liberty thou hast in Christ which is full and sweet Gal. 5. 13. 11. Learne to distinguish between thy Justification and thy personall Sanctification the first is perfect and compleat in Christ the latter is in our selves and is weak and uncertaine untill a soule be setled in the point of Justification the soules objections cannot be answered he that understands not the true nature and doctrine of Justification cannot injoy true setled constant peace and consolation for in the right understanding of Justification lieth the life of the Saints comfort 12. Let not thy comfort depend upon thy personall Sanctification because from it there can no sure setled constant comfort flow the seeking of comfort from our Sanctification is a cause of much trouble in many weake beleevers Sanctification hath nothing to doe with Justification nor Salvation as any cause of it Also Sanctification admits of degrees but Justification admits of neither rules nor degrees and is more glorious then Sanctification our Justification should comfort us Justification depends not upon our apprehending it not in our receiving it but upon what the Lord Jesus hath done for us Justification is effected by Christ and it s apprehended by faith Heb. 11. 1. The Spirit and faith doth evidence to us our Justification all that beleeve are Justified Acts 13. 39. It s possible to have a full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. Faith is an unquestionable evidence and when faith is hidden and doubtfull Justification is not apprehended and when faith is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification is not evident but doubtfull and so cannot evidence to us our Justification The effects of Sanctification cause men to question their Justification therefore no effect of Sanctification can evidence to the soule its Justification and the soule that apprehends his Justification by Christ not onely knoweth it but may live upon it and injoy the sweet fruit of it peace joy strength without any sanctificatioÌ„ in himselfe Seeing Christ is made Sanctification to a beleever 1 Cor. 1. 30. why may not a soule live upon that and say I have Sanctification in Christ which is perfect my actuall Righteousness doth often faile me but his indures for ever Psal 111. 3. Therefore I will fetch all my comfort from Christ and my Justification by him And as we are not to conclude our Justification from any effect of Sanctification so we are not to conclude that apprehension of Justification to be from God as shall take men off the meanes and rules of Sanctification because its a dishonour for men not to walke holily according to the word of God Titus 2. 14. 13. Be sure yee allow your selfe in no sin but in the strength of God hate and abhorre with the greatest indignation all sin and the appearance of it it is better to die then to sin There is that which accompanieth sin which strikes at a beleevers peace and comfort it will damp straighten and oppresse the soule it will hinder their comfort joy and peace in God unlesse God doth wonderfully strengthen their faith in him we finde by experience that sin is a let to our faith and comfort it having often unsetled and disquieted us in our peace comfort though we ought not to be so 14. Trouble not thy selfe with the feare of what may befall thee in case thou wert certaine great troubles shall befall thee be not troubled at any trouble much lesse at future troubles nor thinke to encounter with supply a future trouble with a present strength if many and great troubles come God is all-sufficient he will remove them or give strength to beare them when they come 1 Cor. 10. 13. 15. Minde seriously those promises that are sutable to thy condition and apply them God hath imparted himselfe in his promise and it is our wisdome and duty to rest upon it Seperate thy selfe to meditate on them Pro. 18. 2. There is strength and sweetnesse in the promise thou maist safely venture thy soule upon God in his promise and live upon it thou knowest not but God may reveale the promise more to thee in thy meditation of it and settle it by his almighty power upon thy soule Eph. 1. 19 20. Let not the promise of God be strange to thee be not willing to leave a promise untill thou beest refreshed by it yea raised and ravished with thankfulnesse for the exceeding riches of his mercy Eph. 2. 9. his plenteous redemption Psal 130. 7. The promise in Heb. 10 17. Their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more is enough to quiet and settle a troubled soule it s so full of sweetnesse and life 16. Remember the dayes of old I have considered the dayes of old and the yeares of ancient time Psal 77. 5. Thou hast been my help Psal 63. 7. I was brought low and he helped me see 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. Psal 89. 49. Therefore he will helpe me if thou didst treasure up the experiences of Gods goodnesse to thy soule it would be a means to quiet thy soule c. But who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for time to come Isa 42. 23. 17. Keep thy heart calme and quiet from all passion feare and griefe the still soule can best know and heare Christs voice where feare vexation and distemper dwells they are not aware of Christ and themselves and commonly they feare most who have least cause as appeares Luk. 2. 9 10. When the soule is troubled with passion it is not at the command of faith Luk. 24. 41. the violence of their joy hindered their faith Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 13. 1. If they be you cannot injoy God nor your selves quietnesse is the stay of the soule to doe or receive many by supposed feares draw upon themselves reall sorrowes ând unnecessary discontents many are possessed with bitter sorrowes from supposed sufferings 18. Be content with thy present estate and sill not thy head heart or hand with more buisinesse then thou must needs Consider Heb. 13. 5. Take heed of the cares of this life Luk. 21. 34. 15. 19. Order thy conversation aright To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Want of wisdome to dispose and want of diligence to dispatch what necessity requires to be done in its right place and time hath produced such inconveniences as have unavoidably caused trouble and a disquiet and an unsetled spirit 20. Walk with God in his wayes ordinances and meanes appointed by him for thy comfort strength joy and peace in him there is no quiet to those that worship the Beast Rev. 14. 10 11. Use the meanes and live upon God in them Rom. 18. 2. 4. 21. Doe not slâ—ght nor refuse Gods consolations Are the consolations of God small to thee Job 15. 11. Let not them seeme small to thee wilt thou not own the comfort God gives thee if it doe seeme small to thee own it because it is
you keep the Law Joh. 7. 19. If yee say yee can keepe the Law without fin the Scripture doth call you a lier 1 Joh. 1. 8. There are none just upon earth Such as are such great doers for salvation are fit to be ranked with those in Mat. 7. 22. Can you make your selfe righteous can you keep the Law It forbids lust yea vaine thoughts Rom 7. 7. Gal. 3. 10. Unlesse yee can keepe the Law yee cannot be saved by workes 9. So much as wee eye any of our workes to be any thing in salvation it selfe so much we not onely neglect and slight Christ but are enemies to the Crosse of Christ Phil. 3. 18. Whatsoever they say or doe they are no better 10. To doe any thing to be saved is but wicked obedience all is uncleane Their minds and consciences are defiled Titus 1. 15 16. The more they doe the more hypocrites they are What men doe to escape hell and get heaven is wicked serving of God for that they doe is not in faith therefore it is sinne Rom. 14. and doe not please God Heb. 11. 6. If the plowing of he wicked is sinne what is his praying untill Christs love constraines the heart to love and serve him there is no love to God in what they doe all is but selfe-love their own ends are all they aime at but when the love of God is shed abroad into their hearts they will serve God freely Luk. 1. 74. 11. We doe nothing to be saved because we saw that when we had done all we could wee were unprofitable servants Luk 17. 10. Which could not be if we could have saved our selves or effect the least part of our salvation by any thing we could doe wee see we sin in all our workes they are no better then Pauls and he calls his dung Phil. 3. 8. Dung is fit for the dunghill Such are not worth the mentioning much lesse magnifying O Lord I will make mention of thy Righteousnesse even of thine onely Psal 71. 16. 24. We have no confidence in the flesh none in our selves but in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 3. We live to Christs righteousnesse we are dead to our own Gal. 2. 19 20. Our workes are our glory God spoiles us of our glory that we might glory in Christ I be nothing 2 Cor. 12. 11. All we can doe cannot satisfie for one vaine thought our workes are a most miserable rotten and sandy foundation if our salvation should depend upon them it did depend upon a broken reed no man is righteous in himselfe wee are not just in our selves but in another 2 Cor. 5. 21. Saving benefits are in Christ and not in us our blessednesse is in Christ and him crucified 12. Doers for salvation as confident as they are such were shut out of heaven those in Mat. 7. 22. were confident heaven should be opened to them their plea to enter into heaven was because they had done many great and wondrous workes t is worth the observing they thought it an unanswerable argument yet they were shut out heaven was not provided for them Publicans and Harlots were saved but not they Mat. 21. 31. Christ saith He knew them not What Doth not Christ know great workers for salvation no he neither knows them nor they him Such as look for salvation to be on condition of workes seeke to attaine it by workes they prize their own righteousnesse in stead of Christs see Rom. 10. 3. Such as know Christs righteousnesse prize it its glorious in their eyes our workes are as nothing to us they vanish before us like the morning dew as Hos 6 4. They prize set up and esteeme nothing but Christ Your conclusion it s your delusion consider againe and see if you can see whose is the errour who is deceived and strangely deluded I desire you may see looke on it well and submit Geree Who so blind as he that cannot see with halfe an eye that beleeving is the condition of the party justified p. 82. Wee must beleeve before we can be justified p. 81. The Doctor doth most ungodlily inferre that a man is justified actually before he hath faith p. 83. He saith We are justified before we beleeve this is the thing in question p. 87. He makes a wicked and sinfull seperation between Christ and faith in the point of Justification which methinkes should make all true Christians abhorre their Doctrine as hellish and apostaticall p. 95. The Doctor holds that Christ justifieth us before any qualification is wrought in us he saith Faith comes after Justification as well as workes and so excludes Faith in Justification p. 18. 34. The Apostle saith Wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 23. The Doctor saith before wee beleeve You cry out against us our answer is to all your sharp arrowes most bitter words The Lord rebuke thee You will have us to see what spirit you are of I hope the Lord will let you see and say that you condemned the truth and those that taught it and that the errour and hellish doctrine and blasphemy is your owne You see the Word faith in Scripture Rom. 3. 23. But it s evident yee see not the meaning of it What the Scripture saith is true and so is what the Doctor saith it s but your mis-take to thinke otherwise wee deny not but affirme we are justified by faith but we deny we are justified by beleeving for the word Faith is not alwayes to be understood for beleeving the Scripture doth not say wee are justified for nor through nor by beleeving neither doth it follow that wee are justified by beleeving because the Scripture saith We are justified by faith because the word Faith is diversly understood as 1. Sometimes by faith is meant the doctrine of Christ Jude 3. Obedience to the faith Acts 6. 7. In the faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. Hearing of faith preacheth the faith Gal. 1. 23. 2. So for the power by which we beleeve Gal. 5. 22. Phil. 1. 29. 3. Faith is to beleeve have faith in God Mark 11. 22. 4. Sometimes by faith is meant the profession of faith Rom. 1. 8. 5. By faith we are to understand knowledge Rom. 14. 22. 6. Sometimes Christ is called faith in Gal. 3. 16. with 19. 23. The seed in the 19. verse is called faith in 23 verse and Christ in the 16 verse So that to be justified through faith and by faith that is through Christ through his bloud Eph. 1. 7. Through the Redemption that is in Jesus Rom. 3. 24. So the word through him is used 1 Joh. 4. 9. Through him and by him is all one Eph. 1. 5. 7. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Gal. 3. 14. Compare Rom. 3. 14. 28. with Rom. 5. 9. Isa 45. 24 25. Mat. 9. 22. Eph. 2. 8. Acts 15. 9. Gal. 3. 26. Eph. 1. 5. Those expressions of Scripture that ascribe most to Christ are the clearest the other are to be
if we are to act faith continually to be justified because we sin continually it will follow we are not justified for ever and that we may despaire of ever injâ—ying one quarter of an houres sweet injoyment of Justification because in lesse time we sinne and so are unjust and to be justified againe and if it be so no man can say three minutes together he is a justified man because in lesse time he sinneth and then he is by faith to be justified againe but this it is for a man to justifie himselfe as the blind Pharisees justified themselves Luk. 16. 14 15. Call you this Justification which will last no longer and is to so little purpose it s but a shadow there is no truth nor substance in it they are like the Priests under the Law and their worke to lesse purpose Heb. 10. 11. Geree For satisfaction that they may see we derogate not a jot from Christ see Wards Sermon p. 68. Ans It seemes Wards Sermon saith they doe not therefore they doe not this is proofe enough for those that will thinke it so Geree How can this be a derogating unto Christ or an abrogating unto faith to say by beleeving we live and are justified from sinne c. Joh. 3. 33. p. 92. Ans How can it be otherwise seeing yee dishonour Christ and put him to open shame it is a very great evill yee doe your evill is great and grievous For 1. Christ should be lifted up but yee pull him downe in that yee deny him his perfection and glory yee derogate from his sacrifice in that yee deny it to be sufficient to save us 2. Yee bring in workes beleeving and repentance c. as joynt causes of salvation and deliverance from wrath 3. In desiring something beyond his perfection yee make Christ an imperfect Priest and his sacrifice imperfect 4. Ye disgrace Christ in adding your righteousnesse to his ye deny the efficacy of his death and deny him to be able to save to the uttermost 5. In that ye would have something done for salvation ye deny it depends alone upon Christ for it depends not alone upon him if it also depends upon any other condition or additions 6. Ye deny salvation to be a free gift freely given us if we must doe for it and so earne it else as you say we shall not have it and so you make salvation uncertaine and doubtfull 7. Ye make Christ a meere shadow in comparison of your workes in saying the promise of God and the death of Christ is frustrate to us unlesse we performe such conditions 8. In saying we are justified by beleeving ye deny we are justified by Christ which is dangerous though it hath a shew of truth because Christ and beleeving are two things so that it s to divide our Justification between God and man Christ and us his workes and ours 9. Ye deny Justification and Salvation to be accomplished by Christs obedience in making it to depend upon our obedience and so ye impute it in part if but in part to our selves so overthrow the death of Christ 10. Ye make not Christ but faith and repentance c. the meanes of our salvation 11. Ye give that to beleeving c. which is proper to Christ in that ye attribute Justification which is the chiefe and maine thing Christ hath done for us to beleeving Isa 45. 24. 53. 11. 12. You make beleeving a cause of Justification in saying without it we cannot be justified 13. In saying beleeving is imputed for righteousnesse ye make it our righteousnesse or charge God to impute that for righteousnesse which is not righteousnesse 14. Your opinion ingendreth unto bondage it leaves the conscience in feare it robs it of peace joy and consolation it s an enemy to a chearfull and free serving of God 15. To say that we are justified by Christ and faith together is dishonourable to Christ for if we be justified by both then not by one and so Christ is made no Saviour in their judgements he is but a halfe Saviour I desire to know how it can be made out that we are justified by Christ if we be justified by beleeving if we are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Unlesse beleeving be his bloud we are not justified by beleeving the Scripture doth not say that any one is justified from sinne by beleeving but we have been taught so and it is no easie matter to unlearne and leave a corrupt principle 16. Christ hath not all the glory of our salvation if we joyne beleeving or workes to Christ as a copaâ—ner with him faith must have a part of it and we our selves for wee beleeve as you confesse p. 6. 17. In saying we are not loved nor accepted untill we beleeve ye deny we are accepted for Christ sake 18. Ye attribute righteousnesse in part to our selves in attributing it in part to beleeving many please themselves with a conceit that they doe not dishonour Christ in attributing salvation to beleeving because faith is from Christ 19. If we may ascribe Justification to beleeving then by the same Reason we may ascribe Justification to love patience temperance c. yea to all our performances our good workes prayers teares c. Because the power by which we doe these is Christs Without me ye can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. 20 You make Christ no Saviour at all though you confesse Christ dyed for us yet you affirme beleeving and workes save us He is all yet you make him nothing at all unlesse man please â—o make him and what he hath done something by beleeving c. Christ will be all 〈◊〉 thing in that if ye make him not all ye 〈◊〉 upon him O ye sonnes and daughters of the most High lift up your voyce and cry no inherent holinesse no workes of the Law to Justification It s not of workes of righteousnesse we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Titus 3. 5. to 9. In the Lord have I righteousnesse he is our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. My tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse even of thine onely Psal 71. 16. 24. Geree Methinkes Ezek. 36. 26 27 28. should make him blush if he were alive they shall be my people and I will be their God p. 79. Ans You have cause to blush for writing your selfe a Preacher of the Gospel and are so ignorant a Preacher of the Law yea of Popery to be a Minister of the Law is to be a Minister of the Letter as appeares 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. Such a Minister you are 2. Such as belong to the Election of grace ever were and shall be the people of God yea all the world and all in it is Gods he saith My Gold it s his Ezek. And the beasts of ten thousand mountaines the world and all in it is his but when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people the meaning is he will declare
speaking in the soule and causing the soule to beleeve Rom. 8. 16. 3. Meanes Give no way to any discourageâ—ment at all although it doe seeme never 〈◊〉 just and reasonable this was Davids sinne 〈◊〉 admit of a parley with that which did tenâ— to discourage him saying Will the Lord caâ— off for ever doth his promise faile for ever more I said this is my infirmitie Psal 77. 7 8 9 10. As soone as he did see his infirmitie he had other thoughts of God saying Who so great a God as our God thou art a God that doest wonders and thy footsteps are not knowne vers 14. 19. If God in his greatnesse were knowne and the wonders he doth knowne and the way he goeth knowne we would admire and rejoyce at that for which we now mourne 4 Meanes Learne to know and distinguish between the voice of Christ all other voices that thou maist know and say It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh and hearken unto it Song 5. 2. If you would know Christs voice its peace Luk. 24. 26. Thy sins are forgiven Luk. 7. 48. I will remember them â—o more Heb. 10. 17. Therefore that voice that tends to hinder the Saints peace suits with Satans voice and is not the voice of Christ you must not heare what Satan saith â—ut heare what God saith I will heare what â—he Lord will speake for he will speake peace to his people Psal 85. 8. Satan is ready enough to speake to the soule against what God saith and say it s a delusion and it is not likely to be from God and alledge reason for it and saith Art thou a childe of God and act so and so and because this last voice is sutable to reason the soule is ready to close with it and conclude against God and his own soule that the voice was not from God but a delusion of Satan and so mis-takes Christs voice to be the voice of Satan and Satans voice to be the voice of Christ which is a great mis-take therefore know that voice which is for Satans side and if followed will give Satan the victory thâ—t voice is Satans voice and that voice which is for God against Satan that is the voice 〈…〉 that all discouraging voices are 〈◊〉 from God but from the Devill and therefore see that â—ee so looke upon them therefore learne to know the severall colours sounds and voices which are for God and which for Satan 1 Cor. 14. 8 9 10 11. or else you will misâ—take and come unprepared to the battell 2 Cor. 7. 5. 5. Learne to know and distinguish between the voice of the Gospel and the voice of the Law the Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are wristen in the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10 11. When there is any worke to be done upon paine of punishment or upon promise of eternall life it s the voice of the Law the Law requires a doing something for life Moses describing the Righteousnesse of the Law saith That the man that doth these things shall live by them Rom. 10. 5. But the voice of the Gospel is otherwise as that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and that his mercy is above what we can aske or thinke Eph. 3. 20. So the promises of life are free without condition the Gospel declares what God workes in us and freely gives to us I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. If we did more listen to the promise which is the voice of the Gospel and not to the voice of the Law and the voice of corruption we should injoy more peace and lesse trouble 6. Meddle not with the threatnings in the Word to apply them to thy soule because they belong not unto it they are no part of thy portion they concerne not the state of a beleever however they may be of use to prevent sinne yet are of no use to him after sin is committed it s a weaknesse in a beleever having sinned to apply the threatnings against sinne to himselfe because we are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Christ being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. hath made full satisfaction for the sins of the Elect. Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 10 11. Rom. 6. 7. It is against reason sight sence and feeling to reckon so but we are to walke by faith and not by fight 2 Cor. 5. 7. 7. See that yee doe not judge your estate by false principles some judge their state to be bad for the want of that which if they had it it would not prove their state good as knowledge memory parts sensiblenesse of sin c. nor judge thy state to be bad for having of that which if thou wert freed from would not prove thy state good as passion temptation discontentednesse c. If this rule were observed by some more they should not be so troubled as they are 8. Take heed yee be not overwhelmed with sinne doe not eye so much thy infirmities beware of such a minding and complaining of sinne as may discourage oppresse and trouble thy soule this is sinfull our experience might teach us this as well as it did David I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed I am so troubled that I cannot speake Psal 77. 3 4. 8. Therefore hearken not to thy failings corruptions doubts and feares so as to be discouraged c. For as they are all against God so they are all against thy soule there is no grace or mercy to be expected from them in this sence what thou seest and feelest see not consider not forget and what thy sence sees not see Faith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. Walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. 9. Eye Christ onely minde him meditate upon him and his rich and free grace fetch all thy comfort from him who is made to thee Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. If thou wilt attend onely to God in his promise thou shalt finde Rest Psal 116. 7. O soule eye not so much thy selfe or thy sinnes as Christs full and perfect satisfaction which was offered and accepted for all thy sinnes therefore live and rest thy soule upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone and place all thy confidence in him doe you not heare Christ say Cast away all thy feares and come to me I will settle thee comfort quicken and uphold thee and be better to thee then thy selfe can be yea all in all to thee 10. Know and minde the happinesse of a beleever in Christ he is cleane from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 7. They are removed from us Ps 103. 12. Meditate on this truth untill thy heart be over-powred with it and enjoy the sweetnesse of it ever minde what is thy freedome and
in his knowledge and love you were when he dyed for you here are sweet consolations 19 Argu. If we are not justified by workes then if beleeving be a worke then we are not justified by beleeving but we are not justified by workes Rom. 4. That beleeving is a worke appeares 1. Because we are commanded to beleeve as to love one another as he gave us commandement 1 Joh. 3. 23. If we are commanded to doe it it s a worke 2. To obey a command is a worke but to beleeve is to obey a command faith is an obeying of the will of God therefore a worke faith is called a service the service of your faith Phil. 2. 17. If it be a service it is a worke the worke of faith 2 Thes 1. 11. The act and exercise of our faith is a worke 3. It s a worke because we are reproved for the smallnesse of our faith Mat. 6. 30. 8. 26. If it were no way acted by us why are we reproved for not beleeving if we are not to doe it why are we reproved for not doing it 4. It s a worke because the Saints are exhorted to doe it Heb. 10. 22. We are not exhorted to any thing but that which is our duty to doe if it be a duty it is a worke 5. To beleeve is a worke of all the faculties of the soule the understanding will conscience memory affections 6. To receive a thing is an act of the whole man but to beleeve a thing is to receive it Joh. 1. 12. 7. Not to beleeve is a worke of darknesse therefore to beleeve is a worke of righteousnesse Titus 3. 5. 8. Faith is required in all we doe therefore it partakes of the nature of a worke and so is a worke and without it we cannot doe any good worke Heb. 11. 6. 9. It s a worke because wee are said to doe it If thou beleevest I doe beleeve Acts 8. 38. With the heart man beleeveth Rom. 10. 9 10. It is an action of the heart consisting in judgement and he doth it as truly as he confesseth with his mouth it is improper to say beleeve doth beleeve love doth love repentance doth repent but we being moved by the Spirit of God we doe beleeve we love and we repent not God but we by his power 10. If to confesse Christ is a worke then to beleeve is a worke and one of the workes of righteousnesse we have done Titus 3. 5. If it be said that faith is put in opposition to workes and therefore faith is not a worke I answer First When faith is put in opposition to workes then by faith we are to understand Christ because he alone is our Righteousnesse Rom. 3. 28. Secondly When the Apostle excludes workes in Justification by workes we are to understand all outward and inward acts faith it selfe for seeing works are excluded beleeving being a work it is excluded with the rest Thirdly It will be granted that the workes of the Law were excluded in Justification then it will follow faith is excluded because no command of the Law could be obeyed without faith therefore faith was a part of the fulfilling of the Law that faith was required appeares Mat. 22. 37 38. 40. The Law required purity and that could not be without faith for those that beleeve not are defiled their minds and consciences are defiled Titus 1. 15. Therefore beleeving was required under the Law as well as under the Gospel as to love the Lord is a duty now as ever and ever as now that which is our Righteousnesse causeth us to be accepted causeth us to be saved but that is Christ and not our beleeving Ezra 9. 15. Righteousnesse belongs to God Dan. 9. 7. It s proper to Christ Jer. 23. 6. Our beleeving is neither God nor Christ We are justified by the act of faith answ Then we are not justified by Christ by his bloud Christ hath deserved to accept our faith for Righteousnesse answ Gods judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. He accepts it in mercy not in justice answ Doth God judge or accept a thing to be that which it is not 20 Argu. If justification is an act of God then it is not an act of beleeving but it s an act of God its God that justifieth Rom. 8. 33. Christ is God My righteous servant shall justifie many Isa 53. 11. Rom. 5. 9. Ever since his death our sinnes have been removed Zach. 3. 9. Joh. 1. 29. Col. 1. 20. 21 Argu. If we are justified by his bloud then we are not justified by beleeving but we are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Through his Redemption Rom. 4. 24. Therefore not through our beleeving for bloud Redemption and beleeving are not one thing 22 Argu. That which is our justification that is our peace but Christ is our peace Eph. 2. 14 15. 17. Therefore Christ is our justification and not beleeving 23 Argu. That which covereth our iniquitie that justifieth us but Christ covereth our iniquity Isa 59. 2. Therefore he is our justification as that which is covered is not seene to men and that which is not seene is not imputed and that which is not imputed cannot be punished no more will God impute any sinne to his 2 Cor. 5. 18. But his righteousnesse Imputation signifying accounting or recounting what was ours not to be ours not imputing their trespasses to them 2 Cor 5. 19. Not reckoning to us sinne and so not the punishment of sinne and imputing or reckoning Christs righteousnesse to be ours for it is ours 24 Argu. If our justification is in another then we are not justified in our selves but we are justified in another In the Lord shall the children of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 45. 25. Our justification is our glory and we glory in it beliefe is in us see Rev. 19. 8. 7 9. 13 14. Isa 61. 10. Therefore beleeving is not our Justification 25 Argu. Where our Righteousnesse is there is our Justification but our Righteousnesse is in Christ In the Lord is our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Sufficient to secure us from the punishment of sinne that which is our Righteousnesse is our Justification Christ is that 1 Cor. 1. 30. Therefore beleeving is not our Righteousnesse nor our Justification Isa 45. 24. Rom. 4. 24. The Papists judge their workes to be that which saves them upon such places as these Mark 16. 16. Pro. 28. 18. Mat. 9. 17. to 23. Mark 13. 3. James 2. 24. 1 Tim. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 16. 26 Argu. Justification is a spirituall blessing therefore where our spirituall blessings are there is our Justification but all spirituall blessings are in Christ Eph. 1. 3. In him 2 Cor. 5. 21. Saving benefits and blessings are not in us but such things as accompany salvation Saving and accompanying salvation are not one 27 Argu. Where we are accepted there we are justified but we are accepted in the beloved Eph. 1. 6. Therefore we
causeth us to be accepted Eph. 1. 6. Actions without faith are not accepted neither for Christ nor for faith Our happinesse consists not in Gods accepting our actions but in our union with him and in that our sinnes are not imputed unto us Psal 32. 1. Our actions are accepted because our persons are accepted Gen. 4. Ans It s strange you will offer to say so oh the horrible and tragicall effects that naturally flow from this doctrine that he that beleeves cannot sinne or his sinfull actions are accepted if so then Davids adultery and murther was accepted yea all the sinnes of beleevers are accepted we abhorre to open such a gap for sinne to enter The word Reconcile declares that God is at enmity with us and we with him Re signifieth againe con signifieth together ciliation to call or move to how is there a removing where there was never a removing how together of those who were never asunder how againe unlesse the onenesse had been broken apieces Ans Though the word signifie so it will not follow that God was ever at enmity with the Elect. We are full of movings and removings because changeable but it s not so with God although the Elect sinne and depart from God yet the Scripture saith not that God was at enmity with them or that they fell from the love of God or that God hated the Elect consider 1 Joh. 5. 16. Isa 27. 4. Rom. 5. 9 10. Heb. 13. 8. In saying God was never an enemy to the Elect you make the fall of Adam in whom the Elect were included a fiction and the story of Christs sufferings a fable and Christs passion a vanity and overthrow the nature of God whose purity cannot indure sinne ye deny many Scriptures which testifie that God was at enmity with the Elect Eph. 2. Isa 63. 10 11. Lev. 26. 40 41 42. Ezek. 16. 62 63. Ans These are hard words and high charges indeed Jud. 13. 15. like the raging waves of the Seas that looke big and rise high and fall as suddenly so will your words fall into meere fables or slanders for no such thing will follow we say the â—all of Adam Christs death are no fictions nor fables but reall things by nature in Adam the Elect did sin and fell in Adam c. And had not Jesus Christ been made a curse for us we had perished therefore the death of Christ did more then reveale love men can reveale love each to other without dying much more could God in the love of God and Christs death lyeth our eternall happinesse Consider whose doctrine is against the purity of God yours or ours You say we deny many Scriptures tell us of one we deny not any we deny your false glosses and mis-interpretations I pray tell us in what place of Scripture we may reade that God was ever at enmity with the Elect or that he did not love them untill they did beleeve You say Till conversion comes God is an enemy with the Elect. Ans The Scripture you alledge to prove it says not as you doe the word wrath Eph. 2. is the curse that nor any other place doth not say that by the word wrath is meant Gods enmity against the Elect if it doe we will say so too In Isa 63. 10 11. is the word enmity viz. In some of his dispensations he was so for he fought against him So Levit. 26. God walked contrary to them yet it will not follow that God did so from any enmity and hatred to them for he did then love them and own them for his as appeares vers 45. I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of their enemies Jer. 12. 7. As for Ezekiel 16. 62 63. When I am pacified towards thee it appeares by the foure last verses that it s to be understood of the knowledge of his love for he saith Thou shalt know that I am the Lord thy God Joh. 14. 20. God may seeme angry yea seeme an enemy and hide himselfe and handle them roughly and yet love them not the worse for that as Jer. 31. 20. He changeâ—h not Mal. 3. 6. He saith He is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. Anger is not in me Isa 27. 4. Therefore your brother was very much mistaken to conceive that there was anger in God till he was pacified If Gods enmity had not concurred with Eves enmity against him shee had not in all likelihood eaten the forbidden fruit Ans You are hard put to it and have no Scripture to prove that you affirme it appeares you have no more but a likelihood for it therefore we must take that or nothing The fall was not from any enmity in God against her but God by that meanes was pleased to bring about his glory see Eph. 1. 6. to 12. Rom. 3. 19. God is a God of wrath to us till faith in Christ comes Eph. 2. Rom. 5. 1 2 It s as evident as evident may be that by faith in Christ God is reconciled to us and we to him Ans It s as evident as may be in your booke though the Scripture say not so Faith is a cause of Justification Ans You ascribe as much to faith as to Christ a cause this your opinion is very dishonourable to Christ in setting faith above Christ in making it a cause whereas Christs death is but a meanes a cause is above a meanes the cause is the love of God I say actually God cannot be said to be reconciled to man while man is not reconciled to God Ans I see you say it and say more then you can prove we say and prove that we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 9. 10. What Christ did was actuall unlesse you will make it a fable if Christ dyed before we beleeved we were reconciled before we did beleeve Faith brings us into Christ Eph. 2. 8 9. Joh. 6. 37. Joh. 3. Ans You say into Christ and that faith is a part of Christ and a part of the divine nature but the Scripture doth not say so the divine nature is God and incommunicable if it could be divided in parts it were not infinite we partake of it by union not by inâ—usion it s no wonder ye ascribe all to faith as you doe if ye thinke faith is God So you ask â—f God saves us without our being in Christ and whether God doth not love to see us in Christ rather then out of him is this to speake like a Doctor Tell me how could we be chosen in Christ before the world if God did not consider us in him Eph. 1. 4. Can you â—ell when God considered us out of Christ or or in what Scripture it is said that ever any of the Elect were out of Christ or that they by â—inne fell out of Christ or out of the love of God When in Ephes 2. 5. doth not import a difference of time Ans
prophesie of Christ who by his death washed us cleane in his own bloud Rev. 1. 5. Christ gives remission of sinnes after we beleeve Ans The question is not when Christ gives it nor when we receive it but when sin was destroyed and washed away and we made just if there were not remission of sinnes in Christ for us before we beleeve how could it be given us afterward We are to aske pardon Mat. 6. 12. Ans The word pardon is not in the Text the word debts is to be understood betwixt man and man first for we pray to be forgiven as we forgive we forgive not perfectly will an imperfect forgivenesse of our sinnes from God be sufficient for us Secondly Because Gods forgiving us our sinnes against him is not on that condition if we forgive others as this is see Mark 11. 25 26. Luk. 17. 3. 2 Cor 2. 7. And as for the forgivenesse of sin in 1 Joh. 1 9. is to be understood for the manifestation of forgivenesse the assurance and injoyment of it in the conscience its usuall in Scripture to put the cause for the effect and the effect for the cause Pro. 8. 36. It s so to be understood because there is nothing of pardon obtaineable but the manifestation of it therefore not to be prayed for since Christs death all that is to be done is onely to declare its done and for whom it s done for Christ will dye no more it s in vaine to pray for the pardon of that sin which was not washed away in his bloud Heb. 10. 18. 2 Cor 5. 19. It is no mocking of God to pray to God to manifest to us what he hath done for us as David Psal 51. 9. 12. I grant Christ hath borne our sinnes there is a difference betwixt Christs bearing them and giving us pardon for them Ans If Christ hath borne them and satisfied for them seeing God is satisfied now we know it we are satisfied in that God hath not any thing to lay to our charge Rom. 8 33. 2 Tim. 1. 9. speakes of his purpose Ans Christ by his death did save us according to his purpose before the world marke the words His purpose to save us was before the world He saith not that we were saved before the world He saved us by his death so that its said He hath saved us 2 Tim. 1. 9. see Titus 3. 5. Joh. 3. 36. 5. 24. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 1. 3. 2. 5. 8. Heb. 10. 14. 1 Joh. 5. 11 12 Phil. 3. 12. Rom. 8. 24. We have all in Christ Rom. 8. 23. We wait for the adoption yet we are now the Sonnes of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. and our Redemption Eph. 1. 4. Yet by Christ we are redeemed Luk 1. 68. We have redemption in him Col. 1. 14. for Eph. 1. 3. In our selves imperfect there is no perfection in us nor in this life Heb. 10. 10. Proves that by one act Christs death God was satisfied Ans It s enough seeing God is satisfied we are satisfied though others cavell and be unsatisfied Forgivenesse of sinne conveyed to us by the Spirit is called pardon Ans It appeares from Isa 40. 1 2. That their sinnes were pardoned before it was declared unto them God cals it pardon yet they knew it not nor had it in their consciences Comfort ye my people tell her that her iniquity is pardoned 2. Pardon of sinne or justification in the conscience is not justification is selfe but onely the knowledge of it Justification depends not upon our assurance of it or knowledge of it but upon Christ Isa 45. 25. It consists in taking away sinne that which is in the conscience is the knowledge of it and comfort of it 1. That pardon of sin or justification consists not in the declaring of it nor receiving of it for if to declare one to be just makes him so then he was not so before God and wisdome are said to be justified by men Mat. 11. 19. Luk. 7. 35. Rom. 3. 3 4. did it make him so 2. God by his Spirit declareth a soule to be just and righteous but if he were not made so by Christ before it will follow he justified the wicked which is abomination Pro. 17. 15. They are just or wicked guilty persons or not guilty he saith he will by no meanes cleare the guilty Exod 34. 7. Deut. 25. 1. Therefore they that are righteous before God will declare them to be so God will not have men to declare any to be just and righteous unlesse they appeare to be so The Elect are made just by Christ therefore they appeare so to God and in his time he declares it 3. If to declare one to be just could make him so it were good to doe it for its good to make evill good if the wicked and their actions were to be declared to be just yet would they remaine wicked and sinfull still 1. Neither is Justification a taking sin out of the conscience if it were faith justifieth not nor doth it take sin out of the conscience nor assure the conscience that he is a childe of God for that is the worke of the holy Spirit of God 2. A man may feare the Lord and obey Christ and yet walke in darknesse and see no light and yet God is his God Isa 50. 10 11. If he be not a beleever how doth it appeare that God is his God If sin be taken out of his conscience he assured that God is his God how doth he walke in darknesse and see no light to see all Christ hath done to be for us and sin taken out of the conscience which is the fruit of the former is a great light 3. If the knowledge that a man is a beleever takes away sin then faith takes it not away for it is one thing to beleeve and another to know I beleeve as it is one thing to see and another to know I see the latter is by a reflection by this reason it will follow that nothing justifieth but the taking sin out of the conscience which is assurance and 4. If assurance be justification then a beleever may be an unjustified man because he may want assurances and be so clouded and deserted that he may not injoy the assurance of pardon but very much doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or noâ— thus it was with Heman Psal 88. and many other beleevers 5. If justification consists in taking sin out of the conscience it will follow that if conscience accuse he is an unjustified man and so be a justified and unjustified man in ten minutes for idle thoughts and words are sins and conscience will accuse for them and they may lie heavy upon the conscience 6. Also by this reason it will follow that none are converted nor have faith untill they have assurance they appeare to be in their sinnes no faith but assurance yet assurance is no faith at all for they are two things Joh. 6.