seven Arguments which if need had required might have been seventie Now I will answer the Objections An Answer to Argument VII IF we are not justified in his sight before we believe a then we are unjust sinners workers of iniquity Answer So we are As we have shewed out of Ephes 2.2 Where we are said to walke after the course of the world to be guided by the Spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience and to be children of wrath as well as others till we be in Christ by faith v. 4 5 6 7 8. So 1 Cor. 6.9.10.11 But then saith the obiection If we be workers of iniquity God hates us Psalm 5. 1. Answ We know no middle between Gods love and hate And the text saith plainly that till they be called they are in regard of actuall love a people not beloved Rom. 9.24.25 ☞ Some reply that this is meant of the Gentiles To which 1. We reply that that is all one In the Gentiles we see those that were not beloved afore the call are beloved after 2. That the text names Jewes and Gentiles and brings that of Hos to prove it with which if we go on to end of 3. chap. of Hos it is fully proved Chapters are of late invention Besides that 9. of Rom. we alledge that Ezekiell 16.8 It was a time of love This text is urged against us but you may see it is for us For it should seeme it was not the time of love till God passed by her and spread his skirt over her the righteousnesse and excellency of Christ In order of nature she lay in her blood before justified and loved But in order of time at the same time yea minute of time she was in her blood was justified and loved At the same time the soule is created in man But in order of nature the understanding acts before the will And whereas it is said Esau have I hated not Jacob But Iacob have I loved This the Apostle applies peremptorily to Election and reprobation Now Election is every where in Scripture called a purpose If any where it be called a love we must be forced to ioyn both together unlesse we will set the Scriptures together by the eares and say It is a purpose of love Now a purpose is not an act nor an act a purpose Gods decree is not the execution nor the execution the decreeing 2. Answ Isay 1.13 Your incense is abomination to me the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it it is iniquity even the solemne meeting your new moones and your appointed feasts my soule hateth c. And all because their hands were full of blood But ver 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow See here is as much said of hating those that should be pardoned ver 25. as of Sodom and Gomorrah ver 10. God cannot hate the essence of the Devill being his creature but onely his manners So of the iustified before iustified as we have shewed Answ b What absurdity can be conceived by one principled with Divinity For though man could fall in the first Adam yet he cannot fall from the second Adam being once in him For the gifts and calling of God Rom. 11. are without repentance We can perfectly sinne being out of Christ and so deserve to be hated But we being in Christ have a perfect righteousnesse in him that saves them to the utmost that is for ever that come to God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 So that as he breaks the power of corrupt nature that it cannot sinne perfectly with a full will Rom. 7. so he perfectly pardons all sinne that there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 Objection 1. We are justified by Faith therefore not before Faith Answer First it should have concluded not before the act of beleeving a Secondly I denie the consequence and say we may be justified both by it and yet before in a different sense This Proposition We are justified by Faith is very ambiguous He was not a Foole who an hundred years since said that this Proposition was one of those things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 I would our Age had not proved it true that the misunderstanding of this Proposition hath turned upside down the Doctrine of Justification amongst pudling preachers There is in this Proposition two words ambiguous and doubtfull The first Justified which sometimes in Scriptures signifieth to be reputed reckonned or accounted Just as It is God that iustifieth Sometimes it is taken for to be declared or manifested to be Just as By workes a man is iustified James 2.24 If you take Justified in the first sense we say we are not reputed or reckoned Just by the act of believing If you take Iustified in the second sense I say we are justified that is declared to be Iust by believing Faith manifesting to our consciences that we are Iust before God By Faith we understand that God hath freely iustified us in his Son Another word ambiguous in this Proposition is Faith which is diversly taken sometimes for the act of Faith or believing and sometimes for the obiect of Faith the thing believed as Faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse Rom 4. that is the obiect of faith So that it is all one as if he had said God or Christ was reckoned to him for righteousnesse If we understand the act of Faith then I say as before we are not reckoned Iust by the act of our faith if by faith we understand the obiect of our faith then I say we are reckoned or reputed Iust by God in by or through Christ Jesus our Faith An answer to your reply to the 1. Obiection We are iustified by faith therefore not before faith Your Answer is 1. That the conclusion should be not before the act of believing We reply the conclusion should not have more termes in it then the premises 2. That if a man hath the habit of faith he cannot but be actually in Christ For it is part of Christ 2. You answer That you deny the consequence We reply That which is said to be done by an instrument inferres it is not done without the instrument 3. You reply that a man may be iustified by faith and yet be iustified before faith in a different sense distinguishing of the reputation of one iust and the manifestation of one iust And of Fides quâ fides quam of faith and its obiect What is all this to the purpose when your own former replies do intimaredly confesse that you took the Argument to mean iustification it selfe not the manifestation and faith the quality not the obiect For the Apostle doth not mean Rom. 5.1 that Christ is the instrumentall cause but the meritorious cause And faith the instrument And the text meanes iustifying not bare manifesting of iustification Objection
in the new Testament called by the name of believers So that as soon as faith comes in the tree is good it is made a vine a fig tree and so brings forth true grapes and figs If men have not faith let them have what goodnesse they can all is naught Heb. 11.6 Which place we shall further vindicate when we come to your reply to it For your last Argument He that hath the Spirit of Christ hath Christ c. 1. It is false in the forme just as your 1. Argument noted with a For 1. as that so this is all universails as you intend it in the third figure e 2. As in that the conclusion according to rule was to be inverted so this So that the right conclusion is this Therefore we believe before we have Christ For the Maior terme must be the predicat in the conclusion And this conclusion is true not onely according to forme upon your premises but according to matter in order of nature For when Christ comes to give himselfe in marriage to us he gives us the hand of faith to take him by the hand of his saving power the sun is seen by its own light and quickning life so Christ is received by the power of his own light and life of grace 2. This argument in the Maior or 1. Proposition clasheth against the proofe of the Minor or 2. Proposition in the beginning of the 2. Argument noted with b For there you say we must be in Christ before we believe To believe is a fruit of the Spirit c. whence it followes by your Argument that we must in your sense have Christ before we have the Spirit or else the Spirit must be in us a barren Spirit without its fruits or idle without working which may not be imagined Yet here you make the having of the Spirit to be the proofe if not the cause that we have Christ For you make having the Spirit to be the Medius Terminus the sinew of your argument which you know in point of art includes sometimes the cause sometimes the signe Therefore of necessity you must yeild your selfe mistaken in one of these assertions unlesse you will close with us that Christ and the saving worke of the Spirit and faith and consequently iustification come unto and into a man all at the same time Argument III. ALL the Elect of God are justified before God a But some of the Elect of God do not yet believe therefore some that do not believe are justified before God and so by consequence before they believe b The major is proved They that cannot be charged with any thing are justified But none of the Elect of God can be charged with any thing Therefore the Elect are justified The minor is proved Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Rom. 8.33 He rose again for our justification Rom. 4.23 An Answer to Argument III. ALl the Elect of God are iustified before God a This is an ambiguous proposition Therefore we must pumpe out your meaning If you meane all the elect are iustified before God that is in Gods thoughts ever since they were elected then you may as well say that all the elect do believe before God in Gods thoughts ever since they were elected for both are equally within the eternall decree of God And so you gaine no before of time of iustification before faith If you mean that after the elect are borne before they are new borne by faith they are iustified before God that is in Gods thoughts or opinion You may say as well so the elect after they are borne before new borne by faith are before God in Gods opinion children of the devill of the world and of wrath even as others So evidently Ephes 2.1 2 3. to end of ver 8. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherin in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the ayre observe the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh observe now and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Till when was there no difference between them and others Till grace came and faith came and put them into Christ ver 4.5 6 7 8. The whole Chapter is to the same effect ver 12. to end of 18. They are without God without Christ till they be in Christ till Christ preached peace unto them and gave them his Spirit and then they come nigh and have accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Heed also 1 Cor. 6 9.10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicatours c. And such were some of you Till when Till now that ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified See he puts now sanctification before iustification that men may not conceive that they can be one minute severed All this while God thinks what he speaks for he cannot lie therefore before conversion we are no more actually iustified then we are actually uniustified If you say in Gods predestination we are eternally iustified we say as truly in Gods predestination we are eternally fallen in Adam For both are equally eternally fore-ordained or else somewhat comes to passe that God did not foreknow or could not hinder which would argue ignorance and impotency in God which to say were blasphemy To the Minor proposition of the argument to prove that all the elect are iustified before God before faith comes b for it is your meaning all along this dispute And to the proofe that the elect cannot be charged with any thing for which you alledge Rom. 8.33 We answer 1. That whiles they are meerly elected before iustification by faith they stand charged with many things God himselfe chargeth them with many heavy things as but now you heard out of Ephe. 2. As 2 Cor. 13.3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul saith to them in whom Christ was mighty that they were refuse unlesse Christ by faith were in them They were but drosse till the substance Christ by faith were in them 2. That the text you alledge is cleerly against you look on it well and submit Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Why Saint Paul Because it is saith he God that iustifieth what iustification Paul do you meane a iustification mentall in God or a iustification actuall received by the believer He shewes us he meanes an actuall iustification received and applied by the believer For ver 30. it is a iustification following vncation according to Gods purpose that is as effectuall as ever he purposed to call And ver 34. such a iustification as
2. He that beleeveth not is condemned already John 3.18 Answer This is all one with He that believeth not shall be damned a which you must understand of finall unbeliefe which I grant to be a note of Damnation An Answer to your Reply to Obiection 2. This you say must be understood of finall unbeliefe a As if a man were not in state of damnation till the last We reply 1. What then meaneth the termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is condemned already 2. How do you answer to the Antithesis He that believeth is not condemned that is is actually out of state of damnation by faith Ergo without faith is actually in state of damnation 3 What say you to the reason he is said to be in state of condemnation for his past infidelity because he hath not believed Objection 3. Without Faith it is impossible to please God therefore we cannot be iustified without it Answer I deny the consequence and I perceive so will you also when you please a b c d e f For you will affirme a iustified person may displease God and then why is it not possible for a man to displease God and yet be iustified To please God is so to do those things which God approves in us to be well done which we cannot doe without Faith That this is the meaning of the Apostle is plaine by his reason For he that commeth unto God must be 〈◊〉 c. We cannot come unto God before we believe but cannot God come unto us before we believe Now Justification is Gods act upon a sinner not a sinners act upon God This also answereth the fourth Obiection Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne An Answer to your Reply to Obiection 3. You deny the consequence Before we reply a note the meaning of the word please it imports to be well pleasing or acceptable 1. So the Greeks take the word So Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abel the first that is said to be acceptable to God was a shepheard So Bud. renders it See you more instances in Greeke Authours 2. It s spoken in this 5. ver not of doing but of receiving God translated him for before his translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God which must be meant that he was well pleasing to God by faith in Christ which is the Apostles scope ver 1. ver 39. or else you will make his doings the cause of his translation 3. This 6. ver shewes that the word please must signifie to be accepted of God through faith in Christ because it is added we must believe that God is there is his essence or that he is Jehovah And that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him there is his attribute of mercy to them that come to him by faith in Christ For without faith no acceptable seeking him Rom. 10. 4. This Epistle being written in Hebrew the Hebrew renders the word please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a delight to him 5. Either this must be the meaning that he that pleaseth God pleaseth God by faith in Christ or else the Apostles Argument drawn from Enoch to prove the Excellency of faith which is the maine businesse of this chap. comes to nothing for this is the Apostles Argument He that pleaseth God hath faith Enoch pleased God therefore he had faith and so by faith went to heaven Now to answer to your reply you deny the consequence 1. We answer by proving the consequence He onely that is justified pleaseth or is well pleasing to God This you yeild in your 6. Argument therefore if a man be not justified by faith he cannot please God This inference is the Apostles in this 11. of Hebr. 5.6 compared with Rom. 5.1 For saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God And by faith Enoch pleased God as sure as Abel did But saith he without faith it is impossible to please God Observe and observe the word impossible and see how it can be possible for a man to be well-pleasing to God without faith 2. We answer though one justified by faith may do some displeasing act as Thomas did in doubting of Christs resurrection yet a man justified by faith cannot be displeasing to God in his person God may chasten the corruption yet love the person Revel 3.19 We hate wantonnesse and whip it but we love the child Faith brings in our Sonship 1 John 12. To your reason for deniall of the consequence b we reply thus That you seeme to inferre that because one justified may displease God in some action therefore he may a time be without faith and displease God in all his actions and yet be justified which inference is very much to be blamed both for the consequent and consequence To your definition of pleasing God in action c I demand whether God can approve of a greater thing without faith namely our persons being as you say iustified before faith comes but cannot approve of a lesse thing namely our actions without faith which seemes strange By faith our persons are united to Christ Ephes 3.17 And our actions are but by a naturall dependence united to us Therefore the person is 1. Accepted by faith then 2. Our actions are accepted because our persons the Apostle saith by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice How saith the text Gen. 4. God had respect to Abel and his offering To your reason d that pleasing God in action must be the onely meaning of the Apostle I answer That from the effect the Apostle proves how a man must have faith to be well-pleasing to God in his person that so he may be well-pleasing in his practise To your demand whether God cannot come to us before we believe e I answer his making us to believe is coming in and dwelling with us Eph. 3. Before that God doth but onely purpose his coming Ephes 1. To your close that Justification is an act of God upon a sinner f not a sinners act upon God we answer that Gods putting faith into a man and by it a man into Christ is as well an act of God in iustifying him as Gods reputing him iust in Christ imputing his sinnes to Christ and Christs righteousnesse to him Obiection 5. We are by nature the children of wrath c. Answer This were of some force a if you could prove us altogether in the estate of nature as well in Gods account as in our esteeme and so quite exempred from grace untill we believe which you cannot doe for the Apostle witnesseth the contrary 2 Tim. 1.9 b According to his own purpose and grace given us before the world began If grace were given before the world began surely before ever we believed God is Alpha and Omega therefore what he promiseth shall come to passe to his c is done
you would not have us to think there were any qualifications pag. 13. Answer 1. God made Adam afraid by his voice in the garden 2. God expounded to him the cause of his shame namely his sinne 3. Presseth upon him his sinne Gen. 3.17 and upon Eve hers vers 16. As for the Promise it fell from Gods mouth in his speech to the Serpent And then vers 20. is all the intimation of Adams Faith calling his wifes name Chavah see the Hebrew and the margin of the English Bible that is the mother of all living Your 2. Proof Pag. 13. Abraham receiveth the Promise in the uncircumcision of his flesh Answ Be it so though the Apostles observation touching Iustification is That Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousnesse in his state of uncircumcision yet doth it follow that all is done in the heart Rom. 49.10 as soon as the Promise comes to the eare Then all hearers are immediately saved at their first hearing of the Promise But to the point in a word God commands Abraham to come out of his Countrey and God promiseth to blesse Abraham and to make him a blessing Gen. 12. But it was faith that did actually derive all that upon Abraham Rom. 4. Hebr. 11. By faith he received righteousnesse and by faith he obeyed And by faith must all the spirituall children of Abraham receive blessednesse Gal. 3.9.26 Your 3. Proof 2. Tim. 1.9 pag. 14. Who hath saved us with an holy calling not according to our workees but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Now what conditions or qualifications say you were there in us before the world began I am not willing to stay my self or to stay you so long as to tell you that this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated Before the World began is not so infallibly evident to signifie eternity as that Ephes 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before the foundation of the world That Calvin translates this phrase Ante tempora secularia Beza Ante tempora seculorum seculum a sequendo which may be rendred informer Ages or before these latter ages That Augustine hath a subtill dispute on this confessed by Calvin That the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies but terme of life Philem. vers 15. As the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnolam Tempus homini absconditum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abscondere which answers to the Greek somtimes signifies but the 50. yeeres of the Jubile Exod. 21.6 sometimes a mans life 1 Sam. 1.28 But suppose this place to be meant of eternity yet 1. cry you not out What is there that is not comprehended in the word Grace For that is your challenge For though all followes upon that grace or favour here meant yet the words purpose and grace as Calvin and Beza well note comprehend no more then a gracious purpose So they or at most a purpose of grace if you dare to understand it of any other grace then of that which in order of nature goes before purpose God of his eternall grace or favour eternally purposing to save And then what actuall saving is here before actuall qualification of the soul with somewhat from Christ for Christ 2. Note the words given us in Christ So that If given in purpose it is given in Christ as when it is given in act it is given in Christ So that God doth still look at us in Christ as qualified or to be qualified in Christ from or by the power of Christ Though in us and from us there is no power or merit we disclaim the Arminians Foreseen Faith and the Papists Overseen Workes and both their power of Free-will yet God saith in his Word that he will save us actually by Faith in Christ both which he gives us Ephes 2.8 He gives Christ to us by Election and incarnation and us to Christ by vocation drawing us by the VVord and grace of Christ unto and into Christ Cant. 1.4 Joh. 6.44 which is the Third thing here in this Text of 2 Tim. 1.9 by you urged That as God doth intend us and purpose us favour in Christ and gives it us intentionally in him by election so saith the Text Wee are saved being called with an holy calling Calling necessarily supposing hearing and understanding our condition and beleeving in Christ or else how is it an holy Calling and that which saves If you doe not yeeld to these things you set up Grace by diminishing Christ And seem to make as if Christ should not be beholding to himself because he is not to man For as Christ merits so Christ also elects As Christ offers himself graciously so Christ gives man grace to receive him Iohn 1.12 If this prevaile not with you look to the very next verse to that you allcage 2 Tim. 1.10 and you shall finde that the place speakes not in vers 9. but of Gods purpose of favour And in v. 10. of actuall But is now made manifest c. Your 4th Proof Pag. 14. Ephes 2.4 5. Vers 4. But God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith hee hath loved us Vers 5. Even when we were dead in Trespasses and sinnes hath he quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved Out of this place your great designe is to prove that men are loved with Gods great love when they are dead in tresposses and sinnes And the better to make way for it you say a stop may be made at the word sinnes And so read the Text thus continuedly God loved us with his great love even when we were dead in trespasses and sins And this reading you say the Text will bear either in the Originall or in other Translations But however you say the text will hold out the same conclusion Answer If wee say the text cannot be thus read after your new way doe not say againe as it is in your book given afore hand that we are froward but with meeknesse of wisedome we would inform you 1. That the Originall will not beare it For after Gods love is described in vers 4. A Comma being put at the word us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us the next verse beginnes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Hutter yea some Greek copy puts a Period a full stop at us in the Fourth verse As if he had as boldly read it thus as you the other way I say thus But God is rich in mercy for the love or in regard of the love wherewith he hath loved us They that know Greek doe know that this doth not straine the text And then the sense concurs in the Fourth verse is described the what Gods love is it is rich in mercy And verse 5. the wherein his Love is acted and manifested Viz. in quickning us c. And to put all out of doubt that the Text will not beare the removall of the stop observe the
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST ANTINOMIANISME The first Dosis The unjustifiablenesse of justification before faith Prescribed and administred in a soft Answer I. To seven Arguments II. To the solutions of five Objections III. To the novell distinction of Gods reconciliation to man without mans reconciliation to God Penned plainly for the undeceiving of the plain-hearted Christian and mildely for the regaining of our mistaken brother H. D. by D. H. London Printed for G. B. and R. W. SEVEN ARGUMENTS to prove a that in order of working God doth justifie his Elect before they do actually beleeve VVith some Answers to the Objections that some make against the same For the confirmation of those that do truly beleeve b lest they should attribute any part of the Office of Christ to the act of their beleeving Ezekiel 16.2 3 4 5 6. c Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations And say Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite And as for thy nativity in the day that thou wast borne thy navill was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all None eye pitied thee to do any of these things unto thee but thou wast cast into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast borne And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Printed in the yeere 1643. An answer to the Title In Order of Working God doth justifie his Elect a before they do actually believe So you 1. Here you do more then seem you do expresse your self to meane justification in act or actuall justification not justification meerely in Gods decree For Gods decree to justifie is not a working iustification so you flie off from that extreame of making a precedency of iustification before faith in Gods decree where indeed the decree of faith is as old as the decree of iustification yet in your dispute you oft fall on againe upon this extreame 2. Here you seem but you do but seem to wave the other extreame of holding a precedency in time of iustification before faith you seem onely to hold a precedency in order of nature because you say in order of working but you onely seem For if onely the difference be in order of nature this doth not inferre a necessity that they should be severed in time not an hour not a quarter of an hour But more is intended namely that a man may be instified many years before he believe so in the 1. Argum which is most false yea we cannot say that in order of working in the same moment when whole Christ is brought to the soule that iustification goes before faith if there be any precedency of one before another For 1. Actuall iustification is by union with Christ granted in 2. Argum. ad Phil. 3.9 Now the very instant of union is of Christs being in us by spirit of faith Ephes 3.17 1 Ioh. 3. ult Ioh. 1.12 you confesse the spirit unites in 2. Argum. e 2. If faith hath any thing to do in iustification it is an instrument but the toole is before the worke in order of nature 3. Though the King purposeth to pardon a fellon yet he doth not actually pardon and pronounce discharged till he accept and plead that pardon 4. The order of working set down Rom. 8.30 is Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified if effectuall calling includes not faith it is not effectuall but onely that which may be in hypocrites but 2 Pet. 1.3 it s plaine calling is to glory and vertue It is a part of the office of Christ to give gifts and graces b and so that of believing to them whom he saves Iohn 1.16.17 And of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Iohn 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified Ephes 4.7.8 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ How proves he that From an act of his Mediatorship namely his ascension Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ezek. 16.2.3.4.5.6 To this we answer c that all that text doth not hold out that God iustified Jerusalem one minute before he restored her to spirituall life holines For when he passed by he said Live And when he said Live he entred into Covenant with her and washed her v. 8.9 Christs name and nature is not barely to save us in our fins but from our sins Matth. 1.21 to be as a Iesus a Saviour so to be Immanuel God with us Matth. 21.23 Now this of God being with us is applied not meerly to Gods decree but to the execution of his decree of calling iustifying and glorifying Rom. 8.30.31 Seven Arguments to prove that in order of working God doth justifie his Elect before they doe actually beleeve With some Answers to the Objections that some make against the same THis Proposition being contradicted we are iustified before God before the act of our beleeving This is the Proposition which I do now undertake to vindicate by the affistance of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose honour is not a little concerned in it b I will first of all lay down seven Arguments for the confirmation of the Truth and then I will answer unto five Objections brought by some against it An answer to the Preface I had thought by that touch you give upon universall Gratians as you call them in the 5. a Argum. * that you had been an opposite to the universall Redemptionists the Pelagians Semi-Pelagians and Arminians But I finde your doctrine in this point to be very consonant and neere of kinne to theirs Herein you agree with them So â—sher delivers their sense who do thus say that the benefit of Christs satisfaction is to be extended so farre as that God for his part is actually reconciled unto men and doth really discharge men from their sins before they believe You differ in this onely that they say to all men God is so reconciled and gives a discharge before faith comes you say he is reconciled to all the Elect and dischargeth them before faith comes To deny this proposition in the sense you meane it That we are justified before God before you mean in time the act of our believing doth nothing derogate from the honour of the Father or his Son b Forthe Father hath committed all the businesse of the Church to Christ Matth. 11.27 28. 1 Cor. 15. sends us
hath Christs death and resurrection and intercession and strengthening in tribulations accompanying it Argument IV. THey that have their sins taken away are iustified a But the elect have their sins taken away before they believe Ergo the elect are iustified before they believe The maior is proved Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgteen and whose sinne is covered Rom. 4.7 The minor That the Elect have their sins taken away before they believe b is proved Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sins of the world and Esay 35. ◠The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all and 1 Pet. 2.24 Himselfe bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed Did Christ take away sinne or not Did he beare them Did he destroy the body of sinne If you say c No how will you escape the Sword of the Spirit If you say Yea I desire no more An Answer to Argument IV. YOu say a they that have their sins taken away are iustified you prove it Rom. 4.7 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered By this you intend to prove a man is iustified before he believes But your own expressions and allegations are against that 1. Expression For sins are not taken away which is a Physicall act by Gods meere mentall thoughts of iustifying but when he pronounceth the blessing of justification he saith withall in whose heart is no guile Psal 32.1 2. which is the place the Apostle quotes Rom. 4. See reall actuall iustification take our sinnes from us and our hearts from our sins 2. Allegation And with the same breath almost with which the Apostle saith Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven he saith also To him that beleeveth on him that iustifieth the ungodly is his faith counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 6 7. You go about to prove that the elects sins are taken away before they believe b by that Isa 53.8 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 1.29 What do you intend by these generall places would you by the two first places have it that Christ takes away the sins of all the Jewes contrary to Rom. 11.7 c. or by the third place that Christ takes away the sins of the whole world contrary to Rom. 8.30 yet either you must take them in that false generall sense or else they make nothing to prove justification before faith That place you alledge out of Rom. 6.6 is flat against you For if sinne be not destroyed till crucified then not till mortified For crucifying signifies mortifieation which is a part of sanctification Gal. 5.22 23 24. And the body of sinne signifies not the guilt but the filth and power Rom. 7. And therefore this place supposeth justification by faith even as faith is mentioned to precede that crucifying in the place last alledged Yet in the close you seeme to triumph c as if you had sheerly carried away the gerland upon the hornes of an unanswerable Dilemma Saying if we say Christ did take away sinne did bear them did destroy the body of sin you desire no more Thus you We answer Christ doth take away sinne doth bear the sins of men but for whom onely for the elect And when doth he take away sinne and make his bearing to lighten men Even when comes that justification by faith that as you say brings with it a crucifying of the body of sinne when comes that iustification mentioned Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. Argument V. VVE were made sinners in the first Adam before we had done good or evill a Therefore we are made righteous in the second Adam before we have done good or evill This consequence is proved Rom. 5.18 19. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous If you shall place the Emphasis of this Text in All and many you will cause the hearts of the * universall Gratians to leape for joy which I beleeve you would not willingly do Therefore you must be forced to place the Emphasis in As and So As we sinned all in the loynes of the first Adam So were we all made righteous in the loynes of the second Adam The Lord Christ And this agreeth with the ministerie of Reconciliation b to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 Truly this Argument was of so great force c that it did wring out of Cardinall Bellarmine this confession as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5. That Christ may be put on without a proper act of our soule I confesse I differ from the Cardinall in his meanes of putting on Christ yet this his confession I acknowledge to be true An Answer to Argument V. IT is plaine by the place you alledge Rom. 5. c That you meane not a making of us sinners in the first Adam by Gods bare decree accounting us so And if you do not so meane but meane that we are actually accounted sinners in the first Adam since we came from his loines before we had done good or evill I admire how you dare affirme a thing so contrary to Scripture For the Apostle most evidently affirmeth in that Rom. 5. That though all that are come of Adam have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression ver 14. that is have not sinned actually in their particular persons as infants not any sinne nor any men that particular sinne of Adam yet ver 12. it is said expressy that death passed over all men for that all have sinned or the Greeke will beare it In whom all have sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former part of the verse favours this reading in these words As by one man sinne entred into the world Then concludes all have sinned Which how can it be true of infants in their conception as Psal 51. unlesse they be said to sinne in Adam But however we read the same conclusion will necessarily follow that all children and all in the wombe even Jacob and Esau have sinned originally in the common nature at first existing in that publike father of mankinde I say originally As true as we have our bodies from our Grandfathers so from the first Adam we had all the same corrupt senses and appetite in him though actually in our own persons we sinned not that sinne nor do infants as Jacob and Esau actually sinne as persons of ripe years when as the Law speakes they are capaces doli can do evill and give a seeming reason for it So then in briefe our answer is That Adams sin is imputed to all because
with him Rev. 21.6 For his workes were finished from the foundation of the world d Heb. 4.3 And so I rest A Servant of Iesus Christ to live and die H. D. An Answer to your Answer to the 5. Obiection We reply when God speaketh those texts Ephes 2.1 2 3. and 1 Cor. a 6.9 10 11. I pray turne to them and consider them sure God speakes as he thinkes And if God doth not thinke mankinde children of wrath before faith comes sure they will not thinke themselves so To that place of 2 Tim. 1.9 we say b that the place is expresse of Gods gracious purpose For otherwise then in purpose Christ himselfe cannot be said there to be given to us before the world began To that Revel c 21.6 God is Alpha and Omega therefore what he promiseth shall come to passe is done with him we answer all that ever any learned have made of that or you can make is that the thing spoken of there was as certaine to be done in processe of time as if it had been then done when it was spoken But the certainty of a thing to be doth not put the thing into a present being Gen. 3. Gods promise of Christ in the beginning of time doth not actually give Christ till the fulnesse of time Yet if you will have a notion in your head of Gods actuall doing in himselfe that which is yet but in his promise and purpose we retort then so is it also in his threats For the same expression as you alledge out of Revel 21.6 by way of promise of a mercy is used by the same Saint John Rev. by way of threat So that if according to your position Gods promising to justifie be an actuall justifying of a man with him then Gods threatning to condemne John 3.18 is an actuall condemning of a man with him So that a man in this way is as much condemned as justified before faith comes and so you have gained nothing Christ himselfe speakes of Gods justifying him from the imputation of the sinnes of men to him in the future tence or time Isay 50.8 9. He is neere that iustifieth me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Hebrew will very well bear it The iustifier of me is neere who will contend with me c. Behold the Lord will helpe me who is he that shall condemne me See by the opposite terme condemne the word helpe signifies iustifying according to the title of the father in 8. ver The justifier So that if Christ was iustified in time from sinne meerely imputed then much more is a man iustified by Christ from sinne inherent Or else on the other side if according to your sense Gods promise of iustifying be in God a iustifying of a man then Gods promise of giving faith is in him a giving of faith to a man and so faith is come as soon as iustification iustification hath not got the start of faith To that Heb. d 4.3 we say that it is expresly meant as it is explained ver 4. of Gods resting on the seventh day in the beginning of the world and therefore cannot be understood of Gods finishing his workes before the world was made Gods purposes are not workes Gods workes are done in time those of the creation in six dayes those of his providence 6000. years but Gods purposes were before all time from all eternitie But of the nature of Gods purposes and decrees and the Obiection about its unchangeablenesse in our answer to some passages in your Sermons intituled Grace mercy and peace containing Gods reconciliation to man man reconciliation to God An Answer to severall passages in your Booke called Grace mercy and peace containing as you say 1. Gods reconciliation to man 2. Mans reconciliation to God Delivered as I conceive by the division of your booke in two Sermons The 1. Concerning Gods reconciliation to man The 2. Concerning mans reconciliation to God Sermon I. PAg. 1. You say I will shew how God comes to be reconciled to men beare with the terme reconciled although improperly spoken of him that was never an enemy So you Answ 1. If God were never an enemy why say you I will shew you how God comes to be reconciled How can there be any going or coming of his love to man if he never an enemy to him Answ 2. Reconciliation and enmity are relatives as a father and a son take away the relation of a father and the relation of a son is gone and so on the contrary So if you deny that there was ever any enmity between God and man you must needs utterly deny all reconciliation between God and man Re signifies as you know again Con signifies together “ Of Cico ciliation to call or move to How is there a moving to where there was never any removing How a together of those that were never asunder How an again unles there had been once an onenes or an agreement which had been broken to pieces and now is made up againe as the * of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permuto Thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commutatio thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commutatio contractus Thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A contracting againe Greek word beares us out in all this and so there is reconciliation But whiles I am speaking these things I know you are gone for an appeale from the bar of reason in matters of faith to the tribunall of Scripture I go with you for that is nothing else but a better a divine reason Say you that God was never an enemy to the Elect and you make the fall of Adam in whom the Elect are included a fiction you make the story of the Gospell touching Christ suffering a fable as that Pope did that said blasphemously How much have we gotten by that fable of the Gospel you make Christs passion if you grant he did suffer for the sins of the elect to be a very vanity a more then needs You overthrow the nature of God Hab. 1.13 whose purity cannot indure any sinne as sinne in whomsoever it is but reproves it sharply all along the Scriptures in all his Elect. And you deny many Scriptures that testifie that God was at enmity with his Elect as well as they with him till they were believers Ephes 2.2.3 As they are said to walke as the worldly children of disobedience so in regard of God they are said to be children of wrath All spoken of the Elect for they were now truly converted Weigh the place weigh also that Isay 63.10.11 Therefore he was turned to be their enemy then he remembred the dayes of old c. That is to have mercy on them Obiect Nor is it available for you to say that Christ died to reconcile us to God not God to us Answ For if that had been all the businesse God might have reconciled our stubborne natures into a love of him
into it because your self in part wave it And you doe well For the grimnesse of the thing it self will make a conscience afraid of it For those your Expressions Pag. 23. That Gods love to us in our blood was as great as ever afterwards and that God loved Paul with as great love when he persecuted as when he preached the Gospel Because I finde them there to be but words without proof I forbeare to confute them unlesse in one word that if before and when signifie a time of being out of Christ your words are most false For whiles the elect Ephesians are out of Christ they are without all hope Ephes 2.12 And children of wrath Ephes 2.2 And before men are in Christ God doth but purpose to love not actually love Ephes 1. Or else you must say That God can actually love without Christs making satisfaction to his Justice If you say that these your assertions were proved afore as you doe in that 23. pag. Then we can as truly say they were answered afore Those expressions in the 23. pag. That God loves sinners with infinite love Yea his Love is God himself 1 Joh. 4.16 A word will suffice God in himself is as essentially Justice as he is Love And therefore as necessarily must the one he satisfied as the other communicated to save So that when his infinite justice is satisfied with Christs infinite merits then hee can exercise with honour to himself his infinite love himself properly being the only Obiect of his infinite Love because he is infinite It is enough for sinners that he saves them to the uttermost Hebr. 7.25 and that God Loves Christ infinitely and loves us in him enough if you dare say that obiectively and properly A creature is in a capacity of infinite act upon it or that God can love infinitely a finite thing unlesse you mean infinite in duration that is eternall for time to come And before his Iustice is satisfied hee actually loves not Rom. 9.25 I will call her beloved that was not beloved but onely purposeth to love upon that consideration and satisfaction as wee have afore often proved Heb. 9.26 c. Immediately before in the margin For that Passage onely breathed out Pag. 24. Gods Act of love is immanent in him Gods actions of love are transient upon and in the Creature That Gods Love cannot increase or decrease Wee say That it is true of the Act of Love in God But the actions of Redemption and salvation from God to a creature may as well increase as those of the creation wherein the World was first a Chaos c. after was raising to perfection sixe dayes The more of Christ is in a man the more of Gods actions of love are manifested to him Speciall graces above common graces God speaks higher touching those his Martyrs that have the suffering graces of Christ then of others Phil. 1.29 Dan. 12. last Revel Heb. 6.4.9 The Apostle puts a wide difference between common graces from which there may be a defection and such as accompany Salvation 20.4 If Actions of Gods love may not be more or lesse to a Beleever within the latitude of never falling from grace totally and finally then there are no desertions of which there are so many instances in Scripture Mistake me nor My meaning is Though God never ceaseth to love those that are once in Christ according to that Joh. 13.1 Rom. 11.29 yet sometimes he may doe more sometimes lesse for the inward comfort of such a soul even as on the other side a Christian may more worke his own discomfort at one time then at another The rest that you have in pag. 24.25 are in effect but repetitions of the same things Therefore wee follow you to Pag. 26 27 28. God doth not onely love us before conversion with his great love but say you with his greatest love that ever was communicated to the creature This may appeare by severall effects of the love of God communicated unto men by God in and through his Sonne before conversion faith c. As Predestination Choosing Redemption Justification Adoption before repentance faith conversion or calling And Sanctification Calling opening the heart all of them gracious acts of God communicated unto the creature before the conversion of the creature to God Answer O Brother that you would consider what strange doctrine is here which the Bible never knew For that Scripture you alleage is flat against you Namely That God hath chosen us in him Christ Eph. 1.4 Hath predestinated us unto the adoption of Sons by Jesus Christ Hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom we have redemption through his Blood even the forgivenesse of our sinnes vers 5 6 7. In whom we have obtained an inheritance vers 11. For can any thing be communicated to the creature through Christ those are your words without Communion Co-union with Christ by faith Is not Christ in us by faith Ephes 3.17 Doth not the Scripture speak as plainly as may be that wee are the sonnes of God which is Adoption by faith Ioh. 1.12 Accepted in him through faith Hebr. 11.6 That wee have Forgivenesse of sinnes which is justification by faith Rom. 5.1 That the inheritance is not of the law but of faith Gal. 3. So for the expressions you use above the Scripture is cleer that sanctification is by faith 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 Acts 15.9 That effectuall calling is by faith Heb. 4.2 If you had only meant that all these choosing redemption justification c. had been made a sinners by Gods decree and purpose 1. You would not have said they were communicated to the creature 2. You should not have numbred Predestination with the rest For by this meanes you speak vaine repetitions thus Predestination is communicated by Predestination For Predestination can be no otherwise ours then in Gods purpose 3. Why did you not think upon this that in Gods purpose faith and repentance and conversion were eternally as well thought upon by God and intended for man as Redemption and Justification He lincks the means and the end in an indissolvable chain Rom. 8. So that in Gods decree you cannot say that any one of those Acts is older then another Let any man read your words over again and speak truly whether you can mean any thing if he make sense of your words though false unlesse he understand a communicating that is actuall and not mentall meerly in God For you speak of sanctifying an ungodly man of effectuall Calling 〈◊〉 as some of the instances of those things that you say are communicated in Christ another note that you meane actuall communicating And then you fall upon your Bead-roule as they speak if not your bad-roule of a redemption justification sanctification calling opening the heart communicated to the creature before the conversion of a creature to God Good Lord teach you seriously to think what conversion that is that hath no effectuall calling or what
effectuall calling that is that may be without conversion For that speech which in effect we had afore pag. 23. though we have answered it effectually we hope afore yet lest any should cast an eye upon it here as unanswered and so conceive it unanswerable though you doe but speak not prove wee answer in a word Before Calling and Conversion God doth onely purpose predestinate elect sinners to be loved in time Ephes 1. first 11. verses a place of your own quotation not actually love Rom. 9.23 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved that was not beloved And in Gods predestination God doth as well purpose mans fall and foresees him a childe of wrath Ephes 2.2 as his salvation And therefore when God doth actually give Christ to us and us to Christ there is his great and greatest love For in him we have all 1 Cor. 3.22.23 Yet you will hold the conclusion p. 30. That Gods love is as great before faith as after yet you know that God saith Without faith it is unpossible to please him Heb. 11.6 Next you come to answer Objections and we to reply to them Jn the Objection against the Page 32. which you have not answered to refute yet we have spoken to afore that distinction of hating the sinne not the creature which you you reject is a trueth God cannot hate the entities or beings he made Gen. 1.31 Physically considered no not the devill himselfe for being considered so abstractively from sinne God saw all exceeding good But morally considered as sinfully mannered so he hates them He hates the workers of iniquitie because of that iniquity Psal 36.2 He flattereth himselfe till his iniquity be found to be hatefull which done away in Christ he loves them dearely Ephes 2.1 2. Likewise that distinction Page 33. rejected by you Of Gods love of benevolence to the sinner before conversion and his love of Complacience to him after conversion It hath more light in it than all your assertions in this dispute which are a very darknesse provided that it be meetly understood Namely that God hath a benevolent purpose of saving a sinner before conversion or faith in Christ And after these he hath an actuall love of Complacency to him And before that not Mat. 3.17 17.5 So August In quo non cum quo Your own proof shall assert it This is my beloved son IN whom not VVITH whom I am well pleased Heare yee him So that men must heare and have and be in Christ and then God is well pleased with them Not afore This you grant unawares page 38. in your owne Answer to the Objection and so doe yeeld the Question namely in your large parallel or as least antithesis in that page 38. between Justice and Mercy Law and Gospell The summe whereof is to use your owne words That the one declareth wrath without forgivenesse the other mercy grace and peace in Jesus Christ * VVhere also you put a difference very wel of being under the Law and under grace The onely piece of Divinity that we have had from you all this while The Lord keep us all to that In your Answer likewise to the second Objection Page 40. which you propound as against you out of Math. 6.15 and 18.35 If you forgive not men c. your heavenly Father will not forgive you In summe you yeeld the question and overthrow your eternall Justifi-fication c. For you yeeld that there is a time when a man doth not apprehend or lay hold on for the words are the same in sense Gods forgivenesse And that till Gods pardon come to us we cannot pardon men And sure enough we cannot doe that till conversion that makes the Wolfe to dwell with the Lamb as the Prophet speaks Likewise in your last answer Page 46. to the third Objection Page 45. viz. If God love us before conversion as well as after then to what purpose serveth faith I say in your answer to this objection you overthrow your own position of justification before faith For these are your very words Faith is to good purpose that believing you who were under darknesse and in the shadow of death and saw no light yet I say yee might rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your faith 1 Pet. 1.8 9. * You durst not goe on with the whole 9. ver of that 1 Pet. but break off in the middle excluding that clause Even the salvation of your soules Because that you thought did too apparently attribute salvation to faith Read the place wisely Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing So you Now where is life where is peace before faith comes according to your owne answer and your proofes of Scripture The other three last Objections Page 51. c. against your Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation before faith As 1. That then what need we take care what we doe if we believe the Lord will not love us the better if we believe not he will not love us the worse 2. That then a man may dye without faith and yet be saved 3. Why then doth God suffer us to live in prophanenesse twenty fifty sixty yeares I say these Obiections following meerely on your unsound Doctrine are stronger to doe hurt than all your declamations against desperatenesse and loosenesse and disparaging the power of being under grace beneath some heathens morality are likely to prevent It is in vain for that man to forbid yong people the conclusion of committing fornication that allows them the premises of all wanton carriage Corrupt men are in their kind rationall and they will conclude according to the principles you teach them ☜ A maid led away with this Doctrine said boldly to me that she knew not how she could offend Jesus Christ by any thing she did But I leave men to read the Book of our brethren of New-England touching the tragicall effects of these Doctrines 2. Part. Or Sermon Reconciliation of man to God Page 1. There is say you in Scripture a twofold Reconciliation 1. Originall 2. Actuall Parallel to the distinction of originall and actuall sinne Originall Reconciliation is of our natures Actuall is of our persons Answ 1. There are no such termes of distinction in all the Scripture Those places you bring for it Rom. 5.10 Ephes 2.16 Colos 1.21 2 Cor. 5.18 19. let all men read and iudge whether there be the least hint of any such thing For is this any argument that because the Apostle saith to the Romans Ephesians and Colossians that they were already reconciled and tells the Corinthians that he was now but a perswading them to be reconciled that therefore the Corinthians had one reconciliation and were to have another For nakedly this is the sense of your inference For these are your very words you having quoted the former places Now say you compare we these