therefore finding this to pinch him he brings it up again p. 126. where bringing me in saying Infants are under no Law J. B.'s proofless Assertion of Infants under a Law he answers But the Apostle saith the contrary He would have done Charitably to have told me Where that I might have observed it What he saith in this as well as the former page in answer to my Affirmation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relate to Death and that it 's understood upon which occasion Man sinnedâ— urging Absurdities by the like Application of Christ's Righteousness is solved by a serious observation of the Comparison as stated by me betwixt Christ and Adam His Arguing from Childrens dying doth not Conclude until he prove Death simply considered necessarily to infer guilt in the Party dying Whether Childrens DEATH argues Guilt in them of which I have spoken before p. 126. n. 20. to my answer to Psal. 51.5 alledged by them wherein I shew that David saith not My Mother conceived me sinning and therefore it proves not his Assertion His Reply is after he has given a Scoff It quite crosseth David's design But why so because in that Psalm he expresseth his Sorrow and Humiliation for his Sins and what then might not David lament upon that occasion that he was not only a Sinner himself but also came of such as were so But when I urge this place further shewing their Interpretation would make Infants guilty of the Sin of their Immediate Parents since there is no mention here of Adam His Answer to this is a Repetition of his own Doctrine A rare Method of Debate very usual to him And then taking it for granted he asks me Whether this Originated Sin of which he supposed David spake for he never offers to prove it though it be the matter in Debate came from another Original than Adam What he affirmed here of my Insinuating Marriage-Duties to be Sin is but a false Conjecture but as to the Hurt and Loss that Man got by Adam which I ascribe to no other Original as being no Manichee I spake before But he should first prove before he Obtrude such things upon others and I desire yet to be Informed of him In what Scripture he reads of Original Sin and whether if the Scripture be the only Rule he cannot find words in it fit enough to express his Faith or must he shift for them else-where The Wages of Sin is Death proved Eternal ¶ 8. Pag. 127. n. 21. He urges Paul's saying The Wages of Sin is Death and to my saying This may be a Consequence of the Fall but that thence it cannot at all be Inferred that Iniquity is in all those that are subject to Death he saith It is in plain terms but my Modesty dare not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not Truth Answ. Is not this to take upon him to judge of another Man's heart which elseâ—where he accounts a great Presumption and why takes he no notice or gives he no Answer to the Absurdity I shew followed from thence since the whole Creation received a Decay by Adam's Fall and yet we say not Herbs and Trees are Sinners And while he would make-out this great Charge of my Contradicting the Apostle he forgets the half of his business which is To prove the Apostle meaned in that place Natural Death and not Eternal since the Apostle opposeth it there to Eternal Life and Eternal Death he will Confess is the Wages of Sin which the Apostle shews they shun by Jesus Christ's obtaining Eternal Life whereas Natural Death they do not avoid Likewise he should have proved that all the Scriptures mentioned by him p. 128. are meant of Natural Death which he will not find very easie As for his citing Death as mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. the Apostle's words ver 56. Confirm what I say That Death is only a punishment to the Wicked not to the Saints for the words are The Sting of Death is Sin so where Sin is taken away there Death has no Sting and that is the Saints Victory Now he cannot Apply this to Infants without supposing that they have Sin which were to beg the Question And whereas he asks Whether Death be NO Punishment for Sin I Answer that I said not so neither is that needful for me to affirm seeing it is sufficient if it be not always a Punishment of Sin which if it be not it cannot be Concluded that because Infants die therefore they must be guilty of Sin Since then the Absurdities he after urges follow from his Supposition That Death is No Punishment for Sin which I say not they do not Touch me He judgeth p. 128. n. 22. That I run wilder than Papists in saying We will rather admit the supposed Absurdity of saying All Infants are Saved to follow from our Doctrine than with them say That Innumerable Infants perish Eternally not for their own but only for Adam's Fault This he reckons a Contradicting of my Doctrine of Christ's dying for all Infants saved without Christ J. B.'s horrible Lie saying I here grant That all Infants will be saved without Christ. What horrible Lie is this Where say I That all Infants will be saved without Christ If he say it is by Consequence that I say so which he must needs do or else be an Impudent Vnparallel'd Lyar then he Infers it either from my saying Christ died for all Therefore if all Infants are saved it must be without Christ or that If all Infants be saved Christ cannot have died for all for one of these two must be If I Contradict my self But such Consequences are only fit for such an Author as seems to have abandoned all sense of Honesty and Christian Reputation and resolves per fas aut nefas and without Rime or Reason as the Proverb is to bespatter his Adversary As for his adding They that have no Sin have no need of a Saviour to save them from Sin He Overturns it all by asking me in which also lies the pinch of his matter Since I affirm they have a Seed of Sin in them which is called Death and the Old Man how can they put-off this and sing the Song of the Redeemed which all that enter into Glory must do Infants are saved by Christ who died for them Does not this then shew I believe they have need of Christ as a Saviour who died for them to deliver them from this And is not the Contradiction his own in urging this Question which I thus answer How are those he accounts Elect Infants saved whom he affirms to be really guilty of Adam's Sin and so in a worse Condition than I affirm Infants to be for he will not say with Papists and Lutherans that the Administring of that they call the Sacrament of Baptism does it When he Answers this he will solve his own Argument To insinuate That some Infants are damned he asketh me What
and worship him but to plead so obstinately as ye do that the Fourth Commandment bindeth to a particular observation of that day and yet to be found so slack in the observation of it as you generally are in such an Inconstancy as the Quakers cannot own And so whereas thou would'st confine the Lord his giving rest and comfort to the Souls of his People and the falling of the Manna to the First Days calling them Spiritual Market-days as if there were no other we cannot own it knowing that the Lord giveth rest and comfort every day and causeth the Manna plentifully to fall every day to those that walk in his fear and wait upon him and he has no such circumscribed Market-day as thou dreamest of The Priest's Market-day But that ye I mean the Priests make a Market-day of that day so that ye may call it Your Day as thou say'st Page 44. our day we know wherein you sell and vend your Babylonish Commodities and will be forcing and compelling all to come and buy of them or if not to send you Money whether they receive ought or not or else ye will endeavour by the help of the Magistrate to have them punished So that it is made manifest that it is only the Inventions of Men that we disown and not any of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Page 46. Thou grantest the word Original Sin is not found in Scripture and yet thou pleadâ—st for it because say'st thou the thing intended by it is contained and expressed in Scripture Answ. We deny that the thing by you intended is exprest in Scripture to wit That all Infants are sinners before God only for Adam 's sin and that there are Reprobate Infants who are sent to Hell only for Adam 's first sin This we deny nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove it Psal. 51. Behold I was conceived in sin But first if this place should prove the Infant guilty of any sin Infants not guilty of Adam's sin it should be of the sin of its own immediate Parents In iniquity did my Mother bring me forth Now you say the Infant is not guilty of the sin of its own immediate Parents but only of Adam's and Eve's first sin of which this Scripture speaks nothing 2. It doth not say I was conceived and brought forth a Sinner as you would have it why make you Infants guilty of Adam's sin and not the sins of their immediate Parents Now it is granted that there is a seed of sin derived unto Adam's Posterity The Seed of Sin but we say none become guilty of sin before God until they close with this evil seed and in them who close with it it becomes an Origine or Fountain of evil Thoughts Desires Words and Actions which are their sins who close with it But that the guilt of Adam's first sin lyes at the door of Infants who never actually sinned we deny For a Second Proof thou citest Rom. 5.12 alledging It should be rendred that in Adam all sinned But it is no such matter For the words however they be truly Translated can never be so rendred In Adam all sinned The strictest Translation of the words is thus upon which all have sinned or in which all have sinned They hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an entrance to Sin in the World and Death by Sin and so upon this accasion all others have sinned to wit actually in their own Person so that all who ever sinned actually it was upon the occasion of Adam's Sin For the Apostle is here speaking not of Infants who are not capable of any Law but of such as have a Law and act against it Yea from the Apostle's words in the other following Verse it is plain that Sin is not imputed to Infants For saith he Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Now there is no Law given to Infants as such for they are not capable of it What the Law saith it saith to them No Law no Transgression who have in more or less some exercise of understanding which Infants new born have not Or if the words be translated in which all have sinned that word WHICH hath a nearer Relative than ADAM to wit Death for the seed of sin is justly called Death because where it is joined unto and obeyed it killeth and so in this seed all have sinned who ever did actually sin And as for the 18 th Verse of Rom. 5. which is commonly used to prove Infants guilty and under Condemnation it is not rightly translated for the word Judgment or Condemnation or Guilt is not at all in the Greek but those who have drunk-in this imagination have added this word to the Scripture so bending and bowing the Scripture to their false Opinion And whereas thou say'st We were all in the Loins of Adam and therefore wouldest infer That Infants are sinners in him or guilty of his sin I say It follows not more than to say We are guilty of all the sins of our Fore-fathers because we have been in their Loins Again thou labourest to prove that Infants are sinners because they are subject to pains and diseases and death But this proveth them not to be Sinners as it proveth not that the Earth is a Sinner or that the Herbs and Trees of the Field are sinners for even these things have suffered by Adam's fall a great decay And as for the outward Death of those that are saved from Eternal Death it is rather a Sleep The outward and eternal Death than a Death as Christ said concerning Lazarus he sleepeth And concerning the Maid she is not dead but sleepeth And therefore that Scripture Rom. 6.23 cannot be applied to them who dye not or perish not eternally for though the Saints lay down the outward man is not as the punishment or reward of their Sins which are forgiven and from which they are delivered And so the sting of Death being taken away in those who are saved it is not that Death which is the Wages of Sin And seeing the Apostle said unto the Saints that all things were theirs even Death it cannot be that their Death should be reckoned the Wages of their Sin How many of the blessed Martyrs have looked upon their Suffering a most violent Death for Truth and Righteousness as a Gift of God How then could it be said to be the Wages of their Sins which implys as if their Sins were not all freely forgiven Page 48. From this Doctrine thou say'st it will follow First That all Infants that dye in their Infancy are saved and though Charity may be pleaded for this Opinion thou say'st yet what Scripture can be alledged for it Infants dying how saved Answ. If I should bring that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven It will much more naturally flow from the words than that they ought to be sprinkled which is the meaning
Flesh is not the same Flesh but there is one kind of Flesh of Men another Flesh of Beasts another of Fishes and another of Birds there are also Celestial Bodies and Bodies Terrestrial but the Glory of the Celestial is one and the Glory of the Terrestrial is another There is one Glory of the Sun and another Glory of the Moon and another Glory of the Stars for one Star differs from another Star in Glory so also is the Resurrection of the Dead it is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption it is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power it is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body Q. The Apostle seems to be very positive that it is not that Natural Body which we now have that shall rise but a Spiritual Body A. * 1 Cor. 15.50 51 52 53 54 55. Now this I say Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Behold I shew you a Mystery We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality So when this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory CHAP. XV. A Short Introduction to the CONFESSION of FAITH HAving thus largely and evidently performed the chief Part of that which I promised in this Treatise in giving a full account of our Principles in plain Scripture-words and also answering by the Scriptures the chief and main Objections made against us I come to a Confession of Faith in which I shall not be so large for that I judge it not Convenient to make an Interpretation of all the Scriptures before-mentioned which if needful the Reader may easily observe were not very difficult to do But whereas a Confession of Faith called rather for an Affirmative Account of ones own Faith than for the Solution of Objections or any thing of Debate in a Discursive Way which is both more properly and pertinently performed in a Catechism therefore I have here only done so I am necessitated sometimes to intermix some words for Coherence of the Matter as sometimes And and sometimes Therefore and the like but not such as any Ingenuous Person can affirm do add to the Matter or that may any wise justly be reckoned a Comment or Meaning and therefore to avoid the Censure of the most Curious Carping Criticks these are marked with a different Character Likewise unless I should have ridiculously offered to publish incongruous Grammar there was a true need sometimes to change the Mood and Person of a Verb in all which places whosoever will look to the words shall find it is done upon no Design to alter any whit the naked Import of them As for Instance where Christ says I am the Light of the World were it proper for me to write thus I am the Light c. Or can it be reckoned any whit Contradicting of my Purpose and Promise to write Christ is the Light where the first Person is changed to the third Also sometimes I express things which are necessarily understood as when any of the Apostles say We there instead of We I write Apostles and where they say You speaking of the Saints there I mention Saints instead of it for the Connexion of the Sentence sometimes requires it As in the first Article in mentioning that of 1 John 1.5 concerning God's being Light and in such like Cases which I know no impartial Reader would have quarrelled though wanting this Apology which I judged meet to premise knowing there is a Generation who when they cannot find any real or substantial Ground against Truth and its Followers will be Cavilling at such little Niceties therefore such may see this Objection is obviated CHAP. XVI A CONFESSION of FAITH concerning Twenty Three Articles ARTICLE I. Concerning God and the True and Saving Knowledge of him THere is one God a Eph. 4.6 1 Cor. 8.4 6. who is a Spirit b John 4.24 And This is the Message which the Apostles heard of him and declared unto the Saints That he is Light and in him is no Darkness at all c 1 John 1.5 There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One d 1 John 1.7 The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father e John 10.38 and 14.10 11. and 5.26 No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will Reveal him f Matth. 11.27 Luke 10.22 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God g 1 Cor. 2.10 For the Things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now the Saints have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things which are freely given them of God h 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father sends in Christ's Name he teacheth them all things and bringeth all things to their Remembrance i John 14.26 ARTICLE II. Concerning the Guide and Rule of Christians CHrist prayed to the Father and he gave the Saints another Comforter that was to abide with them for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not nor knoweth him But the Saints know him for he dwelleth with them and is to be in them k John 14.16 17. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God l Rom. 8.9 14. For this is the Covenant that God hath made with the House of Israel He hath put his Laws in their Mind and writ them in their Hearts and they are all taught of God m Hebr. 8.10 11. And the Anointing which they have received of him abideth in them and they need not that any man teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them of all things and is Truth and is no Lie n 1 John 2.27 ARTICLE III. Concerning the Scriptures WHatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope o Rom. 15.4 which are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture being given by Inspiration of God and
Sense above mentioned it doth as also for the necessity of pressing after Regeneration begun and Perfection pressed after and for the possibility of obtaining it after Regeneration begun since so far as Man is joined to Sin his perfect Regeneration is Retarded Yet as himself towards the end of this Paragraph saith It may be begun where some Members may yet be to be mortified and albeit some Corruption be not wholly purged out yet God can have Fellowship with his own work of Grace in the Soul and with the Soul so far as it is sanctified and renewed but no further Pag. 339 n. 19. he saith I wickedly dispute for God c. to say It is against his Wisdom not to have found Means whereby he might be served but by such Actions by which the Devil is no less yea is more served But his Charge is upon the naked Supposition that their Doctrine is the Truth which is pitifully to beg the question Yea he indirectly notwithstanding much winding about to avoid it Confesseth my Charge saying There is no formal service performed to the Devil so he grants some Material Service to be performed to him Is not the Devil served and that Service justly displeasing to God unless it be a Formal Service for to serve the Devil formally is to acknowledge him as their Master and give him Service as due to him which many do not who yet may be said truly enough to serve him He addeth The Spiritual Warfare J. B. pleads for is not to Overcome but to break daily the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed. That God bath seen meet his Children be in a spiritual Warfare What then Can no Man be in a Warfare unless he be Overcome Men may be Engaged in War and may be liable to be Assaulted yea may be often-times narrowed straitned and beset by the Enemy and sometimes wounded and yet never overcome but what he pleads for is not only a Warfare but a being Worsted and Overcome and that Every Day for so truly are such Overcome by the Devil Who daily break the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed as he affirms of all God's Children He goes on n. 20. to say I run my self blind in saying it is against God's Justice to require Men to abstain from all Sin and not enable them to do it because it would prove all the Wicked are Perfect for God requires of them Obedience But it seems himself has been blind when he made this Answer I never urged that because God gave Men power therefore they are perfect as he foolishly throughout this Paragraph Imagineth and then battereth against this Man of Straw of his own making And that this proves that Wicked Men might if they had not Resisted God's Grace have forsaken their Wickedness and been Perfect I deny not neither doth he prove the Contrary He confesseth Manâ—s Imperfection to be of themselves but he thinks it cannot be accounted Vnrighteousness in God to Require and yet not to give that measure of Grace whereby Men should become Perfect because that power which was once given was sinfully Cast away But all this dependeth upon the Supposition that Man lost his power in Adam which was before Discust and is now in him but a begging of the Question And when I shew That their Doctrine maketh God more Vnjust than the vilest of Men J. B.'s Doctrine makes God to give a Stone instead of Bread c. who will not give to their Children asking Bread a Stone c. he reproacheth me as a Blasphemous Tongue But let us see how he frees their Doctrine of this foul Consequence The Lord forbid saith he they hope for a full Deliverance but it is in Heaven This Answer confirmeth the Charge and doth not lessen it and so for all his Brag the Stone yet remains according to them instead of Bread and is like to Choke him unless he find some better way to digest it than thus for God requires to forsake Sin here and yet according to them denies the power here for concerning being free from Sin in Heaven there is no question He addeth pag. 341. That my saying Their Doctrine is Injurious to the Sacrifice of Christ's Death which was To take away Sin destroys all I said of Vniversal Redemption but he forgets to shew How perhaps we may Expect it next since his 8 th Chapter is already Answered His saying They affirm that the stain of Sin is taken away and Victory obtained doth not answer because they refer that to another Life and the question is concerning this And to my saying That if the Children of God Sin in Thought Word and Deed daily then there is no difference betwixt the Holy and Profane he answereth The difference is great because what the Wicked do is done with full purpose of heart c. but the Other mourneth over and repenteth of his Sin This difference is in respect of Repentance not of Sinning in their Sinning they are both alike That there is a Difference betwixt him that Continueth in Sin J. B.'s Godly continue in Sin all their Life-time and Sin daily and him that Repenteth I deny not but since he supposes the Godly to Continue in Sin all their life-time yea in daily Sinning the Similitude still remaineth and such will do well to take heed Who break God's Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed lest notwithstanding they may be in J. B.'s Account the Godly yet in Jesus Christ's they prove such to whom it shall be said Depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not ¶ 4. Pag. 343. N. 23. Instead of answering my Argument shewing Their Doctrine maketh the Work of the Ministry Preaching and Praying useless he saith Hence we see the necessity of a standing Ministry which I am against This is false as shall appear He adds The Ministry is to bring them on toward Perfection but the question is Whether that Perfection is not attainable here For a Perfection that admitteth not of a growth I plead not If he would have had this Answer understood to be to the purpose he should have said That such as Sin not cannot be said to admit of a growth which he doth not so much as attempt nor offer to prove What I affirm to the Contrary in the Example of Christ who notwithstanding he was always free of Sin is said to Increase both in Favour with God and Man Luk. 2.52 To this mentioned in my Apology notwithstanding his Prolixity he is as Mute as a Fish How their Doctrine makes Prayers useless I have shewen before Instead of answering Col. 4.12 where Epaphras is said To labour fervently in Prayers Perfection prayed for and Vnblameableness c. that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God and to 1 Thess. 3.12 13. where Paul prays That the Lord would make them increase and abound in Love c. to the end he might
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
As to the first We are justified by Christ Jesus both as he appeared and was made manifest in the Flesh at Jerusalem and also as he is made manifest and Revealed in us And thus we do not divide Christ nor his Righteousness without from his Righteousness within but we do receive and embrace him wholly and undivided THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESS Jeremiah 23.6.1.30 By which we are both made and accounted Righteous in the sight of God and which ought not nor cannot be divided Christ's Righteousness ours And the manner and way whereby his Righteousness and Obedience Death and Sufferings without become profitable unto us and is made ours is by receiving him and becoming one with him in our hearts embracing and entertaining that holy Seed which as it is embraced and entertained becometh a holy Birth in us which in Scripture is called Christ formed within Christ within the hope of glory Gal. 4.19 Coloss. 1.27 By which the Body of Sin and Death is done away and we cleansed and washed and purged from our sins not imaginarily but really and we really and truly made righteous and holy and pure in the sight of God which Righteousness is properly enough said to be the Righteousness of Christ for it is immediately from him and stands in him and is as unseparable from him as the Beams are from the Sun and it is through the Vnion betwixt him and us his righteous Life and Nature brought forth in us and we made one with it as the Branches are with the Vine that we have a true Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us for being so closely united to Christ his Righteousness becometh ours his Obedience ours his Death and Sufferings ours Thus we know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Philip. 3 10. By which Nearness and Fellowship we come to know an Vnity with the suffering Seed both in our selves and others and therein to travel for its raising and deliverance which yet no ways derogates from the Worth of the Sacrifice he offered up unto God without the Gates of Jerusalem while he humbled himself unto Death even unto the Death of the Cross tasting Death for every man This is an honest and plain and true Account of our Belief in this matter and is in Substance one and the same with that which at sundry times thou and thy Brethren hast received from us notwithstanding the bare scanty and dis-ingenuous Account thou givest of us in this matter Secondly As to the Vast Difference that lyeth betwixt us and the Papists any who are not wilfully blind may see it who know their Doctrine and ours in this thing It is not the Works of Christ wrought in us nor the works which we work in his Spirit and Power that we rest and rely upon as the Ground and Foundation of our Justification How Christ is our Justification but it is Christ himself the Worker revealed in us in-dwelling in us his Life and Spirit covering us that is the Ground of our Justification and we feeling our selves in him feeling him in us and his Spirit his Life covering us we feel our Justification and Peace with God in him and through him the alone Mediator betwixt God and Man Now this manner of Justification by the indwelling of Christ in the Saints and of his Spirit is not held by the Papists but is expresly denied by them and disputed against particularly by Bellarmine And Christ Jesus himself is both first and last our Justification and Foundation of it And as to being Justified by Works the Scripture is plain for it and so we may not deny it but plead for it according to the true sence and mind of the Spirit as we are taught of him But to be Justified by him is more than to be Justified by Works Works wrought in Christ. and therefore are we justified in our Works which we work in him and because the Lord accepteth and justifieth us in him therefore he accepteth and justifieth our Works wrought in him and accepteth and justifieth us in relation to these Works And though it hath been said by us that Good Works which are wrought in Christ and are rather his than ours are Meritorious yet we understand it not any other ways than thus That all their Merit or Worth is from Christ. And seeing they are said in Scripture to have their Reward and Reward and Merit are Relative Terms inferring one another in that sence wherein they are said to be Rewarded they may also be said to be Meritorious which yet hinders not the freedom of God's Grace in Justification For we do verily believe and confess that both the Works and the Reward are of the Free-grace of God and that the Lord giveth us all things not of Debt or as being in our Debt but of Free-gift and his infinite Goodness and Wisdom hath seen it meet to promise a Reward to Good Works and so he doth Reward them because of his Goodness and Faithfulness and not because he is addebted unto any of us otherwise then as he hath bound himself by his promise And this is contrary to that false Popish Doctrine which affirms That men deserve a Reward from God for Good Works upon the account of strict Justice without respect to the Promise And if it be answered That all Papists do not say so but are more moderate Well then I say If some of them be moderate and pass from the erroneous Opinion of Popery and speak that which is true if others speak what is true also in that particular should the Truth be accused and condemned for Rank Popery because some Papists at times confess to it You your selves know that Papists contradict one another in divers things and where men directly contradict one another one of the sides must speak true But as to that wherein the Justification stands and on which it is grounded to wit Christ himself as in-dwelling in the Saints none of all the Papists for ought we ever heard or read do own it but are against it Again As to the Works by which the Papists seek to be justified The Papists justifying Works pretended they are such as we believe none can be justified by viz. their outward Observations their Invocation of Saints bowing to Images saying Ave Maries telling their Beads their Pilgrimages their whipping themselves their keeping Lent and many other such like Works of voluntary Humility by which they seek to be justified though they are evil Works as not done in the Faith and Power of God Nor does it serve thy turn to say That Papists think not that Works considered as evil and sinful are sufficient to justify them for that is not the question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works sinful and evil but this is the Question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works which are really
ye put upon them And whereas some object It is not said of them but of such I answer but that such includeth them and all others who are like them in harmlessness otherwise if they had been excluded he would not have given it as a Reason why he bid suffer them to come unto him But besides the 18 th Chapt. verse 20. of Ezekiel is a plain proof The soul that sinneth shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's iniquity unless that the Son be found acting the same iniquity and continuing in it for then he visits the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children Now thou hast produced no Scripture to prove That any Infants do perish and indeed there is nothing in Scripture for it but against it Secondly thou say'st It would follow that Infants dying in their infancy stood not in need of Christ as a Saviour for he is a Saviour to save his People from their sins Infants saved from sin Answ. He is a Saviour not only to save from sins but also from the Consequences of sin and not only from the fruits and branches of it but from the seed and they are saved from sin who are not suffered to fall into it And so these Infants whom the Lord takes away in their infancy that they might not sin are saved from it It is salvation to be kept from falling into a pit as truly as to be taken out of it after the falling in And as for that Scripture it maketh against you Matth. 1.12 For it speaketh of a salvation from sin whereas you dream of a salvation in your sins Nor doth Rom. 7.24 speak of Infants so thy citing it here is impertinent And though there be a time wherein there is a crying out for deliverance from the body of sin and death yet there is also a time of deliverance from it even before the laying down of the outward body as is plain from Rom. 6.6 7. Knowing this that the old man is crucified and he that is dead is freed from sin Yet we acknowledge there is great occasion to be Low and to be in great fear and care lest Sin which is once crucified revive again Page 48. Thou chargest us As holding a falling away from Regeneration and as agreeing therein with Arminians But if the Arminians hold a falling away from Regeneration we hold no such matter For those who fall away never attained unto the Regeneration and so were never the Children of God but only were in the way to it by having attained to some beginnings of Faith The falling away from Faith is of themselves from which some may and have fallen away For that it is expresly said by Christ some believe and afterwards fall away and some depart from the faith and make shipwrack of it and some who have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come Fall away These and many such Instances are in Scripture nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove the contrary as Philip. 1.6 which is to be understood no otherwise then as the Condition is performed upon their part As Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the Principle of our Establishment or whereby we are established firm unto the end and so these who hold fast this Principle witness the Work which God hath begun in them to be carried on until the day of Christ even till he be compleatly formed in them and they in him It may be supposed that Paul was as confident that God would perfect the Work begun in himself and yet he supposeth it might be otherwise where he saith Lest preaching the Gospel to others I my self become a Cast-away And though some fall away the dishonour of the foolish Builder cannot be cast upon God but upon them who fall away for it standeth very well with the Wisdom and Power of God to suffer them to fall away who knowingly and wilfully depart from the Lord and will not concur with him in the work as subordinate Instruments but resist him though he invite and call yea draw them The next thou citest is 1 Pet. 15. Answ. Such as are so kept by the Power of God it is through Faith but as they abide not in that power through Faith but wander from it they fall and cannot but fall away And as for Jerem. 32.40 cited by thee it should be translated thus I will put my fear into their hearts that they may not depart from me so Junius and Tremellius's Version or not to depart from me as the Septuagint hath it Now to say That they may not depart is one thing and to say They cannot depart is another Yet where the fear of God comes so to be raised and established in the heart over all we believe such cannot depart but every one is not attained to that state where yet the fear of God may have some place And as touching these other Scriptures John 10.27 28 29. and John 13.1 and 1 John 2.19 they speak of those who are come to a thorough-Regeneration who we do believe can never fall away as being begot in the perfect Nature of the Elect Sheep and Children Nor doth it follow from this that one may be a Child of God to day and a Child of the Devil to morrow for these who are once properly the Children of God through a true and thorough-Regeneration can never become the Children of the Devil nor be cast out of God's special love that he beareth to his own Children For to end this matter thou say'st It is safer to question the Truth of the Graces of those that fall away than the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints But dost thou look upon the Quakers as having fallen away if thou dost how comes it that thou bespeakest them in thy Epistle as those who have had real Grace saying to them Did ye attain to that knowledge of and acquaintance with God which ye have in the use of Ordinances And again Ye did run well who did hinder you And again Why should they asperse these Ordinances which have been the means of their Conversion Or are these words only a Joab's kiss by which thou would'st kiss the Quakers while in the mean time thou hast a Sword hid under thy Cloak to strike them through under the fifth Rib But the Quakers are aware of thee and having on the Armour of God are out of thy reach In the last place Page 50. thou undertakest to prove That our Errors as thou callest them tend to Irreligiousness and Atheism because they tend to take away the Worship due to God But it hath been heretofore proved that we deny not true Worship but only your Idolatrous superstitious Worships which cannot truly be called the Worship of God Our way thou say'st tends to Irreligiousness because frequently we go to Meat Prayer before Meat and come from it without seeking a Blessing or returning Thanks
be great Peace True Peace with God but we have not come by it after such a way as thou dost falsly and rashly judge as by neglecting the Worship of God and stopping the mouth of Conscience but by being turned to that living Word and Law of God in our hearts by loving it and cleaving to it yea by receiving the reproofs and chastisements of God through it and submitting to the Judgment of it when it hath been as a hammer and as a sword and as a fire in us breaking in pieces and destroying all that false unsound Peace we had created to our selves in the day of our alienation from the light of God in us And unto Peace we are come through great tribulation of Soul even such as thou art a stranger unto being ignorant both of the one and the other and so hast therein shewed thy folly in judging what thou knowest not And as for woful security we know not where it more abounds than among hypocritical Professors The Whore's Peace who with the Whore in the Proverbs offer up their Sacrifices of Morning and Evening Prayers and thereby create a Peace to themselves though they let their hearts go a whoring after their Lusts all the day Did not the Pharisees pray much outwardly and were much in other outward practices of Devotion and so created a false peace and esteem unto themselves And can you deny but that there are many such among you who make up a false peace to themselves by leaning upon their outward performances Now what if I should charge this upon your Principle would'st thou think it fair dealing Thirdly Page 52. Thou say'st Doth not that Opinion tend to Atheism which rendreth mortification of sin even in this life useless c. Answ. Here thou dealest dis-ingenuously Is Mortification of sin useless where the end of it is attained And is not perfection the end of mortification Again thou say'st The Opinion of a sinless perfection wounds the very vitals of Religion Answ. Who could have expected that one that pretends to Religion would have been so brazen-faced as to put such an Expression in print What is the end of true Religion The end of true Religion to lead out of sin but to lead out of sin Do the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or in not sinning If it consist in sinning then they that sin most are most religious But if it consist in not sinning and keeping the Commandments of God without sin then to plead for such a thing as attainable hurteth not the vitals of Religion What! cannot the Saints live better without sin than with it Yea surely they can live well without that which is a burden and as Death unto their life they whose life is in sin cannot live but in sin but the Saints life is not in sin but in righteousness And thy consequences are vain and foolish As 1. That men need not pray for pardon of sin 2. That they need not the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from sin 3. That they need not Repentance For we grant that All have sinned and so need those things by which they may attain unto perfection and who witness perfection are come to witness the true use of these things and as the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all the sin so it preserveth clean and such have received the forgiveness of their sins being turned from them unto righteousness which is the fulfilling of Repentance And whereas thou say'st Bring me to the particular person that is sinless and I shall apply to him that of the Apostle 1 John 1.8 Thou shewest openly thy confusion for by thy applying to him that of the Apostle wouldst thou infer a sinless man to be a sinning man That is a contradiction but though we should bring a man to thee that is made free from sin by the power of God thou couldst no more judge of him than a blind man can judge of Colours And as to 1 John 1.8 it is a plain case If we say we have no sin and have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness as verse 6. then we deceive our selves So it is Conditional otherwise it would contradict what follows Verse 9. and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.6 9. As to that of the Sabbath it is answered above Page 53. Your Religion say'st thou will be welcome to the worst and wickedest of men for you will please them exceedingly in crying down of Ordinances the observation of the Sabbath and private and family Prayer c. Answ. We cry down no Ordinance of God but your hypocritical ways and we know no worse men than those Hypocrites whom we are so far from pleasing Crying down Hypocrisie pleases not the Hypocrite in crying down their hypocritical Prayers and Performances that they frâ—t and gnash at us with their Teeth and if they could get their will would tear us in pieces for witnessing against those things And they are very blind who see not that the denying of those things in shadow and bare formality and establishing them in the power and substance can no ways be acceptable to the Wicked but most unpleasing to Hypocrites who can perform the one but not the other But now let us examine whether your Principles or ours be most acceptable to the wicked and hypocrites 1. Wicked men and Hypocrites love well to hear Hypocrites and wicked mens Principles of the Priests that they can never be free from their sins in this life and that they must always sin 2. They love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them and his Righteousness without but not by him and his Righteousness within them 3. They love well to hear that the words without them are the only Rule which they can wrest according to their own corrupt Inclinations but they love not to hear that the Word and Light of God within is to be their Rule which they cannot wrest nor bend 4. They love well to hear that they may use the fashions and customs of this World bow and cringe and give and receive the Honour of this World 5. They love to hear they may use Sports and Games and Plays 6. To wear Laces and Ribbons and Gold Rings and other superfluity 7. They love well to hear that men must not expect to hear God immediately being such as those who said Let not God speak unto us 8. They love well to hear that Water-baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of God and the true Baptism and Supper for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things and they are mad against us who call them shadows And as for their Observation of that called the Sabbath we find none more plead for it than profane light men and women for they can easily dispense to hear a man talk for an hour or two and then have all the rest of the day to spend in idleness vain communication
Act of Sin and never actually sin in their own Persons do for this sin of Adam Eternally perish Now whether this Doctrine be sutable either to the Justice or Mercy of God I leave the Christian Reader to judge I shall examine the Reasons he brings for it His chief Argument for this in his Dialogue page 47. was That because Children die citing Rom. 23. The wages of sin is death Now I shew him pag. 41. of mine how that made nothing because natural Death of the Saints is not the Wages of Sin for their Sins are forgiven them c. this he hath not so much as mentioned far less answered And whereas he might as well argue that the Earth The Saints natural Death is not the Wages of Sin Trees and Herbs were Sinners because they received great decay by Adam's Sin He slightly passes it over alledging It will not therefore follow that all Mankind who suffer Death are not Sinners Now this is no answer but a meer shift and the thing I intended against his Assertion doth very naturally follow from my Argument thus If as W. M. says Infants be guilty of Adam's Sin because they are subject to Diseases and Death then the Beasts who are subject to the like and the Earth Herbs and Trees who have received their decay are Sinners before God But this is absurd therefore the other Let him answer this the next time more effectually The first proof he brings here is 1 Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh adding This intimates man by his natural Birth to be Corrupt and Fleshly But for this his gloss he bringeth no proof Though That which is born of the flesh be flesh he sheweth us not how it followeth thence that Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin After the like manner he concludes this his Doctrine from Job 14.4 Psal. 5.5 Whether Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin But as the words in these places do not plainly express any such thing so he brings no Reasons to make his Consequences deduceable from them After the like proofless manner he alledgeth Rom. 5.14 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Now though the matter in question be Whether these many were made Sinners before they actually sinned in their own Persons He doth not so much as offer to prove it In the like manner though David said his Mother conceived him in sin he sheweth us not how it followeth from thence that David was guilty of Sin before he actually sinned And here I observe how he asserts That men are guilty of the Sin of their immoderate Parents contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezek. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father To prove Infants thus guilty he further addeth Rom. 5.12 alledging these words For that all have sinned includes Infants But I shew him this includes not Infants because the Apostle clears it in the next verse saying Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and that there being no Law to Infants they cannot be guilty of sin To this he Replies There was a Law to Adam and that he represented mankind and stood as a publick Person Therefore Children had a Law in him But for this signification of his own he produceth no proof and it cannot be received as being direct contrary to the Scripture above-mentioned The Son shall not bear the Father 's Iniquity He alledgeth That those the Apostle speaks of who sinned not after the similitude of Adam 's Transgression are Infants But after his usual manner bringeth not the least proof for it The 1 Cor. 15.22 cited by him is so far from making anything for his purpose that it maketh directly against him which any that have the least grain of true understanding may perceive The words are As in Adam all died even so in Christ all are made alive for here All are said to die in Adam None die in Adam until they actually join with his Vnrighteousness even as All are said to be made alive in Christ now as none are made alive in Christ until they actually receive and join with his Righteousness so none die in Adam until they actually receive and join with his unrighteousness c. He maketh a deal a do page 110 111. about the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein though it were easie to refute him were it not needless to fill up Paper with Grammatical Criticisms For giving but not granting the words might be Translated In Adam all have sinned it will not from thence follow that Infants are guilty before they actually sin seeing All are said to die or have sinned in Adam even as All are said to be made alive in Christ and yet none are said to be so until they actually receive his Righteousness as is above demonstrated Page 113. He alledgeth Though it be said that the Kingdom of God is of little Children yet some Infants are not saved because they are not of the Kingdom of Grace But for this he bringeth no proof at all And I here take notice That he acknowledges that God Sanctifies and Regenerates some Infants W.M. contradicting himself and thereby he notably contradicts his second Section concerning the Light and page 29. of his Dialogue where he condemns it as a dangerous Error in us to say Any can be saved without the outward Knowledge of Christ of which Infants are not capable To prove That some Infants perish even Eternally he alledgeth The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah citing Jude 7. But his wresting this Scripture is very manifest For the reason Jude gives of their suffering Vengeance was because they gave themselves up to Fornication and went after strange flesh Now of this Infants were not capable of whom therefore Jude speaks not one word He terms Impudent or else Ignorant for bringing Matth. 1.22 against them alledging It is an unjust charge to say they plead for a Salvation in their sins And yet he has the Impudence immediately to aver it himself saying They are but in part delivered or saved in this Life do they not then dream of Salvation while in part they remain in their Sins Compare Matth. 1.21 with 1 Joh. 1.7 Christ is said to cleanse us from All Iniquity not a part of it It is bad Inference drawn from my Assertion that Children are not guilty of sin to say that therefore they need not a Saviour I told him in my last Christ was truly a Saviour unto them in that he kept them from sinning as one How Christ is a Saviour to Children that 's kept from falling in a Ditch is as truly saved as he that 's taken out of one It is altogether Inconsequential to infer from this That Christ died to save the holy Angels from sin because they are not suffered to fall into it For Christ is said only to have died for Adam's Posterity of which number Infants are but not Angels It is likewise
and then to Pray as is above shewed Sect. page 125. He says Quakerism tends to make Mortification of sin Useless and to me asking Whether Mortification be useless where the end of it which is Perfection is attained He answereth That Perfection is twofold Comparative and Absolute and seeing we are for an Absolute Perfection there is no use for Mortification Answ. There can none come to this Absolute Perfection as he terms it but by Mortification of Sin and even such Perfection attained by Mortification as are so Perfect while on Earth do constantly use Mortification to keep down Sin least it rise again and to resist the Temptations of the Enemy wherewith even such as be Perfect are daily assaulted He alledgeth I Triumph before the Victory in quarrelling him for saying That a sinless Perfection wounds the very Vitals of Religion But his silly Subterfuge in this place may easily be discovered I asked him in my last That seeing he says so Whether the Vitals of Religion consisted in sinning or not sinning Adding That if it consist in sinning they that sin most are most Religious but if it consist in not sinning than to plead for such a thing as attainable hurts not the Vitals of Religion To this he answereth That the Vitals of Religion consist in the means appointed of God Who seeth not this to be a meer Evasion Why did he not give a direct Answer But that he could not without either denying his former Antichristian Expression or else falling into palpable Grosness And whereas he adds That these Means are Repentance Mortification Believing Application of the Blood of Christ Though it be no Answer to my Question I deny not but that Religion consists in these things but I suppose he will not say that they are sinning It is not in the least absurd that one who hath attained to Perfection may practise these Duties Man though he have attained to Perfection cannot too much Repent of his former Wickedness And therefore it is without ground that he alledgeth That I shift and cannot deny but the forbearance of these Duties flow as a Consequence from our Principle Nor is my saying that they who come to Perfection witness the true use of these things any Shift at all though he be pleased to term it so without any proof after his wonted manner according to which he addeth That under the pretence of Perfection we take Men off from the practice of these Duties and so strike at Christianity in the Vitals of it Which though it fall of it self as being a meer Assertion yet the contrary is above abundantly shewn He saith He doth not contradict himself in inferring a sinless man to be sinful He affirmed only the Quaker's conceitedly sinless men to be sinful who discover much sin in their pride passion bitterness railing accusations adding If such say they have no sin they are but liars and the Truth is not in them Answ. There was no such Addition in his Dialogue as Conceitedly Sinless but absolutely he said Bring me to the Man that is sinless and therefore his Contradiction remains Moreover let him name that Quaker if he can that told him he was Perfectly free from all sin and yet was guilty of those Crimes he speaks of else he can deduce nothing from his own false Supposition Page 127. To prove the Saints Continuance always in Sin he desires to remark that 1 Joh. 18. It is even such who have heard seen and handled of the Word of God The Saints were cleansed from All Vnrighteousness c. Who say If we have no sin we are liars And here indeed is to be observed his detestable Impudence in adding to the Scripture-words citing verse 7. which he repeats thus We who are cleansed from the guilt of sin whereas there is no such word as Guilt in that place but only We are cleansed from all Sin which imports a Cleansing from the Filth Mark these words verse 9. From All unrighteousness now when the Guilt is only taken away and the Filth remaineth as W. M. falsly supposes they could not be said to be cleansed from All Vnrighteousness For it is an improper speech to say W.M. pleads for a Cleansing from the Guilt or Punishment but not from the Filth or Act of Sin We are cleansed from Guilt It is from the Filth we are cleansed and the Guilt is forgiven us Therefore saith the Apostle verse 9. first He is faithful to forgive us and next he adds To cleanse us from all unrighteousness Nor will John's saying If we say we have no sin import John himself to be of that number more than than the Apostle James speaking of the Tongue James 3.9 saying Therewith Curse we Men who are made after the similitude of God will prove James to have been of these Cursers Now in answer to me shewing that that Scripture 1 John 1.8 is Conditional else it would contradict what follows verse 9. Chap. 24. and Chap. 3 9. he returneth no Answer but his own Assertions He saith The 9 th verse speaketh of Forgiveness but it also adds Cleansing as is above observed He saith That 1 John 2.4 is understood of a sincere not absolute keeping of the Commands of God but for this he brings no proof at all He saith That John 3.9 whosoever is born of God sinneth not Is meant of sinning unto death from which the Child of God is secured The reason he gives of this gloss is Because the Apostle Chap. 5. verse 16. speaketh of a Sin unto Death which Sin W. M. supposeth to be that the Apostle means He that 's born of God cannot Commit But to prove this Supposition we have nothing but his own meer Assertion Reader These are the best and strongest Arguments he hath to prove his Doctrines His Seventeenth Head page 128. is to shew his Doctrines not to be acceptable to the Wicked and his Eighteenth Head page 131. is To prove ours to be so But he is so pitifully ridiculous in this matter that such as have the least measure of Vnderstanding and are Unprejudiced cannot but see his Weakness Yet that he may be left altogether without a Cover I shall Answer his Objections and leave the Unbiassed Reader as he desires to judge which Principles in their nature have most tendency to strike at or foster Wickedness To prove that it is not acceptable to the Wicked to hear they must always Sin he says Some are so conceited of their honesty that they cannot be convinced of their Sins And that Mortification of Sin is distastful to them But how he makes this to answer the other is not told us If Hypocrites love not to hear of their sins it doth not therefore follow that pleading for a constant Continuance in Sin is not acceptable to the Wicked Continuance in Sin pleaded for is acceptable to the Wicked they may be the easier induced to acknowledge their Sins that they hear it told them
visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him God hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things Hebr. 1.2 by whom also he made the Worlds Q. These are very clear that even the World was Created by Christ But what Scriptures prove the Divinity of Christ against such as falsly deny the same A. And the Word was God John 1 1. Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be Equal with God Phil 2.6 And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an Understanding 1 John 5.20 that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and Eternal Life Q. What are the Glorious Names the Scripture gives unto Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God A And his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor The Mighty God Isai. 9.5 The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature Col. 1.15 Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the Express Image of his Person or more properly Hebr. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Greek of his Substance Rev. 19.13 And he was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called The Word of God Q. After what manner was the Birth of Christ Matth. 1.18 A. Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise When as his Mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost And the Angel said unto her Fear not Mary for thou hast found Favour with God And behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus He shall be Great and shall be called The Son of the Highest The Birth of Christ. and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David Then said Mary unto the Angel How shall this be seeing I know not a Man Luke 1.30 31 32 34 35. And the Angel answered and said unto her The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee Therefore also that Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Q. Was Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary and supposed to be the Son of Joseph a True and Real Man A. Forasmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood Hebr. 2.14 he also himself took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels Hebr. 2.16 17. but He took on him the Seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behoved him To be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High-Priest c. For we have not an High-Priest Hebr. 4.15 which cannot be Touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted as we are yet without Sin And the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ Hebr. 5.15 hath abounded unto many But now is Christ risen from the Dead 1 Cor. 15.20 21. and become the First-Fruits of them that slept for since by Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead Q. After what manner doth the Scripture assert the Conjunction and Unity of the Eternal Son of God in and with the Man Christ Jesus A. And the Word was made Flesh John 1.14 and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth For he whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God John 3.34 for God giveth not the Spirit by Measure unto him Now God Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost Acts 10 38. and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 For in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Q. For what End did Christ appear in the World A. For what the Law could not do Rom. 8.3 in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. For this Purpose the Son of God was manifested 1 John 3.8 9. That he might destroy the Works of the Devil And ye know that he was manifested To take away our Sins Q. Was Jesus Christ really Crucified and Raised again A. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received 1 Cor. 15.3 4. how that Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Q. What End do the Scriptures ascribe unto the Coming Death and Sufferings of Christ. Luke 2.30 31 32. A. For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People A Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God And walk in Love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering Ephes. 5.2 and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour And having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross by him To Reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and Enemies in your minds by wicked Works yet now hath he reconciled in the Body of his Flesh through Death Col. 1.20 21 22. to present you Holy Vnblamable and Vnreprovable in his Sight Hebr. 9.12 14. Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entered-in once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offer'd himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the Just for the Unjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit 1 John 3 16. Hereby perceive we
and Observances A. * Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature Q. What speaketh Christ of the Unity of the Saints with him A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father John 14.20 and ye in me and I in you Abide in me and I in you John 15.4 5. As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the Vine ye are the Branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Neither pray I for these alone but for them also John 17.20 21 22 23. which shall believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in Vs that the World may believe it that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Q. What saith the Apostle Paul to this purpose A. For both he that Sanctifies and they that are Sanctified Hebr. 2.11 are all of One for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Q. What saith the Apostle Peter A. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. CHAP. V. Concerning the Light wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightned every Man The Vniversality and Sufficiency of God's Grace to all the World made manifest therein Question WHerein consists the Love of God towards Fallen and Lost Man Answer For God so loved the World John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World 1 John 4.9 that we might live through him Q. What is intended here by the World all and every Man or only a few A. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour Hebr. 2.9 that he by the Grace of God Should taste Death for every Man 1 John 2.1 2. And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Q. Methinks the Apostle John is very plain there in mentioning the whole World which must be not only the Saints but all others seeing he distinguisheth the World from himself and all the Saints to whom he then wrote What saith Paul elsewhere in this matter A. Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom we Preach warning every Man Col. 1.27 28. and teaching every Man in all Wisdom That we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.3 4 6. I Exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Giving of Thanks be made for All Men for this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour who will have All Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. What is the Apostle Peter 's Testimony in this A. The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward 2 Pet. 3.9 Not willing that any should Perish but that All should come to Repentance Q. Are there any more Scripture-Passages that prove this thing A. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Ezek. 33.11 but that the Wicked turn from his Way and Live The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion slow to Anger and of great Mercy Psal. 145.8 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works To wit That God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto him self 2 Cor. 5.19 Q. Seeing then by these Scriptures it appears that the Love of God is held out to all that all might have been or may be saved by Christ What is to be judged of those who assert that God nor Christ never purposed Love nor Salvation to a great part of Mankind and that the Coming and Sufferings of Christ never was intended nor could be useful to their Justification but will and must be effectual for their Condemnation even according to God's Purpose who from their very Infancy to their Grave with-held from them all means of Salvation What saith the Scripture to such A. For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved John 3 17. I am come a Light into the World that Whosoever believeth in me John 12.46 47. should not abide in Darkness And if any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World Q. From what Scripture then came these Men to wrest an Opinion so contrary to Truth A. For the Children being not yet born neither have done any Good or Evil Rom. 9 11 12 13. that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand it was said unto her The Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Q. I perceive in that Scripture it was only said before the Children were born The Elder shall serve the Younger These other Words Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated are mention'd out of the Prophet Malachy who wrote them many hundred Years after both were Dead Doth not the Scripture mention any other Cause of God's hating Esau than meerly his Decree What saith the same Apostle elsewhere A. Lest there be any Fornication or Prophane Person as Esau Hebr. 12.16 17. who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Q. But seeing that such alledge that it is because of Adam 's Sin that many even Children are Damned Doth not the Scripture aver that the Death of Christ was as large to Heal as Adam 's Sin could Condemn A. For if through the Offence of one many be Dead Rom. 5.15 18. much more the Grace of God
not under the Law but under Grace Q. How cometh the Apostle then to cry out and complain of Sin saying Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Doth he speak that as a Condition always permanent to him and other Saints or only that which he had passed through What saith he afterwards A. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 2 3 5 36 37 38 39. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. What saith that Apostle then unto such who taking Occasion from his words should plead for Continuance in Sin for Term of Life and think to be saved by the Imputative Righteousness of Christ as being under Grace A. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin Rom. 6.1 2. that Grace may abound God forbid What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Q. Is not the Apostle then so far from supposing that Condition of being always under Sin to be his own Constant Condition Freedom from Sin or that of all the Saints that he even supposes many of the then Church of Rome to whom he wrote to be free of it How bespeaketh he then as in relation to this matter A. How shall we that are Dead to Sin Rom. 6.2 7 11 12 13 16 23. live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were 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 in Newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in 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 for he that is dead is free from Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin but ye have Obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness I speak after the manner of Men because of the Infirmity of your Flesh for as ye have yielded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity even so now yield your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q It would appear then that God requires of us to be Perfect A. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.48 is Perfect Q. Is it then possible to keep the Commandments A. My Yoke is easie and my Burden is light For this is the Law of God Matt. 11.30 that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 Q. Is it necessary then for Salvation to keep the Commandments A. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 and may enter in through the Gates into the City Q. Do you understand by this Perfection that any have so kept the Commandments as never to have sinned 1 John 1.10 A. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his Word is not in us Q Do you understand that those who are Perfect may say they have no Sin or only that having sinned and so having Sin in respect they once sinned as the Apostle in the Passage cited mentions May they notwithstanding thereof come to know Forgiveness for the Guilt but also Cleansing from the Filth A. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 If we confess our Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Q. This Scripture seems to be very plain being compared with the other before mentioned But because some are apt to mistake and wrest the Words of that Apostle What saith he else-where Did he judge any could know God or be True Christians who kept not the Commandments A. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye Sin not 1 John 2.1 3 4 5 6 3.2 10. and if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him But who so keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World q 1 Joh 2.1 2. For by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man r Hebr 2.9 And gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time s 1 Tim. 2.6 Willing all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth t 1 Tim. 2.4 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance u 2 Pet. 3.9 For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved x John 3 17. And Christ came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in Darkness y John 12.46 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon All Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life z Rom. 5.18 ARTICLE XI Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man THe Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven a Col. 1.23 which Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation to them that believe b Rom. 1.16 And if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them c 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil d John 3.19 And this was the true Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the World e John 1.9 By which all things that are reproveable are made manifest for whatsoever maketh manifest is Light f Ephes. 5.11 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved but he that doth Truth cometh to to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God g Joh. 3 20 21. And they that walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin h 1 John 1. Therefore ought we to believe in the Light while we have the Light that we may be the Children of the Light i John 12.36 Therefore to Day if we will hear his Voice let us not harden our Hearts k Hebr. 4 7. For Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine Eyes l Luke 19.42 And he would often have gathered her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not m Matth. 23.37 for the stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears do always Resist the Holy Ghost n Acts 7.51 And are of those that Rebel against the Light o Job 24.13 Therefore God's Spirit will not always strive with Man p Gen. 7.3 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness q Rom. 1.18 Because what is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them r Rom. 1.19 And a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal s 1 Cor. 12.7 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World t Tit. 2.11 12. And this Word of this Grace is able to build up and give an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified u Acts 20.32 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart x Hebr. 4.12 Is that more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in the Heart y 2 Pet. 1. â—9 And this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles Preached which is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart z Rom. 10.8 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ a 2 Cor. 4.6 But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God b 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us for the Kingdom of God cometh not by Observation but is within us ARTICLE XII Concerning Faith and Justification FAith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen d Hebr. 11.1 Without which it is impossible to please God e Hebr. 11.6 Therefore we are justified by Faith which worketh by Love f Gal. 5.6 For Faith without Works being dead is by Works made perfect g Jam. 2.23 26. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified h Rom. 3.20 Nor yet by the Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy we are saved by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i 1 Tit. 3.5 For we are both washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God k 1 Cor. 6.11 ARTICLE XIII Concerning Good Works IF we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body we shall live l Rom. 8.13 For they which believe in God must be careful to maintain good Works m T it 3.8 For God will render to every Man according to his Deeds according to his Righteous Judgment to them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life n Rom. 2.6 7. For such are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God o 2 Thess. 1.5 and cast not away their Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward p Hebr. 10.35 Blessed then are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City q Rev. 22.14 ARTICLE XIV Concerning Perfection SIn shall not have Dominion over such as are not under the Law but under Grace r Rom. 6.14 For there is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the
Spirit of Life maketh free from the Law of Sin and Death s Rom. 8 1 2. For such are become dead unto Sin and alive unto Righteousness and being made free from Sin are become Servants of Righteousness t Rom. 6 2.18 Therefore ought we to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect u Matth. 5.48 For the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burthen is light x Matt. 11.30 And his Commandments are not grievous y 1 John 5.3 And whosoever will enter into Life must keep the Commandments z Matth. 19.17 Hereby do we know that we know God if we keep his Commandments a 1 John 2.3 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him b 1 John 2.4 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him c John 3.6 Let no Man deceive us he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God d 1 John 3.7 8 9. For not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven e Matth. 7.21 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God f 1 Cor. 7.19 ARTICLE XV. Concerning Perseverance and Falling from Grace WE ought to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure which things if we do we shall never fall g 2 Pet. 1.10 For even Paul kept under his Body and brought it into Subjection lest by any Means when he preached to others he himself became a Cast-away h 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us therefore take heed lest there be in any of us an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the Living God i Hebr. 3.12 Likewise let us labour to enter into that Rest lest any Man fall after the same Example of Vnbelief k Hebr. 4.11 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance l Hebr. 6.4 5 6. For he that abideth not in Christ is cast forth and is withered m John 15.16 Yet such as overcome he will make as Pillars in the Temple of his God and they shall go no more out n Rev. 3.12 And these are perswaded that nothing shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus o Rom. 8.38 ARTICLE XVI Concerning the Church and Ministry THe Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth p 1 Tim. 3.15 Whereof the Dear Son of God is the Head q Col. 1.18 From which all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God r Col. 2.19 Which Church of God are they that are sanctified in Christ Jesus s 1 Cor. 1.2 Who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry t Ephes. 4.9 11. Who ought to be blameless vigilant sober of good Behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Strikers not greedy of filthy Lucre but patient not Brawlers not Covetous u 1 Tim. 3.2 3. but Lovers of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faith as they have been taught that they may be able by sound Doctrine both to Exhort and to Convince Gain-sayers x T it 1.8 9. Taking heed to themselves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God y Acts 20.28 Taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but as being Ensamples to the Flock z 1 Pet. 5.2 3. And such Elders as rule well are to be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine a 1 Tim. 5.17 And to be esteemed very highly in Love for their Works sake b 1 Thess. 5.5 12. As every Man hath received the Gift so ought the same to be Ministred If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth c 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Preaching the Gospel not with the Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ be made of none effect d 1 Cor. 1.17 Nor yet with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that the Faith may not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God e 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Howbeit such spake Wisdom among them that are Perfect yet not the Wisdom of this World not of the Princes of this World which cometh to nought but they speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to their Glory f 1 Cor. 2.6 7. Which things they also speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth g 1 Cor. 2.13 For it is not they that speak but the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father that speaketh in them h Matth. 10.20 Who if they sow spiritual things ought to reap carnal things for so the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward i 1 Cor. 9.11 14 Yet a necessity is laid upon them yea Wo is unto them if they preach not the Gospel and their Reward is that when they preach the Gospel they make the Gospel of Christ without Charge k 1 Cor. 9 15 17 18. Not coveting any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel but their Hands ministring to their Necessities that so labouring they may support the Weak remembring the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It 's more blessed to give than to receive l Acts 20 33 34. For they are not of the greedy Dogs that can never have enough m Isa. 56.11 Nor of the Shepherds that look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter n Ibidem That Feed themselves and not the Flock o Ezek. 34.8 That make the People Err biting with their Teeth and crying Peace and
Imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm Eph 2.1 That Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air. The Fifth and Sixth Propositions Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition Ezek. 18.23 Isai 49.6 John 3.16 and 1 9. T it 2.11 Eph. 5 13. Hebr. 2 9. God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a Sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation if not Resisted Nor is it lessVniversal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death 1 Cor. 15.22 who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Vniversality of Christ's Death are easily solved Neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in those places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and Common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those Remote parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This certain Doctrine then being received to wit that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Vniversality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted death for every Man Hebr. 2 9. not only for all kinds of Men as some vainly talk but for every one of all kinds the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Suffering as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightning their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoied so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn To do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be included As they have then falsly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the absolute necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to the obtaining its saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Asserters of Vniversal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 The Seventh Proposition Concerning Justification As many as resist not this Light but receive the same in them is produced a holy pure and spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all these other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his work in us as we are Sanctified so are we Justified in the Sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Eighth Proposition Concerning Perfection In whom this holy and pure Birth is fully brought forth Rom. 6.14 Id. 8.13 Id. 6.2 18. 1 John 3.6 the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and removed and their hearts united and subjected unto the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestion or Temptation of the Evil one but to be Free from actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect Perfect Yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth there remaineth a possibility of sinning where the Mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover in whom it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection 1 Tim. 1.6 Hebr. 6.4 5 6. by disobedience such may fall
hereunto we stand there for this Word always proceedeth and doth Eternally proceed from God in and by which the Vnsearchable Wisdom of God and Vnsearchable Counsel and Will Conceived in the Heart of God is Revealed unto us That then the Scripture is not the Principal Ground of Faith and Knowledge as it appears by what is above spoken so it is provided in the latter part of the Proposition which being Reduced to an Argument runs thus That the Certainty and Authority whereof depends upon another and which is received as Truth because of its proceeding from another is not to be accounted the Principal Ground and Origin of all Truth and Knowledge But The Scriptures Authority and Certainty depends upon the Spirit by which they were dictated and the Reason why they were received as Truth is because they proceeded from the Spirit Therefore They are not the Principal Ground of Truth To Confirm this Argument I added the School-Maxime Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Which Maxime though I Confess it doth not hold Vniversally in all things yet in this it both doth and will very well hold as by Applying it as we have above Intimated will appear Neither are they the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners The same Argument will hold as to the other Branch of the Proposition That it is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners thus That which is not the Rule of my Faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners But The Scripture is not nor can it be the Rule of that Faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers Arguments hereafter As to what is Affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Rule it is largely handled in the former Proposition the Sum whereof I shall Subsume in one Argument thus That the Spirit is the Rule If by the Spirit we can only come to the True Knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all Truth and so be Taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Foundation and Ground of all Truth and Knowledge and the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners But the First is True Therefore also the Last Next The very Nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the Only and Chief Rule of Christians else there should be no Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the Nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved Wherein the Law and Gospel differ But besides these which are before-mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ In that the Law being outwardly written brings under Condemnation but hath not Life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the Evil so it being an Inward Powerful thing also gives Power to Obey and delivers from the Evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Glad Tidings The Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the Inward Spiritual Law gives Life for it consists not so much in Words as in Vertue Wherefore such as come to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater Power over their Iniquities than all Outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians Hereunto the Apostle Commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to Outward Laws or Writings but to the Word of Grace which is Inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere Affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed People unto which was not Outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The Principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an Outward Letter nor Law outwardly written and delivered but an Inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But The Letter of the Scripture is Outward of it self a dead thing a meer Declaration of good things but not the Things themselves Therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal Rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide The Scripture not the Rule must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their Circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an Instance in two or three Particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services their being not found in which though the Act be no general positive Duty yet in so far as it may be Required of them is a great Sin to Omit forasmuch as God is zealous of his Glory and every Act of Disobedience to his Will Manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and Inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for Instance Some are Called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith There was a Necessity upon him to preach the Gospel Wo unto me if I preach not If it be Necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same Necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which Necessity as it may be Incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said Object That the Qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these Qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I Answer The Qualifications of a Bishop or Minister Answ. as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in
called with respect to their Animal property and not their Rational or that that Wisdom that is Foolishness with God is not meant of the Rational but only the Animal Property any Rational Man laying aside Interest may easily Judge § IV. I come now to the other part to wit That this Evil and Corrupt Seed is not imputed to Infants until they actually join with it Infants no Sin imputed to them For this there is a Reason given in the End of the Proposition it self drawn from Eph. 2. for these are by nature Children of Wrath who walk according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Here the Apostle gives Their evil walking and not any thing that is not reduced to Act as a Reason of their being Children of Wrath. And this is sutable to the whole strain of the Gospel where no man is ever threatned or judged for what Iniquity he hath not Actually wrought Such indeed as continue in Iniquity and so do homologate the sins of their Fathers God will visit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children Is it not strange then that men should entertain an Opinion so Absurd in it self and so cruel and contrary to the Nature as well of God's Mercy as Justice concerning the which the Scripture is altogether silent But it is manifest that man hath Invented this Opinion out of Self-love The Absolute Decree of Election springs from Self-love and from that bitter Root from which all Errors spring for the most part of Protestants that hold this having as they fancy the Absolute Decree of Election to secure them and their Children so as they cannot miss of Salvation they make no great difficulty to send all others both old and young to Hell For whereas Self-love which always is apt to believe that which it desires possesseth them with a Hope that their part is secure they are not solicitous how they leave their Neighbours which are the far greater part of mankind in these Inextricable Difficulties The Papists again use this Opinion as an Art to Augment the Esteem of their Church and Reverence of its Sacraments seeing they pretend it is Washed away by Baptism only in this they appear to be a little more Merciful in that they send not these Vnbaptized Infants to Hell but to a certain Limbus concerning which the Scriptures are as silent as of the other This then is not only not Authorized in the Scriptures but Contrary to the express Tenor of it The Apostle saith plainly Rom. 4.15 Where no Law is there is no Transgression And again 5.13 But sin is not imputed where there is no Law To Infants there is no Law so no Transgression Than which Testimonies there is nothing more positive since to Infants there is no Law seeing as such they are utterly Vncapable of it the Law cannot reach but such as have in some measure less or more the Exercise of their Vnderstanding which Infants have not So that from thence I thus argue Sin is Imputed to none where there is no Law But To Infants there is no Law Therefore Sin is not Imputed to them The Proposition is the Apostle's own words the Assumption is thus proved Those who are under a Physical Impossibility of either hearing knowing or understanding any Law where the Impossibility is not brought upon them by any Act of their own but is according to the very Order of Nature appointed by God to such there is no Law But Infants are under this Physical Impossibility Therefore c. Secondly What can be more positive than that of Ezech. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity For the Prophet here first sheweth what is the Cause of man's Eternal Death which he saith is in his Sinning and then as if he purposed Expresly to shut out such an Opinion he assures us The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity From which I thus argue Infants bear not Adam's Transgression If the Son bear not the Iniquity of his Father or of his Immediate Parents far less shall he bear the Iniquity of Adam But the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father Therefore c. § V. Having thus far shewn how Absurd this Opinion is I shall briefly Examine the Reasons its Authors bring for it Object 1 First They say Adam was a publick person and therefore all men sinned in him as being in his Loins And for this they Alledge that of Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned c. These last words say they may be translated in whom all have sinned Answ. To this I answer That Adam is a publick person is not denied and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all men which in its own Nature is sinful and Inclines men to Iniquity yet will it not follow from thence that Infants who Join not with this Seed are guilty As for these words in the Romans the Reason of the Guilt there alledged is For that all have sinned Now no man is said to Sin unless he actually Sin in his own person for the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the nearest Antecedent so that they hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an Entrance to sin in the World And so death entred by sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. upon which viz. Occasion or in which viz. Death all others have sinned that is actually in their own persons to wit all that were Capable of sinning of which number that Infants could not be the Apostle clearly shews by the following Verse Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and since as is above proved there is no Law to Infants they cannot be here Included Object 2 Their Second Objection is from Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Hence they say it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty How they infer this Consequence for my part I see not The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more Ascribable to the Parents Answ. than to the Child It is said indeed In sin did my Mother Conceive me not My Mother did Conceive me a sinner Conceived in Sin Answer'd Besides that so Interpreted Contradicts expresly the Scripture before-mentioned in making Children guilty of the Sins of their Immediate Parents for of Adam there is not here any mention Contrary to the plain words The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity Object 3 Thirdly They Object That the Wages of Sin is death and that seeing Children are subject to diseases and death therefore they must be guilty of sin Answ. I answer That these things are a Consequence of the Fall and of
Adam's Sin is Confessed but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are Subject to them is denied For though the whole outward Creation suffered a Decay by Adam's Fall Death the Wages of Sin Answer'd which groans under Vanity according to which it is said in Job That the Heavens are not clean in the sight of God yet will it not from thence follow that the Herbs Earth and Trees are Sinners Next Death though a Consequent of the Fall incident to man's Earthly Nature is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints but rather a Sleep by which they pass from Death to Life which is so far from being Troublesom and Painful to them as all real punishments for sin are that Prop. 5 6 the Apostle counts it Gain To me saith he to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 Some are so foolish as to make an Objection further saying Object That if Adam's sin be not imputed to those who actually have not sinned then it would follow that all Infants are saved But we are willing Answ. that this supposed Absurdity should be the Consequence of our Doctrine rather than that which it seems our Adversaries reckon not Absurd though the undoubted and unavoidable consequence of theirs viz. that Many Infants Eternally perish not for any sin of their own but only for Adam 's Iniquity where we are willing to let the Controversy â—ist commending both to the Illuminated Vnderstanding of the Christian Reader This Error of our Adversaries is both Denied and Refuted by Zwinglius that Eminent Founder of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland in his Book De Baptismo for which he is Anathematized by the Council of Trent in the fifth Session We shall only add this Information That we Confess then that a Seed of Sin is Transmitted to all men from Adam although Imputed to none Original Sin no Scripture-Phrase until by sinning they actually join with it in which Seed he gave occasion to all to sin and it is the Origin of all Evil Actions and Thoughts in mens hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Romans 5. i. e. in which death all have sinned For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scriptures and The body of death seeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteousness and Holiness Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man the Old Adam in which all Sin is for which cause we use this name to express this sin and not that of Original sin of which phrase the Scripture makes no mention and under which Invented and Vnscriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took place among Christians PROPOSITIONS V. VI. Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is Inlightened PROPOSITION V. GOD out of his Infinite Love Ezech. 18.32 and 33 11. who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a LIGHT that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Joh. 3.16 who enlighteneth EVERY man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and maketh manifest all things that are Reprovable Eph. 5.13 and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light lighteneth the hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation and this is it which Reproves the sin of all Individuals and would work out the Salvation of all if not Resisted Nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death who tasted Death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 PROPOSITION VI. According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Universality of Christ's Death are easily solved neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God useth to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in the places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and common Grace For as hence it well follows that some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may some who by Providence are cast into those Remote Parts of the World where the knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they Receive and Resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This most certain Doctrine being then received that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted Death for every Man Hebr. 2.9 not only for all kind of men as some vainly talk but for every man of all kinds the benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily Excluded from the benefit of this Knowledge by some Inevitable Accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightening their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoyed so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn to do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be Included As They have then falsly and erroneously Taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have They sufficiently Taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the Absolute Necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to obtain its Saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Assertors of Universal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of his Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightened Every man that cometh into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9 16. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 HItherto we have Considered Man 's fall'n lost corrupted and degenerated Condition Now is it fit to Inquire How and by what means he may come to be Freed out of this miserable
they may be justly punished If these Sayings do not plainly and evidently Import that God is the Author of Sin we must not then seek these mens Opinions from their Words but some way else it seems as if they had Assumed to themselves that Monstrous and Twofold Will they feign of God one by which they declare their minds openly and another more secret and hidden which is quite contrary to the other Nor doth it at all help them to say That Man sins willingly since that Willingness proclivity and propensity to Evil is according to their Judgment so necessarily imposed upon him that he cannot but be Willing because God hath willed and decreed him to be so Which Shift is just as if I should take a Child uncapable to Resist me and throw it down from a great Precipice the Weight of the Child's body indeed makes it go readily down and the Violence of the Fall upon some Rock or Stone beats out its Brains and kills it Now then I pray though the Body of the Child goes willingly down for I suppose it as to its mind is Vncapable of any Will and the weight of its Body and not any immediate stroke of my hand who perhaps am at a great distance makes it Die whether is the Child or I the proper Cause of its Death Let any man of Reason judge if God's part be with them as great yea more Immediate in the Sins of men as by the Testimonies above brought doth appear whether doth not this make him not only the Author of Sin but more Vnjust than the unjustest of men § III. Secondly This Doctrine is Injurious to God because it makes him delight in the Death of Sinners yea 2. It makes God delight in the Death of a Sinner and to will many to Die in their Sins Contrary to these Scriptures Ezech. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.3 2 Pet. 3.9 For if he hath Created men only for this very End that he might shew forth his Justice and Power in them as these men affirm and for effecting thereof hath not only with-held from them the means of doing Good but also predestinated the Evil that they might fall into it and that he inclines and forces them into great sins certainly he must necessarily delight in their death and will them to die seeing against his own Will he neither doth nor can do any thing § IV. Thirdly It is highly Injurious to Christ our Mediator and to the Efficacy and Excellency of his Gospel 3. It renders Christ's Mediation Ineffectual for it renders his Mediation Ineffectual as if he had not by his Sufferings throughly broken down the Middle Wall nor yet removed the Wrath of God or purchased the Love of God towards all Mankind if it was afore Decreed that it should be of no service to the far greater part of Mankind It is to no purpose to alledge that the Death of Christ was of Efficacy enough to have saved all Mankind if in Effect its vertue be not so far Extended as to put all Mankind into a Capacity of Salvation 4. It makes the Gospel a Mock Fourthly It makes the preaching of the Gospel a meer Mock and Illusion if many of these to whom it is preached be by an Irrevocable Decree Excluded from being benefited by it it wholly makes Vseless the preaching of Faith and Repentance and the whole Tenor of the Gospel-Promises and Threatnings as being all relative to a former Decree and Means before appointed to such which because they cannot fail Man needs do nothing but wait for that Irresistible Snatch which will come though it be but at the last hour of his Life if he be in the Decree of Election And be his diligence and waiting what it can he shall never Attain it if he belong to the Decree of Reprobation 5. It makes the Coming of Christ an Act of Wrath. Fifthly It makes the Coming of Christ and his propitiatory Sacrifice which the Scripture affirms to have been the Fruit of God's Love to the World and transacted for the Sins and Salvation of all men to have been rather a Testimony of God 's Wrath to the World and one of the greatest Judgments and severest Acts of God 's Indignation towards Mankind it being only ordain'd to save a very few and for the hardening obduring and augmenting the Condemnation of the far greater Number of Men because they believe not truly in it the Cause of which Vnbelief again as the Divines so called above assert is the hidden Counsel of God Certainly the Coming of Christ was never to them a Testimony of God's love but rather of his Implacable Wrath and if the World may be taken for the far greater Number of such as live in it God never loved the World according to this Doctrine but rather hated it greatly in sending his Son to be Crucified in it 6. It renders Mankind in a worse Condition than the Devils § V. Sixthly This Doctrine is Highly Injurious to Mankind for it renders them in a far worse Condition than the Devils in Hell For these were sometimes in a Capacity to have Stood and to suffer only for their own Guilt whereas many Millions of men are for ever Tormented according to them for Adam's Sin which they neither knew of nor ever were Accessary to It renders them worse than the Beasts of the Field of whom the Master requires not more than they are able to perform and if they be killed death to them is the End of Sorrow whereas Man is for ever Tormented for not doing that which he never was able to do It puts him into a far worse Condition than Pharaoh put the Israelites for though he with-held Straw from them Than the Israelites under Pharaoh yet by much labour and pains they could have gotten it But from men they make God to withhold all means of Salvation so that they can by no means attain it Yea they place Mankind in that Condition Tantalus his Condition which the Poets feign of Tantalus who oppressed with Thirst stands in water up to the Chin yet can by no means reach it with his Tongue and being tormented with Hunger hath Fruit hanging at his very lips yet so as he can never layâ—hold on them with his Teeth and these things are so near him not to Nourish him but to Torment him So do these men They make the outward Creation of the Works of Providence the smitings of the Conscience sufficient to Convince the Heathens of Sin and so to Condemn and Judge them but not at all to Help them to Salvation They make the preaching of the Gospel the Offer of Salvation by Christ the Vse of the Sacraments of Prayer and good Works sufficient to Condemn those they account Reprobates within the Church serving only to Inform them to beget a seeming Faith and vain Hope yet because of a secret Impotency which they had from their Infancy all these are wholly
the Medicine is prepared what the Ingredients are nor often times who made it The like may also hold in Spiritual things as we shall hereafter prove The Outward Knowledge not Essential to Salvation Instance Infants and Deaf persons § XXVI First If there were such an Absolute Necessity for this Outward Knowledge that it were even of the Essentials of Salvation then none could be Saved without it whereas our Adversaries deny not but readily Confess that many Infants and deaf Persons are saved without it So that here they break that general Rule and make Salvation possible without it Neither can they Alledge that it is because such are free from sin seeing they also Affirm that all Infants because of Adam's sin deserve Eternal Condemnation as being really guilty in the sight of God and of Deaf people it is not to be doubted and Experience shews us that they are subject to many Common Iniquities as well as other men Object 1 If it be said That these Children are the Children of Believing Parents Anws What then They will not say that they Transmit Grace to their Children Do they not Affirm that the Children of Believing Parents are guilty of Original Sin and deserve death as well as others How prove they that that makes up the Loss of all Explicit Knowledge * Object 2. If they say Deaf people may be made sensible of the Gospel by signs * Answ. All the signs cannot give them any Explicite Knowledge of the History of the Death Sufferings and Resurrection of Christ. For what Signs can Inform a deaf man That the Son of God took on him Man's Nature was born of a Virgin and suffered under Pontius Pilate And if they should further Alledge That they are within the Bosom of the Visible Church and partakers of the Sacraments Object 3 All that gives no Certainty of Salvation for as the Protestants Confess they Confer not Grace ex opere operato And will not they acknowledge Answ. 1 that many are in the bosom of the Church who are visibly no Members of it But if this Charity be Extended towards such who are where the Gospel is preached so that they may be judged Capable of Salvation because they are under a simple Impossibility of distinctly knowing the Means of Salvation what reason can be alledged A Chinees or Indian excusable for not knowing the History of the Death of Christ c. why the like Charity may not be had to such as though they can hear yet are under a simple Impossibility of hearing because it is not spoken unto them Is not a man in China or in India as much to be Excused for not knowing a thing which he never heard of as a deaf man here who cannot hear For as the deaf Man is not to be blam'd because God hath been pleased to suffer him to lye under this Infirmity so is the Chinees or the Indian as Excusable because God hath with-held from him the Opportunity of Hearing He that cannot Hear a thing as being necessarily Absent and he that cannot Hear it as being naturally deaf are to be placed in the same Category Secondly This manifestly appears by that saying of Peter Acts 10.34 Answ. 2 Of a truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Peter was before liable to that Mistake that the rest of the Jews were in judging that all were Vnclean except themselves and that no man could be saved except they were proselyted to their Religion and Circumcised But God shewed Peter other ways in a Vision and taught him to Call nothing Common or Vnclean And therefore seeing God regards the prayers of Cornelius a Stanger to the Law that God regarded the prayers of Cornelius who was a stranger to the Law and to Jesus Christ as to the outward yet Peter saw that God had accepted him and he is said to fear God before he had this outward Knowledge therefore Peter Concludes that every one that in every Nation without respect of persons feareth God and worketh Righteousness is Accepted of him So he makes the Fear of God and the working of Righteousness and not an outward Historical Knowledge the Qualification They then that have this wherever they be they are saved Now we have already proved that to Every man that Grace is given whereby he may live God-likely and Righteously and we see that by this Grace Cornelius did so and was accepted and his prayers came up for a Memorial before God before he had this outward Knowledge Also was not Job a perfect and upright man that feared God and eschewed evil Who taught Job this From what Scripture did Job learn his Excellent Knowledge how knew Job Adam's Fall And from what Scripture learned he that Excellent Knowledge he had and that Faith by which he knew his Redeemer lived for many make him as Old as Moses Was not this by an Inward Grace in the heart was it not that Inward Grace that taught Job to eschew Evil and to fear God and was it not by the Workings thereof that he became a Just and Vpright man how doth he Reprove the Wickedness of men Chap 24 and after he hath numbred up their Wickedness doth he not Condemn them vers 13. for rebelling against this Light for not knowing the Way thereof nor abiding in the Paths thereof It appears then Job believed that men had a Light and that because they Rebelled against it therefore they knew not its Way and abode not in its Paths even as the Pharisees who had the Scriptures are said to Err not knowing the Scriptures And also Job's Friends though in some things wrong Job's Friends their Excellent Sayings yet who taught them all those Excellent Sayings and Knowledge which they had Did not God give it them in order to save them or was it meerly to Condemn them Who taught Elihu That the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Vnderstanding That the Spirit of God made him and the Breath of the Almighty gave him life And did not the Lord accept a Sacrifice for them And who dare say that they are Damned But further the Apostle puts this Controversy out of doubt for if we may believe his plain Assertions he tells us Rom 2. That the Heathens did the things contained in the Law From whence I thus Argue In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is Accepted Arg. But Many of the Heathens feared God and wrought Righteousness Therefore They were Accepted The Minor is proved from the Example of Cornelius But I shall further prove it thus He that doth the things contained in the Law feareth God and worketh Righteousness But The Heathens did the things contained in the Law Therefore The Heathens feared God and wrought Righteousness Can there be any thing more Clear For if to do the things contained in the Law be not to
us § III. First then as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears Expl. 1 we Renounce all Natural Power and Ability in our selves in order to bring us out of our lost and fallâ—n Condition and first Nature Justification springs of and from the Love of God and Confess that as of our selves we are able to do nothing that is good so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own so as to merit it or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us but we acknowledge all to be of and from his Love which is the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Acceptance Secondly God manifested this love towards us in the sending of his Expl. 2 Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the World who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Christ giveing himself a Sacrifice for us and having made peace through the blood of his Cross that he might Reconcile us unto himself and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God and suffered for our Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Thirdly then Forasmuch as all men who have come to man's Estate the Man Jesus only Excepted have sinned therefore all have need of Expl. 3 this Saviour to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences in this respect he is truly said to have born the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree and therefore is the Only Mediator having qualified the Wrath of God towards us so that our former sins stand not in our way being by virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice Removed and pardoned To Remission of Sins Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected sought or obtained any other way or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever though as has been said formerly they may come to partake of this Remission that are Ignorant of the History So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath Reconciled us to God The only Mediator betwixt God and Man even while we are Enemies that is he offers Reconciliation unto us we are put into a Capacity of being Reconciled God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities and to accept us as is well expressed by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation And therefore the Apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience of Christ Jesus he is willing to be Reconciled unto them and ready to Remit the sins that are past if they Repent A Twofold Redemption We Consider then our Redemption in a twofold Respect or State both which in their own nature are perfect though in their Application to us the one is not nor cannot be without respect to the other I. The Redemption of Christ without us The first is the Redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for us in his Crucified Body without us The other is the Redemption wrought by Christ in us which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former The first then is that whereby man as he stands in the Fall is put into a Capacity of Salvation and hath conveyed unto him a measure of that Power Virtue Spirit Life and Grace that was in Christ Jesus which as the Free Gift of God is able to Counter-ballance Overcome and Root-out the Evil Seed wherewith we are naturally as in the Fall leavened II. The Redemption wrought by Christ in us The second is that whereby we Witness and Know this pure and perfect Redemption in our selves purifying cleansing and redeeming us from the power of Corruption and bringing us into Vnity Favour and Friendship with God By the first of these two we that were lost in Adam plunged in the bitter and Corrupt Seed unable of our selves to do any good thing but naturally joined and united to Evil forward and propense to all Iniquity Servants and Slaves to the power and spirit of Darkness are notwithstanding all this so far Reconciled to God by the death of his Son while Enemies that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us and God is Reconciled unto us in Christ calls and invites us to himself in which respect we understand these Scriptures * Eph. 2.15 1 John 4.10 Ezech. 16.6 1 Pet. 2.22 24. and 3.18 He slew the Enmity in himself He loved us first seeing us in our blood he said unto us live he who did not sin his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and he died for our sins the Just for the Vnjust By the second we witness this Capacity brought into Act whereby receiving and not resisting the purchase of his death to wit the Light Spirit and Grace of Christ Revealed to us we witness and possess a real true and inward Redemption from the power and prevalency of sin and so come to be truly and really Redeemed Justified and made Righteous and to a sensible Union and Friendship with God Thus he died * Tit. 2.14 Phil. 3.10 for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and thus we know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to us This last follows the first in order and is a Consequence of it proceeding from it as an Effect from its Cause So as none could have enjoyed the last without the first had been such being the Will of God so also can none now partake of the first but as he witnesseth the last Wherefore as to us they are both Causes of our Justification The first the Procuring Efficient the other the Formal Cause Fourthly We understand not by this Justification by Christ barely the Expl. 4 good works even as wrought by the Spirit of Christ for they as Protestants truly affirm are rather an Effect of Justification than the Cause of it The Formation of Christ in us begets Good Works But we understand the Formation of Christ in us Christ born and brought forth in us from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree It is this Inward Birth in us bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us that doth Justify us which having removed and done away the Contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation now is in Dominion over all in our hearts Those then that come to know Christ thus formed in them do enjoy him wholly and undivided who is the LORD our RIGHTEOVSNESS Jer. 23.6 This is to be Cloathed with Christ and to have put him on whom God therefore truly accounteth Righteous and Just. This is so far from being the
Doctrine of Papists that as the generality of them do not Vnderstand it so the Learned among them oppose it and dispute against it and particularly Bellarmine Thus then as I may say the formal Cause of Justification is not the Works to speak properly they being but an Effect of it but this Inward Birth this Jesus brought forth in the heart who is the Well-beloved whom the Father cannot but Accept and all those who thus are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and washed with it By this also comes that Communication of the goods of Christ unto us by which we come to be made partakers of the Divine Nature as saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 and are made one with him as the Branches with the Vine and have a Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us Christ's Obedience Righteousness Death and Sufferings are ours So that his Obedience becomes Ours his Righteousness ours his Death and Sufferings ours And by this Nearness we come to have a Sense of his Sufferings and to suffer with his Seed that yet lies pressed and crucified in the hearts of the ungodly and so travel with it and for its Redemption and for the Repentance of those Souls that in it are Crucifying as yet the Lord of Glory Even as the Apostle Paul who by his Sufferings is said to fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Body which is the Church Though this be a Mystery sealed up from all the Wise men that are yet Ignorant of this Seed in themselves and oppose it nevertheless some Protestants speak of this Justification by Christ inwardly put-on as shall hereafter be recited in its place Lastly Though we place Remission of Sins in the Righteousness and Expl. 5 Obedience of Christ performed by him in the flesh as to what pertains to the Remote procuring Cause and that we hold our selves formally Justified by Christ Jesus formed and brought forth in us yet can we not as some Protestants have unwarily done Exclude Works from Justification Good Works are not excluded Justification for though properly we be not Justified for them yet are we Justified in them and they are necessary even as Causa sine quâ non i. e. the Cause without which none are justified For the denying of this as it 's contrary to the Scriptures Testimony so it hath brought a great Scandal to the ProProtestant Religion opened the mouths of Papists and made many too secure while they have believed to be justified without good works Moreover though it be not safe to say They are Meritorious yet seeing they Prop. 5 6 are Rewarded many of those called the Fathers have not spared to use the word Merit which some of us have perhaps also done in a qualified Sense but no ways to infer the Popish Abuses above-mentioned And lastly If we had that notion of good works which most Protestants have we could freely agree to make them not only not necessary but Reject them as hurtful viz. That the best works even of the Saints are defiled and polluted For though we judge so of the best Works performed by man endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Law by his own strength and in his own will yet we believe that such works as naturally proceed from this Spiritual Birth and Formation of Christ in us are pure and holy even as the Root from which they come and therefore God Accepts them Justifies us in them and Rewards us for them of his own Free Grace The State of the Controversy being thus stated these following Positions do hencefrom arise in the next place to be proved Position I § IV. First That the Obedience Sufferings and Death of Christ is that by which the Soul obtains Remission of Sins and is the procuring Cause of that Grace by whose inward workings Christ comes to be formed inwardly and the Soul to be made Conformable unto him and so just and justified And that therefore in respect of this Capacity and Offer of Grace God is said to be Reconciled not as if he were actually Reconciled or did actually Justify or account any Just so long as they remain in their Sins really Impure and Vnjust Position II Secondly That it is by this Inward Birth of Christ in man that man is made Just and therefore so accounted by God Wherefore to be plain we are thereby and not till that be brought forth in us formally if we must use that word Justified in the sight of God because Justification is both more properly and frequently in Scripture taken in its proper signification for making one Just and not reputing one meerly such and is all one with Sanctification Position III Thirdly That since good Works as naturally follow from this Birth as heat from fire therefore are they of Absolute Necessity to Justification as Causa sine quâ non i. e. though not as the Cause for which yet as that Good Works are Causa sine quâ non of Justification in which we are and without which we cannot be Justified And though they be not Meritorious and draw no Debt upon God yet he cannot but Accept and Reward them for it is contrary to his Nature to deny his own since they may be perfect in their kind as proceeding from a Pure Holy Birth and Root Wherefore their Judgment is false and against the Truth that say That the holiest Works of the Saints are defiled and sinful in the sight of God for those Good Works are not the Works of the Law excluded by the Apostle from Justification Position I § V. As to the first I prove it from Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood Proof I to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Here the Apostle holds forth the Extent and Efficacy of Christ's Death The Efficacy of Christ's Death to Redeem man out of Evil. shewing that thereby and by Faith therein Remission of sins that are past is obtained as being that wherein the forbearance of God is exercised towards Mankind So that though men for the Sins they daily Commit deserve Eternal Death and that the Wrath of God should lay hold upon them yet by virtue of that most-satisfactory Sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Grace and Seed of God moves in love towards them during the day of their Visitation yet not so as not to strike against the Evil for that must be burned-up and destroyed but to Redeem man out of the Evil. Prop. 7 Secondly If God were perfectly Reconciled with men Proof II and did esteem them Just while they are actually Vnjust and do Continue in their Sins then should God have no Controversy with them * I do not only speak concerning men before Conversion who afterwards are Converted whom yet some of our Antagonists called Antinomians do aver were Justified from the beginning but also
touching those who according to the common Opinion of Protestants have been Converted whom albeit they confess they persist always in some Misdeeds and sometimes in hainous Sins as is manifest in David's Adultery and Murder yet they assert to be perfectly and wholly Justified How comes he then so often to Complain to Expostulate so much throughout the whole Scripture with such as our Adversaries Confess to be Justified telling them That their sins separate betwixt him and them Isa. 59.2 For where there is a perfect and full Reconciliation there is no Separation Yea from this Doctrine it necessarily follows either that such for whom Christ died and whom he hath thus Reconciled never Sin or that when they do so they are still Reconciled and their Sins make not the least Separation from God yea that they are Justified in their Sins From whence also would follow this Abominable Consequence That the good Works and greatest Sins of such are alike in the sight of God seeing neither the one serves to Justify them nor the other to break their Reconciliation which occasions great Security and opens a door to every lewd Practice †Proof III. Thirdly This would make void the whole practical Doctrine of the Gospel and make Faith it self Needless For if Faith and Repentance and the other Conditions called for throughout the Gospel be a Qualification upon our part necessary to be performed then before this be performed by us we are either fully reconciled to God or but in a Capacity of being Reconciled to God he being ready to Reconcile and Justify us as these Conditions are performed Which latter if granted is according to the Truth we profess And if we are already perfectly Reconciled and Justified before these Conditions are performed which Conditions are of that Nature that they cannot be performed at one time but are to be done all one's life time then can they not be said to be absolutely Needful Which is contrary to the very express Testimony of Scripture which is acknowledged by all Christians For * Hebr. 11.6 John 3.18 Luke 13.3 Apoc. 2.5 Rom. 8.13 without Faith it is Impossible to please God They that believe not are Condemn'd already because they believe not in the Only begotten Son of God Except ye Repent ye cannot be Saved For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die And of those that were Converted I will Remove your Candlestick from you unless ye Repent Should I mention all the Scriptures that positively and evidently prove this I might transcribe much of all the Doctrinal Part of the Bible For since Christ said It is finished and did finish his Work sixteen hundred years ago and upwards if he so fully perfected Redemption then and did then actually Reconcile every one that is to be Saved not simply opening a Door of Mercy for them A Door of Mercy opened by Christ upon Repentance offering the Sacrifice of his Body by which they may obtain Remission of their Sins when they Repent and Communicating unto them a measure of his Grace by which they may see their sins and be able to Repent but really make them to be Reputed as Just The Antinomians Opinion of Reconciliation and Justification either before they believe as say the Antinomians or after they have Assented to the Truth of the History of Christ or are sprinkled with the Baptism of Water while nevertheless they are actually Vnjust so that no part of their Redemption is to be wrought by him now as to their Reconciliation and Justification then the whole doctrinal Part of the Bible is useless and of no profit in vain were the Apostles sent forth to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins and in vain do all the Preachers bestow their labour spend their lungs and give forth Writings yea much more in vain do the people spend their money which they give them for preaching seeing it is all but Actum agere but a vain and uneffectual Essay to do that which is already perfectly done without them Proof IV But lastly To pretermit their humane Labours as not worth the disputing whether they be needful or not since as we shall hereafter shew themselves Confess the Best of them is Sinful this also makes void the present Intercession of Christ for men What shall become of that great Article of Faith Christ's daily making Intercession for us by which we Affirm That he sits at the right hand of God daily making Intercession for us and for which end the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered For Christ maketh not Intercession for those that are not in a possibility of Salvation that is absurd Our Adversaries will not admit that he prayed for the World at all and to pray for those that are already Reconciled and perfectly Justified is to no purpose To pray for Remission of Sins is yet more Needless if all be Remitted past present and to come Indeed there is not any solid Solving of this but by acknowledging according to the Truth that Christ by his Death removed the Wrath of God so far as to obtain Remission of sins for as many as Receive that Grace and Light that he communicates unto them and hath purchased for them by his Blood which as they believe in they come to know Remission of sins past and power to save them from sin and to wipe it away so often as they may fall into it by unwatchfulness or weakness if applying themselves to this Grace they truly Repent For to as many as receive him he gives power to become the sons of God So none are sons none are justified none reconciled until they thus receive him in that little Seed in their hearts and life Eternal is offered to those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek glory honour and immortality For if the righteous man depart from his righteousness his righteousness shall be remembred no more And therefore on the other part none are longer Sons of God and justified than they patiently continue in righteousness and well-doing And therefore Christ lives always making Intercession during the day of every man's Visitation that they may be Converted and when men are in some measure Converted he makes Intercession that they may Continue and go-on and not faint nor go back again Much more might be said to Confirm this Truth but I go on to take notice of the Common Objections against it which are the Arguments made use of to propagate the Errors Contrary to it § VI. The First and Chief is drawn from that saying of the Apostle before-mentioned 2 Cor. 5.18 19. God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not Imputing their Trespasses unto them Object 1 From hence they seek to Infer That Christ fully perfected the Work of Reconciliation while he was on Earth I Answer If by Reconciliation be understood the Removing of Wrath
Legal Acceptation As first in that of 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified as I before have proved which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge Neither diffide we saith Thysius because of the most great and strict Connexion Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3. that Justification doth sometimes seem also to Comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence as in Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 And such sometimes were ye Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. but ye are washed c. Zanchius having spoken concerning this sense of Justification adds saying There is another signification of the word viz. for a man from Unjust to be made Just even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy In which signification the Apostle said in the place above-cited And such were some of you c. that is of unclean ye are made holy and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit for Christ's sake in whom ye have believed Of this signification is that Rev. 22.11 Let him that is just be just still that is really from just become more just even as from unjust he became just And according to this signification the Fathers and especially Augustine have Interpreted this word H. Bullinger Thus far he H. Bullinger on the same place 1 Cor. 6. speaketh thus By divers words saith he the Apostle signifies the same thing when he saith ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified Proof II Secondly In that Excellent Saying of the Apostle so much observed Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the Golden Chain as being acknowledged to Comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation And therefore if Justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain Righteousness the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious Account makes the word Justified to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really Righteous is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification All for the most part do acknowledge the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge that as this is the most proper so the most common Signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledge We are not saith D. Chamierus such Impertinent Esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunate Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another yea we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called D. Chamier Tom. 3. de Sanct. l. 10. c. 1. because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of Inherent Righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Father I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely Beza in cap. 3. ad Tit. vers 7. so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by Imputation as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melanchthon saith Melancht in Apol. Confes. Aug. that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced Just but also of Unrighteous to be made Righteous Also some Chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrine whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Boraeus in Gen. c. 15. ad verb Credidit Abraham Deo pag. 161. Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our Justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our Justification the one is his Death the other is his Arising from the dead By his Death the sins of this World behoved to be Expiated By his Rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Idem lib. 3. Reg. cap. 9. v. 4. pag. 681. Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the Definition of Justification the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included both with the Remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost Bucerus in Rom. 4. ad ver 16. the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only Remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness Righteousness a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten which renders us Conform unto the Image of the First-Begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We always judge that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly adorned with all virtue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Country-man W. Forbes in Considerat Modest. de Just. lib. 2. Sect 8. Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word Justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce Just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make Just because that God doth otherways justify a wicked man than Earthly Judges For he when he Justifies a wicked or unjust man How God justifies the Wicked doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him Just because his Judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of Unjust to become Just. And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say That God first justifies and
II § IV. Secondly It is Inconsistent with the Justice of God For since he requires Purity from his Children It s Inconsistency with the Justice of God and Commands them to abstain from every Iniquity so frequently and precisely as shall hereafter appear and since his Wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men it must needs follow that he hath Capacitated man to answer his Will or else that he Requires more than he has given power to perform which is to declare him openly Vnjust and with the slothful servant to be a Hard Master We have elsewhere spoken of the Injustice these men ascribe to God in making him to damn the Wicked to whom they alledge he never afforded any means of being good But this is yet an Aggravation more Irrational and Inconsistent to say That God will not afford to those whom he has Chosen to be his own whom they confess he loveth the Means to please him What can follow then from so strange a Doctrine This Imperfection in the Saints either proceeds from God or from themselves If it proceed from them it must be because they are short in Improving or making use of the Power given them whereby they are Capable to Obey and so it is a thing possible to them as indeed it is by the help of that Power but this our Adversaries deny They are then not to be blamed for their Imperfection and Continuing in sin since it is not possible to them to do otherwise If it be not of themselves it must be of God who hath not seen meet to allow them Grace in that degree to produce that Effect And what is this but to attribute to God the Heighth of Injustice to make him require his Children to forsake sin and yet not to afford them sufficient means for so doing Surely this makes God more Vnrighteous than Wicked men Who will give their Children a Stone instead of Bread Who if as Christ saith Their Children require bread of them will not give them a stone or instead of a fish a serpent but these men confess We ought to seek of God power to Redeem us from Sin and yet believe They are never to Receive such a power such Prayers then cannot be in Faith but are all vain Is not this to make God as Vnjust to his Children as Pharaoh was to the Israelites in requiring brick and not giving them straw But blessed be God he deals not so with those that truly Trust in him and Wait upon him as these men vainly imagine for such Faithful ones find of a truth that his Grace is sufficient for them and know how by his power and Spirit to overcome the Evil one Proof III § V. Thirdly This Evil Doctrine is highly Injurious to Jesus Christ and greatly derogates from the Power and Vertue of his Sacrifice and renders his Coming and Ministry The great and principal End of Christ's Coming and Appearance was for the removing of Sin and to redeem us from all Iniquity as to the great End of it Ineffectual For Christ as for other Ends so principally he appeared for the Removing of Sin for gathering a righteous Generation that might serve the Lord in purity of mind and walk before him in fear and bring-in Everlasting Righteousness and that Evangelical Perfection which the Law could not do Hence he is said Tit. 2.14 to have Given himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works This is certainly spoken of the Saints while upon Earth But contrary thereunto these men Affirm That we are never Redeemed from all Iniquity and so make Christ's giving of himself for us void and ineffectual and give the Apostle Paul the Lie plainly by denying That Christ purifieth to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works How are they Zealous of Good works who are ever committing Evil ones How are they a Purified people that are still in Impurity as are they that daily sin unless sin be accounted no Impurity Moreover it is said expresly 1 Joh. 3.5 8. That for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins But these men make this purpose of none Effect for they will not have the Son of God to destroy the works of the Devil in his Children in this World Neither will they at all believe that he was manifest to take away our sins seeing they plead a necessity of always living in them And lest any should wrest this place of the Apostle as if it were spoken only of Taking away the guilt of sin as if it related not to this life the Apostle as of purpose to obviate such an Objection adds in the two following verses Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not c. I hope then they sin not daily in thought word and deed Let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil But he that sinneth daily in thought word and deed committeth sin how comes such a one then to be the Child of God And if Christ was manifest to take away sin how strangely do they overturn the Doctrine of Christ that deny that it is ever taken away here And how Injurious are they to the Efficacy and Power of Christ's Appearance Came not Christ to gather a people out of Sin into Righteousness out from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of the Dear Son of God and are not they that are thus gathered by him his Servants his Children his Brethren his Friends Who as he was so are they to be in this World holy pure and undefiled And doth not Christ still Watch over them Stand by them Pray for them Preserve them by his Power and Spirit Walk in them and Dwell among them The Devil dwells among the Reprobates even as the Devil on the other hand doth among the Reprobate ones How comes it then that the Servants of Christ are less his Servants than the Devil 's are his or is Christ unwilling to have his Servants throughly pure which were gross Blasphemy to assert contrary to many Scriptures Or is he not able by his Power to preserve and enable his Children to serve him which were no less blasphemous to affirm of him concerning whom the Scriptures declare that he has Overcome sin death hell and the grave and Triumphed over them openly and that all power in heaven and earth is given to him But certainly if the Saints sin daily in thought word and deed as these men Assert they serve the Devil daily and are subject to his power and so he prevails more than Christ doth and holds the Servants of Christ in bondage whether Christ will or not But how greatly then doth it Contradict the End of Christ's Coming as it is
he was Separated to be an Apostle Capable to impart to the Romans Spiritual gifts and Chapter 8. vers 2. That the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the Law of sin and death so then he was not Carnal And seeing there are Spiritual men in this life as our Adversaries will not deny and is intimated through this whole 8 Chapter to the Romans it will not be denied but the Apostle was one of them So then as his calling himself Carnal in Chap. 7. cannot be understood of his own proper state neither can the rest of what he speaks there of that kind be so understood yea after verse 24. where he makes that Exclamation he adds in the next verse I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord signifying that by him he witnessed deliverance and so goeth on shewing how he had obtained it in the next Chapter viz. 8. v. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ and vers 37. But in all these things we are more than Conquerors And in the last verse Nothing shall be able to separate us c. But wherever there is a Continuing in sin there is a separation in some degree seeing every Sin is contrary to God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Trangression of the Law I Joh. 3.4 and whoever committeth the least Sin is overcome of it and so in that respect is not a Conqueror * Whom sin has Conquer'd is no Conqueror but Conquered This Condition then which the Apostle plainly testified he with Some others had obtained could not consist with Continual Remaining and Abiding in Sin †Obj. IV. Fourthly They object the Faults and Sins of several Eminent Saints as Noah David c. I Answer That doth not at all prove the Case For the question is not Whether good men may not fall into sin which is not denied Answ. but Whether it be not possible for them not to sin It will not follow because these men sinned that therefore they were never free of sin but always sinned For at this rate of arguing it might be urged according to this Rule Contrariorum par ratio i. e. The reason of Contraries is alike That if because a Good man hath sinned once or twice he can never be free from sin Can they that sin be never freed from sin but must always be daily and continually a sinner all his life long then by the Rule of Contraries If a Wicked man have done good once or twice he can never be free from Righteousness but must always be a Righteous man all his life time which as it is most Absurd in it self so it is Contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezech. 33.12 to the 18 th Lastly they Object That if Perfection or Freedom from sin be Attainable Object V this will render Mortification of Sin useless and make the Blood of Christ of no service to us neither need we any more pray for forgiveness of sins I Answer I had almost omitted this Objection Answ. because of the manifest Absurdity of it For can Mortification of sin be useless where the End of it is obtained seeing there is no attaining of this perfection but by mortification Doth the hope and belief of Overcoming render the Fight unnecessary Let rational men judge which hath most sense in it to say as our Adversaries do It is necessary that we fight and wrestle Who fights and not in hopes to Overcome his Foe but we must never think of overcoming We must resolve still to be overcome Or to say Let us fight because we may overcome Whether do such as believe they may be Cleansed by it or those that believe they can never be Cleansed by it render the Blood of Christ most effectual If Two Men were both grievously diseased and applied themselves to a Physician for Remedy which of those do most Commend the Physician and his Cure he that believeth he may be Cured by him and as he feels himself Cured confesseth that he is so and so can say This is a skilful Physician This is good Medicine behold I am made whole by it or he that never is Cured nor ever believes that he can so long as he lives As for praying for forgiveness we deny it not Praying for Forgiveness of Sin for that all have sinned and therefore all need to pray that their sins past may be blotted out and that they may be daily preserved from sinning And if hoping or believing to be made free from sin hinders praying for forgiveness of sin it would follow by the same Inference that men ought not to forsake Murder Adultery or any of these gross Evils seeing the more men are sinful the more plentiful occasion there would be of asking forgiveness of sin and the more work for Mortification But the Apostle hath sufficiently refuted such sin-pleasing Cavils in these words Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid But Lastly It may be easily answered by a Retortion to those that press this from the words of the Lord's Prayer Forgive us our debts that this militates no less against perfect Justification than against perfect Sanctification For if all the Saints the least as well as the greatest be perfectly Justified in that very hour wherein they are Converted as our Adversaries will have it then they have Remission of sins long before they die May it not then be said to them What need have ye to pray for Remission of Sin who are already Justified whose sins are long ago forgiven both past and Prop. 9 to come § X. But this may suffice Concerning this Possibility Jerom speaks clearly enough Testimonies of the Fathers concerning Perfection or Freedom from Sin lib. 3. adver Pelagium This we also say that a man may not sin if he will for a time and place according to his bodily weakness so long as his mind is Intent so long as the Cords of the Cythar relax not by any Vice And again in the same Book Which is that that I said that it is put in our power to wit being helped by the Grace of God either to sin Jerom. or not to sin For this was the Error of Pelagius which we indeed reject and abhor and which the Fathers deservedly withstood that man by his natural strength without the help of God's Grace could attain to that state Augustine so as not to sin And Augustine himself a great Opposer of the Pelagian Heresy did dot deny this possibility as Attainable by the help of God's Grace as in his Book de Spiritu Literâ cap. 2. and his Book de Naturâ Gratiâ against Pelagius cap. 42 50 60 63. de Gestis Concilii Palaestini Gelasius cap. 7. II. and de Peccatô Originali lib. 2. cap. II. Gelasius also in his Disputation against Pelagius saith But if any affirm that this may be
true Faith This Objection is very weak and apparently Contrary to the Text 1 Tim. 1.19 Answ. Where the Apostle addeth to Faith a good Conscience by way of Complaint A good and evil Conscience whereas if their Faith had been only seeming and hypocritical the men had been better without it than with it neither had they been worthy of blame for losing that which in it self was Evil. But the Apostle expresly adds and of a good Conscience which shews it was Real neither can it be supposed that men could truly attain a good Conscience without the operation of God's Saving Grace far less that a good Conscience doth consist with a seeming false and hypocritical Faith Again these places of the Apostle being spoken by way of Regret clearly Import that these Attainments they had fall'n from were good and real not false and deceitful else he would not have Regretted their falling from them And so he saith positively They tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. not that they seem'd to be so Which sheweth this Objection is very frivolous Secondly they Alledge Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that Object 2 he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ c. and 1 Pet. 1.5 who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Answ. These Scriptures as they do not affirm any thing positively Contrary to us so they cannot be understood otherwise than as the Condition is performed upon our part seeing Salvation is no otherways proposed there but upon certain Salvation is proposed upon certain Conditions by us to be performed necessary Conditions to be performed by us as hath been above proved and as our Adversaries also acknowledge as Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the end For if these places of the Scripture upon which they build their Objection were to be admitted without these Conditions it would manifestly overturn the whole Tenor of their Exhortations throughout all their Writings Some other Objections there are of the same nature which are solved by the same Answers which also because largely treated of by others I omit to come to that Testimony of the Truth which is more especically ours in this matter and is contained in the latter part of the Proposition in these words Yet such an Increase and Stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a total Apostasy § IV. As in the Explanation of the fifth and sixth Propositions I observed that some that had denied the Errors of others concerning Reprobation and affirmed the Vniversality of Christ's Death did notwithstanding fall short in sufficiently holding forth the Truth and so gave the contrary party an occasion by their defects to be strengthened in their Errors so may it be said in this Case * The two Extreams some run into by Asserting a final falling or not falling from Grace Impossible As upon the one hand they Err that affirm That the least degree of true and Saving Grace cannot be fall'n from so do they Err upon the other hand that deny any such Stability to be attained from which there cannot be a total and final Apostasy And betwixt these Two Extreams lieth the Truth apparent in the Scriptures which God hath Revealed unto us by the Testimony of his Spirit and which also we are made sensible of by our own sensible Experience And even as in that former Controversy was observed so also in this the defence of Truth will readily appear to such as seriously weigh the matter for the Arguments upon both hands rightly applied will as to this hold good and the Objections which are strong as they are respectively urged against the two opposite false Opinions are hereby easily solved by the establishing of this Truth For as the Arguments which these alledge that affirm There can be no falling away may well be received upon the one part as of those who have attained to this Stability and Establishment and their Objections solved by this Concession so upon the other hand the Arguments alledged from Scripture-Testimonies by those that affirm the possibility of falling away may well be received of such as are not come to this Establishment though having attained a measure of true Grace Thus then the contrary Batterings of our Adversaries who miss the Truth do Concur the more strongly to Establish it while they are destroying each other But lest this may not seem to suffice to satisfy such as judge it always possible for the best of men before they die to fall away I shall add for the proof of it some Brief Considerations from some few Testimonies of the Scripture § V. And first I freely acknowledge that it is good for all to be Humble and in this respect not over-Confident so as to lean to this Watchfulness and Diligence is of Indispensible necessity to all to foster themselves in Iniquity or lie down in Security as if they had attained this Condition seeing Watchfulness and Diligence is of indispensible necessity to all mortal men so long as they breath in this World for God will have this to be the Constant Practice of a Christian that thereby he may be the more fit to serve him and the better armed against all the daily Temptations of the Enemy For since the Wages of sin is death there is no man while he sinneth and is subject thereunto but may lawfully suppose himself capable of perishing Hence the Apostle Paul himself saith 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away Here the Apostle supposeth it possible for him to be a Cast-away and yet it may be judged he was far more advanced in the Inward Work of Regeneration when he wrote that Epistle than many who now a-days too presumptuously suppose they cannot fall away because they feel themselves to have attained some small degree of true Grace But the Apostle makes use of this Supposition or possibility of his being a Cast-away as I before observed as an Inducement to him to be Watchful I keep under my body lest c. Nevertheless the same Apostle at another time in the sense and feeling of God's Holy Power and in the Dominion thereof finding himself a Conqueror there-through over sin and his Soul's Enemies maketh no difficulty to affirm Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. which clearly sheweth that he had Attained a Condition from which he knew he could not fall away But secondly It appears such a * A Condition attainable in this life
readily to Wait that he might Answer the King when he speaks and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will and to do accordingly would be still deafening him with Discourse though it were in praises of him and running to and fro without any particular and immediate Order to do things that perhaps might be good in themselves or might have been Commanded at other times to others Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service Since then we are Commanded to Wait upon God diligently and in so doing it is promised that our Strength shall be renewed this Waiting cannot be performed but by a Silence To Wait in Silence or Cessation of the natural part on our side since God manifests himself not to the outward man or senses so much as to the inward to wit to the Soul and Spirit If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will The thinking busie Soul excludes the Voice of God and busily exercised in her own Imaginations though the matters as in themselves may be good concerning God yet thereby she incapacitates her self from discerning the still small Voice of the Spirit and so hurts her self greatly in that she neglects her Chief Business of Waiting upon the Lord. Nothing less than if I should busie my self crying out and speaking of a Business while in the mean time I neglect to hear one who is quietly Whispering into my Ear and informing me in these things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business And since it is the Chief Work of a Christian to know the natural Will in its own proper motions Crucified that God may both move in the Act and in the Will the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial For some men please themselves as much and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curious Speculations of Religion Religious Speculations affecting a Name and Reputation that way or because those things by Custom or other ways are become pleasant and habitual to them though not a whit more Regenerated or inwardly Sanctified in their Spirits Sensual Recreations as others gratify their Lusts in Actions of Sensuality and therefore both are alike hurtful to men and sinful in the sight of God it being nothing but the meer Fruit and Effect of man's natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit Yea should one as many no doubt do from a sense of sin and fear of punishment seek to terrify themselves from Sin by multiplying thoughts of Death Hell and Judgment and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven The Thoughts of Death and Hell to keep out sin are Fig-leaves and also by multiplying Prayers and other Religious Performances as these things could never deliver him from one Iniquity without the secret and inward Power of God's Spirit and Grace so would they signifie no more than the Fig-leaves wherewith Adam thought to cover his Nakedness And seeing it is only the Product of man's own natural Will proceeding from a Self-Love and seeking to save himself and not arising purely from that Divine Seed of Righteousness which is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation it is Rejected of God and no ways acceptable unto him since the natural man as natural while he stands in that State is with all his Arts Parts and Actings Reprobated by him This great Duty then of Waiting upon God must needs be exercised in man's denying self both inwardly and outwardly Denial of ones self in a still and meer dependence upon God in abstracting from all the Workings Imaginations and Speculations of his own mind that being emptied as it were of himself and so throughly Crucified to the natural products thereof he may be fit to Receive the Lord who will have no Copartner nor Corrival of his Glory and Power And man being thus stated the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul and Christ hath purchased for him even the measure of Grace and Life which is burthened and crucified by man's natural thoughts and imaginations receives a place to arise and becometh a holy Birth and geniture in man The Holy Birth and is that Divine Air in and by which man's Soul and Spirit comes to be leavened And by Waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the sight of God to stand in his presence hear his Voice and observe the Motions of his Holy Spirit And so man's place is to Wait in this and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his mind concerning God or things relating to Religion his Soul may be exercised in them without hurt and to the great profit both of himself and others because those things have their rise not from his own Will but from God's Spirit And therefore as in the arisings and movings of this his mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating so also in the more obvious acts of preaching and praying No Quakers are against a Meditating Mind From Nature's Thoughts all Errors rise we find And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation as some have sought falsly to infer from our Doctrine but we are against the thoughts and imaginations of the natural man in his own Will from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded But if it please God at any time when one or more are Waiting upon him not to present such Objects as gives them occasion to exercise their Minds in Thoughts and Imaginations but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence and as they persist therein to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them then they have good reason to be Content because by this as we know by good and blessed Experience the Soul is more strengthened renewed and confirmed in the love of God and armed against the Power of sin than any ways else The Soul Renew'd by what the holy Life of God this being a Foretaste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God which the Saints in Heaven daily possess which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement especially when they are Assembled together to Wait upon him § XI For there are Two contrary Powers or Spirits to wit Whatever Man does Act without the power of God is not Accepted the Power and Spirit of this World in which the Prince of Darkness bears rule and over as many as are acted by it and work from it and the Power or Spirit of God in which God worketh and beareth rule and over as many as Act in and from it So whatever be the things that a man thinketh of or acteth in however Spiritual or Religious as to the notion or form of them so long as he acteth and moveth in the natural and corrupt
Outward Miracles discussed But further these stout and hardy Warriours could have used these same Arguments against the Prophets when they wrought Miracles for they could have alledged The Miracles were not true Miracles but false and such as may be done by the power of the Devil And so if any could produce Miracles now as there have been they would no more be believed than the unbelieving Jews believed the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles For they still looked upon them to be Deceivers It is clear from Scripture that Antichrist shall be permitted to work false Miracles but that they shall so Counterfeit the true that it will be hard to discern the one from the other without God's Immediate Direction and Teaching And therefore the preaching of sound Doctrin accompanied with a holy Life is a better Evidence of a true Prophet than all outward Miracles whatsoever The Fruits prove the Doctrin as Christ said By their Fruits ye shall know them he doth not say by their Miracles but by their Fruits Now we are most willing to be tryed by this Rule if both our Doctrin and Life and manner of Conversation be not answerable to that of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles then let them say we have not that Spirit which was in them But if they cannot make out this they but fight as Men beating the Air. Pag. 80. They Argue That there is no Substantial living Principle in Man that is the good Seed because then the evil Seed or Principle should also be Substantial But this is absurd Therefore That this is Absurd they argue For then it should be Created by God and so God should be the Author of Evil and Sin or it should be Uncreated and consequently God To this we answer The same Argument militates as much and rather more against their own Principle for seeing they hold Sin to be somewhat whether a Substance or an Accident is all one as to the Argument we Argue by a Retortion against themselves Either it is Created or Vncreated and so the same Inconvenience would follow But to answer directly we say Sin considered in its formal Reason is rather a Privation than any real being as Blindness or Lameness in a Man's body or Corruption in Wine or any other Liquor But if they enquire about the Subject of this Privation whether it be a Substance We answer It is Sin a privation in the Subject And it is clear from the Scriptures Testimony that as Christ rules in the Saints so the Devil rules in the wicked and is in them and as God hath his Seed and Birth in the Saints so the Devil hath his seed and birth in the Wicked which is of the Devil's nature But if it be asked further whether it is a Substance We answer first with inquiring at them another Question and Retorting the Argument upon them Whether the Devil is a Substance yea or nay If yea either he is Created or Vncreated if Created then God is the Author of the Devil If Vncreated then he should be God their own Consequence which is Blasphemy But 2. the true Answer to both is that he who is now the Devil was Created of God a good Angel but by his own voluntary Fall he hath reduced himself to be a Devil not by any real Creation but by a Degeneration and as is the Devil himself so is his Seed a corrupted degenerated Principle from what it was originally before Sin was But if we take the Seed of the Devil distinctly The Seed of Sin as distinct from himself we do not say it is any percipient Principle that seeth or knoweth c. for it is rather of the nature of a Body than of a percipient intelligent Spirit and the Scripture calleth it a Body to wit the Body of Death But whether the Seed of Sin be a Substance or not the Students Argument is altogether impertinent to argue that because the good Seed is a substantial living Principle c. then the evil Principle or Seed should also be substantial living c. for the same Reasons We deny this Consequence for there are greater Reasons whereby to prove the one than the other If they think to argue from the Rule of Contraries they think foolishly for it would as much follow that because a Man is a Substance who seeth and heareth c. that therefore a Mans blindness and deafness and lameness are also Substances and that blindness seeth deafness heareth lameness walketh Do they not know the Maxim in Logick that telleth them Substantia substantiae proprie non contrariatur i. e. One Substance properly is not contrary to another But last of all we may more justly retort this blasphemous Consequence upon many of their own Church who hold That God stirreth up the Devil and all wicked Men unto all their wicked Actions by an irresistible Motion or Quality which he infuseth into them commonly called Praedeterminatio Physica Is not this to make God the Author of Sin Original Sin so called As also many of them teach that Original sin is a positive quality infused into the Souls of Men at their Creation Concerning which positive quality we thus argue Either it is Created or Vncreated c. and so the Inconveniences of their Argument will fall much more upon their own heads for they cannot alledge that this positive Quality at its first Creation was first good and afterwards became changed into evil because no Quality can admit any such Transmutation As for Example Whiteness can never become Blackness nor Sweetness Bitterness nor Streightness Crookedness although a Substance that is White may lose its Whiteness and may become Black and that which is Sweet may become Bitter and that which is Streight become Crooked In the prosecution of their second Argument they bring their matter to this Issue That G. K. holds the Seed it self to be contradistinct from the Manifestation because the Manifestation is in the Seed but we deny the Consequence Their Arguments about Manifestation of the Will of God Answered Do not they say that the Manifestation of God's Will is in the Scripture And also that the Scripture it self is the Manifestation of God's Will That G. K. calleth the Seed both a Substance and a Manifestation is as reasonable as to say There are outward Manifestations of God's goodness power and wisdom in the Heavens and Earth and yet the Heavens and Earth are the very outward Manifestations themselves Are not our Meat and Drink and Cloathing natural and outward Manifestations of the goodness of God to us And are not these things Substances And doth not God manifest his Goodness also in them What blind Reasons are these which those poor blind Men bring forth against the Truth Again they Argue That this Manifestation which we say is a Substance depends not a solo Deo cannot exist without a Subject nay not without the Vnderstanding to which it is made
Lives is no New-Coin'd Doctrine as those may see that will read Athanasius de Definitionibus and his Third Dialogue de Trinitate and Fourth Oration against the Arians and Cyrillus Alexandrinus in his Treatise upon John lib. 2. and 3. and lib. 8.47 and in his Thesaurus lib. 4. and Others that might be mentioned As for his arguing p. 96 that because I affirm The Seed of God is a Substance therefore according to me the Seed of Sin must be a Substance also which Consequence I deny and therefore what he builds against me upon this Supposition falls to the ground What he saith here and there scattered in these Pages of the Light will in its proper place come more fully to be Considered ¶ 2. Pag. 98. n. 17. after he has saluted me with the Titles of Effronted and Impudent he will have me one with Socinians and Pelagians because I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall but where he proves I do so I see not It 's true I say The death threatned Gen. 2.17 was not outward death Adam did not die an outward Death the day he did Eat for Adam did not so die the Day he did eat and I do still believe so neither offereth he me any thing to give me ground to alter my mind but to Conclude thence I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall was too hastily Inferred But what if I were Vndetermined in this matter and that it remained a Mystery to me for I believe not the being positive therein Essential to my Salvation which if I were truly what he saith seems not to me sufficient to Proselite me to his Opinion For albeit I willingly Confess with him that Sickness and all the other Miseries attending this Life yea and Death it self considering the Anguishes wherewith it is now generally accompanied are the Consequence of the Fall and of Sin yet I see not how it would thence follow that Adam should not have died seeing Death to him if he had not fall'n would have been freed of all these Miseries and rather a Pleasure than a Pain which has been known to have befall'n many Saints As for his n. 19. he Confesseth the matter of it is left to the next Chapter where I may meet him ¶ 3. Pag. 100. n. 20. He goes on at an high rate of Perverting For after he has said Who would suspect but I mean honestly He applieth to me the saying of Solomon He that hateth dissembleth with his Lips we must not believe him for there are seven Abominations in his heart But why am I with him guilty of this great Charge Because albeit I affirm That Man is wholly degenerate yet I say Whatever good Man doth in his Nature that doth not proceed from him but from the Divine Seed in him Answ. These words are none of mine but a Forgery of his own so incident it is for the Man to lie and pervert And therefore all his vapouring and absurd Inferences drawn from this throughout this Paragraph fall to the ground My words are That the nature by which the Apostle saith the Gentiles did the things Contained in the Law How the Gentiles did the things of the Law cannot be understood of the proper Corrupt Nature of Man but of a Spiritual Nature which proceedeth from the Seed of God as he receiveth a New Visitation of the Divine Love Where it is very plain I consider Man as visited a-new and that in the Strength of that Grace thereby received not of his degenerate Nature he doth that which is good Nor do I any where say as he falsly insinuates That this Spiritual Nature is in all Men though I do say That all Men are visited by God in order to beget this spiritual Nature in them as will after come in its place to be spoken of Now all his battering of this my Assertion in the three following pages depends upon this Supposition That the good Acts done by the Gentiles are not done by vertue of any such Visitation but only by a Light of Corrupt Nature which remained in them after the Fall So that it is but a meer begging of the Question until that be first debated But he thinks he has brought me under a great Dilemma p. 103. urging That since I say All their Imaginations are Evil I must say Every Heathen has this Spiritual Nature in him yea and the Devils must be Partakers of it because they believe there is a God which is a good Thought Answ. The difference between Head-Knowledge and the partaking of the Divine Nature He is too hasty in his Reasonings for that the knowledge a Man may receive from the Divine Seed makes him instantly to partake of the Divine Nature is not proved by him and he knows I believe all Men to be Visited by this Divine Seed which may give them an Head knowledge which they may retain as some Men do the Truth in Vnrighteousness and yet not receive it in the Love of it So though they have it from a Divine Seed yet it will not follow they must necessarily so receive it as to become Partakers of the Divine Nature And as for the Devils he will Confess that once they had this Knowledge from a Spiritual Nature and though they have fall'n yet they may retain the Memory of it for that their Fall and Man's is every way alike he will not Affirm He saith p. 102. That to believe good done by Heathens that is by such as have not the benefit of the outward Knowledge of Christ is done in vertue of a Divine Seed overturns the Gospel but he leaves the Confirmation of it to the Sequel where I shall attend him N. 25. he tells me very fairly The Apostle doth not Contradict himself as if I had ever imagined he did but the question is Whether the Meaning he gives the Apostle's words implies not a Contradiction which indeed he can no ways Reconcile but upon the Supposition above denied And the Reader may judge whether he or I do most fully acknowledge Man's fall and most truly Exalt the Grace of God he that affirmeth That Man notwithstanding the Fall yet retaineth some Reliques of the Image of God yea so that the Law of God which is Holy Just Good and Spiritual is written in his Heart pag. 105. and all this Considered as fall'n Man without receiving any Grace and Benefit from Christ or I J. B's false Assertions that Man retained some Relicks of the Image of God in the Fall who affirm That Man by the Fall was wholly degenerated retaining nothing of the Image of God in whom albeit there remained a Seed of Righteousness yet no other ways than as a Naked Seed in Barren Ground in vertue of which he can do nothing until visited by a New Visitation which he receives by vertue of Christ as Mediator And yet while he ascribeth all this to Vnregenerate Men he saith in a few Lines
have quick Eyes indeed that see it from thence to be Inferred that they were such ere they Committed any Actual Sin since the Apostle expresly mentions his and their having had their Conversation among the World as a Reason of their having been in the same Condition He saith further 1 Confess 1 Cor. 2. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood of the Rational Soul And what then Therefore so soon as they partake of the Rational Soul they become Children of Wrath This is indeed a rare Consequence But he must Excuse me for not Admitting it till better proved It would seem much more Rational to say That so soon as they come to the Exercise of their Rational Soul and then do Evil they become guilty for he cannot deny That the Gospel nor Condemneth nor Threatneth any Man but him that has Actually Sinned And whether this destroys not his Cause the Reader may judge That Except a Man be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom I never denied Albeit Children be capable of Death yet it will not follow that they are Guilty of Sin since Death is no Punishment but rather an Advantage to such to whom it 's a Transition to a better Life He thinks p. 117. that my saying Such as homologate their Fathers Sins God will visit the Iniquities of their Fathers upon them is no worth Noticing but whether his Answer be worth Noticing the Reader may judge which is That Adam 's sin was not a personal Sin as other Mens are and his own After-sins but the Man forgot to prove this and therefore may do it next But he thinks the Children of Core The Children of Core c. Instanced Dathan and Abiram of Achan and the Sodomites were judged guilty of their Fathers Sins for unless he proves that he saith nothing But for what Reason I know not unless that they were outwardly destroyed But until he prove that infers Guilt he must forbear making his Conclusion He is highly offended should say Their Opinion is contrary to the Justice and Mercy of God alledging It is without proof But if to account one guilty for a Sin committed by another Thousands of years ere they had a Being and to punish for it be not against Justice and inconsistent with Mercy I desire to know of him what is more Vnjust and Vnmerciful To say that this is an Accusing of God is but a silly begging of the Question until he has first proved his Opinion to be true It 's no Accusing of God to Condemn Mens Opinions when contrary to his Nature He will have it to be a Rapsody of Non-sense when I say This proceeds from Self-love founded on their Opinion of Absolute Reprobation but whether it be or not the Reader may judge Sure his saying it makes it not so That this of Infants being guilty of Adam 's Sin and therefore many of them being damned depends upon their Doctrine of Reprobation no Man of Sense that knows their Doctrine will deny since they say some Infants are saved because Elected Are not the rest then according to them Damned because Reprobated He gives me nothing here in answer but Railing and so concludes this Paragraph with this notable Saying Wo Isay that is Some Infants Elected some Reprobated J. B.'s Opinion J. Brown forsooth and thrice Wo to such as drink-in this Man's Doctrine and live and die accordingly p. 118. n. 14. He thinks my saying Papists are more Charitable in allowing a Limbus to Children shews my Affection to them but he has not heard me allow of their Notion of a Limbus as he does in the Chapter of Justification p. 310. of the Opinion of a certain Popish Cardinal preferring it not only to what is said by William Forbes a Protestant Bishop but even as it would appear to Richard Baxter his ancient Presbyterian Brother And in pursuance of this he asks How they come to Heaven meaning Children who have nothing to do with Christ But then what will he say of those he accounts Elect Children go they to Heaven without Christ If not the difficulty is the same way resolved To prove Children are under a Law and subject to Transgression he gives the Common Practices among Men who forfeit Children yea such as are unborn with their Fathers for great Crimes But in what Country do they use to kill all the Children when the Father is put to Death for a Crime and unless this were done his Comparison infers not the Point His plain answer he saith is Adam his being a Publick Person of which hereafter To my Citation Ezech. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity how Explained by J. B The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity he preaches at large upon the Words alledging his Meaning is that those Persons he wrote to had so much Sin of their own that God might justly judge them albeit he did not visit them for their Fathers Iniquities And this is the quick Dispatch he saith this Place receives It is a quick Way to Dispatch indeed if it were Valid to make the Meaning destroy the Text But Men of Sense use not to be sudden in receiving such Dispatches The Words are plain and positive The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity therefore until he give Ground from plain Scripture to take it away it must stand to the overthrow of his Doctrine for the greater Sinners those Men were the more justly and deservedly might their Father's Iniquity be laid upon them ¶ 6. Pag. 120. n. 17. He cometh from my Confession J. B. Infers Original Sin from Adam's being a publick Person That Adam was a publick Person to infer That the guilt passeth from him to all And first in this page he affirmeth That this Sin of Adam 's from whence Original Sin proceeds is the Sin of the whole Nature of Mankind and not like Adam 's After-sins and the Sins of other Men which he confesses are not the Sins of the whole Nature And because upon this dependeth much of what he infers he had done well to have proved this in the first Place by some Scripture Till which Time his Inference is not to be Received For did Adam Cease to be a publick Person after he had Committed that Sin If he say Yea let him prove it by plain Scripture for I deny it If not then his other Sins must be Imputed to all Men which he denies or else nothing can be urged from his being a publick Person And while to urge it he asketh Did ever any hear one stated as a Publick Person whose Failings could have no Effect until the Persons represented did testify their Approbation of it For here speaking of Failings he must either Conclude in Contradiction to himself That Adam's Sins are laid to the Charge of his Posterity or his Instance is wholly Impertinent And yet to go round again he takes notice p. 125. That the Apostle names One Offence in the
Singular Number as if thence he would Infer that One Sin is only Transmitted But how he proves his Consequence thence he has not shewen For albeit by that first Offence he gave Entrance for Sin that being his First yet it will not follow he then ceased to be a publick Person and if not nothing can be proved from granting him to be such as is above observed As by the Offence of one c. Objected Next the Words are The Offence of one and not One Offence as he would Insinuate which though in the Singular Number may include many yea all his Offences For whatever way he seek to urge this from this Place as to Adam the parallel will allow it to be Interpreted of Christ where the Apostle speaking of his Righteousness useth also the Singular Number and thence according to him we might say that it is only the first Act of Christ's Righteousness that is Imputed unto us and none of the rest so that we have nothing to do with his Death Sufferings and Resurrection What thinks he now of his own Divinity Let him loose his Knot the next time to give him one of his own modestest Proverbs The Absurdity he seeks to draw from denying this Consequence of his being a publick Person That if Adam had stood Infants should have no Advantage by him since they have no hurt by his Fall Toucheth not me at all who no where say That Infants have no Hurt by Adam's Fall Adam by his Fall became obnoxious to Temptations Adam by his Fall lost his Glory his Strength his Dominion by which he could have easily withstood the Devil and came under great Weakness whereby the Enemy's Tentations had a ready Access to him and he became very obnoxious to fall under them And so all his Posterity are come under the same Weakness and Obnoxiousness to the Enemy's Tentations who influenceth them by Entring into them and powerfully Inclining them to Sin and this malignant Influence is that Seed of Sin in all Men whereunto they become obnoxious by reason of the Fall which though in it self really Sin yet is it not Man's but the Devil 's until Man give Way to it But I deny not but the least yielding is Man's Sin among which I reckon Concupiscence to be one and so differ from Papists For albeit the Tentation simply considered or as presented by the Devil be not Man's Sin yet if he have the least Love or Desire to it albeit he join not Actually that shews his Mind is already defiled and corrupted and that he is become a Partaker of it Thus are answered his Reasonings and Questionings How this Seed of Sin can be and yet not the Persons Sin p. 121 122 c. as the Reader by Comparing may observe Only it is remarkable p. 121. where he seems to put a great Stress upon the Judgment of Augustin and citing him he brings him in saying these Words among others concerning Infants Shall they sin that are under no Command Now since they Infants are under no Law who are under no Command are under no Law for every Law imports a Command how will he reconcile this saying or his Holy Father which he brings as a matter of Authority with his accounting it both foolish and strange in me p. 119. to prove Children are under no Law J. B. taken in his own Snare So that either the Authority of Augustin he brings is not to be regarded or his Reasonings to prove Children under a Law that is a Command must be naught let him chuse which he will and clear himself of Impertinency His Argument in this page That as the Seed of Grace denominates a Man gracious even while not exercising works of Grace so the Seed of Sin must denominate a Man sinful is but a begging of the Question as in its place will appear when I come to treat of the Seed of Grace ¶ 7. When he cometh p. 123. n. 18. to Reply to my Answer to their Objection Rom. 5.12 among his preliminary Observations the first is very proper where he saith It is observable the Apostle makes Comparison betwixt Adam and Christ. I answer As Christ's Righteousness so Adam's Vnrighteousness is not Imputed to Men before actual Joining with either It is indeed so for as the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to Men for Justification until they actually Join with it or apprehend it by Faith as himself will acknowledge for I suppose by his accounting the Antinomians Hereticks he will not with them affirm that Men are Justified before they believe so neither is the Vnrighteousness and Disobedience of Adam Imputed to Men for Condemnation until they actually Join with it but this Comparison spoils all his Doctrine Then after he has beg'd the Question a while by meer Allegations affirming his Doctrine to be so clear from the Apostle's words that it cannot be Contradicted without doing violence to the Text he forms an Argument thus That Sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he saith it brought Death upon all Men that Men sinned by it and were made Sinners even they who could not as yet actually Sin that thereby all became guilty of Death and of Condemnation that Sin by Imputation is the Sin of the whole Nature included in Adam and rendreth the whole Nature obnoxious to Death and to Condemnation But The first Sin of Adam is described to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That Sin is the Sin of Nature c. This Argument may perhaps satisfy such as are already Proselites of his Theam but will not Convince one that either believes other ways or doubts since the Major is a meer begging of the Question And if any thing be a foisting-in of words to the Text this must be it since he foists-in the thing in Debate and words not in the Text such as Even they J. B. foist 's in words of his own to deceive his Reader who could not as yet actually Sin and joineth them with the words of the Text without distinction and not as an Interpretation that his unwary Reader may Conclude them to be of the Text. And yet the Man has the Impudence in the same page to Accuse me of Intolerable Boldness as foisting words into the Text while I expresly shew it is but an Interpretation by saying That is c. so much is he blinded with Self-Interest but I am Content there be neither Addition nor so much as Consequence made use of Let him shew me the plain Scripture that saith Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin If he say It must be necessarily Inferred from these words in whom all have sinned I say it as necessarily follows that it is only to be understood of all that could sin which Infants could not as not being under any Law as I have above proved and Augustin whom he so much reverenceth doth affirm if his Citation from him be true And
I think of those of Sodom Jude v. 7. the words are these Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange Flesh are set forth for an Example Sodom's Children c. not guilty of their Fathers Transgressions nor of Adam's suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire But it is strange the Man should be so desperately Audacious as to proclaim his own Sottishness to the World Is there a word here of Infants Is not the very Reason of suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire given because of their giving themselves over to Fornication which Reason could not touch Infants Pag. 129. he thinks I wrong Zuinglius upon the Credit of the Council of Trent but if the Council of Trent wronged Zuinglius in Condemning him for that he was not guilty of he and his Brethren have the honour to have their Judgment Approved by that Council while ours is Condemned and let him Remember how he useth to upbraid me with Affinity with Papists yea in this very Chapter upon less ground Pag. 130. he goes about to prove his matter from several Scriptures but how shallowly the Reader may easily observe 1. He citeth Gen. 6.5 Mans thoughts are evil continually What then Are Infants therefore guilty of Adam's Sin that 's the thing in Question But the Hebrew signifies a pueritiis from their Infancy What then how proves that the Case I do not deny but Children may become guilty of Sin very early but the question is Whether they be guilty of Adam's Sin even in their Mothers Womb And hereby we may see he thinks not their Version so Exact but J. B. must take upon him to Correct it to help himself at a Dead Lift as they say The same way is answered the other Scriptures that follow Ezek. 16.4 Matth. 15.19 Eph. 2.3 which are yet more Impertinent as the Reader by looking to them may see and I might easily by Examining them particularly shew Infants perishing in the Flood proves not them guilty if it were not that I study Brevity and delight not to glory over the Man's Impertinency And though Infants perished in the Flood and that was brought upon the Men and Women that sinned for their Iniquities yet it will not follow thence that Infants are guilty of Sins until he better prove that Natural Death is always and to all the Wages of Sin albeit I confess with the Apostle Eternal Death is And indeed if these Infants were punished at all it must have been for the Sins of their Immediate Parents which he will not affirm since the Flood is not said to have come for Adam's Sin but for their own so this Instance clearly overturns his Assertion I leave to the Reader 's Judgment the Scriptures not mentioned at length but set down by him in this to judge whether they prove the thing in Debate to wit That Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin The Citations out of Augustin and Origen brought by him in the next page 131. the Reader may also judge of in case they be truly cited which I cannot Examin at present whether they have Weight enough to Overturn what has been here proved from Scripture The words of Eliphaz Job 15.14 speak of a Man not of a Child and therefore not to the purpose neither do I believe though the Spirit of God gave a Relation of what Eliphaz said that we ought to build our Faith upon his Affirmations Next he urges Gen. c. 5. v. 3. And Adam begat a Son in his own Likeness after his Image but this would prove Adam's Sons as guilty of all Sins as that first which he denied or let him shew a ground for such a Distinction And thus is further Answered Circumcision argues not Infants guilty what he saith next page Gen. 17.14 where it is said The Man-Child that is Vncircumcised shall be cut off which he thinks so strong that in a Vapor he desires me to Chew my Cud upon it For if this Cutting-off was a Punishment of these Children for Sin it must be for that of their Immediate Parents who neglected to Circumcise them which Adam could not do and therefore could not Sin in omitting it and since he will not say this he can Vrge nothing from that place He saith The Fathers used to make use of these words of Christ Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water c. But their Vsing it was upon their Mistake that Baptism took away Original Sin and that therefore Infants Vnbaptized could not to be saved Regeneration of Infants That Regeneration is needful to Infants I deny not and whereas he asks how they are Regenerate I answered that before asking him How those he accounts Elect Infants whom he confesses to be guilty of Adam's Sin are Regenerate He Confesses The Fathers Argument taken from sprinkling Infants with Water which they and he falsly call Baptism will Conclude nothing against me But since he names here Initial Sacraments in the Plural Number which the Fathers made use of it seems they had some more than Baptism And since he and his Brethren make use of no more as Initial but Baptism it seems he differs from them in what they judged needful here as well as the Quakers I have shewen above how I Evite both Contradicting my self as to Vniversal Redemption and Excluding Infants from the benefit of Christ's death And as for his last Question Christ's Birth without Sin and the Birth of other Infants differ Wherein did Christ Excell other Infants if they be born without Sin he should have said not guilty of Sin I answer In that he had no Seed of Sin in him as other Infants have and that not only but he had nothing of that Weakness and Propensity to yield to the Evil Influence thereof as other Infants but was in greater Strength Glory and Dominion over it than Adam even before he fell This shews his Priviledge above others and in nothing Contradicteth what I have said before SECT VI. Wherein his Seventh and Eighth Chapters of Reprobation and Universal Redemption are Considered ¶ 1. IN his seventh Chapter of Reprobation he Expspatiateth himself at great length in large and tedious Homilies which will make my Reply the shorter who look not upon it as my concern to answer them because these Controversies are largely handled by others and what is said by him is abundantly answered Yet if he will affirm he has said something that is New upon this Theam and point to it it is like it may not want an Answer And indeed the Reader may observe him much pained and strained to put a fair Face upon these Foul Doctrines and though what he saith here may be and it is most probable is to be understood of the Reason he gives in his Epistle in being so Large because of the Opposition of others besides Quakers and also because I touched these things but passingly as
there shall be no Application Whether this be Malice or Forgetfulness himself best knows But this is sad he seldom forgets to be Malitious but often to be Just yet as to the Bulk of his Reasonings of that matter perhaps he bestows them for the Confutation of those others he speaks of besides the Quakers against whom he saith he writes who if they judge it their Concern may Answer it â—et in this prolixe Disputation he has Cast-in some Arguments which seem not only to urge against this Meer Possibility as he terms it but also against Christ's dying for all in any respect such as from page 169. N. 19. to page 175. J. B.'s false Doctrine That Christ died to take away Peoples Sins with out Repentance But these are such as his usually are which only proceed upon the Question 's being begged For whereas he saith That those for whom Christ died he died to take away their Sins It is not denied provided they resist not the Grace purchased thereby so that Faith and Repentance be wrought in them But he urges this in the following page 170. That since this Non-performance of the Condition is a Sin if he died for all Sins he must have died for this also and if there be another Condition imagined for that too and so in Infinitum I Answer This Reasoning would infer those to be saved by the Death of Christ who never Repent especially with those who judge Men may sin yea must sin all their life-time and yet be saved Neither doth the Absurdity reach those who affirm Christ to have died for all as to obtain Remission of Sins that are past and Graee sufficient to work Faith and Repentance yea and Restore those that may Fall into sin after their Conversion if not Resisted and this is sufficient to Infer that Christ died for all neither can that Absurdity more reach them than the Apostle who speaks of such as Denied the Lord that bought them And since the Evangelist placeth the Benefit upon the Reception Why all are not benefitted by Christ's Death saying But unto as many as received him he gave Power to become the Sons of God all these Scriptures afterwards cited by him signifying the Efficacy of Christ's Blood is not denied they themselves Confess it was Sufficient and of Value enough to have Redeemed every Man but that doth not hinder it from proving Ineffectual to such as will not Receive it as is above shewen And therefore his Question p. 172. If Christ died for the Sins of all Persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned is easily answered Because of their Non-reception of the Grace Christ dyed for all yet all are not saved and why by which his Death should be made Effectual to them And albeit this maketh Free-will Author of Condemnation as himself will acknowledge yet not of Salvation as shall after appear His next Argument p. 174. is That if Christ had died for all Men all Men should be saved because he hath purchased Faith and Salvation for all for whom he has died and this he supposeth he has shewen before But his Confidence in his own Arguments doth not Influence other Men I am yet to see where he has proved any such thing The Scriptures he brings such as Rom. 8.32 39. c. to prove this speak of those who had really received the Grace and in whom Regeneration was working by it and do indeed very well prove that Christ died for them yea what if I should say hath purchased them Grace prevalent to Salvation Yet they will not prove that he has not died for others also also that may miss of Salvation Pag. 175. N. 25. he saith It is considerable that no where in Scripture we find it expresly affirmed That Christ died for all Men Why then is all trouble made But is it not expresly said Heb. 2.9 That we see Jesus That he by the Grace of God should tast Death for every Man Let him tell us what less that Importeth yea if it be not more Emphatick to say Christ tasted Death for every Man than to say Christ died for all Men It is much the Man would so proclaim his Ignorance ¶ 6. After more of his Tedious and Superfluous Reasonings against this Meer Possibility as he calls it he comes p. 194. N. 48. to Overturn my Grounds for Vniversal Redemption and first in answer to the Angels Song Luke 2.10 urged by me wherein they hold forth the Coming of Christ The Angel's good Tidings were to all People as well in general as in particular as Tidings of great Joy to all People This he saith is to shew the Offer was to be made now to all Kindreds Nations Tongues and Languages And what then It is not said only so excluding all Particulars of these since the Word ALL in the Common Acceptation comprehends every Particular as well as all Sorts and he should have given some Reason from Scripture why he Restricts it here But in stead of that he Contradicts himself in the very following Words saying For he was to Reign over the House of Jacob Luk. 1. v. 13. for this if it Vrge any thing it will Exclude his former Concession if it be not Exclusive he can prove nothing from it Neither doth he more pertinently alledge Matth. 1.21 That he was to save his People from their Sins for that Scripture doth not say That he purchased not a Capacity for some to be his People who by their Resisting lost the Benefit offered them How often would I have gathered you and ye would not saith Christ Mat. 23.37 Luke 13.34 He saith further This would not have been glad Tidings if it had been a meer Possibility But I affirm no such thing To my urging Christ's Commission Mark 16.15 To preach the Gospel to every Creature and that of Paul Col. 1.28 he saith It will no more prove That Christ died for all Men than for Devils and Beasts for they are Creatures But how silly and perverse this Answer is is easily apparent For is it lawful to preach the Gospel to Beasts and Devils or is it as unlawful to preach the Gospel to any Men J. B.'s Perversion Christ's Commission to preach the Gospel to every Creature for Salvation as it is to do it to Beasts and Devils But on the contrary since he will not deny but it is a Duty to preach the Gospel to all Men Indefinitely yea in this Place he acknowledges it they being the proper Subjects of it so that of them must be understood every Creature here mentioned Pag. 196. N. 50. To my arguing The Gospel Inviteth all and that it would be a mocking of Men if Christ died not for all to Command them all to believe that Christ died for them He saith This is built upon an Vntruth that the Gospel doth not Command all to whom it is preached to believe that Christ died for them but only to
flee to an All sufficient Saviour But what 's the preaching of the Gospel especially in his Sense even as a little before acknowledged by him but a Declaring and Offering of Salvation to all to whom it is Preached Mercy and Good will through the Merits of Christ who died for them Next the Argument still holdeth good If the Gospel Commands as he saith to flee unto an All-sufficient Saviour For unless it be possible for such who are so Commanded to do it the preaching of it to them is a mocking of them and that to purpose if this Impossibility be Imposed upon them by him by whose Command the Gospel is thus preached The Example of Moses to Pharaoh and Esaias to the Jews has been before answered He ends this Paragraph begging the Question As if the Gospel could be said no where to be but where there is an outward Dispensation of it by the Ministry of Men. ¶ 7. Pag. 197. N. 51. He confesseth There is no Scripture that saith Salvation possible for all because Commanded to pray for all Christ has not died for all Men and there is that saith He has tasted Death for every Man Which is rather more and not a probation by Consequence only as I have already shewen Then he cometh to consider my Argument from 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4-6 shewing That Salvation cannot be Impossible for all since we are Commanded to pray for all and that since Christ gave himself a Price of Redemption for all it cannot be Impossible that all should be saved As is more largely illustrated in my Apology Now how he is pained in Answer to this and in his Nibblings about the particle all even unto pag. 204. the Reader may easily observe First he distinguisheth upon the Word Possible It is meant saith he here of such a thing as may be abstracting from the Decree yea in respect of the Decree the Contrary whereof is not decreed by God but not a thing simply so The Man it 's like thinks he has found-out a very subtile Distinction but it serves for little save to shew his own Confusion For to be possible abstracting from the Decree and with a respect to the Decree is for a thing to be Impossible if God had not decreed the Contrary and yet to be possible because God has not decreed the Contrary But to leave this piece of Confused Pedantry J. B. denies praying for all Men. he denies That we may pray for every one because John saith There is a Sin unto Death I do not say ye should pray for it But this is in plain Words to say The Apostle Paul was deceived and therefore his Brother John reproved him For the Man labours more in this to make these Two Apostles Contradict one another than to Refute me But for all this we see they are no ways at Variance We may pray for all because all may in a day be saved though when some have out-lived that Day it may not be fit to pray for them but if Salvation were by an absolute Decree made Impossible for most of Men it were Madness to pray for them He thinks it may as well be Inferred and to give Thanks for all Men. That we should give Thanks for all Men This I suppose he reckons Absurd but why so May not Men give thanks to God for and in the behalf of all Men for his Grace that he has given to all Men and also for his daily Care and good Providence over all Men That which he saith afterwards in many Words amounts to this That Men have prayed allowably for that which by reason of God's Decree was Impossible and therefore may pray in Faith for that which is Impossible Of this he gives one great Instance from Christ's praying Christ's praying Father save me from this Hour c. Save me from this hour Which is always with a Submission to God's Will But this may divers ways be answered for he has not proved That Christ's praying to save him from this Hour was in him a real Desiring however submissively that he might not undergo that which he knew he came into the World to do Neither can this be affirmed without Importing That Christ was unwilling to do his Father's Will and desirous to shun it which to Affirm were Blasphemy to Accuse him who in all things was found Willing and Obedient So that his Prayer was not a Desiring the thing might not be but that he might be saved and preserved from being overwhelmed with the Difficulties and Distresses that in that Hour did and might Attend him And in this his Prayer was Answered for albeit these Difficulties were not Removed yet he Triumphed over them That a Man pray for the Life of his Father or Friend who notwithstanding dieth at that Time is not denied but it will not thence follow that it was Impossible that those Prayers could have been Answered For to Conclude from the Events that things could not have been other ways were to Conclude all things came to pass by a Stoical Fate The Stoical Fate believes God an Agens necessarium and all things to come to pass necessarily after an Inevitable and Vnchangeable manner So that God himself were Agens necessarium and to savour of Spinosa Then it had been Impossible for J. B. to have Omitted though at te earnest Desire of his Friends one Word as what he has written or to have added one Word more and yet he saith in some Places He might have said more But the Apostle's desiring to pray here is founded upon the positive Mind of God who willeth all Men to be saved This he saith is most false in the Sense asserted by me else all Men should be saved But I never took it in that Sense The Question is Whether in any true Sense it could be said that he will all Men to be saved and that given as a Reason why we should pray for all if God had made it always simply Impossible for many to be saved To shew that God's Will of Precept as his Phrase is may be Impossible in respect of his Decree he saith God Commandeth all perhaps Devils and Damned to love him perfectly and yet this is not now possible But this perhaps spoils all this Inference For until he be Certain of it he can Conclude nothing from it He bestows divers pages upon the Universal particle ALL to shew how it is diversly taken and by an Instance of several Scriptures to prove it sometimes is not taken for All and every One But in this had he not loved to be longsom and tedious he might have spared his pains since that was never denied by me But the Question is That since the proper common and most universal Signification of all is to signifie every one whether in the places brought by me the most common Signification should not be made use of according to the general Rule of all Interpreters And therefore if he
I say That as to us they cannot be separated Then all must be Redeemed the one way who are Redeemed the other and that then every Man must be Redeemed from the power of Corruption and saved But here according to his Custom he cites not my words justly which are That they are both perfect in their own Nature albeit in their Application to us-ward they cannot be separated that is he that comes Effectually to Enjoy the Benefit of the one must Enjoy the other he that Receives the second partakes of the first also he that really receives the first receives the second also but that hinders not but many may be offered the Benefit of the first and by rejecting and resisting it lose the Benefit both of first and second and he that rejecteth it at any time albeit he receive it for a season as by his falling he loses what of the second is wrought in him to wit of Purification so he doth also lose the first which was Remission of Sin His last Cavil at this is very Impertinent which is by way of Question That if this second Redemption be necessary to Salvation as indeed it is what shall become of the Child of God that hath no Light What shall become of them J. B's Absurdities that Saints may be Vnited to Christ and not see it that have true Grace uniting them to Christ c. and yet through darkness can see and acknowledge no such thing For to pass-by the Absurdities here supposed that Saints can be said to have no Light or have Grace and be Vnited to Christ yet neither be able to see it nor acknowledge it and that not during their life-time here for unless this be also supposed he cannot Conclude what he will for that a Saint may be clouded at a time is not denied yet this maketh nothing for his purpose Will it follow because they see it not that it therefore is not needful to their Salvation His own words Imply a Contradiction to this And thus the Man Confutes that by which he would urge another in the very words by which he expresses it For is not Grace to unite the heart to Christ necessary to Salvation He will surely say Yes If then the acknowledgment of that and seeing of it which is needful to Salvation be not needful then the not-seeing or not acknowledging of a thing makes it not a thing unnecessary to Salvation which is the Absurdity he would Insinuate ¶ 3. Thus having removed out of the way his most obvious Perversions and Abuses I come to Treat of the main matter which all depends upon this one Question What is that whereby a Man is Justified so as to appear truly Just in the sight of God This he supposes to be done by the Righteousness and Death of Christ without even before any work of Righteousness be wrought in Man even as a Cautioner to whom he Compares Christ in this case frees him whose Debt he pays I on the contrary affirm By the Death of Christ no Man can be said to be Justified until Christ received in the heart there Renew and make him Just. That albeit Reconciliation and Remission of Sins be by the Death of Christ without and the door opened so that all may be at Peace by the Offer of Grace made in Christ if they reject it not yet hereby no Man can be said to be Justified or appear Just properly until Christ be received in his heart there to renew and purify him and make him Just so that however Justification may be distinguished from Sanctification yet not divided nor yet so distinguished that a Man can be truly said to be Justified who is Vnholy and Vnsanctified And therefore upon the Examining of what he urges against this and for his Position as also what he answers to my Probations for it depends the whole matter But before I enter particularly upon this and that there may no Interruption meet me when entred in it I will first take notice and remove his Mistakes and Misapplied Proofs thereupon both in what he Opposes me and Affirms for himself as also here take notice of his meer Assertions And first then pag. 299. he supposes There can be no Reconciliation by the Blood of Christ's Cross c. unless for such in whose Room Christ died as a Cautioner and Surety and so made Satisfaction that they should be Redeemed and Delivered But albeit upon this Notion and Affirmation all depends yet I miss the Proof of it if his After-Proofs say any thing to it I shall Examin them That which he mentions here written Rom. 8.3 4. is so far from doing it that it proves the Contrary For albeit the Death of Christ was that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us yet it follows not that the Righteousness of the Law must be fulfilled in all for whom he died yea the following words who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit shew The Benefit of Christ's Death is to them that Walk after the Spirit this to be the Condition Requisite on our part that we may partake of the Benefit of his Death If to prove that Man should be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered by the Death of Christ he bring the Instances of the Righteousness of the Law to be fulfilled in us then Men cannot be said to be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered until this Righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in them What he addeth to this That we cannot be said to be accounted Righteous and absolved from Accusation upon the account of our works of Righteousness I say no such thing freely confessing that not only pardoning of Sin but removing of the Filth as well as of the Guilt is the Act of God's Mercy and Grace as saith the Apostle Tit. 3.5 6. And yet we are saved The removing both Filth and Guilt of Sin is the Act of God's Grace and Mercy and consequently Justified according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration since this is the Fruit of the Grace and Spirit of God freely given us And therefore it is not enough for him pag. 203. to affirm That I pervert the Apostle's words 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself upon this bare supposition That this World is only understood of the Elect for if this Reconciliation had been Absolute and not in part only that is a Readiness on God's part to be Reconciled with them if they Repent which I affirm to what purpose should the Apostle as an Embassador Intreat them to be Reconciled there needed no Intreaty to that which was already done neither are his meer Assertions to this p. 303. any Answer It is strange that to prove That all for whom Christ died are certainly made alive one time or other he brings these words And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them
the Apostle 307. Augustin's Testimony in the Case of Circumcision observing of Meats Drinks Washings and Sacrifices 586. his Zeal against Pelagius 311. Aurelia there ten Canonicks were burnt and why 593. Authority of Princes justly owned 710. B. Backsliders like Salt that hath lost its Savour 192. Baptism is one its Definition 474 476 to 483. 854 860. It is the Baptism of Christ and of the Spirit not of Water 475 to 484. The Baptism of Water which was John's Baptism was a Figure of this Baptism and is not to be continued 85 86 88 475 478 481 482 to 493 653. Baptism with Water doth not cleanse the Heart 476 479. nor is it a Badge of Christianity as was Circumcision to the Jews 484 492. That Paul was not sent to Baptize is explained 484 485 486. Concerning Water Baptism Christ speaks of Matth. 28.20 it is explained 486 487. How the Apostles Baptized with Water is explained 484 485 486 649 650. To Baptize signifies to plunge and how Sprinkling was brought in 490 491. Those of old that used Water-Baptism were plunged and they that were only Sprinkled were not admitted to an Ecclesiastick Function and why 491. Against the use of Water-Baptism many heretofore have Testified 493. Infant-Baptism is a meer humane Tradition 475 647. The Corrupt Acceptation of the Word Baptism denied 84. John's Baptism no part of the Gospel-dispensation but served only to prepare the way to Christ 651. it differs from that of the Spirit as the Shadow from the Substance 29 30. Augustin â—s Testimony of its being Ceased 586. Cyprian's Testimony of its being void 648. None are to be found that have the Power of Administring it 647. it being but a Carnal Ordinance 649. and no part of the Gospel-Dispensation 651. carrying a Repeal in its bosom 652. The Apostles had no Commission for it but was used in Condescension to the weak 31. it being a Command only to particulars 32. For sprinkling or Water-Baptism is not the Baptism of Christ 87. it being discontinued as the Offerings of old 89 147. there remains the one Baptism ibid. 169. viz. that with the Spirit which is sometimes ascribed to Godly Men as the Instruments 488. Matth. 28.19 explained 651. John 3.30 explained 653. of Baptism 856 859 830. Believers ought not to go to Law before the Unjust 208. such practice brings dishonour to the Truth 209 240. Beroeans searching Scriptures 307 757. Bible The last Translations always find fault with the first 302 303. That one Man should take the Bible and speak upon it the rest of the Congregation being denyed that priviledge is an Invention brought up in the Apostacy 12 13. Birth The spiritual birth 195. holy Birth 452. new Birth 122 163 353. see Justification The New Birth the inward Appearance of Christ and the Unity of the Saints with him 163 164. Bishop of Rome concerning his Primacy 286. how he abuseth his Authority and by what he deposeth Princes and absolveth people from the Oath of Fidelity 523. Blood To abstain from Blood and things strangled 169 193 511 513 653. Blood of Christ see Communion The Blood of Christ is felt within to wash the Conscience 10. Bloodshed and Contention about Forms of Worship 489. Body to bow the Body see Head Bonaveentur 444. Books Canonical and Apocryphal see Canon Scripture Bow to bow the Knee see Uncover the Head Bread The breaking of Bread among the Jews was no singular thing 504 507. It is now otherways performed than it was by Christ 506. whether Leavened or Vnleavened Bread is to be used Also it is hotly disputed about the manner of taking it and to whom it is to be given 506 507 169. see Communion Daily Bread in the Lord's Prayer may be Translated Supersubstantial Bread C. Calvinists see Protestants they deny Consubstantiatian 289. They maintain Absolute Reprobation 286. they think Grace is a Certain Irresistible Power and what sort of a Saviour they would have 354 355. their Faith of the Flesh and Blood of Christ 496 497 498 499. They use Leavened Bread in the Supper 507. they feign a Revealed and Secret Will in God which are Contradictory 694 695. Calvin 514. Canon Whether the Scripture be a filled up Canon 308 309 Whether it can be proved by Scripture that any Book is Canonical ibid. see Scriptures Castellio banished 527. Ceremonies see Superstition CHRIST see Communion Justification Redemption Word he sheweth himself daily revealing the Knowledge of the Father 271. without his School there is nothing learned but busie talking 271. he is the Eternal Word 274. no Creature hath Access unto God but by him 274 275. he is the Way the Truth and the Life 275. he is the Mediator between God and Man 275 368. he is God and in time he was made partaker of Man's Nature 275. yesterday to day the same and for ever 280. the Fathers believed in him and how 279 280. His Sheep hear his Voice and contemn the Voice of a Stranger 297 418 420. It is the Fruit of his Ascension to send Pastors 304 see Gifts he dwelleth in the Saints and how 334. see Birth His Coming was necessary 335. by his sacrifice we have Remission of Sins 335 358 368. whether he be and how he is in all is explained 6 63 336. being formed within he is the formal Cause of Justification 364 379. by his Life Death c. he hath opened a way for Reconciliation 379 380. his Obedience Righteousness Death and Sufferings are ours and it is explained that Paul said He filled up that which was behind of the Afflictions of Christ in his Flesh 369. how we are partakers of his Sufferings 393 394. for what end he was manifested 390 391. he delivers his own by Suffering 520. Concerning his outward and Spiritual Body 466 497. Concerning his outward and Inward Coming 510. Christ is compared to a grain of Mustard-Seed Clem. Alex 579. his Divinity and being from the beginning 162. his Appearance in the Flesh ibid. the end and use of that Appearance 163 117. his Inward Manifestation ibid. he having fulfilled the Law and the righteousness thereof gave witness to the Dispensation of the Gospel 187. Christ at this Day speaketh in his Servants and will to the end of the World 644. the Seed and Spiritual Body of Christ both in him and us belonging to Christ is as really united unto the Word as his outward Body was 628. the Seed is not our Souls The Seed and Spiritual Nature of Christ is one and the same both in him and in us ibid. Christ's outward Satisfaction is owned against the Socinians The Sufferings of Christ in Men are voluntary and yet without sin Christ's outward Sufferings at Jerusalem were necessary unto Mens Salvation ibid. the Doctrine of the Incarnation Sufferings Death Resurrection c. are necessary every where to be preached 629. Christ Crucified within 9. his Indwelling and In being differ 6 796. without Inward Holiness and Righteousness none can lay Claim to Christ
the Testimony of the First Protestants 91 92. the Lord's day is not the First Day of the Week 39. nor is it limited to a particular Day 92. the First Day is not come instead of the Sabbath 93. superstitious observing of Days is the Inventions of Men 92 146. and an Inlet to all the Popish Holidays 39 92. the Priests make the First Day of the Week their Market-day to sell and vend their Babylonish Commodities in 40. It is convenient and necessary that a Day be set apart to meet and Worship God in 146 the Divines Nonsensical Proofs that the First Day of the Week is instead of the Sabbath 177 178. no Man is to be judged in respect of an Holy Day or the Sabbath-days c. 170. the observing of Days being a returning to the beggerly Elements 224. the first Dawning and breaking forth of the heavenly Day of the Lord in this our Age described 689-691 Deacons 508. ‖ Deaf Persons see Light Death see Adam Redemption it entred into the World by Sin 316 317 In the Saints it is rather a passing from Death to Life 316. a Sleep 41. and their Natural Death is not the Wages of Sin 94. Devil he eares not at all how much God be Acknowledged with the Mouth provided he be Worshipped in the Heart 272 355 356. he can form an outward Sound of Words 278. he haunts among the Wicked 391. How he can be a Minister of the Gospel 425 427. when he can work nothing 453 454. he keeps Men in outward Signs Shadows and Forms while they neglect the Substance 489 491 507. The Rage of the Devil against the Lord's Chosen 713. Differences in the Church in outward Matters to be Composed 207. as coming from the besetments of the Enemy 228. the Spirit of God giving Judgment in the Church of Christ 240. Dispute The Dispute of a Shoo-maker with a certain Professor 422 423. of an Heathen-Philosopher with a Bishop in the Council of Nice and of the Vnletter'd Clown 423 424. Divinity School-Divinity 417. how pernicious it is 423 to 427. Divisions see Schism Dreams see Faith Miracles Doctrine That Doctrine which is both contrary to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it 601. the Fruits prove the Doctrine 624. J. B. brings his own Author in for Devilish Doctrines 749. Duty The hardned and blinded see not their Duty 242. Duties natural and spiritual differ 636. E. Ear There is a Spiritual and bodily Ear 271 278. whether the outward Hearing is necessary to make a Man a Member of the Visible Church 806. Easter is Celebrated other ways in the Latine Church than in the Eastern 289. the Celebration of it is grounded upon Tradition 289. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name J. B's false Gloss upon it 859 487. see Baptism Ejaculations proved from Scripture 852. Elders 277 430. How Christ in Revealing his Will ordinarily makes use of the Elders and Officers in his Church 229. in Cases of Differences and Controversies 236. Election and Reprobation of Infants 766 767. J.B. makes the Word All express of two Numbers the least to be Elected 784 804. by the whole World he falsly understands the Elect only ibid. Elector of Saxony the Scandal given by him 471. Eminency Your Eminency see Titles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oftner translated in than among as in 1 Cor 2.2 p. 66. Endowments the Author glories not in natural Endowments Enjoyments inward former Feelings and Enjoyment are far exceeded by the Feelings and Enjoyments of this day 28 29. Enoch walked with God 394. Enthusiasm its proper signification 658. Epistle see James John Peter Esau and Jacob did strive in the Womb 447. Ethicks or Books of Moral Philosophy are not needful to Christians 424. Evangelist who he is and whether any now a days may be so called 429 430. Evidence the best and most principal is the Immediate Evidence of the Spirit and the greatest outward Evidence that can be given is the Scripture 593 594. the Spirit 's Evidence is that it teacheth to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts c. 575 576. an Evidence that no Hypocrite can have 657. See Ministry Spirit Revelation Exaltation self-Exaltation leads to Separation and Division 192 193. Excellency Tour Excellency see Titles Excommunication the evil thereof 690 691 Exorcism or Adjuration in the use of Water-baptism denied 492 Eye The Spiritual Eye sees and discerns the true Confessor from the false 657 837. F. Faith its Definition and what its Object is 277 278. how far and how Appearances outward Voices and Dreams were the Object of the Saints Faith 278. that Faith is one and that the Object of Faith is one 279. It s foundation 293 294. see Revelation Scripture Little Faith is perfect in the measure of it 23 80. what it is its absolute necessity 129. Accidental Objects of Faith 602. wherein the nature and Essence of Faith consists 603. J. B's halting Examples to prove true Faith 759. Sadeel's Testimony concerning Succession of Faith 648. the material and formal Object of Faith distinguished 742 744. whether Faith comes by the outward Hearing 904. falling away and departing from Faith 42 43. who they were that fell from Faith 96. not holding it in a good Conscience 137. thou that standest by Faith c. ibid. see Grace Fall of Man see Man Farellus 506 Father see Knowledge Revelation Fathers so called they did not Agree about some Books of the Scripture 296 303. they affirm that there are whole Verses taken out of Mark and Luke 288. concerning the Septuagint-Interpretation and the Hebrew Copy 303. they preached Universal Redemption for the first four Centuries 326. they frequently used the Word Merit in their Doctrine 387. concerning the possibility of not Sinning 397 398. the possibility of falling from Grace 400. many of them did not only contradict one another but themselves also 423 424. concerning Baptism and the Sign of the Cross 492. concerning an Oath 550. Feet Concerning the Washing of one anothers Feet 447 498 499. Christ washed the Disciples Feet 169 170. the Washing of Feet c. 651. a spiritual Washing of Feet pointed at by Christ 652. Washing of Feet observed by Christians in the Primitive Times ibid. which though Commanded with so great solemnity yet Ceased 863. Forbearance of God see God Franequer all things are set to sale at Rome to Franequer apply'd 433. Freedom from sin see Perfection Freely the Gospel ought to be preached freely 403 432 434. Nic. Arnoldus his Answer to Freely ye have received c. 433. G Games see Plays Gentiles by what Nature the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law 313 763. The Gentiles justified in doing the Law 360 362. Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian partakers of the Salvation of Christ 363. see Heathens Gifted Brethren 416. Gifts 204. diversities of Gifts Administrations and Operations from the same Spirit makes no division 220. Gifts differing according
IV. King of France 524 Heresies whence they proceeded 449 450. who cannot certainly judge of Heresy ought not to punish for Heresy 663. Christ's Servants must not pull the Tares but leave them with the Wheat 519. Heresy may be mistaken for Truth ibid. 521. the Name of Heresy may be more or less restricted 527. Heretick 519. An Heretick hath no just ground from the Quakers Principle to abstain from Prayer 645. Hereticks pretences to the Spirit 607 610 612 614. Hicks the Grosness of T. Hicks his dealing with the people called Quakers discovered and abhorred in print by others 879. High-Priest see Priest History of Christ see Quakers Redemption â— Knowledge Holy of Holies the High-priest entred into it once a Year 277 278. but now all of us at all times have access unto God 287. Holiness Your Holiness see Titles Honor see Titles Concerning Civil-Honour 873 880. House of God The House of God is no polluted Nest 412 Hypocrisy the worst of Evils in Religious Matters 521 522 Hypocrites 519 522. Under what Profession Hypocrites love to live and what Principles they most affect 47 48. the Hypocrites works have no Savour of Life 656. we cannot join with them in Prayer 470. he that has a Spiritual Discerning can discern them 519. Hypocrites want Titles 536. their Hope shall perish 387. their Danger 522. I. Jacob 447. Jacob and the Jews their Practice of bowing as also Abraham's was by Permission and not to be our Rule 876. Abraham's and Jacob's practice will not warrant our Imitation of it 873. Worm Jacob is a Threshing Instrument 883. James the Apostle There were of old diverse Opinions concerning his Epistle 297. whether his Epistle be Authentick and how to know it 309. Japonians The Japans knew by the teaching of Nature that it is unlawful to kill steal forswear c. as is evident by the Pricks of their Consciences Fra Xaviers 701. Idea There are supernatural Idea's of things supernatural in the Souls of Men 899. Men can have no true Idea of things Supernatural but what is Supernatural ibid. There is a Natural Idea of God in Men common to the Wicked with the Godly 900. the Idea's of all things are divinely planted in the Souls of Men ibid. All Idea's are of a Spiritual Nature 901. the Supernatural Idea's in Men infer Supernatural Senses or perceptive Faculties 902. those Faculties in Wicked Men do as it were sleep ibid. Idolatry 440 450. whence it proceeded 475. how with Idolatry we cannot join in Prayer 469. from whence Idolatries did spring 475 Jerusalem Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem 344 Jesting see Plays Games Jesuits see Sect Ignatian Jesus see Christ what it is to be saved and Assembled in his Name 358 359 367 455. See Name Jews Among them there may be Members of the Church 402 403. their Error c. 410. their Worship is outward 484. Particular Commands given to the Jews whether now obligatory upon us 663. they are no Rule for Christians being Repealed by Christ who gave a new Command 520. Jewish Doctors and Pharisees resisted Christ disdaining to be Esteemed Ignorant c. 268 Jezebel the not suffering the Woman Jezebel in what manner it was to be 521 Ignorance 514 Priests Darkness and Ignorance 215 Illiterate see Mechanicks Image of God whether any Relicts of it remained in Adam 337. see Adam Imposition The Authority of the Church is no Imposition 199. Imposition is what is contrary to true Liberty of Conscience 236. a Testimony against Imposition and Dominion 238 Independency An Independent Preacher embracing Truth and upon what Occasion 879. the Constitution of the Independent Church 416 Indians The Defect of the Scriptures and outward Knowledge of Christ in the Indians is providential 692 see Americans 63. Pagans Indulgences 365 Infants see Sin Infants that die in their Infancy in the Judgment of Charity may be supposed to be saved 42. Infants and Deaf Persons are excepted from the Necessity of outwardly hearing the Gospel 805. some Infants and deaf Persons saved without external Knowledge 10. Infants are not guilty of Adam's Sin 40 41 94. not Guilty before the Act of Sin ibid. Infants are under no Law 868. Whether Childrens Death argues guilt 770. Infants saved without Christ J. B's horrible Lie 771. Infants saved by Christ ibid. Sodom's Children c. Infants perishing in the Flood 772. Circumcision argues not Infants guilty 773. Regeneration of Infants ibid. Infallibility To say that there is no Infallible Judgment now to be expected from the Spirit of God in the Church is to turn Christianity into Scepticism 235. the only proper Judge of Controversies in the Church is the Spirit of God and the Power of deciding solely lies in it as having the only unerring Infallible and certain Judgment belonging to it 225. where there is any gathering or Assembly which truly and properly may be called the Church of Christ the Infallible Judgment will never be wanting in matters of Controversy 227. Influences there are General and Special Influences 582. none can pray truly in Words but by a particular Influence 583 Unfaithfulness wants Influences to Duties 641 Iniquities Spiritual Iniquities or Wickedness 450. Innovators Pretenders and Innovators to be Judged by the Power of God 217. as coming from that which being puft up affects singularity and exaltedness 218. Inquisition 523. Inquisition lays not hold on Folly and Vanity neither at Rome nor in Spain 545 Inspiration where that doth not Teach Words without do make a Noise to no purpose 271 272. some Christians and Gentiles have acknowledged the Evidence and certainty of Divine Inspiration in all Men as the surest Ground of Knowledge 605. Permissive Inspirations disowned and owned again by the Quakers Adversaries 673. Inspirations are necessary to Inward Duties 582. Christ's Illumination is his Inspiration 594. which is a greater Evidence than the Scripture 595. even Heathens have a Knowledge of the self-evidence of Divine Inspiration 605. Inspirations mandatory and permissory 637 639. Inspirations of things either to be done or simply to be believed 640. Inspirations general or particular ibid. the same which was given to the Holy Men of Old 658. Instruction see Teaching Intellect the supream Intellect enjoyed in the Mind of Man 363 Interpreters 784 60 633 794 803 805. John the Apostle Concerning his Second and Third Epistles and the Revelation there were sometime divers Opinions 297. John the Baptist did not Miracles 416 37. John Huss is said to have prophesied 309. John Knox in what respect he was called the Apostle of Scotland 430. Israelites going to War enquired first the Oracle of God 560. Judas fell from his Apostleship 411. who was his Vicar 420 his Ministry was not purely Evangelical 421. he was called Immediately by Christ and who are inferior to him and plead for him as Patron of their Ministry 420 421. Judgment see Church Concerning the Power of Decision 224 230 see Infallibility any Members in Obedience to the Lord giving forth a positive Judgment in
297 304. there is no necessity of Believing the Scripture to be a filled up Canon 308. many Canonick Books through the Injury of Time lost ibid. whether it can be proved by Scripture that any Book is Canonical 208 209. they were sometimes as a Sealed Book 422. to understand them there is need of the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit 271 272. no Man can make himself a Doctor of them but the Holy Spirit 271. Noah and Job were Preachers of Righteousness before the Scriptures were written 703. the Knowledge of the Scriptures to be of great Advantage is owned 7 117 162 700. the Synod of Paris their Opinion concerning the Scripture's certainty viz. to be by the Inward Testimony and Perswasion of the Holy Spirit 72 see 116 162. the Scriptures cannot beguile Men but Men may beguile themselves by a wrong use of them 577. the Scriptures the best Outward Rule in the World ibid. Scriptures are a Clear and Perfect Copy as to all Essentials of Christian Religion 603. that the Scriptures are a sufficient objective Revelation of all things necessary to Salvation is denied 631. the Scriptures are the Words of God 747. a Secondary Rule 754. that Supposition is false which supposes the Will of God can be only known by the Scriptures 759. John Calvin's Testimony concerning the Scriptures and the Spirit 72. to understand the Scriptures we need the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit Hierom 271. the Scriptures though they do declare the Mind of God are therefore not his Word which came from God immediately to the Prophets by which the Scriptures came which Word is ceased Professors say 14. the Canon of the Scripture not compleated 735 750. they are not the means of knowing God in Spirit 887 889 903. see Gifts Scriptures explained Gen. 2.17 p. 762. Isai. 8.20 p. 755 756 Prov. 10.11 p. 644. John 1.9 p. 797. 1 Cor. 11.5 p. 839. 2 Tim. 3.16 p. 755. 2 Pet. 1.19 20. p. 743. Jam. 1.25 p. 757. 1 John 4.1 p. 658. Sect The Ignatian Sect loveth Literature 423. they call those that are sent unto India Apostles 430. the Definition of a Sect 696 698. those cannot pretend to Universal Love who confine all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings to their Sect 691. one Mark of a Sect is when People seek to Advance and Propagate their Way in the Strength of their own Spirits c. 698. those whose Unity arises from Notions and Opinions do derive their Names and Designations from the first Authors Inventors and Fomenters of those Opinions 698 699. Security among hypocritical Professors 47. Seed of Righteousness 452. the Seed of Sin see Sin Redemption The Seed a distinct Principle from the Soul 795 579 580. Self-denial 451 Semi-pelagians their Axiom Facienti quod in se est Deus non 〈◊〉 gratiam 328. Sense supernatural 657 897 〈…〉 904 905. Servant Whether it be lawfu◠〈◊〉 I am your humble Servant 538. Servetus 527. Shoemaker he disputes with the Professor 423 424. Silence see Worship Silence and an inward turning of the Mind necessary to the entring upon Worship 845. Simon Magus 431. Sin see Adam Justification It shall not have Dominion over the Saints 298. the Seed of Sin is transmitted from Adam unto all Men but it is Imputed to none no not to Infants except they actually join with it by Sinning 310 311 315 318. Augustin's Testimony concerning Infants 768. and this Seed is often called Death 318. Original Sin of this Phrase the Scripture makes no mention 318. by virtue of the Sacrifice of Christ we have Remission of Sins 335 367. forgiveness of Sin among the Papists 365. a Freedom from actual Sin is obtained both when and how and that many have attained unto it 388 398. every Sin weakens a Man in his Spiritual Condition but doth not destroy him altogether 389. it is one thing not to sin another thing not to have Sin 395. whatsoever is not done through the Power of God is Sin 445. the fear of God remaining upon the Heart Sin is shut out 28. continuance in Sin ecclipses and takes away the Sense of God's Favour ibid. 884. Singing of Psalms and Musick 473. Society see Religion Principles Socinians see Natural Light their rashness is reproved 281. they think Reason is the chief Rule and Guide of their Faith ibid. 289. albeit many have abused Reason yet they do not say that any ought not to use it and how ill they argue against the Inward and Immediate Revelations of the Holy Spirit 288 290. yet they are forced ultimately to recur unto them 394. they exalt too much their Natural Power and what they think of the saving Light 354. their Worship can easily be stopped 337. they exalt Self or Nature 699. their scanty Confession does not reach to Universal Love 693. Son of God see Christ Knowledge Revelation Soul The Soul hath its Senses as well as the Body 272. by what it is strengthened and fed 453 499. Spirit The Holy Spirit see Knowledge Communion Revelation Scriptures Unless the Spirit sit upon the Heart of the Hearer in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor 271 279. the Spirit of God knoweth the things of God 275. without the Spirit none can say that Jesus is the Lord 272 275. he rested upon the seventy Elders and others 277. he abideth with us for ever 280. he teacheth and bringeth all things to remembrance and leads into all Truth 280 281 284 286 296. he differs from the Scriptures 280. He is God 281. he dwelleth in the Saints 281 284. without the Spiâ—â—â—â—â—ristianity is no Christianity 282 297. whatsoever is to be desired in the Christian Faith is ascribed to him 28â— 281. by this Spirit we are turned unto God and we Triumph in the midst of persecutions 282. he quickens c. 282.283 an observable Testimony of Calvin concerning the Spirit 282 284 296 297. it is the Fountain and Origin of all Truth and right Reason 292 293. it gives the Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences 296. his Testimony is more excellent than all Reason ibid. he is the chief and principal Guide 301. he reasoneth with and striveth in Men 342. those that are led by the Spirit love the Scriptures 304 405. he is as it were the Soul of the Church and what is done without him is vain and impious 423. he is the Spirit of Order and not of Disorder 427. such as the Spirit sets a part to the Ministry are heard of their Brethren 428. it is the Earnest of our Inheritance 444. to be led by the Spirit of God is a Priviledge common to all Christians and members of the Church if Obedience thereunto be yielded 703. all have the Spirit in a certain Day some to reprove some bringing forth of Fruits 8. the Spirâ—t calls invites and draws but men resist his Drawings 8. J. Calvin preferreth the Testimony of the Spirit before all other Evidences 15 16. what proceeds not from the Spirit of God
Justified by Grace is to be Justified or Saved by Regeneration which cannot exclude the Works wrought by Grace and by the Spirit How doth the Apostle add in the next verse for the maintaining this against those that Cavil about the Law A. This is a Faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly Tit. 3.8 9. that they which believe in God might be Careful to maintain good Works these things are good and profitable unto Men But avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain Q. Doth the Apostle Paul that is so much against Justification by the Works of the Law speak any where else of being justified by the Spirit A. But ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 and by the Spirit of our God Q. But since the Law gives not Power nor Ability to obey and so falls short of Justification Is there no Power under the Gospel by which the Righteousness of the Law comes to be fulfilled inwardly A. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh Rom. 8.3 4. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Q. Seeing then there is Power in the Spirit is not Works through it a Condition upon which Life is proposed under the New Covenant Rom. 8.13 A. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall Dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall Live Q. Do not the Apostles then frequently propose Life to People upon Condition of Repentance and other Works Acts 3.19 A. Repent ye therefore and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out And if Children then Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ if so be Rom. 8.17 that we may suffer with him that we also may be glorified together * 2 Tim. 2.11 12 21. It is a faithful Saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we Suffer we shall also Reign with him If a Man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto Honour sanctified and meet for the Master's Use and prepared unto every good Work Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Rev. 2.5 and Repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou Repent Q. It appears clearly by these Passages that the Apostle excludes only our Righteousness which he elsewhere explains Reward of Works as being the Righteousness of the Law from being necessary to Justification and not such Works as the Law of the Spirit of Life leads to and are not so much ours as Christ in us are not such good Works Rewarded though they require no absolute Merit as being the Fruits of free Grace yet doth not God judge according to them and may they not be said to have a Reward A. But if a Man be just and do that which is lawful and right Ezek. 18.5 6 7 8 9. and hath not eaten upon the Mountains neither hath lift up his Eyes to the Idols of the House of Israel neither has defiled his Neighbour's Wife neither hath come near to a Menstruous Woman and hath not oppressed any but hath restored to the Debtor his Pledge hath spoiled none by Violence hath given his Bread to the Hungry and hath covered the Naked with a Garment he that hath not given forth upon Usury neither hath taken any Increase that hath withdrawn his Hand from Iniquity hath executed true Judgment between Man and Man hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgments to deal Truth he is Just he shall surely Live saith the Lord God For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels Matth. 16.27 and then he shall Reward every Man according to his Works Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Acts 10.34 35. but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him The Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.6 7 10 who will render to every Man according to his Deeds To them who by Patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life But Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh Good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Which is a manifest Token of the Righteous Judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God 2 Thess. 1.5 for which ye also suffer But who so looketh into the Perfect Law of Liberty James 1.25 and continueth therein being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Work this Man shall be blessed in his Deed. * Hebr. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward †1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Rev. 22.12 14 And behold I come quickly and behold my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his Works shall be Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have a Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Christ saves from Sin Q. It should seem that the Purpose of God in sending his Son the Lord Jesus Christ was not simply to save Man by an Imputative Righteousness altogether without them but also by the washing of Regeneration or an inward Righteousness What saith the Scripture further of this Matth. 1.21 A. And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins Tit. 2.13 14. Looking for that blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works CHAP. VII Concerning Perfection or Freedom from SIN Question I Perceive then by all these Scriptures afore-mentioned that Christ as well as he hath purchased Pardon for our Sins hath also obtained Power by which we may even here be cleansed from the Filth of them may we expect then in this Life to be freed from the Dominion of Sin Rom. 6.14 A. For Sin shall not have Dominion over you Q. For what Reason Rom. 6.14 A. For ye are
is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works p 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. No Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation for the Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost q 2 Pet. 1.20 21. ARTICLE IV. Concerning the Divinity of Christ and his Being from the Beginning IN the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the same was in the Beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made r John 1.1 2 3. Whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting s Mich. 5.2 For God created all by Jesus Christ t Eph 3.9 Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God u Phil. 2.6 And his Name is called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace x Isa. 9.6 Who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature y Col. 1.15 The Brightness of the Father's Glory and the Express Image of his Substance z Hebr. 1.3 Who was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called the Word of God a Rev. 19.13 In him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily b Col. 2.9 And in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge c Col. 2.3 ARTICLE V. Concerning his Appearance in the Flesh. THe Word was made Flesh d John 14. For he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham being in all things made like unto his Brethren e Hebr. 2.16 17. Touched with a feeling of our Infirmities and in all things tempted like as we are yet without Sin f Hebr. 4.15 He died for our Sins according to the Scriptures and he was Buried and he Rose again the Third Day according to the Scriptures g 1 Cor. 15.3 4. ARTICLE VI. Concerning the End and Use of that Appearance GOD sent his own Son in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh h Rom. 8.3 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil i 1 John 3. Being manifested to take away our Sins k 1 John 3.5 For he gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour l Eph. 5.2 Having obtained Eternal Redemption for us m Hebr. 9.12 And through the Eternal Spirit offered up himself without Spot unto God to purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God n Hebr. 9.14 He was the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World o Rev. 5.1 12 13. Of whom the Fathers did all drink of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ p 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps q 1 Pet. 2.21 For we are to bear about in the Body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Body being alway delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our Flesh r 2 Cor. 4.10 11. That we may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death s Phil. 3.10 ARTICLE VII Concerning the Inward Manifestation of Christ. GOD dwelleth with the Contrite and Humble in Spirit t Isa. 57.15 For he said he will dwell in them and walk in them u 2 Cor. 6.16 And Christ standeth at the Door and knocketh if any Man hear his Voice and open the Door he will come unto him and Sup with him and he with him x Rev. 3.20 And therefore ought we to Examine our own selves and prove our own selves knowing how that Christ is in us except we be Reprobates y 2 Col. 13.5 For this is the Riches of the Glory of the Mystery which God would make known among or rather IN the Gentiles CHRIST WITHIN the Hope of Glory z Col. 1.27 ARTICLE VIII Concerning the New Birth EXcept a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God a John 3.3 Therefore ought we to put off the Old Man with his Deeds and put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him and which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness b Ephes. 9.21 22. Col. 3.10 For henceforth know we no Man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more c 2 Cor. 5.16 For if any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new d 2 Cor. 5 17. For such have put on the Lord Jesus Christ e Rom. 13.14 and are renewed in the Spirit of their Minds f Ephes. 4.28 Sith as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ g Gal 3 27. Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever h 1 Pet. 1.23 And glory in nothing save in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto them and they unto the World i Gal. 6.14 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature k Gal. 6.5 ARTICLE IX Concerning the Unity of the Saints with Christ. HE that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of One l Hebr. 2.11 For by the exceeding great and pretious Promises that are given them they are made Partakers of the Divine Nature (m) 2 Pet. 1.4 Because for this End prayed Christ that all might be one as the Father is in him and he in the Father that they also might be one in them and the Glory which he had gotten from the Father he gave them that they might be one even as the Father and he is one Christ in the Saints and the Father in Christ that they might be made perfect in one (n) John 17.21 22 23. ARTICLE X. Concerning the Universal Love and Grace of God to all GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life o John 3.16 And in this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son that we might live through him p 1 John 4.9 So that if any Man sin we have an