Eph. 2. 8 9 10. 3. The meritorious cause of our Justification is the Obedience of Christ both passive and active and our actual Voet. Select Disput pars 5. p. 281. Justification is the effect or consequent of the imputation thereof unto us Justification in the formal reason thereof doth speak two things 1. A discharge from condemnation or the remission of sins which was purchased by the death and blood-shedding of Christ Gal. 3. 13. Eph. 1. 7. The benefit of which purchase râ—dounds to us because of Gods reckoning upon our account or imputing to us what our surety suffered in our stead Isa 53. 6. 11. 2. The adjudging of us to be Heirs of and so inrighting us in Life and Glory for the sake of Christs active Obedience imputed to us in like manner Rom. 3. 22. ch 4. 4 5. 5. 19. Gal. 2. 15. ch 3. 11 12. 4. True and lively Faith whereby we receive Christ and his benefits freely given of God to us and rest on him and his Righteousness is the instrument of our Justification Joh. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 17. So that Faith alone justifieth though justifying Faith is never alone but worketh by love and that Righteousness for the sake of which we are justified before God was wrought out and fulfilled only by Christ who was made sin for us although he knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And therefore in the business of Justification Faith is opposed to all good works as exclusive of them from any influence into the obtaining of our pardon and acceptance with God Rom. 3. 20 21 22. v. 28. chap. 4. 4 5. Gal. 2. 16. ch 3. 11 12. The first mention of this Article that I meet with in Mr. Colliers Book is ch 1. p. 12. where after some boasting of his clear stating the matter in his Body of Divinity he thus writes If any persons dare to maintain that any are justified before God without Faith and Holiness as the terms thereof though not the deserving cause I must leave them to their own understanding without all Scripture grounds for my own part I fully on good grounds believe the contrary Notwithstanding Mr. Colliers swelling words of vanity and contempt of the understanding of others I must tell him even these words are not so clear and scriptural but that they give just occation to suspect his own understanding to be dark and his judgement to be unsound For although true and justifying Faith is pregnant with good works and whosoever is justified is sanctified also and that Faith considered as a Grace inherent in us belongs to our sanctification yet doth not the Scripture any where allow good works the same influence into our Justification as it doth unto Faith which is a clear evidence that it is not the act of believing â—â—r any other holy duty for which we are justified but that in this business Faith is to be considere as relative to Christ and that it is the object of Faith apprehended thereby on the account of which its said to justifie And this Mr. Collier cannot but own if he understands what is asserted by himself in his Bodâ— of Div. concerning the imputation of Christs Righteousness unto us in order to our Justification before God For if we are justified freely by Grace and are presented without spot before God in an imputed Righteousness then can our good works have no interest in the reason of our acceptance with him And indeed if this were not so we could not be justified at all forasmuch as the Lord is of purer eye then to behold iniquity and our sanctification is imperfect so that if all our Righteousnesses so far forth as ours be examined in strictness of justice they will be found but filthy raggs a Covering too narrow and a Bed too short Yea if those that plead mosâ— for the interest of good works in our Justification would seriously consider what themselves dare abide by before the tremendous tribunal of the great Judge they must all fly to Bellarmines tutissimum est and put an end to this controversie by acknowledging that they dare not venture into Gods sight nor pass out of the World to his Judgement-seat in their own Righteousness But indeed there is another principle laid down once and again by Mr. C. in those Chapters of his Book already examined which if true renders all discourses of deliverance from wrath to come by Christ needless and without ground It is this That the penalty of the breach of the first Covenant was only temporal death and Eternal damnation is inflicted on men only for sinning against the Gospel the Law of Faith Now if this were true Besides that in some respects it renders the condition of those that never heard of Christ more eligible then those who live under the sound of the Gospel 1. If there be no Law threatning Eternal death Ferg Differ of Moral Virtue Grace p. 107. but the Law of Faith then there is no such thing as forgiveness and remission of sin in the World For the Gospel denounceth damnation only against final impenitency and unbelief and as these are not pardoned nor pardonable so on the other hand if there be no Law threatning Eternal death besides the Gospel then is there no other sin we need forgiveness of 2. If this be true Then Christ never dyed to free any from wrath to come which yet is plentifully asserted in the Scriptures wherein we read also that his death was for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Covenant Heb. 9. 15. For it is non-sense to say that he hath freed us from the curse of the Gospel yea it is a repugnancy unless you will introduce another Gospel to relieve against the terms of this nor will that serve the turn unless you likewise find another Mediator to out-merit this Thus Mr. Ferguson in answer to one of Mr. Colliers mind So then if Mr. C. will abide by this notion and the just consequences thereof his sense of our Justification must either be contradictory to himself or else very corrupt and unsound Another passage that hath a bad aspect this way you meet with Addit Word p. 50. where he gives this reason why his supposed deliverance of the damned will not extend to any degree of Glory but only a deliverance from pain and misery For they are under no promise of reward of Good works because they had none That God will graciously reward the good works of Believers is granted so that besides that joy and glory that all Saints have an immediate right to by virtue of their interest in Christ every one shall receive a superadded Crown according as his work shall be which layeth a foundation for our believing the enjoyment of different degrees of Glory among the blessed in another world But to suppose as Mr. C. here doth That the admission of persons into the Kingdom of
Believe slays my heart It is my duty I confess and ever to be admired is Grace that found out such a remedy But oh my unbelief I am shut up under it what shall I do whether shall I flee Lord Faith is thy Gift and by thine Almighty power it hath been wrought in some such as I am Oh magnifie Grace in me a lost Creature even me also renew my Soul change my Heart make me a Believer work in me both to will and to do of thy good pleasure else I may as â—â—â—n reach Heaven with my finger as Believe my impotency my blindness the perverseness of my heart is so great I must confess O Lord thou art just if thou damn me but oh pity and save a Soul without might that is now sinking under thy wrath if free free Grace prevent not by working in me what thou requiâ—â—st of me I return to Mr. C. who will now give us instances to illustrate his former assertion and that he may take this opportunity to let out more of his poisonous Doctrine chiefly insists on original sin which he endeavours to perswade men is an harmless thing and of it self lays them under no more guilt then doth a fit of sickness or any other affliction of the like kind that no man can help c. only thus much he grants It s true the first death is come on all men by Adams transgression they having the same original nature of sin and death it s come into all men as a Judgement for the first transgression but not as a sin to the second death Although it may not be easie to find out any good sense of these words the Original nature of sin and death yet it is easie to understand what is the drift of his discourse which he also farther explains anon and which I before touched And therefore to prevent him before I examine what he saith I will briefly propose the truth concerning this point as it is taught in the Scriptures Rom. 5. and other places viz. Job 14. 4. Psal 51. 5. Joh. 3. 6. c. From whence I gather 1. That Adam in his primitive state was to be considered as a publick person in whom all mankind that in an ordinary way of generation came of him were and in whom they sinned and fell when he fell And they are to be considered in him legally and naturally 1. Legally as he was according to the terms of the Covenant in which he stood related to God their representative and so received his perfections or original righteousness for them as well as for himself and they as well as he lost it by the fall 2. Naturally as he was the root of all mankind which were virtually in his Loins when he fell So then 2. Original sin is either Imputed or Inherent The imputation of Adams sin to his posterity by which they are most justly accounted to have sinned in him who was the root and both generative and faederal principle of mankind is in some sort the meritorious cause of the inherent pravity of the humane nature derived from him which is diffused through all the parts of the Soul and is a just punishment for the first offence by which we are turned away from God and disposed to all wickedness it being the root seed and principle of all actual transgressions and sins and is therefore so frequently by the Apostle Paul called sin in a way of emphasis and the flesh of which all the abominations that are in the world are the proper fruit and off-spring and are so represented by him Rom. 7. 8 c. ch 13. 14. Gal. 5. 19. Col. 2. 11. Eph. 2. 3. 3. When therefore we affirm with the Apostle Rom. 5. 18. That by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men unto condemnation neither doth the holy Ghost in that Text nor we intend to assert that any are actually damned for Adams particular fact but That by his sin and our sinning in him by Gods most just ordination we have lost original righteousness and so as darkness necessarily is where light is taken away or denied and sickness where health is not contracted that exceeding pravity and sinfulness of nature which deserveth the curse of God and Eternal damnation and it is inherent uncleanness that actually excludes out of the Kingdom of God From what hath been said it is easie to gather how pernicious Mr. C's doctrine is who teacheth that Original sin exposeth only to temporal or bodily not Eternal death The Apostle constantly affirms Rom. 5. that it is the death and condemnation that Christ saveth his people from which surely is the second not the first death only which by our fall in Adam we were exposed to and guilty of But why doth not Original sin deserve the second death Is it because Adams transgression was but trivial certainly the aggravations of his sin were exceeding great There was contempt of God dis-belief of his word pride breach of Covenant Theft Murther c. all combined in that one sin so that a greater the sin against the holy Ghost excepted and â—ore 〈…〉 ex evi 〈…〉 e of the Sons of â—â—n were ever guilty of But if 〈…〉 had 〈…〉 n There 〈…〉 in in â—â—s own nature so small but ratione obj 〈…〉 in that it is â—â—ainst an infinite Majesty it deservâ—â— Eveâ—lasting p 〈…〉 shment a◠〈…〉 ry one that fears God and knows his teâ—rour 〈…〉 Is it because â—â—e corruption of our nature derived from Ad 〈…〉 â—t a small thing who trembles not at such a thought that haâ—â—â—ot cast off all sense of a Deity and the holiness thereof We havâ— before proved That it is the spring of all the evil that is done â—â—der the Sun it is in its own nature a principle of enmity to Gâ—d that from whence the heart of man is denominated to be decâ—i 〈…〉 above all things and desperately wicked If there be any thing therefore in what he saith besides his bold affirmation it is only this Because it is a Judgement for the first transgression â—t cannot be a sin to the second death But he may learn from the Scriptures that God oft-times punisheth sinners by giving them up to sin and yet that sin which hath also in it a punishment of former transgression will sink a Soul under divine wrath as well as any other Lâ—t him take for instance Rom. 1. 21. ad finem 2 Thâ—s 2. 10 11 12. I thought in my reply to this and what followeth to have shewed how Mr. Collier in some things takes the Pelagian notion of Original sin in effect plainly enough denying it and also how in asserting the defilement of our nature not to be ouâ— sin he agrees with Bellarmine and other Jesuites in their opposition to the Protestant Doctrine in this point But I must be brief and shall therefore content my self only to shew his repugnancy to the truth of God in the Scripture Thus he goes on
All men are born into the world with sinful natureâ— now this defilement of our natures though sinful no man can help therefore it is not their sin but their affliction Here is a sinful nature a sinful defilement of nature and yet no sin but an affliction only Let such confusion be the â—ot of all that oppose Gods sacred truth Can the nature of man be defiled and sinful and yet he not a sinner yea but no man can help it therefore it is not their sin I answer This defilement of humane nature came by that sin that man might not have committed he might have helped it if he would Yea moreover Original sin is habitually in the Will as the subject thereof as well as other faculties of the Soul and therefore is voluntary and every particular person is to be accounted and truly is the immediate principle as well as the subject the Author as well as the possessor of his own individual Original sin or corruption of nature even as a man is of his natural faculties or acquired habits or as Adam himself was of â—his Original Sickness or Disease in his own person as the Learned Voetius asserts in his first Book of Select Disputations p. 1105. And it is by reason of this defilement of nature that we are by nature the Children of wrath which could not be if it were not our sin Eph. 2. 3. And on this ground the Lord Christ asserts the necessity of regeneration and that without it none can see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 5 6 7. Mr. C saith farther And cause we have to bewail it as our affliction but not as our sin so the Apostle doth Rom. 7. 24. It is consenting to it which is the sin v. 15 16 Jam. 1. 14 15. when persons consent to covetous and worldly lusts to proud envious and disobedient lusts this is the sin that will usher in the second death Original guilt and stain only brings under the first death but not not the second as distinct from consent Original sin may be considered either in the unregenerate in whom it reigns and is wholly unmortified or as remaining in the regenerate though mortified and spoiled of its reigning power The unregenerate are under the power thereof in all the faculties of their Souls It is blindness and vanity in their minds hatred of God and obstinacy in their wills c. and they are content to be commanded by this principle and the first moral acting of the Soul is influenced thereby Psal 58. 3. and in them the lustings of the flesh are never resisted from any true hatred of their sinfulness though on other accounts as they are apprehended destructive to themselves one way or other they may be so in some particular actings thereof But in the regenerate there is a contrary principle even the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus that sets them free from the Law of sin and death so that they obey not the flesh in the Lusts thereof and these as they are by the power of the spirit of Grace delivered from the service of sin so are they also by the efficacy of Christs bloud saved from the condemning power thereof There is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. But it is not because in-dwelling sin deserves none But because Jesus saâ—eth them from the wrath to come Now such an one is personated by Paul Rom. 7. unto whom all sin is an afflicting burthen and the lustings of in-dwelling sin which wâ—re opposed by the new Creature he complains of as his greatest affliction bâ—t not as his affliction only as outward trouble and persecution was but as his sin also Nay therefore it was his affliction because his sin and so he calls it about ten times in that Chapter and as such bitterly bewails it Lâ—t the Text be consulted for proof hereof In me saith he that is in my flesh in me so far as not renewed by Grace dwells no good thing Now sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— privation of that Good and Holiness that the Law requires and this saith the Apostle is in me and yet Mr. C. supposeth he acknowledgeth no sin but this may be in a rational Creature and he not a sinner Yea the Apostle confesseth that he was greatly hindered in his duty by the working of his corruption and at last flies to Christ for deliverance therefrom and yet shall we say he owneth no fault all this while As for Jam. 1. 14 15. The evident scope of the Apostle is not to teach men to justifie the wicked lustings of their hearts as Mr. C. doth but to prove that the spring of all the wickedness of man is in his own Breast and it will be in vain for him to think of shifting off the blame to any other It is granted indeed that the Apostle saith Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and that this conceiving of sin is by the consent of the will agreeing to the Commission thereof but by sin here it is evident that actual transgression is intended and what saith the Apostle of this Lust verily That it tempteth draweth away the Soul from God and enticeth it to sin and that it worketh thus as a principle in the Soul it is a mans own lust Shall we then suppose actual transgression to be a sin and the working of that principle in a mar that disposeth to it not to be so Hath God no regard to the hearts and principles of men and the habits of their Souls do not they come under his Law or is not the habit of Grace Grace as well as the exercise thereof and a man denominated Gracious therefrom and here â—ppositorum par ratiâ— In plain terms to suppose the lustings of a corrupt heart after all wickedness is no harm unless they be fully consented to is impious As to that which he adds concerning Infants and Idiots To suppose them no way concerned in sin as he doth and so well enough without Christ is like the rest of his Doctrine This I say because the Scripture saith it which declares all to be under sin even those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression viz. actually and all sin to deserve wrath That neither Infants nor Idiots can stand before God without a Mediator They have sin enough to damn them but there is Grace enough in God and Merit enough in the bloud of Christ to save them unto which and not their own innocency they must be beholding for salvation The 5th thing he insists on to prove his opinion is Gods expostulating with men to convince them of the equality of his ways That the ways of God towards the Sons of men are full of Equity and Grace is evident from what I have already proved in opposition to his errours and to his harangue about it I shall only say There is no need for him to speak wickedly for God His righteousness is
destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Beware of false Prephets Mat. 7. v. 13 14 15. But saith he It would be beneath the spirit and charity of the Gospel to allow no salvation during the old Covenant to any in the world besides the elect Church of the Jews and contrary to the Scripture Act. 10. 34 35. In what sense the Nation of the Israelites was chosen of God I shewed before That all are not Israel elect of God to eternal life that are of Israel according to the flesh is certain and I grant also that in the time Mr. C. speaks of God had his remnant though we have reason to think not many in other Nations unto whom he did by means ordinary or extraordinary manifest himself and these did fear God and work righteousness by which their Election of God was manifested But that these did not belong to the number of the special Elect nor were of that Church which is Christs Spouse is utterly untrue neither doth he attempt to prove it He saith moreover Or to allow no salvation now under the Gospel to any among the Gentiles that have not heard of Christ and contrary to the Scripture Rom. 2. 14 15 16. Mr. C.'s notion about this matter we shall meet with again and examine afterwards At the present I must tell him that without the Spirit and Grace of Christ which may not be separate from the knowledge of him and Faith in his name all that persons can do is from a principle of self-love to yield some obedience to the Law of God externally and so live honestly among men But by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 21. and that the Law of nature where the written Law is wanting will so far supply the place thereof as to convince of sin and leave the sinner inexcusable in his disobedience is the design of the Apostle to evince Rom. 2. 14. When the Gentiles which have not the law viz. written do by nature i. e. by a knowledge and conscience which God causeth to remain in mans nature though corrupt do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offiees of the law viz. condemning evil and in theâ—r consciences approving good not so as to love good and hate evil but this they did sufficiently unto full inexcusableness These having not the law are a law unto themselves c. So Mr. C. closeth this Chapter without proof of his opinion CHAP. III. Of the Extent of Christs death I Return now to his second Chapter where he discourseth of the extent of the design of God in the death of his Son wherein he is so extreamly confused contradictious to himself Scripture and Reason that I fear the censure of my Reader for abusing him with the repetition of Mr. C's absurdities that can justly plead for no answer and also for imploying my own precious time to no better purpose But that which first engaged me in this task musâ— be my plea for proceeding in my reply to this and the remaining part of his Book In the beginning of this Chapter p. 13. After he hath minded us of differing apprehensions among men concerning the end of Christs death That he may be sure to outstrip all he tells us That Christ dyed for the world that is the Vniverse the Heavens and Earth all things therein the whole six days Creation that fell with man for the sin of man c. Certainly whatsoever the Scripture holdeth forth concerning the curse brought upon the Creation by the sin of man and the future deliverance of the Creature from the vanity it now groans under it cannot but sound very harsh to Christian ears to hear That their Saviour dyed for the Universe yea for all things in Heaven or Earth for every silly Bird that flies in the Air yea and every Creature known in nature even the vilest most perishing and contemptible thing Yea how ridiculous might this notion be rendred But I fear God and therefore dare not dally with those things wherein the dying of my precious Lord must be mentioned This woful mistake he is cast upon by the ambiguity of the word World which he supposeth must always intend the Universe but the absurdity of that Hypothesis abundantly appears if we look into divers Texts where the word is used and can in no wise bear that sense Mr. Collier doth also assert universal Redemption in the Arminian sense in the next Section Because this word and the term All is sometimes used in Scripture where Redemption by Christ is treated of And so do others more sober than he For an answer therefore unto his abuse of divers Texts even all that are with any colour pleaded by him and fully to deliver the weak from his snares as also that my Reader may not complain of the utter loss of his time I will briefly give an account of those two terms from the Reverend Dr. Owen his Treatise of Redemption which I the rather insert because that excellent Treatise is now grown scarce and in the hands of few of those for whose benefit these Lines are especially designed Thus he writes Two words there are that are mightiâ—y stuck upon Dr. O. Treat of Redemp p. 180 c. or stumbled at First the World Secondly All. The particular places wherein they are and from which the arguments of our adversaries are urged we shall afterwards consider and for the present only shew that the words themselves according to the Scripture use do not necessarily hold out any collective universality of those concerning whom they are affirmed but being words of various significations must be interpreted according to the scope of the place where they are used and the subject matter of which the Scripture treâ—teth in those places First then for the word World which in the New Testament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is another word sometimes translated World viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that belongs not to this matter noting rather the duration of time then the thing in that space continuing he that doth not acknowledge it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a word of various significations need say no more to manifest his unacquaintedness in the Book of God I shall briefly give you so many various significations of it as shall make it apparent that from the bare usage of a word so exceedingly aequivocal no argument can be taken until it be distinguished and the meaning thereof in that particular place evinced from whence the argument is taken I shall pass over the Scheme inserted by the Learned Author because it is contained in what followeth which is more accommodate to mean capacities He proceeds The word World in the Scripture is in general taken four wayâ— First pro mundo
these things The first branch of his answer to this enquiry as proposed by himself hath nothing in it but a repetition of his former errour about the present recovery of all men out of their fallen state which hath already on good grounds been rejected and he here gives it no inforcement He adds 2. The Gospel hath been and still is preached to the whole world by the works of God and his common goodness to men Psal 19. 1 2. Rom. 10. 18. Psal 145. 8 9. Rom. 2. 4. The question is about that preaching of the Gospel that is a sufficient means to beget faith and so infers the duty of those to whom it is so preached to believe and obey it That it is so preached by the works of God Mr. Collier in this Treatise flatly denies we recited one passage to this purpose but a little before I cannot think therefore that he at all satisfies his own Conscience in this answer but only to serve a turn thrusts in this notion to amâ—se his ignorant Reader He doth not at all explain himself in what sense he supposeth the works of God preach the Gospel Indeed his notion is utterly false and therefore we need not wait for his explication of it neither do the Scriptures quoted by him prove any such thing By the works of God we grant his Eternal Power and Godhead is knowable to the â—ons of men which leaves them without excuse in that they worship him not as God and by his common goodness is his patience and long-suffering of the Vessels of wrath manifested which is a further witness against them in their impenitency and rebellion against him And this is all the Scriptures produced by Mr. C. speak There is nâ—â— a word of preaching the Gospel in any of them except in Rom. 10. 18. which is not by the works of God but by a Ministry sent forth from God for that work as the whole context doth manifest which is also quoted by Mr. C. to prove that none can believe without that means notwithstanding this supposed preaching of the works of God So then though the Apostle apply those words in Psal 19. to his present purpose either by allusion to them or more directly yet doth he in no wise teach that the Heavens Sun c. preach the Gospel but rather the contrary In Psal 19. There is mention made of a double medium of the revelation of God to the Sons of Men viz. His Works and his Word what the works of God teach and what the efficacy of their teaching is the Apostle discourseth Rom. 1. 19. ad finem Unto the word of God the Psalmist ascribeth much more even all saving effects v. 7 8 9 10 11. and herein its excellency beyond the other is manifested He proceeds 3. Though there is no other name given under Heaven among men whereby they may be saved Act. 4. 12. yet we must own that many have been and may be saved by that name that never heard of him and so could not have Faith in him In this it must be granted that Mr. C. speaks to the purpose and hath said something that gives real countenance to his notions and directly overthrows that which hath generally been the received Doctrine of the Protestants yea razeth the foundation of Gospel Grace And therefore here we might have expected some formidable arguments to drive Christians from that strong hold of their common faith That believing in Christ is the only way to Glory But how miserably he faulters in his proof notwithstanding his strange confidence we shall immediately discern I desire the Reader to bear in mind That persons adult and endued with reason are the subjects of this discourse Mr. C's drift then is to shew That although it would grate upon this notion that all the world should not hear of Christ if there were no other way to be saved by him but believing in him yet it is otherwise if many may be saved by him without faith in him which they could not have but by hearing And that many have and may be saved without that we must own Dictator like But why must we own it Because if we will not own this Tho. C. cannot prove that all men are redeâ—med And verily if we do own it we must directly contradict the Apostle who saith That without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And that he there intends believing in God by Christ in whom alone we can know him to be a rewarder of all that diligently seek him the whole scope of that Chapter doth manifest and if Mr. C. think meet to deny it I shall God assisting evince the certainty thereof beyond his contradiction And as he at present doth not so I am assured â—e nor his companions with him cannot produce one Text of Scripture that gives countenance to his notion That kind of proof which he offers I will now consider For saith he we may not suppose that any shall dye the second death for not believing in the Son of God as crucified that never heard of him Rom. 10. 14. What there is in these words that may any ways strengthen his notion I cannot imagine The argument is this None shall dye the second death for not believing which have not heard of Christ But many that have not heard of him do dye the second death Ergo many may be saved without faith in him I hope by this kind of arguing he will not infect many with his principles we have already said and proved That though disobedience to the Gospel be not chargable on those that never heard it yet are they under the curse of Gods holy Law and must dye the second death for their breach thereof seeing they remain strangers to the only remedy And in the discourse of the Apostle cited by him he supposeth That there is no salvation to be had without calling upon the Lord no calling upon the Lord without Faith no Faith without hearing Ergo without hearing no salvation He goes on And we must likewise understand that there hath been a sufficiency of teaching under all the ministeries of God to the world to bring them to the knowledge of God and so to salvation by that name though unknown to them and to leave all others without excuse which could not be were there not a sufficiency of teaching therein Rom. 1. 19 20 21 2. 1. Here we have Mr. C. again as if he conceited himself in St. Peters Chair imposing his Magisterial dictates upon us This we must know and that we must understand but no warranty thereof tendred besides his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though perhaps he will take it amiss that his authority is rejected and may think with himself Si hoc non sit probationum satis nescio quid sit satis yet I shall peâ—â—mptorily deny and prove the contrary to what he here asserts and supposeth undeniable viz. 1. That there is a saving knowledge
abundantly manifested by the light of Scripture Doctrine without the help of his notions and shall be yet farther manifested in the day of Christ to the shame and silencing of all that now reply against God even in those things where his Judgements are a great deep as the Apostle discourseth at large Rom. 9. and 11. Chapâ—ers The Objection that he starts about God his creating man upright c. I need not long stay upon The truth concerning this is before stated and proved and every impartial Reader may see how miserably he trifles in his endeavour to solve it He gives you his word for it that God will excuse men from all that Obedience that they have by their sin lost both power and will to perform But I hope none are so credulous as to take his Book to be Canonical Not one Text of Scripture doth he nor can he produce for the proof of his opinion but only attempts to back one falshood with another saying That since the fall God requireth not perfect obedience of men but only sincerity and that he knew that man might yield sincere Obedience â—n Faith and Love and in that hath promised both assistance and accâ—ptance in his Son c. Two things he here takes for granted but both without ground 1. That all the World are under the Covenant of Grace so as to be presently interested in the priviledges thereof and accepted in those sincere endeavours to obey God which they are capable of in that condition wherein they are by nature which is not so For all that can be said of Men in General unto whom the Gospel is preached amounts to no more then this That the Grace and Blessings of the New covenant are offered to them upon condition of Faith God declareth his good pleasure to sinners that if they or any of them do confess and forsake their sins they shall find mercy and those of them that do believe he gives the sure mercies of David unto Isa 55. 3. and they are under Grace Rom. 6. 14. But the rest of the world are under the severity of the Law still yea whosoever doth in heart depart from Christ and seek life by his own works is a Debtor to answer the most rigorous demands thereof and is fallen from Grace Christ shall profâ—t him nothing Gal. 5. 3. 4. And that passage 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not is pitifully wrested by Mr. C. in that he would apply it to the case in hand for neither the thing nor persons there spoken of will at all agree thereto 1. It is not a moral sinful impetency or deficiency that the Apostle there speaks of but only a want of riches and ability in that respect to contribute so largely to the necessity of the â—oor Saints as otherwise they might and would have done 2. The persons spoken of are Saints Believers such as are accepted in Christ and interested in the Covenant of Grace whose sincere endeavours to walk with God are according to the terms of that Covenant accepted by him through the beloved though this Obedience of theirs is not their justifying righteousness nor accepted for that end But the case is otherwise with persons out of Christ Mr. C. endeavours to strengthen this notion p. 32. by proving That under Moses Law sincerity was accepted and â—hat though the Law required perfect Obedience yet this perfection consâ—sted in universality and sincerity c. But here again he pitifully confounds things that ought to be heedfully distinguished In the Mosaical oeconomy there was such a remembrance of the Covenant of works revived with the terms and sanction thereof as that hereupon it is called the ministration of condâ—mnation and did ingender unto bondage 2 Cor. 3. 7. Gal. 4. 25. But yet the promise of Salvation by the Messiah being made long before was not enervated thereby but even this was laid in a subserviency to Gospel ends and also the Gospel was preached to them Heb. 4. 2. and so the Covenant of Grace revealed though more darkly in types and shadows through which they were instracted to seek Justification unto Life by Christ promised and so deliverance from the curse of the Law by him Now amongst these some did believe others did not and so some were related to God in the New Covenant others remained under the Old The sincere Obedience of the one was accepted on Gospel gracious terms and for Gospel ends not that they obtained life thereby according to the terms of the Covenant of works Do this and live Christ being their surety to answer the utmost demands of the Law for their Justification before God The otheâ— wer 〈…〉 n their own persons responsible for the br 〈…〉 of the Lâ—w 〈…〉 nd stood 〈…〉 ty of death by the curse thereof 〈…〉 ll for wa 〈…〉 〈…〉 lu◠〈…〉 rtection as sincerity in their Obedien 〈…〉 〈…〉 e Covenant of works considered formally as such knows no câ—ange of sincerity for perfection but its commands must in every spect be obeyed and its demands answered and they are so by Christ alone who hath fulfilled the righteousness thereof for them that do believe and without Faith in him the Soul stands or falls to the unallayed and most rigorous sentence thersof The second thing Mr. C. supposeth is That every man hath ability in his fallen state to yield sincere obedience to God in Faith and Love This hath been already refuted and here is nothing offered to enforce it I shall therefore refer the Reader to that which precedes in this Chapter where also the foundation of what Mr. C. farther pleads in his two following Sections is fully removed so that there remains only a flourish of words wherewith he beats the Air in returning answer to which I shall waste no more precious time CHAP. V. Wherein some things relating to the principles already asserted are farther cleared and vindicated And also the Saints perseverance proved and Tho. C's Exceptions removed I Am now come to his 5th Chapter wherein he endeavours farther to strengthen his Opinions before laid down and is more express in his asserting Believers final falling awâ—y from Grace The most of what he saith is built on those principles that have been already discussed and therefore in my examination thereof I will only note either those things which are very gross or that wherein he seems to offer something that hath not before been urged and answered Those Texts which he endeavours to wrest in the beginning of this Chapter have been already vindicated from his corrupt glosses I do therefore here pass them over and attend to what he saith p. 31. where he propounds this question May we suppose that persons may believe or that any do believe unto life only by the objective evidence or external Ministry without the spirits work in and with the Gospel His answer is