that say we are made righteous also by forgiveness and that the delivery of us from sin from the Law and condemnation by it is Justification Though really I am apt to think that this work is to be attributed rather with the Apostle to our Redemption Compare Ephes 1.7.2 Cor. 5.19 Rom. 3.24 with other places And so I come to my point of Perfection Only I must adde this Corollary Simplicissimum nobis videtur si dicamus fidem justisicare quia credenti sua sides imputetur ad justitiam Fides antem ad justitiam imputari dicitur quia Dens illum qui viva fide in Christum credit pro justo habet reputat cum a paena peccati liberans ad vitam aeternam acceptans propter Christi mortem obedientiam It is to be acknowledged that there are and may be very many Scriptures easily pressed by the Quaker and Papist for the service of their Doctrine so that there is no doubt but thus much is proved that it is our duty to be as perfect as they would have Every sin is forbidden and every good thing that is so by the Law of innocency is commanded But it is one thing to know what is our duty and another what will be accepted of God in our performance Our duty is one thing and what we can or doe attain to another God brings not his scales under the Covenant of Grace that our works should have their full weight but his touchstone expecting they be right that they proceed onely from a sincere heart and then he accepts them upon the merits of Christ Jesus Nay indeed the Duty of the Gospel is one thing and the Condition of it another The words perfect and perfection in several places of Scripture may receive an interpretation according to the purpose unto which they are applied As many as are perfect let us be thus minded By perfection there I apprehend such a degree of knowledge as the strong Christian is supposed to have other-where in opposition to the weake who understanding not their liberty by the Gospel were scandalized about indifferent things and so could not walk up to the same rule Not that I had already attained sayes the same Apostle hard by or were already perfect In the one verse of the same Chapter he is perfect in the other he is not wherein yet there is no more real difficulty then this that a man may in one thing be said to be perfect who in another is imperfect which Augustine shewes in the fifteenth chapter of his second book De peccatorum meritis remissione Indeed that Father in that book and in another De spiritu littera hath the luck to treat industriously on this matter Alia est quaestio sayes he utrum esse possit homo in hac vita sine peccato alia utrum sit It is one question whether it be possible for a man to attain to such perfection as to live without sin and another whether there be any that doe For the former question he distinguishes of what is possible by Grace And what is possible by our own Strength To hold that any man by his free will onely without grace is able to keep all Gods commandements and be without sin is that grand Pelagian Doctrine against which he sets his face and detests it But that it is possible to attaine this by grace or the special assistance of Gods Spirit he thinks it best it seemes to grant He thinks it not fit not safe to say any or all of Gods Commandements are impossible Besides where God vouchsafes his grace the work he pleads is to be ascribed to him unto whom nothing is impossible For the second question whether there is or ever was any man upon earth Christ onely excepted that does or did attain hereunto how great a measure of grace soever it be which he has or had he is peremtory in the denyal as full in his proof from Scripture there being several things he sayes which are possible and yet never shall be in the World There is no doubt now but in the dispute between the Quaker and us the terme perfection is understood alike It is a persection they hold in reference to the whole life that a man sins not And if any in the dispute do carry the matter so high against them as to deny what they contend for to be possible they may if they please choose more wariness from St. Austine for the Quaker ascribes not to themselves but to the Spirit the life the power or to Christ within all that they doe On the contrary side if these Friends will not be content with what is allowed them that our duty reaches so far as not to sin at all and consequently to be perfect as the Saints in Heaven that is to be in our kind as God in his is perfect and that it be not denied when we cannot grant that this our whole duty is possible through that spirit by which I hope some of them are lead but they will go on further to say that themselves are such as have attained and that every one who does not attain to the same pitch to wit to live without sin cannot be in a state of Grace and Salvation I shall think it time to send them if they be learned to the same Father and Books for their reproof and satisfaction As for my thoughts farther of this impossibility and what distinction is here wanting you may see p. 12. 19. in my first paper of Election It is common indeed for the Scripture to speak of men and women as perfect Mark the perfect Man Noah was a perfect man Job a perfect man The good Kings are said to walk before God with a perfect heart when yet their failings are recorded in the same chapter It is less wonder to have onr duty set forth in this manner Thou shalt be perfect with thy Lord thy God Let us go on unto perfection Walk before me and be perfect Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength Thy Will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven Be followers of Christ And as his was so must our conversation be in the world There is no man hath a sensible knowledge of himself but he perceives dayly how far his duty is above his performance I am not ignorant neither how some Texts may be drawn out of their sence where the place must give them a right construction by one Offering sayes the Apostle Christ hath perfected them that are sanctified But we are not to conceive that at once therefore he perfects mans sanctification I deny not moreover but the end of Christs manifestation in the flesh was to redeem us from iniquity to destroy the Works of the Devil to restore us out of sin and unrighteousness and present us unto God as a peculiar People Purified by Faith Zealous of good Works Holy and without
blame Entire and wanting nothing Perfect and compleat in all the Will of God I will not cite here those abundance of Texts which are at my pens end least it should engage me to a particular discourse concerning them It will suffice in the general that we distinguish of the time and of the perfection which is to be understood in such several places I do remember when the Donatists are pleading many of the same and the like Scriptures for their Church and separation this is one answer the Orthodox offer them There are duo tempora Ecclesiae say they quae nunc est qualis erit Illa divina Testimonia quibus commendatur ecclesia cum malorum commixtione hoc tempus ejus significat qualis est in praesenti saeculo illa testimonia quibus commendatur non habere commixtos malos illud ejus tempus qualis venturo saeculo in aeternum futura est See Breviculi collationum cum Donatistis I shall say the same here There are two Times or States of the Church The state of this present life and the state of the life to come We doubt not but Christ hath purchased for his Church and People such a state as is to be without sin as well as without misery But this state which is compleating alway must not be expected to be compleated till the other life When Christ shall present her to his Father a glorious Church then shall she be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but while she is but a gracious Church that is while she is in this life she shall not be without her wrinkles nor her troubles We shall reconcile the Scripture very well if when it sets forth every man as a sinner that stands in need of remission every day we refer such Texts as speak indeed of perfect freedom unto the state of the life to come In the first place then there is perfectio viae or patriae viatorum or comprehensorum to use the terms of the Schools A perfection belonging to the state while we are in the way as travellours or a perfection belonging to the state when we shall get home or to our Countrey or to such as have already attained in St. Pauls terms I hope the Quaker that disputes with us about Perfection will acknowledge a difference in regard of attainment between the two estates of Grace and Glory And if that perfection which consists in a freedom from all sin does remain for the Rest above I see not who the man is that can free himself from all sinful imperfection in this World I press forward says the Apostle if by any meanes I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead Such a Perfection belike as that in Heaven is his duty but he can by no meanes here attaine unto it In the next place then that Perfection which belongs to the state of this Life is to be considered in the kind and in the degrees of it There is a Perfection of the kind and of the degree I do not find any of these friends in their writings do take Perfection for a superlative Word They acknowledge degrees in their Perfecton that one hath more of the light and life then another There are Fathers young Men and Children in Grace as St. John speaks The Child hath a perfection of parts that is hath all its Members as well as the growen man but not at the fame maturity Now I would faine know of the judicious among this sect two things in my way The one whether that degree of Holiness which is attained by any man is not the duty of every man The other whether he that fails in the least of what is his Dudy does not sin The rule is but one to all and sin is any want of conformity to that Rule However in this we may both come to an accord They will yield to us that there is a perfection of de ree which they have not attained or that there are more degrees still to be sought so long as they expect another state above in Glory And we do not deny to them that perfecttion in its kind which every man we hold as well as they does and must attaine unto that is saved The great difficulty will be onely in a right understanding of what kind of perfection it is which is to be agreed upon by both In the way for the understanding whereof I must lay down this note that when the Scripture speaks of any good man or woman that fears God or walk righteously it is all one in Holy Language as the being Perfect is Noah is said to be a just Man and perfect and one that walked with God Job a man perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil To be a just Man then a righteous man a man that fears God is in Scripture to be a perfect man and to be a perfect man is to be a just man a righteous man one that fears God and eschews evil They are terms I say aequivalent in Scripture account Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Council of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners The man that walketh not in the Council or way of the wicked is the perfect man in other places of the Psalmes It is a full description that we have of Zachary and Elizabeth They were both Righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameless Now if these friends will be contented with such a Perfection in its kind as was in Noah in Job in Jacob in Abraham in the good Kings the Prophets in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 2.6 Colosse Col. 1.28 in Zachary and Elizabeth and is indeed in every man and woman once Converted differing nevertheless in degree one above another then shall we and they in the end be lead to a perfect accomodation There is in the last place therefore a double kind of that Perfection which belongs to the state of this life A Perfection according to the covenant of Nature and a perfection according to the Covenant of Grave When God made his Creatures he appointed an order for them in reference to which they are all said to obey the Law of their Creation Man being endued with a reasonable Soul must have the knowledge of this Law so far as concerns his part in it and consequently his reason alone could direct him every thing whatsoever except of positive institution he was to do in order to that end unto which he was Created Upon this does arise the Law of Nature which when he was to observe as the condition of his Happiness and Gods favour or the continuance of both that law must be also a Covenant and that is the Covenant of Nature or Works This Covenant being broken and we rendred too impotent for it it pleased God for Christs sake to vouchsafe another wherein he proposes his favour and life upon lower Terms as
for the boulstring up men in their sins and lull them into security that though they live and dye in their wickedness they must be saved and this being taught especially among us Protestants who believe that we are justified by Christs Righteousness without works does appear very destructive to many souls which makes them out of an intention which we may suppose zealous for godliness and the promotion of a good life to fall on our Divines with so much tragical exclamation as they do on this point When in the mean time they neither have considered what our Divines do say that removes all ground for any such abuse nor what indeed are the consequences of their own doctrine which under Pelagianisme Donatisme and the like names hath been so often exploded as utterly intolerable in the Church of God For their conviction in both these I would not in the way have them ignorant what doctrine it was Paul Preached and upon which the like consequences was fastened by some persons at that time that if grace abounded they might therefore live in sin It is but the same doctrine of Gods abounding free grace mercy and forgiveness through Christ to poor Sinners that our Divines do bring against the doctrine of perfection setting the unsound sense of imputed Righteousness aside which Paul Preached and pleaded against those who would bring in the works of the Law for their justification And when these Friends have pondered the Apostles answer to what was alleadged against him there will need but little more to be said by us here unto the same There are two things particularly our Divines teach The one is that notwithstanding grace be imperfect in this life there is no man may sin for all that in any the least thing whatsoever That is though our holiness be imperfect yet is it our duty to be perfect and we are still to be pressed to go on to perfection The other is that a state of grace will not stand with any sin in dominion That is that whosoever does willingly and wilfully live in any known sin without Repentance unto death he cannot be saved And what is the reason then when these two things are still taught that these men should charge the Orthodox with that consequence which they do so effectually disclaim Let them look into any practical Books of ours and see if obedience which is universal be not given as the chief note still of an upright man and of that Faith which is saving And what would they themselves now say more If this rather without some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as so far as human frailty according to the several complexions circumstances and temptations of persons by infinite goodness and wisdom will be allowed be not more strict than can be borne Will it not indeed suffice that a man is upright before God in his desires and endeavours after perfection that is the having respect to all his commandments unless he also be perfect and his works overtake his will What then shall become of the generation of the most just Let us see when this one inconvenience they apprehend as consequent to our doctrine is wiped off whether the several inconveniences that follow their doctrine doe not require more heed First then where they say our doctrine does lead men into security remisness of life neglect of their duty a sinfull course how must their doctrine hurle men into despaire and lead them by that to the casting off the whole care of God and their souls altogether There is no meanes under Heaven so likely to bring a man to give up all as to make him desperate If it will not serve a man for his acceptance with God that he is sincere in his desires and endeavours of walking before him unless he attain to perfection or to a life that is wholy without sin in this world then must the heart of the most holy and mortified man upon earth be quite broke and discouraged for ever There is mercy with thee sayes David that thou maist be feared If God were nor good and merciful to consider mans frailty to pardon his shortnesses and imperfections and bear with him we should not fear him that is worship or serve him for it were to no purpose to go about it seeing we could never please him Alas that these folkes did but know what they do when they bring in such doctrine who themselves must tremble to be judged by it O ye foolish Galathians who hath bewiched you that you should depart from that comfort and peace which some of you I believe sometimes had in believing and truâ—ting on Christ altogether for your pardon and reconciliation with God that you should be brought now to the works of the Law and these terms that if you do them you shall live in them Is there any indeed of you think that you are able and doe continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law or in all things that are written in the tables of your hearts to do them And are you ignorant that upon that account and that alone that none do or are able to do so the Apostle tells you As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Alas Sirs what mean you when we are under the ministration of the New-Testament which brings the Spirit and liberty where the Spirit is there is liberty and righteousnes for by the law of faith the Christian hath a righteousness to plead and to be justified by and so life you should be ready to return into a Jewish or Natural bondage to seek for it from that onely which can bring death and is the ministration of sin and condemnation Secondly I wish into whatsoever consequence our doctrine may lead some of our people that your doctrine does not lead your people into some evils more secret and spiritual but much more deadly to the soul then our ordinary sins are When we shall see a person suppose some Youth of either Sex as soon as they are but wrought over to your party be ready immediately to look on all the rest of people at a distance to a neglect nay even to a contempt of the most grave serious holy of professours which they before conversed withall and so talk to them as if they knew nothing streight in comparison of them but as men altogether in the dark without light or life were to be separated from till they arrive to their attainment or higher state I know not what you your selves may say at such a sight nor what some others may think who passe it by with a smile or jest at the folly or else with wrath scorn and indignation at the insolence and infinite presumption but I for my part must professe it as to my own soul to be a matter of a very deep sad and afflictive apprehension to behold such a novice falling into the condemnation of the Devil Alas what is it if