All men are born into the world with sinful natureâ— now this defilement of our natures though sinful no man can help therefore it is not their sin but their affliction Here is a sinful nature a sinful defilement of nature and yet no sin but an affliction only Let such confusion be the â—ot of all that oppose Gods sacred truth Can the nature of man be defiled and sinful and yet he not a sinner yea but no man can help it therefore it is not their sin I answer This defilement of humane nature came by that sin that man might not have committed he might have helped it if he would Yea moreover Original sin is habitually in the Will as the subject thereof as well as other faculties of the Soul and therefore is voluntary and every particular person is to be accounted and truly is the immediate principle as well as the subject the Author as well as the possessor of his own individual Original sin or corruption of nature even as a man is of his natural faculties or acquired habits or as Adam himself was of â—his Original Sickness or Disease in his own person as the Learned Voetius asserts in his first Book of Select Disputations p. 1105. And it is by reason of this defilement of nature that we are by nature the Children of wrath which could not be if it were not our sin Eph. 2. 3. And on this ground the Lord Christ asserts the necessity of regeneration and that without it none can see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 5 6 7. Mr. C saith farther And cause we have to bewail it as our affliction but not as our sin so the Apostle doth Rom. 7. 24. It is consenting to it which is the sin v. 15 16 Jam. 1. 14 15. when persons consent to covetous and worldly lusts to proud envious and disobedient lusts this is the sin that will usher in the second death Original guilt and stain only brings under the first death but not not the second as distinct from consent Original sin may be considered either in the unregenerate in whom it reigns and is wholly unmortified or as remaining in the regenerate though mortified and spoiled of its reigning power The unregenerate are under the power thereof in all the faculties of their Souls It is blindness and vanity in their minds hatred of God and obstinacy in their wills c. and they are content to be commanded by this principle and the first moral acting of the Soul is influenced thereby Psal 58. 3. and in them the lustings of the flesh are never resisted from any true hatred of their sinfulness though on other accounts as they are apprehended destructive to themselves one way or other they may be so in some particular actings thereof But in the regenerate there is a contrary principle even the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus that sets them free from the Law of sin and death so that they obey not the flesh in the Lusts thereof and these as they are by the power of the spirit of Grace delivered from the service of sin so are they also by the efficacy of Christs bloud saved from the condemning power thereof There is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. But it is not because in-dwelling sin deserves none But because Jesus saâ—eth them from the wrath to come Now such an one is personated by Paul Rom. 7. unto whom all sin is an afflicting burthen and the lustings of in-dwelling sin which wâ—re opposed by the new Creature he complains of as his greatest affliction bâ—t not as his affliction only as outward trouble and persecution was but as his sin also Nay therefore it was his affliction because his sin and so he calls it about ten times in that Chapter and as such bitterly bewails it Lâ—t the Text be consulted for proof hereof In me saith he that is in my flesh in me so far as not renewed by Grace dwells no good thing Now sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— privation of that Good and Holiness that the Law requires and this saith the Apostle is in me and yet Mr. C. supposeth he acknowledgeth no sin but this may be in a rational Creature and he not a sinner Yea the Apostle confesseth that he was greatly hindered in his duty by the working of his corruption and at last flies to Christ for deliverance therefrom and yet shall we say he owneth no fault all this while As for Jam. 1. 14 15. The evident scope of the Apostle is not to teach men to justifie the wicked lustings of their hearts as Mr. C. doth but to prove that the spring of all the wickedness of man is in his own Breast and it will be in vain for him to think of shifting off the blame to any other It is granted indeed that the Apostle saith Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and that this conceiving of sin is by the consent of the will agreeing to the Commission thereof but by sin here it is evident that actual transgression is intended and what saith the Apostle of this Lust verily That it tempteth draweth away the Soul from God and enticeth it to sin and that it worketh thus as a principle in the Soul it is a mans own lust Shall we then suppose actual transgression to be a sin and the working of that principle in a mar that disposeth to it not to be so Hath God no regard to the hearts and principles of men and the habits of their Souls do not they come under his Law or is not the habit of Grace Grace as well as the exercise thereof and a man denominated Gracious therefrom and here â—ppositorum par ratiâ— In plain terms to suppose the lustings of a corrupt heart after all wickedness is no harm unless they be fully consented to is impious As to that which he adds concerning Infants and Idiots To suppose them no way concerned in sin as he doth and so well enough without Christ is like the rest of his Doctrine This I say because the Scripture saith it which declares all to be under sin even those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression viz. actually and all sin to deserve wrath That neither Infants nor Idiots can stand before God without a Mediator They have sin enough to damn them but there is Grace enough in God and Merit enough in the bloud of Christ to save them unto which and not their own innocency they must be beholding for salvation The 5th thing he insists on to prove his opinion is Gods expostulating with men to convince them of the equality of his ways That the ways of God towards the Sons of men are full of Equity and Grace is evident from what I have already proved in opposition to his errours and to his harangue about it I shall only say There is no need for him to speak wickedly for God His righteousness is
5. which if admitted gives this interpretation of the place That although by Christ believers are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses yet in the Gospel is there no remedy provided for them that sin against the holy spirit but that transgression remains unpardonable both under the Law and under the Gospel Nay moreover if we allow Mr. C. that forgiveness in the world to come is in these words inâ—imated yet neither will this relieve him for the Apostle speaks of the blotting out of the sins of Believers at the coming of Christ and it is certain that then the sentence by which they are now absolved will be published before men and Angels and they possessed of the utmost advantages accruing to them by their pardon so then declaratively they are forgiven in another world But none have or can have an interest in this forgiveness but those that have repented and been converted in this world Act. 3. 19 20 Indeed if we allow Mr. C. this notion That sinners shall be forgiven after they are damned we must grant him more then what he yet openly pleads for viz. That they shall not only be delivered from the positive part of their punishment but the negative also For he whose sins are forgiven is a blessed man and certainly interested in the favour of God But it is in vain to expect that notions so opposite to truth as Mr. Colliers are should be brought to any consistency In p. 48. Mr. Collier forms and answers this Objection This Scripture only supposeth that on repentance all such sins may be forgiven not that they shall be forgiven without repentance In his answer hereunto he grants That we may not suppose the forgiveness of sin first or last to be without repentance It seems then that the forgiveness in another work which Mr. Collier dreams of is attainable on the same terms on which it is offered in this and no other which is not only repentance but also faith in the Lord Jesus So that according to his principles after the Judgement is past sinners are still upon the same terms with God as they are now in the day of his patience Then which supposition nothing can be more false and repugnanâ— to the Scripture Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation And if poor sinners do not seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. it will be too late in another world for then although they call upon him he will not answer they may seek him early but cannot find him See Prov. 1. 24-31 When death hath once turned us off the stage of this world our day is past and the night is come wherein no man can work Joh. 9. 4. Eccl. 9. 10. There will be no more repentance unto life then or possibility of changing our state but every man must Eternally reap the fruit of what he hath sown in this life And as there is no promise for the damned to hope in or Gospel to be preached to them so neither shall they have any more a call to repentance or tender of mercy for ever He adds And that there may be forgiveness and acceptance after death seems farther to appear else what means 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. with chap. 4. 6. In chap. 3. 19 20. it s said By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient c. Thus far Mr. C. repeats the words but omits the rest which are when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight Souls were saved by Water Mr. C. is here quite started from the thing in Question viz. Whether the damned may be released from their torment after the day of Judgement and instead of proving that talks of forgiveness after death before that day come which is short of the task undertaken by him though as contrary to the whole tenour of Scripture The meaning of the words wrested by him so far as concerns the business in hand is That Christ by his spirit in Noah for thereby were the Prophets of old acted 1 Pet. 1. 11. who was a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2. 5. went and preached to the old world whose spirits for their disobedience were now in prison reserved to the Judgement of the great day But against this two things are objected by Mr. C. 1. It is said he went i. e. Christ not his spirit only by Noah The Text saith indeed He went but fully explains also the manner how he went viz. by his spirit as God is frequently said to speak to those unto whom he sent his Prophets so is Christ here said to preach to the old world by his spirit in Noah 2. He does not say he went by Noah to the people of the old world but he went and preached to the spirits not persons in prison Noahs preaching was to persons living this to the spirits in prison The former part of this Objection is answered already and the scope of the Text doth inforce the sense I have given of it and whereas Mr. C. saith this preaching was to the spirits not persons in prison c. it is a meer quibble for the Apostle speaks of them according to their present condition when he wrote this He doth not say they were spirits in prison when preached to but that the spirits of thâ—se persons were now in prison unto whom Noah preached while they lived in the world And therefore that suggestion of Mr. Colliers is utterly groundless That it s greatly doubtful whether this be it which is here intended But however if it were only doubtful to him it leaveâ— him inexcusable in his bold adventure to pervert it as he doth Certainly if the time of the preparation of the Ark was tâ—e time of Gods long-suffering towards them unto whom Noah preached by the spirit of Christ there was no pardon to be expected for them or offered to them after that time Neither can any reason be given why this should be restrained to those that were disobedient in the days of Noah if ever the pardon of sinners after death had come into the Apostles mind for we may not suppose that these were priviledged above all others that dyed in their sins And although Mr. C. saith a little after That this doth â—ot justifie the descending of Christs Soul into Hell as some hold yet it must necessarily infâ—r That Christ in person descended into Hell which is as absurd if not more 3. And especially compare this with ch 4. 6. which seems to be the same with this For for this cause also was the Gospel preached to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit Where the Apostle states these things 1. That the Gospel was preached to
destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Beware of false Prephets Mat. 7. v. 13 14 15. But saith he It would be beneath the spirit and charity of the Gospel to allow no salvation during the old Covenant to any in the world besides the elect Church of the Jews and contrary to the Scripture Act. 10. 34 35. In what sense the Nation of the Israelites was chosen of God I shewed before That all are not Israel elect of God to eternal life that are of Israel according to the flesh is certain and I grant also that in the time Mr. C. speaks of God had his remnant though we have reason to think not many in other Nations unto whom he did by means ordinary or extraordinary manifest himself and these did fear God and work righteousness by which their Election of God was manifested But that these did not belong to the number of the special Elect nor were of that Church which is Christs Spouse is utterly untrue neither doth he attempt to prove it He saith moreover Or to allow no salvation now under the Gospel to any among the Gentiles that have not heard of Christ and contrary to the Scripture Rom. 2. 14 15 16. Mr. C.'s notion about this matter we shall meet with again and examine afterwards At the present I must tell him that without the Spirit and Grace of Christ which may not be separate from the knowledge of him and Faith in his name all that persons can do is from a principle of self-love to yield some obedience to the Law of God externally and so live honestly among men But by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 21. and that the Law of nature where the written Law is wanting will so far supply the place thereof as to convince of sin and leave the sinner inexcusable in his disobedience is the design of the Apostle to evince Rom. 2. 14. When the Gentiles which have not the law viz. written do by nature i. e. by a knowledge and conscience which God causeth to remain in mans nature though corrupt do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offiees of the law viz. condemning evil and in theâ—r consciences approving good not so as to love good and hate evil but this they did sufficiently unto full inexcusableness These having not the law are a law unto themselves c. So Mr. C. closeth this Chapter without proof of his opinion CHAP. III. Of the Extent of Christs death I Return now to his second Chapter where he discourseth of the extent of the design of God in the death of his Son wherein he is so extreamly confused contradictious to himself Scripture and Reason that I fear the censure of my Reader for abusing him with the repetition of Mr. C's absurdities that can justly plead for no answer and also for imploying my own precious time to no better purpose But that which first engaged me in this task musâ— be my plea for proceeding in my reply to this and the remaining part of his Book In the beginning of this Chapter p. 13. After he hath minded us of differing apprehensions among men concerning the end of Christs death That he may be sure to outstrip all he tells us That Christ dyed for the world that is the Vniverse the Heavens and Earth all things therein the whole six days Creation that fell with man for the sin of man c. Certainly whatsoever the Scripture holdeth forth concerning the curse brought upon the Creation by the sin of man and the future deliverance of the Creature from the vanity it now groans under it cannot but sound very harsh to Christian ears to hear That their Saviour dyed for the Universe yea for all things in Heaven or Earth for every silly Bird that flies in the Air yea and every Creature known in nature even the vilest most perishing and contemptible thing Yea how ridiculous might this notion be rendred But I fear God and therefore dare not dally with those things wherein the dying of my precious Lord must be mentioned This woful mistake he is cast upon by the ambiguity of the word World which he supposeth must always intend the Universe but the absurdity of that Hypothesis abundantly appears if we look into divers Texts where the word is used and can in no wise bear that sense Mr. Collier doth also assert universal Redemption in the Arminian sense in the next Section Because this word and the term All is sometimes used in Scripture where Redemption by Christ is treated of And so do others more sober than he For an answer therefore unto his abuse of divers Texts even all that are with any colour pleaded by him and fully to deliver the weak from his snares as also that my Reader may not complain of the utter loss of his time I will briefly give an account of those two terms from the Reverend Dr. Owen his Treatise of Redemption which I the rather insert because that excellent Treatise is now grown scarce and in the hands of few of those for whose benefit these Lines are especially designed Thus he writes Two words there are that are mightiâ—y stuck upon Dr. O. Treat of Redemp p. 180 c. or stumbled at First the World Secondly All. The particular places wherein they are and from which the arguments of our adversaries are urged we shall afterwards consider and for the present only shew that the words themselves according to the Scripture use do not necessarily hold out any collective universality of those concerning whom they are affirmed but being words of various significations must be interpreted according to the scope of the place where they are used and the subject matter of which the Scripture treâ—teth in those places First then for the word World which in the New Testament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is another word sometimes translated World viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that belongs not to this matter noting rather the duration of time then the thing in that space continuing he that doth not acknowledge it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a word of various significations need say no more to manifest his unacquaintedness in the Book of God I shall briefly give you so many various significations of it as shall make it apparent that from the bare usage of a word so exceedingly aequivocal no argument can be taken until it be distinguished and the meaning thereof in that particular place evinced from whence the argument is taken I shall pass over the Scheme inserted by the Learned Author because it is contained in what followeth which is more accommodate to mean capacities He proceeds The word World in the Scripture is in general taken four wayâ— First pro mundo
us without taking that heed That all are warned and that very frequently in the Scriptures to take heed of falling is granted and that these warnings are sanctified and made effectual by God for the preservation of his own Elect from final Apostacy is pleaded But Mr. Colliers inference from hence is very impertinent and argues that he understands not their Opinion that he hath undertaken to confute He saith That in respect of us there is a possibility of falling if we do not take heed Very true It is not only possible but certain that those which do not walk humbly and heedfully with God nor make any conscience of so doing may fall away from their profession But God according to his promise will keep his own from such a course as would ruine them And this is all which with the Scripture we say That God hath promised by his effectual Grace to preserve all his chosen ones all that truly believe in a way of holyness and diligence unto Eternal Life And therefore that is quite besides the business that Mr. C. writes p. 35. That nothing shall be able to make a breach or separation unless we do it our selves by sin whereas God hath promised to prevent our making this breach when he saith I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them Ezek. 36. 27. The truth is if Mr. C. will abide by his opinion he must either assert That God never loved any person one or other or that he is like us changeable in his love on outward external reasons He goes on p. 36. 2. They have all he intends all in the visible Kingdom of Christ the same faith and love for kind there is but one faith which hath the same object and is influenced by the same spirit which produceth the same effect i. e. a good Conscience even in such as fall from it And in the beginning of p. 37. he adds So that according to the Law of Grace all that do believe and obey the Gospel stand related to God therein and nothing makes the difference but sincerity and perseverance shall be crowned and Hypocrites and Back sliders must fall short and meet with condemnation It is well done of Mr. C. to join Sincerity and Perseverance together and so also Hypocrisie and Back-sliding for the latter is a certain discovery of the former If ye continue in my words saith Christ then are ye my Disciples indeed And so ê contra But then see what confusion he hath again cast himself into He affirmeth there is in all the same faith and love for kind and nothing to make a difference between them the same effect produced by the same spirit c. and yet some are sincere others Hypocrites It is strange that Mr C. can find out no specifical difference betwixt the lively faith of a sincere believer and the dead faith of a painted Impostor the most holy and precious Faith of Gods Elect which purifieth the heart and the temporary feigned Faith of Simon Magus notwithstanding which he was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of Iniquity The Text which he insinuates a perversion of is 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack By Faith here as in some other places we are to understand the Doctrine of Faith the truth of the Gospel which we are exhorted to cleave to and hold fast and that we may do so we must keep a good conscience also i. e. walk in holiness for where that is not attended men are not like to abide sound in the Faith in an hour of temptation The mystery of Faith must be held in a pure conscience which some having put away that is rejected and lived in the neglect of concerning Faith have made shipwrack that is have lost and relinquished that truth which once they professed of such he gives an instance in the following Verse But this notwithstanding The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his c. 2 Tim. 2. 18 19. Here then is no such thing supposed as Mr. C. intimates That those who once had true faith and a good conscience did finally fall from it He saith farther 3. The Scripture suppâ—seth that persons may have the same Gospel-spirit in all its operations and yet may pâ—ssibly finally faâ—l from God Heb. 6. 4 5 6. If it were allowed Mr. C. that true believers were spoken of in this Text he could not prove from hence that any such shall finally fall away The discourse being conditional and it remaining a truth That if a person whoever he be or persons do depart and fall away from God they must unavoidably perish though none of the persons spoken of should do so such expressions holding forth the inseparable connection of Apostacy with damnation And men may without any disparagement to their wisdom or reason earnestly exhort others to avoid falling away from God though they are fully perswaded that those whom they so exhort by the help of those exhortations and other considerations shall abide with God to the end But indeed it appears upon a serious view of the context that the persons here spoken of are such as have only past under some common work of the spiriâ— and that such may fall away is not denied by any And Mr. C. doth without ground assert that they havâ— been the subjects of the same grâ—cious work as is effected by the spirit of God upon true believers For 1. Here is nothing ascribed to the persons spoken oâ— that is in Scripture found to be the distinguishing character of true Believers which are commonly said to be the called See Dr. Owen of Pers p. 427. according to the purpose of God quickeneâ— born again jusâ—ified united to Christ adopted c. 2. The persons â—ntâ—nded are verse 8. compared to the ground on which the rain falls and â—eareth Thorns and Briars True believers whilst they are so are 〈◊〉 such as bring forth nothing but Thorns and Briars faith it selâ— being an herb meet for him by whom they are dressed 3. T 〈…〉 gs that accompany Salvation are better things then any that were to b 〈…〉 in thâ— pâ—rsons mentioned v. 9. and true Believers are in this disâ—â—urse of the Apostle opposed to the persons lying under a possibâ—lity of Apostacy and are distinguished from them upon the accâ—â—nt of their works and labour of love shewed to the name of God v. 10. their preservation from the righteousness and faithfulness of God in his promises v. 11. and of the immutability of the counsels of God and his oath for the preservation of them v. 13. 1â— 18. All which doth evince that they are not the Children of God by Faith in Christ of whom the Apostle speaks in the place referr'd to In p. 37. He moves a question about the absolute