power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This is the New man put on and the old man put off and the renewing of the Spirit the New Birth and the new Creature Christ formed in us our crucifying dying rising with Christ This is the internal real inherent Righteousness of Poorness of Spirit Mourning Pureness of heart Meekness Patience Love to Enemies c. According to the Precepts of Christ far exceeding the negative Righteousness of Moses to be no Adulterers no Swearers no Murtherers c. And farther Act. 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 1 Cor. 7.18 The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto them which are saved it is the wisdom and power of God beating down the strong holds of Sin and Satan Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquities and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works ye were not redeemed with corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation c. The Gentiles that followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness Ro. 9.30 c. even the Righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness have not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Ro. 10.3 They being ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Act. 26.18 I have sent thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me I have searched all I can to make out this Imputed Righteousness but cannot for my heart find it I should be glad to be better informed But the true Inherent Righteousness by Faith is plentifully discovered in the Scriptures to be the True Gospel Righteousness which Christ came to set up in the heart And this is the wish of every true Christian to have an inward healing and not an outward hiding of his inbred Corruptions The Principle of a new Life the Seed of God the Spirit of Christ inclining our Spirits to the love of God and of all Righteousness And this is a thing correspondent to our true Nature which is desirous to act freely and ingenuously in the waies of God out of the Principle of a Living Law written in the heart and to eschew Sin as contrary to a Vital Principle This was somewhat hinted at by the Philosophers of Old who judged Vertue not to be merely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing taught by outward Rules and Examples like an Art or Trade and Aristotle is bold to affirm that Men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good by a divine Inspiration Whether or no this be not that Evangelical Perfection which St. Paul called the Resurrection from the Dead Phil. 3.12 towards which he so much pressed I leave it to others to judge And doubtless they that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern Spiritual things and understand the wisdom of Perfection and hunger and thirst after it notwithstanding the Irregularities of sensual Motions and violent assaults of Passions and daily incursions and obreptions of Infirmities through Ignorance or Inadvertency shall be accepted of God in the honesty and meekness of their Souls through the worthiness of Jesus Christ 4. There is a Jural Righteousness Jural Righteousness For our Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness or which is all one we are justified by Faith as will be proved hereafter But this is not the Moral or Legal Righteousness of another made ours but our Faith gives us a Right and Title to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Jesus Christ who maketh us partakers of his Rights not individual his Personal Rights but specifical procuring for us the Right of Adoption and Sonship after his likeness by Grace who is the Son of God by Nature and by the Means and application of Faith made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Thus I have endeavoured to prove by the Scriptures That by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ God hath given us through Faith a Spiritual Resurrection from sin and a Victory over Sin inwardly by the inherent Righteousness of the Spirit SECTION II. I shall farther labour to prove the same comfortable Truth by these Reasons Victory over Sin We have a real Victory over Sin and a real Righteousness of heart by the Spirit of Christ 1. Because it is the property of Light to conquer Darkness Light conquers Darkness Truth is the Light in us This Truth is of God who hath made it innate and cognate with the Soul Falshood and Lies are Darkness This Falshood is of the Devil who hath made it adnate and allied accidentally to the Soul When the Natural Light which was created in the Soul is used by Faith in the Promises it is enlightned farther with the supernatural light of Grace and so the unnatural Darkness of Sin is dispelled by the Beams of a Heavenly Illumination 2. Because Sin is no Native Sin no Native but a Stranger and Intruder into the Mind which is the Lord's inheritance therefore Sin may be conquered and beaten out and shall be beaten out when a stronger than she is come upon her An adventitious and extraneous thing is expellible by the Original The true and ancient Nature of the Soul suffers violence by these Strangers Sin is the Praeternatural state of Rational Beings Men are born free and ingenuous Servitude is unnatural Therefore as Sin was not Primary or Connatural with the Soul so we have no reason to think that it should be perpetually adherent or unalterable there-from A jarring Instrument may be set in tune A dyscrasy of Body may be rectified A discomposed ruffled Passion may be laid The Soul was harmonious as God first made it till Lust disordered the strings and faculties thereof And God the great Harmostes is able easily to put it in perfect Concord again The Soul was perfectly sound and Righteousness was the health thereof till Sin made the dyscrasy And God the great Physitian of Souls is able to bring it to the right and
proceeds only from Righteousness Wisd 1.15 for Righteousness is immortal Sin is mortal and mortalizeth the Body Righteousness is immortal and immortalizeth the Body Where sin rules death rules where sin is conquered death is conquered SECTION VI. The Reasons for Victory over Death are these 1. Because Sin is conquered which is the Sting and Curse of Death Sin conquered that else would hold us in everlasting Death For as long as sin is in death unpardoned by dying in sin there can be no recovery from Eternal death for sin As long as the Debt is not paid there can be no recovery out of Prison 2. Because the Law is conquered which stirred up sin Law conquered and accused sin unto death Christ hath fulfilled the Law and abolished the Types and Curses thereof 3. The Devil is conquered that lays the Law against us Devil conquered he came upon us as a strong man to bind us in death but Christ came upon him and bound him that had the Power of Death and cast him and Death both out of doors and brought life and immortality to light O Death I will be thy death O Grave I will be thy destruction Death is swallowed up in victory and Christ hath destroyed the works of the Devil and we shall bruise Satan under every one of our feet 4. Because Christ hath entred into the Holy of Holies in Heaven Christ entred into the Holy of Holies and is gone before to prepare a place for us therefore where he is there we shall also be Having hitherto shewed what are the great things which we have purchased for us by Christ and how we are to endeavour after them by the aids of his Spirit promised to be given to us for that purpose namely the Inward and Real Victory over sin and the Curse for sin that so we may obtain a victory over Death and Hell It will be very obvious to observe the Errours of those that pretend to high spirituality of Doctrine and walking with God and yet alledg an utter impossibility of ever conquering of sin in their hearts and therefore never go about the work of mortification or self-denial as there is no reason they should if it were true that all were done to their hands or if not that thing enjoyned were utterly beyond their Power The CONTENTS Nothing for us to do Trust to Outward Mortifications Superstition Natural Complexion for Divine Grace Rhetoricating Consequences of Christ's Death and Resurrection Material Cross Spiritual Cross Material Resurrection Spiritual Resurrection Material Ascension Spiritual Ascension No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Every one that comes to God must offer Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious No Mediator but Christ End of Christ's Mediation to bring us to God Cross to be gloried in Cross outward and inward Effect of Cross Crucifixion Procured by outward Cross Philosophy Christianity Christ the Sacrifice and Priest Christians true Sacrifices and Priests Decrees Christ's doing and suffering our doing and suffering Corollaries Christ a Priest Christ quickned by his Eternal Spirit Christ a Prophet Christ a King TITLE IX Of Mistakes of the Effects of Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation Nothing for us to do FIrst therefore some confidently believe That all things are already done for us and nothing remains to be done for our selves as if because Christ hath taken up his Cross for us we should not take up our Cross for our selves because he hath suffered we should not suffer with him and fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ the Head as the Members of his Body which is the Church as if there were no Power of his Death nor vertue of his Resurrection nor Fellowship in his Sufferings nor any conformity with Christ wrought inwardly in our Souls by his holy Spirit turning all Righteousness into a bare accounting and being imputed Righteous by the Righteousness which is another's and no inherent Holiness or Sanctification of the Spirit which is our own without which no man shall see the Face of God This is an Idaea of Holiness and the Happiness will be accordingly .. A Shadow and no Substance This is to deny the Real Evil of Sin and the Real Holiness of the Spirit turning really from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God Or else this is to make God to be bribed and corrupted by the Sacrifice and Oblation of Christ to indulge men in their own Sins by clothing them and hiding them with his Son's Righteousness though he knows well enough they are inwardly unrighteous and yet by vertue of that Imputed Righteousness they shall be excused from all Sin and the real Punishment of Eternal Death So there shall be an Impunity from God for Sin than which there cannot be a greater Evil nor more against the Mind of God who naturally hates Sin nor more against the mind of the Godly who more abhor the sin than they dread the vengeance So the Kingdom of Sin and Satan should be still unbattered and we partly under Satan and partly under Christ partly sinful that is inwardly and partly righteous that is outwardly by Imputation and being reckoned so to be not so indeed And so serve God and Mammon have fellowship with Christ and with Sin and Devils Overthrow all Reason and Religion of Justice or Mercy in God or Goodness or Vertue in us All the ground these men have for what they affirm is their strong belief that it is so without any Sense or Reason that it should be so or how it can be so that the undefiled Rewards of God should be enjoyed by impure and unregenerate men But the Pretense is that they speak only of Justification without any Condition of Sanctification as being no part of God's Covenant but Faith only But still let the shew of Humility and Modesty be what it will in them and the advancement of the free Grace of God by them it must needs exceedingly deceive men into hypocrisie and carnality which is very pleasing to Flesh and Blood For he that believes himself to be thus absolutely and compleatly justified by the Imputation of a mere External Righteousness through his Faith must needs believe that there lacketh no other Righteousness of his own for all such Holiness is perfectly supplied by the Holiness of another who is Christ And though it be yet pretended that Sanctification will naturally follow imputed Justification by way of Thankfulness yet this very Gratitude will easily be believed as all other Graces are by them supposed to be by the same Imputation reckoned and accounted so to be but not so indeed lest Grace should not be free and Works should prove Meritorious imagining that God makes a Covenant without any Condition or any other party to Covenant with him which is impossible Trust to outward Mortifications 2. Others there are of a contrary Spirit that trust to no Imputations of Righteousness external nor Holiness internal of
infinitely unlike him and disagreeable to his Spirit And only the pure Spiritual offices do remain which are in their own nature acceptable unto God very like him and agreeable to his Spirit This is the dispensation of the Grace of God Eph. 3.2 5. The Mystery which in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto the holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit The CONTENTS Writing in Tables Law lost Law found Law lost again Law restored Septuagints Translation Law burnt Maccabes Sects of Jews Christ's coming Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The equivocal word Law TITLE XVI Of the History of the Law THE History of the Law is this 1. Besides the universal Writing in the hearts of all men much obscured by evil Practice and Examples 2. It was written by God briefly in two Tables Moral Writing in Tables It was farther written by Moses in a Book Ceremonial that it might be read by the King and published by the Priest to all the People in the solemnity of the Feast of Tabernacles Deut. 17.9 3. After that by Malice or Negligence this Book was lost Law lost Then by chance found by Hilkiah the Priest Law found 2 Chr. 34.12 2 Kings 22.8 and brought to Josiah the King and by him published 4. Few years after at the Captivity of Babylon it was lost Law lost again Neh 8.1 Dan. 9.13 or at least corrupted At the Return from seventy years Captivity Esdras Law restored the Scribe and Priest either restored it or amended it as it is now who also expounded it And hence came the Scribes and Doctours of the Law 5. Septuagints Translation This Book by Ptolomeus Philadelphus was translated by the Septuagint into Greek which Original was burnt in the Temple of Serapis by the Souldiers of Julius Caesar while he was dallying with Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen brought to him in Culcitro but by the Providence of God there had been Copies thereof in several places whereby it is preserved to this day Law burnt 1 Mac. 1.42 6. Some years after Antiochus Epiphanes King of Syria compelled the Jews to forsake and burn their Law Maccabes 7. Little more than five years this mischief continued then came Judas Maccabaeus and relieved the Jews Sects of Jews 8. The Assanonaei his Race coming to reign the Law was retrieved but many Heresies and Sects arose as Scribes Pharises Sadduces Essens the Schools of Shanai and Hillel c. who falsly interpreting the Law led the People into Errours by vain Traditions Teaching for Doctrines of God the Commandments of Men. Christ's coming 9. Then came Christ in a corrupt Age and restored the Truth and confuted their vain Doctrines and Manners And abolished the Ceremonial or Ecclesiastical Law of the Priesthood and brought in a New Law and a New Priesthood of his own after the order of Melchisedeck And by this his New Law Gospel Covenant and Testament he fulfilled the Old of Types and perfected the Moral Law of Nature The Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Law delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and written by him in two Tables of Stone was the same Covenant of works with the Children of Israel which he had made before with Adam in Paradise before his Fall writing it in his heart Do this and live and renewed to Noah Gen. 8.21 Heb. 9.9 to Melchisedeck Gen. 14.18 To Abraham David and all the Prophets And that this was the Covenant of Works appears by that of Moses The Lord made not this Covenant with our Fathers Deut. 5.3 but with us These Fathers were the Patriarchs unto Adam with whom he made the Covenant of Grace after his Fall The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The reason of the Repetition and renewal of this Covenant of Works by writing it upon Tables of Stone was because that Law which was written by God in Adams heart was obliterated and defaced by customes of Idolatry and all sorts of wickedness which the Sons of men gave themselves unto while the Sons of God by keeping the Old Traditions and the help of divine Revelations retrieved the Impressions of God's Law And yet the Posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob by conversation and example in Egypt had much forgotten the Old Rules of Nature's Law and the Instructions and Examples of their godly Parents and imputed not their own sin unto themselves because they saw no Law written against their Actions and could not see the Law in their own hearts Ro. 5.13 20. neither heard of any punishment denounced against them for their wickedness and would not hear the checks of their own Consciences And therefore because Sin was in them and increased and death reigned over them for their sin yet they being without a written Law to evidence this sin and death unto their Consciences God saw it necessary that there should be a New Edition and publication of the Law or Covenant of Works to bring them to the knowledge of Sin and Punishment and thereby to stop them in their career of Wickedness by the fear of a Curse and a Fleshly hope of a fruitful Land to dwell in if they would observe his Laws Reserving a greater Blessing if they would trust in his Promises which was the Covenant of Grace by which they were to be justified upon their Faith in those Promises and not by the Works of the Law So the Law was added because of Transgressions till Justification should ome by the Promise of Grace For the Law was weak and unprofitable to the purpose of Salvation but helpful to the discovery and stopping of Sin and the Curse that they might see the need they had of the Grace of God by which they might be saved and not by Works For as the Covenant of Grace made with Adam and renewed to Abraham had been needless if the Covenant of Works could have given Life So after the Promise or Covenant of Grace was once made it had been needless to renew the Covenant of Works to the end that Righteousness and Life should be had thereby Gal. 3.19 It was meerly added because of Transgressions that is not set up as a solid thing in gross sufficient of it self but added or put to the former Law given to Adam which was most forgotten Furthermore this Law given on Mount Sinai was added by way of subserviency and attendance the better to advance and make effectual the Covenant of Grace so that although the same Covenant which was made with Adam was renewed on Mount Sinai yet I say still it was not for the same purpose but it was given to Adam as a Rule of Salvation by it self if he had kept it but it was renewed only to help forward and to introduce another and better Covenant and so to be
Gospel are chiefly for Eternals The Children of the Law know darkly and understand Spiritual and Eternal things afar off The Children of the Gospel know clearly and understand Spiritual and Eternal things as near at hand Faith being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen The Children of the Law are in their Minority not only in their Father's Gal. 4.1 c. but in their Servants power under Tutors and Governours as Servants though they be Lords of all But the Children of the Gospel are in their Majority Adult and Manumitted They that are under the Law are as a Wife under the Dominion and Power of her Husband But they that are under the Gospel are as a Wife whose Husband is dead Ro. 7.1 c. and therefore loose from the hard Law of a severe Husband and is now married to another more gentle and generous Husband under whom she enjoys a noble Freedom The Law is the Mother of the Jewish Nation and all that observe that Rule but the Gospel is the Mother of all Nations for Grace Mercy and Peace to them and to the Israel of God Isaac's Posterity was double to Ismael's The first Covenant of the Law lasted but for a time but the second Covenant of the Gospel endures for ever Ismael Persecuted Isaac He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit The Jew Persecuted and still the Carnal Jewish Christian persecutes the Spiritual Christian indeed But as the Son of the Bond-woman was cast out with his Mother because he should not inherit with the Son of the Free-woman so the Son of the freedom is kept in and abides in the house of God for ever with his Mother to inherit the Kingdom of the Father unto which they of the Law cannot be justified by their works but they of the Law by Faith only So then we that are of Faith are not the Children of the Bond-woman but of the Free and consequently are not under the Law but under Grace SECTION IV. By all this we are taught the Excellent state of Christian Liberty State of Christian Liberty by which 1. The Jews are redeemed from the Ordinances of Policy and Ceremony which was a bondage such as neither they nor their Fore-fathers were able to bear 2. The Gentiles are redeemed from Idolatry under the kingdom of Satan to Christ's Kingdom The Jews were Children and Servants in their Minority The Gentiles were Aliens and Strangers from God Both are made the Sons of God adoptive by Grace Great Mistakes there are in the World about this Liberty 1. Papists have quite lost it They have no liberty to use their own Judgments but are captivated in all things By the Infallibility and Supremacy of the Pope By an absolute Dictatorship of every Casuist or Confessor though never so ignorant to impose upon them that have more Learning and Judgment than themselves if they would dare to use it The slavery of the Soul is the greatest of all others I do not wonder at the Ignorant People because they never knew better things but I wonder at wise men that might know better and doubtless do 2. Papists have no Liberty of Practice No Liberty to read the Scriptures No Liberty to understand their own Prayers No Liberty to eat or drink Clergy Monks and Nuns no Liberty to marry Laity no Liberty to the Cup. No Liberty to go to God directly but must go first to Saints and Angels No Liberty for Time of Feasts and Fasts No Liberty of Estates Church must have all No Liberty of Speaking scarce of Thinking I had rather be chained at an Oar and tug in a Gally or dig in a Mine or draw in a Wagon like a Horse and be free in my Soul than to be a Lord and a slave in my Will to the wills of others more ignorant and wicked than my self A Pope or Councel or perhaps an Ignorant Frier shall domineer over my Conscience and impose upon my Faith or make me go bare-foot or bare-leg or Whip my self or kiss a rotten Relique of a dead man's Bone or an Old-shoe Kings have been trod upon or made to hold Stirrups or kiss the feet of Popes 2. Fanaticks have quite lost it and turn Licentious Are allowed all due Christian Liberty but abuse it to Licentiousness Are allowed Liberty of Judgments and Liberty of Practice in safe things They have the Scriptures to use They have Prayers in a known Tongue They have Liberty to eat and drink The Clergy may marry All have Liberty to go to God directly not to Saints or Angels at all They have Liberty of the Sacrament They have Liberty for Time They have Liberty of Estate They have Liberty to speak and confer and ask counsel O happy we of the Reformation if we did but know our happiness and make good use of it 1. We are therefore justly to be rebuked for the Ignorance of our condition under the Gospel 1. For the Purity of Doctrine teaching to be pure in heart poor in spirit to hunger and thirst after Righteousness to mourn to be peace-makers to suffer for Righteousness sake to love our Enemies c. 2. For the Purity of Discipline and Spiritual worship in decency and order 3. For the Pretious Promises of Grace and of the Spirit of Resurrection and Eternal Life 4. For the greatest assistances and Assurances 5. For Christian Liberty 2. We deserve rebuke for our Ignorance of the Dignity of Christian Churches and Gospel Dispensations therein A Purer Priesthood than Aaron's was A Purer Altar A Purer Sacrifice A more honourable Maintenance A Purer Law O that we were wise that we would consider these things and remember our Latter end that we might not do amiss The CONTENTS Fulness of Time Jews a childish People Time of Minority Redemption Adoption Plenage Gentiles exempted from Minority Popery Administration of both Testaments Idolatry Remedy against Idolatry TITLE XIV Of the Minority and Majority of the Church BY the Bondage and Slavery under the Law and the Liberty and Freedom under the Gospel is understood the Minority of the Church under the same Law and the Majority thereof under the Gospel SECTION I. This is called the Fulness of time Fulness of Time But when the Fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons 1. There is a Time of Pupillage in Persons till twelve and fourteen and of Tutorage till twenty one and twenty five Princes are priviledged sooner as Josiah 2 Chr. 34.3 who in the twelfth year of his Age began to act as King And others for the pregnancy of their Wit have the pardon of their years by favour allowed them 2. There is a Time of Minority in States Kingdoms and Common-wealths for Wealth Arms and Laws And also a Time of Majority for
donation of the second and last Testament for the best conveyance and surest settlement of the best rights in the best of things to the best inheritance by the best Mediator by the best title of faith justifying the sons of men by nature to be the sons of God by Grace which is the best assurance to eternal life SECT III. This state and condition these humane persons are put into by God Freedom which must needs be a state of Liberty and great Honour For Slavery is incapable of any Right to any thing Slaves possess not because they are possessed they have no Wills because they are at the Wills of others nor can they act or suffer any thing do no right nor suffer any wrong because they are dead in Law and as dead by them neither Right nor Wrong can be had done or suffered and to them no Right or Wrong can be inflicted This Freedom is of Sons in the Family and Citizens in the Common-wealth of God This gives them capacity and receptibility of Rights if they will consent to receive and enjoy them Being therefore placed by God in this noble estate and way of happiness they may and ought to look out and sue for those pretious promises that God hath made them To the atchievement whereof he requireth nothing but their own faith and acceptation without which it is morally impossible that any gift of good-will should take effect And as men are thus made by God liberal agents freely to accept or freely to reject hold or let go so accordingly they may and do choose or refuse enjoy or lose If they accept they shall have the mercy offered and when they have it if they take care they may hold and keep it and encrease it constantly to the end of the full enjoyment when they are out of all harm 's way above and beyond all frailty or temptation to let go their hold SECT IV. But here they are frail and dangerously enticed in this world Falling and therefore without great care and vigilancy they may come off from those rights and they may not also according as they behave themselves in their love to God and care of their own Souls in keeping themselves from being drowned in the cares pleasures and profits of this life by too much sensuality and neglect of exciting and exercising their spiritual and rational appetites to their due objects which is a great forgetfulness and unthankfulness in a reasonable and free creature so much obliged to his Creatour for so noble a Being and so beyond measure engaged for an everlasting well-being promised unto him and freely laid before him which he cannot but shamefully and freely refuse if he will be so ungracious to so gracious a Saviour And thus if he perish he may thank himself for he is without all excuse SECT V. But while it is time he may recover again Recovery For God does not dodge with him either to take him at the first refusal of his Grace and never offer him more or to take him at the first faileur after acceptation and never suffer him to recover himself again God's ways are not like man's ways neither are his thoughts like man's thoughts but they are of another fashion We are too apt to think of God as if he were such an one as our selves to do as we do and lie upon the catch according to our evil natures but there is mercy with God and therefore he may be feared and hoped and trusted in Men will lie close and take men at advantage seize upon forfeitures re-enter ransack and play the devil and all in rigour and fierceness It is not so with God if it were wo worth to the world it were better for us that we had never been born or that we had been like the untimely fruit of a woman and had never seen the Sun But thanks be to God for his infinite grace but no thanks to the world at all If I fall there I may lie and perish and none careth for it but if I fall here I may repent and rise and recover all and be in as good and better condition than before and continue to the end And all this is the Grace of God and there is no such grace amongst the Sons of Men nor nothing like it For they neither will nor can do after this fashion the tender Mercies of the wicked are cruel God only wounds and heals again he only kills and makes alive he brings to the grave and back again and his Compassions fail not and therefore we see the Sons of Men are not consumed As therefore after Exile all Rights of a free man are lost but when a return is made he is restored into his pristine estate jure Postliminii with a capacity to acquire and retain all other Rights that he is or shall be proper for So after Spiritual bondage and Captivity all Rights are lost because Faith it self the vessel that held them is shipwrackt but when there is a return though by the single plank of Repentance or any other escape which we can make to shift for our selves to get into our own country again we are fairly and fully and freely received and welcomed into all our former Rights and Priviledges and met and embraced by our heavenly Father and joyfully entertained and engaged by heaped up Favours and Oblivions of all former miscarriages never to be so negligent as to suffer our selves to be surprized and taken by the common enemy and kept from God and our own Country any more Persons are considered as Private or Publick 1. Natural in themselves and to themselves 2. Civil in Human Society Politick to and with others 3. Religious in Divine Society to and with others The CONTENTS Transition Right Definition Instances Independency Indifferency Liberality Creation Donation Declaration Faction Reception Justification Private Right Publick Right Justice Rights to God Rights to Body and Soul Rights to Wife Rights to Children Rights to Estate and Honour Rights not to be violated Day of Judgment Shame To be Right To make Right To bestow Right To have Right To do Right Collections Rather hurt self than others Moral Honesty not doubted of Vse Reason Reason of Nature Equity of Conscience Tricks in Law Severity of old in the Church Man's Judgment Relations Friendship Possibility of Law Fates Justice in God and Man Wrong none Truth evident Caution TITLE III. Of Rights SECT I. HAVING then the fair New Testament of God before us Transition so confirmed and published as it is by Jesus Christ in which Men are the Persons only concerned as in a state of freedom rightly qualified to accept take hold of and use those gracious Rights to such high things as God hath be queathed It must needs be a matter of the highest moment to consider by what means such Interests and Priviledges may be acquired held and enjoyed how lost and how retrieved retained and kept unto
there have been that have made it a Substance and there have not been wanting those that made it nothing at all It is my Choler saith the Revenger It is my Melancholy saith the Desperate one It is my Blood saith the Wanton It is my Appetite saith the Glutton It is it is not what every one pleaseth Well be these darknesses in the Understanding and these perversnesses and slaveries of the Will and these pollutions of the whole Man what they may be yet for all them nor for all the Devils in her that are about them we shall not sin nor die unless we will our destruction is from our selves 1 Cor. 6.12 And if such we were all yet now we are washed now we are sanctified now we are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ And the Leper who is cleansed complaineth no more of his scab but returneth to give thanks and strives to keep himself sweet and clean None but dogs will return to their vomit and none but swine when they are washed will wallow in the mire The Blind Man who is cured will not return into the ditch and impute it to his former blindness but rejoyceth in the light and walketh therein And we cannot without soul ingratitude deny but what we lost in Adam we have recover'd in Christ with manifold improvements for not as is the offence Rom. 5.15 19. so is also the free-gift For as by the offence of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Made so not only by imputation for that would please us well have sins removed and be Sinners still but made so that is supply'd with all helps and strengths necessary to perfect that Holiness which is required of them that are justified by Faith in Christ Jesus For is not the Gospel above the Law Grace above Works God above the Devil the Second Adam stronger than the first the Spirit above the Flesh Mighty for the casting down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan and for the translating us from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God To conclude If in Adam we were all lost and crowded into Hell in Christ we are all saved and advanced into Heaven And if we are weak yet in God is our strength And therefore why will ye die O ye house of Israel Take we heed of sowing pillows under our own elbows and if they be not soft and easy enough to sleep on beware of bringing in a good meaning and honest intention to stuff them up least on these we sleep so securely as Sampson did on the lap of Dalilah till our strength go from us indeed and be fit for nothing but to grind in his prison and to do him service who put out our eyes able to die and perish but not able to live and be saved strong to do evil but feeble and lost to all good And as we pretend Original Sin to be our driver into all other evils and calamities so we pretend the want and insufficiency of Grace to save us and as we know not what that monster of Sin is so we understand not the Beauty of God's Grace Grace as Sin is in every Man's mouth the sound of it hath gone through the Earth Ebrius ad phialam mendicus ad januam The drunkard speaketh of it in his cups and vows 't is better than Wine and by the Grace of God he will be drunk no more The Beggar maketh it his Topick and hopeth that God's Grace will melt the hearts of the Rich to relieve his wants and he will promise to fall to work for his living but the one adds drunkenness to his thirst and the other hath no power to unfold his idle hands for all this Even they that are Giants for Learning leading Men of the first rank and file that say they know it and have it have kept it to themselves or but slightly discovered it to the People in that simplicity and nakedness that upon the first sight they may say This is it Sometimes they represent it to be an infused Habit sometimes a Motion or operation sometimes they know not how to distinguish it from Faith and Charity it is one and the same and yet it is manifold it exciteth and stirreth us up it worketh in us and it worketh with us it goeth before us and it follows us Thus they handle Grace as the Philosophers do the Soul they tell us what wonders it worketh but not its Essence they tell us what it doth but not what it is In all that I have written I profess not to slight or jeer at that original Weakness or attainder of Sin and Death which all of us have cause to bemoan but my scope is to attest the Justice and Mercy of God who hath been made too much the author of Sin and Death And to satisfie the ignorant that Sin is not entailed upon us by fate or Blood nor Grace neither whether we will or no. They have been too long made to believe that Sin and Grace have been real infusions and Physical operations from the evil and the Good Spirit working sensible alterations in the Flesh and Spirit without any concurrence or operation of the Will of either Upon this inevitable necessity of sinning and damnation on the one hand and of Grace and Salvation on the other hand they are moved to lie still under the one which they cannot help and wait for the other if ever it be decreed to come which they cannot call nor invite unto them The People are astonished when they are told of their blindness and lameness and deadness to all good and of the necessity of a real descension of the Spirit into the Heart which being stark blind and stone dead is not able to know what is done unto it in the Reviving thereof no not so much as to consent to receive what shall be given it If Sin were inevitably decreed and accordingly infused by the Devil into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Sin to be a transgression of the Law and a covenant with Satan And if Grace were inevitably decreed and accordingly poured by God into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Grace to be an obedience to the Gospel and a covenant with God There was never yet any Covenant made without consent of Wills between both parties The Devil and the Sinner are agreed and God and the Godly are agreed also And this Agreement must be free on both sides for a forc'd will is no will nor can the will be forc'd either by God or Man Nullum pertinaciae remedium posuit Deus aut homo There is no remedy against the obstinacy of will either from God or Man God hath made in Man a Free-will to work freely neither can it work otherwise neither will God destroy the work of his own hands nor is there any reason
If Adam had such rare Rectitudes and helpes to keep the Law what rectitudes or helpes had we 6. If we had any will in Adam it must be free or not free if no will how involved in his sin if a Free-will why involved in his will if not free how guilty 7. Either we sinned really in Adam or by Interpretation if really then we might not have sinned if by Interpretation what sin is that whether we will or no 8. If Adam lost his knowledg and will why was he as God knowing good and evil and shut out of Paradise least he should choose the Tree of Life as he had done the Tree of Knowledg 9. Original sin was never forbidden Ubi nulla Lex nulla transgressio 10. If guilty of Adam's sin because in his loyns why not guilty of all his other sins and of all his virtues The first propagated and none of the rest Then may all the sins of our Progenitors be propagated to us 11. Sin is in the will only it infects morally and not naturally 12. Father contributes nothing to the Soul's production how then to its phllution Father begets and sins not Son is begotten and sins not Ergo No Man can sin for another to make him sinful nor do good for another to make him good Mantissa Quod erat demonstrandum * Tutor in judicio repraesentat personam pupilli procurator Clientis sed pupillus non tenetur Tutoris sui actionibus quando aliquid in ipsius praejudicium fecit nec Cliens Procuratoris si is limites sibi praescriptos excesserit Quis Adamum Tutorem vel Procuratorem constituit Liberi cum haereditati paternae renunciant obligati non sunt ad solvendum eorum debita Levi figuratè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decimatus fuit in Abrahamo In decimatione passiva voluntas non requiritur Non eadem est peccatorum animae quà m morborum corporis ratio Transition Come we now as it is high time to shew how the Sinners in any of the afore-said senses come to be justified or made righteous The CONTENTS Just Just Legally Just Morally Just Jurally Right Accounting God Righteous TITLE III. Of a Just Man THe Term Just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies three things 1. Legally faciendo by doing Right Righteous Just 2. Morally donando by giving Right Merciful 3. Jurally habendo by having Right an owner This primitive word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just or righteous in these three acceptions thereof is thus demonstrated SECT I. 1. Just Legally quoad Leges i. e. Honest and Upright Just Legally giving to all their dues according unto Law The innocent and righteous person slay thou not He that ruleth over Men must needs be just Zadick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex. 23.7 2 Sam. 23.3 Is 26.7 Mar. 6.20 Luc. 1.6 The way of the just is uprightness Herod feared John knowing that he was a just Man Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless Not the hearers of the Law but the doers are just before God Rom. 2.13 The abstract Righteousness is put for Uprightness Ps 45.7 Is 5.7 Acts 17.31 1 Joh. 3.7 Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest iniquity He looked for Righteousness and behold a cry He will judg the World in Righteousness He that doth Righteousness is Righteous Thus Righteous is opposed to a Sinner SECT II. 2. Just Morally quoad mores i. e. kind and courteous Just Morally liberal and bountiful That is one that is not only ruled by Law but over-ruled by Law That gives not only what is due by rigour of Justice but more than is due by equity of kindness that gives rights to others that deserve or do not deserve which by Law they had not nor could have He that forgives my trespass doth against the right of the Law release me from the penalty which the Law exacted from me and he that bestows a Boone upon me doth above the Law invest me with a right which by no Law could be conferred upon me This Mercy and Bounty is eminently required in all Rich and Great Men especially Princes who for wealth honour power and mercy come nearest unto God and are therefore called Gods who can and may give and forgive beyond and against Law having a Prerogative Supremacy and power of life and death Ps 37.2 Pro. 21.26 The Righteous sheweth mercy and lendeth The Righteous giveth and spareth not Joseph being a just Man i. e. a kind Man and not willing to make her a publick example i. e. to question her openly according to Law Mat. 1.19 Luc. 23.5 Acts 10.21 as a just Man might do Joseph the Counsellor that buried Christ was a good Man and a just Cornelius a just Man and gave alms 1 Sam. 12.7 So the abstract Righteousness is put for kindness Samuel reckoned to the People all the Righteousnesses i. e. all the benefits or kindnesses Ethcâ—l zedakah which the Lord did unto their Fathers He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and Righteousness from the God of his salvation He hath dispersed abroad and given to the poor Ps 23.5 Ps 112.19 Is 60.17 his Righteousness remaineth for ever I will make all thy officers peace and thine Exactors Righteousness Therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith where Righteousness is opposed to unrighteousness Rom. 1.17 18. and wrath vers 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Ro. 3.21 c. even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ The same thing is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ Tit. 3.4 After the kindness and true love of God appeared Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Math. 6.33 2 Cor. 9.10 He that ministreth seed to the sower increase the fruits of Righteousness i. e. your kindness in ministring to the Saints The poor Man's Box or Chest in the Temple was called Cuphal schel zedakah i. e. The Chest of Righteousness i. e. of alms because it contained alms for the poor Zedakah is rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 6.25 Deut. 24.5 Ps 33.5 Ps 103.6 Dan. 4.27 And Chesed i. e. kindness is alwaies rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. kindness is in Matthew and Luke rendred Alms but never so in
see that such as are in necessity have right Help all them to right that suffer wrong and punish the wrong doer Do right to the poor use no force nor fraud against him to deprive him of his right but by a right Sentence give him his right The Italian renders it Faitte drito the French Faites justice it is the act of justice to give every one his right 1. Thus to justifie is to acquite or discharge one that is guilty by Favour and Grace 2. To justifie is to declare a Man free from guilt of which he was wrongfully charged and pronounced guilty by wrong Sentence of Law 3. To justifie is to create a right to a Man that had none before 4. To justifie is to restore a right to a Man that had lost it 5. To justifie is to make a Man a proprietary or an owner of something that had nothing or at least not that which he is now justified unto 6. To justifie is to assert and prove any thing to be true or any Person to be honest in word or deed SECT I. Accounting Thus to account any right to any Person is to justifie that Person or to impute righteousness unto him Rom. 4.6 Gal. 2.16 So to be accounted righteous or for righteousness to be accounted to us or for Faith to be accounted for Righteousness or to be justified by Faith are all one and the same thing And truly all Rights consist in imputing accounting or reckoning which is their force or essence As that the Usefruit or propriety of any thing is imputed or reckoned to appertain and belong to such a Person this is his right by some title or other And all accounting or reckoning is either 1. Of sayings or Propositions as in Logick 2. Of numbers as in Logistick 3. Of Rights or Dues as in Justice or Mercy So to be justified is to be imputed reckoned accounted declared pronounced or created righteous i. e. to have a present right to a future inheritance by the means of Faith and Title of Grace and Mercy in Jesus Christ Thus our justification makes no moral alteration in us that is makes us not just or righteous in doing moral righteousness much less does moral righteousness justifie but justification produceth in us a civil capacity to possess something investing us in an Estate and gives us a new right to have and hold something as our own The poor oppressed are justified not by making them morally righteous but by giving them right that is either declaring their right by a right Sentence or by hindring of that force and fraud which would deprive them of their right Thus Justification is opposed to Condemnation Rom. 8 33 34 It is God that justifies who shall condemn To justifie is to invest a Man with a right to condemn is to devest or deprive a Man of right If through the offence of one many be dead Rom. 5.15 16 c. much more the Grace of God and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many The judgment is of one to condemnation but the free-gift is of many offences unto justification Therefore as by the offence of one Man judgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all Men unto justification of life For as by one Man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous He that is dead is freed from sin the Original is justified from sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECT II. The Synonyma or Parallel names are these Synonyma Eph. 1.11 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. To obtain an inheritance 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To gather together in one all things in Christ which is properly our Incorporation or imbodying into Christ our Head 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be reconciled unto God for Being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 20. When we were his enemies we were reconciled to God God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross Eph. 2.16 Col. 1.12 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be sufficiented or made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.13 To be translated into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God from darkness to light i. e. to be justified 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be accepted to the Beloved i. e. to be justified Eph. 1.6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be engraffed being a wild Olive Rom. 11.24 and to partake of the fatness thereof c. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be enfranchised If the Son shall make you free John 8.36 Eph. 2.19 then are ye free indeed i. e. justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 1 Pet. 5.1 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Access or coming unto God 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adoption As many as received him John 1.12 Rom. 8. to them gave he power i. e. right to be called the Sons of God We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alliance to God Eph. 2.13 Ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pardoning and forgiving Col. 2.13 And you being dead in your sin and the uncircumcisien of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ransoming or redeeming Rev. 5.9 Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood By all these and the like expressions is declared a permanent state and stable condition wherein a person standeth as to Freedom and is the Base or standard of all Rights accounted to him SECT III. Bondage There are two Spiritual States the one of bondage the other of freedom 1. Spiritual Bondage which is a Restraint Pressure Closeness or Fastness of the Spirit whereby a man is tyed from good to evil is a drudge to sin and a slave to lust a captive to the Devil This is a State of wrath low base terrene and miserable a condition below the nature and quality of a man having no Right nor capacity of Right to any Spiritual Benefit a very death SECT IV. Freedom 2. Spiritual Freedome which is a gallantry fluency clearness or loosness of the Spirit an enlargement from
Laws and therefore above them as morally righteous or gracious and jurally righteous or an owner of all things to make Man not only legally righteous according to Law and morally righteous according to Law but jurally righteous according to free Grace The CONTENTS Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness TITLE II. Of the form of Justification Imputation THe Form of Justification is Imputation or rather Reckoning Accounting Reasoning or Concluding Computing Ascribing or Numbring The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so signifies The great Acts of Counting are Logick and Logistick SECT I. Logick 1. Logick is the counting of sayings or Propositions according to their Rations or Reasons as they are composed to infer their Conclusions and to be resolved into their Principles For the Conclusion is the effect of two Propositions rightly figured whereof one is the Cause the other the Medium or mean between the Cause and the Effect and produceth the Effect The major Term in the major Proposition is the Cause the minor Term in the minor Proposition is the Effect and the medium or middle Term in both major and minor Propositions is the mean that produceth the Effect in the Conclusion as thus Every breathing Creature hath sense Every Man is a breathing Creature Therefore Every Man hath sense This last Proposition is the effect of the two former in which sensibility which is the major term is the cause and a Man is the effect and a breathing Creature is the means whereby this cause produceth this effect For because a Man is a breathing Creature therefore a Man hath sense or is sensible SECT II. 2. Logistick is the Counting of Numbers Logistick according to their rations or rates as they are composed into their powers and resolved into their roots The power or product is the effect of two numbers rightly multiplied when one of those two is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power As 6 is the cause of 12 and 12 is the effect of that cause and the root 2 multiplying 6 is the means between the cause and the effect producing the effect 12. So the cause of Salvation is God's promise The effect of this cause is Salvation it self The Mean between both that makes the cause to produce this effect is Faith And as in Logick the Conclusion is the effect of two sayings or propositions rightly figured when one of those sayings is the cause of that effect and the other saying is the reason or mean between the cause and the effect so in Logistick the power is the product of two numbers rightly multiply'd when one of those two numbers is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power Both these Countings or reckonings or reasonings do manifest the ration or rate of a saying to a saying and of a number to a number SECT III. The grounds of both these reasonings and reckonings are two 1. Those things that agree in one third do agree among themselves as in Logick the major and minor agree in the medium therefore they agree among themselves so in Logistick the multiplication and the product agree in the root or multiplier therefore they agree among themselves As 6 and 12 agree in 2 for 2 times 6 is 12. So God's promises and our salvation do agree in Faith 2. Whatsoever is affirmed of the genus is affirmed also of the species and all that are under it As whatsoever is affirmed of Abraham the Father of the Faithful is affirmed of his Children For all that believe are blessed with faithful Abraham A Believer is blessed Peter c. are believers Therefore Peter c. are blessed So that to account is to conclude by reasoning or numbring by arguing to find the conclusion by addition to find the total by multiplication the product and by division the Quotient The Grammatical sense of the word Impute is to cut divide purge or clear but custom hath made it to signifie to account reckon ascribe pass over the right or title to a thing or the thing it self or something for it by acceptilation either voluntarily by private act of gift Contract Payment release or consideration otherwise or necessarily by publick act of condemning or discharging for punishment or reward Imputation therefore that is accounting or reckoning is a Spiritual action for the conveyance of rights which are Spiritual things belonging to corporeal things Which rights are jural belonging to Persons and may be passed over from one to another by donation succession cession or dereliction deputation or assignment degradation or deprivation And therefore in this great business of Justification to the Rights of Spiritual and Celestial Blessedness Faith is the means whereby all these things are accounted or reckoned to be due unto us or which is all one Faith is accounted for our right unto them And this is clearly demonstrated Rom. 4.3 1. From the letter of the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Ja. 2.23 And ver 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness And ver 22. It was imputed to him for Righteousness not for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe c. 2. From the scope of the Scripture Faith is the means of Justification instead of works by the which no Flesh can be justified and this is the only true work that God would have us to work even to covenant with him and embrace what he hath promised as for other works of our own righteousness Joh. 6.28 29. we may not relie upon them at all but meerly depend upon Grace accounting our Faith only for our right What shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God Ro. 3.24 c. that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith Ro. 5.1 2. without the deeds of the Law Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Much more then being now justified by his Blood Rom. 5.9
the good will of the Imputer that bestows it and our own good will who accept it The want of this distinction makes many run aside first into confusion and then into contention but the clear understanding and application thereof settles the controversie into peace and quietness So Righteousness is imputed and Sin is imputed and Reward is imputed and punishment is imputed so Works are imputed for Righteousness and for a Reward of debt and Faith is imputed for Righteousness and for a Reward of Grace In a word as for imputation of sin it comes by the Law through works and for imputation of Righteousness it comes by the Gospel through Faith The Law curses and condemns the Sinner the Gospel blesses and justifies the ungodly No Law was ever made to justifie that must be grace nor Grace was ever made to condemn that must be Law Moses's yoke is intolerable for condemnation to death Christ's yoke is easie for justification to Life Let Christ therefore live that we may live also in him and by him But let Moses die and be buried and his Sepulchre never be found The CONTENTS Right Corporation Impunity Liberty Provision Protection Audience Alliance Resurrection Jurisdiction Glory Rights of Christ Expectation Supplication Possession TITLE III. Of the matter of Justification THe matter of Justification is Rights A Right is whereby some benefit is made ours Matter of Justification Right There is a difference between Right and Righteousness Righteousness is a moral word signifying a virtue or habit to do that good and right which Law prescribes and it is opposed to unrighteousness and sinfulness which is a vice and habit of doing that evil and wrong which Law forbids But Right is a Jural word signifying the having holding and enjoying of some benefit and good which some Law settles upon us and makes to be ours And this is opposed to a Burthen or charge signifying the having holding and suffering of some grievance and evil which some Law also settles upon us and makes ours In every Kingdom there are diverse rights as the right of Liberty to be a Free-man a Member of a Corporation of suffrage to have a voice in Elections of Family to succeed to an Inheritance of Honour to have a precedency and take place of Power to give Judgment and do justice of Office to perform some function and service of Benefice to have and enjoy some profits and generally all Capacities Abilities Augmentations Honours Degrees Rewards c. are Benefits and Rights There are also in every Kingdom diverse wrongs and burthens quite contrary and privative to those As the burthen of slavery that deprives a Man of liberty of Banishment that deprives a Man of some Corporation of Bastardy that deprives him of his Family of Infamy that deprives him of Honour c. and generally all Incapacities Disabilities Diminutions Degradations and Penalties are Burthens and Wrongs In every Family there are diverse Rights Matrimony a state of right whereby the Husband and the Wife have a right to each others Bed and Board and over each others Bodies Children and Estates 1 Cor. 7.4 Primogeniture is a state of right to succeed to the whole inheritance of the Father Cleanness was a state of right to enter into the Congregation and partake of the Sacrifice Ministery a state of right to preach the word and apply the Sacraments Righteousness in Scripture many times is put for a right As Abraham believed in God Rom. 4.3 and it was accounted to him for righteousness i. e. for a right For God promised Abraham a Blessing that Eliezer his servant should not be his heir but that he should have a Son and Heir of his own Body and that his Seed should be as the stars of Heaven for multitude Abraham believed in God for this Promise and Blessing and his Faith was counted for righteousness or gave him a right and title to this Blessing Had not Abraham believed God i. e. had he not accepted of God's promise God's promise had been a dead offer to him and Abraham had had no right at all unto it But his Faith i e. his acceptance of the promise gave him a right to claim and enjoy the Blessing And Abraham received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised i. e. of the right of Faith for Seals are not signs of moral righteousness but of jural rights for Seals are put to conveyances and evidences and other writings to testifie matters of right So by Circumcision he had now God's Seal to that Grant which God had formerly made to him And v. 13. The promise that Abraham should be the heir of the World was not to him through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith i. e. through the right by faith That is the right of inheritance promised came not to him by any right that the Law gave him but by the right which his faith gave him Contrarily the word unrighteousness in Scripture many times is put for wrong Luc. 16.8 The Lord commended the unjust Steward in the Original the Steward of unrighteousness i. e. the Steward that was not right vers 9. The Mammon of unrighteousness Luc. 18.6 i. e. the Mammon that is not the right riches Hear what the unjust Judg saith in the Original the Judg of unrighteousness Gen. 18.25 i. e. Judg that did not do right but wrong Shall not the Judg of all the World do right in the Original shall he not do righteousness Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousness i. e. my true and right God for other gods were false and wrong gods And ver 5. Offer the Sacrifices of righteousness i. e. the right Sacrifices what those Sacrifices are he specifies afterwards as the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and of a broken heart Oblations and Burnt-offerings were not the right Sacrifices but Thanksgiving and Contrition Thou satest in the Throne of judging right Ps 9.4 Math. 21.32 in the Original in the Throne of judging righteousness John came unto you in the way of righteousness i. e. in the right way SECT I. Corporation The matter of our Justification is a right of Incorporation into God A Corporation is a Body in Law As besides Natural Parents there are Parents in Law so besides Natural Bodies there are Bodies in Law Diverse Persons united into one and communicating in good or evil are one Body and prosper or suffer together If one member suffer all the members suffer with it or if one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12.26 A Family is a Corporation Husband and Wife are one Body Father and Children are one Body A Kingdom is one Body A Church is one Body These partake of wealth and honour Sin or punishment Their Heads are mutually augmented or diminished because they are one Body In a Corporation some Persons have no right because they
which all our Justification tends Now all Pardons are by Grace and the pardoned to his pardon hath no other Title than the Grace and Favour of the Prince For Pardon is above Law the Law hath no power to pardon but is altogether against it and where the party is condemned the Law is all for speedy execution but Pardon is of Grace and that Grace is not against the Law but above it for God's Pardon comes from God's Prerogative SECT X. Reason 4 Because these Rights come by Election All the Righteous are elected and chosen to the Rights they are justified unto Election For the Kingdom of God is an Elective Kingdom not for the Kings part only but for all the Subjects for the Subjects of that Kingdom are not Natives nor born so but all Electives comming in by Election Hence the Righteous are called the Elect for all they and they only are Elected And Justification is but an effect of Election as Filiation is of Adoption And hence our Election so often mentioned is not grounded upon any works of ours but only on the pleasure of God that elects us which is the election of his Grace For all Elections are by Grace Rom. 9.11 and the Elected hath no other Title to his Right by Election than the grace and favour of the Elector hence St. Paul calls it the Election of Grace SECT XI That all the Glory might be to God Titles by Law bring some Glory Reason 5 to the Titulary hence Men are so prone to strive in Suits of Law Glory because the Eviction of their Right by Law is some glory to them The title by Birth is a glory hence all Inheritance and Nobility is grounded For Nobility properly is Honour by Birth the Title by Purchase is more glorious to the Purchaser than to the Seller For every sale of an Estate is a blemish to the Seller The Title by works is a glory to the Work-man but Titles by Grace are altogether glorious to the Donor As in Adoption all the glory is to the Adopter in a Presentation all the glory to the Patron For seeing the Receiver hath all the profit there is great reason the Donor should have all the honour and glory seeing he hath nothing else for the grace he bestows God then justifies thee by Grace that all the glory might be to him God hath predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.5 6. to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved SECT XII That no boasting might be left to Man Titles by Law are subject to Reason 6 boasting for commonly Men boast of their Birth Boasting and for that purpose they set up their Arms. So the Jews boasted We have Abraham to our Father we are the Seed of Abraham And they boast of their purchases as in the Parable did two of the guests that refused to come Math. 22. I have bought a piece of Ground saith one and I have bought five Yoke of Oxen saith another This they say partly by way of excuse and partly by way of boasting And Men boast of their Works so did the Pharisee who instead of praying fell to boasting I am no extortioner no adulterer c. But Titles by Grace bear no boasting to the receiver because boasting seekes for Glory and as was shew'd before all the glory goes to the Donor In Adoption the adopted can boast of nothing unless it be of his Father's goodness and that is to his Father's glory In a Presentation the Clerk can boast of nothing unless it be of his Patron 's bounty and that is to the Patron 's glory God then justifies thee by Grace to exclude all boasting Ro. 3.27 that no boasting might be left to thee This reason follows the Text God is just and the justifier of the Faithful and the Title whereby he justifies them is Grace Rom. 8.26 Why so To exclude boasting that it might not be by the Law of Works but of Faith i. e. by no Law at all but only by Grace therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace SECT XIII ☞ Hence it appears that the Grace which makes us this Title is not a moral term that signifies any virtue residing in us For if our Justification were the work of such a Grace then should it be of works But this Grace is a jural term opposed to Law and signifies a work flowing from God from a virtue residing in him which the Scripture calls his Love his Kindness and his Mercy Whereby when God creates a right unto us above Law and above our deserts such an affection in God is called Grace Rom. 4.16 and the effect of that affection upon us is called Grace also As for the Freedom of this Grace it is a work of Gradation for Grace hath two degrees SECT XIV Will of the Receiver 1. When it begins at the will of the Receiver and comes upon the occasion of his motion or else it had not came at all This is but a low and servile Grace such as the Master grants to the Servant and one stranger to another So Christ healed the Centurion's Servant and the Daughter of the Cananitish Woman upon the request of the Master and Mother SECT XV. Will of the Donor 2. When it begins at the will of the Donor and comes upon the occasion of his kindness only or else it had never come This is a high and Filial Grace As when the Father makes the Son his heir whether born or unborn before he have done good or evil or whether he be a Stranger made and adopted to be a Son There is no Law for this Free-Grace for Law is binding but Grace is free God or Man may choose whether they will be gracious or to whom or when or how at their pleasure So God gave the Kingdom to Saul when he was seeking for his Father's Asses To David when he was following the Ewes great with young Thus Paul was called from Heaven in the height and heat of his persecution The Gentiles that sate in darkness saw a great light which they neither sought for nor so much as thought of God's Grace prevents our works our words and thoughts SECT XVI Reason 1 Because God's Free-Grace begins at his own will his will his first and leading Free-Grace begins at God's will ours is secondary and following His will is not against our will but above it and before it not violently forcing it but gently perswading a free rational agent to yield to his most gracious will Thus we are born again Joh. 1.12 16. Not by the will of the Flesh nor by the will of Man but by the will of God Justification is so far from being our own will that it is a Mystery to our Understanding and so could never come
at our will A mystery of God's will not ours and we cannot but admire and praise the riches of the glory of his Grace that hath called us to this state of Salvation and translated us from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his Dear Son SECT XVII Because Free-Grace makes our Title the stronger as for instance among Reason 2 Men if a Prince grant a Boone to two Persons Free-Grace makes the Title stronger to the one upon his meer motion and to the other upon petition and supplication of the Receiver or of some other Man the first is resolved to have Jus pinguius the best Title SECT XVIII Because Free-Grace makes more for God's grace and glory than any Reason 3 other grace Because it is not a Lordly but a Paternal grace Free-Grace makes for God's Grace and Glory A grace of a Benefactor ad pias causas to Church or Poor to Malefactors or Condemned Persons to Captives or Prisoners to perishing Souls that were enemies Where sin and misery abound Grace and Mercy do much more abound SECT XIX Because Justification is the best state of Love therefore requires the best Reason 4 Title by Love Justification is the best state of Love SECT XX. Besides all Rights are from grace that are derived unto us by the means Reason 5 of Faith in grace it self or in Donation or in Election and Promise All Rights from Grace SECT XXI 1. By grace or donation our right is a gift Donation which we have from God's Free-grace by the means of our Faith for a right by grace is made ours only by acceptance of it or by a will or act of receiving of it And that makes up the Nature of Faith For every acceptance of God's grace is Faith and our apprehension and acceptance of Christ who is God's grace and favour to us is Faith in Christ For God's grace and our Faith are mutually consequent inferring each other his Grace inferres that it is of Faith and our Faith inferres that it is of Grace So St. Paul inferres the reason Therefore it is of Faith Rom. 4.16 that it might be by Grace And the inference holds backward also therefore it is of Grace that it might be of Faith SECT XXII 2. By election Gods kingdom is an elective kingdom Election not on God's part but on ours that are his subjects for in being subjects of that kingdom we are called God's Elect and Gods chosen because we come into that kingdom by election and choice Now all Rights that arise from election come to the party elected by no other means on his part but by his Faith i. e. by his consent to the election and by acceptance of that Right whereto he was elected Saul had a Right to be King of Israel and was justified to that Kingdom to which Right his title was by grace for God had chosen him to that office and caused the people to choose him by lot So his title was by grace of election on Gods part but the means on Sauls part whereby this Right was applied unto him was his Faith i. e. his consent to the election and his acceptance of the Kingdom The like may be said of King David his title also was by grace of election and the means on his part was his Faith i. e. his consent to God's election his acceptance of the Kingdom The like of Christ's Disciples who had a Right to their office of Apostleship to which their title on Christ's part was by grace of election for he had chosen them and the means on their part was their Faith i. e. their consent to the election and acceptance of the office when upon his calling of them they arose and followed him Hence the infidelity and unbelief of the Jews who were chiefly in the first place Gods chosen generation is described by words of refusall and rejection and gainsaying acts quite contrary to those of consent and acceptance O Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you and ye would not i. e. not consent or accept of it God complaines that he stretched out his hand all the day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people i. e. that would not consent nor accept SECT XXIII Promise 3. By Promise God made the Promise to Abraham in diverse particulars that he would give him the land of Canaan for his Inheritance that he would give him an heir from his own bowels that he would make a great nation of him and bless all nations in his Seed that God would be a God to him and his Seed would be their shield and their exceeding great reward Hence Zachary the Father of John Baptist sings in his Benedictus that God raised up Christ as a Horn of Salvation for his promise sake to perform the mercy promised to our Fore-Fathers Hence St. Stephen in his Apology grounds the People's delivery from Egypt upon God's promise when the time of the promise drew nigh that God had sworn unto Abraham Hence St. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch grounds the whole Gospel upon God's promise Acts 7.17 in his Apology before King Agrippa I now stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers unto which promise our Twelve Tribes hope to come instantly serving God day and night Acts 26.6 Hence St. Paul grounds our adoption upon God's promise The Children after the Flesh are not the Children of God but the Children of the promise are counted for the Seed Rom. 9.8 For this that Sarah should have a Son was the word of promise Now all Rights arising from promise come to the Party to whom the promise is made by no other means but by Faith i. e. by acceptance of the promise by his consent to accept of the Right specified in the promise For all promises are made effectual by Faith i. e. by his Faith to whom the promise is made For if he be unbelieving and refuse it then the promise is dead and of no effect but if he give Faith to it and accept it then it binds him that made it and creates a right to him that accepts it For acceptance forms a promise into a Covenant whereby there is a conveening or meeting of mind unto mind and will unto will i. e. of the mind and will of the Receiver to the mind and will of the Promiser Hence the Scripture saith of Abraham That he believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness i. e. God made a promise to Abraham Abraham consented and accepted of the promise and that acceptance created him a Right to all the things promised And again The promise that Abraham should be heir of the World Rom. 4.13 came not to him through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith i. e. Abraham had a right of inheritance to him and his Seed yet that right came not to him by any act of the Law but by
Rom. 4.4 i. e. to be accounted for Righteousness and the reward to be reckoned of Grace are all one For all our Justification from sin and misery to holiness and happiness is by the Grace or kindness of God Ro. 1.17 18. The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith i. e. the kindness of God for it is opposed to wrath v. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness But now the Righteousness of God without the Law Ro. 3.21 c. is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Bloud to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Eph. 2.7 8. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ for by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast But after that the kindness and the Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared Tit. 3.4 Not by works of Righteousness but according to his mercy he saved us The Conclusion will be That by Faith in Christ we have through God's kindness or Grace 1. Legal Righteousness i. e. we are accepted for exactly righteous before God who imputes no sin unto us through the merit of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ 2. Jural Righteousness i. e. we are imputed or accounted heirs at present to the future inheritance of Eternal Life through the Righteousness of Christ the righteous heir of God to whom all the promises were made and in him are Yea and Amen and through him are derived to all his Seed who are partakers of the same rights with him So by Faith in Christ 1. We give credence to the report of a promise 2. We trust thereto and rely upon it 3. We accept and embrace it 4. We re-promise and so enter into Covenant with God which is the state of Grace and Salvation The CONTENTS Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural Man Spiritual Man Forfeiture Example of Israelites TITLE V. Of the Continuance of Justification MY Justification by Faith through the Free-Grace of God puts me into a state of Righteousness and therefore it doth extinguish and destroy my state of sin formerly I had no right to any thing save a curse for my sin but now I obtain a right to a Blessing through the Righteousness of Christ imputed to me When a Slave is enfranchised his slavery is thereby extinguished so when a Sinner is justified his sin is thereby actually destroy'd Because these two states are contrary one to another and inconsistent one with another in one and the same Person at one and the same time Yet upon my Justification the passions motions or lusts of my sin are not destroy'd in facto esse complete but they are in fieri begun to be suppressed and in a good course and ready way to be extinct For their Dominion and over-ruling power is already destroy'd so that they cannot compel me to the acts of sin And my Justification by Christ obliges me to this resistance against sin and my Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ doth enable me to beat back the force of Satan's temptations more and more and will enable me if I faint not or will fully turn back to be more than a Conqueror But after my Justification if I through the subtilty of Satan or the pravity of mine own heart shall suffer my self to be perswaded that either there is no bond upon me or no power in me or no Grace sufficient for me to finish the work of mortification and thereupon shall either neglect this work or act quite contrary not the acts of Ignorance or Infirmity but of malice and presumption and of despair it self Then by these my sinful acts I do destroy the state of my Justification and degrade my self and make my self unworthy of that Salvation which I was an heir unto if by my resipiscence I do not recover it again For 1 Cor. 6.9 For The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God such as are fornicators adulterers idolaters effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind thieves covetous drunkards revilers and extortioners And they which do the works of the Flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.9 This I know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous Man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God SECT I. 1. Because by this Relapse I am a revolter from God Reason Relapse a revolt from God and a Traitor to him who after my Homage and Allegiance sworn to him have deserted him and rebelled against him For doth not the Law of Nations teach me that by such contrary facts as these I forfeit my Estate Liberty and Life And doth not right Reason teach me that if my Tenure fail my Estate must needs escheat and my Life too in case of Treason And doth not the Sacred Scripture teach me that my last state is worse than my first and if I sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after that I have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for that judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And it had been better for me not to have known the way of Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.21 than after I have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto me And the Devil being cast out as out of a house haunted if he be re-admitted Luc. 11.24 doth re-enter with seven Spirits worse than himself and so the last state of that Man is worse than his beginning And such are like unto the dog 2 Pet. 2.22 that licketh up his vomit again and like the Sow that after washing walloweth in the mire 2. Because the Right of impunity which is one of the priviledges which Christ justifies me unto gives me no licence to sin For shall I sin that Grace may abound God forbid As in the Family the right of impunity which
drowning himself under the water a sign of dying unto sin being buried with Christ and rising again out of the water a sign of rising with Christ unto newness of Life So that if thy Faith oblige thee to the duty of a Son it will oblige God to the Blessings of a Father and he will not only by Nature and Grace adopt thee to be his Son but by Covenant and Pact institute thee to be his Heir and if thy faith oblige thee not to the duty of a Son it will disoblige God from the Blessings of a Father and he may disinherit thee having broken the Covenant for thy treachery and rebellion The Faithful have a promise I will be to thee a Father 2 Cor. 6.18 and thou shalt be to me a Son So they believing and accepting God for their Father he accounts their Faith to them for their right to be his Sons and gives them the Spirit of his Son to cry Abba Father imputing a present right to a future inheritance of Sons and Heirs and Joynt-heirs with Christ Ro. 8.17 Gal. 3.29 Gal. 4.7 Hebr. 1.14 Heb. 6.17 James 1.5 Heirs of God according to the promise Heirs of God through Christ Heirs of salvation Heirs of promise Heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised to those that love him Now an Heir is a Person justified to a future Estate so that to be justified by Faith and to be made an Heir of God are things either all one in effect or the later is but the property or consequent of the former as the Apostle saith That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life SECT III. The Faith we have hitherto described to be Faith in God or of God Faith in Christ Mar. 11.22 Acts 3.16 John 14.1 is also Faith in Christ or of Christ Have Faith in God or of God through Faith in his Name or of his Name i. e. Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me Ye have been taught to believe in God as the Creator and Conservator of the World Psal 78.7 so do ye also believe in me the Son of God the Author and preserver of the Church 29. Joh. 6.27 the Prince of Life whom God the Father hath sealed This is the work of God that we believe in him whom he hath sent 1. Faith in God is an high esteem of God's Existence Goodness and Greatness and an acceptation of his will and kindness So 2. Faith in Christ is an high esteem of Christ's Person the Son of God and the Son of Man the Mediator between God and Man and an acceptation of his promises Hebr. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that they which are called might receive the promise of his eternal inheritance The Devils have an Estimatory Faith Thou art the Holy one of God Mar. 3.11 Mar. 1.20 22. A Preceptory Faith also to obey Christ as when he cast them out of the herd of Swine and at other times A Judicatory Faith Math. 8.29 that Christ is their Judg Art thou come to torment us before the time Luc. 8.28 But they have no Promissary Faith in God or in Christ Not that they want a will but they have no Promises but altogether threatnings and instead of being justified to a present right to a future Blessing they are condemned to a present right to a future curse which is everlasting fire Math. 25.14 prepared for the Devil and his angels Reserved in everlasting chains of darkness Jude 6. unto the judgment of the great day For to Mankind only are the promises made by God in Christ by the Will of God to be justified by Faith because Christ only took upon him our Nature and not the Nature of Angels Faith in the Patriarks was immediate in God Faith in the Jews was mediate by Moses Faith in Christians is mediate by Christ called therefore the Faith of Jesus Christ SECT IV. Christ the conveyer of Faith 1. Because Christ is the Conveyer of it through whom we believe in God For that our Faith may meet with God aright it must pass unto him the same way whereby his promises are conveyed unto us Now his promises are conveyed unto us 1. immediately and so our Faith passes immediatly unto God 2. mediately in Christ therefore our Faith must pass by Christ unto God Thus God did immediatly declare his promises to Noah for the saving of himself and others in the Ark. Gen. 6.18 Gen. 15.4 And to Abraham for a Son and Heir of his own Body Thus God did mediatly declare his promises to the Israelites by Moses for their deliverance out of Egypt Exod. 3.16 2 Sam. 7.4 Jer. 29.10 As also to David by Nathan for the everlasting establishment of his Kingdom to his Seed As to the Jews by Jeremiah for their return out of Captivity As to Zacharias by Gabriel That his Wife Elizabeth should have a Son Luc. 1.13 And as all God's promises in the Gospel are by Jesus Christ whose Ministery is most excellent therefore by him our Faith must pass unto God Hebr. 1.1 Heb. 8.6 Who in these last daies hath spoken unto us by his Son who is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises Therefore as God's promises arrive at us immediatly or mediatly so our Faith arriveth at God immediatly or mediatly Joh. 13.20 For Faith in God's Messenger is Faith in God who sent him He that receiveth whosoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me i. e. believeth And on the contrary He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me i. e. diffideth So God punished the Jews for not believing by the means of a Messenger with the Sword and Famine because they did not hearken to his words Jer. 29.18 which he spake unto them by his Servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them but they would not hear So Zacharias was stricken dumb for not believing the Angel Gabriel that came to him from God Such a mediate Faith had the Israelites who believed in Moses but their faith terminated in God Loe I come to thee in a thick cloud that the People may hear when I speak unto them Ex. 19.9 and believe thee for ever In the Original it is Believe in thee Christ said the Israelites trusted in Moses yet God was the ultimate end where their Faith rested and Moses the means through whom it passed Faith mediates in Christ Joh. 5.45 but terminates in God The trust we have to God-ward is through Christ 2 Cor. 3.4 Through him both Jews and Gentiles have an access by one Spirit unto the Father By Christ we do believe in God Eph. 2.18 1 Pet. 1.21 that our Faith and Hope in Christ might be Faith and Hope in God Christ saith He that believeth
Usufruct and all the profit argues greatness sufficiency nobleness and liberality God hath enough he keeps the Title to himself and gives the benefit to his Clients Fee-farm Rents Canons for Emphyteusis Pensions Homages are noble Tenures from Lords and Princes Ecclesiastical and Civil 3. To give this upon condition of Service and Love not to gratifie and enrich Rebels nor meer slavish service but loving duty and true fidelity This Christ learned For though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Salvation is from God though we serve for it as it is fit we should do To give to lazy rebellious unthankful Servants is not Royal nor Prince-like 'T is a wise as well as gracious way of Donation 1. It keeps the Donors honour and grace 2. It keeps the Donors duty subjection and love The Honour is great in the Benefactor Nor is the service ignoble and base in the Client For a Prince to give is honourable For a Subject to serve a Prince is honourable and for all our Lands and Honours we hold of him much more honourable To serve the King of Kings is honourable and for our Inheritance and Honours we hold of him much more honourable That all should be the Kings is noble That the King should give all excepting his Royalty is noble That the benefit should be the Subjects is noble That they should have them by faith and hold them by love and service to their Benefactor is noble That the King should give them in Fee both lands and honours and let them enjoy them though they love and serve him not for his grace is dishonourable and no wise Donation That the King should force them to accept and hold them whether they will or no is dishonourable That the King should force them to be faithful loving and obedient whether they will or no that they might hold them whether they will or no it is not in his power it is dishonourable and unwise So that all should be God's is noble So that God should give all but his Royalty is noble That the benefit of all things should be to his Creatures and Subjects is noble That they should have this benefit by their Faith and Acceptance only and Covenanting with him and hold it by their love and service to him is noble and stately That God should give his People such profits and honours to let them enjoy them though they love him not nor use what is given them nor serve him at all for all his grace and mercy to them is dishonourable and base That the King should have all power in himself is noble That the King should maintain his kingdom i. e. his lands honours and Subjects is noble That the Subjects should fight for their King that so maintains them is noble Christ is this King and he hath all power He maintains his kingdom His Subjects fight for him and under him against Satan and his Subjects under him Christs kingdom is a Military kingdom Christs kingdom holds of God in Fee owes love and homage therefore Christ having administred his kingdom shall deliver it up and all its profits honours and Subjects to God the Father That God may be all in all So Christ as Mediator holds in Fee So Christians under him hold of him As Nobles and inferiour Lords hold all of the King Christ is faithful in his office They that are Christs are faithful in their offices God is the King and supream Lord. SECT XIV 1. Thus we see where Supremacy lodges 1. who hath the Supreme propriety as Lord and owner of all things 2. Who hath the Supreme honour and Legislative power and Jurisdiction to give Laws and Rules and Titles of Renown 2. Thus we see where Subjection lodges 1. Who have the Revenues as Tenants and Usufructuaries 2. Who have the derived Honours and Jurisdictions to receive Laws and give them to others with Titles of Dignity 3. Thus swearing Fidelity and making Faith to their Lords justifies the Vassals or gives them right to the Fee 4. Thus doing the will of their Lord sanctifies them or keeps their right unto them and holds them in the Fee 5. Thus the Souldiers of Christ have a Feudal Right of Usufruct depending upon Grace not an Allodium of Absolute Dominion which ows no thanks or service to any 6. Thus in Feudal Rule there is no Jus publicum by Policy to do wrong to private Men for the publick good but a Paternal Government the Publick Father using the persons and possessions of his Children which are all under his power doing wrong to none for the publick good 7. Thus every Child hath his portion more or less given him of his Father according to which talent he expecteth improvement for their own enrichment and the publick well-fare and flourishing of the Kingdom So that there can be no idle loyterers nor unprofitable Servants in this Vine-yard For if so they forfeit what they had by breaking their Faith All are Children and therefore free living under the Law of a Father which is Love whose will is Righteousness and their wills agreeable to his deeds and they that are Faithful in a little he will reward with much SECT XV. This is the Corporation and Kingdom of Saints God is styl'd the King of Saints and Christ the King under God of whose fulness we all receive and Grace for Grace Here is nothing but free Grace in God and free Love to one another Fidelity to God and honesty to one another A Spiritual warfare victory and triumph Satan's Kingdom destroy'd and he bruised under every one of our feet and we more than Conquerors Thus the Feudataries of Spiritual and Eternal Blessedness do partake of the Common Rights of Creation and Providence in Temporals with other Men that are not of God's Kingdom And they learn to use the World as though they used it not Minding their Spiritual war-fare and service for the Kingdom of Heaven to which they have a present right and in which they shall be installed and enthroned by Christ Thus they are not frighted and cast down with dangers nor transported and elevated with prosperities as the unrighteous are because they seek another Countrey which is above Thus the Flesh is as weak in them as in others and as prone naturally to excess in carnal things but by the warfare of the Spirit the Flesh is mortified and crucified and the World and the Devil are overcome through Christ that strengthens them It is a sign therefore of a worldly Souldier to fight for the things of this World and doubtless they have their reward But the Souldier of Christ is abstemious in all those things and aims at higher matters The World is for temporals the Church for Eternals The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty for the beating down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan The worldling is wholly busie in the matters of this World and toils himself
Kingdom of God's Church neither God nor his People can fail of either And to my poor and weak apprehension there is a great deal of blithe and resemblance in the features of this Feudal Government and that of the Church of God which is all God knows I contend for in the case And if I be not allowed it I am where I was and the Dissenters where they were before And therefore no cause of falling out at all for they have their opinion and I have mine and God bless us all there is no harm done all this while The Longobardian Kings had this Soveraignty above all others that they were the sole owners and proprietaries of all the Lands and left the profits to their Subjects And why should not Kings who come nearest to God for power and are gods have their just Rights But if this be thought hard for Mortal gods and Kings to have these Quasi-prerogatives of God who can deny the Real Prerogatives of the Most High God and Immortal King of Kings Are not all things his whether we will or no And hath he not given them in use and profit to the Sons of Men And is not Blessedness his and hath he not given it in use and profit to his Faithful ones It must belong to God to be the sole Owner and Governour of all things in Heaven and Earth And if Kings be the sole owners and Governours under God of things on Earth they are the more like unto God and the more able to be gracious Benefactors If the Saints hold of God by the best Tenure of Free Grace then it can be no disparagement for Vassals to hold of their Lords by the same Title What is better than Faith and Love to God or Man and he that fails of these to his Soveraign is not worthy to have or hold any Benefit by him If a Tenure be not of Grace but absolute it is not thank-worthy to any Man for none can have the praise of it but our selves that are independent from all Men and so we trust to our selves and care for no Man and serve and love our selves and give Laws to our selves and there is something to boast of But if it be of Grace it is thank-worthy and another hath the praise because we depend upon another which is wiser and mightier than our selves and this is safest for us and therefore we trust not to our selves but to another and serve not love not our selves for what we have but another and receive Laws to our selves and there is nothing to boast of This state must needs be the safest way to create humility and thankfulness by ascribing all Soveraignty to God and all Subjection to our selves To have all from God and to hold all from him that God may have all the glory to own and rule all and we all the safety and benefit under him that God may be all in all who because he hath given us Christ hath with him also freely given us all things SECT XIX This state must needs be the surest way because Grace given can never fail on the givers part who liveth for ever unless the Title of Faith and love for Grace received do fail on our part which must be very great unkindness to God and to our selves in neglecting so great Salvation A Lord gives his Fee to his Vassal and his heirs for ever and accordingly it passes till there comes a forfeiture on the Vassal's part for Desertion of the Militia or other disobedience or an Apertura Feudi for want of Heirs If any of these happen still the Grace of the Lord is never less than it was before but the ungraciousness of the Vassal is much more in case of such a refusal So the Lord of all Lords gives his Grace unto all the Faithful and accordingly it passes unless there be a forfeiture for infidelity or refusal or laying down the Militia And if any of these happen the Grace of God is never less than it was before but the ungraciousness of his Creatures is much the more in case of such infidelity and refusal SECT XX. How can this be made out otherwise to convince the understanding of the Justice or Mercy of God in the Business of our Damnation or Salvation If we say It is a decree to receive and hold some in his Grace and favour for ever Absolute Election and Reprobation and to reject and keep down others in his wrath and displeasure for evermore Then farewell all Reason or Religion in this kind I will not think a thought more nor speak a word nor write a syllable more of this matter If this be the Faith and the Grace of God which I must have and hold by Fate if I be elected thereto whether I will or no and if this be the Infidelity and wrath of God which I must have and hold by Fate if I be reprobated whether I will or no then I have done for ever thinking or speaking or writing of this Subject more But stay If I must be silent for ever hereafter give such a Loser leave to speak his last words for we use not to deny that liberty to the greatest Malefactors before they die Was there ever such a Grace or Pardon given by God or Man that he to whom it is given should both take it and keep it for his justification whether he will or no Indeed there is and that justly to a malefactor such a curse or sentence of Wrath denounced that he must undergo whether he will or not But for his Pardon it cannot be A force upon a Slave patient not upon a free Agent Was there ever such a Grace given by God or Man as to make the Receiver Gracious and to keep him so for his Sanctification whether he will or no Was there ever such a Curse of God or Man as for no cause to make the patient sinful before he was and when he was and to keep him so for his Condemnation whether he will or no Is such a Grace a wise Grace for God or Man to bestow Is such an Anger a wise Anger for God or Man to inflict Should not Princes do all things wisely And must not God do all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and is not he most wise And can he deny himself that he should not act wisely as well as justly and mercifully And can we conceive such Actings of God to be his Absolute Prerogative contrary to his Absolute Wisedom and Goodness meerly to have his own Will and Pleasure upon us though it be to the Everlasting destruction of his poor Creatures Can we imagine that God should select infallibly Vessels of Mercy fitted from all Eternity to shew the glory of his Grace and to select Vessels of misery from all Eternity fitted to destruction to shew the glory of his Justice It had been better the most of Men upon whom this Destiny hath seized never to have been
unwritten unrevealed to private Souls The hearts of such great ones are in the hands of God and he teaches them Worldly Policy Self-pleasing Self-interest Pride Revenge c. must have no place here O that they that wear Crowns and Miters were wise that they would consider their vast Charge and remember their later end that they might not do amiss SECT XVI And what shall we poor Subjects do but stand aloof off and admire and obey Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm Violate not the Persons nor the Rights nor the Estates of Princes or Priests God is in them he feels the hurts and revenges them The Powers that be are ordained of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Procul ô procul ite prophani Swell not O Rulers for God in Sacred or Civil matters Illustrious is your calling Mutuato splendetis lumine but your Glory borrow'd Ye are gods but ye must die like Men. Use both Swords as equally as gently as 't is possible O! how blessed shall ye be of God and Men for Justice Equity Mercy Piety to the Souls Bodies and Estates of the Dear Saints and Subjects of the King of Heaven and Earth And as on Earth so in Heaven your glory shall outshine all others SECT XVII 1. Thus Christ only as Mediator King Priest and Prophet Corollaries hath and holds his Office and Power of God immediately 2. The Church is a Corporation and Kingdom that hath and holds only of Christ their only Head and King and Prophet and High-Priest in Fee 3. The Keyes and Supreme Powers of the World have and hold immediately under Christ in Fee 4. The Priests and Ministers of Christ have and hold immediately from Christ in Fee 5. The Clergy and Laity owe subjection immediately to Kings and Supreme Powers under Christ 5. Ergo Kings only are Christ's Vicegerents and Vicars upon Earth to whom all Clergy and Laity are bound to be subject for Christ's sake and for Conscience sake and for the peace and welfare both of Church and State That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty My Kingdom saith Christ is not of this World And there was a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest Luc. 22.25 c. and he said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles Exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is the greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is Chief as he that doth serve Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them But it shall not be so among you Matth. 20.25 c. but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister And whosoever will be the chief among you let him be your servant Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his Life a Ransom for many Ergo The true right justifying to the Estate of Blessedness of God in Christ is Faith and the true Tenure to hold this Blessed Estate of God in Christ is Holiness Feudum is Grace Ergo Allodium is Glory Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Catholick Church Scriptures Collections TITLE III. Of the Laws of Christ's Kingdom Transition CHRIST hath the sole power of Legislation and Jurisdiction in his Church and Kingdom the Ministers of Christ are Ambassadors under him to declare his will and pleasure not to exercise Lordship over God's Inheritance Est in universis servientibus non dominium sed ministerium He that is greatest amongst you sayes Christ let him be the least and servant unto all A Judicatory power is granted unto Regal Vassals as Lords in fee over their inferior Vassals to exercise not for themselves but for their Supreme Lords in peace or war For otherwise they are all Vassals and par in parem non habet imperium Still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Legislative power is reserved to Kings They may have a kind of delegated power to make By-Laws consonant to the High Law of Christ and some laudable Customs in the Church are Quasi-Laws or By-Laws as in other Societies but they must be significant charitable easie and few SECT I. Catholick Church The Catholick Church is a faithful witness of the Truth committed to her charge and a record of all those necessary Truths but properly makes no Laws that is a prerogative reserved to the King Besides the Spiritual Laws of Christ I know not what Laws of Faith can be added And besides the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper I know not what Rites can be added for Worship only for decency and order and those few ambulatory pro re nata tempore loco populo according to the occasion time place and People with great Wisedom Charity Moderation and Christian Liberty They talk highly of the Laws of the Church the Laws of Christ given to his Church I know other Laws I do not know properly so called Let me know what Church must be the Catholick and how can the Catholick Church meet and if they could what power to make Laws Hath not Christ made sufficient Laws already In a Feudal Kingdom there are Principum placita the Rescripts of Princes but not Senatusconsulta nor Plebiscita nor Responsa Prudentum All are Pragmatical Sanctions The Prince rules all neither hath Christ any Deputy or Vice-gerent Man or Men upon Earth to rule with him or for him in his Church whereof he is the only Head But Princes under him are bound to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his Church to defend the Faith they are to be wise and learn this knowledg to kiss the Son lest he be angry and so they perish if his wrath be kindled yea but a little And he hath sent his Ambassadors and Ministers under him to serve in his Gospel by the power of his own Spirit to be subject to Princes SECT II. The Scriptures only are God's Will and his Laws Scriptures in them are his Precepts and Promises and the rule of his Worship which are the true intrinsecal and acceptable Service of God If any thing else be commanded it is extrinsecal and only for decent order and so to be esteem'd and used cum favore The Laws of a Spiritual and Military Kingdom as Christs is are Spiritual The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but Spiritual and mighty for the casting down of the Spiritual and strong holds of Principalities and Powers and Spiritual wickedness in high places And all Christians or Souldiers take the Sacrament or Military Oath in Baptism to be true to their General to fight under the Banner of Christ against the World the Flesh and the Devil to their lives end This is the good
The Nature of the Two Testaments OR The Disposition of the WILL and ESTATE Of GOD to Mankind FOR HOLINESS and HAPPINESS BY Jesus Christ Concerning Things to be done by Men AND Concerning Things to be had of God Contained in his two great Testaments The LAW and the GOSPEL DEMONSTRATING The High SPIRIT and STATE of the Gospel above the Law In Two Volumes The First Volume of the WILL OF GOD. The Second Volume of the ESTATE OF GOD. The First Volume Of the WILL OF GOD Concerning Things to be done by Men. By ROBERT DIXON D. D. Prebendary of Rochester LONDON Printed by Tho. Roycroft for the Author MDCLXXVI Imprimatur Ex Aed Lambethanis THO. TOMKYNS TO THE READER THE principal Wisdom in all Learning is the knowledg of Rights made and granted by God or Man Rights and to whom they are made and granted and how why and when and for how long and how they are obtained and kept how lost and how recovered That men might be holy in themselves and righteous to others understanding what is their own and to do well to themselves and to all men that they and others might be happy He that can discern and judge rightly of these things is an Oracle amongst men and fit for all business in Church and State Other knowledge is very good Laws and greatly ornamental and useful in its kind but this Learning of Laws divine and humane excells all the rest as the Sun the Stars for the excellency of Piety Equity and Reason that is in it and for the infinite use and benefit that redounds by it to Soul and Body to Ecclesiastical and Civil Societies for this life and for a better I undervalue no Learning hereby but give every Art its due in its time and place and so I give this sublime Faculty of Laws its due also Hereby I do no more than perswade to choose the best things and to find out the most excellent waies Jural sense of Scriptures In order therefore to the understanding of the Scriptures which are Gods Laws I prefer the Jural sense as most genuine and kindly and make use of Jural Terms borrowed from Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil in their proper style as most homogeneal and sutable to the Divine Law in which God hath condescended to humane capacities by propounding his Will in the nature of Laws by his Servant Moses and by his Son Jesus Christ and this is the most stately eloquence for all business There are in the Scriptures which are the two Laws and Testaments of God published by the two Mediators Moses and Christ certain â—ccessories and Consequences as Histories and Prophecies to the explaining whereof Philosophy and Chronology may be very helpful But for the principal and essential Will Word Law Covenant Testament of God concerning mans salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ let any discerning person judge whether it be not expresly revealed by Christ and his Apostles especially St. Paul that great Divine and Lawyer as that other Testament by Moses and the Prophets in terms of Law Such as Predestination Election Justification Adoption Faith Grace Gift Covenant Will Testament Heir Inheritance Possession Liberty c. as shall be made more largely to appear hereafter So the Laws of God being described in terms of Law after the manner of Men are more aptly interpreted by the Science of Law than of Philosophy or any other Art whatsoever This I lay as a principle and foundation to my ensuing discourse Title of Scripture There is nothing more ordinary in our Discourses and Writings than the Laws and Testaments of God which are the Titles of the Scriptures and yet how few regard the Nature of these so considerable Titles For the Subject of every Book is best apprehended by the full Name and Title that is given to it expressing the Nature of the thing contained in it But because this is a New untrodden path and that I am almost alone in this Manner of speaking therefore unsearching and undistinguishing men that are lazy withal and hang upon others Judgments are shie of this Way and pass it by giving it no good report The terms of Philosophy and Oratory are pleasantly swallowed down by them because usual but the terms of both Laws stick and will not go down as harsh and crabbed Sure this doth mightily betray the Ignorance of these men I do not use any barbarous words as are in some Laws but the pure and elegant expressions of the best of humane Laws far more learned and significant than the froth of Rhetoricians or the Fustian stuff of Schoolmen or the Canting Rosicrucian Enthusiastick nonsense of Fanaticks This is our shame that so many Divines and Lawyers reject that most illustrious Faculty so highly useful to them and to the Nobles and Princes of the World in comparison whereof all other inferiour Arts are pedantick and base I take them to be the best Divines Distinction of Old and New Testament that distinguish best between the Old Testament and the New that preach the New Testament and not the Old the Spirit and not the Letter the power of Godliness and not the form A clear distinction between the two Testaments the Law and the Gospel I take to be the principal excellency of a Divine and a noble vein that should run through every Theological Treatise For which I note the most Illustrious Hugo Grotius Dr. Hammond Dr. Taylor Dr. Lushington Dr. Spencer Mr. Thorndike Mr. Farindon c. to be the most eminent in giving light to this great Point which deserves to be more enquired into For which cause I have offered my poor Endeavours hoping to find acceptance from all searching and free spirited men Such divine Lawyers as these I take to have the soundest Notions and the clearest and fullest Expressions no disparagement the World knows it Legists The Linguists and Disputants and Humanists make much ado with their Criticisms and subtilties and Fineries but 't is the wise Legist that must do the business in Church and State A wise Jurisconsult in my opinion knows more of Religion Equity and Government than the profoundest Platonist Aristotelian or Ciceronian of them all I admire the most Excellent Grotius for his rare knowledge in all things but especially for his wisdom in the Laws both divine and humane which makes him shine among all other Writers H. Grotius Tanquam Luna inter minora sidera And thence spring those incomparable Notions digested by a judicious and moderate spirit his Enemies being Judges Many Currs bawl about him that mighty Giant of whom the World was not worthy and spare not to abuse him now he is in his grave who were not worthy to carry his Books after him These and such as these are the Men that divide the Word of God aright like workmen that need not to be ashamed clearly unfolding the good will of God without taking any side or party wholly aiming at satisfaction to
proper rule Restraint from proper state Restraint from proper right Constraint to base actions p. 83 Title 11. Of the Subject of slavery The Sinner habitual p. 87 Title 12. Of the Reasons of slavery Restraint from proper end Restraint from proper guide Restraint from proper act Restraint from proper rule Restraint from proper state Restraint from proper right Captivity Constraint to base actions p. 88 Title 13. Of the Lord of slavery Sin Satan p. 91 Title 14. Of the Innocency of the Law Grace cannot deceive p. 92 Title 15. Of the Mystery of the Law Mystical Precepts Mystical Providences p. 96 Title 16. Of the History of the Law Writing in Tables Law lost Law found Law lost again Law restored Septuagints Translation Law burnt Maccabes Sects of Jews Christ's coming Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The renewal of the Covenant of Works The equivocal word Law p. 99 The Fourth Book Of the Gospel or New Testament Title 1. Of the Reformation Law changed Priesthood changed Sacrifices Gospel a Covenant of Faith God may change the law Law advanced to Spirit Types Secret of Christ understood by degrees Divine Dispensations Creation Fall Promise Faithful Vnfaithful Gentiles feared God Law written Rites why commanded Civil law Rule Outward service trusted in Prophets sent Christ sent Jews Idolaters before Christ's time Jews destroyed Gentiles called Old Religion antiquated Aaron's Priesthood Christ's Priesthood Typical Redemption from typical sins Real redemption from real sins Salvation of all men No more Changes p. 105 Title 2. Of the Nature of the Gospel Few Disciples in Christ's time Resipicence True Wisdom p. 115 Title 3. Of the Gospel a Testament What the Old Testament contains What the New Testament contains Gospel a Testament rather than a Covenant p. 117 Title 4. Of a Testament the best Deed. Evidences Promises Earnest Oath Security Donation Testament a single Will A last Will. In force alone Confirmed by death Testament the Noblest deed Solemn Nuncupative Declarative Witnesses Plainness Heir Finishing by Hand and Seal In giving all In dying Testament most solemn Most liberal Marriage A near Vnion Acquisition of goods Love of God Love of Saints Communion Adoption Heir the most beloved Definition of the Gospel Definition of a Testament Testatour Appellative name of Believers Consent Testament of Father to Children Testamentum ad pias Causas No Praeterition No inofficious Testament p. 120 Title 5. Of the Grace of the New Testament Definition of Grace Nature Free-grace Right Nature Law Throne of Grace Wrath. Works Free grace Rich grace Assurance Jews loth to leave the law p. 128 Title 6. Of the Confirmation of the New Testament Writing Testimony Confirmation Execution Christ the Executor Executorship conditional Flesh and Blood Christ's Ascension Spirit 's Mission p. 132 Title 7. Of the Testament compared Spiritual Lively In force for ever Literal Deadly Abrogated for ever Consequences Cautions Instructions Exhortations p. 136 Title 8. Of Liberty Nature of Liberty Form Loosness from all Incumbrances Largeness p. 142 Title 9. Of the Seat of Liberty Soul p. 143 Title 10. Of the Terms of Liberty Recess from Evil. Access to Good p. 145 Title 11. Of the Cases of Liberty Loosness to proper end Loosness to proper guide Loosness to proper act Loosness to proper rule Loosness to proper state Loosness to proper right p. 146 Title 12. Of the Subject of Liberty God Christ Faithful Term of recess Bondage Term of access Sonship p. 149 Title 13. Of the Allegory of the two Covenants Ismael Isaac But two eminent Covenants State of Christian liberty p. 153 Title 14. Of the Minority and Majority of the Church Fulness of time Jews a childish people Time of Minority Redemption Adoption Plenage Gentiles exempted from Minority Popery Administration of both Testaments Idolatry Remedy against Idolatry p. 159 The Fifth Book Of a Mediatour Title 1. Of the Name and Thing Transition Mediatour Reconciliation Moses p. 167 Title 2. Of the Person of Christ Two Natures Vnion Incarnation p. 170 Title 3. Of the Mediatorship of Christ Christ sole Mediator God is one All Nations sinners Jews and Gentiles made one Christ a Soveraign Mediator Testament includes a Covenant Wherein Christ's Mediatorship consists Mediator and Testator how concurring p. 177 Title 4. Of Christ's Priesthood Christ's offering One God to mediate to One Man to mediate for One God and Man to mediate One Ransom to mediate by Christ a Man Christ the greatest and truest High Priest Christ offered Self p. 180 Title 5. Of the Dignity of Melchisedec A Priest A singular Priest A perpetual Priest Greater than Abraham Abraham paid Tithes to Melchisedec Melchisedec not of Aaron's Tribe Abraham blessed of Melchisedec Sacerdotal Blessing Levi paid Tithes to Melchisedec Actions of Fathers transmitted to Children Levi blessed of Melchisedec Melchisedec immortal p. 184 Title 6. Of the Order of Melchisedec Christ of that order Christ's pedigree Joseph's pedigree Maries pedigree Christ no Priest by birth Christ made a Priest by oath Christ a Royal Priest Christ Priest and Sacrifice Christ ministers in Heaven Tabernacle imperfect Sanctuary a worldly manufacture Ordinances arbitrary Way to Holiest not made Christ first enters the Holy place Faithful enter at the last day Services imperfect Christ's blood dedicates the Holy of Holies One offering Christ offers Self in heaven Christ reigns in heaven Melchisedec a type of Christ Of the offering of Christ Through the spirit Without spot Once In Heaven p. 189 Title 7. Of Christ's Humiliation Extent of Christ's obedience To all Law Above all Law Against all Law Extremity of Christ's obedience Rarity Shame Curse Reasons of Christ's obedience To confirm Testament To expiate sin and misery p. 202 Title 8. Of Christ's Exaltation Victory over sin Imputation of righteousness Jural righteousness Reasons of victory over sin Light conquers darkness Sin no native Propension in Nature to its proper state Genuine nature of the Spirit Superiour faculties predominate Active cooperation Christ's victory over Law Outward Covenant of Works Inward state of Mind Alive to sin Dead to Law Carnal liberty to sin Legal perfection Our victory over Law Grace stronger than Law Spirit of Grace stronger than spirit of Law God delights more in mercy than vengeance Man object of Gods love Christ's pleading undeniable to God Christ's victory over death Victory procured meritoriously by Christ's death Victory obtained by the spirit of Faith Our victory over death Sin conquered Law conquered Devil conquered Christ entred into the Holy of Holies p. 210 Title 9. Of mistakes of the effects of Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation Nothing for us to do Trust to outward Mortifications Superstition Natural complexion for Divine grace Rhetoricating Consequences of Christ's death and resurrection Material Cross Spiritual Cross Material resurrection Spiritual resurrection Material ascension Spiritual Ascension No oblation pleased God but Christ's Every one that comes to God must offer Christian Religion most spiritual and glorious No Mediatour but Christ End of
is my Spiritual will In allowing the Brute to rule over the Angel the Slave to domineer over the Master In hurrying my self headlong into Sin and Death when I should and could advance my self unto Righteousness and Life What course shall I take to change my condition for a better shall I alwaies be a Slave and know it and never seek to help it O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this bondage shall I alwaies be a dying till I die everlastingly and know it and never seek to help it O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Oh I have found out a Remedy The Law of God in it self does not do it but the Grace of God which is above the Law can do it Grace a sole Remedy The law of my Mind cannot do it but the Grace of God which is above the Law can do it and faith in the Promises of Grace to keep Covenant with God is God's instrument in my mind to do it And by this Grace and by this Faith I am saved and not by the Law nor by Works And I can do all things by my Faith through this Grace of God that strengthens me and I thank God for this Grace which is sufficient for me and for this victory by Grace through our Lord Jesus Christ SECTION 2. By all bad Law II. By all bad Laws A bad Law does not deceive as bad but under the notion of a good Law Evil in it self is ugly and therefore frightful and therefore abhorred and shunned but when the faces of Good is dawbed upon it then poor ignorant Souls are cheated by it A lively Bait hides the deadly Hook Thus there are Statuets of Omri The stool of Wickedness that establisheth mischief by a Law Am. 5.7 that decrees unrighteous decrees and writes grievous things that turns Judgment to wormwood that turns Judgment away backward Is 59.14 and forceth Justice to stand afar off Making Truth to fall in the streets and not suffering Equity to enter So that he that departeth from evil must make himself a prey There are Laws of Rebellion Oaths Covenants and Leagues against the Powers and Lives of Princes called Holy God's Cause the setting of Christ upon his Throne under the specious Pretences of Liberty the Children of Disobedience rise up against their Lawful Superiors call themselves Saints and the sober part of the Nation and make themselves and others more sinful and miserable Private Laws and Orders made by Subjects without the stamp of Authority are of force and credit to call forth private men out of their houses into the high Places of the field and from handling the Ax and Hammer nay the Plow and Spade to brandish the Sword of War and traverse the Instruments of death in the field and upon the mighty Waters A pitiful Injunction of a sneaking Fryer shall prevail with a wise and brave Fellow to strip himself of his Tissues and rub himself in hair and course Sacking and to plow upon his own back long Furrows like a fool with whips of Scorpions to pine himself to a Skeleton to hurt his bare feet upon the stones and in the Ice and Snow upon a Pilgrimage to I know not who And when he dyes to forget his poor dearest and nearest Relations and give all that he hath to a company of cheating lazy Lubbards that will promise to redeem his Soul from roasting in Purgatory and laugh heartily in their Sleeves to see his Heirs wiped out of all when he is dead and gone And what Law of God hath required these things at any man's hands There is a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels and of Saints under a great Shew of Devotion against all Devotion The Law against Law and Schools and Learning makes me hate all Pen-and-Ink-horn-men all Princes Priests Lawyers Magistrates and Scholars There are Preachings against Preachings Prayings against Prayings preaching and praying by the Spirit extempore against both these by premeditation Prophets prophesie falsly they dawb with untempered Morter they preach pleasing things smooth things words of deceit The Prophet is a fool and the Spiritual man is mad The blind lead the blind and the People will be deceived and make much of them that cause them to erre and love to have it so There are Laws for Fornication Adultery Incest Plunder Piracy Sacriledge and all Villanies but above all to do the highest pieces of Injustice under the solemn forms of Justice and to wash their hands and wipe their mouths and protest their Innocency and their Piety too that they do it for good There are Laws among Thieves and Robbers and all unlawful Societies Cateline drinks Blood and makes the Conspiratours pledge him The Jews bound themselves with an Oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul The Invasion of 88 the Gunpowder Treason the Holy War the Holy League the Sicilian Evensong the Massacre of Paris and of the Albigenses the Rebellions in Germany France Flanders Scotland Ireland but especially in England for twenty years were all by the Covenants and Oaths of a godly Party for Religion for Laws when against Religion and all Laws so true is that saying Omne malum in nomine Dei If there chance to be a flaw in any Statute or a contrariety between Law and Law we can take occasion quickly to justifie our Transgressions thereby A cunning Lawyer will pick out enough Law to overthrow many good Laws Who so nice in the Law as those that break Law and yet study how to evade the penalty of Law by Prohibitions from Process in Courts Christian by Protections by Prerogatives How many by strictness of Law against Rogues and Vagabonds break all Laws of Charity In a word How do men study and take pains to deceive themselves and that by the Law too which is good and should guide them into good and by Laws which are bad to justifie them to some purpose in their ungodly deeds SECTION III. By one Law in the same Law 3. By one Law in the same Law There may be one Clause in Law which may deceive me in another Clause of the same Law because Words and Idioms of speech are full of various ambiguities When the Grammar or Common sense of the words of a Law suffice not to interpret the meaning of a Law Words and sense of Law then that is taken for the true meaning of the words of a Law that tends to the doing of the works of the Law As for instance The Law of Sicily forbad their Priests to resign their Benefices to their Sons Now Instances two Priests of Panormo agreed interchangeably to resign their respective Livings to each others Son So they kept the words of the Law but hindred the Law of its true end and so sinned against the meaning and mind of the Law which was that no Priest should resign his Benefice to the
sin and look out for a farther remedy than the Law could afford That he might renounce and disclaim all beside God and take him only for his helper by flying from the Throne of his Law and Justice to the seat of his Grace and Mercy admiring and praising the superexcellency of his Grace above all his Works and for ever after deny any hope or comfort in any thing save in the free Grace of God 2. God put Man under the administration of the Gospel of Grace to convince him of God's love and favour unsought for and undeserved That he might see that there was help in the Creatour alone that he might adore and praise his Redeemer and rejoyce in his Love and enjoy his Rewards in full satisfaction to his Soul for ever O the riches of the glory of God's Grace that hath done more than his Law or Justice could do We should never have been undeceived nor unpunished without Grace but had been for ever sinful and miserable without it but now if we will we may be for ever holy and happy with it There was a spirit of Rule and Direction in the Law there is a spirit of Help and Assistance in the Gospel There was a spirit of Anger and Wrath in the Law there is a spirit of Love and Favour in the Gospel There was a spirit of Punishment and Death in the Law there is a spirit of Pardon and Life in the Gospel So God attains to his ends and designs by Grace His end and design is to save and in order thereto to relinquish the rigour of his Justice and draw them out of the fire that run into it by the offer of his Grace To throw out a cord of Love to them that will catch hold of it after they have plunged themselves into a gulf of wickedness So much God delights in his best and greatest Works And now after all this if we will not be saved but sin wilfully or trust to our own Righteousness we can have no excuse Before men might say something though not sufficient that they had no strength to avoid sin though they had sufficient from that dispensation of Grace that then was and that the Law made them know and desire sin more though not properly this last to make them desire it but because forbidden therefore their Lust made them the more desire it But now what can they say They are sinful and therefore miserable Here is Grace to make them holy and happy What shall they do to be saved They must accept this Grace and they shall be saved by it Will they accept or will they not If they will they may nothing hinders them They are not under the Law but under Grace The Lust in their Members strives to hinder them but cannot without their consent The World and the Devil tempt them by their Lust to hinder them but cannot without their consent This is the last and great Remedy of Sin and Misery this will do if men will take it else nothing can do How can a sick man be cured that will not take his Medicine How can any thing do any man good against his will Salvation it self cannot save those that will not be saved Now every mouth must be stopped God can nor will do no more than he hath done What could I have done more for my Vineyard which I have not done c. He hath given the World to understand his two great dispensations of the Law and Gospel 1. How the Law was a Rule to direct and reward those that kept it and punish them that broke it but Lust by it deceived us into sin and misery 2. How the Gospel is a Help as well as a Rule to save those that embrace it and Lust cannot deceive us by it into sin or misery but obstinacy and refusal may and will dam up all hope God therefore hath left off his Threats and Poenal dispensations to all faithful Souls Though he do inflict some Judgments as he did before yet not in that manner nor for that end as formerly The Unbelieving are justly punished but the Faithful are fatherly corrected This is a dispensation of mercy even in Afflictions to them 1. The assistances of the Spirit and the comforts thereof do abundantly recompense and moderate the pains of the flesh 2. The hope of Rewards engages them against hope to believe in hope Still God draws by the cords of Love by Perswasions and Entreaties not by Threats or Compulsions Understand therefore O Man the work of God's grace toward thee Whereas by Law and the Righteousness thereof thou art deceived in trusting to thy self breaking the Law by Lust By Grace and the Righteousness of God thou art not deceived in trusting to Christ fulfilling the Law by love A Covenant of Works by Law could not save thee for they are external only A Covenant of Faith by Grace can save thee by internal Righteousness So no Salvation by Law or Covenant of Works for outward Righteousness But by the Gospel or Covenant of Grace by inward Righteousness This is Faith this is the Righteousness of Faith The CONTENTS Mystical Precepts Mystical Providences TITLE XV. Of the mystery of the Law Of the mystery of the Law GOD gave a Civil Law by Moses to the Jews for their own Government and an Ecclesiastical Law for his own Worship 1. That they might live by no other Laws than God's 2. That they might not worship any other God in any other manner than God had prescribed Upon performance of their obedience to this Law was the Land of Canaan given them a figure at the same time of Heaven This Law had a double sense of Precepts Literal or Carnal and Spiritual or Mystical This Law had a double sense of Promises Literal or Carnal and Spiritual or Mystical Mystical Precepts The Spiritual and Mystical Precepts and Promises for eternal Salvation were ordained before the Law and under the Law not by the Law and after the Law most fully by the Gospel The Sons of men before the Flood departed from these Precepts but the Sons of God kept them and therefore God made a special application to those of them that were of Abraham's stock espousing them to himself and separating them by his peculiar Promises and Commands from all the rest of the Sons of men that followed Idolatry This separation from God began betimes one of Adam's Sons followed the true Worship the other departed from God with his Posterity after their own Will Gen. 4. ult Then did Lamech first violate that Law of Monogamie which was given to Mankind in the state of Integrity from whose Family the old Doctours of the Jews affirm that Idolatry first sprang As Ferity in eating live flesh with the blood thereof and Barbarism from those Mighty hunters who would live for themselves not for the common good of Mankind These Sons of men lived by their own Wills by Force Heb. 11. not
by Law but Abel Noah Enoch c. the Sons of God before and after the Flood lived all by Faith Mystical Providences In all which Dispensations not only the Rites and Ceremonies of Worship the words of the Law and Prophets but the actions of God's Providence were Mystical to represent the things of Faith as Paradise and the Trees of Life and of Knowledge the marriage of Adam and Eve Eph. 5.32 the Calling of Abraham the Ark the Bondage of Egypt and deliverance through the Red Sea the Wilderness the Land of Canaan the Captivity of Babylon c. The interpreters that stick in Literal sense of the Old Testament cleave close only to the outside and bark but never come near the pith and marrow therein contained The History and Letter is not to be neglected but the truth of Faith covered and veiled in the Law and the Prophets and in the Transactions of God is to be searched diligently As the Fathers themselves and Prophets enquired after this Salvation and Grace which was to come unto them 1 Pet. 1.10 which things the Angels themselves desired to look into This is testified in the Scriptures 2 Cor. 3.6 c. God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit of the ministration of the Spirit and Life and of Righteousness much more glorious than that of the Flesh and of Death and Sin The Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea 1 Cor. 10.1 c. and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ c. Now what is it to be baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea but to pass through the Sea under the covering of a Cloud submitting themselves to the conduct of Moses as the Faithful do under the banner of Christ in Baptism And what are the Meat and Drink and the spiritual Rock but types of the spiritual Meat and Drink and Rock of Christ which the Apostle hints saying Now all these things happened to them for our examples and are written for our admonition verse 11. upon whom the ends of the World are come And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 But most clearly speaks the Apostle in these words Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 c. that we might know the things that are freely given us of God which things also we speak not in the words which Man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual What are these Spiritual things but the Spiritual sense of Moses Law and of the Prophets compared with the more Spiritual things of the Gospel and of Christ In this sense the Law is Spiritual Ro. 7.14 Acts 7.38 and Moses is said to have received the living Oracles of God And the Jew and Circumcision openly in the Flesh and Letter is distinguished from the Circumcision of the heart and the Judaism of the Spirit This is the Righteousness of God Ro. 2.28 29. Ro. 1.17 revealed from Faith to Faith from the Law to the Gospel Grace for Grace the Grace of the Gospel revealed for that which was concealed in the Law For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.16 17. Luc. 24.45 And they erre that know not the Scriptures of the Old Testament in these senses for in them there is Salvation contained through Faith not the works of the Law as appears by the whole Catalogue of Saints in the eleventh of the Hebrews Indeed the kingdom of Heaven is not expressed in the Letter but in the Spirit of the Law which all did not perceive else how should the Sadduces part of the most Learned and many among the Priests and of the Sanhedrin not discern it Vide Act. 4.1 6. and 5.17 and 23.6 The Promises of the Law are plainly extant Exod. 16.27 28. and 19.5 6. and 23.25 Deut. 26.16 and 27.28 29 30. Lev. 25. per totum Heb. 7.19 and 8.6 and 9.15 and 7.16 and 9.9 14. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Math. 22.36 Now these Carnal Rewards were not proportionable to a Spiritual Law therefore the Law was Carnal as the Promises were For the Moral Precepts that are of perpetual right are in their office Carnal if they be exerted no farther than the measures of a Carnal life As the Precept of loving our Neighbour respected only the duty of a Civil life among the Jews because the same offices of Civility were forbidden to be exercised by them towards the Ammonites Moabites Idumaeans and Egyptians Deut. 23.3 6 8. and 25.17 18 19. Upon this account Mordecai is supposed to deny to give honour to Haman Esth 2.3 These Precepts were given upon the account of hindering the infection of Idolatry by too much familiarity of Consanguinity Affinity or intimacy of Conversation And these very Enemies of God's People were figures of the Enemies of all Christians And this sense of the Law in this case Christ himself does declare in the Parable of him that fell among Thieves Luk. 19.29 By this way and method if due care were taken the Scriptures might be understood and the Word of Truth rightly divided and things new and old exactly distinguished and the difference between Judaism and Christianity exactly stated By this one distinction of a Mystical and Literal sense the Law of Works might be discerned from the Law of Grace the Righteousness of the Law from the Righteousness of the Gospel ☞ By this we should understand that all that was brought in by Moses is vanished and gone and nothing is of force or virtue to remain but that which was introduced by God of Christ from the beginning to be promulgated instaurated and fully reformed in the fullness of the Gospel times by Jesus Christ in the flesh Only we must take heed That although the reason of God's divine Counsel for the restauration of Man fallen in Adam is more clearly revealed by the Gospel than it was before or under the Law yet nevertheless it is not to be expected that out of the Scriptures we should define the same bounds of offices set by the preaching of the Gospel which were known and received to them that understood the Spiritual Law under Moses which was a Law that vailed a better Law For what should hinder but that while the same Reason of Salvation stands in force at all times there should be some offices proper only for some of those times according to the different manner of God's divine Revelation And therefore now all Carnal offices do cease which never were in their own nature acceptable unto God for they are
any other name by which the World can be saved but only by the name of Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen There have been different Dispensations but the same Grace Yet still I say Believers were never under the Law as it was the Covenant of Works were allways under the Law as it was the Covenant of Grace St. Chrysostom expounds the History of the two Twins Hom. 42. in Gen. Gen. 38.30 which Thamar brought forth by her Father in Law Judah by the Mystery of Christians and Jews By God's appointment he that first put forth his hand was last born that thereby might be signified the entrance of the Law which yielded unto Faith For Abel Enoch Noah Melchisedec and Abraham before the Law pleased God as Christians do after the Law But that there might be some suppression of the over-flowings of sins in the world the Law was given which though it did not quite extinguish Sin yet it restrained it much by Terrible Punishments which in the last Place Faith utterly took away by most comfortable Mercies Come on therefore thou Covenant of Grace and we shall be saved by thee that could not be saved by the Covenant of the Law We have an holy boldness to appeal from the Throne of Justice unto the Mercy-Seat from Works to Faith from Law to Gospel from Bondage to Liberty from Death to Life This is the height of all perfection Behold I shew unto you the most excellent way God demonstrating his great kindness to the Sons of men he gave grace before more sparingly but now most largely and generally full measure pressed down and running over Grace for Grace This is the Standard of the Lord set up upon a hill Flie to it all ye Nations that are heavy laden with the burden of your sins and ye shall find rest for your Souls in the Dispensations of Righteousness Grace and Glory Why will ye groan under bondage and never look out for freedom Why will ye die O ye Sons of Men Come on let us leave Moses behind us and follow Christ Come O come to my Soul thou that art highly beloved of the Father full of Grace and Truth and of thy fullness we shall all receive grace for grace Come Thou Fairest of ten thousand to the Jew labouring under the costly Ceremonies and deadly Injunctions and relieve him into a spiritual Worship and a lively Commandment To the Gentile groping under darkness and stooping under Satan's load and give light and put thy easie burden upon his shoulders Trust not Thou Jew in thy Flesh and in thy Law for the Righteousness thereof but trust to the Spirit and to the Gospel for the Righteousness thereof Trust not Thou Gentile to thy Arts or Arms but trust to the saving knowledg and power of Christ and to the lively Oracles of God Let both Jew and Gentile come up to a better Rule approach to a higher Sun Ye were in Plato's care before and saw nothing but shadows Come forth now into the open Light and see the Beauties of the Substances themselves See what a Dispensation the Gospel is Heretofore a little Grace and a great deal of wrath Now all Grace and no Wrath Heretofore a little Rule a Law Form a Temporal Law of Wrath Now a vast Direction a high Tribunal an Eternal Law of Grace Heretofore Cursing now Blessing Heretofore Threatnings and Fears now Promises and Hopes Heretofore a Law that could wound now a Law that can cure A Law that could kill now a Law that can make alive Never such a Dispensation as this Nothing done by judgments and Fears but all by Mercies and Love that casteth out Fears Transition This is the Reformation that is so welcome to the World that for so many Ages was longed for The Consolation so long waited for The Hope of all the Ends of the Earth and of them that remain in the Broad Sea The Fourth BOOK OF THE GOSPEL OR New Testament The CONTENTS Law changed Priesthood changed Sacrifices Gospel a Covenant of Faith God may change the Law Law advanced to Spirit Types Secret of Christ understood by degrees Divine Dispensations Creation Fall Promise Faithful Vnfaithful Gentiles feared God Law written Rites why commanded Civil Law Rule Outward Service trusted in Prophets sent Christ sent Jews Idolaters before Christ time Jews destroyed Gentiles called Old Religion antiquated Aaron's Priesthood Christ's Priesthood Typical Redemption from typical sins Real Redemption from real sins Salvation of all Men. No more Changes TITLE I. Of the Reformation AND it was high time for a Reformation and it brought mighty Changes with it and all for the better 1. Because the Priesthood was changed Heb. 7.12 Law changed Priesthood changed there was a necessity of a change also of the Law for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Covenant did Of this the Prophets foretold Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was a Husband unto them saith the Lord But this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People For they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices Ps 50.8 c. or for thy burnt Offerings I will take no Bullock out of thine house Sacrifices nor Hee-goat out of thy fold c. Offer thy God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most High c. For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it Ps 51.16 c. thou delightest not in burnt Offerings The Sacrifices of God are a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Sacrifice and Burnt offering thou didst not desire but mine eyes hast thou opened Ps 40.6 Burnt offering and Sin offering hast thou not required Then said I Loe I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me Is 1.11 c. I am full of the Burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of Beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of Hee-goats When ye
come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn Meetings your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary of them When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Wash ye make ye clean c. For I spake not unto your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning Burnt offerings or Sacrifices Jer. 7.22 but this thing I commanded them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People and walk ye in all the waies that I have commanded you that it may be well with you Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Mich. 6.6 c. and bow my self before the High God Shall I come before him with Burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give the fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease Dan. 9.27 and for the overspreading abominations he shall make it desolate even until the consummation Christ saith the Law and the Prophets were till John and no longer and since that time the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and every man rusheth into it and the violent take it by force We are not under the Law but under Grace Ro. 6.14 We are dead to the Law and the Law is dead unto us by the Body of Christ and free from the former Husband that we should be married to another Ro. 7.4 even unto him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Gal. 3.19 The Law was added because of Transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the Promise was made When we were Children we were under the Elements of the World Gal. 4.4 5. but when the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Because the Gospel was a Covenant of Faith 2. Reas Gospel a Covenant of Faith quite contrary to the Covenant of Works as the Law was For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is now made our King and Lawgiver and we are his Subjects till the day of Judgment when he shall give up the Kingdom to God the Father No wonder if this change be made 3. Reas God may change the Law For God is the Supreme Law-giver and therefore hath power over his own Law as being Creatour he hath power over his own Creatures God is immutable in himself but his Works are changeable every day He that commanded not to kill might command Abraham to kill his Son And after he had to the Jews given a Law by Moses he gave another Law to the World by Christ For finding fault with the first he established the second Heb. 8. which was a better Covenant and established upon better Promises The former grew old and was ready to vanish away and gave place to the Law of Faith Jam. 2.8 12. Ro. 8.12 the Royal law of Liberty The law of the Spirit of life to make us free from the law of sin and death And as mens Wills are ambulatory till their last Will which is established by death so was God's Will till the Gospel was given as his last Will established by the death of Christ Because Christ advanced the Law and Worship of God from Carnal to Spiritual from childish and imperfect usages to such as were natural 4. Reas Law advanced to Spirit manly and perfective Christ also advanced the Rewards of God from Canaan to Heaven from life Temporal to life Eternal by bringing Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel A consideration of this Change and of Christ that made it 5. Reas Types was in respect of the Types and Figures of the Law and of the Transactions and Dispensations of affairs in the Commonwealth of the Jews under the Law Vide 1 Cor. 10.1 Heb. 11.26 and 13.8 1 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 1.20 1 Cor. 15.22 Ro. 5.12 to 19. Heb. 9.15 Act. 13.29 Rev. 13.8 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 9.25 28. SECTION I. All did not know then how Christ was their Saviour as we do Secret of Christ understood by degrees Heb. 11. but they understood it darkly and afar off and longed to see that day and waited for the Consolation of Israel This they learned as they were able of their Superiours the Prophets and Judges and Fathers of old who being acquainted with this Secret were to acquaint the People with it sparingly and by degrees as they themselves were but able to do for though great and knowing men in their several times yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater and more knowing than they Of which Salvation the Prophets enquired and searched diligently 1 Pet. 1.10 who prophesied of the Grace that should come searching what and in what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into Divine Dispensations By all which passages it appears how admirable the divine Dispensations have been in all Ages Creation God made Man upright and made a Covenant with him of Obedience for Life Fall which he brake by Disobedience to the heavenly Command and had the wages of Death Promise Then God propounded and promised another Covenant to be confirmed by the promised Seed And man repenting of his Disobedience and believing was restored and saved thereby Faithful After that the Sons of God that were faithful and kept the worship of the true God taught their Children what was revealed unto them of God and delivered to them of their Fore-fathers Unfaithful The Sons of men that were unfaithful were so far from walking after what was taught them that they did not so much as follow the light of Nature
due yea Grace gives much good when much evil is due The Law is inexorable and spares none but Grace is easie to be entreated and spares all For Grace is a priviledge above Law rather than extremely contrary to Law An act of Super-justice rather than contrary to Justice For Mercy rejoyceth and triumpheth over Justice as being the special and highest work of God in which he most delighteh This is the Trone of Grace this is the Mercy-Seat Throne of Grace the great Court of Requests and of Chancery Ubi Jus fit Jus datur where Rights are made and where Rights are bestowed whereas in other Courts of Law Rights are only declared Such Courts are much inferior Ubi Jus dicitur where Rights are declared upon Justice to those higher ones where they are created and granted upon Mercy and Bounty and God's Mercies are above all his Works 3. So God's Grace is opposed to Wrath in extremes Wrath. As Grace gives more good than is due by Law so Wrath gives more evil than is due by Law And this Wrath God executes by taking the Sword into his own hands and punishing our sins himself beyond the ordinary way of the Law as Kings by their Prerogatives may do by Wrath to execute Vengeance more than the bare Law calls for upon some extraordinary offences on some extraordinary occasions which they themselves can best judge of especially when the Inferior Judge is negligent of his duty in not inflicting the Punishment which the Law required and when sins have been done with a high hand in open defiance of Rule and Law to the endamagement of the Commonwealth Unto this Wrath God's Grace is extremely opposed For when Law and Anger were heavily against an obstinate Sinner and the Sword of both threatens to devour in an extraordinary way then steps in Mercy and stops the Flood-gate of Anger and saves the dying Soul from the Pit of Ruine which was ready to swallow him up because God sees remorse in him though he have been notoriously wicked yet it is the good will and pleasure of God for the Glory of his Grace to spare as a Father spareth his Son that serveth him to blot out iniquities transgressions and sins and to remember them no more but that they shall be as though they had never been and now that Soul shall live he shall not die SECTION I. Works 4. So God's Grace is opposed to Works which are the Merit of the Creature but this is the Grace of the Creatour Works deserve wages but Eternal life is the gift of God Grace dignifies a Person that deserves it not No man can deserve to be born of his Father or after he is born he cannot deserve to be made the Son and Heir of another man But the only cause of a Son is Love either by Nature or by Adoption and therefore the only cause to be made the Son of God is the Grace of God not the Works of Man Free Grace Such love of God is the Grace of God whereby the Receiver is honoured and profited and yet he never deserved it This is free Justification by Grace Ro. 3.24 of Faith and therefore not of Works that it might be by Grace only otherwise Grace were no more Grace and Works were no more Works This is the Riches of God's Grace whereby we are accepted in the Beloved The gift by Grace the kindness and good will of God This Grace of God is without Cause it is it self the supreme and high cause having no other Cause above or beyond it to actuate and move it Nor can any Works so much as concur with Grace because Grace is the sole Cause For if Salvation were of Works it should be of Debt and then it could not be of Grace They are inconsistent and contrary the one to the other Ro. 4.4 Now to him that worketh is the Reward reckoned not of Grace but of Debt But if it be of Grace it is of Gift and then it cannot be of Works Ro. 11.6 And if of Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done Tit. 35. but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost By this Grace I a poor miserable Sinner attainted in the attainder of Adam's sin and born to temporal and eternal Miseries am looked upon with the eye of Mercy to be justified from all my Sin and Misery and to be invested with Holiness and Happiness And the farther Love and Grace of God to me is that all this should be done in a Testamentary way whereby I should be the more sure of it For such an Instrument as a Testament is requires all the favourable construction that can be imagined that it may take effect according to the best meaning of the Testator Rich Grace And still the Exceeding riches of his Grace appears that he did settle this his Testament by the Death of Christ who was his own and only Son whom he substituted to die in his stead For God could have setled his Testament by means less chargeable than was the precious Blood of his own Son but he could not to shew the abundance of his Love who so loved the World as that he sent his only begotten Son into the same and gave him over unto death that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And lastly all this is Grace for Grace that is freely and out of mere Grace and only for the Thanks of the Receiver SECTION II. I have enough then to uphold my Soul withal till I die Assurance and when I die to lie down with my Body in hope of a glorious Resurrection And after my death my Soul shall wait for it and at last it will come at which time my Saviour will come again and call me from the Regions and Receptacles of Rest to put my Soul and Body both into the full possession of the Inheritance to which I have a present Right by Faith in the New Testament of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Against this New Testament established by Jesus Christ the Jews did mightily stickle Jews loth to leave the Law Because the Old Testament was God's Testament written and God had made a solemn Testimony thereof on Mount Sinai where with terrible Lightning and Thunder and the shrill sound of the Trumpet and by the Fire and Smoak and the quaking of the Mountain and the voice of the Angel who represented God it was testified in the sight and hearing of all the People And also because this Law and Testament had a long prescription of fifteen hundred years together and in such cases men do use to struggle very hard and are loth to part with their so ancient Laws Customes and Priviledges especially concerning their Religion and Worship and a Change is commonly very
deformed In a word Phil. 4.3 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise we are bound to think on these things SECTION V. Exhortations Have not the Word of God in respect of Persons have no man's person in too much admiration Aim directly at the plain Truth with a single eye in simplicity of heart not inventing objections or making knots nor yet willing to be cheated or captivated in your Judgments by being magisterially imposed upon Take no part nor side resolutely to pin your Faith upon all that they say or do Count no man or Society of men infallible Be not biassed for favour or affection gain or preferment to any Sect nor from them for malice or hatred or fear of loss or punishment but strive to be of an universal Spirit free to embrace or shun without bondage or base love or fear Let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath because the wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God Thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness strive to take in all truth walk humbly honestly and warily working out our Salvation with fear and trembling and making our Calling and Election sure Look alwaies well to the end walk circumspectly as wise men stand fast in your Christian liberty quit your selves like men pressing on still to the mark of the High calling which is laid up for you in Christ Jesus The Gospel promiseth great things to all Eternity and having such a hope in you so full of a glorious and blessed Immortality be alwaies aspiring to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord that ye may obtain an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith which is in Christ Jesus Let no Profane or Unclean Wretches expect any good Be not deceived God is not mocked No Whoremonger nor Adulterer nor Fornicator nor Covetous person which is an Idolater shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God or of Christ They can have no part or share of the Inheritance with the Saints in Light that walk on here in darkness The hopes of Hypocrites must needs perish as the Spider's web Let the Faithful hope and pray for the Kingdom of heaven let them be glad and rejoyce for great is their Reward in heaven yea let them lift up their heads with joy for their Redemption draweth nigh and now is nearer than they are aware of Let them remember that their Saviour is their Judge and most favourable to all that have honest hearts he knows how to relieve the ignorant and weak and such as are out of the way He will resolve them in all their doubts comfort them in all their sorrows direct them in all their wandrings heal them in all their maladies strengthen them in all their weaknesses and do for them abundantly above all that they are able to ask or think He will reject none that come unto him he will admit all to the Legacies contained in his Father's Will and Testament that shall be found capable to receive them cum favore Believe Love Work Hope Desire Persevere no matter what Men judge Trust to the Word of Life follow that blessed Rule and be happy Live and die in Faith and lie down in Hope to rise again to everlasting Life and Salvation Be thankful that ye are under the conduct of the Spirit of Life and Grace plentiful and strong Helps brought home to the door of your hearts waiting to be let in These are within us If we will receive them there they be ready for us Nothing of God wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves There is a Voice behind us saying This is the Way walk in it turn from the waies of Wickedness pass by them come not near unto them for fear Iniquity procure your ruine The Spirit invites perswades by all means if our Spirits will hear incline or desire God will move and incline our desires to good If honestly Uprightness and Meekness be in us God will love us and we shall love him and Love shall cover a multitude of sins Having such pretious Promises and such gracious Encouragements be bold with a holy boldness to challenge them from God by the Mediation of Jesus Christ in whom they are made sure Claim therefore as your dues The Word and Sacraments The Liberty from the Law Access to the Throne of Grace Forgiveness of Sins The Gift of the Spirit The Resurrection of the Body The Life Everlasting For these things are fit for God to give and for God's Children to receive because Great is he that hath promised and Great is he in whose Name and for whose sake he hath promised such great things and therefore in and by and through him we have freedom of Access to the Throne of Grace for Grace sufficient to help us in the times of all our need The CONTENTS Nature of Liberty Form Loosness from all Incumbrances Largeness TITLE VIII Of Liberty BEsides the two forementioned Properties of the two Testaments viz. The New Spiritual and Lively The Old Literal and Deadly There may be added two more to distinguish them from each other viz. The New Testament begeteth the Spirit of Freedom The Old Testament engendreth the Spirit of Bondage Between a Son and a Servant is great difference chiefly in their state The Son is free of his Father's house and hath a Right of perpetuity to abide therein for ever but the Servant is at the will of his Lord and hath no liberty to abide in the house for ever The Son is Herus minor quasi Dominus rerum paternarum The Church is God's Family Christ is God's Son therefore is free of the Church for his self and hath power to make others free not in word or shew Joh. 8.36 but in deed and truth If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Nature of Liberty Of Liberty there are two parts the Nature the Subjects The Nature of Liberty consists in four Points the Form the Seat the Terms and the Cases of it Form The Form is a Loosness and clearness from all Impediments Entanglements and Incumbrances Loosness from all Incumbrances The more Loose we be the more free if fully loose then fully free termed Inalligation opposit to obligation an Independency Therefore whatsoever is unbound not hanging upon any thing is properly loose as Psal 2.20 He looseth them that are appointed to die that are fast bound in misery and Iron The shaking off of Shackles and Fetters So the Woman whose Husband is dead is loosed from the Law of her Husband Ro. 7.2 I. The first Reason is from the Contrariety of Slavery which Reas 1 is 1. Perpetual an Inheritance to the Lord and his Heirs for ever So Liberty is perpetual to himself and his
are as Isaac who was a True Son and had the State of the Person and the Right of a Son because he came from a Woman who had the state of a Woman and the Right of a Wife and was no Bond-woman nor Concubine So it is plain from this way of Argumentation used by the Apostle That the Sons of the Law that trust to the Law only shall be as little justified or have as little Right to the Inheritance of heaven as Ismael had to Abraham's Inheritance which was none at all because he was born of a Woman who had Works enough for she was a Bond-maid but those could create unto her no Right nor to her Son to inherit But the Sons of the Gospel that trust to the Gospel only shall be thereby as much justified and have as much right to the Inheritance of heaven as Isaac had to Abraham's Inheritance which mas a complete Right because he was born of a Woman who had Faith to conceive when past Child-bearing which did create to her a full Right to be a Mother and to her Son to be an Heir This was the first Difference between the two Mothers and the two Sons on the Mother's side The second Difference is between the two Sons only by the Father's side For though they had one and the same Father yet they were begotten from different principles and operations in Abraham enabling him to beget them Gen. 16.2 1. Ismael came from Abraham as from a natural Father born after the flesh by Abraham's natural power and strength of Generation as also from Agar's natural force of Conception For Abraham was not restrained by Nature from begetting being then but eighty five years old though Sarah was restrained from bearing though not by Nature as being the younger yet by God's will 2. Isaac came from Abraham as from a supernatural Father born after the Spirit by Abraham's supernatural power and strength of Generation from God as also from Sarah's supernatural virtue of Conception by God For Abraham was restrained by Nature from begetting Ro. 10.7 being then Ninety nine years old and Sarah had a double deadness for besides that she was barren she was Ninety years old yet conceived by virtue of God's Promise Ro. 9.8 9. or by the Spirit and power of God upon her Faith So they that will be under the Law which is a Bond-woman and engendring to Bondage though thereby they be the Children of God yet they are but his natural and carnal Children because born after a more natural and carnal way by Works under the Law Heb. 9.10 consisting in carnal and fleshly Ordinances But they that are under Grace or under the Gospel which is a Free-woman and engendring to Liberty they are the True Divine and Spiritual Sons of God because they are born after a more supernatural and Spiritual way by Faith under the Gospel consisting of Spiritual Precepts Thus that which is born of the Law or Flesh is flesh Joh. 3.3 according to the nature of the Law but that which is born of the Gospel or Spirit is Spirit according to the nature of the Gospel And the Sons of God by Faith are Sons by Adoption and Grace Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ Jesus Eph. 1.13 and are sealed with that Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of their Inheritance SECTION III. Many more Covenants God made But two Eminent Covenants but these two of the Law and Gospel were the most eminent 1. Because they were National The Law was a Covenant with the Nation of the Jews and the Gospel was a Covenant with all Nations The rest of the Covenants of God were Personal God was one Party and the Counterparty to him was some single Person as Adam Noah Abraham David c. 2. Because these two were Mediatory Covenants made by the Intervention of two solemn Mediators Moses and Christ the rest were immediately proposed by God and had no Interlocutor or Mediator Yet though these two Covenants disagree from all the rest yet are they different and contrary the one to the other Hagar and Sarah and the Children of the Covenant as contrary the one to the other as Ismael and Isaac The Apostle addeth to the Nature of the two Covenants the adjuncts of Place and Effect 1. For the Law the Place it was from Mount Sinai in Arabia Gal. 4.25 the Country of Hagar's Posterity called Hagarens though they would be thought to be of Sarah and called Saracens Exod. 19. Gen. 2â— And Hagar her self was originally of Egypt the house of Bondage 2. The Effect of the Law was Bondage engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Law so are the Spirits and Manners of men under it The Law of Moses burthensom for its Rites and contains only outward Precepts and Temporal Promises and Curses And therefore it self begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it of servile drudgery and slavish fear under a Curst Mistress II. For the Gospel 1. The Place it was from Mount Sion in Jerusalem the Country of Sarah and her Posterity which though free in comparison of Arabia yet is in bondage being compared with the heavenly Jerusalem which is absolutely and truly free Gal. 4.26 Heb. 11.10 Heb. 11.16 and is the Mother of us all A City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God in a better Country than Canaan that is the Heavenly Canaan where God hath prepared this City For we are come to Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 11.22 and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect This is the holy City Apoc. 21.2 3. the New Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband The Tabernacle of God with Men. So the Seat of the Gospel is above whence it was delivered to Christ and from whence Christ brought it to the World below 2. The Effect of the Gospel is Liberty engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Gospel so are the Spirits and Manners of Men under it The Gospel of Christ is easie and light for its Rites which are but two Baptism and the Lord's Supper and for its Precepts and Promises and Threatnings pure spiritual and eternal And therefore it begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it self of Son-like Diligence and filial Love under a kind and tender Mother The Mothers differ so do the Children The Children resemble their several Mothers The Children of their several Mothers resemble one another and are all in a like state of the same Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for the Letter The Children of the Gospel are chiefly for the Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for Temporals The Children of the
all these So the Church hath her Pupillage and Tutorage and also her Majority and full Age. However God revealed himself at sundry times and after divers manners by his Servants to the infant Church in former Ages Heb. 1.2 yet in these last and riper daies he hath more fully revealed himself by his Son Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 10 11 12. ready to be revealed in the last time of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the Angels desire to look into And these all having obtained a good report through Faith received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect SECTION II. Jews a childish People The Jews are reckoned a childish People who though they had perpetual Oracles Miracles and Prophets among them as evidences of God's Presence and Protection yet they fell of shamefully to Idolatry A Prodigy GOD being daily in their eye and as it were handled by them in Egypt at the Red-Sea by a Pillar of Fire by night and of Cloud by day in the Wilderness giving them the Law and Manna from heaven c. in the Tabernacle and in the Temple when they came into the Land of Canaan That all along they should distrust his Goodness and Rebel against him But after seventy years Captivity that sore and lasting Calamity for all their Idolatries they began to come to their Wits arriving at some degree of maturity and growth The Temple so destroyed and now so proudly re-edified and their Enemies still increasing upon them and God withdrawing his visible presence from them by little and little and no Angel nor Prophet appearing to comfort them they were taught that there was some higher Worship and more Spiritual happiness intended for them than the Law did promse And they began by degrees to elevate their minds to seek him in his proper dwelling place of Heaven and to rely upon Coelestial and Eternal Promises as appeared by the constancy of their Sufferings under Antiochus even to Martyrdom in the Hope that their Fathers the best of them had That they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11.35 Thus their Affections were weaned by degrees towards the dawning of the Gospel and the Day-spring from on high which was shortly to visit them All hopes of Temporal happiness failing them being put under the Roman-yoke also which they so much abhorred the Wisest among them did look up higher than this World and waited for the greater Consolation of Israel who was to be the Hopes of all the ends of the Earth The Glory of the Scepter being at last departed from Judah first ravished from them by one of the Limbs of the Macedonian Lion and afterwards grasped by the Talons of the Roman Eagle after this deadly gripe the Royal Stock was quite extinct and the Office of Aaron perplexed and all things in Church and State so blended contrary to their Original Institution that they were at their wits end as to any Temporal recovery which made the Understanding Party look up higher but the Generality were sorely abused by their Leaders and Teachers Then came John the Baptist the Preacher of Repentance to the Poor people and to the Scribes and Pharisees that generation of Vipers warning them to flee from the Wrath and to embrace the Mercy that was to come and to bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance and not to say any more in their hearts That they had Abraham to their Father for God was able out of the Stones to raise up Children unto Abraham not to trust in the Temple for not a stone shall be left upon a stone and the Axe was laid to the Root of the Tree and every Tree that brought not forth good fruit was to be hewn down and cast into the fire Also Christ was to come with his Fann in his hand who would throughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire And except men were born again and except their Righteousness did exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they should never enter into the Kingdom of heaven but must be baptized not with VVater but with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Many mighty Miracles were done by Jesus Christ and his Disciples in all the Regions round about so as it was never heard of or seen before since the VVorld stood At this hearing and seeing of these VVonders the People were amazed and all sorts began to enquire saying What shall we do The Law and the Prophets were until John Luk. 10.16 since that time the Kingdom of heaven is taken by violence and every man presseth into it Thus was the way of the Lord prepared and his paths made streight Every Valley was exalted and every Mountain and Hill brought low Luk. 3.5 c. and the crooked paths made streight and the rough waies made smooth and all flesh was to see the Salvation of God And the Axe laid to the Root of the Tree and every Tree that brought not forth good fruit was to be hewn down and cast into the fire So the Jewish Church was in its Minority under the Law as under a School master which taught them Elements and gave them Corrections i. e. Elements of civil Conversation with others and sobriety in their own persons Principles of Morality as forbidding of Murther Adultery Theft c. sitting them thereby for the prohibition of Anger Malice Lust c. in the New Law of Christ who saith Math. 5.28 Whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart And he that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer And from Usury he teacheth to lend freely looking for nothing again and from Oaths not to swear at all but let their Yea be Yea and their Nay Nay and from Shadows and Ceremonies to bring them to Substantial and Spiritual worship and from Circumcision with hands in the Flesh to Circumcision without hands in the Spirit Coll 2.11 in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ All this Service was Servile as 1. To be subject to positive Laws against the Laws of Nature and forced to Punishments for breaking of them An ignorance or neglect of a Statute was expiated by a Sacrifice or Sin offering but a wilful breach by Presumption was
the Language of the Scripture and the Sense thereof and therefore may be understood and they that give their minds to it are found able to express themselves in it very well to the great comfort of themselves and others Obj. But how shall I partake of Christ and the Benefits of his Death Passion and Resurrection Sol. By the easie and only way of Credence Acceptation Covenanting and keeping Faith with God agreeable to the mind of the Spirit and renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil Care must be taken for the Soul more than for the Body If God had asked some great thing must thou not have done it How much more when he saith Believe only and thou shalt be saved Ask and you shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you If there be first a willing mind it is accepted of God according to what a man hath and not according to what a man hath not If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And God giveth his holy Spirit to those that ask him So Christ by his Death and Resurrection hath externally conquered Sin Law and Death for all men So Christ by his Spirit doth internally conquer Sin Law and Death in every believing Soul and creates inherent holiness therein So by Faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God by Grace and Adoption as Christ is by Nature and Generation So by the Spirit of Faith we are inherently sanctified in Love and Good Works which maintains and upholds our Justification by Faith So Imputed Righteousness by Faith is our external Righteousness of the Spirit of Righteousness or Justification to Eternal Life So our Inherent Righteousness by Works is the inward Sanctification of the Spirit of Holiness In all this Book I have laboured to demonstrate Christ's Mediation between God and us especially as he is an High Priest I. In the outward Temple on Earth preparing himself for a Sacrifice by the sufferings and death of his Flesh II. In the inward Temple of Heaven by finishing the Sacrifice in the oblation of his blood to God He entred into the out ward Temple by his Birth and there he suffered and died He went out of the outward Temple by his Resurrection He entred into the Inward Temple by his Ascension and there he ministers as a Priest 1. By offering or presenting himself unto God by his Eternal Spirit 2 By Intercession at the Right hand of God 3. By Teaching and instructing of his Church 4. By Protecting and ruling by his Spirit He shall come out of the Inward Temple at the last day 1. To Judg of all that are capable of the Inheritance devised by God in his last Will. 2. To Admit and give Possession as an Executor of God's Testament 3. To give up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all The Head being thus entred into Heaven gives assurance for the Members to follow after In the mean time 1. They have a Right to enter 2. They do enter by Faith 3. They wait by Hope for a full entrance The Soul waits after death in Paradise Abraham's Bosome The Body waits in Corruption No Oblation ever pleased God but this of Christ No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Because Pure and Holy High and Heavenly and prepared by God himself For 1. The Person is heavenly that offers 2. The Sacrifice is heavenly that is offered 3. The Spirit is heavenly by which it is offered 4. God is heavenly to whom it is offered 5. The Place is heavenly wherein it is offered 6. The Blessings are heavenly for which it is offered Dead Sacrifices were fit for the Dead Law Living Sacrifices fit for the Living Law Earthly Sacrifices were fit for the Earthly Law Heavenly Sacrifices fit for the Heavenly Gospel No True Priest Altar Sacrifice or Temple but Christ We are Priests have Altars Sacrifices and Temples but all in Christ and in his stead do all offer all in his Name All was Earthly Typical and Carnal under the Law All is Heavenly Mystical and Spiritual under the Gospel 1. Baptism is the sprinkling of the Soul with the blood of Christ and the washing of the Holy Ghost 2. Communion is the Spiritual eating of the Flesh and drinking of the blood of Christ by Faith 3. Prayer is the Act of the Soul towards God 4. Conversation is in Heaven 5. The Kingdom of God is within us ruling and subduing our Lusts 6. The Kingdom of God is above us Triumphing 7. The Temple of God is within us in our Souls and Bodies offered a Living Sacrifice to God 8. Temple of God is above us in Heaven with Christ Every one that comes to God must offer Every one that comes to God must offer 1. Christ comes to God and offers Himself 2. Christians come to God and offer Themselves Religion is an Offering to God of our selves our Goods and Actions Atheism makes no acknowledgment by offering to God either our Selves our Goods or Actions Atheists live and die to themselves without God in the World All that offer in Christ are accepted of God for Christ's sake All that offer to God and all that is offered to God must be pure as God is pure Offering is an Acknowledgment of Subjection of Thankfulness of Liberality To God to Princes to Priests that are in God's stead Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious The Christian Religion is most spiritual and glorious 1. Christ the Author of it is God and Man Humbled in Sufferings and Death Exalted in Resurrection Ascention and Session at the Right Hand of God 2. The Gospel of Christ is the full Revelation of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and the most perfect Rule of Holiness 3. Christ's kingdom is over all inwardly in our hearts outwardly over our bodies and over all creatures 4. By Christ a new Creation new Heavens and a new Earth and new creatures 5. Christians are sons and heirs of God abstracted from Jewish and Heathenish Rites and from all carnal and profane conversation pilgrims strangers on earth wise to salvation pious to God righteous to men perfect as God is perfect Christianity is quite another thing than the World takes it to be 1. No carnal worship therein Altars Masses Idols Pilgrimages Reliques Sackcloth Ashes Whippings Crosses c. Exotick Paganish 2. No worldly Policy therein Infallibility Supremacy Miracles Pomps c. Cheats Spirituality Innocency Heavenly-mindedness Simplicity Obedience Love Quietness Chastity Temperance Patience Prudence Meekness Faith Hope c. are the Laws and Customs of the Church The scandal and shame of the Cross offends the World but was endured and despised by Christ and is endured and despised by Christians having an eye as Christ had to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling
frightful nor of Catonian or Cynical Spirits But rather as becometh you gentle and merciful as your Heavenly Fais merciful who is free to all and rejects none that come unto him Observe your Saviour's temper upon earth fair free easie of access compassionate and liberal to all TITLE III. Of the Clergie's Persons II. IN your Persons Look to your selves as well as to your Doctrines be ye no Market or Fair-Divines nor Haunters of Plays Taverns Ale-houses or Schools of Debauchery In your conversation shew the spirit of men of Scholars and Gentlemen of Divines of Christians sober studious grave and regular 'T is a great while before a Divine can throughly understand himself and his profession if he studies never so hard and live never so warily But if he do neither of these or both but slightly he shall never throughly understand himself or his profession To be a Scribe throughly furnished for the kingdom of Heaven a good housholder producing out of his Treasury things new and old A Skilful workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth shewing both in his life and in his doctrine uncorruptness gravity and sincerity The CONTENTS Laws Law-Terms TITLE IV. Of the Clergie's Study AS a means therefore to make you every way compleat study Logick Philosophy History and all the Liberal Sciences but above all these study Law which is the most noble Faculty next to Theology and most Homogeneal to God's Law Remember the famous and illustrious testimony of Cicero Cic. lib. de Orat. speaking in the person of Crassus concerning the Laws of the twelve Tables Fremant omnes licet dicam quod sentio Bibliothecas meherculè omnium Philosophorum unus mihi videtur duodecem Tabularum Libellus si quis Legum fontes capita viderit Authoritatis pondere utilitatis ubertate superare i. e. Let all that hear me be never so much offended I will speak boldly what I think That this one little Book of the laws of the twelve Tables if it be rightly considered as containing the fountains and heads of all Laws doth excel the Libraries of all the Philosophers both for the weight of Authority that it carrieth along with it and the plentiful profit that is contained therein The same Author also affirms Cic. lib. 2. de Leg. That Children were wont to learn the Laws of the twelve Tables as their Primar the better to lay a foundation for knowledg and practice all their life after The Science of the Civil Lawes that flowed from this fountain of the twelve Tables the most and best of learned men have ever professed Quintus Mutius Servio Sulpitio cum de jure respondentem parum intellexisset turpe est inquit Patritio Nobili causas oranti jus in quo versatur ignorare i. e. Quintus Mutius replyed to Servius Sulpitius when he perceived that he answered not as if he understood Law saying It is a shame for a Senator a Noble Man and an Advocate to be ignorant in the Law which he professeth I always looked upon true Church men as to be the greatest Lawyers and such as therefore beside being versed in the holy Scriptures which are the Laws of God ought also to be skilful in the Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws of Men as being the most connate and genuine helps for Divinity creating better Notions by far as is found by experience than can be raised from inferior Arts which are all subservient in several ways but much less as being more heterogeneal and remote from Divinity than Laws are And this you will find to be true to your comfort and satisfaction if you will but give your minds to understand the method rules cases and terms of the Laws which next to the Scriptures do comprehend in them purest Wisdom Justice and Equity that is any where else to be found Take therefore by the way a short view of the most principal and useful Terms of Law which I have promiscuously set down for an Essay Viz. Law-terms Testator Testament Will. Codicil Heir Co-heir Inheritance Executor Administrator Dis-inheridation Preterition Institution Substitution Fidei Commissum Adoption Possession Right Title Claim Interest Propriety Usufruct Use Emphytensis Tenure Fee Allodium Allegiance Vassalage Homage Investiture Infeudation Fidelity Refutatio feudi Apertura feudi Rebellio Vacancy Administration Accompt Justice Mercy Sin Grace Virtue Vice Faith Repentance Recidivation Relapse Apostasy Predestination Election Justification Sanctification Reprobation Redemption Emancipation Exemption Jus Postliminii Curse Blessing Majesty Supremacy Emperour King Prince Duke Lord. Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction Legislator Arbitrator Policy Law Dispensation Ordinance Statute Custome Sentence Inhibition Decree Act. Interdict Appeal Priviledg Barr. Tribunal Trial. Court Advocate Witness Adversary Register Scribe Record Testimony Proclamation Petition Summons Accuser Appearance Accusation Arrest Publication Answer Defence Exception Replication Confirmation Convention Intervention Dilation Litis Contestatio Articles Probation Presumption Conclusion Absolution Condemnation Imputation Pardon Grace Glory Triumph Victory Confession Procurator Tables Action Complaint Suspension Equity Rigor Dammage Charges Recovery Restitution in integrum Jaylor Jaol Tormentor Executioner Reprieve Sergeant Sanctuary Refuge Protection Usury Wages Extortion False Weights and Measures Bribery Stellionates Sacriledg Tribute Tax Toll Custome Sedition Rebellion Poysoning Treason Crimen laesae Majestatis Parricide Murder Man-slaughter Ambitus Repetundae Annona Residuum Fiscus Falsifying Witchcraft Plagiary Sorcery Witches Curious Arts. Conniving Subornation Conjuring Conjurer Familiar Spirits Wisards Exorcists Demoniacks Lunaticks Southsayers Astrologers Pythonists Wise men City Common wealth Kingdom Citizens Free-men Exchequer Communion Sacrament Division Senate School Church Hospital Colledg Physician Chirurgeon Medicine Tumult People Poor Banishment Honour Degrading Diminutio Capitis Augmentatio Capitis Tuition Pupil Guardian Curator Orphan Minor Major Adult Minority Majority Puberty Master Servant Lord. Slave Patron Liberty Bondage Captivity Ingenuous Libertine Manumission Imprisonment Redemption Redeemer Ransome Saviour Exchange Satisfaction Satisdation Fiduciary General Captain Souldier Siege Army Camp Arms. Provision Bulwark Castle Strong hold Magazine Arsenal Ships War Peace League Truce Battel Victory Triumph Allies Confederates Conditions Heraulds Messenger Spoils Hostage Lot Chance Buying Selling. Letting Hiring Redhibition Lending Borrowing Paying Pawn Pledg Interest Recompense Restoring Surety Suretyship Security Earnest Debt Wages Debitor Creditor Market Fair. Merchandise Partnership Trade Manufacture Division Fraud Negotiation Acceptilation Theft Infamy Gift Loan Alms. Gain Loss Melioration Deterioration Use Depositing Usucapio Prescription Donation Alienation Acquisition Sequestration Fidejussor Transaction Compromise Compensation Society Mandate Familiae erciscendae Indebiti solutio Delegation Injury Violence Vindication Rescinding Peculiar Communi dividendo Finium regendorum Bona Fides Justus Metus Cession Espousals Marriage Matrimony Patrimony Divorce Saparation Nullity Fornication Adultery Rape Ravishing Incest Concubine Connubium Harlot Virgin Spouse Husband Wife Dowry Joincture Paraphernalia Parents Children Bastards Legitimate Portion Gift Promise Houshold Family Housholder Treasury Steward Widow Talent Fame Overseer
freely in the spirit above the slavery of Carnal Ordinances a higher Genius hovers over this Age. The first Reformers did well and cleared much rubbish out of the way and by their help others have come on to do more good And now the great points delivered by St. Paul and other inspired Writers concerning Faith Justification Sanctification Grace Law Works Adoption Priesthood Kingdom Mediation of Christ c. are better understood and more clearly expressed than ever they were before The world hath as good Wits as ever it had and nothing hinders yet the farther advancement of all knowledg divine and humane but the slavish tying our selves to the sole authority of the Antients without examinination of Scriptures and Reason making it religious to go no further than they for fear of being wiser than our Fathers Besides the shameful idleness of men of excellent parts for fear Forsooth of dangerous Innovations I do not mean that we should find out a new Religion but labour to understand the old better Enquire for the old ways that have been untrodden and by ways invented not for new Lights but for old better discerned But what have I done that talk so much of improvement A little I do God knows And thanks be to God if it be a little I hope others more able will be perswaded to do more I have only shewn a good heart and there is no hurt I hope to wish well to the peace of Christendome Well be it how it may be 't is agreeable to a Gospel-Spirit to pray for and aspire towards perfection to strive to be no longer children but in understanding to be men to covet after the best gifts and to find out the most excellent ways and all this while to keep liberty and peace And however men fail out of meekness and ignorance yet I condemn none that have honest hearts and strive to know and do better things But those that swell and look big upon all but their own party let them alone till their stomacks come down or if they will be wilful let them be wilful still only I am sorry in the mean time that the blind should lead the blind but the obstinate only shall fall into the ditch But they may say worse of me and therefore I had best to hold my peace for fear of bringing an old house over my head for fear of bringing swarms of Wasps about my ears Obj. In the Church nothing must be changed Sol. No truths may be changed but all errors must as Transubstantiation Purgatory Image and Saint-worship c. Alterations for the better do well at any time never for the worse Obj. Many things are different from the Articles of the Church of England Sol. It is well known to wise men that the chiefest of the first Reformers and Compilers of those Articles had a special eye to the Augustan confession and yet respected the Geneva Church too so that both parties have subscribed so could they not do to the Synod of Dort It was therefore prudently and charitably done of our Church not to fright any from her Communion but to open her breasts freely to all that would suck in her Doctrine Nor does our Church forbid her Sons to see farther if they can into her truths or to build upon her foundations This were to set bounds to all industry and ingenuity as God hath set bounds to the Sea saying Hitherto shalt thou go and no further The Scriptures are everlasting Mines new veins discovered to men that take pains to dig or else all is lost vast Treasures hid in them require searching to the world's end Who can hinder invention and industry with moderation And why may not the old foundation be enlarged and strengthned and new superstructures raised thereupon Is it good to be straitned or confined under penalties to a certain number of Articles in Religion besides or beyond the letter of which none ought to speak or write May not succession see farther into the same truths and more clearly The Tabernacle must have room to spread her curtains and enlarge her cords that she may receive the more company and stand the surer But if any thing be brought in contrary to the sound doctrine of the faith always received though it should be preached by an Angel from heaven let him be Anathema Maranatha The heat of the angry Reformation may be well near out by this time it is high time it should Did we not take many things upon trust And did we not flie from one extremity to another And may we not in all this time see our mistakes and honourably reform them Lay aside therefore all heats and interests and the business will be far better and sooner done and when it is done we will be glad and rejoyce and wish it had been done sooner Besides is it not good encouragement to searching and free spirits to look out farther and find out higher Truths which if they be stopt by reproach and persecution will perhaps lie undiscovered Who will take pains if they be disgraced and cried out upon for Hereticks and dangerous Innovators and kept under the hatches to please the humours of formal men What sense or reason is there that the Doctrine or Worship of Christian Religion should not be reformed in every Age from any error or superstition which shall creep into them by any evil custome because of antiquity Or that we should not stir a foot from those by-paths because of antiquity we know they were good men but they did not see all things as the Latin Service the half Communion c. merely out of a wilful formality and pretence of Constancy though we be convinced of such false ways It is no shame for any man or society of men to recant a manifest mistake Do not all wise Law-makers the same when manifest inconveniences do arise for the peace and wellfare of the Common-wealth And why not the same for the Church also Is it not the bane of Christianity to be stubborn in maintaining old errors merely out of pretended inconstancy and dangerous change and questioning of old truths also May not a change be safely and honourably made from worse to better in any Church or State Think again and is it not piety wisdom and charity so to do I humbly leave it to the wise to judg of these things Obj. But my Discourse is too high for ordinary capacities and therefore cannot edifie Sol. I confess it as to the lowest capacities of the most illiterate and yet not of all those neither but they and others not much learned in arts yet of good natural parts may with care quickly apprehend the meaning of the matter especially when it is before them in writing But the learned Preacher may so order his business as to hide his art and condescend sweetly to the apprehensions of the vulgar and make zealous applications upon these principles for practice of life and conversation as well and
through all the Labyrinth thereof I think it necessary besides all these proofs to add the best reasons I can to fortify this cause Right Reason 1. The matter whereunto a Man is justified is some Right which cannot be a Moral Righteousness for that is a virtue and is not deviseable to be convey'd as Rights are to any by gift or otherwise nor can Moralities descend to any by succession No Man was ever able to bequeath his Wisdom or Goodness to another from himself in his life time neither did any Son or Heir inherit his Father's Mental perfections as he may his corporal likeness or constitution or his Honour and Estate A Right is an incorporeal thing belonging to some Dignities or Revenues and Men attain to them several waies by Birth or Gift or labour This Right of Justification comes not by Birth nor yet by Work but by Gift or Grace Ro. 4.4 5. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness i. e. For a Right because it hath reference to the three former words Reward Grace and Debt The labourer and believer agree in this that both have a Right or claim the labourer to his Wages the Believer to his Promise but they differ in this the labourer hath a Right of Debt to his Wages by the title of his work that earned them the Believer hath a Right of Grace to his Promise by the Title of his Faith Abraham had a Seal of the righteousness of his Faith Now a Seal cannot be of any Moral Righteousness but of a Jural Right or Interest to some Estate of Honour or Profit A Seal fixed upon a Cabinet or parcel of Goods or upon an Instrument is a sign of the Right which the owner hath that none but he can challenge any of those Goods contained or expressed in those vessels or Writings The Right sealed to Abraham is that he might be the Father of all Believers which is a Jural Right of Dignity and that he might be the heir of Canaan which is a Jural Right of propriety Ro. 4.13 For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith i. e. not by the Right or title of the Works of the Law but by the right and title of Faith for Righteousness hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heir which are Jural terms proper for matter of Right And a Promise is an act that worketh a Right and an heir is a person that hath a Right The Hebrew word Zedakah is Englished a Right 2 Sam. 19.28.29 What right have I therefore to cry any more unto the King saith Mephibosheth and that right must be concerning his Land of inheritance whereof he stood then disseized by the treachery and calumny of Ziba For the King said unto him in the next verse Why speakest thou any more of thy matters I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land And Mephibosheth said Yea let him take all c. Nehemiah said to Sanballat and Tobiah Neh. 2.20 You have no portion no right nor memorial because they were strangers in Jerusalem Sanballat a Samaritan Tobiah an Ammonite and Geshem an Arabian Some strangers were made capable of Rights with the native Jews these Proselytes were called Gerei Zedeck Advenae Justitiae Strangers of Righteousness because of their conversion to the Jewish Religion So they had right to eat of the Pass-over Exod. 12.19.48 49. to the Feast of Expiation Lev. 16.29 to offer Sacrifice Num. 15.14 c. to use Holy water Num. 19.10 to Judicature Lev. 24.21 Ye shall have one manner of Law as well for the stranger as for one of your own Countrey Deut. 1.16 Num. 25.30 Lev. 19.33 Lev. 25.35 c. Num. 35 15. A Free holder in our Writs of Common Law is styled Homo probus legalis one that hath right to something So that Justice and Righteousness though they do signify Moral Justice Righteousness in some places yet in others they must signify Jural Rights and Titles Gal. 2.21 as If Righteousness come by the Law that is the Right to the inheritance as it is expressed Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance come by the Law it is no more of promise Both these sayings carry the same meaning that the Right of inheritance is by promise not by Law The reason of this reason is because every inheritance is a right though every right be not an inheritance And an inheritance is the best kind of right because it is an universal and perpetual right to an Estate ex asse ie to all Honours Priviledges and Profits thereof freely given by Testament for ever And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken for Right is a Genus to the special word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the best kind of Rights And again both these sayings as Premisses infer the same conclusion That a Man is not justified by the Law proved ab absurdo for if a Man be justified or if his Right of inheritance be by the Law then the Grace of God is frustrate Faith is frustrate and the death of Christ frustrate and the Promise frustrate Rom. 4.14 Tit. 3.7 Gal. 2.21 So that to a discerning ear To be justified by Faith and to be made an Heir of God and to have Faith imputed to us for Righteousness or Righteousnes imputed to us by Faith do sound one and the same thing Reason Effect 2. The Right or matter of Justification is the effect of God's promise which can be no moral Righteousness but a thing promised God promised a right of Alliance Issue and Inheritance to Abraham and therefore he by his Faith had a right Title and interest in this promise else it had been unjust and of no effect His Faith was counted for Righteousness Rom. 4.5 or his Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness Gal. 3.6 When Phinebas stood up and executed judgment This was counted to him for righteousness to all Generations for evermore That is this gave him right to the fee simple of the Priesthood to him and his heirs for ever For so the Charter runs Num. 23.10 11 12. Wherefore I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an attonement for the Children of Israel He had a right to the Priesthood before by his Birth but this was a corroboration of it to him for ever SECT V. Reason Accounting 3. All Rights consist in accounting which is their essence As that the use-fruit or propriety of such a thing is accounted or reckoned to such a person as belonging to him and no other Now no Moral Righteousness
we shall be saved from wrath c. Do we then make voyd the Law Rom. 8.32 through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law In all the letter and scope of Scriptures upon this point the form of our Justification appears to be the Imputation or Accounting of our Faith for our right or Justification to the rights promised Ro. 5.17 8. There is mention made of Abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness And that by the righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all Men unto justification of life And that by one Man's obedience many were made righteous Phil. 3.9 St. Paul also desires That he may be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith No Man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the Man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith And the promise that Abraham should be the Heir of the World Ro. 4.13 was not to him or to his Seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith SECT III. But in all those places or any other Christ's Righteousness I cannot find any imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of God by Faith I find but no other By the Righteousness of Christ must be meant his personal obedience to the moral Law which cannot be made ours or translated to us or accounted to us and reckoned as ours for diverse and weighty reasons First because Christ's obedience was the obedience of a Mediator fitted exactly for such a Person and Office and no other A High Priest harmless undefiled separated from sinners c. Hebr. 7.26 one that makes all Men just and righteous and is made unto them righteousness sanctification and Redemption and is God our Righteousness That hath the Spirit of Righteousness without measure that is anointed above all his Fellows with that fulness from which we all receive Grace for grace whose Glory is the Glory of the only Begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth and much more than the Tongue of Men or Angels can express Now for a Man to be clothed with the Robes of this Righteousness as they speak is to appear before God not in the habit of a righteous and justified Man but of the justifier of the Sons of Men whose righteousness is too excellent and glorious for our condition of a Mediator God and Man We are the better for his active and passive obedience for it is the cause of our Righteousness by Faith The Members partake of the benefit of the Head The Wife is endow'd by Marriage with all her Husband's goods but the virtue of the Head is not appropriated though communicated nor made over to the Members nor is the estate of the Husband past away or made over to his Wife The Endowment of the Wife is no formal cause nor ingredient of Marriage but a fruit or consequent thereof So our justification or our right to the Righteousness of Christ that is to his Rights and Priviledges accrues to us by our Marriage with Christ which is by Faith the formal cause thereof The Estate Wisdom and Righteousness is Christ's but the benefit of them and of all that is Christ's is ours as is the Wealth and Wisdom and Honour of the Husband to the Wife In a word Christ's Righteousness is that for which Faith is accounted to us for Righteousness Ergo the Personal righteousness of Christ himself is not accounted to us Secondly Because Personal moral virtues cannot be past over to others by act of Nature or Law as by Descent Donation Succession Cession Dereliction Degradation Deprivation or any other way or means Because they are inherent habits of the Mind and therefore inseparable from the Mind and if separable altogether inconveyable to the Mind of another by deed of gift Descent of Blood or any other conveyance whatsoever during life or after death But Jural Rights are of that nature as that they may be derived by act of Law not Nature from Parents to their Children from Predecessors to their Successors or Alienated from the Proprietary to any other Person not only to be reckoned but to be really his or theirs to whom the alienation reversion or derivation is made by any act or deed according unto Law to take place in life or after death Also some act of mine may be accounted for a right to my self as my labour for my wages my purchase for my Estate my Faith for my justification Thus Moral Righteousness is inseparable from the Person to which it doth belong and cannot be reckoned to another but Jural Rights are separable and may be accounted to another I may possibly be respected and saved for another's Virtue and Worth but his Virtue and Worth can no waies be made mine Virtue Learning Vice and Ignorance are habits and qualities which are a Man 's own without accounting but Riches and Honours we have as rights accounted unto us or else we cannot have or hold them My Health or Sickness of Body may be propagated to me and from me to another but not the Health or Sickness of my Soul Who can be healthy by another Man's health while he possesseth it Who can be sick by another Man's sickness while he possesseth it Who can be rich by another Man's riches while he enjoyeth them Who can be honourable by another Man's honour while he enjoyes it Who can be disgraced by another Man's disgrace while he suffereth it Who can be poor by another Man's poverty while he endures it Who can be learned by another Man's Learning while he hath it Who can be virtuous by another Man's virtues or vicious by another Man's vice These Virtues or Vices are really his who hath them not really mine whose they are not or how can these things in another be so much as reckoned or accounted to be mine I may be reckoned guilty of another Man's sin and so of his punishment by consenting or helping c. but not for his acting or suffering I cannot be reckoned virtuous by another Man's virtue or sinful by another Man's sin or miserable by another Man's misery If I have many virtues others may have as many virtues or more than I and I have no less than I have but if I have many rights to such or such things others can have no rights to the same things If they be taken away from me in part I have the less if in full I have none at all but others
Deified made one with God and he one with them 2 Pet. 1.4 God hath given unto us exceeding Grace and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature They that hear the word of God and do it are my Brother Mat. 12. ult and Sister and Mother SECT VIII 2. A right to things in future 1. A right of Resurrection The wicked shall rise again but theirs is not of Right but to wrath Resurrection a curse as malefactors have right to Execution But the Justified have a right to the Resurrection as a mercy which God hath promised them for a farther right to Immortality and Glory Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.54 Man's promise gives a right to the Benefit promised much more doth God's Joh. 11.15 I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live c. SECT IX 2. A right of Jurisdiction or Judicature Jurisdiction to sit as Judges at the day of Judgment There the wicked shall be condemned and the Justified shall judg them 1. By assisting Christ in the Judgment 2. By approving the justice of it 3. By testifying against the wicked and for the Godly Make you Friends of the unrighteous Mammon Luc. 16.9 that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting Habitations Make the Godly poor thy Friends for at the Great Judgment they shall be thy Judges and if thy cause go hard there they shall testifie of thy charity and so thou shalt be received St. Paul forbids the Justified to go to Law before unjustified Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 but rather before the Saints Because they have a right of Judicature at the day of Judgment Know you not that the Saints shall judg the World The Queen of the South and Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment against the Generation of the Jews and shall condemn them SECT X. Glory 3. A right of Glory or Inheritance of God's Kingdom That is an Universal right to all God's Estate to all his Kingdoms and Blessedness which he himself enjoyes As the only Son and Heir hath a right to his Father's whole Estate For if God do justifie thee and incorporate thee into himself he doth thereby estate thee in all that he hath And God hath given thee Christ and his Spirit as an Earnest and Seal of this Inheritance And Christ himself as Executor of God's Will shall admit thee and put thee in possession at the last day who is gone before to prepare a place for us that where he is there we might also be Fear not little flock for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom Come ye Blessed Children of my Father Mat. 25.34 receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World 4. A right to the Righteousness of Christ i. e. to have all the benefit of it imputed to them For as by their Generation they have the burden of Adam's sin i. e. the guilt and pain of it cast upon them so by their Regeneration or Justification they have a right to Christ's Righteousness and the benefit and reward of it accrues to them i. e. All his active Righteousness whereby he suffered the Law and all his passive Righteousness whereby he suffered death is theirs done for them and in their stead to as full effect as if they had fulfilled all the Law in their own persons and had died for their own sins SECT XI Rights of Christ 5. A Right to all the Rights of Christ And they are so many and so great that neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither can it enter into the heart of Man to conceive them We may touch one or two Hath Christ the right of a Son so hath a Christian to be the Son of God he by Generation thou by Adoption Christ thy Elder Brother the First born among many Brethren Hath Christ the right of a King is the Kingdom of Heaven his and doth he reign there Thou hast also the right of a King the Kingdom of Heaven is thine Math. 5. 2 Tim. 2.12 and thou also shalt reign there Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Col. 3.4 Hath Christ the right of Glory so hast thou When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in Glory He shall change our vile Bodies Phil. 3. ult and make them like to his glorious Body And all because we are the Sons of God and if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ And all Joynt-heirs have equal Rights 1 Joh. 3.2 Is Christ like God we are not so yet but we shall be like him When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is He a partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 so we not yet but shall be Like a Fee-feminine where all the Daughters are Co-heirs Like Land in Gavel-kind where all the Sons are Co-heirs SECT XII 3. The Degrees of Rights to these things The right of the Righteous is not equal all alike at all times but gradual SECT XIII 1. A right of Expectation of future things Expectation Acts 7.5 as Abraham had a right to Canaan Yet he had not so much in possession as to set his foot on no inheritance in it yet God promised that he would give it to him for a possession and to his Seed after him when as yet he had no Child This possession was to be four hundred and thirty years after So the Heir in his Minority hath right but he must stay for the possession till the time appointed of his Father This is our Hope that through the Spirit we wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Gal. 5.5 Job 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come SECT XIV 2. A right of Supplication for future things Supplication for seeing these rights come not to us by Law but only by Grace we have no right of Petition to sue for them and claim them by Law because matters of Grace are not sued for and pleaded for as Dues of Law but pray'd for and stay'd for as Rights of Grace due only upon Grace So the Israelites after four hundred years were expired supplicated for their right to Canaan sighed cryed and groaned and God heard and remembred his Covenant with Abraham Ex. 223. So Students in Arts after the expiration of the time appointed and Exercises performed do humbly supplicate for Grace to obtain their Degrees The whole Creation groaneth and travelleth for their redemption from bondage and we also our selves that have the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.22 even we our selves groan
the act of his Faith in accepting of God's promise For as the promise was a meer act of Grace on God's part so the acceptance was a meer act of Faith on Abraham's part And as it was between God and Abraham so is the nature of all Promises Therefore I conclude that the Title to Justification is by the Free-grace of God This Point requires no more handling because so manifest in it self and things that are manifest in themselves need no farther proofs SECT XXIV This Work of Grace is done by God and Christ and God by Christ God justifieth God justifieth To declare his righteousness that he might be just Ro. 3.26 30. and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Uncircumcision through Faith Gal. 3.8 The Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth 1. Because the promises come from God who is the Author and Maker of them Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye promised unto us Eternal Life before the World began For all the promises of God in him are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 unto the Glory of God by us Eph. 2.7 That he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ The Covenant containing these promises is God's will and Testament we are made the Sons of God by God's will not by Man's will Joh. 1.13 Christ came from Heaven not to do his own will Joh. 6.38 but his Father's will that sent him SECT XXV Christ justifieth Christ justifieth Is 53.11 Acts 13.39 Ro. 5.9 19. Rom. 3.24 Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.12 My righteous Servant shall justifie many By him all that believe are justified from all things c. being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from wrath c. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life We are justified to a present Right here to have the possession hereafter He that hath the Son hath life As many as believed in him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God SECT XXVI God justifieth by Christ God justifieth by Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 Rom. 6.23 There is one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God hath not appointed us to wrath 1 Thes 5.9 but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ No whoremonger Ephes 5.5 c. hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Math. 20.28 God is the principal Person and Christ his Minister The Son of Man came not to be ministred unto Ro. 15.8 but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many Joh. 7.16 He was a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God His Doctrine was not his but God's By confirming the Promises Ro. 15.8 A Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers Dan. 9.27 and he shall confirm the Covenant with many Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Bloud of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one c. Mat. 26.28 This is my Bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins By assuring them to us Not by works of righteousness which he hath done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.6 which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of Eternal life He hath given us his Spirit the earnest of our inheritance By calling us to them 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all Grace hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus By performing them for us All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and Amen Who died for our sins and rose again for our justification i. e. to perform the promises in taking possession himself for us by his ascension into Heaven As Christ was delivered to death to confirm the promises so he was raised again to perform them Mat. 25.34 Come ye Blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom of God prepared for you 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls Heb. 12.2 Joh. 6.40 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 11.15 I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me yea though he were dead 1 Cor. 15.22 Phil. 3.61 yet shall he live As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Who shall change our vile Body that it may be like unto his Glorious Body Several Expressions 1. Words that constitute or create a Right as Grace Gift Good will Testament Covenant Promise 2. Words that confirm or assure Rights created as Seal Earnest Witness 3. Words that specifie Rights constituted and confirmed as Freedom Liberty Communion Fellowship Inheritance 4. Words contrary to Right as Injury Wrong Condemnation Oppression 5. Words of Appellation to such as have Right as Sons Heirs Co-Heirs Citizens Free-Men This word Freedom is a word so jural that it is the original and fundamental Right of all Interests and Priviledges because no Right can subsist in any Person unless it have Freedom for its basis and ground for a Bondman is capable of no Right SECT XXVII The true Title to Justification by Faith being Grace Wrong Law Transition the wrong Title must needs be Law Because Freedom which is the Estate of Justification cometh only by Grace through Faith and Servitude which is quite contrary to a justified condition is wholly from the Law Gal. 4.23 This the Apostle illustrates by the Allegory of Abraham's two Sons and their two Mothers which are the two Covenants of Bondage and Freedom SECT XXVIII 1. Ishmael the Elder by a Bondmaid his Natural Son not Legitimate Allegory of the two Covenants Hagar by Nation an Egyptian by State and Condition Sarah's Bond-maid by use and service her waiting Woman or hand-maid Ishmael and Isaak Gen. 16.3 Hagar and Sarah bought by Sarah in Egypt and by an act of priviledg given by her to be Abraham's Concubine or Wife quasily and usually For she had neither
kind Mother and Mistress This Ishmael was born after the flesh of Hagar a young Woman and Abraham able to beget by her Isaak born after the Spirit of Sarah an old Woman and Abraham an old Man not able to beget but Abraham was supernaturally enabled Heb. 11.12 especially Sarah who was both old and barren 1. Ishmael typifies those that seek Justification by the Law or works 2. Isaak typifies those that seeks Justification by Grace or Faith They that seek Justification by works depend upon themselves and their own natural goodness or strength or the works of Law They who seek Justification by Faith depend upon God's Grace and free Promise ☞ Note here by the way that Isaak was a Type not of personal Election from all Eternity but of such as shall be justified by Faith in the Promise For the scope of the Epistle is in opposition to the Jewish confidence to prove that Justification is not by the Law So that the conceit of Election and Reprobation from this place is quite and clear Eccentrical from the scope and business which the Apostle aims at in this place 1. From whence I observe That the Mysteries of Salvation are declared not by words only but by Providences and Dispensations 2. That God without acceptation of persons may advance one above another in temporal benefits Acceptation of Persons hath place only in Judiciary rewards not in Dispensations of Grace and Mercy to eternal Rewards SECT XXXII Gen. 25.3 Jacob and Esau Besides that Allegory of Jacob and Esau denotes two Nations for the Text saith Two Nations are in thy womb and is by the Apostle applied to the Freedom of God preferring the younger Brother the Gentiles before the Elder the Jews Ro. 9.11 c. not upon any account of works For the children being yet unborn neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated But the Preferring of the Gentiles before the Jews was only upon the account of Faith by the which they were justified and the Jews could not be justified because they stood upon their works So Jacob and Esau were not Types of a Personal Election and Reprobation but of a specifical National Election and Reprobation whosoever how many or how few soever not to an Eternal but to a Temporal Inheritance 2 Sam. 8.14 For the Elder shall serve the Younger and so the Edomite did serve the Israelite v. 2 Sam. 8.14 Je. 60. 1 Chron. 18.11 13. And the Idumaeans revolted Psal 137.7 Ez. 35.5 10. yet were they subjects 1660 years Jacob signifies the People of the New Testament by Faith Esau signifies the People of the Old Testament by Works Object Gal. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed of God before in Christ the Law that was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannull that it should make the promise of God of no effect Solut. These words prove not that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace was before the Law or Covenant of works but before that solemn repetition or new Delivery thereof upon Mount Sinai When there was a Brief Transcript of it written and delivered unto Moses in Tables of Stone by God Rom. 5.20 Gal. 3 19 c. The Law entred that the offence might abound The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made c. And that the Law or Covenant of Works was in being yea in force in the World before the publication of it from Mount Sion appears For untill Law sin was in the world Rom. 5.13 that is from the beginning of the World until the giving of the Law in words and writing from Mount Sinai And Consequently a necessity of the Law because where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 but sin is not imputed where there is no Law that is Ro. 5.13 sin is not charged upon Men or punished nevertheless death reigned from Adam inclusivè unto Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression and consequently there must needs have been a Law without the breach whereof Men had not been obnoxious unto death Yea not only the Moral Law properly so called was extant in Men's hearts and delivered by Tradition but some particulars of the Ritual Law practised in the World before the delivery of the same Law much disused and forgotten to Moses in Writing upon Tables of Stone upon Mount Sinai As appears by the offering of Sacrifices of old and of the Sabbath and of Circumcision commanded to Abraham and his Seed and by the Marriage of the Widow of a Kinsman dying without Issue before the Law Yea the Law or Covenant of Works was as ancient as Adam and by transgression thereof he and all his Posterity incurred the guilt and punishment of Death Therefore the Law or Covenant of Works was the first born Testament or Covenant of Works made by God with Mankind And upon this account they who are of the Law i. e. who seek for Justification by the Law of works are resembled by Esau the Elder Son and they who expect Justification by the New Testament or Law of Grace i. e. by Faith are properly typified by Jacob the Younger Brother When God said to Rebecca Two Nations are in thy Womb ☜ and the Elder shall serve the Younger he mystically signified that his absolute will and purpose was never to own for Sons and Heirs of Heaven the People of the Elder Covenent i. e. those that should seek for Justification by the Law but to assign over those for Servants or Bondmen to his Children i. e. those of the later or younger Covenant who should seek the Adoption of Sons or Justification by Faith Thus God was pleased to declare to the World that his purpose according to Election might stand firme and unchanged and that he meant not to elect or make choice of those whom he should or would adopt by the rule of Works or by any rule that Men should commend to him or desire to impose or obtrude upon him but only by the Rule of his own most free gracious and wise pleasure which he hath declared to be the Rule of Faith Inasmuch as in equitable Right the making his own choice in this kind accrueth unto him as he is the sole Magnificent Founder of this Blessed Feast of Justification calling and inviting the World from all Quarters to come unto it For a Clench to keep this Interpretation from stirring The Prophet Malachi brings in God thus Saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother Mal. 1.2 c. yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and Heritage waste for the Dragons of the wilderness He gave Esau a lesser portion of an earthly
inheritance and who hath to do with it if an Earthly King or Parent do so And what is this or can be to an Heavenly Estate Esau being saved as well as Jacob brought up in the same Family and Principles of the Fear of God though for reasons best known to God he had not an equal share of an Estate of Land and Dignity in this World This is enough to satisfie if Men would not be willful for the true sense of that Paragraph Ro. 9.9 c. so much mistaken and misapplied in the world to the dishonour of God and the destruction of ignorant and tender minds And as this so those other controverted points of the Real presence Free will Prayers to Saints c. might easily be understood if Men would learn to observe the scope and Analogy of the Scriptures the standard and rule to try and settle all things by and the publick Interpretation of all doubts without a visible infallible Judg. After these Allegories let us return to the true Title of Justification by Grace Transition All Right of State Power Honour or Profit requires a Title much more the state of Eternal Salvation A means must be used or some act must be done for the reception of a Divine state else the Testamentary acts of God's Predestination or Institution may be ineffectual as they are to all that refuse despise reject Because all Testamentary acts do leave unto the Party instituted a liberty to accept of or refuse the Gift For a Testament is no Law to constrain much less a fate to necessitate but is the Grace or Good will of a Testator to offer and invite to acceptation A Title is the cause that makes a just Right and assures the party thereof and defends it to him against all opposers As Birth doth to an Inheritance Work to Wages Mony to a Purchase Acceptation to a Gift SECT XXXIII Works If then the true Title to our Justification by Faith be Grace then the wrong Title is Works So Grace excludeth Works for he that claimeth by one Title must exclude all the rest Therefore no works of the Law either in the Literal sense as delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the Spiritual sense as it was declared by Christ and is understood by the Faithful are of efficacy or virtue to create us a true Title to the Right of Eternal Blessedness Seeing then the true Title to Justification by Faith is Grace under the Gospel that of Works under the Law is to be relinquished as an act of God once propounded but ever ineffectual and now altogether expired and dead together with the Law it self that required it For we are dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 that being dead wherein we were held that we might live unto God For seeing God by Christ hath declared his New Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore his former Will of the Law though for a time it were good and useful is now utterly infringed cancelled and void For by the Works of the Law no Flesh living can be justified That is no mortal Man whose life is exactly scann'd by the Law shall by observance thereof be found so compleat as to have performed universal and perpetual obedience to every Precept in every sense thereof without failing The reasoning of this Point by the Apostle runs thus If a Man will be jurally justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.16 i. e. If he will claim a right to Heaven by the Title of his works then he must be legally justified i. e. declared never to have offended the Law For supposing but not granting that the Law can justifie morally yet it cannot do this to any but to such as are upright every way in the sight of God for if a Man offend in any one Law he is guilty of all and the work of the Law is presently to condemn him without mercy imputing to him a Right to a future Curse Rom. 4.15 saying Cursed is every one that walketh not in all the Commandments of God to do them The Law worketh wrath and whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all i. e. is guilty of Death and of more he could not be guilty if he broke all because Death is a final punishment beyond which there can be no other there being no subject of punishment because the offender is not Now though in Mens Tribunals some may be legally justified as Paul might be Touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3.6 yet was he not thereby justified in the sight and knowledg of God So Job was a perfect and upright Man before Men but not before God Luc. 1.6 So Zacharias and Elizabeth were said to be both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments of God blameless yet truly before God no Man living save Jesus Christ ever was or ever will be legally justified i. e. sinless or blameless before Almighty God See Ro. 1 Ro. 2. Such are all Men shut up under sin by the Law Rom. 3.9 19. that every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God because all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Therefore all Men being and being declared sinners by Law Heaven can come no other way but to them that are made Righteous and declared so by promise The Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3.22 that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The summe is this If a Man have right to Eternal Life by works jurally then he must by these works be declared upright legally before God But no Man living can be declared upright legally before God by his works and therefore works are a wrong Title to Justification which was the thing to be demonstrated Yet though works are no Title to acquire a Right yet they are a tenure to hold a Right that is acquired To be justified or to have righteousness imputed reckoned or accounted is to be absolved and quitted from sin and misery and to be intitled to holiness and happiness and all by Faith not Law v. Gal. 2.21 Gal. 3.18 Ro. 4.3 45. Reward may be of debt to the worker but it is properly and purely of Grace to the Promissary A promise creates a right and he to whom the promise of an inheritance is made by his acceptance thereof is a Person invested with right unto it 1. Therefore Justification is the Acquitting of the penitent Believer by a Judicial act of God's Grace in the Covenant of the Gospel through Christ Justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ 2. Therefore Justification is the Approving commending rewarding adjudging or giving right to holiness and happiness As to impute no sin is to forgive sin so to impute Righteousness is to adjudg to the high reward of Faith
the Son hath above the Servant not to be ejected or punished for every fault as the Servant may doth give the Son this priviledge in faults only such as are ignorances and infirmities but excuseth him not in crimes such as are malignities and wilful presumptions from being disinherited As a Malefactor relapseth into the same crimes or worse after pardon destroies himself As a Slave after liberty sells himself again to bondage is the author of his own ruin My unthankfulness therefore is the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith Not that I have no Faith for then I could not be justified but my Faith for want of works becomes dead It had life enough to accept of the promises and legacies of God's Will and Testament but not of the precepts and conditions So my Faith not working by Love dies and looses the right to Blessedness except it revive again by Resipiscence SECT II. Reason Breach of one party disobligeth the other Because God promiseth me a present Right to a future Blessing I accept the Promise and thereupon have right unto it and by this acceptance I do tacitly re-promise unto God that duty which as a beneficiary I owe unto my Lord by the Law of Nature and Equity Now if I for my part perform not this my promise God for his part is disobliged from the performance of his promise of which my unfaithfulness is the cause who have broken the Covenant betwixt God and my Soul My ungraciousness is also the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith This is a high degree of unthankfulness 1. To God so High a Person 2. For so Great a Grace as to be his Son and Heir 3. For so Free Grace without any desert desire or motion of mine or any other only my Faith to accept it If therefore to this Great God for so great Grace so freely bestowed upon me I do not return that love honour and obedience with all my heart and with all my Soul as is due from me a Son to such a Father then this extream unthankfulness and ungraciousness of mine deprives me of that benefit which I should have received from it SECT III. From hence will flow these Consequences Mutability of Justification 1. That my state of Justification is mutable It is in it self stable and permanent it may and should be perpetual but during my Natural Life and before I die it may be defeated and destroyed I do not say It must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability of it is not necessary as is the mortality of the Body which must die But the mutability thereof is possible for as it may so it may not be defeated It may not be defeated 1. It may not be defeated For when I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven this state was intended to continue to me for ever For when I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God and Christ my Elder Brother and Co-Heir and from the dead I shall be raised to the possession of my Father's Blessing for God is not the God of the dead but of the living For as Marriages so rights of Inheritances are not temporary for term of years but of perpetuity for ever Hence the Son is said to differ from the Servant because The Servant abideth not in the House for ever John 8.35 i. e. hath no right to abide for ever but the Son abideth for ever i. e. hath right to abide for ever 2. It may be defeated It may be not defeated Gal. 2.18 Else how could I build again my first state of sinfulness which once I destroyed If therefore my state may be not destroyed it may be destroyed I find by good history and sad experience that states of perpetuity have been defeated and destroyed that many a Man which had a good Estate in Fee-simple to him and to his Heirs for ever yet by making himself a transgressor against his Lord and King hath forfeited that his Estate to him and his Heirs for ever That many a Woman who was married for life till death should depart her and her Husband yet by making her self a transgressor against her Husband hath been divorced from her Husband and lost her Husband and her Dower That many a Son who was Heir apparent to his Father's Estate yet by making himself a transgressor against his Father hath been disinherited and lost his Estate And the like is possible concerning my Estate of Justification see the Scriptures Joh. 5.14 Rom. 11.20 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Tim. 1.19 Heb. 3.12 1 Pet. 2.11 Math. 12.43 44. Heb. 6.4 Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 2.20 As also consider the examples of Aaron David Solomon c. which exhortations and examples do necessarily demonstrate the mutability of my Justification Because to a thing that is impossible there needs no Exhortation Reason or Dehortation And Because of a thing impossible it is impossible that there should be any Example The Grand Reason that my state of Justification may be defeated is because it is Conditional for though God's donation of my present right to be his Son and Heir is absolute without any condition or preceeding act on my part except it be the passive act of my Faith to accept thereof yet my future possession of that inheritance whereto I have now a present right is conditional and that condition runs upon my good behaviour of deporting my self as becomes the Son of God for this condition is sufficiently expressed in God's last Will and Testament Or supposing but not granting that in God's Testament there is no mention made of any such condition yet such a condition must be understood because the very Nature and Equity of the thing requires it And the state of a Son and Heir wherein I stand doth necessarily draw this duty along with it and so bind me thereto that for non-performance thereof my state may be destroyed Yet every trespass will not destroy it neither because God will forgive me a thousand faults upon my repentance and commands me to pray unto him therefore and promises to forgive my trespasses and commands me to forgive my Brother that repenteth though he sin against me seven times in a day nay seventy times seven times Therefore certainly he being my Father will upon my repentance forgive me more times for all the daies of my life For because I am his Son therefore I am not so much under his Law as under his Grace i. e. God will not deal rigorously and strictly with me according to Law to reject or punish me for every trespass like a Slave who is under the will and pleasure of his Lord but he will use me mercifully and kindly to correct me in measure or to forgive me like a Son who is under the love and grace of his Father But if I rise up in open rebellion against my
promise by a solemn oath See Gen. 13.15 and Gen. 15.18 and Gen. 22.16 and Gen. 26.3 and Gen. 28.13 And they had farther an assurance of this right settled upon them by many miracles and tokens 1 Cor. 10.1 c. For they all were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same Spiritual meat and did all drink the same Spiritual drink c. Hath any Christian a better right or a greater assurance to the Kingdom of Heaven than the Israelites had to the Kingdom of Canaan yet many of them by reason of their carnal sins of lust idolatry fornication and such like did never enter that inheritance but were overthrown and destroyed in the Wilderness for God in his wrath retracted by oath that promise which before by oath he had confirmed See Num. 14.23 and Psal 95.11 and Ez. 20.15 and Heb. 3.18 2. Now all these Judgments happened to them for our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.11 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The mischief therefore that regularly follows upon our walking after the Flesh and committing of carnal sins is a Disherison or exclusion of us from the actual entrance and possession of that Heavenly inheritance whereto by Faith we had a right and title For although our good works are not sufficient enough to create us a title to that Inheritance yet our evil works are miscreant enough to defeat us of the title we had by Faith and to draw upon us a forfeiture of our former rights because our evil works argue us to be the Children of disobedience who will not be led and ruled by the Spirit of God they convict us of ungraciousness and unthankfulness for the Grace of God and condemn us to endure the wrath of God For although the Gospel be a Charter of Grace yet this is the Law of it against evil works because thereby we not only despair but we do despite to the Spirit of Grace which is an affront unto God who grants it and so justly we lose the benefit of the Grant through our own default Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of Love TITLE VI. Of the Tenure of Justification MY state of Election requires a Tenure Transition For because the state of it is thus mutable therefore it requires a Tenure to preserve and hold it And because my state of Justification had a cause to create it so also it requires a cause to conserve it That which I have my Estate by is my Title by Gift or Birth or work or Purchase and that which I hold my Estate by is my Tenure or Homage by serviency Escuage or Soccage i. e. by Court-service War-service or Plough-service And because Estates are in this Life transitory and defeisable to come and go to be had and lost therefore when I have an Estate I must use the means to hold it otherwise I may make no benefit by it And this is necessary in all Estates to have a Title to get and a Tenure to keep or else no Estate would be permanent yea the whole World if it were not upheld by him that made it would eternally fall to ruin The Tenure of my Justification is works Therefore this assertion Works A Man is justified by works and not by Faith is as much the word of God as this assertion A Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and both are equally true 1. Faith is the Title of Right to my Justification 2. Works are the Tenure of this Right and Title till I am to possess the Inheritance which my Faith gave me Right and Title to The Reasons by which St. James proves this Justification by works are these 1. Because works keep Faith alive The act of Faith without them is of no effect though it did justifie to a right because without works following we can have no benefit of our Justification As a Bill or Bond or other specialty of Writing without a Seal or Hand is voi'd cancell'd to all intents and purposes contained in them So c. 2. Because Faith is by works made perfect it being alone a thing imperfect and ineffectual For in justifying it gives a Right and Title of Institution and Expectation claims Interest and Hope of a future inheritance which Right is escheatable and may be destroied but Faith seconded and animated by works 1 Pet. 1.4 finishes and compleats our Right to a fruition of the Inheritance seized upon invested in us and subject to no defeisance An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us Thus Abraham was justified by works when he had offer'd up Isaak his Son upon the Altar And Rahab was justified by works when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Faith alone without works is like the Devil's faith who tremble without any hope or works And Faith without works is like the Body without the Soul But though my Tenure of Justification be works yet Faith is not excluded Not works alone nor Faith alone but both together do conserve the Title of my Justification which I had by Faith only And herein Faith hath the preeminence Faith without works doth justifie me to have my Right and Title but works without Faith do not justifie me to hold my Right and Title I say not works with Faith but thus Faith with works doth make me hold my Right Faith is the Principal and works are the Accessaries thereunto to animate enable and render Faith effectual to the possession of an Inheritance which that Faith gave right unto but could not bring to a full enjoyment without works And farther it is most certain that works do also justifie declaratively by manifesting that Faith to my self and to the World which did justifie me efficiently James 2.18 explained Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works ☞ Note here also That Paul by his assertion that a Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by Faith only opposeth the Judaizing Christians who were still operaries and rituaries of the Law thinking to be justified by them to the Evangelical Christians who were fiduciaries and spiritualists of the Gospel thinking to be justified by Faith only And that James opposeth the Gentilizing Christians who were still fiduciaries and libertines standing only for Faith and Freedom and neglecting and disgracing all works to them that were truly Evangelical that stood to their Faith and Liberty but admitted and honoured all good works also allowing therefore to the Verb justified these two senses of creating and conserving Justification it will follow That Faith only without works doth create
Justification but Faith with works doth conserve Justification And so Paul and James do full well agree and James's Doctrine will be a consequence from Paul's principles For because my Faith only without works doth create my Justification and because evil works do destroy the state of it and do build again my state of Sin therefore it followeth That good works do continue my state of Justification and keep it from ruin For in case I should fall my Faith alone cannot restore me but if I recover working my works of repentance must be the means of my recovery 1 Cor. 13.2 And because as Paul saith Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing Therefore as James teacheth Faith without works is dead And lastly because as Paul teacheth In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith that worketh by Love Therefore as James teaches Faith working with works is by works made perfect For the farther clearing of this seeming contradiction of St. Paul and St. James note That as faith sworn by the Vassal to his Lord justifies the Vassal to his Fee or benefice to have right thereto so the Homage it self is the life of his faith and justifies him to the same benefice that he may hold his right so obtained by his Faith In like manner faith made to God justifies his Creature to the Estate of Blessedness to have right thereto and the Homage it self which is the life of his faith justifies him to the same Estate that he may hold his right so obtained by his faith For faith without homage or works doth not justifie fully nor homage or works without Faith So true it is that Faith though it doth justifie alone to have right yet works also do justifie to hold it so both Faith and Works do justifie compleatly and not one without the other And this distinction rightly weighed and compared may easily put an end to this Controversy SECT I. The works that are the Tenure of my Justification are works of Love Works of Love 1. The Right of Justification under the Law was Faith of the promise to Abraham and his carnal Seed for the Land of Canaan 2. The Tenure of Justification under the Law was by the works of the Law of Rites and Ceremonies Thou shalt walk in all the waies which the Lord your God hath commanded you Deut. 6.24 that ye may prolong your daies in the Land which ye shall possess i. e. you shall continue your possession in the Land whereto you have a right The Law it self speaketh thus Lev. 18.5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments which if a Man do he shall live in them i. e. shall prolong his life from violent death inflicted by the Law The Just shall live by his Faith He that hath walked in my Statutes to deal truly he is just he shall surely live The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. continue to be justified For default of this Tenure of works the Ten Tribes forfeited their right to Canaan for ever and the other Two Tribes were sequestred for seventy years in Babylon 3. The right of Justification under the Gospel is Faith in the promise to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed for Heaven 4. The Tenure of Justification under the Gospel is by the works of Grace which are acts of Love exercising equity mercy and kindness above the works of the Law 1. Because the works of Love are super-legal above and beyond the Law of Moses as to feed the hungry and to cloth the naked to entertain Strangers visit the Sick relieve the Prisoners pray for Persecutors c. 2. The works of Love are supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature as not to be angry and not to resist and revenge evil to suffer persecution gladly for Righteousness sake to rejoyce in temptations to lay down our life for the Brethren c. therefore much more for God To love our Enemies and comparatively to hate our Friends Luc. 14.26 as our Father and Mother Wife and Children Brothers and Sisters these and the like works of Love are not commanded in the Law but they are the commands of Grace Hence Christ calls Love a New Commandment Joh. 13.34 A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his Commandment That ye love one another as I have loved you And this Love is the fulfilling of the Law He that loves his Brother abideth in the Light 1 Joh. 4.16 He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him These are the works of Love not of Law which St. James saith do justifie Was not Abraham our Father justified by works Jam. 2.21 when he had offered Isaak his Son upon the Altar That work was not a duty of the Law but a service of Love by God's immediat command to try Abraham's love for no Law did command a Father to sacrifice his Son His love therefore was superlegal beyond any Law of mercy And not only so but supernatural beyond any Law of Nature when his love to God to whom he had Alliance only by Faith surpassed his love to his only Son to whom he had Alliance only by Nature and in whose behalf he had received the promises Jam. 2.25 Likewise also Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Those works were not duties of any Law Josh 2.12 but the Offices of Love or as she called it A shewing of kindness in entertaining lodging and protecting of Strangers Her love was therefore superlegal above and beyond the Law for no Law commanded to entertain Spies to the destruction of a City And her love was supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature when she shew'd kindness to her Enemies in housing hiding and sending them away safely The Ceremonious works of the Ritual Law are carnal in themselves and could justifie to nothing but a carnal purity and a security from a carnal punishment of Death All these Rites of Sacrificing Washing Feasting Fasting Circumcising c. are extinct The Moralities of Moses Law as to be no idolater no forswearer no murderer adulterer thief lyar nor deceiver c. are the bare negative duties for the most part and according to the letter are themselves dead and I am dead to that dead Letter which killed those that are under it with a curse and it is a part of my Justification to be free from the Law for I am not under the Law but under Grace nor under the Letter but under the Spirit And therefore the works of the Gospel are works of the Spirit which gives life by faith and maintaineth it by Love the works whereof are purely Spiritual inward and lively free from all carnal and outward shew
hath not believed in the name of the only Son of God Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life Joh. 8.24 but the wrath of God abideth in him If ye believe not that I am he Ro. 8.13 Gal. 5.19 Ephes 5.5 ye shall die in your sins if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die The works of the Flesh are manifest c. They which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God For this we know that no whoremonger nor unclean Person nor covetous Man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God or of Christ When therefore any Man can truly be called a Believer in Christ then the Gifts of God are sure unto him as if he had been nominated in God's Book by his special and single Name So Men are reprobated or disinherited not by their proper Names or Surnames but by the Appellative or common names of Unbelievers Unfaithful Rejecters of Christ Carnal Worldly c. And therefore in God's Last Will there is no preterition of any Man or Men personally by name or number but all Men are either Believers or Unbelievers And seeing all Believers are by that common name instituted and all Unbelievers are by that common name disinherited therefore none are instituted or pretermitted by any proper name The Reasons are SECT VI. 1. Because God's Will is a Testament ad pias causas of meer Grace Testament ad pias causas Love and Pity to miserable Persons And in such Wills the Legacies are so numerous that they cannot be personally nominated for if so no Will would hold them and they are not yet all in being to be capable of them by common names as thus I give and bequeath so much to the Poor of such a Parish Town or City to the Prisoners of such a Goal or to the Diseased in such an Hospital So every Poor in such a Parish Town City every Prisoner in such a Goal and every Diseased in such an Hospital are qualified for such a Legacy and may justly claim by Right and Title of their Poverty Imprisonment Disease or any other condition expressed in the Will and the Executor is bound to perform it And so every Christian hath a Right to Eternal Life by the Title of his Faith 2. Men are thus nominated in common because Christ is the Hypotype by whose right all have right For Christ hath the original right of alliance to be the Son of God The only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1.114 Whom God hath appointed Heir of all things Not an heir of expectance Hebr. 1.1 but actually seized on his Inheritance Eph. 1.20 For God hath set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places from him we have the same right Joh 1.12 To them gave he power to be called the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name Behold what manner of love is this 1 Joh. 3.1 that we should be called the Sons of God so then thou art no more a Servant but a Son and if a Son then an Heir of God through Christ That being justified by his Grace Gal. 4.7 we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life If Children Tit. 3.7 Ro. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ Now Joint-heirs have the same right alike As the Seed of Abraham had all right alike to the Kingdom of Canaan So Believers in Christ Christ and the Children which God hath given him have all right alike to the Kingdom of Heaven The Seed of Abraham by Abraham the Seed of Christ by Christ because the Kingdom of Heaven was originally given to Christ as the Kingdom of Canaan was given to Abraham The Israelite claimed by his Birth the Believer claims by his Faith Gal. 3.26 For ye are all Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christ 's then are you Abraham 's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT VII Of Physical Operation This great Instrument of Man's Salvation called Faith is an easie Of Physical Operation gentle and noble thing in it self but hath been represented difficult and obscure and great quarrels have been made about it and little hopes of reconciliation concerning it unless second and third thoughts be framed by unbiassed and considering Men so to undeceive themselves and others For hitherto the World hath been imposed upon and amused to conceive that Faith and other Graces of God are habits infused by God into Mens Souls quickning their dead Faculties which neither know nor feel any thing that is done unto them till they see themselves in a new condition and frame of Spirit which they call the Work of Grace irresistible as is the fashioning of a lump of clay into a new mold or the raising of a Man that is dead and rotten or the turning of a wheel by meer strength and keeping it in motion by the spring and weights that are put upon it Hereupon the poor People lye still and endeavour nothing but believe that if they be elected after the Covenant of Grace to the end they are elected in time to the means whether they will or no and that they have no will at all to any Good not so much as to accept it when offered but rather an aversion from it and a proneness to all evil to draw it to them and hatefully to turn all goodness from them This Physical operation which they dream to be upon their Spirits is the same with earthly bodies which are moved by natural or artificial causes of force or virtue the greater strength violently prevailing over the less as we move logs and stones by the power of horses or Men or curiously turning of vast bodies by Engines and Wheels of Art Operation Moral Whereas in deed and in truth the operations upon the Soul are moral rather than physical with no other violence or force than that which is not properly so but intellectual and rational or persuasive and inviting unless you will call that a physical way of the working of Spirits upon Spirits but still it is free and fair without force or battery but rational by information of the judgment and persuasion of the Will For quicquid operatur operatur ad modum operantis quicquid patitur patitur ad modum patientis Whatsoever acts acts according to the quality of the Agent and whatsoever suffer suffers according to the condition of the patient Here is therefore nothing of a real touch of the Agent upon the Patient to create necessarily a real change and alteration of the Patient thereby from what it was before but a virtual motion of instruction and insinuation upon an understanding and free subject to convince and invite the same faculties and call them off to new objects freely from their former mistakes So the vulgar are made to believe of
line upon line here a little and there a little to stir up our poor mind by way of remembrance although we are established in the present Truth and good Government to restrain from vice by penalty of Law These and such like are as I said the subordinate vulgar reasons or arguments ad hominem the causes or rather occasions of the indisposition of the Conscience in bad Men whereby the Conscience is or rather seems to be falsa Lex a false Law a false Gloss a false Instigatrix Notarie Witness and Judg cross to its Creation or rather a false Conscience or no Conscience at all There being an intercision and retardation or adulation instead of Conscience suspending the true exercise of deducting right conclusions from the premises or observing no premises nor conclusions at all But a hurrying after extream and wild passions humours and fancies and a continual course of obstinate rebellion a self-pleasing Perit omne judicium cum res transit in affectum Nothing is done wisely when all is affection or prejudice reason is clouded and Will rules Si possem sanior essem Sed trahit in vitam nova vitiorum Turba Engagements in sin desperate wadings and wallowings in licentiousness Horror and hatred of God and desperate actings against God and all goodness not caring what becomes of us Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro Ratione voluntas Non nisi per scelera ad scelera tutum est iter The CONTENTS Believe Conscience Not believe Conscience Self-Examination Forsake sin Confess sin Collections TITLE V. Of the Restitution of Conscience THe Cure of the strange and wonderful indispositions and distempers of the Soul and Conscience are from God the sole Lord of the Conscience who only understands the errors and deceits that are therein Therefore God hath left some wholesom directions which Spiritual Physicians may prescribe out of his word for the recovery of feeble Souls First therefore as to good Men They advised and required Believe Conscience To believe their own Consciences notwithstanding strong temptations to the contrary and notwithstanding bodily discomposures 1. Because temptations are lyes not Truths the instigations and allurements are in themselves evil and they tend and move to evil therefore they are not in themselves nor in their motions to be trusted I say to believe their Consciences 2. Because they are justified by Faith and sanctified by the Spirit of Truth and therefore have peace with God and are at peace with themselves and do not cannot flatter falsly to a lye because they are of the Truth and the Truth is in them 3. Because diseases and pains in the Body which occasion doubts and fears in the mind are only in the outward Man and the inward Man is not toucht at all But the Soul enjoyes intimate union and communion with God as much when the Body is afflicted more and than at any other time and exercises more Faith and Love and Patience and Hope and hath more trials and experiences of Grace and is more firmly fastned upon the Rock and foundation of Jesus Christ than at any other time The Conscience therefore when observed upon enquiry and search thereinto speaks comfortable Truth which God would have us to believe and we ought to believe it But the passions occasioned by sickness and misery speak nothing but uncomfortable lyes which the Devil would have us to believe but we ought not to believe him nor them 4. Because the natural temper and constitution of many Bodies tend to fears and sorrows in the mind by the vicinity of humours that have a kind of operation upon them Notwithstanding all which passions the Understanding is taught to remember that she hath no reason to doubt of her good condition because these griefs and terrors are no sins of hers but rather her miseries and afflictions indeed of which she hath just cause to complain and ask for a removal but not for pardon which is only proper for sin not misery 5. Because Faith in the Heart is above Sense in the Flesh And we live by Faith and not by Sense and therefore we are to believe Faith and not Sense yea to believe a bove Hope and contrary to Hope which is above Sense and contrary to sense I know not how nor I know not why in the judgment of my Flesh but this I know that he is Faithful which hath promised to give and I have promised to obey and I will trust in him and be obedient unto him though I be sometimes at a stand yet I will not let go my hold but strengthen my self and comfort my self in my God in prosperity and adversity He is my God though I feel not his comforts yet I have them and shall have them and if I want them I shall strive to be content and though I gain nothing desirable from him here yet I shall take God alone to be sufficient for me and to be my exceeding great Reward 6. Because God's Principles breed none but good conclusions Ex veris nil nisi vera sequuntur Though in my error of passion I am not able to make it out yet God shall make it out for me Many an honest Debtor is not able to make out his own dues but a just and merciful Creditor will help him and make it out for him that he shall not be a loser What therefore is wanting in me I believe God will supply and I am sure to be safe in his hands say mine own pretended Conscience and the Devil or Men of devilish Spirits what they will they may vex and perplex me and break my heart with grief but they shall never be able to destroy my Soul and Body in Hell fire For I am fully perswaded that neither height nor depth nor length nor breadth nor Life nor death nor any thing else shall be ever able to separate me from the Love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord and that being justified by Faith I have peace with God and that if God hath justified none shall condemn me no not my own Conscience which is sanctified as is my whole Soul and Body by the Spirit of God which is in me Thus an honest Heart and humble Soule is in a safe condition with God in the midst of fears and terrours occasioned by temptations arising from sickness pains and distempers of a weak Body So am I like a Ship that lives in a storm while the winds drive her and the waves run over her So to the pure all things are pure the Conscience being good all things that come from it are good and all that comes unto it shall be for good Secondly as to wicked Men their remedy is this Not believe Conscience they are advised and required 1. Not to believe their own Consciences notwithstanding strong illusions to the contrary and notwithstanding their bodily good composures and outward peace and prosperity to all things 1. Because flatteries of peace are lyes and not
thereunto that is temporal 10. The rewards of a Spiritual Life are adequate and homogeneal thereunto that is Eternal SECT I. Thus there are two Minds or Understandings Transition Mind and Will of Flesh and Spirit that I may so speak and two Wills or Appetites in Man The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind of the Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Will of the Flesh the other is the Mind of the Spirit and the Will of the Spirit Or which is all one there is in every Man Sense and Reason and the Sensitive and Rational appetite a part Terrestrial and a part Celestial a Brute and an Angel According to these Principles and essential parts constituting the Persons of Men so they do and must live both the Life of sense and of reason But if the sensitive powers are predominate then the Rational faculties lye still and the life is just like the life of a Beast and no more purely sensual But if the Rational faculties prevail then the sensitive powers are kept in compass and the life is the true life of a Man and no more purely Rational But if the Spirit of Faith come upon the Soul it advanceth the Judgment and directs the Will to the greater mortification of the Flesh and suppression of the unjust desires thereof and the life is the true exact life of a Christian purely Spiritual So there is a threefold life in Man of sense of Reason and of Faith Life in Man threefold Natural Animal Spiritual 1. The Life of Sense is unregenerate for that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and no more as it came from its principles So the Flesh acteth and satisfies it self in Hearing Seeing Tasting Feeling and Smelling as do the Brutes 2. The Life of Reason is the Embryo tending to Regeneration and almost Christian for that which is the off spring of Reason is Reason and no more as it came from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in understanding willing and choosing and reflecting as do Angels and Men with themselves and with one another 3. The Life of the Spirit by Faith is the consummation of Regeneration and a new Creation and altogether Christian for that which is the off-spring of the Spirit is Spirit and all true Sense and Reason as it flow'd from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in more sublime Judgment Love and Choice and rare Recognitions and Contemplations as do Saints and Blessed Spirits with God and their own Souls So there is the Life of Natural Sense the Life of Natural Reason the Life of Supernatural Faith and Reason 1. The Life of Nature is good quà Nature or Sense till it exceed the bounds of Natural Reason and positive Law for sin is only a transgression of Law 2. The Life of Reason is better till it opposes unreasonably the Reason of Grace and Faith 3. The Life of Grace is best of all which regulates the Sense and Reason and perfects both SECT II. The Soul hath her Spiritual Senses of Seing Hearing Tasting c. as well as the Body Spiritual Senses and Passions The Soul hath her Spiritual Food and Raiment as well as the Body meat and drink indeed and clothing indeed which the Body knows not of nourishing and cherishing and adorning her unto everlasting Life The Soul hath her Passions of Love Joy Hope c. which reason and Faith and the Spirit of God moderate and refine into perfect Holiness and Sanctification till it arrives unto Glory The Soul hath joy indeed when she rejoyces in the Lord and is ravished and sick of love labouring to know and feel the height and the length and the bredth and depth of the Love of God which passeth all knowledg to enjoy the Peace of God and a good Conscience which passeth all understanding to have fellowship and communion with God to relish Heaven and to taste of the powers of the World to come There are Riches for the Soul as well as for the Body which are the true Riches the treasure layd up in Heaven where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal There are Honours for the Soul as well as for the Body to be the Servant and Friend of God the Spouse of Christ the Son and Heir of God and Co-heir with Christ There is the Wisedom of the Soul as well as of the Body to be wise to Salvation to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent The fear of the Lord is true wisedom all other wisedom is but foolishness Scientia contristans scientia sine capite A sorrowful and imperfect knowledg and altogether unsatisfactory See a most lively description of a Carnal Life in the second chapter of Wisedom Life of Faith You have seen the Life of Sense and Reason but oh the life of Faith how sublime and lofty is the state thereof above them both 1. It is above all Prosperity whatsoever it knows how to use this World as though it used it not is treads the Moon under her feet and counts all things but loss and dung to gain Christ it is not ravished nor transported by letting out the stream of affections upon the World even the stupidity and madness but looks higher and hath an eye to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling is the more humble and thankful and fruitful in good works in an advanced Estate abounding therein in all piety and love 2. It is above all Adversity whatsoever it knows how to want as well as to abound in the midst of apparent dangers it stands still to see the Salvation of God not knowing when nor how Believes above hope and contrary unto hope retains her integrity when tempted to curse God and die Though he kill that Soul yet will she put her trust in him though she stick fast in the deep mire and clay though she be gone down to the sides of the works and to the roots of the everlasting Mountains and the weeds of despair be wrapped about the dying head in the Judgment of weak Flesh and Bloud yet will she look up once more toward the Holy Temple of God and never leave hoping and trusting in him who she knows will never leave nor forsake her This Ship can tell how to live in all storms amongst all rocks and quick-sands this House can stand all the blustering winds and roaring waves because it is built upon a Rock In a word the Life that the Soul lives she lives by the Faith of the Son of God and her life is hid with Christ in God who is all in all unto her abundantly above all that she is ever able to ask or think and she can do and suffer any thing through Christ that strengtheneth her SECT III. 1. Thus the Life of the Flesh is a poor obscure Corollaries low and inconsiderable Life 2. The Life of
the Flesh is a base fordid and slavish Life 3. The Life of the Flesh is a dull stupid and sottish Life 4. The Life of the Flesh is a vexatious toilsom and uncomfortable Life But on the contrary 1. The Life of the Spirit or of Faith is an high towring and Stately Life 2. The Life of the Spirit is a free generous and noble Life 3. The Life of the Spirit is a clear brisk and most ingenious Life 4. The Life of the Spirit is a pleasant and fully contented Life 5. The Life of the Spirit is an everlasting Life 6. The Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Creation passing to Mankind by the means of Generation without sin and before sin and Law that made sin to be known 7. The Mind and Will of the Spirit perfecting and sanctifying the Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Promise or Covenant and Faith of God and Man convey'd to Mankind by the means of Regeneration without sin and after sin and Law that made sin to be known by Grace and Pardon through Jesus Christ 1. Thus the Life of Sense is natural and good till it exceed in its operations the rules and limits of a law put upon it For sin is the transgression of a law and where there is no law there is no transgression but still the sense is unregenerate 2. The Life of Reason is natural and better in a tendency to Regeneration while it acts like it self by rules of right Reason and the Law of Nature till it be debauched by the carnal Mind and Will and drawn down to unreasonable notions and appetites 3. The Life of Faith is Supernatural good and best of all which is the state of Regeneration and a new Creation of a new and perfect Man in Christ Jesus SECT IV. 1. Therefore we are to do all in Faith Corollaries 1. Acts of Sense and Passions of love joy fear c. 2. Acts of Reason Arts Sciences and Mysteries Speculative and Practick So we live above all these 2. Therefore we are to suffer all in Faith 2. Sense pain sickness scorn shame c. 2. Reason ignorance errour and all failings So we live above all these 3. Therefore we keep integrity in all Conditions 1. Peace health honour wealth favour and all prosperity 2. War sickness shame poverty and all adversity 4. Thus we may try and judg of both estates the Old Man and the New the Flesh and the Spirit the Old Creature and the New the unregenerate and the Regenerate the Child of the Devil and the Child of God 1. Consider a Man that leads a Carnal Life He is very busie about what pleaseth his sense and carnal reason he takes care for his health and pleasure he hunts after gain honour and pride he studies for Learning Arts and Sciences Well what will all this do Ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is gone and he is going from all and what comfort have they left behind Now he must die and all 's left behind He enjoy'd his worldly wealth as long as he could and now some body will sing O be joyful and throw it away as fast as he raked it together and faster too 2. Consider a Man that leads a Spiritual Life He is very busie about what pleases his Soul he takes care for his Soul's health he searches for the true gain he studies for the true Wisdom Well what will all this do ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is present with him and go along with him his end is Peace and he enters into Peace He dies a wise and holy Man and he is happy and gone to God and his memory is precious 5. Thus by Faith I am justified to the promise By Faith I enter into the Promise by Faith I receive the Spirit of Promise the Adoption Sanctification Hope Comfort Love and Glory by Faith I labour in the works of Love and work out my Salvation with fear and trembling by Faith I hold out in prosperity from being translated ravished or overcome by peace wealth c. By Faith I hold out in adversity and live in all storms from being overwhelmed by pain grief c. into despair By Faith I resist and overcome the Devil by Faith I live by Faith I die and rest in hope to enjoy the end of my hope Everlasting Life Conclusion Therefore without Holiness there can be no happiness for to be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace for if we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Flesh we shall live Ergo 1. In Feudation is Adoption Justification and engrafting into Christ By Faith 2. Homage is Regeneration Re-creation and Sanctification by works Quod erat demonstrandum The Fifth BOOK OF ASSURANCE The CONTENTS Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting TITLE I. Of the Nature of Assurance OUR Justification doth create unto us a present right to the future possession of Heavenly Blessedness Transition The matter whereunto the Right claimeth is the Heavenly Blessedness it self the Title whereby this Right is acquired or had is Faith by the higher Title of Free-Grace the Tenure whereby it is continued or held is Sanctification or Works and the Services of Love and the Assurance whereby it is witnessed or proved is the Spirit by Faith For where a Right is imparted convey'd or settled upon me Reason it is good reason that besides my Title and my Tenure I should have some good Assurance from the Donor or Granter whereby the truth of such conveyance may be witnessed and proved in case the Donor or Granter should fail or deny or recal such conveyance But especially this Assurance is to be made where the Gift or Grant is imperfect as alwaies it is in all Promises For by force of a Promise there is convey'd unto me only a bare right or interest to a thing and not any possession of the thing it self but the actual delivery of it is suspended until some time future And therefore in the mean time some Assurance is most necessary for me that thereby I may know how to witness the Promise formerly passed unto me for my future possession of the thing promised when the time thereto assigned shall be expired 1. In the Old Testament God promised unto Abraham the inheritance of the Land of Canaan and Abraham believing God or accepting the Promise had by virtue of such his Faith a present right thereto But because he had not the present possession of it he requested some Assurance whereby he might know that he should inherit it Gen. 15.8 And he said Lord whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And God gave him an Assurance by
Publick Faith of the Most High God immortal faithful and Omnipotent and there we may rest secure and no where else Therefore by our Faith we have full Assurance of the hope of a glorious and Blessed immortality by which we may draw near unto God with a holy boldness in the Spirit Faith is taken for a Credence a Trust an Acceptance and a Covenant into and with God Gal. 3.2 Gal. 3.14 Eph. 1.13 Hebr. 11.6 The Spirit is a fruit of Faith which we receive not by works but by the hearing of Faith And the promise of the Spirit is through Faith And after we believed we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise And the works of the Spirit have their acceptance from Faith without which it is impossible to please God which shews the two main differences between the Gospel and the Law 1. Because the nature of Works under the Law is external carnal servile but under the Gospel they are internal spiritual and liberal 2. Because the motives to the Works under the Law are bondage fear and a curse but under the Gospel liberty hope and a Blessing SECT IV. The Spirit The Spirit is the Spirit of the hope of Righteousness i. e. the Reward of Righteousness or the Right of the inheritance to which we are justified and of which we are assured by Faith called Righteousness 1. In respect of it self because the substance of this Blessedness is Moral Righteousness which is the principal thing in the nature of Blessedness whereto the Accessaries are eternity of Life Joy and Glory 2. In respect of us because it is that inheritance whereto we are justified and wherewith we shall be qualified to be really and perfectly righteous in eternal Life Joy and Glory 3. In respect of God because our Justification thereto is not an act of God's Justice proceeding from his Law but an act of his Righteousness or kindness proceeding from his Grace and Gospel whereby he gives us a present Right to future Blessedness and an expectance or Assurance thereof that we should hope and patiently wait for it Called therefore the Hope laid up for us in Heaven Col. 1.5 1 Th. 5.8 Tit. 3.7 1 Pet. 2.3 4. The Hope of Glory and Salvation and Blessedness to which we are made heirs A begetting to a lively Hope to an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away of which the Spirit is the Earnest Seal and Witness The Reasons of Hope are 1. Because every Inheritance is an expectance The Institution of an Heir preceding the Induction 2. Because God hath commanded us to wait Now if God had never intented this inheritance for us and promised it unto us by his Son Jesus Christ he would never have bidden us to wait for it nor have given us his Spirit as an earnest thereof before hand 3. Because we have accepted it Now if it were never given nor accepted we would not be such fools as to look for that which either was never offered or refused by us when it was offered But now every Faithful Soul may justly look for that which is their due from God or good Men and they shall be sure to have it if they faint not For God and good Men will be sure never to fail of their promises Heaven and Earth may fail and shall fail but not the least title of the word of God shall ever fail God is faithful in promises and keeping Covenant for ever His word is a more sure word than the Laws of the Medes and Persians which are said not to alter though both their Laws and Kingdoms are long since altered and gone But God liveth ever to perform what he hath promised and sworn who is Truth it self and cannot lie Nothing therefore can hinder Assurance on God's part but breach of Faith on our part None therefore can fail of their hopes but hypocrites because they are unfaithful in not keeping the Covenant made with God therefore their hopes shall perish and their expectation shall be cut off as the spiders web before him They are fallen from Grace and have disinherited and destroy'd themselves but in God was and might have been their help SECT V. Having therefore such a Hope and full Assurance of Faith Waiting it is worth the while to wait for the end of our Faith and hope the Salvation of our Souls It is good to wait upon God and the patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever 1. To wait in life all the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come 1. In prosperity for higher comforts not to let out the stream of our desires to the ravishment of our Spirits with the enjoyments of carnal things So to be transformed and infatuated by them as to neglect cleaving to nobler objects 2. In adversity for the exceeding great Reward that will more than satisfie for all the sufferings of this life so as not to rage blaspheme or despair because of the sharpness or continuance of any divine scourge But to look beyond them all at the price of the High Calling laid up for us In our patience possessing our Souls that Patience may have its perfect work in us to endure to the end 2. To wait in death for strength of Spirit to bear the agonies and terrors of that dismal encounter and for victory to overcome that Ultimum supplicium that last and worst of woes 3. To wait after death 1. For the recovery of the Body from dishonour and corruption to Glory and Incorruption 2. For the consolation of the Soul in the state of solitude and separation by the society of other blessed Spirits and of Just Men made perfect and of the Visitations of Angels and the irradiations from the most excellent Glory 3. For the Re-union of Soul and Body never to be separated more 4. For fruition of Eternal Blessedness The CONTENTS Matter of Fact Matter of Right Matter of Witness Spirit of Assurance Ability Sealed Earnest TITLE II. Of the Grounds of Assurance 1. THe first Ground that all the Assurance that is possible and convenient to be had in this life concerning our Salvation is in matter of Fact procured for us is SECT I. Matter of Fact 1. That Christ was in this World actually in the Flesh and conversed openly with Men taught them wrought Miracles died among them and rose again and was seen of them after his Resurrection 2. That Christ was a Person sent from God to preach and publish his last Will and Testament to all Mankind and he began with the Jews and sent his Apostles to the Gentiles saying Go preach the Gospel to every Creature That this Christ was exactly fore-told by all the Prophets and was testified to be the Son of God by the voice of God from Heaven saying I am well pleased hear ye him And that he justified himself to be the Son of God and the Author and Finisher of our Salvation who was crucified
future consummation of it In the New Testament God hath promised unto us the inheritance of Heavenly Blessedness whereto by Faith we have a present right but because we have not a present possession of that inheritance Therefore God gives us his earnest to assure our future possession of that inheritance And the earnest which he gives us is his Holy Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 whereby he worketh us for the possession thereof Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 122. And that very Spirit which is a Seal to our Spirit is also an Earnest in our Hearts Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts And that possession for which the Holy Spirit is both a Seal and an Earnest is the Inheritance of Blessedness Eph. 1.13 In whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance And of that Inheritance the Spirit is the Earnest until the possession be delivered unto us for unto the words last cited thus immediately followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unto the delivery of the possession or as a Common Lawyer would read it until the livery of seizon Which being done the Spirit shall cease being an Earnest seeing the use of it shall be then extinguished Thus the Spirit is an Assurance for Blessedness because it is an ability to perform the condition of it a Seal for our present Right to it and an Earnest for our future possession of it The CONTENTS Names Species TITLE III. Of the Kinds of Assurances IN Scripture the Names importing the nature and kinds of Assurance Names are these 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the substance of things hoped for Hebr. 11.1 Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fundamento 2 Cor. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this confident boasting 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evidence Proof Judgment Conviction Heb. 11.1 The evidence of things not seen 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.12 1 Tim. 3.13 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him We have great boldness by the Faith which is in Christ Jesus 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we hold fast the confidence Hebr. 3.6 Heb. 4.16 1 Joh. 3.21 and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God Seeing we have such hope we use great plainness of Speech 2 Cor 3.12 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 Shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Heb. 6.11 Heb. 10.12 Bas Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith draws the heart to stricter communion with God than all other rational acts can do 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.14 The Spirit is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Who hath also given unto us the earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 whereby ye are sealed unto the day of your Redemption Who hath sealed us 2 Cor. 1.22 and given us the earnest of his Holy Spirit In whom after ye believed Eph. 1.13 ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise SECTION I crave leave to rank together all the Species of Assurances that I can think of As Species 1. Natural in matter of Being the truth of Entity and Existence in rerum naturâ in the world for things present as that there is a state of Nature and a state of Grace A Temporal a Spiritual and an Eternal condition a Generation and a Regeneration an Old Man and a New an Old Creation and a New Creation 2. Historical in matter of Faith in story by relation of Authors worthy to be believed Tradition universal from Age to Age Records and Monuments the beginning of all certitude for things past 3. Prophetical in matter of Word by inspiration for things to come confirmed by Miracles creating thereby a good Assurance 4. Legal in matter of Right in Law by Statutes positive and Rules Divine or Humane to have and to hold things temporal or eternal to which we may safely lay claim and challenge as dues by Sacred Constitution from Supreme powers which cannot be denied 5. Donative in matter of Grace in Love Bounty and Equity to which also a just claim may be made because offered by Free Grace upon the meer good will and spontaneous motion of the Donor to the Donatary 6. Testimonial in matter of Witness in credit by the hand and seal of the Testator or other Donor and by the hands and seales of the Witnesses Free-Men and worthy to be believed 7. Real in matter of Pledg in pawn deposition sequestration caution or other security direct or collateral personal or real in full satisfaction and satisdation Thus God hath given us Christ and with him all things Thus all things are ours and we are Christ's and Christ is God's And God hath given us the Spirit of Christ to be our Comforter and Assurance 8. Logical in matter of Reason in proof by Discourse inference conclusion from necessary propositions which no Man in his wits can deny making Faith by demonstration 9. Fiducial in matter of Hope in trust confidence and relyance upon the Power Continuance Fidelity and Love of a Benefactor 10. Federal in matter of Covenant Promise Agreement Oath or Contract in claim challenge and demand to and with and from a private or publick person or persons aggregated in one communion which are accounted Quasi-immortal unchangeable and Omnipotent 11. Vital in matter of action in labour and working by such a conversation and practice as is a means proper and effectual to bring assuredly unto such correspondent ends as a direct way leading to such a City or Country which if follow'd must necessarily bring the traveller thereunto Every one of these kinds of assurances in one degree or other at one time or other joyntly or severally sensibly or insensibly have their several existences or operations in the heart of a Christian creating a certitude or evidence of a higher more certain and lasting Nature than any other evidence whatsoever that is attainable in this life and can be inferior to none but the fruition it self of the Beatifical vision Nemo negat salutem vitae Patriae mutuò se inferre ad se invicem
my poor wife and Children for I know my doom and accordingly am hastening as I am driven into Hell And I can expect no help from thee And this he expressed with a sedate mind as one that was earnestly going a journey The example of Francis Spira is fearful although there were not wanting some signs of hopes in him Alas the Church of Rome is a sad Mother leading her Children in a Maze affording them no assurance in Life or Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the most part her Teachers deny the certainty of Salvation unless it be to some choice and eminent Saints and that not without a special Revelation As for others they have but poor hopes Yet Ambrosius Catharinus and Martin Eisengenius incline to the orthodox judgment Catharinus and Sotus oppose one another and Vega both The sense of the Council of Trent is versatile like the Oracles of Apollo Some were for a revealed Assurance some for no Assurance at all Some confessed ingeniously their ignorance in the point SECT I. 1. Doctrines of Masses c. The subtilty of maintaining this Doctrine of the uncertainty of Faith is contrived to uphold the Doctrine of Masses Dirges Indulgences Purgatory visiting of Saints Shrines c. such filthy gains as they daily make by such delusions which otherwise would altogether come tumbling down headlong to the ruin of the Politick Church One of them saith I have many a time and often visited the sick M. Eisenc and them that have died and no Man can say of me but that after they had declared their repentance and Faith I exhorted them with all diligence to have an undanted and certain confidence He farther saith That all the chiefest Divines of the World taught the same Doctrine ever since the Apostles daies So say Fisher of Rochester Gropper the Divines of Colen Ruard Dean of Lovain Castalius Vega c. So forcible is the Truth that falls from the mouths and pens of those that unreasonably oppose it SECT II. Doctrine of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church 2. The subtilty of maintaining the Doctrine of the certainty of Faith and absolute Assurance of eternal Justification is invented to uphold as the Doctrine of the Romish Church no hope of salvation without the Pale of that Church so to maintain the Doctrine of other Selected Churches of no hope of salvation without the narrow precincts of their several Conventicles So that as the Great Vicar holds the Keyes of Heaven and Hell at his girdle and hath all his Children at his beck even so the Petty-Vicars pin their Election or Reprobation on their sleeves And make their Subjects admire or fear their favours or frowns and dare not stir or budge from them upon pain of eternal damnation This Great and Lordly one over God's free People and Inheritance makes them 1. Slaves in their Judgments to believe all that their Grand Superintendents magisterially dictate unto them though it be never so absurd painful and costly 2. Slaves in their Persons to ride go or row dig or torl in the Gallies or Mines like Beasts or any other slavish and foolish actions even to Planting and watering of a dry stick to try their obedience To marry into what Families they please to enrich the Church or State 3. Slaves in their Estates to give all they have at or before their death from their Parents Children or Kinsmen Friends to Strangers of their own Sect. SECT III. Doctrine of lying still in Sin 3. The subtilty of this Doctrine of maintaining the Certainty of Faith and absolute Assurance of Eternal Justification is invented by Satan as his greatest stratagem to make him who is his vassal and lives in sin to believe that he is the Child of God and in the state of Grace that he may commit sin and not be the servant of sin but have his share in Christ An Assurance without a Warrant from the Spirit subscribed with the hands of Flesh and Bloud Perfection we would learn and pretend to attain it without ever learning to attain it by working it out with fear and trembling and making our Calling and Election sure Freedom we like but not to be restrained by the Laws of Christ which makes perfect Freedom Assurance we build upon but never build up our Assurance SECT IV. Imputed Righteousness We dare to talk of the imputed Righteousness of Christ while we have no real Righteousness of our own Boast of God's Spirit and Grace while we grieve the one and turn the other into wantonness This we call appearing clothed in our Elder Brother's Robes or as Jacob did we may steal away his Blessing Thus the Adulterer may say I am chast with Christ's chastity the Drunkard I am sober with Christ's temperance the Covetous I am poor with Christ's poverty the Revenger I forgive with Christ's charity The irregenerate and voluptuous dead in trespasses and sins I am born again mortified crucified dead and buried in Christ and with Christ Sen. Calvisius Sabinus fancied that he did every good work which his Servants did If they were Poets Orators Artificers c. he was all this So we say what Christ did we do what he suffered we suffer though we never so much as do or suffer any thing like him Therefore as Seneca said of that Grand Opimator I never saw a Man whose happiness did less become him So may it well be said of these who like Men clothed in Lions Skins or Owls with the Feathers of other Birds Their borrow'd Graces and Vizards do full ill become them their gay apparel sits ill upon them We talk of applying the promises to our selves which they may do that as enemies to the Cross of Christ never perform any one of them The applying of the promises of Christ is not a speculative but a practical thing an act much rather of the Will than of the Understanding If we keep God's word the promises will apply themselves when the Will of Man is subject to the Will of God The Blessing of God will fall like dew from Heaven of it self If we walk according to God's Rule God's Grace Mercy and Peace shall be upon us and upon the Israel of God If we put on the Lord Jesus Christ by imitation of his Righteousness obedience and Love in this his likeness he will own us and approve of us SECT V. 1. We may not think uncharitably Collections Uncharitableness that every one that is not of our Sect though he be an honest Man and feareth God is a Reprobate by the same uncharitable Rule they may think the same of us who differ just as much from us as we do from them and are as confident of their being in the right as we are of our being in the right 2. We may not think that our judgment of our own Estate or our Enemies judgment of our Estate shall be the rule by which God will proceed to judg both
amongst Men are Quasi-Gods and their Estates Quasi-Allodial Faith is properly in all that hold of God None but the Godly have Faith properly Faith is God's due from all Men. Soveraigns only have Right in Allodium Subjects or Faithful only have right to a Fee because Fidelity is the substance of a Fee All hold of Grace They that acknowledg not this Tenure are ungracious Usurpers Rebels Revolters We all hold as Beneficiaries to Soveraign Princes and they are Beneficiaries to God The Persons that are owners and possessors of Allodium are Lords that have absolute Signorie Domination Rule Puissance and sole power to use bestow order or employ persons or things The things that are owned and possessed in Allodium are Persons Lands or other Goods These Persons and things that are thus Allodial are absolute independent the rest conditional and subordinate according to the principles of the Feudal Law By the Civil Law Propriety and Lordship absolute is publick to use or dispose of only as the exigencies and necessities of the Common-wealth shall require and then to leave them or what is left of them to the private owners under them which have private Lordship or Propriety otherwise Allodial to dispose of as they please according to Law This Publick Lordship is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imperium Majestas Principality Soveraignty Absolute Domination Private is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominion Hence Lawyers express themselves as well as they can Ad Caesarem potestas omnium pertinet ad singulos proprietas Caesar omnia imperio possidet singuli Dominio The power of all things belongs unto Caesar the propriety to every Subject Caesar possesseth all things by Command the rest by Dominion Private Dominion is at the discretion of every one to do withal as they please unless restrained by Laws And so Quilibet est arbiter moderator Rei suae i. e. Every one is the Disposer and Governour of his own goods Publick Domination consists in Jure publico to tax and command every one in subsidium Belli i. e. To command Men Beasts Arms Waggons Houses Lands Bridges High-waies Churches Schools Hospitals Walls c. to use even to wasting and consumption in cases of necessity to preserve the whole As Pilots and Masters throw Merchants and Passengers goods overboard and command all Persons to labour in a storm to save the Ship The Eastern Monarchs of the World had this absolute Supremacy in their sole Persons The Roman Kings had the same The Roman People after they had expelled their King kept this absolute Liberty and Majesty to themselves which they called Jus vitae mortis Jus Imperii Jus Libertatis Jus Quiritium Mancipìum i. e. Supreme Domination in the Republick over Persons and Goods in all their Provinces and this Majesty they say was in the Body of the People collectively if we can imagine it so to be for every one to be absolute to rule and obey themselves But truly and properly the Tribunes only were the Absolute Men and the rest boasting of the Freedom which they had not They called themselves Cives Sui mancipii And those that were in the Provinces were in Mancipio Reipublicae Mancipia Manû capta and their Goods Res mancipii Census or Taxe was the mark of publick Domination as Propriety of private Demaine Hence Tributa Census and they that pay'd them were called Tributarii Censiti Ascriptitii Coloni Glebae addicti Gens de mort-main i. e. Mortuae potestatis Gens de potè i. e. alienae Potestatis Demiserfs Gens de Suitte or Serf de suitte constrained to stay in the Territory or else were pursued as fugitives SECT II. The Original of Lordships was Lordship 1. Fathers that were Lords of all both Children and goods 2. Conquerors that were Lords of all Persons and things Jure Belli or Jure Allodii All the Lands in a Military Kingdom were the Conquerors the Conqueror kept some of the Lands and Goods in his own demaine the rest he distributed to his Chieftains according to his own love or their merit reserving the Optimum jus the direct and perfect Dominion to himself A Province to a Duke A Frontier to a Marquess A Ville with its Territory to a Count. Castles and Villages to Barons These they possessed Jure precario benè segerentibus durante Domini beneplacito an utile Dominium Thus the Prince gives his Captains a Title of Fee to use and enjoy Lands to do justice and service in Peace and War Justinian in his Novels calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The antient Clienteles allude somewhat unto them SECT III. An Invention a little hinted at and begun by the Romans woose Emperours to assure their Frontiers gave those Lands that were upon their Marches or Borders to their Captains and Souldiers as a Benefice to hold and use durante Militia ut attentiùs militarent propria jura defendentes See the 11th Book of the Code De Fundis Linotrophis Model from the Goths But this Model and Platform was clearly finished and perfected by the Goths and Vandales c. whom we commonly style Lombards and such Dispositions were by them called Feoda Feuda Fiefs or Fees The Captains held in fee to the Prince their Title Vassals the Chief Valvasours that held in Frank-fee The Souldiers held in fee to their Captains their Title Soldati from their Pay The Natural Inhabitants hold for Labourage not fee are not suffer'd to have the use of Arms their Title Censiti or Tributarïi The Chief Feudataries were called Capitanei Regis aut Regni they had Feuda Nobiliora Dignitates Feudales Offices to execute publick Power but no propriety or Soveraignty as Princes they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use not Possession Thus Lordship and Domination is 1. Over things I am Lord of the things I possess they are my goods they serve me 2. Over Persons I am Lord over the Persons I possess they are my Vassals they serve me Quaedam Res retinent pristinam libertatem quam Domini in primâ rerum divisione habuerunt ut sint solius Domini Allodiales dictae Aliae per Homagia aut Censûs praestationem alium quoque quà m possidentem ostendunt Quasi-dominum illae Feuda istae Censuales Emphytenciariae Superficiatae dictae That is Some things retain their antient Liberty which their owners had in the first division of things that they should be the owners own called therefore Allodial things Other things by Homages or Payments of Taxes declared another besides the owner to be the Quasi Lord or owner of them those were called Feuds and these Censual Emphyteuciary and Superficiary Qui praedia optimo jure possidet i. e. Qui plenam habet absolutamque proprietatem is integrum Dominium directum censetur habere Francum Allodium extrà mancipium servitutemque dominicam positum i. e. He that possesseth any thing by the best right that is who hath full and absolute propriety
the King doth what pleaseth him both in heaven and earth 30. To this King his Feudal Subjects may truly say so as no other can All that is ours is thine and all that is thine is ours and we our selves are thine and thou thy self art ours yet thou art all things and hast all things without us but we are nothing and have nothing without thee Thy riches are ours thy wisdom is ours thy beauty honour and glory is ours but thine by property but ours by grace and favour All things are ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods And if God hath given us Christ how shall he not with him freely give us all things By Faith and Love we are in God and God in us one with Christ and Christ one with us For God is love and he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him 31. In other kingdoms Kings swear to be faithful to their Subjects but in a Feudal kingdom Subjects only swear fidelity to their Kings Yet God himself vouchsafes to swear By my self have I sworn that I will never fail David And it is no waies improper for a Prince or Lord to swear to be faithful to his Subjects as well as for Subjects to be faithful to their Lords For Relatives are mutual 32. In other kingdoms Kings tax their Subjects to bear the charge of their Government but in this the King bears all the burthen and the Subjects are at no charges at all of his fullness we all receive grace for grace 33. In other kingdoms Tributes and taxes are oftentimes oppressions and stir up Rebellion or bring in Poverty but in this kingdom all peace and plenty 34. In a Feudal kingdom there is but one supream Lord so in Gods kingdom 35. There are many Intermedial Lords but all Vassals to the supream Lord so in Gods kingdom there are Gods many and Lords many as Kings and Rulers but all Vassals to the same supream Lord. Yet they may not Lord it over Gods Inheritance no more than Feudal Lords may Lord it over the Kings inheritance 36. The Inheritance of the Fee is equal to all in Gods kingdom yet not so in mans for some have more in Fee and some less 37. The Inheritance of the Fee is conditional to all in Man's kingdom so also in God's kingdom 38. Some have gifts more than others in Gods kingdom extrinsecal to their Inheritance of Fee for the benefit of the Subjects The Spirit of God divideth to every one his portion some more some less to all some as he pleases 39. The way of Investiture is alike to all by Sacrament or Oath of Fidelity and Homage All holding in one and the same Faith and Love to one Lord. 40. No faith and love to any by Imputation but inherent in every Subject for his Justification 41. No faith and love descendeth to any by Inheritance but is personal and individual in all Every man being faithful and loving for himself and God faithful and loving to all and for all 42. All Fees alike in Nature though of different degrees 43. One Assurance for all alike 44. One Judge of all men alike Jesus Christ 45. One Covenant for all obligation equal to all To be no Owners or Proprietaries is a low estate Obj. Christians are Quasi Owners in Feudo not in Allodio To be Tenants to a supream Owner is an honourable estate Answ which advances them to an indefeisable Tenure and a quasi Propriety in heaven 'T is slavish to hold in Fee Obj. They are all Sons in this Tenure therefore no slaves Answ They have Right to the Inheritance therefore no slaves who have right in nothing To hold of Kings is honourable to hold of the King of Kings much more honourable Princes hold in quasi Allodium but properly in Fee from God SECT XII The nature and excellency of a Feudal Government Excellency of a Feudal Government may plainly be discerned by what hath been observed thereof and more by comparing it with the old Roman way of Rule For whereas by the Roman Law all obligation between Prince and Subjects was upon the consideration of the Common good only after that the Roman Emperours had by the example of the Longobardian Kings granted their Lands in Fee then a more strong tye was twisted between the Lords and their Vassals for the Benefices granted to those Vassals and their Families and instead of bare obedience generally due from Subjects to their Superiors love and fidelity was introduced by solemn Oath and Covenant for the Vassals to perform all things which concerned the dignity safety and profit of their Lords and to keep the Peace amongst themselves and to help one another and altogether to serve their King Many other things different from the Civil Law were found out as the Customes of Millain the most ancient then the Laws made by the Emperours Lotharius Frederick and others by the advice of Bishops Dukes and Marquesses Earls Palatine Judges and other Nobles in which if any thing was wanting they had recourse to the Civil Law for a supply as is usual at this day because though the Civil Law is not of force to overcome Customes yet the learned in those Laws if a Case occur which is not contained in the custome of the Fee may safely give counsel by the written Law After the expulsion of the Longobardian Kings the Emperour was the supream Lord with supream Legislation and Jurisdiction in all Causes And to him Allegiance was due from all his Liege People by which they were obliged for their Goods Persons and Protection to their supream Lord. Than which a better constitution never was nor peradventure never will be made for the resemblance and nearness which it hath to the government of God and of Christ SECT XIII Collections Observe kind Reader how the Tenure of Fees in a Feudal kingdom is agreeable to the Tenure of Faith in the kingdom of Christ 1. Because given by meer grace of the Donor The Receiver is a meer Beneficiary and hath nothing to boast of 2. Because the Donor hath the absolute propriety in himself 1. The thing is his Allodium he depends upon none 2. The Rights Jurisdictions and Priviledges are all his 3. Because the Usufruct only is the Receivers 4. Because he ows service fidelity and love 1. For the use of the things so given 2. For the use of the Rights belonging to them Now where is glory but in the Donor whose Grace it is Where is Merit the Lord doth not thank the Vassal that serves him he is rewarded for it it is his duty he holds his Fee upon it Note that the Lord hath given the Fee therefore he will not take it away without the fault of the Receiver Note that this is a noble way of giving 1. To give the Use only not the Dominion For this keeps up Soveraignty and maintains obedience and acknowledgment fear and love duty and distance 2. To give the
to death with pains and care in them But the Spiritual Souldier under Christs Banner aims at glorious things and goes on to perfection He looks beyond the gayeties and anxieties of this Life at the mark of the price of the high Calling which is laid up for him in Christ Jesus and having an eye to the recompense of the Reward and a hope of a glorious and blessed immortality he is contented to endure the Crosses and despise the shames of this World and purifies himself and is zealous of good works perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord that he may obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus To the King alone the faithful make all their Prayers not to the Saints their Brethren beneficiaries and fellow Servants under one Master and Benefactor They can merit nothing at their Lord's hands for they are Clients and Beneficiaries depending wholly upon his Grace and Favour They are all of the same Mind and of the same Spirit The Lord loves his Vassal and the Vassal his Lord. Thus all Feudal Rights are retained till there be a Desertio militiae a laying down Arms or unthankfulness and Rebellion in the case Thus Feudataries are all the Children of their Liege Lord not by Nature but by Grace they are all Filii-familias and heirs of his Estate Thus the Feudatary Brethren are all initiated into the Fee of their Lord by a Sacramental Oath and holy Covenant of Baptism Thus they commemorate the bounty of their Lord and Father by the Sacrament of the Holy Supper They eat the same Spiritual Bread and drink the same Spiritual Wine Thus they entertain one another not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness for Souldiers must be temperate in all things but in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in feasts of Love and Charity Thus they as Souldiers are not entangled with the affairs of this Life but use their Benefices as not abusing them being alwaies watchful and standing upon their guard to keep out Satan and to bruise him under every one of their feet Thus Christ hath purchased Blessedness by conquering Sin Law Satan so that all Salvation and Happiness is his who is the only Saviour of Mankind And therefore all that have right and do hold it to Blessedness have it and hold it of him who alone hath purchased it for them by the price of his precious Bloud by the Conquest of his death For there is no other name given under Heaven whereby we can be saved but only by the Name of Jesus Who is then the Lord Head of the Church but Christ What are Saints or Angels They have all from Christ as we and are our fellow Servants and Brethren partakers of the same Grace and therefore they have merited nothing for us nor can they help us nor may we seek to them for help but with them go to Christ for the participation of the common Salvation had and held by the same Right and Title of Faith and Love till we come to be perfect and receive the inheritance with them which is laid up for us eternal in the Heavens Though all Feudataries are alike usufructuaries only and have and hold of the same Liege Lord in the same Tenure yet some are Royal and Sacerdotal Dignitaries others inferior Titularies So Kings hold next and immediately under God of Christ their King by whom Kings reign and Princes decree justice And Priests hold from Christ the Great High Priest and Bishop of our Souls And Subjects hold under their Kings and Priests who rule them in Temporals and Spiri uals by Jurisdiction received from the Supreme Power of Christ who is the first born of God and higher than the Kings of the Earth and the Great High Priest by whom we are made both Kings and Priests He that is imploy'd in another Man's Estate must be called to an accompt so must we by Christ be called to an accompt at the last day for our Stewardship of the goods of God Conclusion Thus we know in part what God is Thus we know what we are Thus the Servant may not be above his Master Thus we are safe under God's Dominion Thus we shall want for nothing that is good That we may alwaies love serve honour and praise our Benefactor from whom we have our Being on whom we do depend by whom we shall be rewarded with an everlasting Well-Being to whom be all honour and glory World without end ☞ Note that Parables afford not correspondencies in every point the intent and scope of them only is argumentative Parables not on all four we may not strain the similitude to every period which runs not upon all four Object Some may rise up against this Doctrine in fury and say God's waies are not like new waies they are of another Fashion Answ By such general Notions many abuse the Scriptures and the mind of God deceiving themselves as here God's waies and the reasons of his workings are not so well known as Man's waies but yet they are alwaies just so are not Mens waies Yet God's waies may be like unto Mens waies and Mens waies may be like unto God's waies when they are just yet not for the exactness and degree of Justice or Mercy or for the Notoriety of the reasons of them both Justice and Mercy though infinitely more in God than in Man yet they are of the same species Justice is Justice and Mercy is Mercy more or less whether they be in God or Man and so Reason is Reason and Wisedom is Wisedom whether they be in God or Man And what hinders for all this disproportion but that there may be a form of Government amongst Men resembling though infinitely short the Government of God's Church and Kingdom SECT XVI Tenure of Fealty the best Take one impartial view more of this Tenure of Fealty obliging 1. The Lord to love and protect the Vassal in his Rights that is to be a Father and Patron unto him 2. The Vassal to love honour reverence and obey his Lord with all possible kindness as his Child Pupil Client and Beneficiary that hath all he hath from his goodness I say then that this Tenure of Fealty and love though invented by Heathens came by instinct from God and is the pattern of his Fatherly goodness And the obedience and love so exactly performed by them is the lively character of the obedience and love of the Church and a shame to us Christians that come so far short of Heathens in this particular And though originally by their customs derived to us we hold as they did from one Lord yet we have forgot the allegiance which by the same Laws we are sworn to perform as they did What more excellent way could be thought of than this to keep a Kingdom in peace plenty and love when Subjects shall be all Tenants to one Liege Lord and the inferior Lords as Petty-kings
up I will draw all men after me Where the Carkass is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Ye shall sit on twelve Thrones Ro. 6.5 judging the twelve Tribes of Israel The Saints shall judge the World If we have been planted with him in the likeness of his Death we shall also be planted with him in the likeness of his Resurrection Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I shall be baptized with Math. 20.22 Ye shall indeed drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and ye shall be baptized with the Baptism that I shall be baptized with and so they shall sit on his right and on his left in his kingdom for whom it shall be prepared SECT VI. Great mistakes about the two Covenants of God 1. The Law of Innocency or Works was made with Adam to do Gods will if not upon the least breach to die without hope of pardon upon Repentance 2. The Law of Grace was made with Adam to do Gods will if not to obtain pardon upon Faith and Repentance by Christ in whom God rendred himself reconcileable to deliver from death due by the law of Works This Covenant of Grace was renewed to the Patriarchs especially to Abraham David and the Prophets but especially manifested by Christ to all men The Errour of the Jewish Christians was to hope for Justification by the Covenant of Works without Faith Christ was the head Party in this Covenant made with Adam and all Mankind who are or may be the seed of Christ by believing and Christ by being born under the Law answers the Law by fulfilling it for all his Seed and takes away the Curse and brings in Blessedness by the Covenant of Grace SECT VII Covenant of Grace made with all men And that this Covenant of Grace was made with all men is demonstrated by these Reasons 1. Because the Parties of a Covenant must needs be certainly known who they are Parties of Covenants must be certainly known 1. God is known who promiseth the Reward 2. Mankind is known to whom the Reward is promised and who stipulate with God for it But if the Covenant was made with some of Mankind only and the rest excluded it cannot be certainly known who those are that are contained in the Covenant and who not Now it is most contrary to the nature of a Covenant to be struck with persons that are unknown or not certainly known because the Parties interested must certainly know themselves to be interested and others that have the same interest must certainly know their fellows that are parties with them in the same Covenant because all together they make but one party and God is the other And both these must know one another and understand one another and agree one with another and know the Terms of their agreement and be discernable from all others Therefore in all Covenants the names of the Covenantees are exprest Appellative names in Covenants that is either their Proper names or else Common names sufficient to express every individual by so that they may as plainly be understood who they are as if they were particularly named So in the Testamentary Covenant of God all with whom God Covenants and that do mutually covenant with God are expressed by the Appellative name of the Faithful in Christ These persons Adam and his Posterity did not understand what Covenant Christ their Head procured to be made for them nor what the condition was which they were to perform till they had a Being and the use of a Rational understanding But when they came to Adult age it was revealed unto them and they found not their proper but their appellative Names in the Bond and thereby had a determinate knowledge and were able to ensure themselves and each others that they were the true Parties that were to covenant with God and that they were bound so to do or else to forfeit their Blessing And from their understanding it came to their Wills to choose whether they would covenant with God or no and that it was their own fault if they did not because the terms were indifferently offered to them all And that if they did perform the Condition which Christ their Head had undertaken to make them capable to perform they should obtain the benefits purchased by him for them if not they must of necessity lose it and suffer the punishment expressed in the Bond. So in the Covenants and Testaments of men when there are many persons to covenant with one single person and those either in present or future being it is impossible to particularize every single person that is now alive or are yet for to come nor can any Will or Covenant contain them nor is it rational to set them down if they could but it is very sufficient to comprehend them all that are or shall be the Parties by some common name as of Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns or of all honest painful and miserable persons in such or such a City or Country whereby they that are so qualified are undoubtedly the persons meant by the Testator or Covenanter in his said Will and Covenant and may lawfully claim the Legacies or Benefits intended for them and promised unto them SECT VIII A Publick person may stipulate for himself and all under his power Publick stipulation at present and that shall be when they come to be As a King for all his Subjects born or to be born A Head of a Corporation or Syndick for all the Citizens A Father for all his Children If this Publick person break the Covenant for himself and by himself he only is guilty for himself and by himself properly and really as to the sin but improperly and quasily and by act of Law his heirs or successors are guilty that is so accounted and therefore they really suffer the loss and penalty by their Fathers sin not enjoying the benefit which they should have had if he had not broken the Covenant for himself by act of Nature nor they with him by act of Law So that they suffer the shame and loss by being Sons to such a Father and are so far tainted in their blood and lessened in their heads but yet they may stipulate for themselves and be faithful and recover the honour and estate which they lost by their Father so far as in him lay If this Publick person keep the Covenant for himself he is only rewardable for himself properly and really as to the virtue of his keeping it and his heirs and successors are not really nor properly rewardable but quasily and by act of Law and therefore they are really rewarded and enjoy the benefit only by such act and constitution and have the honour of being Sons to such a Father are pure in blood and advanced in their heads If the heirs to those Publick persons actually break the Covenant
them with safety to God's Honour and his own Reason God must needs mock us and be the Author of Sin and Misery to his poor Creatures which is the highest blasphemy 6. If God decreed Justification and Salvation from all eternity then what needs the dear purchase of Christ his precious Bloud Is not this Socinianism to take away the Satisfaction of Christ judg all Men 7. If the Covenant of Grace be not made with all Men then all Men are not bound to the Condition but all Men are bound to the Condition therefore the Covenant of Grace is made with all Men. If there be no ground to believe for some because they have no hope of help being shut out by inevitable Fate and none can tell who these be why should all Men be bound to believe when all Men cannot be assured because Christ died not for all Men. And though the Gospel be preached to all Men yet the Promises thereof belong to very few and God only knows who they be and woe be to the rest of the World whether they believe or no if it were possible for them to believe SECT XII Object Christ died sufficiently but not efficiently for all Men. Answ Then Christ's Bloud must be spilt in vain for the greatest part of it and so the Bloud of Christ might have been spared Object Not spilt in vain but for the farther condemnation of the Reprobates Answ Worse and worse What shifts are these As if God made the Sun for darkness or sent Christ for damnation Whither will they go that are lost what will they not say that will not yield after once they have undertook a bad cause But let the Scriptures speak Joh. 3.17 Joh. 12.47 Joh. 1.29 God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved I came not to judg the World but to save the World Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World Christ died sufficiently but not intentionally for all Men. Object Then God hath two Wills a Revealed and a Secret Answ the last contrary to the first Then God means one thing and speaks another Sancta quaedam simulatio then God mocks us Then there is no God no Religion then we are found lyars then Atheists have got the day Nabal was rich enough to relieve David and all his Men if he had intended it but understanding him to be such a miser such a churle such a Son of Belial as he was they had no sufficient grounds to believe it and though he had told them he would yet he never intended to do it they might have starv'd for all their hopes in him if they had any Do Men seek water from a flint is any bound to look for Grapes from thorns or Figgs from thistles Hope is for that which is to be had and may be had If God hath Salvation and never intendeth it for the most who can have any grounds of hope or comfort 8. Because denyal of Grace raises jealousies and fears and hatred too from the Creature to the Creator which cannot be avoided 9. Because it is greater Grace to provide for many than for few 10. Because it is a Rule to interpret all Favours most largely and to offer them with a courteous hand But to restrain odiums into as narrow compass as may be And this is when all is done the safest way How Noble a thing is it to plead for God yet he needs it not but it becomes us to think and speak reverently and magnificently of his Grace and Mercy How Noble a thing is it to accept of his Free Grace freely and upon such honourable terms It is the wisedom of God to make us labour for our Reward Is there or can there be any nobler way for God to give or for Man to receive than the way that God gave the Kingdom to Christ and he received it upon the condition of his obedience And if Christ could have it no other way how can we Should the Servants fare better than their Master Delicate membra non decent sub crucifixo capite Crucified members best become a crucified head It is an honour to be conformable to him in sufferings to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ to bear his Cross and to wear his Crown SECT XIII COLLECTIONS It appears therefore by all circumstances and fair resemblances Collections That Christ's Kingdom is a Feudal Kingdom wherein both the King and Subjects are in perfect Covenant and Fee together And that this Kingdom is a Kingdom of the greatest Grace that can be imagined because it is constituted and maintained wholly by Grace and Love on both sides and therefore a Kingdom of the greatest unity and strength and safety for what is stronger than Love and Faith which overcome Death Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it SECT XIV 1. Christ hath and holds his Kingdom of his Father in Love 2. Christians have and hold their Kingdom of Christ in Love So God's covenant of Grace is with Christ and all his Seed his Subjects are all his children redeemed and saved by him so long as they be true to him and abide in his love The King loves all his Subjects The Subjects all love their King They all love one another They all communicate one with another They all obtain their Estate by Grace They all keep their Estate by Grace They all depend upon Grace They are all Fideles Homines Covenant-keepers a Traytor is cut off from amongst them Every Tenant is conditional a perfect covenant if no condition then no dependence Then all should be kings for Kings only are absolute and independent Such a kingdom is God's and those kingdoms are the best that are most like unto God's In all Feudal Kingdoms the Kings convey the exercise of their power in Fee to their chiefest Captains and Leaders under them So in Christ's Kingdom the exercise of his power is committed in Fee to Kings and Priests under him SECT XV. Power Sacred All power is a Sacred thing and very tenderly to be handled because it is God's I dare not think nor speak of it without great reverence It is a Godlike work to use power well To give all their due exactly to protect distressed and forlorn wretches cast out by the World to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak hands and to strengthen the feeble knees to raise up them that are fallen to wait on the Altars of Religion and Justice and Mercy and to officiate as from God to Man and from Man to God in things pertaining unto God or Man Who is sufficient for these things These are gods under God and have a Godlike Spirit given them Cavete Principes cavete Sacerdotes The power of the Sword the power of the Keyes What are they how to be used This is Jus publicum the Art of Arts the Law
fight of Faith the whole Armor of God the Tenure and Service of a Vassal to his Lord and King according to the Feudal Laws of Faith and Homage in peace or war The Laws are Fundamental to which all must trust to be known and understood by all SECT III. COLLECTIONS Thus the Kingdom is God's Thus God hath given the Kingdom to Christ to fight for it Thus God hath given the Kingdom to Christians to fight for it Collections Thus Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father when he hath put all his enemies under his feet that God may be all in all because it is the nature of an Estate in trust to be delivered up Thus Christ is Lord over our Souls and Bodies over the World and the Devil Thus kingly power is given to Christ to rule over the Church and the World Thus Priestly power is given to Christ to Sacrifice and propitiate for the Church and the World Thus Prophetical power is given to Christ to teach and instruct the Church and the World Thus Christ fights in his Person by sufferings by preaching and Miracles Thus Christians fight in their Persons by sufferings Faith and obedience Thus Kings hold under Christ by waiting at the Altar of Justice under the Throne of his Power Thus Priests hold under Christ by waiting at the Altar of Mercy under the Throne of his Grace Thus Service and Tribute is due to Kings for their waiting and they must live by the Crown Thus Honour and Offerings are due to Priests for their waiting and they must live by the Altar Thus Christs kingdom is a kingdom of Grace and his Ambassadors invite all to accept and hold of his Grace Thus Christ intercedes in his own person and by his Ambassadors for Sinners that have broken their faith and forfeited their Fee that they may be restored again Thus earthly Vassals to Satan savour of Earthly things worship and serve the god of this World Thus heavenly Vassals to Christ savour of Heavenly things worship and serve the God of Heaven Thus the wicked are in Fee to the Devil faithful in wickedness inherit shame and destruction Thus the Righteous are in Fee to Christ faithful in Religion inherit glory and salvation Thus a man may forfeit his Fee to Satan and lose his Tenure to darkness and enter into Fee to God and become the child of Light And so è contra A man may forfeit his Fee to God and lose his Tenure to Light and enter into Fee to Satan and become the child of Darkness Thus he that is fighting against God may be overcome i. e. willingly not against his will as in other battels The good Spirit may perswade his Spirit and bring him back or translate him from the power of Darkness into the kingdom of the dear Son of God Thus he that is fighting for God may be overcome i. e. willingly not against his will as in other battels The evil Spirit may perswade his Spirit and bring him back Heb. 6. or translate him from the power of Light into the kingdom of the Devil Thus a Vassal that breaks his Faith may return to his Liege lord and submit and be restored for any man may lose his right or he may give it away or leave it to the wide World The Natural branches may be cut off and others engrafted and they may be grafted in their own stock again The Wheat may be chaff and the Chaff wheat The Devil may be cast out and enter in again The good Spirit may depart and return A Citizen may be disfranchised a free Head lessened an Heir disinherited And after all to all these there may be restitution in Integrum Thus Portae dignitatum non patent infamibus personis The gates of Honour are shut against Infamous persons Feuda non capiunt Infideles False men Felons and Rebels cannot hold a Fee There is no blemish in Christs kingdom every one that maketh and loveth a Lie must be gone from thence Christ knows not Hypocrites that have broken their faith and forsaken their first Love Without are Dogs and Murtherers and no unclean thing shall ever enter into the kingdom of Heaven Thus all Liege Lords are Patrons and Benefactors and all Liege Subjects are Clients and Beneficiaries The Devil rewards his Servants and God rewards his Servants No Schism or Heresie in Satans kingdom no Schism or Heresie in Christs kingdom because it is a breach of Fee Thus the Covenant of Works is not a Fee or Grace but a Debt but the Covenant of Grace is a Fee or of grace and a gift Adam was in Covenant of Works in his Innocency but after his Fall he was in the Covenant of Grace and entred into a Fee Moses was not a Liege Lord nor his Subjects in Fee with him but Christ is a Liege Lord and his Subjects in Fee with him All Feudataries are fellow-Souldiers and fellow-Subjects Though some are called Lords yet all are Servants to one Lord. The genius of a Feudist is Love and Obedience because he is a Beneficiary and hath nothing but what he hath received and can call nothing his own but is in continual dependency upon his Lords free Grace and bounty and cannot but serve him by all the tyes of Love and Honour as Children are tyed by the bonds of Nature to love and honour their Parents The CONTENTS Transition Foundation of Merit Supererogation Demerit Rewards and Punishments TITLE IV. Of Merit IN a Feudal kingdom there can be no place for Merit Transition because Beneficiaries and Usufructuaries receive all upon grace from their Lord and Benefactor and hold what they have from him for love honour and service which they owe him for all that they have neither can they recompense the Donor by all that they do or can do for him but must account themselves unprofitable Servants when all is done The foundation and source of Merit is Foundation of Merit the performance of a work which is not due to another or which no Right on our part could compel us nor the party for whose sake it is done had any right to enforce the doing of the same from us Therefore no mortal man can merit any thing at Gods hands though it were possible for him to fulfil the Law of God exactly and therefore God can be a Debtor to no man but as he is pleased to make himself so by his free and gracious Promise which gives him to whom the Promise was made a right by Grace which by works he could not have And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Ro. 11.6 7. But if it be of Works then it is no more Grace otherwise Work is no more Work Therefore it is of Faith or Covenant that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure Ro. 4.16 Therefore no mortal man can merit any thing at the hands of his
by the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in them If there be other Traditions without writing they also for the main agree with the Traditions written but some circumstances may differ and some must needs be lost in both But still the Traditions in Writing must needs be the surest and most lasting wherefore God himself wrote the two Tables with his own hand and commanded Moses to write the rest for a perpetual Record As for Traditions without writing they must needs be more hazardous because of the shortness of mens lives the weakness and varieties of mens apprehensions and memories the Interest of parties c. Nor are Writings impregnable but in the changes of times if they escape the fire and other ruines they cannot escape the ignorance and perversness of Scribes But God hath hitherto among both Jews and Christians secured the main Oracles written and unwritten and will secure them for ever SECT III. As for an exact Representation of the holy Catholick Church it cannot easily be imagined either in the Head thereof which is Christ Representative Church there being no express warrant for such a Representative Head or in the Members for such a Representative Body For who can represent the mind of Christ but the Spirit of Christ which is in him or who can represent the mind of Christians but the Spirit of Christians which is in them For Christ will not needs not come in Person to declare his will because he hath sufficiently done it already and Christians cannot meet all together to declare their will because there are most in Heaven from whence it is impossible for them to come and the rest are in all parts of the World from whence it is little less than impossible they should gather together and if they should they would all agree most certainly in the same Faith and Holiness but in Forms and Circumstances they could not And besides there would be Hypocrites among them do what they can for all that Profess have not faith And moreover men as men have various conceptions apprehensions and reasonings and languages and humors and interests And words are too few for things and are ambiguous and Idioms are diverse and there will be mistakes and there is no help for it and few have the true Arts of right reasoning therefore in these cases they must be contented to bear one with another and keep the peace well enough We may thank God that he hath left us the Scriptures and they are sufficient for salvation and be contented and judge as well as we can So men are fain to do in Civil Laws with some helps of Judges because mens Laws are not so plain as they should be but Gods are and they must rest satisfied with what they know till God shall come in into them by farther discoveries upon their honest search and endeavours after saving truth But still where scruples are some body must determine Some body must determine because of practice and because of peace I mean in matters of Discipline and so people must be contented though not satisfied but in Faith and a good Conscience every one knows sufficiently and every one is satisfied So in a Ship the Pilot must steer as well as he can though he may fail and some body else may know better For every one hath liberty to judge for himself but not altogether to act for himself much less for others That 's left to Governours who are as Gods yet they may erre as men it being Gods Prerogative only to know all good and evil and yet under God we must be guided by them who with reverence and godly fear do determine hard cases as the Turkish Mufti who when consulted to give his Judgment sets it down in writing and subscribes modestly This is my Judgment but God knows better And now what would the World have or what can they have more than they have and why will they not be contented with what they have and God thinks fit for them to have Why call they for a Judg when God is their Judge as the Israelites called for a King when God was their King This is to reject the Judgment and Government of God and trust to the judgment and government of Men and to have greater assurance than God thinks fit to allow them Pride There is an itch of Power in all this in the Clergy that are forbidden by their Master to seek after Greatness and leave the care and government of the Church and Commonwealth to Kings and Princes to whom it is committed to be Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of Gods People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Let them give their Advice to Kings humbly and teach their People truly and give them good Examples and they have done their duty God is not will not be wanting to his People for soul or body for this life or for a better But still the noise of an Earthly Judg rings in mine ears and I cannot be quiet for it And the sound thereof takes with the Vulgar and they are too willing to be cheated and some body thereby gets no small advantage O good God when shall we be at peace A Faction a stream of Worldly-mindedness and glory runs high The true Spirit of Christianity is lowly and lovely and quiet and looks up to God in the midst of all distractions What should poor Souls do but trust to their good God and be silent acquaint themselves with him and be at peace Calumnies They tell us we have no Church we are without a Head we have no Shepherd no Guide no Assurance we are utterly lost and out of the bosom of the Church c. Soft and fair Are we not Men have we not our reason and senses about us have we not Faith and a good Conscience within us What should we have more They that have ears to hear let them hear We will speak for our selves once more O ye that call your selves the Darlings of God the only True Church give us leave to own the same God and Faith with you and God will own us we doubt not whether you will own us or no. We are men and Christians still for all you our Senses and Judgments and Wills are our own still for all you There is Grace sufficient for us and you notwithstanding all your Anathema's and Curses against us Though you curse yet we bless All the Evidences cannot be on your side we have something to say for our Religion as well as you Scriptures The Scriptures of God we say under God are our Judges We go to the Law and to the Testament of God These you say are not Evident they are dead letters they cannot speak We say that the mind of God in them is a living letter and the Spirit speaks in them and is to be trusted to when the Spirits of men fail and are not to be trusted We understand
But turbulent minds will raise Sedition upon any occasion whether of errour or truth but most commonly upon occasion of truth and then charge the truth as the cause of the Sedition which themselves caused For was not Sedition raised about and against that truth which Christ and his Apostles preached and yet charged upon him and his Apostles The CONTENTS Transition Calling Election Faithful are Elect. Faith Walking by Faith Worthies of Old Election need not to be concealed Election an easie Point Diligence to make Election sure TITLE VII Of Election CHRIST's Kingdom is an Elective Kingdom Transition Christ is an Elective King chosen of God Christians are Elective Subjects to Christ their King Elective Souldiers to Christ their General chosen by Christ and choosing Christ Listing themselves under him and fighting under his Banner SECT I. I. This is a Christian 's Calling where 1. The Caller is God Calling predestinating and purposing them according to the good pleasure of his will choosing and electing them according to his purpose justifying them and adopting them to be his Children sanctifying them and glorifying them by his Spirit 2. The Called is Man Hearing the Call and therefore so far alive and in his senses given him by God not a stock or a stone or else all Calling had been in vain Able therefore to say Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Here I am Lord what wouldst thou have me to do I will do any thing What shall I do that I might be saved Understanding the Call of God or else all calling should be in vain and therefore endued from God with wit and memory consenting to his Call which is understood by him and therefore endued with will desire and affection free to choose or to refuse or else all hearing and understanding should be as sounding brass or like a tinkling Cymbal and all calling upon us to hear understand and choose should be all one as to call upon the blind to see the lame and fast bound in iron to run and walk which is to mock us which is to punish us for what we cannot help which is unjust which God forbid So Man is a Subject capable to receive the Heavenly calling which is conveyed into him after the capacity of the Receiver SECT II. Election II. This is a Christians Election where 1. The Elector is God choosing Man a fit subject for God to work upon A rational Agent upon a rational Patient A free Agent upon a free Patient 2. The Elected is Man suffering himself to be chosen of God by consenting to his choice coming from the first free Grace of God acted by which he acts 3. The Elector is Man actively choosing God as God hath chosen him Freely covenanting with God as God hath covenanted with him uniting himself with God as God hath united himself with him One with God as God is one with him having communion with God as God hath communion with him The Soul taketh God as God takes the Soul The Soul and God say mutually one to another as friends I am thine and thou art mine As the Spoused plight their Troths enfolding them one in another each to other saying I am my well-beloved and my well-beloved is mine As those that are in a mutual League together Do fidem accipio fidem Near and dear to one another as friends that are of one Soul So God and Man are of one Spirit So God dwells with us and we with him So we have fellowship with the Father and with the Son So we love God because he loveth us And because we cannot reach to the height of his love we strain till we cry out Stay us with Flagons and comfort us with Apples for we are sick of love and this is without cavilling closing with God and twisting our love in his love as far as the poor Creatures capacity will bear This is our high and precious Calling this is the Covenant and state of Grace and Salvation This Calling and Election of God is sure on God's part and we are to give diligence to make it sure on our part By continuing to hear and bowing down our ear to receive more instruction By frequenting the doors of Wisdom and wearing the threshold of Understanding that we may know more and be wise to salvation By consenting yet more and choosing still that good part that shall never be taken away from us By re-punishing and re-covenanting with God renewing our Vow working together with God and watching over our own hearts and labouring in the work of love so to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 and striving to make our calling and election sure So to fight out the good fight of Faith 2 Tim. 4.7 to finish our course and to lay hold upon the Crown of Righteousness For he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Be thou faithful unto death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee a Crown of life SECT III. Thus they that have given their Faith to God Faithful are Elect. as God hath given his Faith to them and they that have kept their Faith to God as God hath kept his Faith to them they are the called and chosen of God God is their God and they are Gods People they are faithful in their Promise as God is faithful in his Promise 1. Because the cause of Blessedness is Gods Promise Reason and ex naturâ rei there is not nor can be any other Cor-relative or Cor-respondent to a a Promise but Faith and without Faith a Promise is of no effect The persons therefore Called nominated or elected to Blessedness are all and only the Faithful and the very nature of a Promise so accepted and taken doth nominate and elect them For if the Acception of a Promise be Faith as it is then the Acceptants are the Faithful and thereby must needs be nominated or elected to the thing promised And if they so continue must needs be partakers of the thing promised For this I take for an infallible Principle and Demonstration undeniable That If the things to be done are done then the things to be had are had but if the things to be done are not done then the things to be had are not had So if Faith and Obedience which are the things to be done on our part are done then Grace and Glory which are to be had are had on Gods part but if the things to be done which are Faith and Obedience are not done on our part then the things to be had which are Grace and Glory are not to be had on Gods part Therefore the Faithful and Elect are all one or rather two terms for one and the same subject And consequently no person not faithful of any Nation shall be blessed but all persons that are faithful of all Nations shall be blessed If therefore the Question concerning Universal Grace were fitted to the proper
a man is bound to live the life of a Christian as soon as ever he believes the doctrines and commandments of Christianity for indeed he is obliged as soon as he can use reason or hear reason The first things a man can learn are some parts of Christianity Not to hurt any one to do all that he can understand to be good that is as soon as ever he begins to live like a rational Creature so soon he begins to live like as Christ commanded And since Baptism as to this relation and intention of it is nothing else but the publication of our undertaking to do that which in our very nature and by the first and universal laws of God to Mankind we are obliged To refuse to be baptized or to defer it is nothing but a refusing or deferring to own our natural obligation a denying or not accepting the duty of living according to the law of Nature Which deferring as it must needs be the Argument of an evil man and an indication of unwillingness to live worthily so it can serve really no prudent ends to which it can fallaciously pretend Natural Law For Christianity being in its moral part nothing but the perfection of the natural Law binds no more upon us than God does by the very reason of our Nature By the Natural law we are bound to live in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our life and so we are by the Christian law as appears in the Song of Zachary and in very many other places And therefore although when some of our time is elapsed and lost in carelesness and folly the goodness of God will admit us to second counsels and the Death of Christ and his Intercession will make them acceptable yet Christianity obliges us to obedience as soon as the law of Nature does and we must profess to live according to Christianity as soon as we can live by the measures of the Natural law and that is even in the very infancy of our Reason And therefore Baptism is not to be deferred longer it may be sooner because some little images of choice and reason which must be conducted by the measures of Nature appear even in infancy but it must not be deferred longer there is no excuse for that because there can be no reason for so doing unless where there is a necessity and it can be no otherwise c. Idem Great Exemplar p. 275. The Blessed Master began his office with a Sermon of Repentance as his predecessor John the Baptist did in his ministration to tell the world that the New Covenant which was to be established by the Mediation and office of the Holy Jesus was a Covenant of Grace and Favour not established upon Works but upon Promises and remission of right on Gods part and remission of sins on our part The Law was a Covenant of Works and whoever prevaricated any of its sanctions in a considerable degree he stood sentenced by it without any hopes of restitution supplied by the Law And therefore it was the Covenant of Works not because good works were then required more than now Law and Gospel or because they had more efficacy than now but because all our hopes did rely upon the perfection of Works and innocence without the suppletories of Grace pardon and repentance But the Gospel is therefore a Covenant of Grace not that works are excluded from our duty or from co-operating to heaven but because there is in it so much mercy that the imperfections of the works are made up by the grace of Jesus and the defects of innocence are supplied by the substitution of Repentance Abatements are made for the infirmities and miseries of humanity and if we do our endeavour now after the manner of men the faith of Jesus Christ that is conformity to his laws and submission to his doctrines entitles us to the grace he hath purchased for us that is our sins for his sake shall be pardoned So that the Law and the Gospel are not opposed barely upon the title of Faith and Works but as the Covenant of Faith and the Covenant of Works In the faith of a Christian works are the great Ingredient and the chief of the constitution but the Gospel is not a Covenant of works that is it is not an agreement upon the stock of Innocence without allowances of Repentance requiring obedience in rigour and strictest estimate But the Gospel requires the holiness of a Christian and yet after the manner of a man for alwaies provided that we do not allow to our selves a liberty but endeavour with all our strength and love with all our soul that which if it were upon our allowance would be required at our hands now that it is against our will and highly contested against is put upon the stock of Christ and allowed unto us by God in the accounts of pardon by the merits of Jesus by the Covenant of the Gospel v. Eundem ib. of Repentance p. 280 c. H. Grot. Matth. 5. Et haec quidem docendi ratio apud populum crassior limatior apud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obtinuisse videtur ad ea tempora quae Babylonium exilium sunt secuta Tum verò gravi periculo imminente nè populus solitus ea tantum audire quae in sensum caderent ablato splendore Judaici Imperii gemens sub externo Dominatu damni cruciatûs mortis denique metu solicitus deficeret à Judaismo Primus omnium Daniel de Resurrectione egit apertiùs confirmans Populum spe restitutionis in statum meliorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resurrectio ut loquitur scriptor ad Hebraeos Danielem secutus Ezekiel Et quos respiciens scriptor Paraeneseos ad Graecos inter opera Justini quae de Judicio post hanc vitam habet Plato ait de Prophetis hausta Hinc incipiunt Sapientes quos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant qui humanitùs non divinitùs eruditi Prophetis sed impart auctoritate successerunt Hi quoque necessarium judicarent ex Dan populum adversus tentamenta praemunire Quod fieri satis non poterat nisi palam Dei Causa morientibus proposita spes vitae melioris Itaque ea tùm doctrina velut è latebris educta certis vocibus obsignata est Hinc illud Taciti de Judaeis Animas Praelio aut suppliciis peremptorum aeternas putant Hinc moriendi contemptus Quibus addendi loci illustres duo ex historiâ Maccabaica l. 2. c. 7. quorum prior sic habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alter verò ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. H. Grot. in Rom. c. 3. p. 213. Apostolus hinc infert legem Mosis in quâ Judaei plus aequo fiduciae collocabant ut vidimus suprà 11. 17. per se spectatam i. e. seorsim ab iis quae antè legem fuerant non eas habuisse vires ut homines ad veram ac Deo placentem Justitiam perduceret Quippe cum Abrahamus sine
spoiled his great trade of oracles and lying Wonders and shall our easiness and vanity encourage him to drive this more secret and little trade of Prodigies and Prophecies Id. p. 96. It were heartily to be wish't that men had that largeness of heart as not to think heaven and earth concern'd in the standing or falling of their little interests and perswasions That they would leave off that worse kind of enclosure the entailing salvation solely upon their own Party and not go about to hedge in the holy Dove by appropriating the graces and influences thereof to themselves For then men could not be so prone to believe God's Judgments design no higher than the service of their little passions and ammosities and that he is as little able to forbear and make allowance for the mistakes and infirmities of men as themselves P. 98. All Gods Judgments upon others came forth upon purposes of Grace and are intended but as the cutting and lancing of one member to draw away the corrupt humours from the rest Pag. 99. Besides the unchurching or unpeopling of a Nation his greater Judgments are waies which under this Spiritual Oeconomy the Divine Justice seldom walks in Jewish Nation a Pattern for others God indeed heretofore when the World in the greener years thereof was under the conduct of its lower Faculties and most apt to be drawn or driven by rewards or punishments temporal singled out the Jewish Nation in whose outward state of prosperity or adversity to read visible lectures of Divinity and Obedience to the Nations round about And that the Nations might take the fairer view of their state God tells them Ez. 5.56 c. that he had placed Jerusalem in the midst of the Nations round about and that they might call the eyes of the world more upon them their plagues were such as scarce admitted their parallel instances But God chooseth now generally to punish the incorrigibleness under temporal by spiritual Judgments He sometimes delivers a people like Sampson to blindness and stupidity who having been often bound by the cords of their Delilah sins as Solomon speaks would never take warning A true Son of Wisdom doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heartily kiss and embrace all the issues of the Divine wisdom and goodness Votum pro Pace CHristian Religion is the purest Law that ever was made Christian Religion for the obtaining of the greatest Blessedness that ever was propounded The Precepts and Rewards whereof are most agreeable to the Nature of God to give and man to receive The Eternal Immanation of Gods Eternal Being within himself Immanation of God was from Eternity to beget a Son like himself God the Natural Son of God The first Emanation of Gods Eternal Being without himself Emanations of God was in the Beginning to create a Son like himself Man the Natural Son of God The second Emanation of Gods Eternal Being without himself was in the Fulness of time to incarnate a Son like himself God the Supernatural Son of Man The third Emanation of Gods Eternal Being without himself was to Adopt a Son like himself Man the Adopted Son of God The first Appetite of Man created Appetites of Man was to be as he was made like unto God Man the Son of God The second Appetite of Man created was to beget one like unto himself Man the Son of Man The third Appetite of Man created was to love his Neighbour like himself because he was like himself The fourth Appetite of Man was to be renewed in the likeness of God which was defaced by him Man Regenerate and born again the Son of God The End of all Gods Emanations was that Man should be happy Happiness and therefore fitted with sufficient means to attain to that End and so he might if he would for he was a free Agent to choose or to refuse There was the Justice of a great God Mans Regular Appetites led him to choose Happiness but his Irregular Appetites caused him to refuse Happiness So did some Angels There was the Injustice of a poor Creature Wherefore God designed by New Proposals of greater Rewards Recovery to confine his irregular appetites for the Recovery of his lost Happiness and to raise him to a more glorious Estate when he might have let him lye as he was utterly lost for evermore A Mercy unconceivable not to lose such a noble Creature newly made A Mystery which the Angels desired to look into but never could yet fathom why or how this should be Therefore God gave him a law of Grace to love him worship him and trust him in his Son After sin therefore and enmity with God this way was opened by the free grace of God to satisfie his Justice and glorifie his mercy above all by the Mediation of the Son of God and to take away Sin and the Curse and to bring in Righteousness and Salvation to all them that would freely choose the grace so purchased for them by Faith and true Repentance in walking after the Spiritual Rule of the Gospel This is all that God requires of us to accept and take this Grace Mercy and Peace proclaimed by Christ himself and his Ambassadours the Apostles and their Successors the Ministers of this Reconciliation This is the Second Covenant and Testament of God in which all the faithful people are instituted to be the Sons and Heirs of God and Coheirs with Jesus Christ Doctrines troubled This is the plain Way which God hath revealed in the Gospel which not only ignorant and perverse men but knowing and intelligent persons have wilfully puzled and perplexed by various and doubtful disputations concerning Faith Election Justification Free-will c. and thereby hindred many poor Souls from the comforts they might have received but not from the Grace it self provided they be honest and sincere in their desires and well meanings towards God The chief Troublers of this business have been Pelagius Socinus the Dominican Papists and Calvinian Protestants whose unhappy Glosses ought to be laid aside and the Scriptures of God and Writings of the Primitive Fathers adhered to in their general scope and tendency to the Justice and Mercy of God and not in their particular expressions warped and wrested to senses contrary to the main purpose and intention of the good will of God Vulgar Errors The Vulgar Errors therefore that have been long imbibed concerning absolute Election and Reprobation slavish Will Infused habits Personal Righteousness imputed Original sin as they state it Justification by works Over-confessions and unjust accusations of general guilt of all sins Complaints of a hard heart after the work of Regeneration and a New Creature fancies of a Direful and Revenging God fitting Judgments for every sin studying Plagues and preparing Thunderbolts against his poor Creatures and the like fictions of men stamped with the mind of God I say these and the like vulgar Errors so anciently and largely insinuated and propagated by the proud covetous and domineering Clergy