3.6 9. Where he concludes that the iustified man not onely cannot sin but also abstaineth from all appearance of euill These are his very words And hence is that cursed heresie of the Pelagians and Pontificians reuiued by the Antinomians that there is such a prefection in this life as a man may liue altogether without all sin for all his sins of vniust are made iust saith he The nomination whereof is a sufficient confutation For in many things we sin all Iam. 3.2 And if we say wee haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. 1 Ioh. 1.8 4d I note another falsehood where he sayth By fayth onely with out workes freely I am perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God and why because only true faith seeth this and only true fayth inioyes this How are we iustified by faith freely because only true fayth seeth this What if true fayth while during the time of some temptation the exercise of it is suspended do not see nor inioy the fruite of iustification must we therefore passe sentence vpon our selues that we are not iustified nay certainly we are therefore iustified from all sin because God not imputing sin seeth no sin in vs and not because we see and inioy our reconciliation and peace with God For though God be continually pacified towards his faithfull children in Christ yet doe not they allwayes by the act of fayth see and inioy Gods fauour towards them This was Dauids case and is and may be the case of euery child of God Yet whensoeuer wee doe see and enioy our iustification by hauing peace with God through Christ we doe by the eye and apprehension of fayth see and enioy it But our seeing and enioying is not the cause that wee are iustified but the consequent effect and fruit of it being apprehended by fayth 3ly For his 3d Position therein stand his Triarian forces here his files are so doubled and the rankes are so closse that it seemes to be impregnable impenetrable But howsoeuer they stand thicke without yet they are thin and hollow within so that being but once by a wedge diuided they are able no longer to abide the field Therefore obseruing it well I finde sundry aduantages to bee taken First from his commending of fayth in the efficacy of it that it infallibly inflames the heart with true loue making the true beleeuer to breake off his former corrupt conuersation c. Secondly that hee vseth one word twice to wit Declaratiue obedience Declaratiue and a free and cherefull walking in all Gods will and Commandements declaratiuely to manward Which may seeme to some to be eyther idle or a riddle but we shall declare the mystery of it by and by In the meane time all this hitherto in his 3d position hath no other appearance but of sound and orthodox doctrine agreeable to the Scriptures and so to the doctrine of our Church if there bee no more in it then what the outer rinde makes show of For what Protestant Church or what one sound Protestant of our Church doth not teach or beleeue that that most noble and diuine Lady grace of true sauing and liuing fayth doth infallibly to vse his owne word inflame the heart with loue which makes the true beleeuer to breake off from and mortifie his former corrupt and profane conuersation and brings forth a declaratiue obedience and redinesse to euery good worke and a free and cheerfull walking in all Gods will and Commandements declaratiuâ— to manward which is true sanctification Herein we all agree Whereis the difference then Yea but the author comes afterwards in the same position and although he protest these his positions to be the Protestant fayth and the established doctrine of our Church he proclaimes a defyance against the blind zealous dead fayth as meerely opposite to this his true liuely iustifying fayth And this dead fayth whose is it by whom is it taught by whom intertained Euen by the vniuersall bulke and body of our Church which he deuides into two sides the left side consisting of profane sensuall hoggs and the right side of zealous Anabaptisticall Doggs as he stiles them Now if the case stand so that all those protestants generally whom he calls doggs and hoggs doe hold the selfe-same doctrine in truth as the author setts downe in words and yet theirs is the blind zealous dead faith and his the truely liuely iustifying faith it concernes vs a little more narrowly to examine his words to see whither some mysticall sense bee not couched in them or whither hee hath dealt not so candidly nor so ingeniously as by his roauing and rauing language may iustly bee suspected but hath kept vp some reseruations as precious pearles which if hee should vent among so many hoggs and doggs as he liues amongst hee might iustly feare lest the one sort should and that worthily trample them vnder their feete and the other turne vpon him and all to teare him But now it being brought to the vpshot whither hee or we haue the true liuing iustifying fayth hee must permit vs perforce we bringing our warrant from God to makâ— a priuy search and to rifle his Cabbinet to see whither hee haue this Pearle of the Kingdome yea or no. Nor are wee ingaged to doe this in regard onely of our faith towards God as wee are Christans but also of our fidelity and loyalty to our King the Lords Annoynted as wee are subiects for asmuch as hee challengeth all men that hee that will bee a loyall subiect to his Protestant King ought to embrace this doctrine of fayth which he onely the A per se Doctor doth teach Wherein then is the maine difference betweene vs that makes his the onely true liuely iustifying fayth and ours the blinde zealous dead fayth Surely in this that his fayth is so liuely actiue vigorous and potent perfect and compleat that of it selfe it produceth all the fruites of sanctification without hauing any thing to doe with the word of God especially the morall law as a rule of our actions or as a glasse of our imperfections when as wee on the other side acknowledge that our fayth at the best estate during this life is not so perfect and euery way compleat but as a lampe it needeth the continuall supply of the holy oyle of Gods spirit of grace to cause it to flame forth the more in the workes of sanctification which grace of the spirit is ministred and supplyed vnto vs by the Ministry of the word of God as the Oyle-pipe through which it runneth and for as much as in the state of grace and fayth we know but in part and prophesie in part and consequently our fayth is imperfect being mingled with much ignorance therfore we haue need of the Morall law wherof both the old and new Testament are a large commentary both as a rule whereby to frame our thoughts words and workes and also as a
glasse wherein looking the face of our soules and beholding our speckes and imperfections we may get them washed in the fountaine of Christ blood and may make straight pathes vnto our feete Heb. 12 i3 least that which is lame be turned out of the way but rather that it bee healed This is that perfect law of liberty wherein who so looketh and continueth therein hee being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shall be blessed in his deed Iam. 1.25 This is that glasse 2 Cor. 3.18 wherein wee beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory euen as by the spirit of the Lord. So farre are we from holding a state of perfection of faith in this life as though our faith could doe all things of it selfe and did not neede a dayly supply of grace which must bee procured by the word of God eyther preached or read or meditated and conferred vpon and that also by the meanes of prayer Lord increase our fayth But this our Aduersary shutts out the law quite as out of date to a true beleeuer and of no vse at all not so much as to be a rule of life and conuersation his liuely faith doth all and hath noe neede of the word of God to direct or assist it Now that this is the summe of his doctrine concerning his liuely faith yee may gather from his owne words saying fayth infallibly inflames the heart with true loue making the true beleeuer to breake off his former corrupt conuersation c. This word Infallibly implies that faith doth by a continued and vninterrupted act inflame the heart with loue to doe all workes of sanctification and so it hath no neede of Gods word as a rule to bee guided by but the spirit is instead of the word But you will say So much is not expressed in the letter True But you must know that this is the doctrine which he priuately instilleth into his Disciples As in one of his scattered writings I find these words that this fayth of free iustification doth cause vs to walke infallibly in the steps of the workes of our father Abraham whereby like Abraham freely without the law of the ten Commandements wee walke holily righteously and soberly in all Gods Commandements declaratiuely to manward Yea comming sometimes to contest with mee and to charge mee for preaching the dead fayth himselfe did vtter so much to mee by word of mouth that after a man is once inlightned by fayth the spirit guides him so as he hath no need of the word or of the Morall law for a rule to direct him This Doctrine is so familiar among his Disciples as they professe it and are prowd of it so farre are they from making scruple or dainety of it as once to deny it So that this is one of the markes and properties of his liuely fayth that it hath no neede of the Morall Law to bee a rule vnto it in poynt of conuersation or in the workes of sanctification otherwise neyther is it the true liuely fayth nor this the true sanctification A second property and prerogatiue of this his liuely fayth is this that it oweth no obedience to the Morall Law in poynt of duty Hee denyeth the works of sanctification to bee duties What are they then Fruits sayth he So say we too fruits they bee yet duties too Here is the difference then Because wee say the fruits of fayth are duties therefore hee sayth ours is the dead fayth Al this hee hath auouched and that most vehemently as his manner is to my face And howsoeuer he hath not in plaine words expressed so much in this his letter as being more shy and cautelous what hee publisheth abrode hauing bene hampered by me and others and puzzled with some arguments which hee could not answere but sayd hee would answere them when they were written Yet ye may easily gather so much out of his writing For he cals the obedience of a beleeuer onely declaratiue and to bee done declaratiuely to manward Note it well This declaratiuely to manward excludes all duty to Godward For else what vse is there in this place eyther of Declaratiue or much lesse To manward For all obedience in conuersation is declaratiue and all declaratiue is to manward So as all this mans obedience is to manward in poynt of declaration but none to Godward in poynt of duty For if it bee of duty in obedience to Gods law then his fayth also should be the dead fayth But herein stands the prerogatiue of his true liuely fayth that as it doth not so much as reflect the eye vpon the morall Law as to learne obedience from the rule thereof so much lesse doth it acknowledge it oweth any obedience thereunto as a duty to God On the contrary we for holding and teaching that the Morall Law and so Gods word stands not onely for a rule of direction for sanctified obedience but also requireth of the faythfull a cheerfull yet dutyfull conformity thereunto we I say for this very cause must heare Hoggs or Doggs Hogg-christians or Dogg-christians as holding the blind zealous dead fayth So thus stands the state of the question betweene vs about the liuing and the dead fayth and herein we come now to ioyne yssue First then wee are all agreed on both sides that the true liuely fayth is no other but that whith the scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely fayth which promised and granted I argue thus That fayth Proposition which the Scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely iustifying fayth that and no other is the true liuely iustifying fayth But the Scriptures teach and allow that and no other Assumption for the true liuely iustifying fayth which resting only on Christ for iustification by the onely imputation of his righteousnesse doth notwithstanding looke vpon the Morall Law of God as a rule of Christian conuersation and sanctification acknowledging the conformity thereunto as a duty which God requireth of euery true beleeuer according to that Luk. 1.74.75 That we being deliuered from the hands of our enemies should serue him c. Therefore this fayth and none other is that which the Scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely iustifying fayth The Proposition is vndeniable The Assumption I proue And first from the very giuing of the Morall law in mount Sinai For it was giuen in and by and vnder Christ the Redeemer * Deut. 18.18 As the Apostle sayth It was giuen in the hand of a Mediator which Mediator was personally Moses but typically Christ of whom Moses was a type and figure And Christ was that heauenly * Exo. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 Patterne or Antitype according to which were all those things deliuered to Moses in the Mount yea not onely the Ceremoniall Law but also the Morall Law giuen by Christ himselfe where hee sayth I am the Lord thy God which hath
it to be a duty as one of their Disciples saide Away with this scuruy sanctification and putting all vpon an imaginary fayth and perfection in Christ it becommeth so much the more plausible to flesh and blood which is so prone and ready to listen after any doctrine that giues liberty to their vntamed lusts So that when such Disciples heare their teachers say Beleeue onely and so be merry in Christ sing care away to the duety of sanctification away with mortification Repent no more for yee are perfectly iustified God seeth no sin in you yee are perfectly saued and the like no maruell if being carnall and they hypocriticall persons they catch at such doctrines as may nuzzle them in their carnall lusts as is too apparent by the fruite which groweth necessarily from such a roote of bitternesse whereby many are defiled For perswade a man once that being in Christ and so iustified from all his sins Montanistae omnem panitentiae virtutem è medio sustulerunt Hieronead Marcellinam Et lib. 2. aduâ—rsus Iouinianum se Centuria 2. c. 5. hee hath no more neede of repentance and what a flood-gate is opened to all impiety when there is noe more conscience of sin Thus they reuiue the heresie of the Montanistes who denied repentance to be needefull This they ground vpon Heb. 6.11 Not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works Whence they conclude that beleeuers haue no more to doe with repentances where as the Apostle there speakes of the Doctrine not of the practise of repentance reprouing those Hebrewes that they were no better proficients iâ— Christs schoole when instead of being able to teach others they were still A B C darians hauing need to be catichized in the very common rudiments knowne Principles of Religion as Heb. 5.12 Againe they say that they are as pure from all sin in Christ and as perfect in righteousnesse and holinesse as Christ himselfe is alledging that in Iohn 1 Iohn 4.17 Herein is our loue made perfect that we haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement because as hee is so are we in this world Hence they conclude such absolute perfection to bee in the beleeuer as in Christ now glorified in heauen And therefore when they say that a beleeuer is perfectly saued in this life they expresse themselues in plaine words to meane that a beleeuer is perfectly glorified in this life and that there is noe difference betweene our state here and in heauen but onely in our sense and apprehension I should not I confesse haue beleeued that euer any man endued with common sense and reason would haue so much as once conceiued much lesse uttered such a senselesse and monstrous Paradox had I not my selfe heard one of their Antinomian Ministers affirme so much to me and others together For I asking him what difference there was betweene the state of grace here and that of glory here after hee answered none at all but in our sense and apprehension And thereupon another Minister asking him whither we were perfectly glorified in this life he answered wee were whereupon I abhorring such an insolent and Luciferian speech presently auoyded his company and further speech To this height of pride are they come who teach the empty and windy faith of Iustification against Sanctification the fruit of a true liuely fayth But are wee perfectly glorified in this life so as it differs not from that in heauen but in our sense and apprehension Then when a iustified man sinneth it is but in his sense and apprehension if that or rather they are in this poynt without sense apprehension of sin Then when wee are afflicted diseased and the like it is not so indeede but onely in our sense and apprehension because a man perfectly glorified can neyther sin nor suffer any sorrow diseases or death Yea our fayth is no more the foundation of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene we haue no longer hope of eternall life but in our sense and apprehension For wee are already possessed of the thing hoped for we are already perfectly glorified O senselesse stupidity But they vrge As he is so are wee in this world he is pure perfect vndefiled therefore are we so to Therefore say they wee are so perfect as wee cannot be more But St Paul sheweth plainely the meaning of St Iohn saying 2 Cor. 3 8. But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory euen as by the spirit of the Lord. Now though from hence they would inferre that we haue the same image of Christs glory in full perfection yet the next words FroÌ„ glory to glory plainely shew that though the state of grace bee a glorious estate as being an initiation of glory being begun here in the soule yet wee goe from one degree of glory and grace vnto another and neuer attaine to full perfection till this mortall shall put on immortality and this corruption shall put on incorruption 1 Cor 15. Rom. 8.29 So that the image of Christ which wee beare vpon vs here is a conformity vnto Christ our Head in the participation of his glorious graces but in such a proportion as here we are capable of and as God hath distributed to euery man the measure of fayth And the state of grace is in a perpetuall growth here as 2. Pet. 3.18 Ephe. 4.12.13 Psal 84.7 The path of the righteous being a perpetuall progresse like to the morning light shining more and more vnto the perfect day Prou 4..18 But why doe I spend arguments against such as deny vndeniable Principles But thus wee see how a false and imaginary faith whereof these men doe dreame begets in them such damnable imaginations high presumptions euen to the destruction of grace while they would stretch it beyond the line No maruaile therefore if they abolish quite any further vse of the morall law syth they deny Sanctification it selfe as a duty prescribed and commanded in the law Exo. 19.5.6 So that if the Doctrines of these men might preuaile what could bee expected but a deluge of Atheisme and profanesse and all lawlesse licentiousnes and dissolutenesse to ouerflow and drowne the world For they cry downe and abolish all duties contained and commanded in the Morall Law both towards God and towards men Doe we thinke these men can be good subiects to their Prince who deny they owe him any honour in the way of duety enioyned by the commandement 1 Pet 2 17 Honour thy Father and Mother whereof one maine branch is Honour the King And if they doe not of duety honour their King on earth how shall they honour their King in heauen To instance in the fourth commandement they quite abrogate the Morall Law to beleeuers and consequently the fourth commandement which is the sanctification of the sabbath-day But they reply that the Iewish Sabbath-day is abolished
of her many subtractions and purloynings from the diuine truth is strangled and become stone-dead and on the other side to charge the reformed Church of hauing the dead fayth because she teacheth iustification by faith onely with outworkes but behold a wonder that any sonnes of this our deare mother Church should proue so vnnaturall and vnreasonable as and that most impudently though withall cunningly euen pretending the doctrine of the Church of England to be for them and they for it a thing too vsuall to impute vnto her the dead fayth as whereof she is the teacher while vnto the doctrine of iustification by fayth onely she addeth and presseth the doctrine and practise of sanctification not onely as a frute but as a duty springing from the same From which impious and senselesse reproach while we shall purge our mother wee shall with one bush stop two gapps both the wide mouth of Mother Babell crying out against vs that by teaching Iustification by faith onely we destroy sanctification and the impudent mouthes of the misbegotten homebred bratts that exclaime we destroy the iustification of the true liuing fayth And this done we shall by Gods grace eyther so conuince these men as to pull them from their dead fayth or make it so euident to all men as they shall confesse the dead fayth of Belial or of Baal to be with these men and the liuing fayth to be onely on our side Now the occasion of our taking this taske vpon vs is this there is a new sprung-vp opinion which not onely in this City but in some parts of the Country spreading like a Cancer or gangrene hath infected many poysoning them with a schismaticall spirit and not only alienating their minds from but opening their mouthes against our Congregations and Ministers so as they scoffe and scandalize euen the soundest and sincearest preaching of the word of God They deny any vse at all of the morall law so farre as to be a rule of life and christian conuersation after that a man is once brought to be a beleeuer in Christ They allow the law no further vse then as to bee a Schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ and then farewell law And if Ministers Preach and presse the duties of sanctification these Antinomians ieare at them yea and rayle on them to their very faces calling them Anabaptists and telling them that they preach the dead fayth and that such goodly doctrines are good for nothing but to carry men to Hell And for my part I should not haue beleeued there had bene such mouthes of blasphemy in the world had not mine cares bene witnesses of them And for a further proofe hereof to make it euident to others also besides other writings which the ringleaders of this Antinomian or lawlesse sect of Belial conuey and scatter among their Disciples a letter written with the chiefe ringleaders own hand for ex vngue leonem but consigned or subscribed with the name of one of his prime she-Disciples and sent to one Mr. T. may suffice to manifest their virulent spirits to all the world The copie whereof is here affixed verbatim onely I haue forborne to set downe the parties name at large but onely the first letters of her name concealing the Masters name who is the inditer and writer altogether And I follow therein the example of holy Ierom who writing to Ctesiphon against the Pelagians Hieroinmus ad Ctesiphontem aduersus Pelagianos sayth No mans name is particularly touched in this small worke wee haue spoken against the Master of a peruerse opinion who if he shall be angry and shall write againe hee shall like the mouse bee bewrayed by his owne discouery and expose himselfe to receiue yet greater wounds in a set pitcht field And let me also aduertise the reader concerning this letter as also of others of the like kinde which I haue seene that howsoeuer it hath poyson enough in it yet it is so ministred in a goulden cup so couered ouer with clowdy and obscure words and so tempered with sugared phrases of scripture as that both his Disciples may with the lesse suspition and more delight drinke it downe and his iust aduersaries may haue lesse cause to cast it in his dish or to quarrell him and bring him in Quorum for it And that this was the ancient guise of Hereticks the same Hierom tels vs in the same place where speaking to the Pelagian he saith Nosti c. Thou knowst what thou teachest thy Disciples priuately expressing one thing with thy mouth and concealing another in thy conscience and to vs who are strangers none of thy Disciples thou speakest by Parables but to thine owne scholars thou vnfoldest thy mysteries and this thou boastest thou dost according to the scriptures because it is sayd Iesus spake to the people abroad in parables and to the Disciples within dores hee sayth To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen And againe Sola haec haeresis c. This onely is heresie which blusheth to speake in publike what it feares not to teach in priuate The rage of the schollars vttereth the silence of the Masters That which they haue heard in the chambers they preach on the house tops that if they shall please their hearers it may bee attributed to the praise of their Masters if it displease the fault may bee the scholars not the masters Ideo creuit c. Thus hath your heresie increased and you haue deceiued many because you alwayes teach and alwayes deny Sententias vestras prodidisse superass est c Hieron It is the Churches victory when you speake plainely what your opinion is To shew your opinions is to subdue them So Hierome Now let me appeale to the consciences of the Disciples of such Masters as we speake of whither they doe not deliuer their documents and lessons in plainer termes and more perspicuous amplification in their priuate schole or chamber by word of mouth then they do or dare do publikly in their loose papers and pamphlets Let them tell me wherein they differ or come short of the Pelagians in the guise of broaching and venting their opinions noted by Ierome And this is the nature and practise of all heresie which serpent-like walkes with a doubled gate and like the snaile puts forth her hornes slowly to proue her way but vpon the least resistance quickly puls them in againe or iugler-like playing fast and loose with his spectators or like lying Fame which for feare is sparing at first till spreading it selfe it finde credit and intertainement in the world Yet the quicke sighted Reader shall finde this letter to be not altogether so euen spun but that it hath many knobbs and knots of grosse errour which is euer vneuen and neuer but vnlike it selfe sufficiently bewraying a poysonous minde and virulent spirit in the author 2 Tim. 3.5 c. being of the number
of those who hauing a forme of godlinesse deny the power thereof from such turne away Of which sort are they which creepe into houses and lead captiue silly women laden with sins led away with diuerse lusts euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth And as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses soe do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the fayth But they shall proceede no farther for their folly shall bee manifest to all men as theirs also was All which how fully it is verefied and exemplified in the Author we haue to deale withall this little discourse seconded with the subscription of his owne handy worke will abundantly testifye Now because the letter is teadious so as to answere to euery circumstance would clogge our discourse with many vnnecessary and vnprofitable matters therefore I will epitomize or contract the whole into one briefe view and pitch vpon such points as the Author stands most vpon and wherein he placeth the maine strength of his battalion And first I will muster vp his scattered skirmishes and brauadoes And those I finde to be diuided into two speciall companies The first is a brauado setting forth his cause with many specious and glorious titles as his ascribing it to Gods gratious calling that it is the true liuely iustifying faith which he maintaineth which words hee often repeateth that it is of the household of true faith the most holy and heauenly calling into the true liuely iustifying fayth that it is the gracious leauening of the Gospell that it is the effectuall calling to true christianity and assured free saluation that this leauen is the wedding garment of Christs perfect holinesse and that this is the good and old way which Abraham walkt in that it is the established protestant doctrine of our Church of England grounded vpon the word of God which euery one ought to imbrace if hee will be a loyall subiect to his Protestant King againe This is the Protestant fayth this is the established doctrine of our Church that he is as one true Prophet to a great number of false Prophets that he with a few more goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospell such as call the people to a chearefull zealous godly life onely for and by the ioy and excellency of free iustification but marke how deepely considered onely those few doe apply the law purely and truely that these are the few foresayd true ministers of Christ and such as follow them the true beleeuers that they onely bring in the true meanes of true sanctification and of doing all good workes that these are the true teachers who doe truely establish the law that these are the onely true ministers and their followers the onely true people of God that this doctrine is and may bee proued in euery point with two or three plaine scriptures and two or three plaine testimonies of Orthodox Protestant writers These and the like bee the glorious guildings wherewith hee doth so fairely inammile his leaden cause which anon will come to the Test The second company wherewith he skirmisheth all along is of such reproches as hee casts vpon all those that are aduersaries to his opinion I take them in order as they lie That to auouch the contrary is a sinfull preiudice of Gods truth that it is a blaspheming of the true liuely iustifying fayth such are too much leauened with the sowre leauen of the deuouter sort of Pharisees which with the false brethren among the Galatians leauened and corrupted the faith of the Galatians Thus the pentificians where they find certainety of Saluation they call it presumption c. and that with a conceited holinesse of doing and keeping the morall law this is a dangerous leauen of the Pharisees which vnder the visour and conceit and opinion of sincerity and obedience to God and zeale of God is but hipocrisie Christs marriage garment is now a dayes eagerly opposed and subtilly betrayed with a Iudasses kisse in this regard these are the perilous times wherein men and women are euer learning and neuer able to come to the truth of the assurance of their free saluation and that there is in a manner now no fayth on the earth because the dead fayth before God is no fayth although it be varnished and guilded ouer with a blinde prepostrous zeale and opinion of obedience and walking in all gods commandements as Paul before his conuersion was in this blind zealous dead fayth which phrase is very frequent with him that it is another Ghospell that the blinde zealous dead faith thinkes it knowes something when it knowes nothing as it ought to know that they are not some few teachers among vs that trouble the people of God by Preaching another Gospell but especially when God meanes to punish an vngratefull Church and Nation many false teachers This great prophet Iwis as of old there are many hundred false Prophets to one true Prophet hanging relying and depending yea bragging of their obedience workes and weldoings and keeping of the law these bad ministers and teachers that trouble the people of God are and for the iuster iudgement and scourge of the great vnthankefull multitude euer haue beene the greatest multitude and these are deuided into two sorts the first sort are such as are euill beasts slow bellies that vse to preach a little for their liuing sake and for their bellie but care not for the sauing of soules but for their ease their pompe and worldly esteeme and those ministers make onely Hoggschristians that trampling free iustification and the Pearles of the Gospell vnder the feete of their durty affections doe care for nothing but rooting in the earth and filling the belly but the other sort of bad teachers although their right eye also of true fayth bee out and doe more deepely delude themselues and others in the dead fayth yet they haue the light of nature more strongly stirring in them described Rom. 2.14.15 where it is sayd that the Gentiles which haue not the law doe by nature the things conteined in the law which shew the effect or worke of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing them that is with feare of punishment when they doe ill and will preach it as the true Gospell I warrant you and excusing them that is hoping to speede well when they doe well and this light of nature they varnish ouer with titles of the Gospell whereby especially young Ministers being carryed with a preposterous zeale of Gods glory Rom. 10.2.3 in workes and conceited weldoings they slight ouer fayth and free iustification with a wet finger thinking with the Papists by a carnall vnderstanding of them that they are quickly or rather learned too fast and so doe preach neyther true law nor true Gospell but a corrupting blending and marring of both law and Gospell whereby they put out the right eye of
the greatest multitude of zealous professors they drowne them with themselues in the dead fayth and instead of a true fayth in Christs righteousnesse doe make them to rely and hang vpon their owne holinesse workes and well-doings whereby people are euer troubled in conscience or else glory with the Pharises Luke 8.11 in a prepostrous false bastard sanctification and Anabaptisticall mortification and obedience in doing the law of God flowing from no true loue or charity and so as the former profaine Ministers doe make dogg-christians so greedily feeding vpon the fifthy pleasing carrion of the secret lurking vaine glory of their owne holynesse obedience workes and well-doings that these most Iudas-like and traiterously trample the pearle of free iustification and free grace vnder the feete of their Pharisaicall affections and doe not onely fall a barking like doggs at the few * Meaning those of his Antinomian and lawlesse sect foresayd true Ministers of Christ and so trouble the true beleeuers with all manner of caluminations raylings and slanderings as that they are against sanctification and good workes whereas they onely bring in the true meanes of true sanctification and of doing all good workes and that those true teachers destroy the law when they truely stablish the law with such-like innumerable caluminations but also sticke euen violently like doggs to fly in the true Ministers and people of Gods faces and are ready if they can to teare out their very throats with bitter hatred and cruell persecution are not these truely Christs dogg-christians the Disciples of such false masters plainely declaring that whilst they contend for the law they are both in words and deedes the greatest destroyers of the law and that their bragging obedience is most grieuous disobedience all their holy sanctification is dubble sin and iniquity and that their whole worship of high esteeme with men is idolatrous and abomination before God traiterous to their King and dangerous to the betraying and destruction of their whole Country and Kingdome wherein such liue Therefore in my hearty loue and in the sincerity of my bettered affections I pray you take heed of this blinde zealous dead fayth and content not your selues in the carnall knowledge of free iustification c. Thus farre of his skirmish Wherein thou mayest good reader obserue how he magnifieth himselfe as the onely true Prophet opposed by many hundred of false Prophets those hee rankes together with their hearers and seuerall congregations into two companies the one a heard of hoggs the other a kennell of doggs and of these two he makes vp the vniuersall body of the Church of England as which God hath giuen vp to bee plagued with such ministers of the blind dead fayth as his vsuall manner of language is to call it So as in summe he makes the Church and nation of England to be an accursed Isle of hoggs and doggs Againe for all this note how sliely like the subtile serpent hee seekes by insinuation to patronize his doctrine vnder the authority of the Church of Englands established doctrine as grounded thereon and consonant thereunto and so consequently vnder the Kings protection a pestilent peece of policy and practice though by necessary consequence hee makes the Defender of the fayth no better that which my very thought abhorreth then one of his hogg or dogg-christians and on the other side labours to make all his aduersaries odious as being in their doctrines enemyes to the King and State a notable practise of heretickes in all ages and such are all Ministers in Court City Country all Courtiers Citizens Country-men that follow not this man in his conceited true liuely fayth Come we in the next place to his maine battalion which hee rangeth into 3 squadrons Namely hee sets downe the state of the doctrine in 3 Propositions which he cals his 3 Protestant positions The first is that the horrible filthinesse of sin is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous nature that God cannot but abhorre curse and detest the creature that hath any sin in his sight as these and such like scriptures teach Deut. 27.26 2. Pet. 2.4 Rom. 5.12.15 Esa 59 2. Iob. 15.16 The second is I beleeue that for remedy of this my misery by sin God by the power of his imputation doth though mystically yet soe truely cloth mee with the wedding garment of his sons perfect holinesse and righteousnesse Esa 61.10 that all my sins both of my person and works being truely abolished not out of me 1 Ioh. 1.8 that there may be place for fayth Heb. 11.1 Rom. 4.18.19 to 21. but yet vtterly abolished out of Gods sight Col. 1.22 I and all my workes are of vniust made iust before God that is perfectly holy righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works And I say By fayth onely without workes because onely true fayth seeth this and onely true fayth inioyeth this And thus by Christs stripes am I healed Esa 53.5 And so God is well pleased and at peace with mee For being iustified by fayth we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 And am truely blessed Rom. 4.6 For as many as are of this fayth of free iustification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Gal. 3.8.9 and shall be certainely glorified for whom God iustifieth them he also glorifieth Rem 8.30 All which Protestant position of free iustification is abundantly and clearely taught by these and such like scriptures Esa 43.25 Esa 44.22.23 Ioh. 1.29 Heb. 1.3 Heb. 9.26 1. Ioh. 1.7 Reu. 1.5.6 Dan. 9.24 Rom. 3.21.22 Rom. 5.17.18.19.21 Eph. 5.26.27 Reu. 3.18 Col. 1.22.23 Rom. 8.4 Col. 2.10 Rom. 9.30 Heb. 10.14 Esa 62. Phil. 3.8.9 Tit. 1.15 Heb. 11.4 The 3 is my third position is that this true fayth of free iustification doth infallibly inflame the heart with true loue Gal. 5.6 which makes the true beleeuer to breake off from and mortifie his former corrupt and profane conuersation and brings forth a declaratiue obedience and redinesse to euery good worke and a free and cherefull walking in all Gods will and commandements declaratiuely to manward which is true sanctification as these and such like scriptures teach Tim. 2.11 to 15. 1. Ioh. 3.5.6.9 Eph 2.10 Rom. 6. Eph. 4.22.23.24 Math. 5.16 This is the Protestant fayth this is the established doctrine of our Church these are the 3 positions that here hee makes the woman-Disciple to speake I haue too lately receiued and which haue so changed mee out of the blinde zealous dead fayth into the true liuely iustifying fayth Thus you haue his 3 Protestant positions as hee calls them set downe word for word which an indifferent reader yea a sound Protestant perusing and knowing no more of the authors minde then what is here expressed hee would at the first sight perhapps take all for harmelesse and sound doctrine But when he shall consider how all these positions as Protestant as they bee stand in opposition to all that doctrine which is
generally taught by the most sound learned and orthodox Diuines in England and so I may safely say in all the world then hee may well suspect a Pad in the straw and a serpent to lurke vnder the greene leaues and some thing more in it then at the first appeareth For touching the first position What one Protestant Diuine doth not hold and teach that sin is most detestable to God which his pure eyes cannot behold and that it makes a man odious in Gods sight Witnes the bitter and cursed death of the son of God himselfe which hee suffered for sin otherwise wee had all remained vnder the curse left to eternall perdition the iust punishment and reward of sin if it had not bin remoued by Christ So as herein the author hath no colour of accusation against his hoggs and doggs his aduersaries but this first Position serueth onely as an vsher to lead in the rest or as a harbinger to take vp the best rome in mens conceit for the rest of the traine by prepossessing the readers minde with an expectation of sutable doctrine in that which followeth Num 23.8 Wherein we shall finde that he playes but the cheater who showing one peece of good gold out of his purse would perswade his gull that his purse is full of such when all the rest is but counters or counterfet gold double guilt For the second position what Protestant Minister of the Church of England of what ranke soeuer bee he reckoned among his hoggs or among his doggs that holdeth not and teacheth not that the onely remedy to remooue mans misery by sin is Iesus Christ his death and passion his obedience actiue and passiue his whole righteousnesse freely imputed of God to euery true beleeuer What Protestant Diuine or other but holds iustification to be by fayth freely without workes And that those whom God iustifyeth hee so acquiteth them in abolishing their sin that hee remembreth it no more but casts it behinde his backe seeth it not any more in asmuch as he doth graciously for his sonnes sake not impute it to them So as what needes all that heaping vp of places of scripture as if none but the Author tooke notice of them or as if his doctrine were so vnknowne or doubted of as it needed such a cloud of proofes Yet some particulars in this position would bee a little talked with all As 1. where hee sayth That all sins in the beleeuers are vtterly abolished out of Gods sight by being not imputed This is most true Yet it puts mee in minde of that which I heard long agoe scattered abroad by this very Author that God seeth no sin in his children Which Aphorisme taken vp of the vulgar may breede in them that beleeue not presumptuous thoughts and resolutions voyd of the conscience of sin Therefore this poynt would be a little opened True it is God seeth no sin in his beleeuing children for which hee inflicteth the curse or any satisfactory penalty vpon them Thus when Balack would haue had Balaam to curse Gods people hee answered How shall I curse where God hath not cursed And v. 19. God is not as man that hee should lye or repent hath he sayd and shall hee not doe it Behold I haue receiued commandement to blesse and hee hath blessed and I cannot reuerse it And hee renders the reason He hath not beheld iniquity in Iacob neyther hath he seene preuersenesse in Israell the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them Surely there is no inchantment against Iacob nor diuination against Israell For Christ hath borne Israels sin in him hath God the Iudge fully punished it his iustice is fully satisfed for all Israels debts So that all being satisfied and discharged in our surety Christs righteousnesse and satisfaction made ours now God seeth not sin in his beleeuing children as a iudge to punish them yet he may be sayd to see as a father to chastise them Or when he chastiseth his childe hee seemeth to see his sin though done away in Christ and pardoned in Gods Court to the end his childe may come to see it and so haue the euidence of pardon sealed vnto him in the Court of his owne conscience And this is that which all sound Protestant Ministers teach and beleeue A second thing I note in his second position is if not an absurdity yet an obscure speech his words are All my sins both of my person and workes are truely abolished not out of me that there may be place for fayth Why Are sins abolished actually by imputation before fayth bee wrought that the abolishing of sin makes way to fayth True it is Christ hath taken away our sins and by death abolished death before we haue fayth to apply it for our fayth is from the merite and vertue of his death Otherwise I know not what sense to make of his words vnlesse hee meane that fayth alone takes place in the beleeuer working and doing all infallibly and freely as else where he expresseth himselfe without the Law of the ten Commandements 3 I note a falshood in it for he sayth All my workes are of vniust made iust before God What these works are I finde in other of his scatered pamphlets to wit all naturall ciuil religious sanctified actions which being in themselues as he sayth foule and filthy are made perfectly holy and righteous by free iustification Now this is a thing both imposible and were also vniust for God to doe it It is impossible for God to make a worke that is vniust to bee iust Indeed Antichrist arrogateth this omnipotent or rather impotent power as deriued from God to make ex iniustitia iustitiam righteousnesse of vnrighteousnesse but Gods omnipotency stretcheth not to make an vniust worke to be iust For then he might seeme to be both improuident and vniust in appointing his sonne to take away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe in case God could haue made of sin no sin by his meere omnipotency Indeede God can make a thing to cease to bee or hee can make a thing to bee which had not a being as hee did all the world but hee cannot so abolish a thing as to cause the former being of it not to haue bene a being after it hath once actually bene So of a wicked worke God is so powerfull so good so iust as that hee cannot make the wickednesse to bee good for that implies a contradiction but hee can and doth so abolish the wickednesse of our workes by Christ by not imputing of them as if it had neuer bin But to say our workes are of vniust made iust this as it is a phrase not vsed in scripture so in the Antinomians sense it tends to the bringing in of a heauenly state of perfection in this life For he would inferre herevpon that a man once in Christ iustified is altogether without sin in Gods sight abusing that place of Iohn 1 Ioh.
themselues should keepe it but they should looke their whole family kept it Yet in case the Master should neglect his duty herein and instead of commanding his family to keepe the Sabbath should inioyne them seruile worke doth not the Commandement take hold of the seruant What Is the seruant an Asse or sott to yeald blinde obedience to his master commanding against God Or is he such a slaue as hee hath not a soule to answere for to God as well as his master Or being his Masters seruant is hee thereby exempted from being Gods seruant sayth not the Apostle Hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also hee that it called being free is Christs seruant Indeede the Masters sin is double not onely in permitting and communing but compelling or commanding his seruant to worke when God commands to rest but yet the seruant obeying his master herein vniustly commanding committes a single sin at least against God if not also double while he preferreth his earthly masters Commandement before his heauenly masters But this say they is Petitio Principij if Gods Commandement reach not to seruants But we shew it doth if seruants be not vnreasonable beasts or blinde Asses Nor ought the Masters Commandement to bee of force yea it hath a meere nullity if it bee contrary to Gods expresse Commandement So that in such a case for a seruant to obey his Master is against and aboue God to set vp an Idoll which is nothing in the world and such seruants slauishly obseruing Sabbatum Asinorum the Sabbath of Asses do iustly deserue the whip for the Asses backe or that censure forementioned in the second synod of Matiscon If a seruant or rusticke doe breake the Sabbath let him be soundly dry basted with clubs But say they the sonne of God hath commanded all christians to heare the Church not to despise hir Canons or Princes Edicts True But is Christs command absolute and without limitation namely to obey Superiours actiuely whatsoeuer they command right or wrong for or against God what if the Canons of the Church doe by mans Traditions disanull the Commandement of God as of old the Iewish Synagogue and of latter times the Romish Are such Canons to be obeyed against Gods expresse Commandement If the Pharisees and chiefe Priests make a Canon to punish with Excommunication or Suspention those that shall confesse Christ or professe or preach his truth and fayth frely faithfully is it not disobedience to God herein to obey them and through slauish feare rather to renounce Christ then not submit to such wicked Canons The Iewes Corban freed Children fom honouring their Parents and doe not they as well make voyd Gods Commandement who in binding seruants to obey their masters commanding against Gods Commandement doe thereby free them from Gods Commandement And for Princes Edicts we all reuerence and willingly imbrace and obey them But without limitation what if they command against God what if they shall forbid by publicke Edict the free preaching of the word of God in any part of it as such and such points of fayth and saluation not to bee handled such and such heresies not to bee medled with by way of confutation Are we not to answere in such a case as the Apostle did Whether it be meete in the sight of God to obey you rather than God iudge you for we cannot but speake the thinges wbich we haue seene and heard And Peter tels the Rulers boldly and plainely Wee ought rather to obey God then men What because Nebuchadnezzer erected his Image and commanded all to worship it and forbad to pray to any God but to the King onely for thirty dayes must this Edict therefore bee obeyed Noe surely And why Because it was against God and therefore it ought to haue beene of no force to exact obedience of any But what will you say Must we be rebels in disobeying our superiours No it is one thing not obey another to bee rebellious superiours ought not to bee obeyed if they command against God Yet this is no rebellion where men are ready to yeald passiue obedience to their vniust cruelty by not resisting it though they derect and deny actiue obedience to their vniust commands Thus Daniel thus the three Children did the one desires rather to bee cast into the Lyons denne the other into the hott fiery fornace then to dishonour God by bowing to the Kings Image Thus all Gods true bred children haue and will doe they neyther dare obey vniust command contrary to Gods word and a good conscience nor yet rebelliously resist vniust punnishments in both which they obey God But enough of this poynt at least in this place where we haue as it were by the way occasionally met with it not purposely minded throughly to handle it but onely as a branch of that morality of the Law of God the whole bulke and body whereof is hewed at by the Antinomians to cut it downe by the very rootes Onely let vs adde here a few reasons and motiues Reasons why the Lords day is to bee sanctfied the more to strengthen and prouoke vs to the more diligent obseruation of this great holy day of the Lord. One reason may bee taken from the comparison betweene christians vnder the new Testament and the Iewes vnder the Old How exactly were the Iewes bound to keepe the Sabbath as a memoriall of their deliuerance from Egypt in token of their perpetuall thankefulnesse How much more then are we thus bound to sanctifie the Lords day in a perpetuall thankefull remembrance of our spirituall deliuerance from the bondage of sin sathan and hell ouer which Christ triumphed manifestly in the day of his Resurrection Secondly Exod 31.16.17 as the Sabbath day was giuen to the Iewes as a signe and meanes of their sanctification So the Lords day in the due sanctifying of it in the vse of the meanes is a pregnant occasion of our sanctification and that not only in regard of the same Ordinances attending vpon it but as it is a perpetuall memoriall of Christs Resurrection and in the faith and fact whereof is begun here not onely our sanctification but also our glorification and eternall Sabbath Ob. But if the Eternall Sabbath began in Christs Resurrection then what further vse is there of a seauenth day weekely to keepe Sabbath in Euery day now yea our whole life time is a Sabbath vnto vs therefore to keepe a seauenth day still is against the nature of the eternall Sabbath hath begun in Christs Resurrection And thus to keepe a seauenth still is to goe backe to the Iewish ceremony againe which is abolished in Christs Resurrection Answ Though the Eternall Sabbath began in Christs Resurrection and is now eternally kept of Christ and of the Church triumphant yet during the time of this life which is measured by times and dayes and in regard of the many corporall necessitys of it must bee
places where the bankes of the publike Ordinances together with the fruite thereof to wit priuate familie-duties are wanting an vniuersall deluge of all licentiousnes doe not ouerflow al whereas on the contrary where the Lords day is most duely and dutifully obserued and sanctified in a conscionable frequenting the holy assemblies in publick prayer hearing the word faythfully preached the Sacraments duely administred and the like there is not onely a beautifull face but a sound body of religion to bee seene Especially where a good Ministry and Magistracy are the ioynt pillars of the Corporation So as from the right sanctification of the Lords day doth spring all holynes and power of religion where by God is honoured the commonwealth it selfe is made glorious as being established and combined with the most firme bonds of pure religion the Crowne and security of Kings and Kingdomes I might hereunto adde many more motiues which though they bee necessary for these licentious times if as well the remedies could bee indured as the maladies cannot yet I forbeare at this time as not so sutable to this short discourse wherein I feare already I haue bene too tedious though occasioned if not rather inforced by the inportunate Antinomians the enemyes of all true piety But to shut vp all in a word let mee here giue the Reader one summary view of their absurd and impious Tenets Positions that the Antinomians and such like Libertines and sectaries hold with their vsuall euasions and distinctions THese Antinomians teach that God sees no sin in his iustified Children and though he know sin to be in them yet he sees it not thus making God like to a blinde man who seeth not those thinges which he knoweth And where wee obiect God sees sin in his iustified Children for hee reproues and corrects them for it they answere that particular congregations consist of a mixed multitude some belieuers some not and vpon the vnbelieuers onely are the corrections and reproofes and not on the other And when t is obiected God saw sin reproued and corrected it in Dauid a belieuer in Christ who sayth Psa 69.5 Thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sins are not hid from thee they answere with mayntaining that the iustification of the Saints before Christs death and since is not alike but because there is great difference in the manifestation to them before and vs now therefore there is a difference in their iustifying God did see sin thorough the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto Dauid but not through that which was imputed to Paul so they Obiect But Paul himselfe prooueth that the iustification of all the Saints both before and since Christs death is alike But this they will not allow of but still will haue euasions Ob. But he sees their Sinnes daily because dayly hee commands them to pray for pardon To this they answere that that Petition is to be sayed eyther onely for modestie or else for the further manifestation of their iustification Ob. But doth iustification abolish Sin cleane out of a belieuer No for then we should lye 1 Ioh. 1.8 10. Ob. But do you see sin in you and doth not God see it No God sees it not for hee lookes vpon vs onely in the righteousnesse of Christ in that greene glasse all he lookes on in it is greene And to this purpose they misapplie many speeches out of Luther on 〈◊〉 and others Ob. But we are indeede perfectly iustified but not perfectly sanctified in this life because the righteousnesse whereby we are iustified is Perfect inherent in Christ and onely imputed vnto vs but our sanctification is from Christ and inherent in vs not perfect in this life but still imperfect For that they answere first that the Scripture speaking of sanctification meaneth it in a large sense comprehending iustification vnder it and so they will not admit or very hardly of that distinction betwixt iustification and sanctification but iumble them together And secondly they say that a belieuer is as perfect here as euer hee shall bee hereafter but onely in regard of manifestation and to that purpose they alledge this text Because as he is so are wee in this world Ioh. 4.17 Ob. But the Scripture euery where excites vs to grow in sanctification and the more wee grow therein the more assurance wee haue of our iustification But this they deny for they will not haue our sanctification to prooue our iustification but that must bee manifest vnto vs onely by fayth Ob. But ought not a belieuer to walke in an holy course of life That word * One of theâ— writ in a lettâ— to an orthodoâ— Minister It is vayne babling when men are cast downe to rayse them by duties and flâ—daubing to buâ—â— men on doeings though duties dyed in the blood of Christ Then Paul was a babbler in deed aâ— the Athenians called him who thus raised by duties as Heb. 12.12.13.14 Then Peter was a daw who built by duties 2 Pet. 15 to 15 we accordingly teach duties but disclame merits as Christ teacheth vs Luc 17.10 he there commendeth duties but condemneth merits So wee ought they cannot brooke but they say that he cannot but walke in an holy life Ob. But what then is the rule of that holy life Answ The matter of the Law say they but not the Law as it is a Law for they are not vnder the Law but vnder grace and the Law is not giuen to a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law of loue onely now setteth them a worke to walke in an holy life for they are free now not onely from the curse of the Law but also from it as it is a command or rule of life And therefore they say They must bee farre from any thought of displeasing God at all by any thing they faile in So as they must take heede of being cast downe for any failings Flat contrary both to the Apostles precept and to the Corinthians practise 1 Cor. 5.1 2.3.4.5 and 2 Cor. 7.9 10 11. Againe Neyther say they must we thinke of â—â—aâ—siâ—â— God at all in whole or in part by any thing at 〈…〉 set vp a calfe of our owne works to dance abou◠〈…〉 like is their Rhetoricke whereby they peâ—◠〈…〉 pose vpon their Simple Disciples who are like Reeds easily shaken with euery wind of nouell doctrines such as tend to carnall liberty to possesse the soule with spirituall pride But the Scriptures do not so teach vs Christ Read 1. Thes 4.1 Col. 1.10 1 Cor. 7.22 Heb. 12.5 oâ— ha◠〈◊〉 which our pleasing of God there commended by weldoing the fruite of a liuely fayth is not meant of pleasing by way of satisfaction for so Christ onely pleased God but of acceptation in and through Christ But if we shall once bee possessed with this conceit that neyther our Sins displease God noâ— our best sanctified actions do please him what shall 〈…〉 and false flesh to become eyther as senselesse stockes and stones or as sensuall beastes putting no difference not 〈◊〉 conscience of good and euill when I say wee 〈◊〉 perâ—â—aded that neyther our best actions please God 〈…〉 worst displease him This is right Stoicall doctrine to bee 〈◊〉 with nothing at all to repent of nothing and 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—rence betweene the â—â—â—ling of a cocâ—â— and of 〈…〉 â—â—ctrine which nature it selfe abhorr 〈…〉 â—o Oratâ—â—â— condemnes The second such lik◠〈…〉 that they hold And who 〈…〉 same they â—â—â—â—me and 〈…〉 thâ— dead fayth FINIS