesse but positively he should have said passively that we should be made the righteousnesse of God and that not by our selves lest we should glory in our own
measure of knowledge is to had if sought for that men shall not need to say know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Jer. 31.32 33. and that the knowledge of the Lord shall abound like as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 His second reason is that if grace were consummate in this life there should be no difference between the state of grace and of glory Yea grace may here be consummate in his degree and that in a very high one and yet fall short of that transcendent measure which shall be attained in the life to come What saith Paul Phil. 1.21 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain His third reason is petitio principii all the Saints on earth have sin remaining in them and they that deny it are liars and have no truth in them Yet we do deny that all Saints must while they are upon earth have sin remaining in them and have a greater Divine then Mr. John Tendring to warrant us even the holy Apostle John upon whose testimony which he understands not he ignorantly and confidently relieth See 1 Joh. 4.17 5.4 5. Rev. 7.14 15 17. 14.3 4 5. before often cited Yet we are not such liars as he is notoriously known to be and we hope have more truth in us then he and his book set forth But he adds that all the Fathers against the Novatians and Donatists understand this place Which if it were true as it is not the Novatians may convince them to be Novices not Fathers and the Donatists evict them to be Dotists or Dotards for the Scriptures shew clearly that we must or ought to be such before and for the obtaining of the kingdome of glory 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 10.11 That ye may be pure and without offence in the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 And I pray God that your spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless untill the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless But he saith it is the Church triumphant and not the Church militant that must be found without spot or wrinkle Yet the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. and much more the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. do appear to be such here because Christ himself who searcheth the hearts and reines Rev. 2.23 and who finds fault with five of the aforesaid Churches of Asia and upon occasion rebukes them sharply finds not the least fault with these but commends them highly and that may also be in some sense a triumphant Church who hath upon earth gotten victory over all her enemies and in that behalf triumpheth with Paul Rom. 8.33 39. In the seventh place he brings 2 Tim. 4.7 to be answered by himself where Paul saith I have fought a good fight and finished my course which he fortifieth against himself as if it were not of sufficient strength by it self for him to oppose which Text the Vindicator will not observe nor the other place 1 Cor. 9.27 where Paul saith but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away To both which he answers page 46 as he was wont to do without truth or judgment First that Paul fought a good fight being now ready to be offered up but that conflict was yet to come saith he not so as to obtain exact perfection of grace and to be without all inherent sin of which he complaineth Rom. 7. Yes he was even at that time of his complaint freed from the Law of sin and death as we have often shewed out of Rom. 8.2 and that long before he was to be so offered up He tels us also but we know not to what purpose that Peter was led where he would not But surely it was not into sin John 21.18 Thirdly he saith Paul kept the faith and he who said unto him my grace is sufficient for thee and my power is perfected in weakness enabled him to overcome though he had corruptions remaining in him and the buffetings of Satan But doth the man understand what he saith It is the office of faith to purifie the heart from sin Acts 15.9.1 John 3.2 3. which faith Paul did not onely keep and retain but fought the good fight of faith till the battel was ended and so finished his race and course in that kind in dying to sin yet he justly expected that promised reward of which he speakes Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. As to the second Text 1 Cor. 9.27 he saith that Paul kept down his body by fasting and prayer to bring it into subjection But was this the body of flesh and blood or the inordinate desires of the sinful flesh He tels us also that Augustine did use fasting prayers and tears to the same end But he did it not in the faith of Christs assistance and the hope of final victory of which it seems he despaired here and James shews that if we would obtain Jam. 1.6 we must him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like the waves of the sea c. In the eighth place he brings a second Scripture of which Doctor Drayton had made use in his sermon and these two are all that he can call his it is taken out of Ephes 4. from verse 10 to 15. And he gave some to be Apostles some prophets some Evangelists some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the work of the ministry and for the edifying the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfest man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Unto this he answereth after the old mode ignorantly and intricately First that the ministry of the word is given not onely to convert men from sin but to perfect men in holiness Then it must either effect that for which God hath designed it or else the Lord was mistaken in chusing and using too weak instruments But he adds yet so as the same Paul speaks Acts 20.32 Which is able to build you up that is to edifie and build the Saints more and more Where first he understands not that word of Gods grace which Paul speaks of there for it is the essential word which is almighty not onely able to build us up to perfection but afterwards to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly he contradicts himself because this is able to build us up to the uttermost in the way of sanctification that we may be fittted for that inheritance Thirdly that fitting must also go before in this life therefore the two things
therefore all these are vain words and lying promises wherewith he would comfort himselfe and others without any ground of truth Text of Scripture But he saith pa. 51. that the Law should be fulfilled in this life is denyed by some of our own fraternity sin is condemned saith Cajetan but not extinguished But if he abuse him not let him henceforth own him for one of his fraternity as he may Bellarmine about original sin many more Papists both of the Jansenians Anti Jansenians in other points which he holds forth with Romea good creatures as he cals them yet we wil not so impudently say that he hath wages from the Pope unlesse we knew it But here he fals upon the second proposition or member of his second position telling us that the Apostle saith positively that no man shall be justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.26 and yet the same Apostle saith Rom. 2.13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified and St. James backs him saying chap. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Law and not hearers onely deceiving your own souls for none else shall be found righteous before God as we have proved before And therefore he and we had need to have recourse to Christ for grace to fulfill it in us Rom. 8.7 for which purpose that Text which he next alledgeth but in a false sense and to a deceitful purpose must be both a direction and support unto us in this case Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to all that believe nor doth that of Galat. 2.21 dissent therefrom or any way thwart the same we do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness be by the Law and our own weak and humane obedience performed thereunto without the assisting and renewing grace of Christ then Christ died in vain both as to meriting the pardon of our guilt as also to example and motive also but we say there is no way for the fallen and corrupt man to enter into life but through conformity to Christs death in the burial of all known iniquity which yet the Vindicator holds to be for attainment impossible Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3. and yet it remains inviolate which he cites out of Gal. 3.11 That no man is justified by the Law or our own unregenerate works before God but the just shall live by faith to wit first the life of grace and then the life of glory also that 18 verse stands intire If the inheritance by the Law and our own obedience thereunto without the assistance of grace it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise But it is false which the Vindicator subjoyns It is faith that answers the promise to wit by closing with it and deriving from Christ by way of regeneration the things promised but obedience saith he holds no proportion with it Yes the obedience of faith must do it or else actum est de animabus in some measure Matth. 7.21 Rev. 22.14 18 19. But here he first cites Rom. 8.3 But that which was impossible to the Law insomuch as it was made weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh and afterwards he gives his connexion and false gloss upon the Text saying the Apostle having in the first verse set down a proposition of comfort to those that are in Christ he confirmed it in the second where also he shews us in his own person who they are to whom there is no condemnation in Christ namely to such whom the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed from the Law of sin and death and no other are absolutely and actually freed from that condemnation but they though others that are still in the work have a conditional promise of that freedome Vers 13. but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live But the Vindicator saith that the Apostle here shews us how Christ hath freed us from the condemning power of sin How is that not by his death alone as he would have it but by the Law of the Spirit of life in the first place subduing unto those that are dying with him the Law of sin and death But how is that done saith the Vindicator that is saith he Christ taking upon him our nature and therewith the burthen of our sins hath condemned sin in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemn This is false as he understands it for sin hath a condemning power so long as it remaines unmortified in us as the Apostle witnesses Rom. 6.23 and 7.24 and chap. 8.13 as we proved before Christ hath purchased the pardon of sin by his death and hath it in his own hand to dispose of but bestows it upon none save so farre as sin is bewailed and left There is then another body of Christ which must take away the condemning power of sin and that is the body and flesh of his like sufferance and grace and that in order to that purchased pardon of which the bread broken in the supper of the Lord is a type as well as of the flesh of Christs word Jer. 15.16 And this benefit saith the Vindicator doth the Apostle amplifie shewing that by no other means we could obtain it Yet we have shewed you but even now another means which must go before the pardon of sin for as saith he there is but one way without Christ for men to come to life namely the observance of the Law which way is still retained also in Christ Matth. 19.17 Rev. 22.14 he lets us see saith the Vindicator that it was impossible for the Law to wit now that we are fallen to save us and this impossibility proceeds not from any impotency in the Law but from our selves as the Vindicator truly sets it forth and that in a three-fold respect for first it craves of us that which we cannot perform even an absolute obedience unto all the commandements and that under pain of death But whereas the Vindicator saith page 53. that that obedience may most justly now be required of us because that by creation he means in our first parents we received an holy nature and ability from God to keep this Law This is a false ground as we have proved before yet here in words he expresly contradicts his former doctrine saying that by reason of the depravation of our nature drawn on by our selves which is as much as we affirm in that kind it is impossible that we of our selves can keep or perform the Law Secondly because the Law could not give us that whereof we stood in need to wit a full discharge for our infinite debt of guilt contracted by transgression for saith he it promiseth no pardon but binds us fast to the
promised to the keepers of the Law then the promise had been vain So it had without grace in Christ Secondly if righteousnesse were by the Law then Christ had dyed in vain because it were superfluous for him to dye for us if we could attain it by the works of the Law and therefore it is apparent that by the works of the Law no flesh living can be justified Thirdly for hypocriticall Gospellers such as seem Saints in ostentation that they may play the divell without suspicion as John Tendring did till he went away who say they have faith but shew forth no works which are not vailed with hypocrisie and which are not done or intended to wrong ends for such saith he let Isaiah tell you how acceptable their works be to God and whether they be like to justifie them Isai 1.16 17. For the Lord complaineth that he is weary of them and that his soul hateth them and bids them bring no more such sacrifices to him But we demand of him whether those men were Gospellers or pretended Professors whether the works which the Lord there forbids were Ceremonial or Morals For he forbids not the works of the Moral Law Fourthly he saith that for true Christians that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God if any works could justifie it must needs be their works which are wrought in and through them by the spirit of God and yet we say quoth he that the best works of the best regenerate men cannot justifie them before God And thus we prove it how doth he that First because all the graces that we receive in this life are given to us but in part page 55. sure they are wholly and freely given as we shewed in the proof of the other positions and so they are imperfect grace But see how he contradicts himself and lyes against the Holy Ghost in his next words which are these not that the Spirit of Gods works imperfectly but that he means not to inrich us with any grace here while we are conversant with sinful men in this vale of misery but only so far forth as he seeth it fit to bring us unto the kingdome of perfection where that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 But what if Paul looked for that here saying when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part or but a piece-work shall be abolished and swallowed up verse 11. yea what if Paul all that time enjoyed that which is so perfect for he saith verse the 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things And if so then the Vindicators conclusion will stand against us like the walls of Jericho which fell flat to the ground which follows in these words And therefore our inherent justice being but as our knowledg is imperfect and therefore it is impossible that it should perfectly justifie us before God But we have overthrown that supposition of his before Secondly he saith that though our good works are perfect in respect of the Spirit of God which effecteth them yet they are tainted when they pass through us who are so subject to sin as waters running through a dirty channel and therefore cannot justifie us before God in whose presence every polluted thing stands condemned whence the Prophet saith Is 64.6 All our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth But neither are all Saints subject to sin all their life long nor can that which proceeds from Gods Spirit be tainted by us nor is that the righteousness of Saints but of sinners and unregenerate men which is so menstruous as is said before Howbeit he brings in Gregorie's saying Moral lib. 21. cap. 15. and lib. 3. cap. 7. All mans righteousness should be unrighteousness if God should strictly judge it and then Augustine's saying Wo to the most laudable and best life of men Unto which we first oppose these sayings of the Apostle 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him chap. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous chap. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment and then those of the Psalmist Psal 11.2 3 4 5 6. and 119.1 2. and 128.1 2. unto which we could adde many more Howbeit he goeth on in the same lying strain saying if God laying aside his mercy should discusse our lives or righteousness in the strictness of his justice it would be so for God is a God of purer eyes who charged his angels with folly Indeed Eliphaz one of Jobs back-friends and of John Tendring's gain-saying spirit saith so but falsly Job 4.17 18. for the Lord never charged any but the fallen Angels with folly so But he tels us further if you will believe him that the best of men when he lives on earth is both a Saint and sinner a Saint by reason of grace wrought in him and a sinner by his own natural corruption which in some measure tainteth every grace of God and therefore the best of these who being compared with their fellows might seem just indeed yet looking to the strictness of Gods justice they disclaimed all their own righteousness What that of grace and regeneration also But who are those Saints St. Eliphaz a lying and contentious zelot with whom God is highly displeased Job 42.7 But he brings in Job himself saying chap. 9.2 3. But how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him to one of a thousand and David Psal 130. and 143. 2. of which we said before that all this is true of man in his corrupt estate and for a time afterwards but not of the Saints best estate and growth upon earth For whereas he saith page 56. that Paul affirmeth 1 Cor. 4.4 that he knew nothing by himself it is true But whereas the Apostle addeth that he was not thereby justified he renders a false reason of that saying of the Apostle and contradicts himself also saying though he served God most faithfully in the inner man yet he saw another law in his members warring against the law of his mind and hence he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death What did he feel surely a law of sin and felt such a body of death continually and yet knew nothing by himself Good Hyperbolick bring your ends nearer together as the servant said to his lying mother Thirdly saith he that although it were granted that some works of the Saints were perfectly good yet any one sin blotteth out the remembrance of our former righteousness Ezek. 18.24 But that Text speaks of a final Apostasie from righteousness not of one actual
or imputed righteousnesse yet he justifieth the ungodly that turn from their ungodlinesse and that both by a proper and an imputed righteousnesse as we have shewed Secondly by the office of a mediator that was to undergo for us or rather to do for us whatsoever was required of us to be done But may not this be done as well within us by Christs grace and cooperation for us yea vvith much more piety and justice every man being created to a personal obedience tovvards God and his Lavv. Thirdly 〈◊〉 a recuperation or recovery of happiness vvhich could not be attained without perfect righteousnesse because the death of Christ as he saith freeth us from erernal death to wit when we are dead with him unto sin and the obedience of Christ that within us only brings us to eternal or everlasting life All which you must take upon his word and credit for he knows not how to prove it And therefore we say quoth he that Christ was born for us not only auferre peccata to take away the sins of the world to wit by sanctification by his voluntary suffering of the most bitter death of the cross but that only takes away the guilt and shews us how in order thereunto we should sacrifice flay and consume all our sins but adferre justitiam to bring righteousnesse unto us but how by his plenary obedience within us not without us to the most holy Law of God Which is yet unproved And therefore those Scriptures saith he that do ascribe our falvation unto Christs death which none do are not to be taken exclusively or as denying the active obedience of Christ to be imputed unto us but Synecdochically for the accomplishment of the whole obedience of Christ that was to be performed for us But none such was to be performed for us or upon our score as we have often affirmed nor can the contrary be proved out of the holy Scriptures And with this affirmation of his saith he agree the main and major part for his tooth and dyet as aforesaid of all orthodox he should have said heterodox Divines and most of the Fathers To wit since Calvins days Secondly saith he the passive obedience of Christ is all the sufferings of Christ both in life and death for our sins Yes and much more also in our inward man for us while we went on in our rebellion against God of which he never thinks because the justice of God required that we should never be freed from death without a just punishment in Christ like death also laid upon our selves or on some other for us both which we grant And therefore saith he the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah should be wounded yea had been so as we said before for your trausgressions and bruised for our iniquities chap. 53.5 And Daniel saith that he should be cut off but not for himselfe Daniel 9.26 and St. Peter saith should hear our sins in his our body on the cross but for what end that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse and then it follows by whose stripes or fellow-sufferings ye are healed 1 Pet. 2.14 and St. John saith Rev. 1.15 that he washed us him and his fellow-Apostles and Saints who were throughly clensed from sin in his own blood or Spirit Rev. 1.5 And here we must observe saith he that this obedience of Christ is of sufficient merit to satisfie for all sins and for those that were repented of and left more especially by reason of the dignity of the person that did obey or suffer for the hypostatical union of the Manhood of Christ with the Godhead makes the obedience of Christ to be of inestimable value or price Act. 20.18 True but that Te◠speaks of the blood of Christs Spirit for with that also is the Church of God purchased or redeemed from among men Rev. 14.3 4. Thirdly the formall cause saith he of our justification actively considered is a free imputation of Christs actual righteousnesse we say the inhesive whereby the merit of Christs obedience is applied unto all beleevers that is the accounting of us just and righteous for the merits of that obedience which Christ effected for us saith he pag. 71. But this is more formally then truly spoken for as we saith he apply unto our selves the righteousnesse of Christ and make the same our own by faith and acceptation he should have said by meer imagination so God himselfe saith he applieth it unto us by imputation according to his putation and accepts us for righreous for the righteousnesse of Christ which we have not and this imputation of righteousnesse saith he is a work of grace which God never spake or thought of not of nature a communicating of another righteousnesse and not a conferring of any real therein saith he truly or habitual righteousness upon us But without such a real or habitual one righteousness shall no man that hath polluted himself be justified or saved And this is a sweet exchange saith Justine Martyr if he belie him not or mistake not his sense in Epist ad Diog. that one should be sin for many and that the iniquity of many should be covered yea blotted out say we with the righteousness of one to wit his internal righteousness or that the justice or kindness of one should make many that are and were injust to be reputed yea to be just to omit that most of the Fathers which he had read speak to this purpose Frier Tarrus saith in serm de Dom. Advent Christ hath made all partakers of his justice and merits so say we that they might be able to stand in his sight and sustain the judoment of God see 1 John 4.17 18. often before alledged by us Because saith he there is no mortal man living whose righteousness to wit his own can be sufficient to obtain eternal salvation But if the Frier meant it as the Vindicator doth we hope the Vindicator will turn Frier also But saith the Vindicator Christs righteousness is made ours not because it is infused or translated into us Oh take heed of that for it would drive out sin too soon to abide habitually in us but because it is imputed and reputed unto us rather by him and his party then God as if it were theirs when it is not whom God doth acquit from sin and actually count just for the justice of Jesus Christ And therefore the force of our justification however I easily beleeve it is not any habitual sanctity subjectively remaining in us but the righteousness of Christ of which in his sense there is no mention in the Scriptures freely imputed unto us and so though it be without us and they without it yet it is made ours by right of giving if he knew by whose gift The Apostle saith he remarkably in Rom. 4.6 7. joyneth both the imputation of righteousness and the remission of sins together as the two special means to make us happy And so do we
come salvation and strength the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast out who accused them before God day and night In hope of this kingdom and in order thereunto the Saints to whom it was published purified their hearts by faith in Gods sanctifying grace to be had in Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.2 3 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him or we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Act. 15 7 8 9. Men and brethren ye know that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and beleive and God which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse giving the Holy Ghost unto them even as he did unto us and put no difference between them and us purifying their hearts by faith Out of this faith and hope the souls of Gods elect do cry unto God night and day for vengeance against Gods spiritual enemies and theirs who first had crucified Christ in them and by them and afterwards did cruciate and vex them with continual temptations and assaults Luk. 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men always ought to pray and not to faint saying There was in a City a Judge that feared not God neither regarded man and there was a widow in that City and she came unto him saying avenge me of mine adversary and he would not for a while but afterwards he said within himself though I fear not God nor regard man yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her lest by her continuall coming she weary me And the Lord said hear what the unjust Judg saith and hall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and hight though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith upon earth Where now is this faith of Gods elect to be found yea where is the faith of the Apostles and their Churches to be heard or read of who looked for no life and glory by Christ unlesse they died with Christ unto all known sin Rom. 6.8 For if we be dead with him then we believe that we shall live with him and the doctrine which held forth that and no other way for the fallen man to enter into life the Apostle commends as a faithful and undeceivable word implying that the contrary doctrine and perswasions deceive mens souls in the end 2 Tim. 11.12 This is a faithful saying if we be dead with Christ we shall live with him if we suffer with him dying to sin we shall also reign with him If we deny him in this way he will also deny us The seventh Topick is the inequality between sin and Gods grace now to be had of Christ Jesus thereagainst Is 5.4.11 No weapon that is formed against the Lord shall prosper and every tongue that raiseth up against thee in judgment thou shalt condemne This is the heritage and so forth Rom. 5.17 For if by one or one mans offence death reigned by one how much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ vers 20 21. Moreover the law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did superabound that as sin had reigned unto death even so grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ The eighth Topick is the professed resolution of the Christians in the Apostles time to die unto all sin Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin namely by Christian profession and resolution live any longer therein Colos 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God The ninth Topick is from the true end and use of baptism to teach us this death and burial of sin in conformity to Christs death and resurrection Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk after we are dead and risen again with him in newness of life for if we have been planted into the likeness of his death we shall also be planted into the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead Colos 2.12 Buried with him in baptism wherein ye are also risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead The tenth Topick is from the admission and assertion of this mortified and purged estate every where Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is justified or freed from sin 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ according to the Spirit he is a new creature old things are past away and all things are become new Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Chap. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The eleventh Topick is from the omnipotency of true faith in Christ Marth 15.18 Then said Jesus unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Chap. 21.21 Jesus answered and said unto them Verily I say unto you if ye have faith and doubt not ye shall not onely do this which is done to the fig-tree but also if you shall say unto this mountain of sin be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done Mark 9.23 Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe all things are possible unto him that believeth John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these shall he do because I go to the Father Unto which joyn that of our Saviour John 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world even Satans world which ye through faith shall be by me enabled to overcome 1 John 5.4 5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even
when we have answered we will pay him in his own coine That it was the prerogative of Christ alone among all grown men to know no sin and to be found solus in hominibus qualis quaerebatur in pecoribus not in peccoribus as he hath it alone such among men as was sought among the beasts an unblamable lamb without spot Here he having cited Isaiah 53.6 saying we like sheep have gone astray and Gal. 3.23 that the Scripture hath concluded all under sin he might have spared Augustine contra Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 13. and Gregorie lib. 3. in Reg. cap. 6. saying There is no man that hath not some corruption in him which he may and should lament For take all this as spoken of the unregenerate man or the regenerate that hath not fulfilled his course with Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 and we have often affirmed the same But he brings Hieronymus contra Jovinian lib. 2. saying No man is clean from sin though he live but one day upon the long earth Which is true of the sinful earth spoken of Collos 3.5 mortifie therefore your members upon earth although we know that in that saying Hierom and others suffered the Septuagints ill translation of Job to impose upon them But we had almost lest out Lactantius whom contra Gentes lib. 6. cap. 13. he alledgeth saying No man can be without sin so as he is burthened with the garment of the flesh We say so likewise if he understand it of that flesh which Saint Jude speaks of vers 23. hating even the garment spotted by the flesh if otherwise he himself was Lactantick with Lactantius Further he brings Bernard upon Cant. serm 2. saying Non peccare Dei justitia est not to sin is the justice and property of God but remission of sin is the justice of man To which we say that the former is but true in part for the elect Angels never sinned and the latter scarcely true at all for remission of sins is one thing and righteousness is another And where the remission of sin follows the righteousness of sanctification to purge them away must go before of necessity Acts 26.18 Sed unus Bernardus non vidit omnia And his own conclusions there are as false for saith he As the Ivy will not die untill the Oke be cut down but Experience shews that if you cut the Ivy at the root it will forthwith die so our sins will not die as long as we live which is as false as the other neither will it ever be abolished until death ends the conflict between the flesh and Spirit Then death which is but a privation is stronger then the Spirit And such Quacks as he is have a good warrant and pretence to kill many yea were it many thousands for by this means according to his doctrine they should put an end to this conflict of sin and send men presently to be perfected in glory Here not only souldiers whose trade is to kill but high-way-men poysoners and all murderers especially of the Saints might find a strong plea for their murders But he brings us more of this Ambrosia out of Ambrose de Paenit lib. 6. cap. 1. saying It is not the voice of thy family I am whole and need not a physician but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed But if it be the voice of his family of what family is the Vindicator who saith that the Lord cannot or will not heal us is it death that must do that work for us is it not the voice of his family first to come to him for an absolute cure and then with the woman who was cured of her bloody issue and the cleansed leper and many others to come and give God thanks But he goes on page 23 24. with Ambrose speaking thus to the Novatian hereticks of his time and saith it may fitly be turned to the Jesuits of our time Darest thou O Jesuit call thy self clean and holy albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy workes this one word were enough to make thee unclean To which I say first that the way wherein Paul worshipped the God of his Fathers was called Heresie Acts 24.14 Secondly we know no Jesuit that counts himself perfect unless it be by his profession But we hope that he will not henceforth when it cometh to a trial at Law deny that be called us Jesuits which is no less then to accuse us of a capital crime no better then treason for which by Gods Law he ought to suffer death himself unless he can prove it Deut. 19.17 18 19. or to incurre a great mulct for his slander above that the Jury awarded at Sarum March 15. 1657. But lastly this pretender to no less degree then of a Doctor of Divinity doth not see that there is a gross absurdity if not contradiction in the words which he fathers upon Ambrose saying albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy works this one word I am clean which in that case is but the truth were enough to make thee unclean We hope the Vindicator hereafter will not be too forward to speak the truth any more then he hath done heretofore lest as he saith out of Ambrose it make him unclean But he giveth us presently some Nectar to his Ambrosia saying with him agreeth Augustine Serm. 29. de verbis Apost There are some like vessels that are blown up with wind filled with an haughty spirit of election not sollidly great but swelled with the humour of pride who dare be bold to say that there are men found upon earth without sin Why are there no promises of such persons see Isai 1.24.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin See chap. 4.4 and 11 19. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that cover the sea Eze. 36.25 I will pour clean water upon them and from all their filthinesse and from all their jdols will I cleanse them Zeph. 3.13 The house of Jsrael shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes But we know what sort of Protestants at this day are puffed up with the spirit of election And it seemeth the Vindicator being conscious to himselfe or his party did not English those words of Augustine inflati viri spiritu electionis pleni men puffed up filled with the spirit of election though for him we do it But the Father demands of such How sayst thou that art just and holy this prayer Forgive us our sins Yes such may say with Saint Math. chap. 6.12 forgive us our debts to wit of love and thankfulnesse to God yea and of love to men for his sake which debt is so great that it can never to all eternity be paid Rom. 13.6 Owe nothing to any man but to love one another and with Saint Luk. chap. 11.9 they can say also Forgive us
curse and secondly supernatural grace to reform deformed nature and thirdly saith he but this last coincident with the former though it shews us the way of life yet it ministers no grace to walk therein nor doth his Gospel minister sufficient grace for that purpose But to make us some amends he comforts us with lies saying but all that which the Law could not do Jesus Christ by whom cometh grace and life hath done unto us But hath Christ already performed for us and in us perfect obedience to the Law and to that end fully reformed and renewed our deformed natures These two saith he cannot be done till we be perfected in glory Then he concludes for his second position or the first part of it rather but out of his false premises therefore there is no life to be found in the observance of the Law Unto which we have often replied upon undeniable grounds that there is no life to be found but in the observation or Gods Law through Christ Jesus Again he ress us that the Apostle in another place cals the Law the ministry of death and condemnation because it instantly binds men under death for every transgression of her commandements It is true the work of the Law by the help of the word doth give such a condemnatory sentence but elsewhere the Law is called the perfect Law of liberty as James 1.25 yea and our life also Deut. 32.46 47. ye shall command your children to oâ—serve to do all the words of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your life to wit when performed by the grace of Christ But mark his inference from hence so that he which hath eyes to see what an universal rebellion of nature there is in man to Gods holy Law yea what imperfections and discordance with the Law are still remaining in them who are renewed by grace to wit after John Tendring's model may easily see the blind presumption of those who seek life in the ministry of death But we know none that do so more frequently then such loose Gospellers as he who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness And sure we are that the Jews who seek life in the observation of Gods Law for the most part are more obedient to God and consequently nearer to Gods kingdome though yet they own not Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Christ then any such libertines as he is who own Christ in words but in life and deeds deny him whose sentence he may find recorded before hand by way of premonition Matth. 7.21 22 23. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and then will I profess unto them I never knew them depart from me ye workers of iniquity The Jews are called natural branches because they avoid known sins to the uttermost of their power and follow after righteousness with all their strength but such as take liberty to the contrary are still branches of the wild olive Rom. 11. yea these last though they have Christ often in their mouths are further from the love of Christ who hath no communion with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 then the former and it is the wicked lives of those that call themselves the Disciples and followers of Jesus that hath kept both Jews and Turks and many others from embracing the holy way of true Christianity Yet saith he so universall is this error of seeking life and salvation by their own deeds that it hath over-run the whole posterity of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to stand to the covenant of works But those who are rightly illuminated by Christ Grace teacheth to seek salvation in the works and observation of the Law yet not out of their own strength and endeavours alone but by the grace and help of Christ which grace John Tendrings vindication curtaileth But the supernatural doctrine saith he of the Evangelist page 53. teacheth us to transcend nature to goe out of our selves and to seek salvation in the Lord Jesus All this is true if rightly understood but so is not that which follows and so to use the Law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a Schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ in whom we have remission of our sins so that which is to be had in the last place he puts it in the first sanctification of our nature acceptance of our imperfect obedience what always when it should for times and means afforded be made perfect benefits which the Law could never afford us Thus saith he ye see it is impossible in our own persons but what if Christ be brought in hither to purge us and renew us fully to fulfill the Law of God no such grace saith he being given from above Oh the bold blasphemy of man against the renor of the old and new Testament Deut. 26.18 19. and 30.6 Jerem. 31.32 33. Rom. 8.4 and 10.4 Or if we could saith he yet it is not possible for the Law to save us but he confesseth that it is not through any defect or imperfection in the Law for the Law is just and holy and good Rom. 7.12 but in regard of the corruption of nature which Christ came purposely to abolish 1 Joh 3.8 yea I say quoth he that although the Law be good yet it is not good to that end neither is it ordained of God for that end Yes at first it was and still is in force yet he confesseth that the Law was given for a double end first in common to all men namely to discover sin Rom. 3.10 and the wrath of God due to us for sin and to restrain all men by its rule and discipline from sin and to retain them in a civil course of morality for the good of humane society And secondly in speciall first to the reprobate to make them without excuse because it teacheth them what shall be done or left undone But all have not the outward Law it is therefore the inward Law that doth this and especially because there is grace also afforded likewise to help us in the doing of the good required and the resisting of the evil forbidden Secondly he saith page 54. in respect of the elect to incite us by the sight of our sins to seek out a Saviour as he that informs us of some dangerous disease doth tacitly advise us to seek out some expert physician which is not John Tendring but the Law was never intended that it should justifie us or of it selfe bring us to eternal life Yes it was so at the first But he brings divers arguments to prove that which we deny not as he is very profuse and prodigal in his proof of such things For he first saith that eternal life had been
it was not now for God saith he no nor ever will be to bend the rule of righteousnesse to the crookednesse of our affections that so he might make it answerable to our abilities yes through his promised and premised covenant of grace in Christ but rather to set down a straight rule not in favour of our sinful nature which he hateth but to expresse our whole duty though it be impossible for us after we have lost our ability to perform it What is it so now impossible after that a new supply of grace and assistance is vouchsafed if we seek it For saith he he that hath lent a thousand pounds may without injury demand it of them and when he knoweth that thou hast carelesly spent it and as a Bankrupt art not able to pay a penny which no merciful man will rigorously do unlesse it be to evidence his prodigality and folly so God having given us power to obey his precepts may at any time justly call for the performance of the same though he know that we by our sins have disabled our selves so much as to think a good thought But his thoughts herein are very evil for we have proved before that God cannot in justice and much lesse in mercy require of us that obedience for which we in our persons never received or could receive sufficient power to perform the same Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri Pag. 59. he propounds another objection of his adversaries to wit that the regenerate have sufficientia principia operationis that is sufficient means and causes of well doing his soul being enlightned sanctified and assisted by Gods spirit and therefore he may perform what God requires And then he goes about to answer it with mincing the truth and extenuating Gods grace saying a regenerate man is enabled to doe good but not perfectly his undestanding being still obscured his will distempered and his power of doing good hindred by many lustful temptations and therefore these principles of operation being imperfect our actions which proceed from thence must needs be imperfect likewise which he proves with his old mistaken Scriptures Who can tell saith David how often he offendeth cleanse thou me from all my secret sins ye see saith he Saints have their secret sins and he himself wants not his open and manifest enormities I may quoth he have many sins and fail in many things which no man knows of we doubt it not nor yet my selfe which yet are known to God we cannot judge mens hearts Why then doth he judge ours for hypocrisie and carying on new pretended lights in a dark lanthorn for we know not our own it is Gods prerogative to search and try mens reins Jerem. 17.9 1 Joh. 3.20 and it is our duty with Nehemiah to pray chap. 13.12 accept mine obedience but pardon mine iniquity But the man of God doth not pray so there as we have shewed before though he had his former sins also A chosen vessel was compelled to say he knew nothing by himselfe yet was he not thereby justified of which before Thus ye see that his book is stuffed full of tautologies And this saith he may suffice for the clearing of the first branch of the second position Indeed it is pretty well cleared from probability of truth or piety But for further confirmation he dares appeal to any mans conscience that is no more careful then he is to keep it without offence to God and men how upon the consideration of Gods strict judgement and his own manifold infirmities he dare justifie himselfe in any one act not against God but before God But Abimeleck could do it as himself confessed before and Paul could do it for his habitual acts as we shewed before 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisedome and much lesse fleshly lusts but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world And I doubt not saith he pag. 60. but the proudest heart would soon tremble and the boldest face save his own would blush and be ashamed to have his best works yea his prayer scanned by the strictnesse of Gods Law and justice But Job could say chap. 6.17 My face is foul with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death not for any injustice in mine hands also my prayer is pure Hath not the Lord promised Zephan 3.9 Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Lord to fear him with one shoulder or consent and Malach. 1.11 For from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same my name shal be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered up unto me with a pure offering But he goes on yet more confidently saying And of the adversaries to this truth I require quâ demum authoritate this one thing that they will either produce a man and prove it that hath ever what doth he mean from his youth up without any corruption performed in his own person such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same Unto which we have answered that if ever we knew any such we should not be very forward to shew them to such unbelieving and envious spirits as he is of and we have produced many such already as Caleb Numb 4.24 Josh 14.6 John and his fellow-Apostles 1 Joh. 17.7 with many thousands more Or else saith he let them acknowledge their error with shame and forbear opposing the truth as Jannes and Jambres did Moses and disturbing the peace of Gods Church He might have said the Devils chappel if all the Ministers of Gods Church were like himself But as he is no living member of a true Church which is a congregation of Saints so neither doth our doctrine disturb but further the peace of the true Church of God Act. 9.32 Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Galatia and were edified and walking in the fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied To such Jorams or high-flown spirits as he is Iehu may answer what peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many 2 Kings 9.21 for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isai 5.21 But he fears first by our malicious wickednesse in decrying sin and opposing Satans kingdom to set up Christs our sin may become unpardonable yet he saith that he shall pray for us as he doth for himself while he continueth in wickednesse not that God would be pleased to convince us of our errours and humble us in the sense of our sins and be merciful to our poor souls because we oppose his sinful positions But we pray that the Lord would vouchsafe him mercy in reality and truth so far as to turn him from his enterprise and then we are