be mans but it must be which I abhorre to writ or speak the Lords 3. God takes all upon himselfe in genere causae gratiosae Liberrimae independentis primae non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace freely Indepdenently without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own then he freely willeth decreeth promiseth for men carnally divide Gods decree which is most free from his promise which is as free as his decreeâ— but it followeth in no sort as Arminians and Jesuites object to us therefore men who doe not believe pray walk holily are not in the fault being under a Law to obey for sinnefull inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligation of obedience and most blasphemous it is that because God undertaketh in the Covenant that we shall walk in his commandements as he doth promise Ezech. 36.27 and that we shall feare him Ier. 32.39.40 That God should therefore be in the fault and we free of all fault when in many particulars we offend all Iam. 3.2 and we fear not God in this or this sinne as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren who sayes he would not wrong them for he feared God and Iobs word that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant because he was affraid of God Yet God promiseth that he will keep Ioseph Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements that they shall not fully fall away from him God never by promise covenant oath or word undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe against the Covenant of grace 4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing the Gospel granteth pardons but not dispensations in any sins and it can in no sort bee imputed to God because if any believer fall in a particulaâ— sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace the Lord neither decreed nor did ever undertake by Covenant or promise to keep him by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him as he did Peter and doth all the Elect that are effectually called that in mighty temptations their faith faile them noâ— Nor is the act of believâ—ng that is wanting in that particular fall such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace 5. I here smell in Antinomians that God must bee in fault as the author of our unbelief our stony hearts our walking in our fleshly wayes because God hath promised to give us faith and a heart of flesh to walk in his wayes as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin and that God did all things both good and ill the Creatures did nothing So Calvine in insâ—itut adversus Libertines chap. 14. in opus pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith God is the authour of sin what end is there of erâ—ing if God leave us It is true the tie and all the tie of giving a new heart and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 11.19.20 chap. â—6 26.27 Ier. 31.33 34.35.36 But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to doe our part Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel Ier. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skinne of your heart Ephes. 4.23 be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Rom. 12.2 Rom. 13.14 and 1 Thessal 5.17 pray without ceasing Psal. 50.15 Call upon mee Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever kâ—nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions nor can the tye ly on God evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience 6. It s a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill Rom. 9.1 That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition but it s not the covenant it selfe because it is the cause of the covenant 2. To the love of election there is no love no work no act of beleeving required on our part Yea no mediator no shedding of blood wee are loved with an everlasting love before all these but the covenant though as decreed of God it be everlasting as all the works of creation and divine providence which fall out in time and have beginning and end are so everlasting for God decreed from eternity that they should be yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall and there is required faith on all the Saints part to lay hold on the Covenant Esai 56.4 and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant 3. Christ the mediator of it 4. Christs blood the seal of it 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart But the love of election is a compleat free full love before our faith or shedding of blood or a mediator be at all Object We are not saved nor justified nor taken in Covenant by faith as a work saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace and grace should not be grace but wee are justified by faith that is by that Christ which faith knoweth according to that by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many therefore faith is no condition of this covenant Answ. The contrary rather followeth 1. Seeing Crisp doth say none under heaven can bee saved till they have believed We are not taken in covenant by faith neither wee nor scripture speak so taking us in covenant is before wee can beleeve but we lay hold on Christ and righteousnes by faith not as a work but a necessary condition required of us 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly if beleeving in him who justâ—fieth the ungodlâ— be no condition a work justifying I do not think it but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved from eternity as some say when I was conceived in the womb â—s Crispe saiâ—h and that the threatning he that believeth not iâ— condemned already carries this sence he that believeth not that he is not condemâ—â—d hee is already condemned Who can believe such toyes 2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17 Then to 〈◊〉 must bee to
shall enter into joy at last c. Now all this is but a turning of Faith into wantonnesse whereas Faith of all graces moveth with lowest sayles for Faith is not a lofty and crying but a soft moving and humble grace for then Davids being moved and his heart smiting him at the renting of King Sauls garment should be under a covenant of works and so not a man according to Gods owne heart for a smitten heart is a troubled soule David Abraham Rom. 4. and all the Fathers under the Law were justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by Faith as we are Rom. 4.23 Now it was not written for Abrahams sake onely that it was imputed to him Vers. 24. But for us also c. David ought not to have been troubled in soule for sinne for his sinnes were then pardoned nor could the Spirit of the Lord so highly commend Josiahs heart-melting trouble at the reading and hearing of the Law nor Christ owne the teares and Soule-trouble of the Woman as comming from no other spring but much love to Christ because many sinnes were pardoned if this Soule-trouble for sinne had argued these to bee under the Law and not in Christ nor can it be said that the Saints of old were more under the Law then now under the Gospel in the sense we have now in hand that is that we are to be lesse troubled for sinne then they because our justification is more perfect and the blood of Christ had lesse power to purge the Conscience and to satisfie the demands of the Law before it was shed then now when it is shed or that more of the Law was naturally in the hearts of David Josiah and the Saints of old and so more naturally unbeliefe must be in them then is in us by nature under Gospel manifestations of Christ. Indeed the Law was a severer Pedagogue to awe the Saints then in regard of the outward dispensation of Ceremonies and Legall strictnesse keeping men as malefactors in close prison till Christ should come But imputation of Christs righteousness and blessedness in the pardon of sinne and so freedome from Soule-trouble for eternall wrath and the Lawes demanding the Conscience to pay what debts none were able to pay but the Surety onely was one and the same to them and to us as Psal. 32.1 2. compared with Rom. 4 1 2 3 4 5 6. and Psal. 14. with Rom. 3.9 10 11 12 13 14.19.20 and Gen. 17.9 cap. 22.18 Deut. 27.26 with Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. Heb. 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Who dare say that the beleeving Jewes dyed under the curse of the Law Deut. 27.26 For so they must perish eternally Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Then there must be none redeemed under the Old Testament nor any justified contrarie to expresse Scriptures Psal. 32.1 â— Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. Gal. 3.14 Act. 15.11 Acts 11.16 17. Rom. 10.1 2 3. Now Acts 15.11 We beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved as well as they And as they were blessed in that their transgression was forgiven and their sinne covered and that the Lord imputed no iniquity to them Psal. 32.1 2. our blessedness is the same Rom. 4.6 7 8. and Christ as he was made a curse for them so for us that Gal. 3.14 the blessing of Abraham might come on us the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith And God sent forth his Sonne made of a Woman made under the Law for the Jewes who as heires were under Tutors as we are under the Morall Law by nature that we might be redeemed by him That wee who are under the Law might receive the adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.1 2 3 4. And God gave the like gift to the Gentiles that he gave to the Jewes even repentance unto life Acts 11.16 17. Then the Law could crave them no harder then us and they were no more justiâ—ied by works then we are Yea following righteousnesse they attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at the stumbling stone that was layed in Sion Rom. 9.31 32 33. And they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.1 2 3. and so came short of justification by Grace so doe we If then to the justified Jewes There was no Law no transgression and so no trouble for sinne all trouble of Conscience arising from the obligement of the Law as it must bee because they were freed from the curse of the Law and justified in Jesus Christ by his Grace as we are then were they under no smiting of heart nor wounding of Conscience more then we are which is manifestly false in David and in Josiah and many of the Saints under the Old Testament Hence what was sinnefull and unbeleeving Soule-trouble for sinne to them must be sinnefull Soule-trouble to us in the same kind The Law did urge the Jewes harder then us in regard of the Mosaicall burden of Ceremonies and bloody Sacrifices that pointed out their guiltinesse except they should flee to Christ 2. In regard of Gods dispensation of the severer punishing of Law-transgression and that with temporarie punishments and rewarding obedience with externall prosperitie 3. In urging this Doctrine more hardly upon the people to cause them not rest on the letter of the law but seeke to the promised Messiah in whom onely was their righteousnesse as young heires and minors are kept under Tutors while their Non-age expire but 1. Who dare say that the Saints under the Old Testament who lived and dyed in the case of remission of sinnes of salvation and of peace with God Gen. 49.18 Psal. 37.37 Psal. 73.25 Prov. 14.32 Isai. 57.1 2. Hebr. 11.13 Psal. 32.1 2. Micha 7.18 19. Isai. 43.25 Jerem. 50.20 Psalm 31.5 and were undoubtedly blessed in Christ as we are Psal. 119.1 2. Psalm 65.4 Psalm 1.1 2 3. Psal. 144.14 15. Psal. 146.5 Job 5.17 Psalm 84.4 5. and dyed not under the curse of God or were in capacity to be delivered by Christ after this life from the wrath to come and the curse of the Law 2. That they were to trust to the merit of their owne works or seeke righteousnesse in themselves more then we 3. Or that they beleeved not or that their Faith was not counted to them for Righteousnesse as it is with us Gen. 15.5 6. Rom. 4.3 4 5 6 7 8. Psal. 32.1 2. 4. Yea they beleeving in the Messiah to come were no more under the Law and the dominion of sinne then wee are Rom. 6.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Rom. 8.1 2. Micha 7.18 19. Isai. 43.25 Jer. 50.20 Psal. 32.1 2. but under grace and pardoned and
walke by faith not by sight So we are to beleeve our repentance true in him who hath repented for us our mortifying sinne true in him through whom we are more then conquerors our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth our change of the whole man true in him who is righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus without faith its unpossible to please God This is Scripture-assurance to see every one in himselfe as nothing and himselfe every thing in Christ Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen All other assurances are rotten conclusions from the Word invented by Legall Teachers not understanding the mystery of the Kingdome of Christ. The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your selfe or all as nothing These teachers bid you see something in your selfe so as the leaving out Christ in Sanctification is the foundation of all doubts feares distractions And he that looketh on his repentance on his love on his humility on his obedience and not in the tincture of the bloud of Christ must needs beleeve weakely and vncomfortably Answer If a servant of sinne any Cain wakened with the terrors of God see his sinnes feele hell in his soule for them and have no warme thoughts of love and farre-off-affiance at least in Christ Jesus but flee from Christ and goe to the enemies of Christ for comfort as Judas did hee may strongly conclude I feele I am not sanctified I hate the Physitian Christ and runne from him Ergo I am not justified And from a true reall non-feeling of sanctification it s a strong consequence there 's no justification But from a mis-prizing of Grace and Sanctification in my selfe I cannot conclude I am not justified We know Papists in point of certaintie of salvation argue so many deluded Hypocrites beleeve or imagine they have oyle in their lamps yet they are deceived therefore the Saints can have no certainty they are in Christ. It s just like the answer now in hand A mis-judging of sanctification cannot argue no justification Ergo A true and reall judgement of no sanctification in Hypocrites and slaves of sinne cannot argue the persons to be justified who thus argue It is as if I should argue thus A frantick and a sleeping man cannot know that he is frantick and sleeping therefore a sober and a waking man cannot know that he is sober and waking For a deserted child of God is in some spirituall Phrensie and sleepe and does mis-prize Christ in himselfe and sanctification and therefore argueth often that he is not in Christ upon false principles But a wakened conscience in Cain and Judas doe strongly conclude I am not a new creature but a servant of sinne Ergo I am not justified and not in Christ and Cain in this consequence is sober and not asleepe 2. Not any Protestant Divine whom the Author calleth Legall Teachers ignorant of the mystery of the Gospel did ever teach that Faith new Obedience Repentance are grounds upon which God justifieth a sinner Antinomians who make Repentance and Mortification all one with Faith and as Master Den saith they are but a change of the minde to seeke righteousnesse and mortification in Christ not in our selves Thus much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie must say as wee are justified by faith so also by repentance and mortification if repentance be nothing but faith as they say 3. We seeke onely the evidence of justification in our holy walking as the Scripture doth 1 Pet. 1.24 Galat. 1.4 1 Pet. 1 18. 1 Joh. 3.14 Infinite places say these that live to Christ and are new Creatures must be in Christ and justified 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11 12. Gal. 2.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Then the arguing from the effect to the cause can be no rotten conclusion except by accident in a soule distempered under desertion and weakenesse 4. These places that make Christ our sanctification and Christ to live in us and beleevers to be the workemanship of Jesus created in him unto good workes c. Make not these to bee acts of Christ formally repenting perfectly in us sorrowing for sinne mortifying sinne perfectly in us as if wee were meere patients and were onely obliged to repent sorrow mortifie sinne when the Spirit breatheth â—n us and not otherwise as Libertines explaine themselves which I hope to refute hereafter 2. Nor doe these places make Justification and Regeneration all one as Master Towne with other Antinomians doe For we are not regenerated by faith but that we may beleeve but we are justified by faith 2. Regeneration putteth in us a new birth the image of the second Adam Justification formally is for the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which is in Christ not in us And it seemes to me that they make Justification and Sanctification all one for the Author saith that Christ not onely repenteth in us but for us Christ obeyed for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth Now what mysterious sense can be here I cannot dreame Sure it is no Gospel-secret if the meaning that Christ repenteth and obeyeth for us be that Christ by his grace worketh in us repentance and new obedience and mortification and the change of the whole man it s a good and sound sense But then how must all assurances from repentance and new obedience be the rotten conclusions of Legall Teachers To see all these wrought by Christ as the efficient and meritorious cause and to ascribe them to the Spirit of Jesus and thence conclude we are Justified as all Protestant Divines teach is no rotten conclusion of Legall Teachers For sure if we ascribe them to nature to free will to our selves and confide in them as parts of our righteousnesse and from them in that notion draw the assurance of our Justification as Papists and Arminians doe and as the Saints out of fleshly presumption may doe this is no doctrine of Protestants Is the Sunne obliged to me because I borrow light from it Or the Flouds and Rivers beholden to men because they drinke out of them The new man is a creature of Christs finding cursed bee they that sacrifice to Free-will It s a strange God The kingdome of grace is a Hospitall of free graces to sick men all we doe the least good thought or gracious motion in the soule is a flower and a rose of Christs planting and an Apple that grew on the tree of life a sinner is the stocke but free Grace the sap Christs Father the Husbandman life and growing is from Jesus the wine tree wee are but poore twigs that bring forth fruit in Christ. But I feare the sense of this that Christ repenteth for us and obeyeth for us he being the end of the Law to overy one that beleeveth be farre otherwise to wit that Christs obedience of the Law
absence to say nothing of everlasting huggings and embracings Asser. 7. Nor is this a good reason I find sinne rottennesse and so a deserved curse in all my workes of sanctification therefore why should I make them any bottome for assurance but I must take in Christ heere for Sanctification for if workes of this kind be not done in Faith to the knowledge of the doer they can witnesse nothing but beare a false testimony of Christ nor doe we ever teach that Christ is to bee decourted from our workes of Sanctification but even faith it selfe which is a bottome of peace to Antinomians by this reason must be cashiered for as the love of Christ our prayers humility are not formally sinnes but onely concomitantly in regard that sinne adhereth to them as muddy water is not formally clay and mudde but in mixture its clayie and muddie so our Faith is concomitantly sinnefull both because often its weake and so wanting many degrees and mixed with sinne deserves a curse as well as works of Sanctification but it apprehendeth Christ and righteousnes in him and so it bottometh our assurance If by apprehending you meane to bring to you certaine knowledge and assurance that Christ is made my righteousnesse then you beg the question if you deny this to works of Sanctification For 1 John 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandements Ver. 5. And who so keepeth his word in him verily the love of God is perfected hereby that is by keeping his word called twise before vers 3.4 The keeping of his Commandements and vers 6. Walking as he walked Hereby saith he know wee that we are in him in Christ our propitiation and righteousnesse and thus are we justified by keeping the Commandements of God because by this we apprehend and know that we are justified 2. But then all that are justified must bee fully perswaded of their justification and that faith is essentially a perswasion and assurance of the love of God to me in Christ it s more then I could ever learne to bee the nature of Faith a consâ—quent separable I beleeve it is 3. If by apprehending Christ and his righteousnesse be understood a relying and fiduciall acquiescing and recumbencie on Christ for salvation It is granted in this sense that Faith is a bottome to our assurance of our being in Christ but that it breedeth assurance in a reflect knowledge alwaies that a beleever is in Christ is not true for 1. I may beleeve and be justified and not know yea positively doubt that I beleeve and am justified as thousands have pardon and have no peace nor assurance of their pardon and have faith in Christ and in his free love and have no feeling of Christ and of his free love For we beleeve more truth of our owne graces and so of our faith and assurance of our pardon then we can see or feele which is Gods dispensation that our life should be hid with Christ in God Ergo the life of Faith by which the just doth live is hid and above the reach of feeling at all times 2. As Faith which is the direct act of knowing and relying on Christ for pardon is a worke of the Spirit above the reach of reason so also the reflect act of my knowing and feeling that I beleeve and am in Christ which proceedeth sometime from Faith and the immediate Testimony of the Spirit sometime from our walking in Christ 1 John 2.3 4. 1 Joh. 3.14 is a supernaturall work above the compasse and reach of our Free-will and is dispensed according to the spirations and stirrings of the free grace of God and as the keeping of his Commandements actu primo and in it selfe giveth Testimony that the soule is in Christ and justified even as the act of beleeving in it selfe doth the same yet that wee actu secundo efficaciously know and feele that we are in Christ from the irradiation and light of Faith and sincere walking with God is not necessary save onely when the winde of the actuall motion and flowing of the Spirit concurre with these meanes just as the Gospel-promises of themselves are life and power but they then onely actually actu secundo animate and quicken whithered soules when the Lord is pleased to contribute his influence in the shininâ— of his Spirit Otherwise I may walke in darkenesse yea bâ—â—eeve pray love die for paine of love and have no ligh◠〈◊〉 reflect knowledge and feeling that I am in Esayâ—0 â—0 10 I may be sicke of love for Christ call knock pray conferr with the watchmen and daughters of Jerusalem and be at a low ebbe in my own sense yea the beloved may to my feeling and actuall assurance have withdrawne himselfe Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Cant. 5.5 6 7 8. and all my inherent evidences cannot quicken me in any tollerable assurance It 's true Sanctification may bee darkned yea and Faith also when there is nothing to the faith-failing and outer dying but this onely of Christ the head all the life of a Saint retyring not to his faint heart but to his strong head I have prayed for you that your faith faile not but the darke evening of Davids both Faith and Sanctification and of Peter in his denying of his Master and his Judaizing Gal. 2. When he and others ver 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do crook and halt betweene Grace and the Law as the people did between Jehovah and Baal their profession of Jehovah and Christs grace being long and their practise short and inclining too much to Baal and salvation by the Law as halting is a walking with a long and a short legge the body unevenly inclining to both sides of the way this darkening I say was in the second acts of Faith and Sanctification but life and sap was at the roote of the Oake-tree when it was lopt hewed and by winter stormes spoyled of the beauty of its leaves Wee doe not say that Sanctification doth at all times actually beare witnesse or a like sensibly and convincingly that the soule is justified is in Christ there be degrees and intermission and sicke dayes both of Faith and Sanctification But we say roses and flowers have been ever since the creation and shall be to the end of the world because though they vanish in winter yet in their causes they are as eternall as the earth so is Faith and the bloomings and greene blossomings of Sanctification alwaies but there is a Sommer when they cast forth their leaves and beautie Asser. 8. To presse duties out of a principle of Faith is to presse Christ upon soules nor can the seeing of beames and light in the ayre or of Wine-grapes on the tree be a denying of the Sunne to be in the firmanent or of life and sap to be in the Vine-tree to see and feele in our selves grapes and fruits of righteousnesse except we make the grace of Christ a bastard
light A 3. Error there is in the state of the question that never a Protestant Divine Arminians and Socinians I disclame as no Protestants made either Sanctification a cause of Justification but an effect nor common Sanctification that goeth before Justification and union with Christ voide of all feeling of our need of Christ an evident signe of Justification If Master Cornewell dreame that we thus heighten preparations before conversion as he seemes in his Arguments against gratious conditions in the soule before faith he knowes not our mind and as other Antinomians doe refutes he knowes not what And 4. We had never a question with Antinomians touching the first assurance of justification such as is proper to the light of faith Hee might have spared all his Arguments to prove that we are first assured of our justification by faith not by good workes For wee grant the arguments of one sort of assurance which is proper to Faith and they prove nothing against another sort of assurance by signes and effects which is also Divine To Antinomians 1. to be justified by Faith 2. and to come to the sense and knowledge of justification which either was from eternitie as some say or when Christ dyed on the Crosse as others or when we first take life in the wombe as a third sort dreame And 3. to be assured of our justification are all one And so to be justified by faith should be to bee justified by workes which they in their conscience know we are as farre against as any men But they should remember that the peace and comfort that the Saints extract out of their holy walking is a farre other peace then that peace which is the naturall issue of justification of which Paul saith Rom. 5.1 Being therefore justified by faith we have peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and the peace that issueth from our holy walking or at least if they bee the same peace it comes not one and the same way For 1. Peace which is the fruit of justification is a peace in the court of God as the peace that a broken man hath in the court of justice when he knoweth his Surety hath payed the debts he dare looke Justice in the face without any warre having assurance that warre is removed and enmity with God cried downe and all sinnes are freely pardoned the peace that issues from our holy walking is in the court of conscience and sense of sincerity and straightnesse of walking and is grounded on holy walking as on a secondary helpe and if there were not some confidence that the sinfulnesse of these works are freely pardoned there should be little peace at all 2. The former peace is immediatly from pardon that is the true cause of peace the latter from signes which dwell as neighbours with pardon and is onely peace as it hath a necessary relation to pardon and is resolved in some promise of God and not as it is a worke of our owne as hungering for Christ as it s not the ground of pardon so it s not the ground of peace that issueth from pardon yet it is the ground of a comfortable word of promise Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for Righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied And the like I say of assurance comfort joy that result from holy walking and from justifying faith we never placed good works in so eminent a place as to ascribe these same effects to them and to faith in Christ. Then Master Cornewell loseth his labour to prove that God doth not first declare and pronounce us righteous upon sight and evidence of our sanctification which is a righteousnesse of our owne For to pronounce us righteous is to justifie us and doth Master Cornewell know any Protestant Divines who teach that God either first or last doth justifie us for our inherent Sanctification Then Mr. Cornwell does confound evidence and assurance of justification as if they were both one For many Saints have assurance of justification so far as they are assuredly justified doubt much of their estate through want of evidence as many beleeve and many times doubt whether they beleeve or no. Therefore the Argument to prove Abrahams assurance of justification Rom. 4. cannot conclude that Abraham had not divine evidence and assurance that hee was justified by his holy walking as by signes and fruits of faith The assurance of Christ's righteousnesse is a direct act of faith apprehending imputed righteousnesse the evidence of our justification we now speak of is the reflect light not by which wee are justified but by which we know that we are justified and the Argument that proves the one cannot prove the other Object 3. If the promise be made sure of God unto faith of grace then it is not first made sure of faith unto works But the promise is made sure of God to faith out of grace Rom. 4.5 to him that worketh not but beleeveth The opposition between grace and works Rom. 11.6 Rom. 4.4 is not onely between grace and the merits of works but between grace and the debt due to works Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4.4 Right of promise maketh a worke to be of debt not of grace Answ. The promise is made of righteousnesse and free justification by the grace of Christ by the promise that is by the promised seed Rom. 4. but these places speak not one word of the reflect evidence that a man hath in his owne soule by which hee knowes in himselfe hee is justified This Disputer knowes not what hee sayes hee proves we have no promise to be justified by works nor any assurance thereof from working that is not the question now but hee should prove that wee cannot know and make evident to our owne soules that wee are assuredly justified and that wee beleeve when we bring forth the fruits of faith There is one cause why there is life in this tree and another cause why all that passe by and the tree it selfe if wee suppose it to be capable of reason as man is doth know it hath life and sweet sap this latter is knowne to the tree and to others by bringing forth good fruit As if there may not be sundry causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the being of a thing and to know the being of a thing Bringing forth fruit is not the cause of the life of the tree good works are not the cause of our justification but we know well the tree hath life when wee see it brings forth fruit as wee know we are justified and in Christ when we walke after the Spirit and not after the flesh The whole Argument is of a direct assurance called certitudo entis or of the object The Question is touching reflect certainty how persons may be sure in their own conscience called certitudo
come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ch. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Acts 13.39 And by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 16.30 The Jaylor saith to Paul and Silas what must I doe to be saved Vers. 31. And they said beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy houshold There is an expresse required of the Jaylor which he must performe if he would be saved And Rom. 10. looke as a condition is required in the Law Vers. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law that the man that doth these things shall live by them So beleeving is required as a condition of the Gospel Vers. 6. But the righteousnesse which is of Faith c. Ver. 9. Saith that if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 3.27.28.29.30 ch 4. ch 5. Faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace and the only condition of Justification and of the title right and claime that the Elect have thorow Christ to life eternall Holy walking as a witnesse of faith is the way to the possession of the kingdome As Rom. 2.6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds Vers. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Vers. 8. To them that are contentious Vers. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Matth. 25.34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Ver. 33. For I was hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirstie and ye gave me drink c. And let Antinomians say we are freed from the Law as a rule of holy walking sure the Gospel and the Apostles command the very same duties in the letter of the Gospel that Moses commanded in the letter of the Law as that children obey their parents servants their masters that we abstaine from murther hatred of our brother stealing defrauding lying c. that we keepe our selves from Idols swearing strange gods I doe not say that these duties are commanded in the same way in the Gospel as in the Law For sure we are out of a principle of Evangelike love to render obedience and our obedience now is not Legall as commanded by Moses in strict termes of Law but as perfumed oyled honeyed with the Gospel-sense of remission of sinnes the tender love of God in Christ. So that wee justly challenge two extreme waies both blasphemous as we conceive 1. Arminians object to us that which the Antinomians truely teach to wit that we destroy all precepts commands exhortations and active obedience in the Gospel and render men under the Gospel meere blocks and stones which are immediately acted by the Spirit in all obedience and freed from the Letter of both Law and Gospel as from a Legall bondage This we utterly disclaime and doe obtest and beseech Antinomians as they love Christ and his truth to cleare themselves of this which to us is vilde Libertinisme And by this Arminians turne all the Gospel in literalem gratiam in a Law-Gospel in meere golden letters and sweet-honeyed commandements of Law-precepts and will have the Law possible justification by works conversion by the power of free will and morall suasion really without the mighty power of the Spirit and Gospel-grace and receive the doctrine of merit and set heaven and hell on new Polls to be rolled about as Globes on these two Poles the nilling and willing of free-will and they make grace to be sweet words of silke and gold on the other hand Antinomians doe exclude words letter-perswasions our actions conditions of Grace promises written or preached from the Gospel and make the Spirit and celestiall rapts immediate inspirations the Gospel it selfe and turne men regenerate into blocks and how M. Den can be both an Antinomian and loose us from the Law and an Arminian defending both universall attonement and the resistible working of grace and so subject us to the Law and to the doctrine of Merit and make us lords of our owne faith and conversion to God let him and his followers see to it Wee goe a middle way here and doe judge the Gospel to bee an Evangelike command and a promising and commanding Evangel and that the Holy Ghost graceth us to doe and the Letter of the Gospel obligeth us to doe Pos. 3. The decree of Election to glory may bee said to bee more free and gracious in one respect and justification and glorification and conversion more free in another respect and all the foure of meere free grace For Election as the cause and fountaine-grace is the great mother the wombe the infinite spring the bottomlesse ocean of all grace and wee say effects are more copiously and eminently in the cause then in themselves as water is more in the element and fountaine then in the streames the tree more in the life and sapp of life then in the branches and conversion and justification have more freedome and more of grace by way of extension because good will stayeth within the bowels and heart of God in free election but in conversion and justification infinite love comes out and here the Lord giveth us the great gift even himselfe Christ God the darling the delight the onely onely well-beloved of the Father and he giveth Faith to lay hold on Christ and the life of God and all the meanes of life in which there be many divided acts of grace to speake so which were all one in the wombe of the election of grace Pos. 4. Conversion justification are free for election and therefore election is more free but all these as they are in God are equally free and are one simple good will Though Christ justifie and crowne none but such as are quallified with the grace of beleeving yet beleeving is a condition that removeth nothing of the freedome of grace 1. Because it worketh nothing in the bowels of mercy and the free grace of God as a motive cause or moving condition that doth extract acts of grace out of God only we may conceive this order that Grace of electing to glory stirres another wheele to speak so of free love to give Faith effectuall calling justification and eternall glory 2. It s no hire nor work at all nor doth it justifie as a worke but onely lay hold on the Lord our righteousnesse Object There is more of God in election to glory then in giving of Faith or at least of Christs righteousnesse and eternall glory therfore there must bee more grace in the one then in
say they Answer Posit 1. Drawing is relative to running and walking Cant. 1.4 Now this is rather in acts of Sanctification and in running in the wayes of Gods commandements Psal. 119.32 then in Justification though coming goe for an act of beleeving and approaching to Christ Joh. 6.44 and so excludes not faith Pos. 2. It is most unsound to affirme that Justification and Regeneration are all one for this must confound all acts flowing from Justification with those that flow from Regeneration or the infused habit of Sanctification 1. Justification is an indivisible act the person is but once for all justified by grace But Sanctification is a continued daily act 2. Justification doth not grow the sinner is either freed from the guilt of sin and justified or not freed there is not a third But in Sanctification wee are said to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.14 and advance in sanctification nor is it ever consummate and perfect so long as we beare about a body of sin Pos. 3. To repent to mortifie sin is not to condemne all our works as M. Town saith righteousnesse and judgement and our best things in us and then by faith to flie to grace nor is it to distrust our owne righteousnesse and embrace Christs in the promise 1. Because this is faith and the Scripture saith wee are justified by faith 2. We receive Christ by faith Joh. 1.12 3. Wee receive and embrace the promise by faith Heb. 11.11 and were perswaded of them 4. Wee are to beleeve without staggering Rom. 4.19 5. Wee have peace of conscience through faith Rom. 5.1 6. By faith wee have accesse into this grace wherein wee stand Rom. 5.2 And boldnesse to enter into the holy of holiest and draw neare to our High Priest with full assurance of faith Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. Now wee are not justified by repentance and mortiâ—ication wee neither receive Christ nor embrace the promises by repentance The Apostle requireth in repentance sorrow carefulnesse to eschew sin clearing indignation feare zeale desire revenge 2 Cor. 7.10 11. but no where doth the Scripture require this as an ingredient of repentance that wee have boldnesse and accesse and full assurance nor doe Antinomians admit that by repentance wee have peace or pardon but this they ascribe to faith A second Question is How farre the Law can draw a sinner to Christ Antinomians tell us of a Legall drawing and conversion and of an Evangelike drawing the Legall drawing they say is ours the latter theirs Asser. 1. The difference between the letter of the Law and the Gospel is not in the manner of working for the letter of either Law or Gospel is alike uneffectuall and fruitlesse to draw any to Christ. Christ preached the Gospel to hard-hearted Pharisees it moved them not Moses preached the Law and the curses thereof to the stiffe-necked Jewes and they were as little humbled Sounds and syllables of ten hells of twenty heavens and Gospels without the Spirits working are alike fruitlesse And wee grant the Law is a sleepy Keeper of a captive sinner hee may either steale away from his Keeper or if hee be awed with his Keeper hee is not kept from any spirituall internall breach of the Law nor moved thereby to sincere and spirituall walking But the difference between Law and Gospel is not in the internall manner of working but in two other things 1. In the matter contained in Law and Gospel because nature is refractory to violence and the Law can doe nothing but curse sinners therefore it can draw no man to Christ. The Gospel againe containes sweet and glorious promises of giving a new heart to the elect of admitting to the Prince of peace laden and broken-hearted mourners in Sion and in conferring on them a free imputed righteousnesse and this is in it selfe a taking-way but without the Gospel-spirit utterly ineffectuall 2. To the Gospel there is a Spirit added which worketh as God doth with an omnipotent pull and this Spirit doth also use the Law to prepare and humble though this be by an higher power then goeth along with the Law as the Law Asser. 2. The Gospel-love of Christ freeth a captive from under the Law as a Curser and delivers him over to the Law as to a Pedagogue to lead him to Christ and as to an Instructer to rule and lead him when hee is come to Christ. Love is the immediate and nearest lord Law the mediate and remote lord Love biddeth the man doe all for Christ the Law now of it selfe because of our sinfulnesse is a bitter and soure thing but now the Law is dipped in Christs Gospel-love and is sugared and honeyed and evangelized with Free grace and receives a new forme from Christ and is become sweeter then the honey and the honey-combe to draw and perswade and all the Law is made a new Commandement of love and a Gospel-yoak sweet and easie but still the Law obligeth justified men to obedience not onely for the matter of it but for the supreme authority of the Lawgiver now Christ who came to fulfill not to dissolve the Law doth not remove this authority but addeth a new bond of obligation from the tye of Redemption in Jesus Christ and we are freed from the curse of the Law 2. The rigid exaction of obedience every way perfect 3. The seeking of life and justification by the Law Asser. 3. There be two things in the Law 1. The authority and power to command direct and regulate the creature to an end in acts of righteousnesse and holinesse 2. A secondary authority to punish eternally the breakers of the Law and to reward those that obey These are two different things suppose Adam had never sinned the Law had been the Law and suppose Adam had never obeyed the Law also should have been the Law and in the former case there should have been no punishment in the latter no reward Antinomians confound these two Mr. Towne saith It cannot be said that my spirit doth that voluntarily which the command of the Law bindeth and forceth unto It is one thing for a man at his owne free lyberty to keepe the Kings high way of the Law and another to keepe it by pales and ditches that he cannot without danger goe out of it It cannot be denyed but that the Gospel both chargeth or aweth us to beleeve in Christ and to bring forth good fruits worthy of Christ except wee would bee hewen downe and cast into the fire and also that Grace worketh Faith and to will and to doe and so voluntary obedience and obligation of a command may as well consist as bearing Christs yoak and soule-rest yea and delight and joy unspeakable and glorious may be and are in one regenerate person Crisp and his followers are farre wide for Christ dyed freely out of extreame love and yet he dyed out of a command laid on him to lay downe his life for his sheep
with the blood of Buls and Goats which was offered for the reconciling of men to God not of God to men 2. Because that blood is said to sanctifie and purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God which cannot be said of God but clearly holdeth forth that Christ having offered himselfe without spot to God through the eternal Spirit those for whom he offereth himself cannot eternally perish as M. Moor saith p. 5. but that their consciences by this blood are purged from dead works to serve the living God And the place 1 Pet. 2.24 doth not prove that Christ bare the sinnes of many on the tree who are not actually saved by his death 1. The place saith the contrary and no such thing as that the Lord layd on Christ the iniquities of all and every one of mankinde 1 Peter restraines it to beleevers elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit begotten again unto a lively hope who are kept through the power of God by faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4 5. And there is no colour that Peter speaketh of all Adams sonnes of all the heathen because hee saith Christ bare our sinnes Which bee these The sins of these that be called to patient suffering for well doing who are to follow Christ who left us an example of patient suffering who when he was vers 23. reviled reviled not again Now what is this the Indians and Tartarians patient suffering after Christs example to whose eares the name of Christ and his suffering never came by a dream or imagination 2. The sinnes of these which Christ bare on his own bodie on the tree are these that are healed with Christs strips and these that are returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of their soules and are to live to righteousnesse being dead to sin by the death of Christ who bare their sins v. 24 25. now these are the All that Isai speaketh of c. 53. when he saith 53.6 The Lord layd on him tâ—e iniquities of us all That is if we beleeve Arminians of all Moab Ammon Egypt Philistims Caldeans Ethiopians and all Adams Children who never heard of Christ for the thousand part of Adams Sons never heard of Christ then are they not obliged to beleeve in him of whom they never heard nor is it their sinne that they beleeve not Rom. 10.14 Ioh. 15.22 Ergo they are not obliged to live to righteousnesse being dead to sinne through Christs death because they never heard of Christs death Far lesse are all Adams sonnes healed with Christs stripes and returned to the shepherd and Bishop of soules nor was the chastisement of all the heathens peace upon Christ. And Esaiah expoundeth who be these all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose iniquities were laid upon Christ v. 8. for the transgressions of my people was he stricken and v. 12. he bare the sins of many as Matth. 20.28 and 26.28 The blood which is shed for many and he made intercession for sinners What doth he beare stripes for all the heathen and is he entred as High Priest for all Adams sons into the Holy of Holiest to plead and Advocate for such as Cicero Regulus Scipio Cato such as Pharoah Cain Judas Julian If he bare their iniquities he must beare their apostacie and finall infidelity or doth hee intercede for all and every one of mankinde 1 Ioh. 1.2 compared with 1 Ioh. 1.6 7 8 9 10. and Hebrew 9. He appeareth for us ver 24. for those that are sprinkled 13 14 15 16 17. and looke for him the second time vers 28. He maketh intercession for them that come to God through him Heb. 7.25 Who have a High Priest over the house of God Heb. 10.20 21 22. All these and many other places sheweth the contrary And the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3.24 is not a Redemption which might have been confined within Christ to reconcile God to himselfe and which might consist with the finall totall and utter perishing of all mankind 1. We are justified through this redemption and not by the works of the law 2. V. 25. God set forth Christ this redeemer to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 3. That Christ might appeare the justifier of the ungodly vers 26. and exclude boasting by the law of faith ver 27. and bee the God of Iews and Gentiles ver 30.31 so that it was never Gods minde to imprison a reconciliation within the Father and the Sonne and leave our heaven at such a dead and cold venture as the discretion of indifferent free will so as it might fall out if men pleased that the suretie Christ should die and all his poore broken friends die eternally and suffer the second death also Arminians turne the Gospel in the sadest and bloodiest bargaine that ever was and yet the new English Arminians worse then their fathers say they preach not the Gospel of grace nor Christ who preach not their universall attonement in a grosser way then ever Arminians did for 1. Arminians durst not say Christ died vice loco omnium singulorum sed tantum in bonum eorum he died not in the person place and roome of all mankinde but onely for their good as Socinus taught them But Master Moore saith this right downe pag. 3. 2. Arminians durst not say Christ died and rose again and pleadeth as high Priest and Advocate for all but onely for beleevers Mr. Moore saith that for all he rose and acquiteth us of all our sins pag. 4. The place 2 Cor. 5.14.15 doth not prove a Reconciliation of all within God as Mr. Moore dreameth 1. The All that Christ died for if one died for all then were all dead by no reason must bee in number equivalent to all that died in the first Adam Nor is there any reason in the text to make all those that are actually made alive in Christ and live not to themselves but to Christ equall in number to all that died in Adam 1. God gave not Christ to die for heathen who were never to hear of Christ that they might live to Christ. 2. These words hence forth know we no man not Christ after the flesh nor for the outward priviledge of Jewish dignitie circumcision or a temporall kindgome which fleshlie dignity the Apostles sometime knew Christ for and expected in him but now this is taken away and Christ hath died for all that is for Iews and Gentiles without respect of any such differencie for Christ gave his life for the Gentiles as well as for the Iews 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for All is a word of efficacie and holds forth the Lords effectuall intention but if Mr. Moores glosse stand there is no effectuall intention in Christ to save all and every one Nor doth the place 1 Tim. 2.4.6 signifie any reconciliation not applyed to persons for his being given a ransome for all noteth clearely an
close the doore in the lowest roome so I see the throne and him that sits on it it is enough to me 2. Arg. All the tie of the covenant lyeth on God not any on man as bond or obligation for the fulfilling of the covenant or partaking of the benefits thereof Heb. 8.10 Ezech. 36.25.26 Jer. 1. the Lord promiseth to doe all and the new heart is but a consequent of the covenant where is thee in all this covenant one Word that God sayes to man Thou must do this If God had put man on these conditions then they were conditions indeed But when God takes all upon himself where are then the conditions on Mans part Give me leave suppose there should be a fault of performing in this covenant whose were the fault must not the fault or failing be in him who is tyed and bound to every thing in the covenant and saith he will do it If there bee a condition and there should be a failing in the condition he that undertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault God saith not make your selves cleane get you the Law of God in your mind get you power to walk in my Statutes and when you doe this then I will be your God and enter in Covenant with you Answ. 1. We never teach that the making to our selves a new heart is an antecedent condition required before the Lord can make the New-Covenant with us as this mâ—n would charge Protestant Divines but that it is a condition required in the party covenanting which is conditio federatorum nonfederis and such a condition without which its unpossible they can fulfill the other condition which is to believe and so lay hold on the Covenant but it is clear Antinomians think the new heart no inherent grace in us but that Christ is grace working immediately in us as in stones and the new heart is justification without us in Christ only let Crispe shew where the making of a new heart is commanded to us as a consequent and an effect of the Covenant surely the new heart the washing of us with cleane water be it an antecedent or be it a consequent of the Covenant of Grace it is a promise that God doth freely and of meere grace undertake to perform in us Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I give you so Ier. 32.39 40. Ier. 31.33 Eâ—ech 11.19.20 Esa. 54.13 Ioh. 6.45 Ezech. 36.32 Not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel ver 22. I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy names sake which yee have prophaned amongst the heathen whether ye went and Crispe saith the Covenant in the old Testament had annexed to it divers conditions of legall washing and sacrifices whereas the New Covenant under the New Testament is every way of free grace He is farre wide conditions wrought in us by grace such as we assert take not one jot or title of the freedome of Grace away and though there be major gratia a larger measure of grace under the New Testament yet there is not magis gratia there is no more of the essence of free-grace in the one then in the other for all was free grace to them as to us why did the Lord enter in Covenant wâ—th the Iewes more then with other Nations Deut. 7.7 The Lord loved you because he loved you Was Ierusalem Ezech. 16. holier then the Ephesians Eph. 2. No their nativity was of the land of Canaan their Father an Amorite their Mother an Hittiâ—e Ezech. 16.5 Thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast borne ver 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said to thee in thy blood live And to cause grace have a deeper impression and sinking down into the hearts bottome he repeateth it againe I said unto thee in thy blood live And will Crispe say that this iâ— not a history of free grace as farre from bribe or hire of meritâ— as in the world or will he say it was Gods meaning First wash you with holy water and sacrifice to me and performe all these legall conditions to me while you are Amorites and Hittites by kinde and that being done He enter in Covenant with you when yee have done your work He pay your wages and be your God 2. This Argument militateth strongly against every Gospel duty and the whole course of Sanctification God must so be the cause only cause of all our sinfull omissions sins under the Covenant of grace in that he promiseth to work in us to will and to do to give us grace to abstain froÌ„ sin but does not stand to his word as Antinomians teach which is an Argument unanswerable to me that its the minde of Antinomians that no justified person can sinne but that they omit good or commit ill God is in the fault not they and that the justified are meer blocks in all the course of their sanctification in all the sins they doe they are patients God should more carefully see to his own honour and not suffer them to sinne so they and the old Libertines goe on together For say that the new heart that to will and to doe to persevere stedfastly in the Grace of God were no conditions of the Covenant sure believing in the Lord Iesus is clearly a condition of the righteousnesse of faith as doing is of the righteousnesse which is of the Law Rom. 10.3 4 5 6 7 8. Gal. 4.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 say that to repent pray love God and serve him were not from God through the tye of the New-Covenant yet Gods promise his single word when he saith he will doe such and such things is as strong a tye as his Covenant and oath when he knoweth its unpossible these things that he saith he will doe can be done except he of his meer grace work them in us Now the Lord clearely promiseth that he will give repentance Act. 5.31 Sorrow for sinne the Spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12.10 a circumcised heart to love and serve the Lord Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 36.26 perseverance in Grace Ier. 32.40 41. Esai 54.10 chap. 59.20.21 Psal. 1.3 Joh. 4.14 chap. 10.28 Phil. 1.6 Ephes. 5.26.27 1 Ioh. 2.1 Then let D. Crispe or any Libertine say when the Saints sinne in not praying in not sorrowing for sin in not willing and doing in their sinnes and falls in their Christian race to heaven let me speak in the words of Crisp whos fault is it or failing not to perform the word or promise of God God undertaketh by promise yea by his simple word to fulfill what he promiseth and saith he will work all these in us yea to will and to doe Ergo if it be not done the fault cannot
is being planted together in Christs death in our union with Christ. So as a believer is to consider himselfe dead to sinne only in the fellowship of Christs death mystically and to consider himself only dying to sinne in his own nature spiâ—itually so as in Christ he is only compleat and in himselfe imperfect at the best I finde saith Saltmarsh no promise made against the never committing such a particular act or sinne which a man lived in in his unregenerated condition there are differences made but it puzzles both Dâ—vines and the godliest to finde a difference between sinnes committed before and after regeneration for take a man in the strength of naturall or common light lâ—ving under a powerfull word or preacher by which his candle is better lighted then it was such a man shall sinne against as seeming strong conviction as the other if not more This to me is that which the Libeâ—tines of New-England say That there is no differencs between the graces of hypocrites and believers in their kind And now in the Covenant of works a legalist may attaine the same righteousnesse for truth which Adam had in innocency before the fall And a living faith that hath living fruits may grow from the living law I see not but all these must follow if a regenerate David or Peter may commit the same act of relapse and falling in the same sinne of adultery and murther after conversion which he committed before conversion then he must commit the same sin with the like intension hight of bensill of wil after as before conversion he muâ—t now after he is converted fall again in the same act of murther denyall of Christ being now converted which he committed before conversion that is as the unconverted man with the rankest and highest strength of lust unrenewed will in its fervor of strength and rebellion did murther dâ—ny Christ without any reluctancy and prâ—testation on the contrary from the renewed will or the Spirit he may being converted fall in the same sinne yea with a higher hand and without any reluctancy from the regenerate part this to me must inferre necessarily the Apostacy of the Saints as that believers may fall againe in these same sinnes with as high and up-lifted hand against God with as strong full and high bended acts of the will after as bâ—fore conversion so as the battell of the Spirit against the â—lesh in this wicked relapse does utterly cease for Perkins who denyeth a man can fall in the same sinne of which he once syncâ—rly repented and whom Saltmarsh judgeth a Legalist and Anti-Christian in this point denyeth that a Convert may fall in the same sinne that he committed in his unregenerated state or that a Convert can fall in the same sinne every way the same with the like strength of corruption that this Convert before acted in his unregenerated condition yea or regenerate he having a further growth of habituall renovation in the second fall and so a higher habituall reluctancy of the renewed part then when he formerly fell in thâ— same sinne and so it cannot be the same sinne but a lesser otherwise he never sincerly repented of the former sinne if this bee more grievous and committed with a higher hand Now Saltmarsh his ground is different fâ—om all Proâ—estant Divines to wit That the wound pricking or sorrow for sinne in an enlightned soule leaveth no such habituall impression of remorse as the man dare never adventure to commit the like again for saith he thâ— gales and breathings of the Spirit of sorrow for sinne are like the winde that makes a thing move or tremble while the power of the aire is upon it but as that slackens or breaths so doth it But this is to say right down that the Spirit of Grace that causeth sorrow according to God and repentance which is never to be repented of is but an evanishing and transient act like the blowing of the wind on a tree the Scripture maketh the spirit that produceth mourning and remorse for sin when the sinner sees him whom he has pierced an habituall in-dwelling Spirit and calls him Zach. 12.10 The Spirit of grace and supplication if then the Spirit of Adoption be no transient but an habituall and inbiding grace as is evident Rom. 8.23 24 25 26. It is a received spirit abiding in us helping our infirmities teaching us what to pray it is Esa. 44. â— 4 5 6. Water poured on the thirsty making us confesse and subscribe the Covenant if it be as it is the New heart Ezech. 36.26 27. The Law in the inner parts Ier. 31.33 the seed of God 1 Ioh. 3.9 the annointing abiding in us 1 Ioh. 3.27 A well of water of an everlasting spring within us Ioh. 4.14 I seâ— not how a Spirit groaning in us when we pray Rom. 8.26 sighing sorrowing for the in-dwelling body of sin Rom 7.14 23 27. can be but a passing away motion like a blast of ayre but this is the mystery of Libertines that theâ—e is no inherenâ— grace in-biding in the Saints no spring of sanctification all grace is in Christ and his imputed righteousnesse and so they destroy sanctification 2. The ayme of Sal. is here that if we sorrow once and scarce that at the beginning of conversion wee are never more to confesse or sorrow for sinne when that transient motion like a fire-flaught in the ayre is gone But for mortification against all contrary blasphemies we say Asser. 1. Mortification is not as Mr Denne saith An apprehension of sin slâ—in by the body of Christ 1. Because this apprehension is an act of faith in the understanding faculty believing that Christ has mortified sin for me and so Mr Denne saith vivification is to live by faith that is to believe that I am justified and have life and righteousnes freely in Christ. Now mortification is not formally any such apprehension it doth flow from faith as the effect from the cause but mortification denominates the man mortified not in his apprehending and knowing that Christ waâ— mortified and dyed for him but in that he really himself is dead when it is said â—ol 3.3 for you are dead Gal. 6.14 by Christ I am crucified to the world and the world crucified to me by this fancy the world and the sinfull pleasures crucified must be the faith and apprehension that is in the fleshly pleasures and lawlesse-lusts by which these lusts apprehend and know that Christ dyed for them for Paul saith as well that the world is crucified to him as he unto the world 2. Mortification is a deadnesse in will and affections and the abaiting halfe death the languor and dying of the power of our lusts to sinne as a believer is dead to vaine-glory when contentedly he can be despised have his name trampled on be called a Deceiver a Samaritan and when the Apostles went out from the Councell Act. 5.41 Rejoycing
legges head tongue lips throat shoulders breast back so many fingers toes lithes joynts veines muscles then belly stomack heart liver bowels and a number of cumbersome vessels let them be a hundreth and fifty fragments of warm red and bloody clay they require more then a hundreth and fifty servants of clay of meat rayment medicine to serve them and the more needy a creature is the more miserable a Spirit is above all these and needs not senses nor servants to serve the senses and life O but Christ was happy from eternity and consider what a low lowp of love was this the Word made flesh God manifested in the flesh is the greatest mystery of love in the world here God an infinite Spirit made man has need of two eyes of clay two eares two legs two hands he must come under the necessities of all these hundreth and fifty organs can ye tell what secrets of love are here God looks out at two clay windows the two eyes of a Man God walks with the two clay legges of a man Hee dwelt amongst us saith Ioh. 1.14 hee pitched his clay-tent with us full of grace and glory grace and glory dwelling in clay is one of the deep wonders of the World But 2. We would accept to be men but if it were referred to our choise we must die in paine and be tumbled in a cold hole of clay in the earth and see the Sunne no more it may be we would take it to our advisement ere we chused life Christ knew on such terms if he should be made a creature of clay and if the high and lofty God should be cloathed with such ragges a coat of clay so farre below his beauty he must die yet he would bee a man a dying man and we know what sad and soure accidents were in his death But 3. Yee will kill an honest hearted and ingenuous innocent man ere yee move him to take with a fault when he has done no fault Iob was called an hypocrite by his friends but he would never take with it hee would maintaine his own righteousnesse till hee dyed the Martyrs ere they would take sinne on them by acting it and deny Iesus Christ they would rather chuse the gallous torture the teeth of Lions burning quick or any thing but Christ Iesus takes it patiently to stand as the thiefe the bloudy man the false man and as all the wicked men of the world he could not act sin but he said Father make me the sinner I never stole but let my face be blacked with theft I never shed innocent blood but let the staine and blot off the murtherer be upon me I never lied but let me be as a lyar and stand so before justice and God made him sin 2 Cor. 5.21 when a man willingly goeth to prison for a broken man it s a reall acknowledgement that he takes on him the broken mans debts It s as good as if he had said crave me for him a morall blot to be put on an honest holy harmlesse man is a high measure of selfe-denyall and love Christ said here am I crave me Lord. But this is nothing Christ was a maâ— 2. A dying man 3. Made as a sinner and as a wicked and unhonest man but God blessed him he was made a blessing of God and that is comfort enough No it was not so God made him a curse an execrable thing all the broad curses written in the book of the Law came on him see Christ made clay dying clay as sinning clay cursed clay what would yee have more Christ is as if his Father abhorred him and would not once give him on cast of his eye 2. All perfection of blessednesse comes to us by this that Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3.14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise ef the Spirit through faith This is the true freedome from the Law to be freed from the curse thereof in believing Christ was made a curse for you according to that Rom. 6.14 For sinne shall not have dominion over you for yee are not under the Law but under grace which doctrine is cleare Rom. 7. where expresly we are said to bee freed from the dominion of the Law as the wife is freed from the Law of subjection to her husband if the husband be dead which is a comparison and holdeth not in all but only in so farre as the two husbands the Law and Christ stand in opposition the one to the other now the opposition is that the Law has dominion to justifie the legall observers of it and guide the wife to life eternall but the conditions are hard and now because of the flesh unpossible Christ againe the better husband leadeth his Bride to heaven in sweeter termes by believing in him that justifieth the ungodly who has satisfied for our breach of the Law 2. The Law hath dominion over the wife that is in subjection to it to condem her if she break to this spirituall husband in thought word or deed but the two husbands both agree in this that both command holy walking as the Apostle excellently sheweth 1 Cor. 9.20 to them that are under the Law I am as under the Law that I might gaine them that are urder Law ver 21. to them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without Law Hence we teach that the believer married to the second and better husband Christ is not freed from the rule and directing power of the Law to lead us in the wayes of sanctification and holinesse but we are freed from the dominion of the Law that it cannot justifie us nor condem us because in Christ we are justified by his imputed righteousnesse laid hold on by faith and saved freely in him by his blood hence give me leave to vindicate our doctrine in this from the wicked aspersions cast on it by Antinomians especially by Mr Town Mr Towne 's assertion of grace against Doctor Taylor Pag. 3. When it s said we are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. by the word Law I understand the morall Law or decalogue with all its authority dominion offices and effects and by grace is understood the Gospel of Christ if yee were saith he under the power and teaching of the Law it s true sin would then lord it over you in that the Law is the strength of sinne 1 Cor. 15. But yee are translated unto another Kingdome where the enemy yee so feare is spoyled of all its armor and power whereon it dependeth and your King you now live under doth freely communicate abundant and effectuall grace of justification and sanctification so to fortifie you that yee shall be more then Conquerours therefore feare not only be strong in the faith thereof Answ. 1.
Not to minde Mr Town that else-where he meaneth by the Law that we are not under not the Morall Law only but the Ceremoniall also if we be freed from all authority of the Law then hath the sixth command no authority from God to teach that murthering of our brother 〈◊〉 sinne that Idolatry is contrary to the second command 〈◊〉 acts of holinesse and worship performed by 〈…〉 wil-service and wil-worship for if 〈…〉 and direct us what is holy walking 〈…〉 by the Antinomian way doth not teach any such thing in the letter then it s all unwritten wil-walking that a believer doth this is licence not holinesse wee are called unto 2. Then is it not the Lawes office to reveale sinne to us Paul saith contrary Rom. 3.20 for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet free a believer from all the offices of the Law Then the believer when he lies and whores and murthers is not obliged to know or open his eyes and see from the light of the Law that these be sins for Mr Town looseth him from all the offices of the Law Paul mis-judged himself when in his believing condition he saith Rom. 7.14.15 for we know that the Law is spirituallâ— but I am carnall sold under sinne 3. From the Lawes teaching of believers to inferre that the Law lordeth it over a beliver is a great fallacy 4. If the enemy sinne be spoyled of all power even of indwelling and lusting against the Spirit then the believer cannot faile against a Law then he may say he has no sin which Iohn saith is a lie 5. If Christ communicate abundant effectuall grace of sanctification then is sanctification perfect but the Scripture saith the contrary in many things we offend all and we are not perfect in this life nor are we more then Conquerours in every act of sanctâ—fication nor is that Pauls meaning Rom. 8. that we are never foiled and that lusts in some particular acts have not the better of us too often but that finally in the strength of Christ the Saints are so farre forth more then Conquerors that nothing can work the Apostacy and separation of the Saints from the love God in Christ. Mr Towne 's assertion of Grace Pag. 4.5 Mark three grounds of mistakes 1. That justification and sanctification are separable if not in the person yet in regard of time and word of Ministration as if the Gospel revealed justification the Law were now become an effectuall instrument of sanctification 2. That to ease men of the Laws yoak is to suffer them to range after the course of the world and 〈…〉 luâ—s not considering that the righteousnâ—sse of 〈…〉 to Christ their Lord head and Governour that they may be led by his free Spirit and swayd by the Scepter of his Kingdome 3. That all zealous and strict conformity to the Law of works though but in the letter is right sanctification Answ. 1. Not any of these are owned by Protestant Divines they are Mr. Townes forged calumnies to the first I cannot see that sanctification is any thing at all by Antinomian grounds but meere justification and that he is an Antinomian saint that believeth Christ satisfied and performed the Law for him but no letter of Law or Gospel layeth any obligation on him to walk in holinesse But the Gospel only revealeth engraffting of the branch in Christ the Vine-tree and stock of life and the bringing forth fruits by the faith of Christ to be the only true sanctification but if the apples be not of the right seed conforme to the derecting rule of all righteousnesse the Law of God they are but wilde grapes we never made the Law the effectuall instrument of sanctification a help it is being preached with the Gospel but neither is the Gospel of it selfe the effectuall instrument of sanctification except the spirit of grace accompany it nor the law of it selfe 2. The second is a calumny also But we would desire to know how Antinomians can free themselves of it for the righteousnesse of faith doth not so unite believers to Christ as to their Governour so as Christ governeth them by the Spirit and the Word for the letter of the whole Word both Law and Gospel say they holdeth forth nothing but a covenant of works to search the Scripture either Law or Gospel is not a sure way of searching and finding of Christ and Mr Towne passeth in silence all guidance of the Saints by commandements of either Law or Gospel and tells us of a leading by a free Spirit only So that by Antinomians we are no more under the Gospel as a directing and commanding rule then we are under the Law what hindereth then but Antinomian justification bids us live as we list we think the Gospel commandeth every duty and forbiddeth every sin as the Law doth under damnation what is sinne to the one is to the other But the Gospel forbiddeth nothing to a justified believer under the paine of damnation more then to Iesus Christ. 2. A dead lâ—râ—er forbiddeth no sinne commandeth no duty but the Gospel of it selfe without the Spirit is a dead letter as well as the Law the major is the Antinomian doctrine the assumption is undeniable 3. Pharisaicall conformity to the Law we disclaime but if any could be strictly and perfectly conforme to the Law of works as Christ was we should think such a man perfectly sanctified but through the weaknesse of the flesh that is unpossible I know not what Mr Towne meanes by a conformity to the Law though but in the Letter if he meanes that the literall meaning and sense of the Law requireth no spirituall inwardâ— and compleatly perfect obedience he is no good Doctor of the Law and if it be not such an obedience it is not zealous and strict obedience but its ordinary to Antinomians now to tearm these whom the Prelaticall party of late called Puritans and strict Precisians because they strove to walk closely with God Pharisies and out-side Professors who think to be justified and saved by their own righteousnesse so farre are they at odds with sanctification if by conformity to the Law in the Letter Mr Towne meanes externall obedience without faith in Iesus Christ or union with him he knows Protestant Divines acknowledge no â—ound sanctification but that which is the naturall issue and fruit of justification and flowes from faith which purifieth the heart and such strict conformity to the Law as floweth from saving faith we hold to be true sanctification though all enemies to holy walking cry out against it such as mockers of all religion the Prelaticall and Antinomian party who mock strict walking and long prayer and humble confession of sinnes and smiting of conscience for sinne Towne Page 5. Blinde and sinister suspition and causeless fear inclined Doctor Taylor to this exposition to say our Apostle
first morning and dawning of election ibid. The Arminian hope and comfort and their wild Divinity not in Scripture 428.429.430 The Lords generall good will to save all and every one comfortlesse 432.433 The fountaine good will of God separateth elected persons from others 4â—2 433 Arminians resolve all in mans will and merits 434.435 Paulâ—s out-cry O the depth opened 435.436 Onely free grace not freewill maketh one to differ from another 437.438 The abundance of grace 439 440 All love especially a three fold effectuall in God no lip love in him 440 441 Christs love cannot mis-carry ibid. Very active 442 Ten objections from feare of Reprobation and sinne that seâ— me to hinder beleeving removed 4â—3 â—44 445 Christ can draw as guilty as thou art 447.448 The person to whom we are drawne most considerable from severall excellencies in him 449.450.451.452 Christ a home and rest 451 Three parts of Christs compleatnesse 1. His fulnesse 453 2. His primacy 453.454 3. His excellencie 454.455.456 Resisting of Christ a high sinne 457 Christ good at drawing of sinners ibid. 458.459 Resisting a great sinne 459.460 Marks of a meere Moralist 461.462 Errours of Libertines touching Free will 462.463.464 What activitie we have in our conversion 464 The faculties of the soule not destroyed 464.465 Grace inherent in us not the person of the Holy Ghost 464.465.466.467 The Blasphemy of the Libertine H. Nicholas who said he was Godded ibid. The union of the Holy Ghost with the Saints not personall 467.468.469 Grace and Free will joyned in acting in a fourefold sense 468 469.470 The covenant of grace how conditionall 471.472.473 Crispe refuted 472.473.474 Differences betweene Law and Gospel 472 Grace in the Old Testament and Justification the same in Nature with that in the New Testament 474 47â—.476 How faith is a condition of the Covenant 476.477 How grace acteth in all Christs Members 479. â—80 Christ onely not any creature Man or Angel can calme a disquieted soule 480.481 The Lords deniall of grace falleth under a three-fold consideration 481.482.483 The freedome of grace evidenced in Angels 482 In the conversion of men 483 48â— We are to pray when under indispositions we cannot ibid. Flesh and Spirit in their up's and downes 485.486 In what cases God usâ—th to withdraw ibid. We are to stirre and blow grace our selves 486.487 How we sinne in not doing though actuall predâ—terminating grace be not in our power 487.488.489 How we leave God ere he leave us 489 How we are to beleeve that God will joyne his influence of actuall grace 489.490 Grace not a Morall sparkle 490.491 Mens impotencie to come to Christ wilfull ibid. The condition of Christs drawing 492.493 Christs and our leaving of the earth and the reasons 493.494.495 Christs dying a speciall ground of Mortification 496. â—97 To be crucified to the World what it is 497.498 How base the earth is to a Saint ibid. Antinomian Mortification fleshly and refuted 490.491.492 Libertines and Antinomians compared together from some passages of Calvine Instruct. advers Libertinos 500 501.502.50â—.504.505.506 Sinnes of the Justified to Antinomians no sinnes 502.503 Sense and feeling of sinnes to Antinomians 503.504 How a Convert cannot fall in the same sinne againe 506.507 Sorrow for sinne habituall in the Saints contrary to Saltmarsh 507.508.509 Mortification not an act of Faith 509.510.511 Mortification personall Physicall reall not the Antinomian imputative and apprehensive Mortification refuted 509.510.511 Antinomians deny sinne to be in the justified 512.513 The fleshly distinction of Denne and other Antinomians of sin in the conscience and sinne in the conversation refuted 513.514 Mortification is in abstaining from sinne and in the remissenesse and faintnesse of the powers of the soule to act sinne 516.517.518 To live by Faith includeth sanctification ibid. A sinner as a sinner not humbled is not to beleeve applicatorily 518.519.520 Holinesse and Morall vertues much different 520 521 To adde to Antinomian Mortification is to adde to Christ. 521.522 Eight Queries propounded to Antinomians touching the Law Enthysiasmes Gospel-commands sinnes of the justified c. 522.523 Divers Manifestations of Christs deadnesse to the world 524.525 The Lords various dispensation in leading some to heaven in flowings of free grace others in low desertions 525.526 Christ strong to save 528 Minded us much in death 528.529 The World a weake thing to Christ. 529.530 Christ strong on the Crosse. ibid. Providence most speciall in excellent things 530.531 A three-fold excellency of the working of Christ on the Crosse. 531.532 Christ drawes sinners 1. Lovingly 532 2. Suffering paine ibid. 3. Strongly 532.533 Compleatly Ibid. 5. Finally dying and drawing 533.534 What it is to be lifted up from the earth 534.535 The Scriptures deepe plaine not obscure why wee accuse them 535.536 Christs dying ibid. The kind of his death 537.538 Seven considerations of Christs dying 537 538.5â—9 Christs love went to death with him ibid. Christ willing to die and must dye ibid. A wondring that Christ should dye ibid. Reason would say Christs body should be precious as the Sunne ibid. It s much that Christ should part with life 5â—9 Three ingredients in Christs death 1. The curse 2. Merit 3. Divine acceptation 540.541 Foure sad conditions in the ransome that Christ payed 541 1. A man given for a man 2. A King for a servant 3. A King handled as a slave ibid. The ransome given must die 542 Death the end of Christs labours ibid. Christs victory in dying 543 His welcome 544 Comforts to dye from the dying of Christ. 544.545 Christ had good hap to the Crosse. ibid. Death perfected Christ. 546 547 Life lame without the life hid with Christ. 547.548 Reall Mortification pressed from Christs death 545.546 Comfort of pardon from Christs death 549 Sinne sweet suffering for sinne sad 550 In the kind of Christs death three Characters 1. Paine 2. Shame 3. A Curse 550.551 In the paine of Christs death three 1. Violence ibid. 2. Slownesse of dying ibid. 3. Many degrees of life taken from Christ. 550.551.554 How Christ was capable of shame ibid. 555 How not 555.556 How shame penall might stand â—ith the dignity of his person 557.558 How Christ was a curse 558.559.560 Death naturall and violent 561 Indifferent accidents of death 562 How a man is ripe for death 562.563 Our errors and fancies touching the Crosse. 564.565 The bloud not dryed off Christ while he was in heaven ibid. We condemne the wisdome of God in our murmuring under the Crosse. 566 How farre we may chuse our owne Crosse. 567 The circumstances that fall in our crosse dressed by infinite wisdome 567.568 That a blessed Spirit take on him to bee a cursed sinner admirable 571.572 Wee are not freed from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse 572.573 Neither Law nor Gospel obligeth a beleever to Sanctification by the Antinomian way 574.576 We are no more under the Gospel nor under the Law by the Antinomian way 574.575 Antinomians enemies to close walking with God 575.576 Men naturally are not
awed by the Law 576.577 Antinomians oblige not beleevers to personall walking with God 578 The Law leaveth not off to bee a rule of righteousnesse because it giveth not grace 579 Every naturall man under the Law 581.582 A Mystery of Antinomians that all meanes not effectually moving the will are not meanes laying bonds on the conscience 582.583 Antinomians take away all use of teaching and exhorting 584 Faith looseth us not from the Law ibid. Obeying of God because of the direction of Law and Gospel is to Antinomians a controuling of the free Spirit 589 The Law as the Law required perfect obedience but the Law as Evangelized requireth not perfect obedience that we may be justified 589 The Antinomian doctrine propounded by the carnall Libertine Rom. 7. 590.591 The Law is not meerely passive 591.592 How Faith and new obedience are the meanes of our delivery from the body of sin the former from the guilt and that perfectly and at once in justification and the other from the blot and in-dwelling of sinne and that by degrees in Sanctification 593.594 How we are saved without works 594.595 How God accounteth the good works of the justified porfect 595.596.597.598 CHRIST DYING AND Drawing Sinners to himselfe JOHN 12. 27. Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this houre But for this cause came I unto this houre 28. Father glorifie thy Name IT is a question whether these words of our Saviours Soule-trouble be nothing but the same words and prayer which Matthew chap. 26. and Luke 22. relate to wit O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me when his soule was troubled in the garden in his agonie Some think them the same others not It is like they are words of the same matter for first when Christ uttered these words hee was neare his sufferings and on the brink of that hideous and dark sea of his most extreme paine and drew up against hell and the Armies of darknesse as the story sheweth But that the Lord uttered these same words in the garden and not before is not apparent because upon this prayer it is said Then came there a voyce from heaven c. A voyce speaketh to him from heaven now Mat. 26. Luk. 22. no voyce is like to have come from heaven for when hee prayed in his agonie there were no people with him as here because of the voyce the people being present Some said it thundered others said an Angel spake from heaven there being now with Christ in the garden when hee prayed O my Father c. none save Peter James and John the three famous witnesses of his extreme suffering and of his young heaven of his transfiguration on the Mount when hee acted the Preludium and the image and representation of heaven before them as is cleare Mat. 26. vers 37. And he was removed from them also Mat. 26.39 Luk. 22.41 and they were sleeping in his agonie Mat. 26.40 43 45. But now there is a waking people with Christ who heard this voyce But I deny not but it is the same prayer in sense even as suppose it were revealed to a godly man that hee were to suffer an extreme violent and painfull death and withall some fearfull soule-desertion as an image of the second death it should much affright him to remember this and hee might pray that the Lord would either save him from that sad houre or then give him grace with faith and courage in the Lord to endure it so here Christ God and man knowing that hee was to beare the terrors of the first and second death doth act over afore-hand the time being neare the sorrow and anguish of heart that hee was to suffer in his extreme sufferings as it were good ere the crosse come to act it in our mind and take an essay and a lift of Christs crosse ere wee beare it to try how handsomely wee would set back and shoulders under the Lords crosse I doe not intend that wee are to imitate the Martyr who put his hand in the fire the night before hee suffered to try how hee could endure burning-quick but that wee are to lay the supposition what if iâ— so fall out as Christ being perswaded his suffering was to come acted sorrow trouble of soule and prayer before-hand and to resolve the saddest and antedate the crosse and say with our owne hearts Let the worst come or to suffer our feare to prophecy as Job did chap. 3. vers 25. yet suppose the hardest befall me I know what to doe as the unjust Steward resolveth on a way before-hand how to swimmâ— through his necessities Luk. 16.4 The Lord acteth judgement and what they shall pray in the time of their extremity who now spit at all praying and Religion they shall be religious in their kind when they shall cry Revel 6.16 Mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. You cannot beleeve that a Lambe shall chase the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and every bond-man and every free-man into the dennes and the rocks of the mountaines to hide themselves But the Lord acteth wrath and judgement before your eyes Men will not suppose the reall story of hell Say but with thy selfe Oh! shall I weep and gnaw my tongue for paine in a sea of fire and brimstone Doe but fore-fancie I pray you how you shall look on it what thoughts you will have what you shall doe when you shall 2 Thes. 1.9 be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 1. Fore-seen sorrowes have not so sad an impression on the spirit 2. Grace is a well-advised and resolute thing and has the eyes of providence to say in possible events What if my Scarlet embrace the Dunghill and Providence turne the Tables 3. It is like wisedome grace is wise to see afarre-off to fore-act faith and resolve to lie under Gods feet and intend humble yeelding to God as 2 Sam. 15.25 26. In the Complaint wee have 1. the Subject-matter of it The Lords troubled soule 2. The Time Now is my soulâ— troubled 3. Christs Anxiety wrought on him by this trouble What shall I say or which is the sense What shall I doe 4. And a shoare is seen at hand in the storme a present rock in the raging sea What shalt thou say Lord Jesus what shalt thou doe Pray and hee prayeth Father save me from this houre 5. There is a sort of correction or rather a limitation But for this cause came I to this houre The Lord forgetting his paine embraceth this evill houre 6. Going on in his resolution to embrace this sad houre hee prayeth vers 28. Father glorifie thy Name Touching the first the Soule-trouble of Christ wee are to consider 1. How it can consist with
upon Act of atonement and free redemption in Christ standeth uncancelled and firme being once received by faith the justified soule ought not so to be troubled for sin as to mis-judge the Lords by-past work of saving Grace 1. Because the beleever once justified is to beleeve remission of sins and a payed ransome If now hee should beleeve the Writs once signed were cancelled again hee were obliged to beleeve things contradictory 2. To beleeve that the Lord is changed and off and on in his free love and eternall purposes is a great slandering of the Almighty 3. The Church Psal. 77. acknowledgeth such mis-judging of God to be the soules infirmity Psal. 77.10 I said This is my infirmity Asser. 2. Yet de facto David a man according to Gods heart 1 Sam. 12.12 13. fell in an old feaver a fit of the disease of the Spirit of bondage Psal. 32.3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long V. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer So the Church in Asaph's words Psal. 77.2 My sore ran in the night and ceased not either his hand was bedewed with teares in the night as the Hebrew beareth or a boyl of unbeleefe broke upon me in the night and slacked not Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever will hee be mercifull no more Then faith and doubting both may as well be in the soule with the life of God as health and sicknesse in one body at sundry times and it is no argument at all of no spirituall assurance and of a soule under the Law or covenant of works to doubt as sicknesse argueth life no dead corpse is capable of sicknesse or blindnesse these are infirmities that neighbour with life so doubting with sorrow because the poore soul cannot in that exigence beleeve is of kin to the life of God the life of Jesus hath infirmities kindly to it as some diseases are hereditary to such a family 2. The habit or state of unbeleefe is one thing and doubtings and love-jealousies is another thing Our love to Christ is sickly crazie and full of jealousies and suspitions Temptations make false reports of Christ and wee easily beleeve them Jealousies argue love and the strongest of loves even marriage-love 3. By this all acts of unbeleefe in soules once justified and sanctified should be unpossible Why then the Lords Disciples had no faith when Christ said to them Why doubt yee O yee of little faith It happily may be answered that the Disciples Mat. 8. doubted not of their son-ship but of the Lords particular care in bringing them to shore in a great sea-storme To which I answer It s most true they then feared bodily not directly soule-ship-wrack but if it was sinfull doubting of Christs care of them Master carest thou not for us the point is concluded That doubting of Christs care and love may well inferre a soule is not utterly void of faith that is in a doubting condition 4. The morning dawning of light is light the first springing of the child in the belly is a motion of life the least warmings of Christs breathings is the heat of life When the pulse of Christ new framed in the soule moveth most weakly the new birth is not dead the very swonings of the love of Christ cannot be incident to a buried man 5. When Christ rebuketh little faith and doubting hee supposeth faith hee who is but a sinking and cryeth to Christ is not drowned as yet 6. The Disciples prayer Lord increase our faith Christs praying that the faith of the Saints when they are winnowed may not faile the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might prove the Saints faith may be at a stand and may stagger and slide 7. The various condition of the Saints now it s full moon againe no moon light at all but a dark ecclipse evidenceth this truth The beleever hath flowings of strong acts of faith joy love supernaturall pâ—ssions of Grace arising to an high spring-tide above the banks and ordinary coasts and â—gain a low-ground ebbe The condition in ebbings and flowings in full manifestations and divine raptures of another world when the wind bloweth right from heaven and the breath of Jesus Christs mouth and of sad absence runneth through the Song of Solomon the book of the Psalmes the book of Job as threeds through a web of silke and veines that are the strings and spouts carrying bloud through all the body lesse or more Asser. 3. The justified soule once pardoned receiveth never the Spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 to feare againe eternall wrath that is This Spirit in the intension of the habit such as was at the first conversion when there was not a graine of faith doth never returne nor is it consistent with the Spirit of Adoption Yet happily it may be a question if a convert brought in with much sweetnesse and quietnesse of Spirit shall fall in some hainous sinne like the adultery and murther of Dâ—vid have not greater vexation of Spirit then at his first conversion but more supernaturall But yet this must stand as a condemned error which Libertines doe hold That frequency or length of holy duties or trouble of Conscience for neglect thereof are all signes of one under a Covenant of Works And that which another of that way saith in a dangerous medicine for wounded soules Where there is no Law as there is none in or over the justified soule there is no transgression and where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sinne all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law which demandeth a satisfaction of the soule for the breach of it and such satisfaction as the soule knowes it cannot give and thereby remaines unquiet like a debtor that hath nothing to pay and the Law too being naturally in the soule as the Apostle saith The Conscience accusing or else excusing It is no marvell that such soules should be troubled for sinne and unpacified the Law having such a party and ingagement already within them which holding an agreement with the Law in Tables and Letters of stone must needs worke strongly upon the spirits of such as are but faintly and weakely inlightned and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments the convictions the terrors the curses which the Law brings And a third And indeed Gods people saith he need more joyes after sinnes then after afflictions because they are more cast downe by them and therefore God useth sinnes as meanes by which he leades in his joyes into them in this world and alâ—o in the world to come their sinnes yeeld them great joyes Indeed in some respects they shall joy-most at the last day who have sinned least But in other respects they have most joy who have sinned most for sinne they little or much they all
clay in our water but because good works are not our Saviours it s no good ground to say they have no influence in the way of our salvation and they are not way-marks in our journey because they are no part of the ransome that bought heaven Wee have a grand opinion of our owne righteousnesse and when wee misse it wee think wee misse Christ himselfe which is a great mis-judging and argueth a beleeving in our selves not in Christ. And often soule-trouble ariseth from defects omissions and sinnes in our selves If simple griefe for sin as offensive to love arise that 's good soule-trouble but such soule-trouble as shaketh the bottome of faith and turneth the soule off Christ to seek righteousnesse in it self is damnable as it 's hard for an unregenerate man to see sinne in it's dreadfullest colours and not despaire so it 's hard for a regenerate person to see sinne as sinne and not to fall on unbeliefe and doubting of Christs love Antinomians thinke any anxiety for sinne which expelleth actuall rejoycing in Christ our turning off Christ and our casting of the conscience againe under the Spirit of bondage and worke of the Law Which is contrary to truth and the command of James to be afflicted and mourne and Christs saying Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted and Peter who saith there may be need that the Saints be in heavinesse for a season It 's a great point of wisdome 1. to know how farre forth our spirituall walking may be a seed of comfort we may easily erre on either hands 2. The Logick would bee humble Lord I am not hauty Ergo I am comforted in thee Paul saith well I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified we would not build a Towre on a Moale-hill 3. From our sinnefull walking we may draw grounds of godly sorrow yet not grounds of unbeliefe Faith and Godly sorrow are consistent together 4. It 's not safe to argue that wee are not in Christ from the wants adhering to our sincere performances While we slander our selves we may slander the Spirit of God 5. The measure of our obedience cannot bee a warrant to counter-argue Christ as want is no warrant to stand farre off from Christ no more then it 's good Logicke to flee from the fire because you are cold or to bee at odds with gold because you are needy and poore poverty may conclude a sayling with low sayles and humility but not unbeliefe your want of all things should not empty rich Jesus Christ. 7. Absence of Christ mis-apprehended through unbeliefe occasioneth soul-trouble In which there is something which evidenceth saving grace in the troubled soule as is afore said For the want of the thing loved cannot but here be a gracious torment to the lover The Spouse is sicke and dyeth when she wanterh him whom her soule loveth Cant. 2.5 chap. 5. vers 6 8. David so expresseth himselfe Psalm 84.2 My soule longeth yea even fainteth or dyeth or is at an end for the Courts of the Lord my flesh and my heart cryeth out for the living God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to desire or to bee consumed or to make an end of any thing Davids desire of injoying God was such as it was his death to want God it may hold forth as Pagnine observeth that Davids soule either extremely desired the Lord or dyed upon the absence of God But to be anxiously troubled in an unbeleeving manner is the sinnefull soule-trouble Why doth the soule doubt of Christs Winter more then of his Summer Absence and presence his comming and his departing are both his owne workes God hath liberty in the one as in the other as it is Gods liberty to make faire weather and stormes to make a faire day and a cloudy day To make David a King and his brethren shepherds and common souldiers so hath he his own freedome in the breathings of his owne Spirit and the blowing of his own winde or of the drawing a curtaine over his owne face and hiding himselfe and neither in this nor in any of his waies of freedome can we challenge the Lord or plead against him And if we thinke we doe well to be angry even to the death at the motions and breathings of Christs free love then may we compel Christ to be kind and visit us as we think good What ever yee be Christ is Lord of his owne presence and visits and it 's good the Kings Chamber of presence be a Dainty and Christs wine bee not so common as water nor can wee here force kindnesse or acts of heavenly manifestations on him he hides himselfe Why he is as reasonable and wise in his going as in his comming 2. We should take on us to steward and husband the kisses and embracements of Christ better then he can doe himselfe and should quarrell because the Lord hath not thought fit to make Heires and Minors that are yet under Non-age Masters and Lords of their owne young heaven this were not a good world for us Christs love is better then wine Cant. 1. Neither our head nor our heart could endure to drinke at our own will of this new wine of the higher Kingdome Better for us it is that Christ beare the key of the Well of life then children have it and if the Government of the higher and lower familie bee upon the shoulders of Christ the leading of this or that single person to heaven is worthy Christs care 3. And consider that Christ goeth not behind the mountaine or hideth himselfe upon meere hazard but so weighty reasons that love may bee sharpened through absence that the house may be adorned with new Hangings and Christs bedde made greene that care may bee had when he resteth in his love not to stirre up nor awake the beloved untill he please that the high Tydes and rich Feasts of Christs love after sad and heavy desertions may heighten the worth and esteeme of Christ that faith and love may with more of the violence of ven lay hold on Christ after long seeking and not part with him on so easie termes Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. that we may know what weakenesse is in our owne clay legs under desertion and how we are to walke on Christs legges which are pillars of marble set on sockets of gold that absence and presence the frownings and smilings of Christ may bee to the Saints the little images of hell and heaven and broken men may read their debâ—s in Christs count-booke of free grace with teares in their eyes and songs of praise in their mouth That wee may bee in high love and sicke for absent Christ and may be at the pains through thicke and thin to seeke him And lâ—arne to live lesse by sense and more by faith and resolve to die beleeving and be charitable of Christ absent and kisse his veile when we can see no more and be upon our watch-towre
mans doubting from signes inherent in the man and if hee be a back-slider in heart you fetch fire and water from beyond the Moone to cure him or you must fetch warrants to convince him from the mind eternall counsells of love and free grace within God and that is all the question between the poore man and you You cannot prove God hath loved him from everlasting because hee hath loved him from everlasting If Libertines in this Argument intend to prove that a chosen convert in Christ hath no ground to question that hee is not beloved of God and not in Christ 1. That is nothing to the Thesis of Antinomians maintained by all that sinners as sinners are to beleeve Gods eternall love in Christ to them and so all sinners elect or reprobate are to beleeve the same 2. It s nothing to the universall commandement that all and every one in the visible Church wearied and loaden with sin or not wearied and loaden are immediatly to come to Christ and rest on him as made of God to them their righteousnesse sanctification and redemption without any inherent qualification in them 3. It s nothing to the point of freeing all and building a golden bridge to deliver all who are oblieged to beleeve elect or reprobate from doubting whether they be in Christ or not that they may easily come to Christ and beleeve his eternall love and redemption in him though they be in the gall of bitternesse and bonds of iniquity and that immediatly Which golden Paradise to heaven and Christ Antinomians liberally promise to all sinners as sinners I cannot beleeve that it s so easie a step to Christ. For the second It 's a dreame that God loveth sinners with the same love every way wherewith hee loveth his owne Sonne Christ. And why Because God loveth us onely for his owne Sonne and for nothing in us Ergo Farre more it must follow it s a farre other an higher fountaine love wherewith the Father loveth his owne eternall and consubstantiall Sonne the Mediator betweene God and man and that derived love wherewith he loveth us sinners As the one is 1. Naturall the latter free 2. The love of the Father to the Sonne as his consubstantiall Son and so farre as it 's essentially included in his love to Jesus Christ Mediator is not a love founded on grace and free-mercy which might never have beene in God because essentially the Father must love his Sonne Christ as his Sonne and being Mediator he cannot for that renounce his naturall love to him which is the fundamentall cause why hee loveth us for Christ his Sonne as Mediator but the love wherewith the Father loveth us for his Sonne Christ is founded on free Grace and mercy and might possibly never have been in God For 1. as he could not but beget his Sonne he could not but love him nature not election can have place in either but it was his Free will to create a man or not create him 2. He cannot but love his Sonne Christ but God might either have loved neither man nor Angel so as to chuse them to Salvation and he might have chosen other Men and Angels then these whom he hath chosen God hath no such freedome in loving his owne Consubstantiall Sonne 2. It s an untruth that God loveth his chosen ones as he doth love his Sonne that is with the same degree of love wherewith he loves his Sonne I thinke that not farre from either grosse ignorance or blasphemie It possibly may bee the same love by proportion with which the Father tendereth the Mediatour or Redeemer and all his saved and ransomed ones but in regard of willing good to the creature loved he neither loveth his redeemed with the same love wherewith hee loveth his Sonne except blasphemously we say God hath as highly exalted all the redeemed and given to them a name above every name as he hath done to his owne Sonne nor doth he so love all his chosen ones as hee conferreth equall grace and glory upon all alike as if one starre differed not from anoâ—her starre in glory in the highest heavens Our owne good works cannot make our Lord love us lesse or more with the love of eternall election but they may make God love us more with the love of complâ—cency and a sweeter manifestation of God in the fruits and gracious effects of his love According to that John 14.23 Jesus said if a man love me he will keepe my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The third reason is the same with the first and proveth nothing but a Major Poposition not denied by the disquieted sinner which is this Who ever is justified and chosen cannot be condemned whom ever the Lord once loveth to salvation he must alwaies love to salvation for his love is like himselfe and changeth not But the disquieted sinner is chosen and loved to salvation This Assumption is all the question and the truth of a Major Proposition can never prove the truth of the Assumption Saltmarsh Free Grace Chap. 4. Pag. 83.84 85. Because you feele not your selfe sanctified you feare you are not justified If you suppose that God takes in any part of your faith repentance new obedience or sanctification as a ground upon which he justifieth or forgiveth 1. you are cleare against the Word for if it be of Workes it is no more of Grace 2. It must then be the onely evidence you seeke for and you aske for sanctification to helpe your assurance of justification but take it in the Scriptures way 1. In the Scriptures Christ is revealed to be our sanctification Christ is made unto us righteousnesse sanctification I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Yee are Christs but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus He hath quickned us together with Christ. Wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes Jesus Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that new man which after God was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Wee are members of his body of his flesh and his bones And being found in him not having mine own righteousnesse I can dâ—e all things through Christ which strengthneth me But Christ is all in all Your life is hid with Christ in God Heb. 13.20 21. All these set forth Christ as our sanctification the fulnesse of his the all in all Christ hath beleeved perfectly for us he hath sorrowed for sinne perfectly he hath obeyed perfectly he hath mortified sinne perfectly and all is ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. The second thing is Faith about our owne sanctification we must beleeve more truth of our owne graces then we can see or feele the Lord in his Dispensation hath so ordered that here our life should be hid with Christ in God that we should
the Papists circle because workes to my sense and spirituall discerning may and doe adde evidence and light to faith and faith addeth evidence and light to works as wee prove the cause from the effect and the effect from the cause especially under desertion without the fault of circular arguing but Papists beleeve the Scripture to bee the word of God because the Church saith so else it should be no word of God to them more then the Turkes Alcaron and they beleeve that the Church saith that Scripture is the Word of God because the Scripture saith that the Church saith so This is no proof at all and a vaine consequence without Faith its unpossible to please God no worke can bee proved solidly Gods without faith but how then followeth it Ergo we cannot prove faith to bee true from good works Saltmarsh can make no Logicke out of this nothing followeth from this antecedent but ergo by hypocriticall works done without faith we cannot prove our faith to be true faith valeat totum the conclusion is not against us Wee acknowledge except good works carry the stampe and image of faith they are not good works but if they carry this stampe as we presuppose they do in this debate because works are more sensible to us then faith it followeth well then we may know our faith by our workes and a beleever doing workes in faith and out of warmenesse of love to Christ and a sincere sense of his debt he may bee ignorant that he doth them in faith but a coale of love to Christ smoaking in his soule and the sincere sense of the debt that love layeth on him to doe that yea and to swimme through hell to pleasure Christ are ordinarily more sensible then faith and led us to know there must be faith where these are 3. Nor are ours litigious and disputable marks except when our darknesse raiseth disputes more then the Gospel it selfe is litigious for men of corrupt minds raise doubts against the Gospel and weake beleevers sometime would argue themselves out of faith Christ out of imputed righteousnesse election of grace and effectuall calling yet are not these litigious points and say that the evidence of the Spirit be as light and evident as the Sunne light in it selfe so is the Gospel yet are we to seeke evidences for our faith and peace in such markes as the Holy Ghost has made way-markes to heaven by this we know c. but we build our knowledge and sense on these markes as on secondary pillars and helps which a divine and supernaturall certitude furnisheth though without the influence of the Spirit they shine not evidently to us but our faith resteth on the testimony of the Spirit witnessing to our hearts and this is not to bring a candle to give light to the Sunne but to adde the light of supernaturall sense to the light of divine faith else they may as well say that the confirming evidence that comes to our sense from the Sacraments addeth some thing to the Word which is a light and a Sunne-light to our eyes if we did confide in them as causes of our justification it were Pharisaicall but divine motives and secondary grounds though they bee mixed of themselves with sinnefull imperfections may be by divine Institution helps and confirmatory grounds of our faith and joy and the Scripture saith so as we heard alledged The question proposed by F. Cornewell I shall not father upon that learned and godly Divine Master Cotton Whether a man may evidence his justification by his Sanctification hee should have added whether he may evidence to himselfe or his owne conscience his justification for that so he may evidence i◠in a conjecturall way to others no man doubts 2. The question is mistated as if Sanctification did formally evidence Justification as Justification in abstracto and Faith in its actuall working it s enough against Antinomians if it evidence to the sense of the person that he is in the state of justification and that hee hath faith to lay hold on Christs righteousnesse when he esteemes the Saints precious and placeth his delight in them Sanctification doth not as Libertines would imagine evidence justification as faith doth evidence it with such a sort of clearenesse as light evidenceth colours making them actually visible now light is no signe or evident marke of colours Love and workes of sanctification doe not so evidence justification as if justification were the object of good works that way faith doth evidence justification but sanctification doth evidence justification to be in the soule where sanctification is though it doth not render justification actually visible to the soule as light maketh colours to be actually visible or as faith by the light of the Spirit rendreth justification visible for even as smoake evidenceth there is fire there where smoake is though smoake render no fire visible to the eye and the moving o◠the pulse evidenceth that there is yet life though the man be i◠a swoone and no other acts of life doe appeare to the eye an◠the morning starre in the East when its darke evidenceth tha◠the Sunne shall shortly rise yet it maketh not the Sunne visibl◠to the eye and the streames prove there is an head-spring whence these streames issue yet they shew not in what part of the earth the head-spring is so as to make it visible to the eye so doth Sanctification give evidence of Justification onely as markes signes and gracious effects giveth evidence of the cause as when I find love in my soule and a care to please God in all things and this I may know to bee in mee from the reflect light of the Spirit and from these I know there is faith in me and justification though I feele not the operation of faith in the meane time yet the effect and signe makes a report of the cause as acts of life eating and drinking and walking in me doth assure me that I have the life of nature So the vitall acts of the life of Faith doe as signes and effects give evidences of the cause and fountaine yet there is no necessity that with the same light by which I know the effect I know the cause because this is but a light of arguing and of heavenly Logick by which we know by the light of the Spirits arguing that we know God by the light of Faith because wee keep his Commandements and know arguitivè by Gods Logick that we are translated from death to life because wee love the Brethren in effect we know rather the person must bee justified in whom these gracious evidences are by heare-say report or consequence then we know or see justification it selfe in abstracto or faith it selfe but the light of faith the testimony of the Spirit by the operation of free Grace will cause us as it were with our eyes see justification and faith not by report but as we see the Sunne
mentis and so it concludeth not the Question 2. It s Antinomian doctrine to make opposition between the Gospel promise and the debt of the promise the debt of works Rom. 4. and Rom. 11. is Law-debt due to the worker as an hireling is worthy of his wages because hee hath done the work perfectly according to a covenant made with his Master In which case no man sayes the wages of the labourer is a free-gift But if whatever the Lord promise to us in the Gospel make God a debter and the thing promised to be debt then let Antinomians speak out for they say The whole letter of Scripture and so of the whole Gospel-promises hold forth a covenant of works contrary to Gal. 4. where there be two covenants one of works another of grace and contrary to the promises of grace in the Gospel Joh. 2.16 Heb. 8.10 11 12. Mat. 11.28 1 Tim. 1.15 2 All the promises of the Gospel must make salvation debt was not Christ promised in the Prophets to the lost world Rom. 1.2 The inheritance is not by Law but by promise Gal. 3.17 18. Rom. 9.8 9. Luk. 1.45 54 55 68 69 70. Is Christ come to save sinners by debt or by grace is salvation debt its promised Is not righteousnesse promised to him that beleeves Rom. 4.5 then righteousnesse must be debt and so not of grace for Cornwell telleth us Pag. 13. The right which a man hath by promise to a worke maketh the assurance of the promise but of debt unto him and then the promise is not sure to him out of grace Then all the promises of an established Kingdome to David and his seed if they should keep Gods commandements all the blessings and salvation promised to beleevers in the Old and New Testament so they bring forth the fruits of a lively faith are mercies of debt not of free-grace I well remember that the Famulists say It is dangerous to close with Christ in a promise And There can be no true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed I rather beleeve the Holy Ghost Ho every one that thirsteth come to the water come buy wine and milke without money and without price Isai. 55.1 And if any man thirst let him come to me and drink Joh. 7.37 And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Revel 22.17 Mar. 1.15 If Cornwell can free willing thirsting desiring from working hee hath much divinity Yet the water of life and salvation promised to such cannot be debt but free grace for they are promised to these freely and to be bestowed without money Of the same straine is the fourth Argument of Cornwell Object 5. When sanctification is not evident it cannot be an evidence of justification But when justification is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident Therefore sanctification cannot be our first evidence of justification The Minor is proved Because when faith is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident But when justification is hidden and doubtfull faith is hidden and doubtfull therefore when justification is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident The proofe of the Major is 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen and so makes all things evident then when faith is hidden what can be cleare 2. Because no sanctification can be pure and sincere but when it is wrought in faith and so it cannot be evident but when it clearely appeareth to be wrought in faith Answ. 1. There is in the Conclusion first the first evidence of justification that is not in the premises against all art The Proposition When sanctification is not evident it cannot be an evidence of justification is weake and weakly proved For there is a twofold evidence one of sense and feeling spirituall another of faith When sanctification wants the evidence of faith that I cannot beleeve salvation from mine owne Christian walking yet may the soule have evidence of feeling and sense that we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 and wee dare say Lord wee delight to doe thy will and long for thee O Lord as the night-watch watcheth for the morning and whom have wee in heaven but thee c. and can out of sense give a testimony of our selves yea and can place all our delight in the excellent ones Psal. 16.3 119.62 1 Joh. 3.14 so as the heart warmes when we see the Saints and in this case sanctification is evident when remission of sinnes may be under cloud else this Argument does conclude if it have any feet that sanctification ever and at all times is dark when justification is dark and so sanctification is never an evidence of justification but when justification is evident So the wisdome of God is taxed as if hee would never have us to know that wee are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren but when wee evidently know wee are thus translated though wee had no love to the brethren Then the Lord hath provided a candle for his weak ones by this Argument when it is day-light but hath deny'd any candle-light moon-light or star-light when it is darke night 2. The Major is not proved Faith is not so the evidence of all things as that it maketh all things evident to our spirituall sense for Cornwell granteth faith may be hidden then it can evidence nothing when it is is hidden Love to the brethren keeping of his commandements yeeld sensible evidences that wee are justified even when faith is not evident and how many are convinced they have undoubted marks of faith and justification who doubt of their faith and justification And so the Minor and Probation of it is false for it is most false that when faith is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident this is asserted gratis not proved As if yee would say Ever when the Well-head is hidden the streames are not seen when the sap and life of the tree is not seen but hidden the apples leaves and blossomes are not evident This is a begging of the conclusion for then should a man never neither first nor last know that hee is translated from death to life because hee loves the brethren Why Because when translation from death to life or when faith and justification is hidden the love to the brethren and all the works of sanctification are hidden saith this Author 3. The second proofe of the Major is lame Sanctification is never pure and sincere without faith saith hee Ergo It cannot be evident but when it appeareth to be wrought in faith The consequence is null just like this Sweet streames cannot flow but from a sweet spring ergo It cannot be evident and cleare to my taste that the streames are sweet except I taste the water at the fountaine-head and see it with mine eyes and my taste cannot discerne the sweetnesse of the fruit except my senses were
within the trunk or body of the true to feel see and taste the sap of life from whence the fruit cometh Yea the contrary consequence is true because I smell sincerity love single intentions to please God in my works of sanctification therefore I know they came from Faith so the Holy Ghost should delude us when hee saith Wee know wee know or beleeve in Christ because we keepe his commandements Ergo We cannot know this except it bee evident that our keeping of his Commandement come from faith and the knowledge of God Object 6. Such a Faith as a Practicall Syllogisme can make is not a faith wrought by the Lords almighty power for the conclusion followeth but from the strength of reasonings not from the power of God by which alone divine things are wrought Ephes. 1.19 20. Col. 2.20 But faith wrought by a word and a worke and the light of a renewed conscience without the testimony of the Spirit is such a faith as a practicall Syllogisme can make Ergo such a faith so wrought is not wrought by the Lords almighty power The Minor is proved because all the three the Word the Worke and the light of Conscience are all created blessings and gifts and therefore cannot produce of themselves a word of almighty power and the word of it selfe is a dead letter the worke is lesse for faith commeth by hearing a word not by a worke Answ. When Master Cornwell saith By the power of God alone Divine things such as faith that layeth hold on Christs righteousnesse are wrought Ephes. 1.19 Col. 2.20 hee excludeth the ministery of the Gospel and all the promises thereof for they are created things and so they have no hand nor influence in begetting faith Antinomians will have us beleeve that Paul Ephes. 1.19.20 Col. 1.20 thinkes no ministery of the Word nor any hearing of the preached Word begetteth faith contrary to Rom. 1.16 Rom. 10.17 but by the onely immediate power of the Spirit we are converted without the Word Nor is here that which is in question concluded never Protestant Divine taught that without the actuall influence of omnipotent Grace can faith or spirituall sense that we are justified be produced by the Word worke or created light alone nor can the corne grow alone by power in the earth clouds or raine nor any Creature move without the actuall influence of the omnipotent Lord in whom we move therefore by this reason we could not know that the Sunne shall rise by the rising of the morning starre nor can we have any supernaturall sense by our holy walking contrary to Scripture 1 John 2.3 1 John 3.14 But we know by this all faith is ascribed by Antinomians to the immediate testimonie and Enthusiasticall inspiration of the Spirit as for the searching of Scripture say they it s not a sure way of searching and finding Christ it s but a dead letter and holds forth a covenant of works in this letter and therefore with the old Anabaptist they 'll have no teaching by Scripture but onely teaching by the Spirit We hold that conditionall promises are made to duties of Sanctification therefore we may have comfort and assurance from them in our drooping condition Cornewell answereth Pap. 23.24 25. The promises are not made to us as qualified with such duties of sanctification for then they should belong to us of debt not out of Grace Rom. 4.4 But in respect of our Vnion with Christ in whom they are tendered to us and fulfilled to us Satisfaction is made to the thirstie not for any right his thirst might give him in the promise but becausâ— it directeth to Christ who fulfilleth the condition and satisfieth the soule and the soule must first have come to Christ and gotten his first assurance from faith in Christ not from these conditions and duties Answ. 1. This is a yeelding of the cause We say there bee promises of the water made to thirsty soules not as if the right jus law merit debt that we have to them belonged to us for the deede done but for Jesus Christ onely 2. Not as if wee upon our strength and the sweating of free-will did conquer both the condition and reward 3. But yet wee have comfort and assurance when we by grace performe the duty that our faithfull Lord who cannot lye will fulfill his owne promise 4. He knoweth nothing of the Gospel who thinketh not God by his promise commeth under a sweet debt of free-grace to fulfill his owne promise and that this debt and grace are consistent But Antinomians breath smell of flâ—shly liberty for they tell us Conditionall promises are Legall contrary to the Gospel Rom. 10.9 John 3.16 Joh. 5.25 That that it s not safe to close with Christ in a conditionall promise if any thing be concluded from water and bloud it s rather damnation then salvation That its a sandy foundation to prove that Christ is mine from a gracious worke done in me by Jesus Christ were it even Faith For we are compleatly united to Christ without faith wrought by the Spirit It s incompatible with the Covenant of Grace to joyne faith with it To be justified by faith is to bee justified by workes That to say there must be faith on mans part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ. Neither Cornwell nor Saltmarsh oppose these blasphemies but extoll the Patrones of them in New-England Father save me from this houre Father is a word of Faith But had Christ need of Faith Answ. Not of faith of confiding in him that justifieth the sinner except he had faith of the justifying of his cause in Gods acquitting him of suretieship when he had payed all but hee had faith of dependencie on God in his trouble that God would deliver him and he was heard in that which he feared And Q. 2. how could there be a faith of dependencie in Christ for hee was the same independent God with the Father Answ. There were two relations in Christ one as Viator going toward glory and leading many children with him to glory another as comprehensor seeing and enjoying God 2. There were two sights in Christ one of Vision another of Vnion the sight of Vnion of two natures is the cause of the sight of vision Christ being on his journey travelling toward glory did with a faith of dependency rest on God as his Father seeing and knowing that the Union could not be dissolved but as a Comprehensor and one at the end of the race injoying God in habit there was no necessitie that Christ should alwaies Et in omni differentiâ temporis actually see and enjoy God in an immediate vision of glory For 1. this implyeth no contradiction to the personall union even as the seeing of God habitually which is the most joyfull sight intelligible and by necessitie of nature does produce joy and gladnesse may and did consist in
legall humiliation hath no more any Gospel-title or promise that saving grace shall be given to him even of meere grace upon condition of his humiliation or externall hearing or desire of the Physician then the proud Pharisee Yet as the body framed and organized is in a nearer disposition to be a house to receive the soule then a stone or a block so is an humbled and dejected soule such as cast-down Saul and the bowed-down Jayler and those that were pricked in their hearts Act. 2. in the moment before their conversion were nearer to conversion and in regard of passive and materiall dispositions made by the Law-worke readier to receive the impression and new life of Christ formed in them then the blaspheming Jewes Act. 13. and the proud Pharisees who despised the counsell of God and would not be baptized Luk. 7.30 There be some preparatory colours in dying of cloth as blue that dispose the cloth for other colours more easily so is it here And a fish that hath swallowed the bait and is in the bosome of the net is nearer being taken then a fish free and swimming in the Ocean yet a fish may break the net and cut the angle and not be taken A legally-sitted man may be not farre from the Kingdome of God Mar. 12.34 and yet never enter in And those same dispositions in relation to Gods â—nd in saving the elect are often means and disposing occasions fitting soules for conversion though some be like a piece of gold lying in the dirt yet it is both true mettall and hath the Kings stamp on it and is of equall worth with that which goeth currant in the market So in regard of Gods eternall election many are in the way of sin and not converted as yet notwithstanding all the luster of fore-going preparations though they be as truely the elect of God as either those that are converted yea or glorified in heaven yet their preparations doe lead them in regard of an higher power that they see not to saving grace And for any thing revealed to us God ordinarily prepares men by the Law and some previous dispositions before they be drawne to Christ. I dare not peremptorily say that God useth no prerogative Royall or no priviledges of Soveraignty in the conversion of some who find mercy between the water and the bridge yea I thinke that Christ comes to some like a Roe or a young Hart skipping and leaping over hills and mountaines and passeth over his owne set line and snatcheth them out of hell without these preparations at least hee works them suddenly And I see no inconvenience but as in Gods wayes of nature hee can make dispensations to himselfe so in the wayes of grace wee cannot find him out However sure of crabbed and knotty timber hee makes new buildings and it is very base and untoward clay that Christ who maketh all things new cannot frame a vessell of mercy of To change one specie or kind of a creature into another a lyon into a lamb and to cause the wolfe and the lamb dwell together and the leopard lie down with the kid and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and a little child to lead them is the proper work of Omnipotency whatever be the preparations or undisposition of sinners Asser. 7. Not any Protestant Divines I know make true repentance a worke of the Law going before faith in Christ. 1. The Law speakes not one word of Repentance but saith either doe or die Repentance is an Evangelike ingredient in a Saint 2. Christ was made a Prince and exalted to give repentance Act. 5.31 and the Law as the Law hath not one word of Christ though it cannot contradict Christ except we say that there bee two contradictory wills in Christ which were blasphemy but some dispositions before conversition I conceive Antinomians yeeld to us For one saith speaking of the manner of his conversion One maine thing I am sure was to get some soule-saving-comfort that moved mee to reveale my troubled conscience to godly Ministers and not in generall to allay my trouble Yet I can make good from Scripture that this desire can be in no unconverted soule a Physitian that mistakes the cure doctrinally will prove a cousening comforter And another saith The persons capable of justification are such as truely feele what lost creatures they are in themselves and in all their workes this is all the preparative condition that God requireth on our part to this high and heavenly worke for hereby is a man truely humbled in himselfe of whom God speaketh saying I dwell with him that is of an humble Spirit c. To make persons capable of justification here is required a true feeling that they are lost in themâ—elves and in all their workes But this can be no preparative condition of justification as Eaton saith Because true feeling must follow Faith not goe before it And 2. true feeling is proper to justified persons nothing going before justification and so which is found in unjustified persons can be proper to justified persons onely 3. Antinomians say Sinners as Sinners and consequently all sinners are to beleeve justification in Christ without any foregoing preparation This man saith Prepared and feeling persons that are sensible of sinne are onely capable of justification 4. To truely feele a lost condition cannot be all the Preparative condition for the word hath annexed no promise of justification to the unjustified who shall feele his lost condition For the place Esai 57. speaketh of a justified sinner not of an unjustified who is onely prepared for justification 1. Because God dwels in this humbled soule then he must be justified and converted Ephes. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith 2. This is a liver by faith and so justified the just shall live by faith Habak 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Hebr. 10.38 And he must live by Faith whom the high and loftie One revives Object 1. But to bid a troubled soule be humbled for sin and pray and set upon duties and speake nothing of Christ to them whereas poore soules cannot pray in that condition is to teach them to seeke righteousnesse in themselves Answ. 1. Satan cannot say that wee teach any to set on duties and to silence Christs strength and grace by which onely duties may bee done 2. To bid them set on duties as their righteousnesse before God and as the way to find rest and peace for their soules and that speaking nothing of Christ we disclaime as Antichristian and Pharisaicallâ— 3. It is no argument but the Arminian objection against free Grace not to bid a troubled soule pray because he cannot pray without the Spirit for Peter Act. 3. bids Simon Magus who was in the gall of bitternesse pray yet without the Spirit he could not pray Antinomians exhort troubled soules though not converted to beleeve in Christ Yet they
Libertines doe us from which wee are as farre as the East from the West Propos. â— It is not our doctrine but the weakenesse of sinners and of the flesh that we should be shie to Christ and stand aloofe from the Physitian because of the desperate condition of our disease This is as if one should say it is not fit for the naked to goe to him who offereth white linnen to cloath him nor that the poore should goe to him who would be glad you would take his fine gold off his hand or to say set not a young plant but let it lye above earth till you see if it beare fruit Unworthinesse in the court of justice is a good plea why Christ should cast us off but unworthynesse felt though not savingly is as good a ground to cast your selfe on Christ as poverty want and weakenesse in place of a Statute and act of Parliament to beg though the letter of the Law forbid any to beg Propos. 4. Acting and doing thouâ—h neither savingly nor soundly is not merit of grace yet not contrary to grace to obey the law of nature to give almes is not against grace Libertines should not reject this though it be not all but a most poore All to engage Christ. Propos. 5. Faith is a morall condition of life eternall and wrought in us by the free grace of God I never saw a contradiction between a condition wrought by irresistible grace and the gift or free grace of life eternall for life eternall given in the law and Adams doing and performing by the irresistible acting and assisting of God are not contrary yet the former was never merit but grace the latter was Legall doing Propos. 6. We doe receive the promise of willing and doing wrought immediatly in us according to the good will and most free grace of Christ and yet we are agents and worke under Christ. Propos. 7. Luther for I could fill a booke with citations Calvine and all our Protestant Divines are for qualifications voyd of merit or promise before conversion and for gracious conditions after conversion under the Gospel Antinomians belie Luther Propos. 8. Antinomians yeeld the preaching of the Law and preparations before conversion and conditions after and peace from signes of sanctification c. yet they are to be reputed enemies to grace and holinesse and turne all sanctification in their imaginary faith and justification of which they are utterly ignorant Never Antinomian knew rightly what free justification is Propos. 9. Immediate resting on Christ for all wee doe and drawing of comfort from the testimony of a good conscience are not contrary Propos. 10. Holinesse idolized or trusted in is to make Christ the alone Saviour no Saviour Propos. 11. God is not provoked to reprobate whom hee elected from eternity by new sins yet is hee displeased with Davids adultery so farre as to correct him for it and Solomon for his back-sliding with the rod of men Propos. 12. Works before justification please not God but it followes not that God keeps not such an order as sense of sin though not saving should goe before pardon and conversion no more then because Adams sin pleased not God therefore it should not goe before the Sons taking on our flesh If we are not to doe nor act any thing before conversion neither to heaâ—e conferre know our sinfull condition nor be humbled for sin despaire of salvation in our selves because these are not merits before conversion nor can they procure conversion to us neither are wee after conversion to beleeve for beleeving cannot merit righteousnessâ— and lâ—fe eternall nor are we to heare pray be patient rejoyce in trâ—â—â—lation for not any of these can procure life eternall to us And why is not the doing of the one as wâ—ll as the other a seeking righteousnesse in our selves Propos. 13. The promise of Christs comming in the flesh 2. and of giving a new heart are absolute promises the former requireth no order of providence but that sin goe before redemption the latter requireth an order of providence not of any Gospel-promise or merit in any sort there nâ—ver was never can be merit betwâ—en a meere creature and God Propos. 14. There is no faith no act of Christs coyn or of the right stamp before justification Propos. 15. Wee are justified in Christ virtually as in the publike Head when hee rose again and was justified in the Spirit 2. In Christ as hâ—s merits are 〈◊〉 cause of our justification 3. In Christ apprehended by faâ—th formâ—lly in the Scriptures sense in the Epistle to the Romanes and Galathians not that faith is the formall cause or any merit in justification but because it layâ—s â—old on impâ—ted riâ—â—â—eoâ—snesse which is the formall cause of our justiâ—â—caâ—ion 4. We are justified in our own sense and feeling not by faith 〈◊〉 because wee may beleeve and neither know that wee bâ—lâ—eve nor be sensible of our justification but as wee know that wee beleeve whether this knowledge result from the lighâ— of faith or from signes as meanes of our knowledge 5. Juâ—â—iâ—ication by way of declaration to others is not so infallible as that the Scripture calls it justification properly so named Object 8. I was sixthly in hearing the word shined upon by a sweet witnessing of the Spirit But O how I did strive against this work I was called upon but I put away all promises of mercy from me I may justly say The Lord saved me whether I would or no. Sometimes I was dead and could not pray sometimes so quickened that me thought that I could have spent a whole night in prayer to God Answ. 1. If the faith of the eternall love of free election was his first conversion no wonder hee was shined upon with light But it was not Scripture-light but wild-fire for the method of Christs drawing in the Scripture is not Enthusiasticall up at secret election at first There is no doubt wee put Christ away from us after conversion Cant. 5.1 and that so Christ saves us against our will That the principle of saving is free grace 2. that free will is neither free nor willing till Christ first draw us till hee renew and work upon the will But I feare Antinomians will have free will a block to doe nothing at all If Christ will let me sinne say they let him look to it upon his honour be it And Faith justifies an unbeleever that is that faith that is in Christ justifieth me who have no faith in my selfe And It is legall to say wee act in the strength of Christ. And To take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whoring from God And A man may not be exhorted to any duty because hee hath no power to doe it And The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least And In the conversion of a sinner the faculties of the soule and working thereof are
Ezra 10.1 Neh. 9.2 In Scripture confession of sins is opposed to covering of sin and not forsaking of it Pro. 28. Joshua sought not such a confession of Achan James commands not such a Daniel's Ezra's Peter's confession were some other thing Joh. 1.20 Act. 19.18 Heb. 11.13 Pro. 28.13 1 Joh. 4.2 Mar. 3.6 Josh. 7.19 Dan. 9.4 Rom. 10.10 1 Tim. 6.13 Psal. 32.5 Jam. 5.16 Levit. 5.5 chap. 16.21 26.40 2 Chron. 6.24 In which places faith and confession of sins cannot be one nor are wee justified by confession as by faith But these men have learned to pervert the Scriptures Asser. 9. There be more vehement stirrings and wrestlings in a naturall spirit under the Law as the bullock is most unruly at the first yoking and greene wood casts most smoke Paul Rom. 7. was slaine by the Law but this makes more way for Christ and though it doe not morally soften and facilitate the new birth yet it ripeneth the out-breaking Preparations are penall to subdue not morall to deserve or merit nor conditionall to engage Christ to convert or to facilitate conversion Asser. 10. There be no preparations at all required before Redemption 1 Tim. 1.15 Rom. 5.8 But there is a farre other order in the working of Conversion Those who confound the one with the other speak ignorantly of the wayes of Grace for though both be of meere grace without wages or merit yet wee are meere patients in the one not in the other Saltmarsh and Antinomians argue from the one to the other most ignorantly Asser. 11. That the promises of the Gospel are holden forth to sinners as sinners hath a two fold sense 1. As that they be sinners and all in a sinfull condition to whom the promises are holden forth This is most true and sound The Kingdome of grace is an Hospitall and Guest-house of sick ones fit for the art and mercy of the Physician Christ. 2. So as they are all immediatly to beleeve and apply Christ and the promises who are sinners and there be nothing required of sinners but that they may all immediatly challenge interest in Christ after their owne way and order without humiliation or any Law-work In this sense it is most false that the Promises are holden forth to sinners as sinners because then Christ should bee holden forth to all sinners Americans Indians and sinners who never by the least rumor heard one word of Christ. 2. Peter desires not Simon Magus to beleeve that God had loved him in Christ Jesus with an everlasting love nor doth the Gospel-promise offer immediatly soule-rest to the hardened and proud sinner wallowing in his lusts as hee is a hardened sinner nor is the acceptable yeare of the Lord proclaimed nor beauty and the oyle of joy offered immediatly to any but to those who are weary and laden and who mourne in Sion and wallow in ashes Mat. 11.28 29 30. Esay 61.1 2 3. It s true to all within the visible Church Christ is offered without price or money but to be received after Christs fashion and order not after our order that is after the soule is under selfe-despaire of salvation and in the sinners moneth when hee hath been with childe of hell I grant in regard of time sinners cannot come too soon to Christ nor too early to Wisdome but in regard of order many come too soon and unprepared Simon Magus too soon beleeved Saltmarsh saith Hee mis-beleeved too soon for he falsly beleeved none can beleeve too soon Answ. To beleeve too soon is to mis-beleeve and Saltmarsh and Antinomians teach us the method of false-beleeving when they teach us too soone to beleeve that is to beleeve that God hath loved you be yee what yee will Simon Magus Judas or others with an everlasting love for that is the Antinomian Faith Simon Magus is without any fore-going humiliation or sense of sin or selfe-despaire to beleeve hee was no lesse written in the Lambs book of life from eternity then Peter and this hee cannot beleeve soon enough I say neither soon or late ought a reprobate to beleeve any such thing A covetous man who had great possessions had not yet bidden fare-well to his old god Mammon when hee came to Christ therefore hee departed sad from Christ. Another came before hee had buried his father and some come Luk. 14.28 29. before they advise with their strength and what Christ will cost them I desire I be not mistaken none can be throughly fitted for Christ before hee come to Christ but it is as true some would buy the pearle before they sell all they have which is not the wise Merchants part and they erre fouly who argue thus If I were not a sinner or if my sinnes were lesse hainous and so I were lesse unworthy I would come to Christ and beleeve but ah I am so grievous an offender and so unworthy that I cannot goe Their Antecedent is true but the Consequence is naught and wicked It is true I am sicke and good that I both say and feele that I am sicke but ergo I cannot I will not goe to the Physician that is wicked Logick and the contrary consequence is good whereas the other consequence is a seeking of righteousnesse in our selves 2. Another false ground is here laid by Libertines That wee place worth and righteousnesse in Preparations or 2. That Preparations make us lesse unworthy and lesse sinners But Preparations are not in any sort to us money nor hire wee value them as dung and sin yet such sin as sicknesse is in relation to physick 2. Preparations remove not one dram or twentieth part of an ounce of guiltinesse or sin Christ in practice of Free-grace not by Law yea not by promise gives grace to the thus prepared and often hee denyes it also Yea and there is a good houre appointed by God when Christ comes Other Physicians take diseases so early as they can lest the malice of the disease over-come art but Christ lets sin of purpose ripen to the eleventh houre often to the twelfth houre Hee knowes his art can over-take and out-run seven devils most easily The omnipotency of grace knowes no such thing as more or lesse pardonable in sin yea of purpose to heighten grace that sinfulnesse may contend with grace and be overcome the Gentiles must be like corn ripe white and yellow ere the sickle cut them down and they be converted Joh. 4.35 The boyle must be ripe ere it break the sea full ere it turne therefore the Lord appoints a time and sets a day for conversion Tit. 3.3 We our selves were sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mad but the Lord hath a gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when When the kindnesse and man-love of God appeared hee saved us And Jer. 50.4 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah going and weeping they
shall seek the Lord. Zech. 12.11 And in that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon It s good to lie and wait at the doore and posts of Wisdomes house and to lie and attend Christs tyde it may come in an houre that you would never have beleeved O what depth of mercy when for naturall or no saving-one-waiting or upon a poore venture What if I goe to Christ I can have no lesse then I have beside any gracious intention the Lord saves and the wind not looked for turnes faire for a sea-voyage to heaven in the Lords time Asser. 12. The ground moving Christ to renew his love in drawing a fallen Saint out of the pit is the same that from heaven shined on him at the beginning Love is an undevided thing there are not two loves or three loves in Christ that which begins the good work promoves it even the same love which Christ hath taken up to heaven with him and there ye find it before you when ye come thither 2. Some love-sicknesse goes before his returne Cant. 3. I was but a little passed I found him whom my soule loves the skie devides and rents it selfe and then the Sunne is on its way to rise the birds begin to sing then the Summer is neere the voice of the Turtle is heard then the winter is gone when the affections grow warme the welbeloved is upon a returne 3. You die for want of Christ absence seemes to be at the highest when hunger for a renewed drawing in the way of comforting is great and the sad soule lowest he will come at night and sup if hee dine not 4. Let Christ moderate his own pace hope quietly waiteth Hope is not a shouting and a tumultuous grace 5. Your disposition for Christs returne can speake much for a renewed drawing as when the Church findes her own pace sâ—ow and prayes draw me we will runne then hee sendeth ushers before to tell that he will come 6. Sick nights for the Lords absence in not drawing are most spirituall signes Antinomians beleeve that all the promises in the Gospel made upon conditions to bee performed by creatures especially free-will casting in its share to the worke smell of some graines of the Law and of obedience for hire and that bargaining of this kind cannot consist with free grace And the doubt may seeme to have strength in that our Divines argue against the Arminian decree of election to glory upon condion of faith and perseverance foreseene in the persons so chosen because then election to glory should not be of meere grace but depend on some thing in the creature as on a condition or motive at least if not as on a cause worke or hire But Arminians reply the condition being of grace cannot make any thing against the freedome of the grace of election because so justification and glorification should not be of meere grace for sure we are justified and saved upon condition of faith freely given us of God The question then must bee Whether there can be any conditionall promises in the Gospel of Grace or whether a condition performed by us and free grace can consist together Antinomians say they are contrary as fire and water Hence these positions for the clearing of this considerable question Pos. 1. The condition that Arminians fancie to bee in the Gospel can neither consist with the grace of election justification calling of grace or crowning of beleevers with glory this condition they say we hold but they erre because it is a condition of hire that they have borrowed from Lawyers such as is betweene man and man ex causa onerosa it s absolutly in the power of men to doe or not to doe and bowes and determineth the Lord and his free will absolutly to this part of the contradiction which the creature choseth though contrary to the naturall inclination and Antecedent will and decree of God wishing desiring and earnestly inclining to the obedience and salvation of the creature Now works of grace and infinite grace flow from the bowels and in-most desire of God nothing without laying bonds chaines or determination on the Lords grace or his holy will Could our well-doing milke out of the breasts of Christs free grace or extrinsecally determine the will or acts of free-bounty Grace should not be grace But without money or hire the Lord giveth his wine and milke Isai 55.1 Ephes. 2.1 2. Ezech. 16.5 6 7. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.3 2. Because such a condition is of work not of grace and so of no lesse Law-debt and bargaining then can be between man and man And the party that fulfilleth the condition is 1. most free to forfeit his wages by working or not working as the hireling or labourer in a vineyard yea or any Merchant ingaged to another to performe a condition of which he is Lord and Master to doe or not doe 2. He is no wise necessitate nor determined any way but as the hire or wages doe determine his will who so worketh but the wages being absolutely in his power to gaine them or lose them determine his will which cannot fall in the Almightie 3. Such a condition performed by the creature putteth the Creature to glory but not in the Lord but in himselfe Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by works hee hath whereof to glory but not before God Yea Adam before the fall and the elect Angels hold not life eternall by any such free condition of obedience as is absolutely referred to their free will to doe or not to doe so our Divines deny against Papists with good warrant the free-hold of life eternall by any title of merit Sure if God determine freewill in all good and gracious acts as I prove undeniably from Scripture 2. From the dominion of providence 3. The covenant between the Father and the Sonne Christ. 4. the intercession of Christ. 5. The promises of a new heart and perseverance 6. Our prayers to bow the heart to walke with God and not to lead us into temptation 7. The faith and confidence wee have that God will worke in the Saints to will and to doe to the end 8. The praise and glory of all our good works which are due to God onely c. If God I say determine free will to all good even before as after the entrance of sinne into the world and that of Grace for this grace hath place in Law-obedience in Men and Angels then such a condition cannot consist with Grace For such a condition puts the creature in a state above the Creator and all freedome in him Pos. 2. Evangelike conditions wrought in the Elect by the irresistible grace of God and Grace doe well consist together Joh. 5.24 Verily Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not
the other The Antecedent is thus proved because God simply and absolutly may chuse to glory Moses Peter or not chuse them to glory and here is liberty of contradiction and freedome in the highest degree but having once chosen Moses and Peter to glory if they beleeve the Lord cannot but justifie them and crown them with glory because his promise and decree doth remove this liberty of contradiction so as God cannot choose but justifie and glorifie these that beleeve both in regard of his immutable nature who cannot repeale what he hath once decreed and of his fidelity in that he cannot but stand to his owne word and promise in justifying and saving the ungodly that beleeve Againe in election to glory there is nothing of men but all is pure free grace no condition no merit no faith no workes required in the party chosen to glory but in the justified there is more of man ere hee can be justified and saved he must heare consider be humbled know the need hee hath of a Saviour and beleeve and without these he cannot be justified Answ. 1. I deny that Libertie of contradiction belongeth to the essence and nature of libertie It s enough to make libertie that 1. It proceeds not from a principle determined by nature to one kind of action so the Sunne is not free to give light 2. That the principle be free of all forraigne force the malefactor goeth not freely to the place of execution when hailed to it 3. That it proceed from deliberation reason election and wisdome seeing no essentiall connexion or necessary or naturall relation between the action and the end thereof of themselves but such as may bee dispensed with if these three be though there be a necessity in some respect from a free decree and a free promise though there bee not liberty of contradiction simply to doe or not to doe yet is not any degree of the essence of libertie removed I well remember Dr. Jackson denying all decrees in God that setteth the Almighty to one side of the contradiction resembleth God to the Pope whose wisdome he commendeth in that the Popes decrees grants lawes promises are fast and loose and all made with a reserve of after-wit so as if the morrowes illumination be better then the dayes whiles his life breatheth in and out he may change and retract his will so saith he Papa nunquam sibi ligat manus the Pope tyes all the world to himselfe by oathes lawes promises but that lawlesse beast is tyed to none Now the Scripture teacheth us that the decrees and counsels of God are surer then mountaines of brasse and unchangeable and that his promise cannot faile But who dare say when he executes his decrees and fulfilleth his promise that he forfeiteth or loseth one inch degree or part of his essentiall libertie God should then bee lesse free to create the world then if we suppose he had never decreed to create it and yet doth create it as if the Lords free decree lavished away and should drinke up and waste any part of his naturall freedome in his actions or as if his faithfulnesse to make good what he promised should render him lame and dismember him of the fulnesse and freedome of his grace and so the more faithfull and true the lesse gracious and the more unchangeable in his counsels the more fettered and chained and the lesse free in all these actions that he doth according to the counsell of his will A grosse mis-conception and I deny that God is lesse free in the justifying and crowning the beleever then in electing and chusing him both to glory and to faith It may bee mens decrees and promises that are rash and may be at the second or third edition like their books corrected by a new-borne wit or because they ayme at under-board-dealing diminsh of their liberty but it s not so in the Almighty When the Lord by a promise to men maketh himselfe debter to his creature and that of free-grace with one and the same infinite freedome of grace hee contracteth the debt and payeth the summe for so the freedome of infinite grace should ebbe and slow as the Seas and ascend and descend as the Sunne which I cannot conceive the effects of free grace I grant being created and finite things in men are more or lesse according to the free dispensation of God Answ. 2. It s no marvell that there bee more of men in justification and glorification that are transient acts passing out of the creature then in election to glory that is an immanent and eternall act and so I grant Justification to be more conditionate then Election but if more gracious that is the question for the condition of Grace is a thing of free grace indeed we argue against the Arminian election that hangeth upon a condition of Free-wils carving such as their faith is and their perseverance and from thence we conclude from such a condition their election to glory cannot bee of free grace but in him that willeth and runneth because mans will determining Gods will to chuse this man to glory not this man is a running will and a mad and a proud will that will sit above Grace Pos. 4. Though it be true that Grace is essentially in God and in us by participation yet is it false that grace is not properly in us but that Faith Hope Repentance and the like that are in us are gifts not graces For grace in us may be called a gift in that it is freely given us as a fruit of the grace and favour of election and free redemption which indeed is the onely saving fountaine-grace of God but if grace be taken for a saving qualification and a supernaturall act worke or qualitie given freely of the Father through Christ upon Gods gracious intention to cause us freely beleeve repent love Christ rejoyce in the hope of glory worke out our salvation in feare and trembling so Grace is not onely in Christ but in us properly though Antinomians hold all saving grace to bee properly in Christ and that there is nothing inherent in a beleever that differenceth him from hypocrites all the difference must be in Christ say they 1. The word saith there was another Spirit in Caleb and Joshua then was in the rest of the Spies Ergo there was some distinguishing saving grace in them 2 Joh. 1.16 And of his fulnesse we have all received and grace for grace When he ascended to heaven he sent down the holy Ghost Joh. 14.17 Hee dwelleth in you and shall abide in you Joh. 16.13 He will guid you in all truth he will shew you things to come So there is a Spirit of grace powred on the Family of David Zach. 12.10 On the thirstie ground Esai 44.3 A new heart put in the midst of the covenanted people Ezech. 36.26 Feare of God put in their hearts Jer. 32.40 Jer. 31.33 1 Joh. 3.9 3. There is Grace in
nor out of sanctified principles abstaine from these acts of Adultery Murther Oppression which being committed would make rationall men under guiltinesse and sin before God 4. Towne Assâ—rtion of Grace Pag. 56.57 and pag. 58. pag. 156. A beleever is as well saved already as justified by Christ and in him Pag. 159. Divines say our life and salvation is inchoate but they speake of life as it is here subjectivè pag. 160. Quantum ad nos spectat Or in respect of our sense and apprehension here in grace our faith knowledge sanctification is imperfect but in regard of imputation and donation pag. 162. our righteousnesse is perfect and pag. 160. he that beleeveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath life not he shall have it or hath it in hope Answ. If we have glory really actually perfectly but we want it onely in sense wee have the resurrection from the dead also actually and perfectly and wee are risen out of the grave already and we want the resurrection onely in the sense for sure by merit and Christs death we have as really the resurrection from the dead as wee have glory and life and the one we have as really as the other so we want nothing of the reality of heaven but sense but wee are not yet before the throne nor risen from the dead nor locally above the visible heavens except they say as Familists doe and as Hymeneus and Philetus did that the Resurrection is a spirituall thing in the minde and heaven is but a spirituall sense of Christ and that Christ is heaven and the life to come is within the precincts of this life this were to deny a life to come a heaven a hell a resurrection which Antinomians will be found to doe This one speciall ground is much pressed by Master Towne and the generality of Libertines to wit that holy walking before God is neither way to heaven nor condition nor meanes of salvation in regard we are not onely in hope but actually saved when we are first justified and as really saved and passed from death to life when we beleeve as we are said Ephes. 2.6 To be raised up with Christ to sit together with him in heavenly places And therefore holy walking can be no meanes no way no entrance no condition of our possession of the heavenly kingdome and therefore no wonder they reject all sanctification as not necessary and teach men to loose the raines to all fleshly walking But 1. Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope then wee are not actually saved but the jus the right through Christs merits to life eternall is ours and purchased to us The borne heire of a Prince is in hope a Prince but he comes not out of the wombe with the crowne on his head Christ comming out of the grave which is the wombe and loynes of death as the first begotten of the dead is borne a king Acts 5.31 and all that are borne of this father of Ages Esai 9.6 his seed are heires annexed with Christ the first heire Rom. 8.17 but heires under non-age and minors and waiting for the living and the crowne they have it not in hand Rom. 8.24 Hope that is seene is not hope for what a man seeth why doth hee yet hope for it Vers. 25. But if we hope for what we see not then we doe with patience wait for it Hence I argue what wee wait for and see not that we do not actually injoy But we hope for salvation Rom. 5.2 1 Joh. 3.1 2 3. The proposition is Scripture no man can hope for that which he enjoyes already 2. We can be no otherwise said to be saved then the beleever is said to be passed from death to life and to be risen again with Christ and to sit with Christ in heavenly places For as we are saved and glorified in hope onely not actually so are we passed from death to life and sit with Christ in heavenly places and are partakers of the resurrection in hope onely or in our flesh in regard our flesh is in heaven in Christ who hath infestment of heaven for us as a man getteth a stone or a twigge in his hand and that is to get the land but yet hee may want reall possession Christs presence in heaven is reall in Law we are there with him But it cannot inferre our personall and bodily presence and reall resurrection which we hope for and want not onely in sense but really For we are not in this life immortall beyond death and sicknesse and burying and corruption actually nor yet are we in glory that which wee shall be when Christ our life and head shall appeare For 1. wee yet groane as sicke creatures in tabernacles of clay 2 Cor. 5.1 2. and carry about with us sicke and dying clay and Christ promiseth that of all that the Father gives him he will lose nothing but raise them from the dead but that is not in this life but at the last day Joh. 6.39 3. Such as are really and actually saved can neither mary nor be given in mariage neither can they dye any more marying and dying are bloud-friends together but are as the Angels in heaven Luk. â—2 36 37 38. their vile bodies are changed and are fashioned and made like the glorious body of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil. 3.20.21 And shall be heavenly bodies spirituall and as the starres of the heaven in glory 1 Cor. 15.40 41 42 43. But we are not in that condition in this life this corruptible hath not put on incorruption nor this mortall immortality Then as wee are saved in hope and have jus ad rem a full right to life eternall and the Resurrection of our bodies in regard that the price is payed for us a compleat and perfect ransome even the bloud of the Son of God is given for us and so we are saved in hope 2. in Law and jure But sure we have not actuall possession of the Kingdome in the full income rent and compleat harvest of glory but onely grapes and the first fruits of Canaan 4. It is too evident to halfe an eye that when Antinomians say we are actually saved and perfectly freed from sin in this life and as perfectly sinlesse as Christ himselfe That their meaning is that which the old Libertines in Calvins time said 1. That our deliverance from sin in Christ is in infernali Spiritualitate as Calvin speaketh in such a Divelish and hellish Spirituality as that wicked Priest Anto Pocquius said was in judging neither murthers adulteries perjurie lying oppression to be sins when once the pardoned and justified person committed such villanies because the Spirit of God was in him and took sense from him 2. Because the justified person is made one with Christ one person or as Antinomians speak we are Christed and made one with Christ and he one with us or incarnate and made flesh in us and the new creature or the
It signifieth so here This is to be proved 3. What Mr. Moor meaneth by some not wholly reprobated I know not except he make in God answerable thereunto a whole and compleat decree of Reprobation and so of Election and a half and incompleat decree of both as Arminians doe Which Scripture knoweth not and removeth all certainty of salvation of perseverance joy comfort earnest of the Spirit seal of Spirit 4. We contend not that by all men here must be meant beleevers and regenerated persons only and so he fighteth with his own shadow 5. He granteth beleevers are called men and I hope to prove that the elect and beleevers are called all and all flesh and us all c. though it be true beleevers are called men because of their humane passions and carnall walking and some more to wit Sons of God Saints faithfull Christians it followeth not that here they should be called Sons of God Saints because Christ dieth not for them as Saints but as men and sinners chosen to life Else Paul should not say Ephes. 2.1 God hath quickned you who were dead in sins c. for those whom God quickneth are something more then dead in sin sure they are chosen Saints new creatures c. after they are converted Object 6. All men here 1 Tim. 2.6 intentionally expressely principally and especially is meant of the first sort for naturall men sons of Adam sinners unbeleevers 1. Because this sense includeth all at first all men having some in which they are such and neither better nor worse then such before they be borne of God Eph. 2.1 2 3. Tit. 3.3 Rom. 3.9.20 Answ. We deny not but all men includeth unregenerate men but Master Moor proveth idem per idem the same thing by the same thing All men must be meant of all Adams sons Why because all includeth all at first all men That is all includeth all but not all men distributively all and every one without exception 2. It s denyed that all men includeth all as unregenerate or under that reduplication it is meant of all men unregenerate as fallen under the good will of GODS Election of Grace and as stated in his eye as objects of speciall favour and grace Nor doth the Lord quicken men as dead in sins Ephes. 2.1 as foolish and disobedient Tit. 3.3 as under sin Rom. 3.9 for then he should quicken all dead in sin all foolish and disobedient all under sin and this will prove the conversion and salvation of all and every Son of Adam the Lord quickneth dead sinners as they lie under his free choice of election to glory Object 7. Because Christ died to make a propitiation for them as they are sinners Answ. That is denyed he died for them as they were sinners but as within the pale and under the covering of the fair and sweet shadow of eternally chusing love otherwise if Christ died for sinners as sinners he died for all sinners and for those that are finally obstinate for these with the first come under the reduplication of sinners as sinners Object 8. It is no where said Christ died for good men for righteous for beleevers neither when they were such nor as they were such but for the unjust ungodly his enemies Rom. 5 6 8. 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 1.14 Answ. Christ neither died for sinners as sinners nor for sinners as righteous as Iacob neither served for his wife as a wife nor for his wifâ— as a sinful woman datur tertium This is an imperfect enumeration Christ died for the ungodly the unjust his enemiâ—s as freâ—ly chosen to be made righteous and the friends of Christ as Jacob served for a wife that is for Rachel whom he freely chosâ—d before Leah â—hat he might make her his wife neither when she was his wife nor as she was his wife and as the Scripture saith Christ died for the ungodly the uniust his enemies so also fâ—r his friends Joh. 15.13 his sheep Joh. 10.11 his beloved Church and Spouse Ephes. 5.25 26. And the places citâ—d Rom. 5. Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. â— â—8 are all restrictive of these for whom Christ died as Rom. 5. he died for us who are justified by faith have peace with God accesse by faith who glory in tribulation rejoyce in hope Gal. 1.4 He gave himselfe for us The Churches of Galatia to whom Paul prayeth Grace and peace 1 Pet. 3.18 for those that he was to brâ—ng to God and in no place of Scripture nor yet 1 Tim. 1.15 Is it said Christ died for sinners as sinners but only for those that were sinners which can never prove the Arminian conclusion That he died for all sinners Object 8. He saith not pray for some of all sorts but for all men and nameth but one sort Answ. His naming one sort inferreth we should exclude no sort out of our prayers seeing this one sort were persecuters that may seem farthest from our prayers Moor. We are not to pray for such as are known to sin against the Holy Ghost because they cast aside the sacrifice and ransome of Christs blood and there is no more sacrifice for them and so they are blotted out of the hopefull book of life and separated from all men of which they were once being now reprobated of God Jer. 16.5 1 Ioh. 5.16 Answ. But either Christ did bear on his body on the tree that sin of casting aside the sacrifice of Christ or not if the first be said Christ died for them and we are to pray for them and further such as sin against the Holy Ghost as such must come under the reduplication of Gods enemies the ungodly sinners disobedient dead in sins and trespasses in the highest degree and so Christ must have died for them under that sin or then there is a sin of some of the sons of Adam that Christ did no more bear on his body on the tree then the sin of Devils which should render that sin intrinsecally unpardonable even in relation to Christs blood which Arminians cannot bear 2. A blotting out of the book of life and time-reprobation here asserted by Mr. Moor is the highest indignity done to the unchangeable love and grace of God and grosse Arminianisme Object 9. Praying for their brethren could not be doubted of but the doubt was to pray for opposers and persecuters The Apostle saith thâ—s to pray for all men was good according to Matth. 5.44.48 Answ. To pray for all rankes of men Nero and others was the doubt but Matth. 5. Which saith we must pray for and blesse our enemies with submission to Gods decree and in imitation of God who causeth the Sun to shine on the unjust cannot infer that we are to pray for all and every one absolutely as Arminians dream That Christ died for all absolutely Object 10. The motives to pray for all men are from only Gods good will to man and what Christ hath done to ransome us like Matth.
72.12 All Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serve him it s meant of Christ and in the letter cannot be true if many refuse him to be their King Psalm 2.9.2.3 Lâ—k 19 14. Psal. 110.1 So is it said Psal. 22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of â—he Nations shall worship before thee Now that he meaneth of spirituall turning to God and of Repentance is cleare Vers. 18. For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations Vers. â—3 A seed shall serve him it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation Except there be a restriction of this All how will Arminians eschew this that all and every man of the heathen shall repent and be a holy seed devoted to the Lord as his Righteous ones For sure the same expression of all Nations Esai 40.16 are taken for all and every one of mankinde Psalm 66 9. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name Esai 66.23 And it shall come to passe that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come â—o worship before me saith the Lord. Let Arminians speake if all flesh that commeth before God from Sabbath to Sabbath under the New Testament to worship be as large and comprehensive as the same expression Esai 40.6 All flesh is grasse Sure the latter comprehendeth all Adams Sonnes without exception even including infants the former cannot beare so wide a sense So Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed Gen. 22.18 If the meaning be that without any figure or exception all and every family be blessed in Christ then shall I inferre that all the families of the earth without exception are justified by faith in Christ Gal. 3.10 11 12 13.14 And that the Nations of the earth without exception are heires of the promise have right to strong consolation are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope laid before them and have anchored thâ—ir hope up within the veilo whither the fore-runner Christ hath entred for of these Nations the Apostle expoundeth the promise Hebr. 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. So Esai 27.6 Israel shall blossome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit then shall there bee none on earth but the blossoming Iâ—rael of God Rom. 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Sion a deliverer c. These that Paul calleth all Israel Esaiah 69.20 21. calleth Jaakob and the seed and the seeds seed Esaiah 59.19 So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sunne Mal. 1.11 For from the rising of the Sunne even to the going downe of the same any name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for my name shall bee great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts If from the East to the West and in all places of the Gentiles men feare the name of the Lord then sure the whole inhabitants of the earth between the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same must bee converted to Christ and offer prayers prayses spirituall service to Christ except some restriction be made the most part from the East to the West are enemies to the Gospel And how would Arminians triumph if so much were said for universall Redemption as here is said for universall Regeneration and Conversion of all except we say there must be a figure a Senechdoche of All for many Or Christs all and universalitie of converted ones must bee here meant Joh. 1.9 That was the true light that inlighteneth every one that commeth into the world What Even infants who come into the world and all and every one of Adams Sonnes it cannot bee true in any sense except it be meant of the light of the Gospel that yet never came to the halfe part of the world For Vers. 10. The world knew him not and Vers. 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John ver 7. the same came for a witnesse to beare wâ—tnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeve Can any divinity teach that God intended that all and every mortall man should beleeve by him that is by the Ministery of John the morning starre which was to fall and disappeare and shine no more at the rising of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse 1 Joh. 2.27 Yee need not that any teach you but the anointing that yee have received teacheth you all things Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them then the world for whom Christ is a propitiation and all the visible Saints that John writeth unto 1 Joh. 1 2. 2.1.2 4.9 God sent his onely begotten Sonne to the world that we through him might live nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anone that Christ dyed for all that is all ranks of men For All is put in Scripture ordinarily for many as Deut. 1.21 Psal. 71.18 Ier. 15.10 and 19.9 and 20.7 and 23.30 and 49.17 Ezech. 16.27 Exod. 33.10 Col. 1.28 Isai. 61.9 Gen. 41.57 Mark 14.4 Joh. 3.26 Acts 17.31 and 10.38 Mark 1.37 2 Cor. â— 2 Luke 24.47 and 4.15 Isai 2.2 3. Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man because the Scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked Jer. 6.28 c. 9.2 Mic. 1.7 1 Iohn 2.15 16. and 1 Iohn 5.19 And surely that election and redemption move both in the same spheare and or be of the free love of God is cleare to me from that place Ioh. 3.16 on which Arminians confide much for Gods love to save mankinde by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory of such certaine persons as the Lord therefore gives grace to beleeve because they are ordained to life eternall so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many and the number of beleevers and of the chosen to life are equall Acts 13.48 Ioh. 10.26 Rom. 8.29.30 1. That love cannot bee a generall confused antecedent conditionall love offered to all the world on condition they beleeve for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sinne of unbeliefe of that love if Christ come not to them and speake not Ioh. 15.22 and Paul saith Rom. 1.14 How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Now the loved world Ioh. 3.16 is obliged to beleeve 2. That love that is the cause of Christs death is Ioh. 15.13 the greatest love that is it is such a giving love whereby Christ gives his Sonne that with him hee cannot but give his Holy Spirit faith and salvation yea and all things Rom. 8.32 But the conditionall generall love is not the greatest love for the Lord beareth not the greatest
or no and it is true faith and willeth all within the visible Church to believe God loved them with an everlasting love and its true they are all chosen to salvation and that Christ died for all and that opinion makes it true that Christ died for them all and they are all justified in Christ blood there is here strong power in opinions 3. Saltmarsh Den Town sâ—y mortification is not in personall abstinence from worldly lusts but in faith apprehending that Christ dying on the Crosse satisfied for the body of sinne then if they abstaine from adultery murther perjâ—ry being once justified it s of meer curtesie and of no obligation to either Law or Gospel command and if they commit such fleshly sinnes they are only sinnes to their weak flesh and opinion not in themselves and if they lay aside that opinion and carnall sense by the which they believe these to be sinnes and believe that Christ has abolished them then these sinnes are no sinnes but perfectly mortified and abolished that I doe them no wronge I repeat Mr Eaton's words Honey-Combe chap. 8. pag. 165. The Holy Ghost seeth us not properly mortifying cleansing and purifying our sinnes out of the sight of God our selves for then he should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done before we begin but when the wedding garment wrought by his blood hath freely purified them out of Gods sight then the spirit we being thus first clean in his sight enters into us to dwell in us which otherwise he would not doe but being entered and dwelling in us he inableth us by walking holily and righteously to avoyd and purifie out of our own sight and out of the sight of other men that sin which the wedding garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God and so we meerly declare before the Spirit that he himself and Christs righteousnesse have originally and properly cleansed and purified away and utterly abolished them out of Gods sight freely But this holy walking they talk of is not opposed to sinning or walking after the flesh it is but a removing of the sinfull sense and feeling or knowledge of unbeliefe by which we apprehended sin pardoned to be sinne when it was no such thing but our erroneous sense or opinion as the taste of the forbidden apple remaining could not rightly judge of these sinnes because our life of justification is hid with Christ in God and we apprehended our selves to be under a Law and our lying adulteries swearing c. to bee sinnes before God and contrary to his holy Law when they were no such thing for we being justified are under no Law and so as clean from sinne as Christ himselfe but our dreaming sense judged so but erroneously and falsly for abolished sinnes are no sinnes Parallel 4. Libertines taught that regeneration was a cleane Angelicke state in which they were voyde of sinne and when they were rebuked for sinne they answered non ego sum qui pecco sed asinus meus It s not I but my asse or sinne dwelling in me doth the sinne and they cited the same Text that Antinomians doe now 1 Ioh. 3. He that is borne of God sinneth not So Antinomians Mr Eaton frequently especially Honey Combe chap. 6. châ—p 7. saith being justified we are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God Saltmarsh flowings par 2. chap. 29. pag. 140. The Spirit of Christ sets a believer as free from hell the Law and bondage here on earth as if he were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him believe he is so for Sathan sinfull flesh and the Law are all so neare and about him in this life that he cannot so walk by sight or in the clear apprehension of it but the just doe live by faith So Sal. abets nothings of what Libertines say he will not have sinne dwelling in the Saints but will have the justified as clean from sinne both the guilt and obligation to eternall wrath which we yeeld and from the bondage and in-dwelling of sinne of which Paul complaineth so sadly Rom. 7. as the glorified in heaven 2. If the â—justified sinne only he doth not really sinne but only in the dreamings and lying imaginations of his sinfull flesh because Sin Sathan and the Law are near him so that it is the Devillâ— and the living flesh the asse not Paul that makes him Rom. 7. complaine he was sold undâ—r sinne Crisp saith Paul lyed when he saith so If Peter walk by faith then Peter shall see his denyall of Christ and David his adultery and murther to be no sinnes for they want nothing to make them as free from sinne death as these that are now in heavenâ— but believe it is so believe adultery and murther in these justified persons to be no sinâ— and they are no sinners this looketh as lâ—ke the Devilish mortifiâ—tion of David Georgius and Libertines and the casting off of their sense of discerning good and ill and the banishing common honesty and the principels of a naturall conscience as milke is like milke Yea Mr Town contendeth for a compleat perfection not only of persons justified in Christ but also of performances so that saith heâ— pag 73 I believe there is no sinne no male â—ction no death in the Church of God for they that believe in Christ are no sinners and hee will have a perfection not of parts but also of degrees pag. 77. This he pâ—oveth from Luthers words perverted Parall 5. Libertines saith Calâ—ineâ— because the Scripture saith we are freed from the curse of the Law and made free in Christ without all distinction will have the whole Law abolished and that we are to have no regard of â—he Law aâ— all Now I need not cite Mr Town and others Antinomians who will have believers freed not only from the curse rigor of the Law but from the Law as a rule of righteousnes its obvious to all that read their writings to which Calvine Answers well There is not saith he any Epistle of Paul in which he doth not send believers to the Law as to a rule of holy living to the which they all must coâ—form their life Yet Antinomians are not ashamed to pretend Calvins name and authority for their opiniâ—n wâ—en Calvine in a learned Treatisâ— refuting the Libertines of his time doth clearly condemn the Antinomians of our time and proveth from the necessity of sanctification that we are not fâ—eed from the Law Some a little legally biassed saith Saltmarsh are caried to mortifie sinne by vowes promises shunning occasions removing temptations strictnesse and severity in duties what aileth him at wâ—lking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictly Ephes. 5.15 Psal. 16.4 Iud· v. 23 feare of hell and judgement watchfulnâ—sse scarce rising so hâ—gh for thier mortification as Christ but pure spirituall mysticall mortification
they call sins of conversation and the Apostle Peters denyall of Châ—ist and all the sinnes of the Iustâ—fied Saints their Murthers Adulteries Parricids c. are pardoned before they have the being or essâ—nce of sinne ere they bee committed ergo when they are committed they are no morâ— sins before God and in the Court of Conscience and no more capable of pardon then they were before they had any being and were not as yet committed at all the murther that David is to commit some twenty yeers before ever he bee King of Israel and shall commit it is no more his sinne to bee charged on him in the sight of God then originall sinne can be charged on David before David or his father lesse bee borne what may be charged as a sinne on David in regard hee is not yet borne is no more his guiltinesse as yet then the guiltines of any other man Now Davids murtheâ— Peters denyall they being justified from these sinnes and pardoned ere the sinnes have any being in the world cannot bee sinnes at all nor such as are charged on Mankinde Rom. 3. Psal. 14. There is none that doth good no not one for this sinne stops the mouth of all the world makes them silent guiltie and under condemnation before God v. 19.20 and how Mr Den can cite this to prove that there bee some sinnes of conversation distinâ—t from sinnes in the conscience let the Reader judge Yea to my best understanding by these reasons while I bee resolved Otherwise Libertines must hold neither the elect before or after justification can sinne any at all 4. It is most false that a man strict and upright in conversation can have a foule and polluted conscience if you speake of true sincere strictnesse and uâ—rightnesse of conversation as the scripture speaketh Psal. 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God Psal. 37.14 The wicked drawes his bow to slay such as bee of upright conversation the principle of a sounâ— conversation is the grace of Gâ—d 2 Cor. 1.12 the sound conversation is heavenly mindednesse Phil. 3.20 and is in heaven and must be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 a good conversation Iam. 3.13 wee are to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 and so even before men God beholdes the sins that we doe to men no lesse then our secret sinnes wee commit againâ—t God and the scripture requires in our conversation that it bee holy 1 Pet. 1.15 honest 1 Pet. 2.12 chasâ—e 1 Pet. 3.2 without coveteousnesse Heb. 1â— 5 not vain 1 Pet. 3.16 not as in times past in the lusts of the flesh Ephes. 2.3 But the putting off of the old man Ephes. 4.22 In charitie in Spirit in Faith in puritie 1 Tim. 4.12 Now every conversation contrary to this argueth an unjustified and unpardoned man and must â—e an unpardoned and sinfull conversation so as there is neither strictnesse nor uprightnesse nor any thing but sinne and an unpardoned estate where this conversation is not what ever Antinomians say on the contrary beeing in this as in other points declared enemies to the grace of sanctification But if we speak of a strict and upright conversation in an hypocriticall outside It s true many are as Paul was strict Phariseeâ— precise Civilians painted tombes without but within full of rottennesse and dead mens bonâ—s But this way Sathan onely saith Iob is a strict walker and serveth God for hire and the enemies of Christ joyn with Antinomians in this to say that the justified in Christ have but sinne in their conversation but wide consciences because they study strictnesse of walking with God but puritie of conversation as the places cited prove must bee unseparably conjoyned with puritie of conscience separate them who will Christ hath joyned them Mr. Eaton and Mr. Town call the sinnes of justified persons sinnes according to their sence or the flesh but in regard of faith they are cleane of all sin and without spot in the sight of God So Eaton Hony combe chap. 5. page 87. God freeth us not of sins to our sence and feeling till death for the exercise of our faith yet in his owne sight he hath perfectly healed us chap. 5. pag. 95. So Saltmarsh Free grace page 57. chap. 3. article 3. calls it the lust of sinne the just saith he shall live by faith which is not a life of sence and sanctification meerly but by beleeving of life in another I should gladly know if sinne in the justified be sinne really and indeed or against any Law I beleeve not 1. Eaton saith â—in hath lost its being in the justified Saltmarsh part 2. chap. 32. If a beleever live onely by sense reason exâ—erience of himselfe as he lives to men he lives both under the power and feâ—ling oâ— sin and the Law Now hee should not live so this is the use of unbeleefe ergo He ought to beleeve that hâ— hath no sinne and so hee hath no sinne nor doth he sinne onely the blinde flesh falsely thinketh that is sinne which is no sinne But faith is not to beleeve a lie then a beleever may say he has no sin Iohn saith that is a lie Assert 3. Mortification essentiall is in abstaining from wâ—rldly lusts and in remisse and slacked acts of sinning and in begun walking with God and acts of holy living yet so as all these do flow from faith in Christ another mysticall or Gospel-mortification is unknown to the Gospel Rom. 6. â— Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism unto death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also consider the formall acts of mortification should walk in newnesse of life ver 5. For if we have been planted together in the liknessâ— of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection ver 6. â—nowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Then as it is one thing to sinne and another thing to serve sinne so acts of mortification must be in abstaining from greedy sinne as hired servants make it their life and work to sin and in remisse and weakned acts of sinne as a dying mans operation are lesse intended and hightned then of a strong man in vigor and health as for the plenary mortification expiring and death of the body of sin we think iâ— cannot be so long as we are in the body Col. 3.3 Yee are dead ver 5. mortifie therefore your members that are upon earth fornication uncleannesse c. To mortifie fornication must be the none-acting of foâ—nâ—cation 1. Because it is an abominable sense to imagine that we mortifie fornication when we believe that Christ abstained from fornication for us 2. On to believe that Christ dyed for our fornication and uncleannesse for both these may hold forth mortification of fornication
and committing of fornication 2. Because for not mortifying of fornication the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience ver 6 Now wrath comâ—s not on wicked men because they believe not that Christ abstained from fornication for them many walk in uncleannesse covetousnesse who are therefore under wrath who are not obliged to believe that because they never â—eard the Gospel 3. Such an abstinence from fornication is here commanded as the Colossians and other Gentiles walked in ver 7. and which they had now put off with the old man ver 8. But the Colossians while they were Gentiles and heard not of the Gospel did not walk in this as in a sin that they believed not that Christ abstained from fornication for them and satisfied divine justice for their fornication but their sin was that in person they committed these sinnes 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearely beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from flâ—sâ—ly lusts that warre against the soule ver 24. Who his own self bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sinnes should live to righteousnesse Rom. 8.11 And if the Spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall alsâ— quicken your mortall bodies ver 12. Therefore brethren we are debters not to thâ— flesh to live after the flâ—sh vers 13. for if yee live after the flâ—sh yee shall die But if yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live ver 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections lusts Gal. 2 1â— For I through the Law am dâ—ad to the Law that I might live unto God all Gospel-commands to subdue the lusts of flesh not to serve the flesh as debters paying rent thereunâ—o to mortifie the deeds of the body not to live to our selves c. were meer precepts for justification not for sanctification and mortification of lusts and should â—urn the Saints into meere Solifidians Gnosticks empty Professors and fruitlesse trees if ouâ— mortification were not in the weakning of lusts â—bstinence from sin service and living to him who is our ransomner There is nothing more false then that ever our Divines taught to mortifie sinnes by vowes promises strictnesse and severity oâ— duties watchfulnesse scarce rising so high for mortification as Christ For its Christ and faith in his death that is the spring and fountaine of mortification yet is mortification formally in holy walking and not formally in belâ—eving for then should we be justified by mortification for sure we are justified by faith 2. Faith is a duty of the first Table respecting God in Christ as its object mortification to uncleannesse vaine-glory or the like is a duty of the second Table respecting men Asser. 4. The living of the just by faith is as well the life of sanctification as of justification its true the life of justification is the cause more compleat and perfect and the other the effect and unperfect but our spirituall condition is not only in sanctification but also in justification And only enemies of free-grace separate the one from the other and highten the one to feed men on the East wind and lessen the other as if sanctification were an accident and some indifferent Ceremony that men walk after the flâ—sh and believe that Christ for them walked after the Spirit and that is enough nor doe wee teach men to weigh their state of Grace in the scales of mortification or simple not acting of sin as mortification commeth from morall and naturall principles but as it floweth from faith apprehending Christ crucified and from the Spirit of the Father and the Son drawing the sinner to Christ and our blessednesse is no lesse in that corruption is subdued and the dominion removed then in that the curse is taken away Saltmarsh when he willeth the sinner as a sinner a Parricide a Man-slayer a slave to his lusts to beâ—ieve and apply Christ as his Redeemer without any sense of sin or humiliation at all and then saith the mans blessednesse is more to have the curse of sin then the corruption of sinne removed clearly concludeth that a man that walks after his lusts in actuall lusting against the Lord Iesus and the Gospel proud vaine selfe-righteous is as such a man to believe and so blessed and may promise to himselfe peace though he walk after the imaginations of his own heart Nor is arguing against the tentation with spirituall reason frâ—m the word as Ioseph did Gen. 39.8.9 and Job ch 2.9.10 and David 2 Sam. 16.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. our own power or contrary to the fighting by the shield of faith the Word of God as Saltmarsh imagineth Assert 5. It is to be reputed as a most blasphemous assertion that we know we are Christs not because we crucifie the lusts of the flesh but because we do not câ—ucifie them Pet 1. Crucifying of our lusts is a mark of our being in â—hrisâ— Gal. â— 24 Rom. 8.13 This maketh walking afâ—er the Spirit and a parting from iniquity and being pure in Spirit and dying to an 〈◊〉 of no interest in Christ contrary to Rom. 8.1 2. 2 Tim. 2.19 Math. 5.8 1 Pet. 24. Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.18 and contrary to the whole Gospel which was that blasphemy of David George who taught mortification was to act all uncleannesse without shame or sense of sinne â—nd the more men are vâ—yd of the common passion that follows sin the more mortified and spirituall they are and this is very like â—â—e Libertines way who teach That to take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whooring from God and that they are legally biassed that would mortifie the flâ—sh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walking whereas to put our duties on the Throne with Christ and to put Christs crown on our mortification as if we were thereby justified is the Idolatry But the delighting in the Law of the Lord and taking of the Lords testimonines for our heritage a serving the Lord with chearefulnesse and fervor of Spirit Psal. 1.2 Psal. 119.111.262 Isai. 58.13 Psal. 112.1 Rom. 7.22 Rom. 12.8 2 Cor. 9.7 Phil. 4.4 Act. 20.24 Iaem 1.2 are marks of a blessed condition If any teach that wee mortifie the flesh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walking as if these did merit mortification we judge it cursed doctrine but if Libertines deny as they doe that acts of mortification doe formally consist in watchfull strict and accurate walking with God in being not taken nor madly drunken with the lusts of sin but dead to pleasures as these acts flow from the Spirit of Christ we curse their fleshly doctrine also It s no consequent to say because Regeneration is not a work of nature but of the Spirit of God and the way of the
Spirit is not so grosse and carnall as the Divinity of former times it being hard to trace and find the impressions of the Spirit therefore we are not to take experience so low and carnally by the feelings of flesh and blood and signs not infallible as to write of Regeneration as Philosophers do of morall vertues Answ. 1. Regeneration is above nature every way but in this its most sutable to nature That as a man come to age doth not at all times even when he is sick in a swon in a deep sleep know that he liveth yet ordinarily life hath reflect acts on it self so as a living man may know that he lives by many signes of life so a regenerate man except hee be deserted may know that he lives the life of God 2 If Antinomians find out new Divinity lesse cernall more spirituall then in former times how is it that Christians are to live from under all rule of life and not to pray forgive us our sinnes when they pray for daily bread and that none justified are to confesse their sins and to sorrow for them that new obedience mortification repentance is to believe that Christ has done these for us that we are not to pray continually but only when the Spirit stirreth us an hundreth of these false wayes may be shown is this more spirituall Divinity then in former ages is it not the most carnall divinity that we read of for when D. Taylor objecteth to Antinomians as a limbe of their fleshly divinity No action of the Believer after justification is sinne Mr Town answereth nothing at all but of the way no action is sin the disorder and ataxie of the action is the sin But D. Taylor meaned that there is no disorder in the actions of a justified man by their way to this Mr Town replyeth not one word but saith unto faith there is no sin because there is not one spot in a justified person and he citeth Rev. 1.5 Eph. 5.26 Cant. 4.7 and 6.9 1 Cor. 6.11 because Christ hath washed Rev. 1.5 purged Heb. 1.3 abolished Heb. â— 26 all our sinnes and hath made us holy and unblamable and unrebukable in the sight of God we are like Christ voyd of sin which is not the removall of sinne but of the guilt that is of the obligation to eternall wrath and the curse of the Law for if we say we even though justified as Iohn the Apostle was have no sin we are lyars can this be any but a divinity of the flesh that Antinomians teach 3. Sanctification is a farre other thing then morall vertues 1. A moralist that is â—emperate chast is never so over-clouded in his faith as to doubt whither he be a temperate man or not a sanctified soule will often doubt if â—e have any sanctification at all 2. A sanctified man must â—â—ve the use of the light of the Spirit to know his â—tare and these things that are freely given him of God 1 Cor. 2.12 A Moâ—â—liâ—â— knoweth with the light of his own sparks what he is does Saltmarsh know of any desertions or overcloudings of the Spirit in a morall Seneca Aristides Plato 3. The Moralist dreames of justification by his vertues 4 He needs only naturall reason not the breathings and stirring of the Spirit to act according to his morall habits 5. Nor are his habits infused from heaven but his own conquest 6. Nor knowes he an absence or a presence of the Spirit all which are peculiar to sanctified and justâ—fied persons We are not compleatly saith Saltmarsh or perfectly mortified to sin by our being planted into Christ and the fellowship of his death Answ. But if mortification bee the faith and apprehension that Christ mortified sinne for us then as we are perfectly justified so are wee perfectly mortified now Antinomians teach the former Let not saith he mortification of sin in Christ tempt any to a neglect of mortification of sinne in the body no more then the free-grace of God in forgivenesse of sinne ought to tempt any to take liberty to sinne Answ. 1. Surely as to adde an thing to justification so to advance in mortification must be as wicked and blasphemous according to the way of Antinomians for if mortification be the believing that Christ has slaine the body of sin as Mr Den saith and Saltmarsh seconds him as a brother â—hen our neglecting of mortification is no sinne for we are to believe that Christ has removed all neglects of mortification if mortification bee faith and beliefe that Christ mortified sinne for us 2. I cannot neglect justification or apprehension that Christ mortified sinne for me any otherwise but by a remisse act of believing or neglect of a higher measure and a more intense and strong act of faith and not by an abstinence from fleshly lusts such an abstinence is no faith or apprehension that Christ has slaine and mortâ—fied the body of sinne for me for non-sinning cannot formally bee believing that were non-sense 3. If the meaning be that we are not to abstaine from fleshly lusts that is from sinnes that the flesh or the body of sinne acteth in us this is neither mortification nor any part thereof to Antinomians But I desiâ—e and provoke Antinomians to satisfie us in these if Salmarsh one of their Patrons can 1. Whither or no sins of the body or in the body as Saltmarsh calleth them here or sins of conversation as Mr Den saith or sinnes as Mr Town speaketh arising out of these earthly members of our flesh he sinnes agaiâ—st the Law of God if so they involve tâ—e justified under a curse and so tâ—ey aâ—e sins formally and the justified either cannot sin aâ— all which I feare is the fleshly way of Libertines a way that my soul abhorreâ— if I be not deceived or then the sinnes the adultery oâ— a justâ—fied man the mâ—rther the denyall of Christ in Peter is no lesse a breach of the Law of God then the denyall of Christ in Iudas it may be the one with a greater bensill of will denyes Christ then the oâ—her sed magis minus non variant speciim and so the jusâ—ified doe as truly and essentially sin against the Law as the unregenerate doth then they are not as clean from sin as Christ the surety is 2. If murthers adulteries committed by the justified bee sinnes of their flesh and body that is such sinnes as they are not by any Prophet or Nathan to be rebuked for because the Spirit that is not in their power in his actions and motions did assist not them to abstaine and they are under no other Law but the only irresistible action of the Spirit to hinder them physically in all sinnes to abstain from any sin this must be Antinomians spirituall divinity to make no Rule no Law of ordering the life and conversation of an justified man but only the motions of a Spirit separated from the world 3. Whither or not when Paul
that die in the Lord that they may rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the travellers may over-rest or exceedingly breath and refresh or comfort themselves after much toyle and sweating in the way therefore is death 2 Tim. 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unfolding of the net or of the tent that the man may goe out or a taking up the burthen and laying it down in another Inne or a loosing the cabels of ships to saile or an untying of cords of a tabernacle to goe to a choycer place Vse 2. From Christs dying we learn to die to sinne and live to him that dyed for us 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 6.2 6. 2 Cor. 5.15 Mortification to this goodly and God-like Idoll the World is a speciall lesson of the death of Christ Gal. 6.14 It is a great distance and many miles about and off the roade-way to heaven to goe through such a thorny thick and bushy-wood of honours riches pleasures wordly it s a shorter and easier way to stand at a distance from the silken and golden creature and despise the fairest created excellencies that fill both sides of the Sun Antinomians would have us rest satisfied with a morall mortification in the brim of the imagination to believe that Christ dying mortified sinne and the body thereof on the Crosse and there is an end and that wee are obliged by no command no precept no law to a personall mortifying of our lusts to walk in new obedience and that all that we doe is arbitrary and free to us comming on us by the immediate Spirits impulsion for Christ works in the Regenerate as in these that are dead not as in these that are alive and that after conversion we are altogether dead to spirituall acts say they contrary to 1 Cor. 15.10 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 6.11 Gal. 2.20 1 Pet. 2.5.24 And that it is the efficacy of Christs death to kill all activity in his members that he might act all in all Yea and that there is not any command in the Gospel all is but promises Christ is obliged to doe all in us and if he suffer us to sin let him see to his own honour Yea to act by vertue of or in obedience to a command is a Law-way and we have nothing to doe with the Law But the Gospel teacheth us a reall and personall mortification and that we are to be holy as he is holy perfect as he is perfect that is a new-covenant command Gen. 17.1 That we should walk before him and be perfect that we should walk after the Lord Deut. 13.4 walk in all his wayes Deut. 5.33 take diligent heed to walk in his way Iosh. 22.5 Psal. 119.93 Prov. 2.7.20 Isa. 2.3 walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham Rom. 4.12 according to this rule of the Gospel Gal. 6.16 and worthy of the vocation Eph. 4.1 worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 in light 1 â—oh 1.7 even as he walked 1 Ioh. 2.6 after his commandements 2 Ioh. 6. honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 in love Ephes. 5.2 as children of the light v. 8. as we have received Christ Col. 2.6 in wisdome ver 4.5 as wise men Ephes. 5.15 And the Gospel forbids and condemns walking as the Gentiles doe in the vanity of the minde having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God but observe by Antinomians fleshly doctrine no Gospel command under paine of eternall death bee it a command of believing in him that justifieth the sinner or of holy walking as a fruit and witnesse of our faith and justification obligeth these that are in Christ as if in regard of any Scripturall command of law or Gospel we might live as we list and follow the inspiration and leading of a lawlesse spirit separated from all word either Law or Gospel either commanding or conditionally promising or threatning We are not so to live after flesh in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine revellings banquetings and abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 4.3 not after the flesh 2 Pet. 2.10 Rom. 8.13 If yee live after ths flesh yee shall diâ— There is a Gospel threatning as a promise of life yea the armes colours the badge of Gospel grace is to deny ungodlinesse Tit. 2.11 Not to walk in darknesse nor hate our brother 1 Ioh. 2.8.9 for this is the new commandement and that the Gospel has commandements is cleare Math. 15.3 Ioh. 15.12 Rom. 16.6 Eph. 6.2 1 Tim. 1.1 The holy commandement 2 Pet. 2.21 1 â—oh 3.23 Rev. 22.14 Prov. 2.1 Ioh. 14.21 1 Thes. 4.2 1 Ioh. 2.4 3 2â— And he that keepeth his Commaadements dwels in him and he in him Ioh. 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandements Math. 5.3 4 5 6 7 8 9.20 21 22 24. Math. 7.1.2 3 c. Vse 3. We have rich consolation from the Article of Christs dying the sinners debts are paid his band and the hand-writting of bloud and eternall vengeance is cancelled and taken out of the way the gates of the pâ—ison broken and the prisoners brought out by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant 1 Pet. 2.24 with his stripes we are healed Esai 53.5 The chastisement of our peaces or treaties of peace as the word beares were upon him and with his stripes we are healed Thâ— word of stripe in either languages is a mark of a wound where blood and humours are neighboured together it leads us to this that the only medicine of sick and dead sinners was that which is sicknesse paine swellings from nailes in hands and feet to Iesus Christ. Christ the Physitians paine was our case his wounds the healing and coverâ—ng of our wounds with his skinne and his death the life of sinners to visit the sick and help him at his bed side with consell and art is favour but its physick of grace not of nature that the Physitian should be the sick man the pained the groaning and dying Patientâ— and lye down in his bed and make his life and blood and medicine to cure our diseases and wounds In a Law-challenge the believer is so freed from eternall wrath that if Satan and conscience say Thou art a sinner and under the curse of the Law he can say its true I am a sinner but I was hanged on a tree and dyed and was made a curse in my head and Law-surety Christ and his payment and suffering is my payment and suffering Vse 4. Sinne is a sad debt the Law is a severe craveâ— 1. It s pastime to a foole to sinne it is no pastime nor sport to Christ to satisfie for sinne 2. There is as much justice and vengeance in the Gospel as in the Law the Gospel-suffering for our sin was as salt and sowre to Christ as the Law vengeance would have been to us The Lord never minded that any should beare sinne either by acting or suffering gratis and at an easie rate 3. Will yee not read bloudy justice persuing sinne on
one word of old or new Testament frees us fâ—om the Law as our rule of righteousnesse and all the scriptures that speake of our freedome from the Law doe directly speak of our freedome from the curse and condemnation of it because we cannot be justified thereby as Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the work of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them this must be to doe them in a legall way 1. Hee must doe them all in thought inclinations motions of the heart and all the strength of the soule in all his actions in all his words and in a spirituall manner as the law charges otherwise hee is cursed then all mankinde both such as are in Christ or out of Christ are cursed now if the simple doing of the things of the law as its a rule of our life did involve us in a curse then to honour Father and mother which Paul certainly commandeth as a Gospel-dutie Ephes. 6.1.2 and the loving of our brother to which Iohn 1. Epist. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. exhorteth us unto should involve us in a curse which is absurd 2. He must continue to the end in doing all the Law if ever he fail he is under a curse Now thus it is cleaâ— Paul saith wee are freed in Christ from a necessitie of justification by the works of the law For Paul addeth in the next words vers 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith if the living by faith did exclude workâ— and keeping of the law in anâ— respect at all as the keeping of the law is a witnesse of the life of faith then to doe the things of the law as its an eternall rule of righteousnesse should also involve us in the curse and argue that we seeke to be justified by the law and so that we are fallen from Christ even as to be circumcised doth involve a man to bee a debtor to the whole law and argueth a falling from Christ and the grace of the Gospel for Antinomians contend that we are the same way freed from the morall law as it is a rule of Righteousnesse that we are freed from the Ceremoniall law But wee are freed under the paine of a curse and of falling from Chriâ—t and the grâ—ce of the Gospel from the literall observing of circumcision Act. 15. Gal. â— 1 2 â— 4. as the Ceremoniall Law is a rule of righteousnesse and if any should pretend the impulsion and leading of the Spirit not any letter of the Law and thereupon be circumcised and should renounce the law of â—eremonies as a rule of righteous walking as Antinomians professe they obey father and mother and love their brother and abstaine from Idolatry not because the Law is their rule or the letter of the Law swayeth their conscience but because the Spirit of Christ leadeth them if I say any upon this Spirit would be circumcised and eat the passeover and sacrifice Lambs and blood to God now this Spirit is no Gospel Sâ—irit but the spirit of Sathan leading such from Christ If then we are not to obey the Morall Law as a rule of life and righteousnesse but are fâ—â—ed from it the same way that we are freed from the Ceremoniall Law then to love God and our brethren in any notion should bee sinne as to be câ—rcumcised in any notion is to fall from Christ Act. 15. Gal. 5. Mr Towne has a strange evasion for this Page 138. The Spirit is free why will yee controule and rule it by the Law whereas the nature of the Spirit is freely to conforme the heart and life to the outward rule of the Law without the help of the Law as a crooked thing is made straight according to the line and square and not by thâ—m and thus while a believer serveth in newnesse of the Spirit the Spirit freely and cheerefully moving him and inclining him to keep the Law which is meerely passive herein they doe wickedly who hence take liberty to sinne Answ. 1. To doe the will of God meerely as commanded from the power of an outward commandement or precept in the word is but legall and brings forth but mixt obedience or finer hypocâ—isie saith Saltmarsh and Mr Town saith that it is to controule the free Spirit and to rule it by a Law and Familists of new England as the old Libertines say all verball Covenants or covenants expressed in words are covenants of works and such as strike men off from Christ and the whole letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works and its dangerous to close with Christ in a promise of the Gospel because the promise is an externall created letter and the Spirit is all this is to make a battell and contrariety between the Word of God and the Gospel as written or preached and the Spirit whereas 1. that which the Scripture saith the Spirit of God saith the command and Gospel promise is the sense and minde of the holy Spirit for that the Scripture is qâ—ickned by the Spirit 2 Tim. 3.16 and the Word is the seed of God and of the new birth 1 Pet. 1.23 and mighty in operation and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword Hebr. 8.12 nor is it possible that any can believe the report of the Gospel because it is the Gospel-report but the arme of the Lord and the power of God in the Gospel must be revealed to them Esai 53.1 Ioh. 12.37.38.39 For Iohn saith the not receiving the report of the Gospel is judiciall blindnesse and unbeliefe when Ioseph dare not oppresse his brethren and Iob dare not lift his arme against the Fatherlesse because the sixth command saith thou shalt not murther this is but finer hypocrisie in Ioseph and Iob and a controuling of the free Spirit better believe David Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have a respect to all thy Commandements no doubt the Lord concurred freely with Adam in the act of obeying God in abstaining from the fruit of the forbidden tree if therefore Adam should obey God out of conscience to Gods command eat not he should either controule the free Lord in his working which none in conscience can say or then Adam must have been loosed from obedience to that command if yee eat yee shall die as we are now loosed from the Law and the second death though we break the Law according to the Antinomian way yea it s unconceivable how these that are under grace doe obey the Gospel enjoyning faith because the Lord â—esus commandeth them but they must sin in so doing because they controule the free Spirit of God in not obeying for the free impulsion of the Spirit but for the literall command of God for sure to controule
non-jâ—stifâ—catioâ— Protestants make mortification and repentance some other thiâ—g then Faith Townes asser of grace pag. 32. Regeneration and justification not one as Antinomians teach No assurance can flow from acts of sanctification performed by our good nature The Antinomâ—an Mortification a delusion How we see righteousnesse in our selves a Rise reigne er 7. pa 2. b Rise reigne er 15. pag. 3. Holinesse and mortification inherent in us Rise reigne er 17. pag 4. (d) Rise reigne er 77 pag. 15. Antinomians deny all inherent holinesse to be in us How we are to see grace in our selves Nothingnâ—sse in our selves heighteneth the price of Christ. How Ministers are to deale with troubled soules Christ more to be chosen then the comforts and peace that results from duties Vnder soule-trouble we are to doe but not to rest and 〈◊〉 in what wee doe Love-Iealousies under desentiâ—n Desertions have a time Christ recompences his absence with doubled smilings Saltmarsh Free Grace c. â— pag. â—8 Works of sanctification though polluted with sinne may bottome assurance We doe not at all times know that we beleeve a Saltmarsh ibid. 84. There is need of the aâ—â—uall influâ—nce of grace to the reflâ—ct knowledge of ouâ— faith and spirituall condition The witnessing of â—anctification sometime darke Duties performed in faith not contrary to free Grace The difficulty of aâ—taiâ—iâ—g comfort when God deserteth Sense of Christ's absence cannot be out-reasâ—ned Wee may 〈◊〉 argue a troubled soule All in glory farre short of what they owe to Christ. God cannot â—e quarrelled in deserting Wee cannot beare fulnesse of glory in this life Longings after Christ strongest in absence When the soul is in laâ—guishiâ—g dispâ—sition after Chrisâ— its fittest to pray him home againe Christs love not lordly The Lords joyfull returne after desertion How neare Christ is in desertion Christ pardoneth love-errors and can hardy punish them Saltmarsh in hiâ— Free-grace cap. V. pag. 92 93. It is a lie and not a Gospel-secret that none are to question their faith whether it be true or no. We may so far question our faith as to try whether it be true or not We are to beleeve after Christs fashion and order not after our owne Saltmarsh â—6 64 There is nothing in Scripture to prove that the Saints have not doubted of their temptations Beleevers doe doubt whether they beleeve or not under greâ—t temptations (a) Story rise reign er 32 (b) Er. 10. (c) Saltmarsh Free-grace cap. 5. pag. 93. Doubting in beleevers no signe that thâ—y are under the Law Saltmarsh Ibid. pag. 64. Saltmarsh pag 95. Sanctification in it selfe is an infallible signâ— of justification but not ever so to us How acts of sanctification make good that wee beleeve Assurance may flow from othâ—r maâ—ks theâ— the immediate testimony of the Spirit The inward testimony of the Spirit The holy Ghost speaketh by marks of Sanctification How Anâ—iâ—omians compare the evidence from marks of sanctification and that which is from faith together Degrees of freedome of grace Antinomians who deny all preparations before faith must hold that faith â—loweth from naturall principles in us as Pelagiâ—ns of old aid Pag. 95. The broad seal of the Spirit puls no man beyond all hazard of doubting is Libertines dreame a Rise reigne er 42. Saltmarsh 65. Doubting whether the sound beleevers â—aith be true or not is not that unbeleefe that excludeth us out of the eternall rest Ibid. 69. Crisp. Vol. 2. Ser. XV. (b) Rise reigne er 72. (c) Ibid. 73. (d) Er. 75. Scriptures and reasons from thence make good that we know our justification by our sanctification (a) Ser. 15. Vol. 2. Libertines say there be no mâ—rks in the children of God of true sanctification which can difference them from hypocrites Works of sanctification are not doubtsome warrants and evidences of justification (b) Vol. 2. Ser. XV. pag. 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 c. Works may prove faith and faith workes to be done in Christ The question mistated by M. Cornwell Whâ—t waâ— Sanctifiâ—â—â—â—on doth evidence Justification Peace from justification and peace from sanctification how different To be â—ssured of righteoâ—snesse and to know that we are in that state are two diffireÌ„t things Cornwell pag. 12. M Cornwell proveth what is not in question Many things are made over to vs by the debt of promise that aâ—e ours ouâ— of free graâ—c also Rise reign aâ—d ruine crâ— Conditionall Gospel-promises argue free grace not debt (b) Rise reign er 62. (c) Rise er 38. Cornwell pag. 15. Cornwell pa. 16.17.18 a Rise er 39. b Er. 9. Gospel-promises are made to acts of Sanctification Antinomians deny all conditionall promises a Rise raigne er â—â— b Er. 38. (c) Er. 30. (d) Er. 69. (e) Er. 37. f Er. â—7 g Er. 2â— h Er. 38. What kind of faith was in Christ. Christ had not saith of justifying the sinner but of justifying his cause How faith of dependencie was in Christ. How the not-seeing of God might stand with the personall union A rare providence that Christ is put to God save me We are not to be discouraged when we are not heard at first Prayers of the Saints not ever heard â—t first and the Reasons We are readier to pray then to praise Christ bottometh his prayers on the sweet relation of a Father Vse Sonnes onely can pray The power of prayer Rise reign ruine â—r 34. Christs sufferings but for an houre Christ suffered â— value what wee should have suffered Whence commeth the dignity of Christs sufferings The more exceâ—lent the life of Christ was the more heavie was the lâ—sse thereof How Christs sufferings were were limited being infinite Our debt of love to Christ eternall Our sufferings short and measured by yards â—weetnâ—ss of love 〈◊〉 Christ measureth by yards and weigheth by ounces all the sufferings of the Saints Vse 3. We are not to weary for length of time under suffering Death soure and blacke to nature and to Christ for sundâ—â— reasonâ— Christ sensible of paine and death as aâ—y man Coelestis ira quos premit miseros faâ—it Humana nullos Gods Anger against Christ. Many edges of words in Christs complaint My God my God why hast thou c. Christs soule-sâ—ffâ—rings most 〈◊〉 how his life was invaded The personaâ—â— union not dissolved in Câ—rists suffering Vse 1. Christ did 〈◊〉 the whole Crosse we but 〈◊〉 bitâ— and 〈◊〉 of it Vse 2. Soules are of great value with God We sell soules at an easie rate How great strong was Christs love God hâ—d one Son he gave him for us Christ had 2. loves â— glories he bestowed them on us Christ overcome with love How death is sweetned to us â—n Christ. Christ repents not of his love to us The fifth article of Christs prayer the Correction Christs will in his suffering subordinate to Gods will Doubts on the contrary removed We are to confâ—rme our will to Gods revealed will as a rule not to his decree
a worse end in the farre largest part of mankinde Faith cannot rest on a common generall good Saving Faith the fâ—rst dawning of election to glory The Arminian hope and comfort not in Scripture The Arminian Divinitâ— their faith hope c. Collat. Piscat Voâ—sâ—iâ—s non tam suâ—iâ—o sorâ—asse Deus voâ—â—it Pharaoâ—em populum dimittere The comforts of Armiâ—iaâ—s not in Scâ—ipâ—ure The generall good will of God to save all comfortlesse The fountain Good will of God separated electeâ— persons from oâ—hers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arminians resolve all one mans will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot choose but glory in our selves and not in the Lord â—f free grâ—câ— sepâ—rate not the believâ—ng man from the not believing God equâ—lly intended his two great ends in men and Angels The ground of Pauls crying out O the depth c. It s grace and free grace â—nly that maketh oâ—â— diffâ—râ—râ—m another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graâ—e faâ—leth 〈◊〉 pâ—oâ—oâ—ns such as I and we How indeâ—ring is separating grace What aâ—oundance oâ— gâ—ace bâ—stâ—wed on single peâ—sons and yet nothing of it can be wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How active love is No lip-love nor any â—mâ—ty love in God but that which is effectuall and râ—all to work tâ—e good hee dâ—siâ—eth to the party loved A threefold loâ—e in God effectuall Christs love of election cannot miscarry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs love active Sin proveth not repâ—obation Sin continued is no argument why I should not belâ—eve Finall obstinacy and â—eaâ— sâ—râ—ow and nâ—ppâ—ng â—â—e of minde to believe seldâ—m fall in one person No unconvâ—rted one capablâ— of â—uch are 〈◊〉 to beliâ—ve aâ— a belâ—ever 〈…〉 us to bâ—lieve yâ—t tâ—e proud as proud cannot bâ—lieve No saving humilâ—tie before faâ—th All the Gospel expressiâ—nâ— of the â—eekâ—eâ— of Christ argue a diâ—ease in us to conceive Christ to bee rough lordly cruel to have a heart liâ—e the nether milstone How all are to beleeve though salvation be not purchased for all Neither is faith before all Repentance nor eevry Repentance before all faith If Christ draw all we should be drawn Christ can draâ— as gâ—ilty as thou art Vse 6. Be not satisfied till you come to such a nâ—ck of Christian walking as is attainable by no hypocrite Vse 7. Christ cannoâ— be spared as not necâ—ssary in the work of redemption Doct. It is a matter of greâ—t conceâ—â—ment â—hat sinâ—â—â—st come to Chriâ—t and to Christ only Grâ—unds of the excellency of being drawn to Christ only Christ anâ— home and a house of rest and of love A noble life in Châ—â—st which cannot be brought What excellency is Christ. Three parts of Christs compleatnessâ— 1. 〈◊〉 or fulnâ—sse 2. primacy 3. excellency What fulnesse is in Christ. Câ—â—ist the first and principaâ—l of all things The singular excellency of Christ. None câ—n write or speak of Christ as he is To be dâ—aâ—en to Christ iâ— a â—igh woâ—k The Father gives us to the Sonâ—e not by aliâ—nation (a) Story of the â—ise reign and â—uine of the Antinomians error 41.8 p. Libertâ—nes teaâ—h that we are several seasons under tâ—e working â—f every person of the Trinity What a sin it is to resist Christs drawing None so good at drawing of sinners as Chriâ—â— Nâ—thing like Christ to allure soules Christ the sweet singer of Israel The lower Christ is in his love he is the more drawing Heaven and the Church on earth but ene house It is an honour to dâ—e in the Lord young Christ dying and drawing sinneâ—s in his deatâ—â—â—d câ—mâ—â—nds his love to us Resisting of Christs drawing of sinners near to the sin agaiâ—st the holy Ghoâ—t Maâ—ks of meeâ— Moralists never drawn to Châ—ist Naked proâ—ession a vaine thing Errors of Libeâ—tins touching free-wâ—ll (a) A sâ—ort Story of the rise reign and ruine of the Antinomians c. error 1. pag. 1. (b) Rise reign error 2. p. â— (c) Râ—se reign error 7. p. â— (d) Rise reign error 14. p. 3. (e) Rise reign error 15. p. â— (f) Râ— Town assertion of Grace p. 11. 12 (g) Rise reign c. error 18. p. 4. (h) Rise reign error 23. p. â— (i) Râ—se error 35 p. 7. (k) Rise reign c. â—rror 36. p. 7. (l) Rise reign error 49. p 9. (m) Rise and reign unsâ—â—ory spech 4. p. 19. (n) D. Crisps Christ alone exalted ser. 6. of the N. Covenant pag. 163.164 The life and light of man ch 1. pag. 4. The will minde and end of the internall operative Spirit and life is to be a livâ—ng active Lord God in a dead passive creature as I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mâ— (o) Ro. Towne assertion of Grace against D. Taylor pag. 47 48 49. What activity we have in our conversion In our first conversion we are meer patients The naturall powers in our conversion are not destroyed The Grace in us inherent is not the person of the holy Ghost Henry Nicholas a German a blasphemous Libertine saith c. 34 sent 10. God hath raised up mee H. N. the â—ast among the the Holy ones of God which lay altogether dead and without breath and life among the dead from the death and made me alive through Christ as alsâ— annointed me with his godly being manned himself with me and Godded me with him c. The holy ghost in person immediately worketh not in the Saints Reasons proving that the person of the Holy Ghost is not unâ—ted to our soules but hee is in us in his operations and his effects of graces and gifts Christ and the inherent grace of Christ iâ— us are two different things Grace and ouâ— freeâ—will are said to act together in a foure-fold sâ—nse Grace is simply necessary in all supernaturall actions Golden words and morall swasion cannot give lâ—fe Grace and free-will are not two collaterall and independent causes in the same supernaturall act as two men drawing a boat Free-will in supernaturall aâ—tioâ—s not a meer patient but an Agent Martinez de Ripalda de ente su 〈…〉 1. dâ—sp 29. sect 1. n. 3.4 Concil 〈◊〉 sess 6. c. 5. c. 4. Free-will an agent acting by the strength of grace in supernaturall actions and nâ—t a patient Antinomians dreame The blessednâ—sse of the Saints actiâ—e and not passive only as Antinâ—mians say D. Crispe Serm. 6. pag. 160. Comfortable differences between the Law and the Covâ—nant of Grace Dâ— Crispe 2. arg Grace in the old and New Testament the same grace in nature and essence but different in degrees The justified cannot sinne according to the doctrine of Libertines God never promised in his Covenant to keep the Saints from these particular sins they fall in nor are these such sins as break farre lesse anull the Covenant of grace Faith is a condition of the Covenant but not this â—r that particular act of faith which wee ought to perform when we misbelâ—ve God The Covenant of grace is â—ot formally the love of God but flowes
bloud of atonement checks and love-terrors or love-feavers that Christs Princely head was wet with the night-raine while hee was kept out of his owne house and suffered to lodge in the streets and feare that the Beloved withdraw himselfe and goe seek his lodging elsewhere as Cant. 5.4 5. Psal. 5.9 10 and that the Lord cover himselfe with a cloud and return to his place and the influence of the rayes and beames of love be suspended are sweet expressions of filiall bowels and tendernesse of love to Christ. Libertines imagine if the hazard and feare of hell be removed there is no more place for feare soule-trouble or confession Therefore they teach that there is no assurance true and right unlesse it be without fear and doubting 2. That to call in question whether God be my deare Father after or upon the commission of some hainous sinnes as murther incest c. doth prove a man to be under the covenant of works 3. That a man must be so farre from being troubled for sin that hee must take no notice of his sin nor of his repentance Yea Dr. Crisp vol. 3. Serm. 1. pag. 20 21 22. saith There was no cause why Paul Rom. 7. should feare sin or a body of death because in that place Paul doth saith hee personate a scrupulous spirit and doth not speak out of his owne present câ—se as it was at this time when hee speaks it but speaks in the person of another yet a beleever and my reason is Paul in respect of his owne person what became of his sin was already resolved Chap. 8.1 There is now no condemnation c. hee knew his sins were pardoned and that they could not hurt him Answ. Observe that Arminius as also of old Pelagius exponed Rom. 7. de semi regenito of a halfe renewed man in whom sense which inclines to veniall sins fights with reason that so the full and perfectly renewed man might seeme to be able to keep the Law and be free of all mortall sin And Crisp doth here manifestly free the justified man of all sin why because hee is pardoned So then there is no battell between the Flesh and the Spirit in the justified man by the Antinomian way to heaven which on the Fleshes part that lusteth against the Spirit deserveth the name of sin or a breach of the Law Onely its Asinus meus qui peccat non ego as the old Libertines in Calvin's time said The flesh does the sin not the man for the man is under no Law and so cannot sin But that Paul Rom. 7. speaks in the person of a scrupulous and troubled conscience not as its the common case of all the regenerate in whom sin dwells is a foule and fleshly untruth 1. To be carnall in part as Vers. 14. to doe which wee allow not to doe what wee would not and what wee hate to doe is the common case not peculiar to a troubled conscience onely but to all the Saints Gal. 5.17 2. Paul speaketh not of beleeving as hee must doe if hee speak onely of a scrupulous and doubting conscience but hee speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of working vers 15. doing 17 18. willing 15 19. not of beleeving onely or doubting Now it is not like the Apostle does personate a scrupulous soule of whom hee insinuates no such thing 3. A scrupulous and troubled conscience will never yeeld so long as hee is in that condition that hee does any good or that hee belongs to God as is cleare Psal. 88. Psal. 38. Psal. 77.1 2 3 4. c. but Paul in this case yeeldeth hee does good hates evill delights in the Law of the Lord in the inner man hath a desire to doe good hath a law in his mind that resisteth the motions of the flesh 4. Yea the Apostle then had no cause to feare the body of sinne or to judge himself wretched this was his unbeleefe and there was no ground of his feare because hee was pardoned hee knew that he was freed from condemnation It was then Paul's sinne and is the sinfull scrupulosity of unbeleevers to say being once justified Sinne dwells in me and there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sinne and I am carnall and sold under sin and I doe evill even that which I hate for all these are lies and speeches of unbeleefe The justified man sinneth not his heart is clean hee doth nothing against a law But I well remember that our Divines and particularly Chemnitius Calvin Beza prove against Papists that concupiscence is sin after baptisme even in the regenerate and it is called eleven or twelve times with the name of sin Rom. c. 6. c. 7. c. 8. and they teach that of Augustine as a truth Inest non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur So we may use all these Arguments against Libertines to prove wee are even being justified such as can sin and doe transgresse the Law and therefore ought to confesse these sins be troubled in conscience for them complaine and sigh in our fetters though wee know that we are justified and freed from the guilt of sin and the obligation to eternall wrath But sin is one thing and the obligation to eternall wrath is another thing Antinomians confound them and so mistake grosly the nature of sinne and of the Law and of Justification Some imprudently goe so farre on that they teach That beleevers are to be troubled in heart for nothing that befalls them either in sinne or in affliction If their meaning were that they should not doubtingly and from the principle of unbeleefe call in question their once sealed Justification wee should not oppose such a tenent but their reasons doe conclude That wee should no more be shaken in mind with sinne then with afflictions and the punishments of sin and that notwithstanding of the highest provocation wee are guilty of wee are alwayes to rejoyce to feast on the consolations of Christ. 1. Because trouble for sin ariseth from ignorance or unbeleefe that beleevers understand not the work of God for them in the three Persons the Fathers everlasting decree about them the Sons union with them and headship to them his merits and intercession the holy Spirits inhabitation in them and his office toward them to work all their works for them till hee make them meet for glory 2. Because such trouble is troublesome to Gods heart as a friend's trouble is to his friends but especially because the Spirit of bondage never returnes againe to the justified Rom. 8.15 But I crave leave to cleare our Doctrine touching soule-trouble for sin in the justified person Asser. 1. No doubting no perplexity of unbeleefe de jure ought to perplexe the soule once justified and pardoned 1. Because the Patent and Writs of an unchangeable purpose to save the elect and the subscribed and resolved
faith or fruit of his death but eternally perish whereas cleare it is that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that he dyed for are the many sonnes he actually brings to glory vers 10. these who are one with him as the Sanctifyer Christ and the Sanctified vers 11. His brethren whom he is not ashamed to owne vers 11. the Church vers 12. the children that God hath given him vers 13. the children partakers of flesh and bloud vers 14. these for whom he through death which he tasted for all and for whom he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devill if the devill reigne in the sonnes of disobedience Ephes. 2.2 If they be borne of the devill Joh. 8.44 Taken captives at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Let Arminians see how Christ by tasting death for them as they phancie Hebr. 2.9 hath for them by death Destroyed the Devill vers 14. Loosed his works 1 Ioh. 3.8 Triumphed over devils Col. 2.15 Iudged and cast out the devil Ioh. 12.31 Ioh. 14.30 Yea these all these are delivered from bondage of death Heb. 2.15 The seed of Abraham vers 16. His brethren that he is made like to in all things except sinne Hebr. 2.17 His people vers 17. The tempted that Christ succoureth vers 18. I defie any Divine to make sense of that Chapter as Arminians expound tasting of death for all men And the second Adam must come short of the first Adam Rom. 5. by the Arminian exposition and the comparison must bee as the leggs of a cripple both here and 1 Cor. 15. for by the first Adam many bee dead What bee these many All and every one of mankinde that are the naturall heires coming forth of the loynes of the first Adam Then who be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many to whom the grace of God hath abounded vers 15. sure the second Adam is no drie tree no Eunuch the Scripture saith He hath a seed Isai. 53.10 many sonnes Heb. 2.10 children that God hath given him that are for signes and wonders Isai. 8.18 Heb. 2.13 a seed in covenant with God Davids spirituall seed who shall never fall away Psal. 89.28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37. Then as all the first Adams sonnes and heires were through his offence dead so all Christs spirituall seed and heires have grace communicated to them ver 15. this is farre from grace abounding to all and every one of the heires of the first Adam then as the first Adam killed none but heires naturally descended of him so the second Adam derives grace and the gift of life to none but to his spirituall heirs make an union by birth between the first Adam and all his and between the second Adam and all his and stretch the comparison no farther then Paul and let Arminians injoy their gaine by this Argument 2. Vers. 16. Sinne and judgement to condemnation not intended onely but reall and efficacious came on all by the first Adam for all that live incurre sinne and actuall condemnation by the first Adam but the free gift is of many unto justification then justification not intended onely which may never fall out but reall not virtuall or potentiall or conditionall if their forefathers have not rejected the covenant but efficacious and actuall came upon all the heires and seed of the second Adam 3. Paul compareth ver 15. the offence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one the first sinne of Adam that came on all with the justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from many offences The justification spoken of here which wee have in the second Adam is not a pardon of sinne originall and of a breach of the first covenant so as we begin to sinne and God reckons with us on a new score but the justification here is from many offences and the blood of Jesus purges us from all sinnes 1 Joh. 1.8 This justification runnes not up from the wombe as the offence of Adam doth For 1. Where are there two justifications in Christs blood 2. Where is there in Scripture a righteousnesse of all and every one a justification in Christs blood by nature or from the belly and that of Turks Indians Americans and their seed and of all infants in all the Scripture 4. Vers. 17. By one mans offence there was a cruell King Death the King of terrors who hath a black scepter set over all and every man without exception Here we grant an universall King the first and second death As when a Conqueror subdues a Land he setteth over them a little King a Lieutenant in his place now the other part of the similitude and the antitype is so much more they that receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall raigne shall bee Kings in life eternall through one Jesus Christ. ver 17. See the heirs and sonnes of the second Adam are not all and every one of the mortall stocke of Adam redeemed reconciled saved but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these that receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousnesse onely I appeale to the conscience of Arminians if Turks Jews Tartarians Americans Indians all Heathen and all infants come in as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as these that for the present are under the fat drops of the second Adam and receive abundance of grace and righteousnesse For their universall righteousnesse is poore and thin and may bee augmented 2. If they receive it conditionally so they beleeve then it s not universall 3. Then they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all are not beleevers by nature all are not by this within the new covenant actually They have but a farre off venture and a cast off abundance of grace Farther Paul by this makes glory as well as grace universall and all and every one must bee borne heires of Heaven for Paul saith of the heires of the second Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here bee Kings for a King there was one Catholique Tyrant Death set over all men But there bee here heires of the second Adam made Kings of life and glory through Jesus Christ. ver 18. If it bee said its life conditionally if they beleeve consider then if the second Adam bee not weaker then the first the first indeclinably really without a misse transmitted death to all his the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousand part of his but as he misseth in the farre greatest part of his heires if all mortall men be his heires he may misse in all if free will so thinke good Arminius saith constare potuit integer fructus mortis c. The fruit of the second Adams death might stand intire through all and every one of mankinde were damned If this bee a potentiall justification its good it s not Pauls justification Rom. 8. Whom he justified them hee also glorified nor speaketh the Scripture of any such justification but of such as makes the party justified blessed
Rom. 4.6 7. as hath faith joyned with it Rom. 3.26 Rom. 5.1 as cleanseth us from all our sinnes 1 Iohn 1.8 5. The Reconciled shall much more be saved Rom. 5.10 they are friends not enemies enemies and reconciled are opposed in the text and then they cannot bee strangers nor farre off but built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles who of enemies are reconciled Ephes. 2. Col. 1.19.20 And so shall farre more bee saved by the life of Christ but all and every one of mankinde shall not much more bee saved by the life of Christ 6. There is an all men under condemnation and an all men justified Let any of common sense judge if yee ought not in equity to compare the Heires Sonnes Seed of the first and second Adam together and then let the two All 's runne on equall wheeles and see what Arminians gaine by this for if yee compare all in the loynes of the first Adam on the one side with all in the loynes of the second and yet never in the second Adam but as great strangers to Christ as those that are out of Christ enemies sonnes of the bondwoman strangers to Christ without God and Christ in the world on the other side the sides are unequall and beside the holy Ghosts minde except yee shew us a second birth a communion supernaturall of justification of free grace of sonne-ship of redemption of mercy between Jesus Christ and all and every one of mankinde Heathens Iews Gentiles This I feare must send all the Arminians in Europe to their Booke to seeke what cannot bee found And it s as easie to answer 1 Cor. 15. for as many in number as die in Adam are not by that Text made alive in the second Adam for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all noteth not equality of number But as the heires of the first Adam have death in heritage by him so the heires of the second Adam have life by him and all in each noteth all of each quality not of each number for the all quickned by Christ 1. Are the fallen asleep in Christ that are not perished verse 18. 2. The all whose faith is not in vaine and are not in their sins v. 17. 3. The all that have not hope in this life only but in the life to come verse 19. 4. Such as are the first fruits of the same kind of dead with Christ for Christ and all his are as one corn-field of wheat gathered into one barne v. 23. 5. They are quickned with the same Spirit that Christ was quickned withall but in their own order life cometh to the head first and if Pauls mind be that Christ as Head and Redeemer raiseth all the Elect and Reprobate by this Text then sure the Reprobate must be a part of the field whereof Christ is the first sheafe else the Text shall not run but for Pauls purpose it was enough to prove the resurrection of beleevers principally The place 1 Iohn 2.1 the world and the whole world is the world that hath an Advocate established in heaven for if we sin we have an advocate who is a propitiation not for us Iewes only to whom I write but for the sins of the whole world both of Iewes and Gentiles for the propitiation and the Advocation are of the same circumference and sphear else the Argument should be null but the Advoâ—ation of our High Priest in the holy of holiest at the right hand of God is for the people of God only Hebr. 9.24 for us as the High Priest carried only the iniquity of the people of Israel and their names engraven on his breast for those for whom he hath purchased an eternall Redemption with the sprinkling of blood to purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God v. 12 13 14. For those to whom he left peace in his Testament and the promise of eternall inheritance v. 15 16 17. And for those that look for Christs second appearing to salvation and for those for whose faith he prayes Luke 22.31 32 33. and for whom he prayeth the Father that he may send the holy Spirit Joh. 14.16 17. and 16.7 For all these Christ doth as our High Priest Hebr. 9.10 intercede 2. It is clear the persons cannot be so changed if we sinne we have a propitiation if we confesse the blood of Iesus shall cleanse us from all sinnes And by the sinnes of the whole world he understands all that did or should beleeve of Iew or Gentile Rom. 11.15 2 Cor. 5.19 Joh. 1.29 and â— 16 the whole world loved pardoned reconciled to whom sins are not impuâ—ed and so blessed and justified Psal. 32.1 2 3 4. and whâ—â—â—as the Apostle ascendeth and not for our sins only c. it is not to extend propitiation further then advocation confession knowing that we know him that is petitio principii for John doth not conclude a comfort of Christs advocation which is undeniably peculiar and proper only to those that have fellowship with the Father and Son and have beleeved in the Word of life are purged from all their sins from a generall propitiation common to those that are eternally damned and which may have its full and intire fruit though all the world were eternally damned It were a poor comfort to weak ones who sin daily and are liars if they should say they have no sin that there is no better salve in heaven for their sin then such a one as they may no lesse perish eternally having it then Pharaoh Cain Iudas it were better for them to want it as have it 2 Pet. 2.1 Some false Teachers deny the Lord that bought them which is not so to be taken as if Christ had redeemed those from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 and from the present evill world Gal 1.4 for then he should have redeemed them from Apostacy and the power of damnable heresies which he did not but in their profession they were bought and so the Apostle more sharply convinceth them for they were teachers in profession but really wolves that devoured the flocke but professed themselves to be Shepherds sent to seek the lost 2. They were Hereticall Teachers and brought in damnable Heresies and therefore Christians and professed Christ to be their Lord for if they had been without and open enemies they could not bring in Heresies 3. They did it covertly and privily teaching and doing one thing and professing another they professed the Lord to be their Redeemer who bought them but that they were Hypocrites is clear verse 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall bring in heresies in the by at a side privily 2. By reason of them the way of truth shall bee blasphemed enemies shall speak ill of the Gospel because these men professe the Redeemer who bought them but yet they are covetous men v. 3. 3. They buy and sell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with decked up and well kammed fair words O our