gave him some part of all flesh which by Apostacie are become dead in sins and trespasses to that posture in which once they might have received life yet some of these men are given to him at one time and yet given him at another and some of them are denyed him for ever and these various respects are the grounds of our Saviours words in these cond verse That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Thus God denied the Gentiles to Christ about 1800. years being dead in sins and in trespasses excepting some few as is proved in the 7th Chapter of my first Treatise and denied them the residence of his Oracles the said time for their Apostacy at Babel until Christ was come in the flesh Again When Christ came in the flesh Jo. 12. God gave him many of those Gentiles dead in sins to hear the voyce of the Son of God and live in that posture in which they might receive eternal life yet some are denyed him to this day and remain Heathens and shall till the fulness of the Gentiles come in in the interim many perish because denyed to Christ Again When God called us Gentiles to come to receive life in the said posture or to be either as is proved for before there was no way but death to most men yet at that time he denyed the Jews to Christ for crucifying the Lord of glory and his blood is upon them for to this day they remained dead in sins and trespasses for in Holland where the Gospel is preached it is no Gospel to them because God as yet denies them the spirit of faith as he hath done these 1600. years except it may bee to some few Again Thus were some of those denyed the gift of Faith while our Lord lived amongst them wherefore he said unto them Ye are not my sheep that is although my Sheep as from Abrahams flesh Jo. 1.16.25 26. yet not my Sheep as in Abrahams spirit of faith And although the whole body of that Church Elect still stands cut off for their unbeleef yet there will come a time when they shall be given to Christ The Apostle saith Rom. 11. If the casting away of them be the reconciliation of the World Rom. 11.8.12 15 16 20 25. what shall the receiving be but life from death Now I come to the fourth Quere How is it that Rom. 5.18 The Text affirms as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life And yet this 17th of John restrains that gift of life but to some I answer That justification was universal to all man-kind and to all alike and the extent of the imputation of that righteousness was to the whole Creation from whence it was put into a posture of travail from that bondage of corruption which it fell into by Adam to be partakers of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and it travelleth until now as saith the Text. Again I answer That the gift of eternal life in the 17th of John is particular and peculiar to him that receives that gift of righteousness by Faith in two respects which that universal justification was not As first He that receives this imputed gift of righteousness God pardons that mans sins although numerous against the mercy of God in Jesus Christ which that universal justification did not for it onely pardoned the gift and punishment of Adams one offence once committed to him and all his posterity but it pardoned no more Secondly That man which by beleef receives that imputed gift of righteousness is possessed of eternal life in this World for the Text saith he that beleeveth hath eternal life which that universal justification did not give it onely gave right to eternal life but no more And the truth is the Apostle in the fifth of the Romans points out this particular justification and that universal justification The particular justification in these words for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ But mark the Text It refers this particular Justification onely to Beleevers that receive that gift of righteousness Vers 17. and in the 18. Verse the Apostle layes down that universal Justification in these words Therefore as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Obj. It will be objected Object our Lord saith Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundations of the world Vers 24. Therefore those that are given by the Father to Christ cannot but be infallibly brought to behold that his glory to Eternity For it is impossible but that Christs prayer must be granted because he alwayes did that which was pleasing in his Fathers sight Answ True it is Answ that Christ did alwayes so and therefore so in this prayer and therefore it shall be granted But the question in hand is not whether his prayer shall be granted but in what sense he prayed for it cannot be in the sense alledged because it is proved in this Chapter that the Father gave him 12. men of all flesh and yet one of them which his Father gave him shall not behold that glory because our Lord affirmes it had been good for him he had never been born and in this Chapter he saith one of them is lost and became the son of perdition Again right beleevers of all flesh are given by the Father to Christ to be his mystical members and himself to be head to that body from which ground he made this prayer in behalf of them that they might behold that his glory but we must mark the reason and ground of his prayer why his Father should grant it In these words Thou lovest me before the foundations of the world And of his members he saith Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me V. 23. Now it is already proved in what sense our Lord himself was loved of his father before the world was namely to be the seaventh meanes or second Adam infailibly to accomplish his Fathers final end Therefore it necessarily followes That all his members are loved with the same love as they adhere to Christ in respect of his Fathers final end to his glory and not otherwise This is expressed by our Lord himself John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me for where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father love otherwise not for that is implyed because our Lord puts it upon if and if If any man
darken his glorious Oracles not in themselves but as to men Again In regard the heart of man at the best is as a Fountain of error he being so neer unto us we may the rather pray him to purifie our hearts that we may by a simplified beleef see where we are even in himself Again In regard Jehovah is so neer unto us from this ground it is the Apostle exhorts all that are truly godly saying Let your moderation be known to all men The Lord is at hand be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Therefore the Objection is frivolus that we need not pray because God is so neer us From this ground that Jehovah is so neer did arise that singular moderation in Moses as to this sensitives Worlds glory Heb. 11.24.27 for he refused to be called the Son of the Kings Daughter esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt and endured as seeing him which is invisible and David when he was in his right mind beheld Jehovah which is invisible to sense saying Psal 23.4 Though I walk through the vale of the shadow of death yet I will fear none evil for thou art with me And having done with the Familists till I meet with them again I return to the clearing of the point of universal Election by answering of foure Quere's Was not Election out of the fallen Masse Quere 1 personal for the fall was acted by two individual persons Adam and his Wife Although the fall was of two individuals Answ male and female yet the fall was not personal but universal and that of the whole kind How can that be Quest Very well Answ for as God rejected Esau and elected Jacob in the womb yet neither personally rejected nor elected although they had a personal existence as appeares by their strugling in the womb He calls them two Nations and two manner of people to be separated from her bowels so in this male and female God considered all mankind radically in the Seed from this ground the Text saith In Adam all die yet note this by the way our first Parents in this case were onely the Root materially but not formally for the formal cause why all mankind might transgress in that one offence was Gods Covenant with Adam for life and death eternal as is proved in my first Treatise page 22. Therefore the fall was not personal but universal consequently so was the Election In the Seed of the Woman Christ the Lord as comprehending the whole Masse If the whole Masse were elected Quere 2 then no part was rejected and Election is altogether improper where there is no rejection We must consider the Apostate Angels and man Answ in that fall as two distinct natures in one respect and yet but one nature in another respect For instance as they were Angelical and humane natures so they were two distinct but as both natures in the fall were totally diabolical so they were but one therefore when they both were thus one in the fall then God elected the humane nature out of that diabolical nature to mercy in the promised Seed but left the Angelical nature in that diabolical nature rejected from all mercy for ever And all comprehended in these words to the Serpent their Instrument I will put enmity between thee and the Woman Gen. 3.1 5 and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head c. For he in no wise took the nature of Angels but here we see he did take the Seed of the Woman to mercy so that here is a proper rejection consequently a proper Election From what did that Universal Election Quere 3 free all mankind It freed all mankind from three things Answ First from those dreadful defections crosse operations and hideous representations which by the justice of God in the fall was to come upon the whole Creation as is proved in the third Chapter of my first Treatise Secondly It freed all mankind from the total nature of Devils for in mercy it was reduced but to a Seed and is called rightly the Seed of original sin for two reasons First because this Seed is derived to all men in their natural Generations and so remains in this life in the very best of men Christ only excepted because all may know the total nature of it through mercy was reduced to be but a Seed and so may magnifie Gods mercy for that universal Election and for freedom from so great an evil and to a possibility of all their good A second reason is this for without this Seed of Devils sin I mean thus issuing in humane nature it is not capable of eternal life in Gods gift through Christs imputed righteousness for the whole needed not the Physitian but the sick and he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance therefore all those that fancie themselves to be without sin and righteous as do that pack of Familists or Quakers or to obtain eternal life by their own merits as joyned with the righteousness of Christ or by works of super-erogation as do the Romanists are all quite out of any capacity to be saved by him but not out of a capacity to be damned by their own error if they repent not A third thing from which all mankind are freed by the said Universal Election is from that joynt condemnation with the Devils in torment and reprobation to eternity So as for Adams one offence never any man perished as at large is proved in the fourth Chapter of my first Treatise Quere 4 After what manner was that Universal Election out of that fallen Masse It was after this manner Answ First it was purposed by God before the World or Man did exist as is proved in the first Chapter of my second Treatise Eph. 1.3 4. And the Text affirms that all spiritual blessings which beleevers have it is according as he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundations of the World Again It was after this manner the foundation of this Election out of the fallen Masse was laid in the seed of the woman personally God-man for the Text saith he chose us in him wherefore he did not assume the person of any man into personal union but the nature of every man which contains the universal nature of all men for he assumed it in the womb of the Virgin as already is proved and will yet more fully appear in due place Again This Election was after this manner God considered not man without all respect to works good or evil nor upon his foresight of mans faith and works but he considered man in the fallen Masse unholy and under blame and not loved for the Text saith He chose us in him that we might be holy and without blame before him in love Now this word chose us in its full drift is to be understood
not in the power of his own seeking to finde what he sought but in his to give therefore he put him upon that which he was never able to do That was to sell all he had and follow him so he led him to become a fool in himself that he might submit to Christ to make him wise from this ground it is that God commands man to plow up the fallow grounds of his heart Deut. 10.16.30 Jer. 4.3 4. and to circumcise his heart and then promises that himself will circumcise it and thus man becomes a Saint How could Christ look upon him Quest and be so pleased with man before faith when another Text affirms Without faith it is impossible to please God It is one thing for God to be so pleased with man before faith Ans comming to Christ and another thing for God to be so pleased with man as to give him possession of eternal life as to all right beleevers he doth because it lies in the nature of the thing that is of right beleef to possess it self of eternal life in receiveing Christs righteousness as the eye possesses it self of the light which a man before faith can never do and so these Texts are reconciled What if these men so seeking honour and glory Quest c. die before faith shall these mens case be no better then those that sit down contented in this Worlds good and seek no further nor no better then men openly prophane The Universal Justification Answ it did not only pardon Adams sin to all men but also gives every man a right to eternal life and no man can loose that right but by refusing to come to Christ which those that so seek as is described do not therefore they loose not their right It may be objected Object that they dying without possession of it by faith do loose their right and consequently they perish for ever If they do die without possession of it by faith Answ yet die so seeking as is described actually or but virtually they shall hold their right and have possession to eternity when they die for God hath not only saved all mankind without faith from the damnation due unto them in Adams sin but also all mankind dying in infancy notwithstanding original sin shall be saved and be possessed of eternal life as is proved in my first Treatise p. 36 37. Again To binde mans eternal life to faith it is to make an Idol of our faith as for example because my eye which is a dark body which receives the light shall I therefore prefer this dark body before the light And I will ask any beleever this question if it were Abraham himself what gives him right to eternal life Is it not pardon of sin and that gift of eternal life as included in the imputation of Christs righteousness in which he is the light of life to man or is it the dark body of his own faith or beleef CHAP. VII In which is opened the manner how the Saints persevere in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures FIrst A word or two for introduction That although there be a difference between men that seek honour and glory as is discribed and betwixt those that are dead in sins and in trespasses before the gift of faith yet after there is no difference but both are alike possessed of eternal life for he that rightly beleeveth hath eternal life whatsoever he was before A second thing premised is this what is meant by the grace of God in Jesus Christ I answer Two things the first is Gods merciful acceptance of a beleevers person as a mystical member of the body of his Son and to be his adopted Son in him and so to no men else Secondly By grace is meant his endowing of them by the work of his spirit with inherent righteousness every man according to his measure as of Faith and love and patience c. and these men are called new Creatures and none else If you ask me Quest why I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers I answer An ungodly may beleeve truly but never rightly in order to his own eternal life So Balaam beleeved that Oracle truly which the spirit of God dropped from his lips but not rightly First Because his mind creeped on the earth or earthly contentments like the Serpent which God cursed for they run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward Secondly Because he leaped over a sanctified life Epist Jude 11. onely desiring to die the death of the righteous Thus did the proud and covetous Priests Pharisees and Scribes the great professors of those times truly beleeve the Oracles of God delivered them by Moses to be the word of God but they did not beleeve rightly for if so they would have embraced the Lord of glory and never imbrewed their hands in his blood therefore I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers so now I come to the point The Saints perseverance And in the first place it is grounded upon that which may ever be distinguished but never separated in this business that is the power of Christs spirit and the Saints exercise of their graces already received And thus they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation that is in perseverance unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Wherefore gird up the loines of your mindes be sober and hope to the end Vers 13.7 The trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold which perisheth Vers 1.21 That your Faith and hope may be in God from this ground it is the Apostle gives them this rule Gird up the loins of your minds for the Grace which is brought unto you seeing you have purified your selves in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfaigned love of the truth see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently in this work of the Saints perseverance the power of Christs spirit and the exercise of their graces formerly received may ever be distinguished but never separated as is formerly said Again Peter in his second Epistle 2 Pet. 1.3 comes more close to the point of perseverance even to be established immoveably according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and Godlinesse thereupon he enforces the exhortation Giving all diligence adde to your faith virtue and to your virtue knowledge add to your knowledge temperance and to your temperance patience and to your patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity and then renders them this reason why they should so do for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 13.17 13. wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election
their power and houre of darkness upon this distressed Creature sitting in darkness and can see no light yet God for his glory sake secretly preserves the minde so to himself That when Satan thinks himself surest of his prey God then will set the soul at liberty by his word and spirit in this life and then will in effect say to Satan as of Job What sayest thou to my Servant Job c. or else by taking him into eternal glory and so Satan looseth his prey for ever Doth not Heman mean Quest when he saith Thy terrors hath cut me off as did Job I choose strangling rather then to live then if Heman or Iob had strangled themselves had not God then lost his glory in that Satan had got the prey I answer Answ Satan had not got his prey though he had hanged himself nor God lost the glory of his grace but the redundancy thereof to eternity How is this possible to be true Quest for they which do so die in an act of sin which nature abhorrs that is the destruction of it self I answer You must consider what capacity Heman and Iob were in namely right beleevers therefore not in an estate of unbeleef as was Achitophel and Judas that hanged themselves for dying such they are cut off from all pardon of sin because the sin of unbeleef in such cuts off all hope of pardon And whereas you say they died in the act of sin it is true yet it is as true in this case they are not themselves by reason of their deep trouble and distemper of minde therefore if Iob had hanged himself yet it might be said of him as Paul in another case That which I do I allow not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that do I. If I do that which I would not I consent to the Law that it is good Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me So might Iob in this case say It is not I Rom. 7.15 but my most deep distemper that dwells in me which strangled me Again Whereas you sty that in this case he had departed this world in the act of sin I answer it is true a sin in a transcendent degree for if God forbids to murther another man much more a mans self yet saith our Lord Mat. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven therefore this being not the sin against the holy Ghost in Iob a beleever would have been pardoned unto him for there is no man in Heaven nor never shall but Christ himself but came thither by a pardon of his sin Again I answer It is proved that all men who by a patient well-doing seek for honour and glory immortality and eternal life having not as yet the gift of faith and dying without it they ascend to the heavenly glory through the universal imputation of Christs righteousness notwithstanding the universal imputation of Adams one sin one committed nor notwithstanding their own sin against Christ for they ascend to Heaven in the same right that all mankind do dying in infancy which have the seed of original sin in them therefore much more a right beleever as in this case of Iob is presupposed for this particular act of sin so committed cannot totally extinguish the internal habit of inherent righteousness wherof justifying faith is one branch which cannot be extinguished but by a custom in sin which in the minde of man produces another nature therefore this internal habit did detain in it self a virtual tendency to Christ its most proper Object although but as smoaking flax or a bruised Reed therefore in the very act of strangling Faiths virtual force will move to Christ its own objects as Ionas in the deep Seas from out the Whales belly the motions of his minde moved to Christ the true Temple then standing at Ierusalem so holy men in this disconsolate condition in the depth of sorrows and distractions their memory is renewed in beleef to receive comfort in the satisfactory righteousness of Iesus Christ as for example in London at the Counter in the Poultry Mr. Mercer being arrested in his passion slew the Sergeant and was hanged in the place The godly Ministers and his friends desired him when he was turned off the ladder during the time of his strangling if he did finde any divine consolation from God to give them some manifestation thereof the which he did by lifting up both his hands three times to his head notwithstanding his former deep sorrowes and his present pain his body so hanging yet he had the use of his minde and memory to give them the foresaid sign Doubtless so it is in this case concerning godly men that when Satan thinks himself surest of his prey he is furthest from attaining his desired end And thus God turns the rebound of his glory to himself in the salvation of holy men from so great a misery Also I remember Mr. Fox in the Acts and Monuments of the Church of a Martyr saith His godly friends desired him when he was in the flames that if such a sharp dissolution were sufferable with comfort to give some sign to them And notwithstanding the sharpness of the flame he being much burnt and their expectation as it were past hope yet then his comfort was internally so clear that his minde remembred the promise to his friends and gave a sign by lifting up both his hands three times to his head in those fierce flames to the great amazement of the people and the establishment of the godly at the which the people gave a great shout Is it so that the Saints of God by not improving their graces according to their measure received may turn that affliction which God inflicts on them for an honourable tryal into a dishonourable sharp chastizement as did Job under the execution of Satans second Commission Then hence observe that this case carries along in it a contingency as to the Saints of God and not an immutable current which cannot be turned by them another way for here we see Iob altered its course wherefore God proceeded against him for his fault as is proved therefore ye Saints of God keep to the exercise of your graces according to your measure or degrees given you by the word and Spirit of truth and be sure to operate according to the Scriptures direction for as from thence did arise the truth of your grace so from thence must arise your growth in grace and perseverance therein therefore make not the consultations with flesh and blood nor your vain imaginations your Religion as do those Saints which fall away to be Quakers and Familists not onely to the destruction of themselves but to the destruction of the Faith of many others by calling their fleshly wisdom and vain imaginations by the name of Christ and the divine
THE Fulness and Freeness OF GODS GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST DECLARED In two general Points First That Personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ Secondly In what sense the Scriptures speake the Saints Perseverance in that Grace The Third Part. By FRANCIS DUKE LONDON Printed by T. N. for Wil. Milward without Westminster Hall Gate and Miles Michael within the Gate 1656. The Epistle to the Reader IN my first Treatise are four grounds or principles in the first four Chapters The first is our natural perfection in Adam by Creation The second is Gods Covenant with us in Adam the onely and alone Covenant of works made with man these two states were distinct each from other before the Fall The third is the Fall of the whole World by Adams one offence once committed The fourth is the restauration of the fallen World by Jesus Christ the second Adam And my second Treatise handles this one general point that is In it is proved what is Gods final end for which he made all things in Heaven and in Earth and that he made choyce principally of seven meanes to accomplish that end This third Treatise principally treats of three things First That Personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ. The second proves in what sense the Scriptures speake the Saints Perseverance in that Grace The third is a disproving of the false Doctrine of the Familists and the Quakers in particular against Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburn The Contents of several principal things contained in this Treatise FIrst Against personal Election these Scriptures following are opened Rom. 1.9 13. In this Paul repeats a Record recorded by Malachy and the thing recorded is expounded by God himself that is what his purpose was in that business Pag. 1. 2. 3. The second Text Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved p. 4 5 6. A third Text is the 17. of John opened from p. 6. to p. 18. Fourthly These several Texts are opened Jer. 31.3.31 32 33. Jer. 32.39 40. Rom. 11.15 27. Heb. 8.8 9 10. Heb. 10.16 17. p. 19. 20. 21. Also it is opened in what sense the word Elect originally did arise in its use and application in the Old and New Testaments p. 22. 23 24. Also the Text is opened Eccles 12.7 The words are these Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God that gave it This against the Familists from p. 24. to 32. Also against them see p. 33. to 36. All these fall under the first head as against personal Election These following fall under the second Head First It is opened how a man that is no Saint may become a Saint and so to be in a capacity to the said perseverance p. 41. to 46. The first ground of the Saints perseverance is the power of Gods Spirit and the exercise of their Faith and other Graces The second ground is the immortal Seed of Gods Word sown in their mindes by the hand of Gods Spirit Also here is opened a threefold distinction as to the will of man from p. 42 to 54. A third ground of the Saints perseverance so as they shall never totally nor finally fall is Christs more full and constant manifestation of himself by his Spirit to the minde of beleevers which so exercise their graces as before is said by which he holds the will of a beleever to himself actually or virtually at the least from p. 55. to 60. To beleevers is peculiar a twofold righteousness and to no men else wherein is briefly opened how Abraham and Rahab were justified by works or working out their own salvation from p. 60 to 68. How the nature of true love doth arise in the Saints minde Also a definition of Love and its natural properties declared from p. 68 to 74. Also the patience of the Saints as to its perfect work is opened from p. 75 to 80. Also that God greatly afflicts some holy men not for tryal nor for chastizement nor for sin primarily but for some eminent respects from p. 80. to 92. Chap. 13. In which is answered Lieut. Col. John Lilburn his six particulars as to the Doctrine of the Quakers CHAP. I. In this Treatise is handled two general Points FIrst That personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the grace of God by Jesus Christ Secondly In what sense the sacred Scriptures speaks the perseverance of the Saints in that grace But I will first briefly touch upon two things by way of Introduction And first By Saints is meant no more but this Rom. 5.17 18. EPhes 1.1 John 1.12 Man that hath inherent righteousness or holiness and so doth by a right beleef receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness which came upon all men to justification of life These are Saints in deed and truth and none other are the Sons of God for as many as received him to them he gave prerogative to be the Sons of God Even to as many as beleeve in his name Secondly The personal Elections which are erroneous are three first the Superlapsarian way Secondly The Lapsarian way Thirdly An Election of some mens persons upon Gods fore-sight of their perseverance in faith and works The first is no more but this That God elected some mens persons infallibly to eternal life without respect to Adam's sin or their owne onely upon his Soveraign right over his Creature And in Reprobation Not mans undeserving is the cause of Reprobation but the will of God to reprobate Secondly the Lapsarian way is no more but this That God considered all mankind as fallen in Adam and elected some mens persons out of that Fall infallibly unto eternal life and left all the rest of mankind in that misery unrecoverably unto Eternity without any means as effectual unto them Thirdly Personal Election in this sense is no more but as is said That God upon his foresight of their perseverance in faith and works unto the end infallibly elected them unto Eternal life So much for Introduction And as concerning the first general point to carry it on clearly I will follow this Method to open the scope of those Texts which is supposed do primarily prove the said Elections and the first text that I will pitch upon hath relation to Gen. 25.22 Gen. 25.22 23. Mal. 1.1 2 3. Ezek. 16.3 Rom. 9.9 10 11 12 13. 23. Mal. 1.1 1 2 3. And the Text that is grounded upon these two Texts is Rom. 9.13 The words are these For the children being not yet born neither having done any 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 that is Rebecca The elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Therefore when
have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable Servants c. Therefore if the Saints works either in doing or suffering Isa 64.6 Isa 6.5 are unprofitable in any respect it must be in attaining that great reward of eternal life which is only attained by our Lord himself as formerly is proved And the Saints affirm of themselves selves That they are all as an unclean thing and all their righteousness as filthy rags Isaiah saith I am a man unclean because I am a man of unclean lips And the Psalmist saith I will take heed unto my wayes that I sin not Vers 1. yet Vers 5. concludes Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity therefore this objection at the best is of no force because no weight of truth in it But secondly I answer to that Text which is the ground of the Objection because their sufferings is for the Son of mans sake therefore they are to leap for joy in respect of their great reward in Heaven and much to the same effect in the 10. Verse Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake It is one thing that our Lord comforts the Saints with presenting them with the heavenly glory Answ as the great reward of the gift of eternal life to leap for joy in all their sufferings and another thing that he should intend that their sufferings and works should be the efficient cause to procure that weight of glory man being in his best estate meerly vanity as is proved wherefore Christ gave them this as to comfort them as Paul in the like case to comfort the Saints in a suffering condition Our light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory that is worketh this good effect in us to settle our mindes the more upon that glory to come and the lesse upon this worlds glory as the next words imply while we look not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal But to avoid mistakes in this point of the Saints works it will be necessary to lay down this ground that the Saints in this World have a twofold righteousness which are to be handled in the next Chapter CHAP. IX In which is handled a twofold righteousness peculiar to the Saints and no men else THe first righteousness is this namely the imputed righteousness of Christ The second is their inherent righteousness As concerning the first Quest How can that be theirs onely which is extended not onely to the whole Creation but to all mankind the chief part thereof as before is proved I answer It is one thing That all had a right to eternal life Answ and another thing to be possessed of it for so it is the Saints onely by faith they therefore may leap for joy in all their sufferings which none else can The second righteousness which is inherent is their sanctification or Circumcision of the heart and this righteousness is theirs and theirs onely The first righteousness is wrought by Christ onely and alone personally considered and is received by the Saints as the Eye receives the light and so their own The second righteousness is their own actually wrought in their own person and not by Christs person onely his spirit doth assist them rightly to operate but the operation is their own as proceeding from their own counsel and voluntary choyce and so far forth righteous as agrees with the word of God and no further The Apostle commands the Saints to work out their own salvation Object that is salvation as to themselves with fear and trembling Phâ—l 1.12 13. therefore their own works attain to eternal life which is their salvation Salvation in the object is one thing Answ but in the subject another thing Salvation in the object is Gods gift of eternal life and pardon of sin reached to man in the word of truth Salvation in the subject is when a man by faith or beleef is possessed of that gift of imputed righteousness in which is contained pardon of sin and eternal life onely therefore all the works of the Saints is but to be more and more possessed of that gift of eternal life by the increase of their graces and in Union and Communion with God and to their Brethren under the same capacity But if it be objected Object that James affirms that Abraham and Rahab were justified by works I answer Answ James enveighing against those that bragged of their faith without works as to the fruits of righteousness he concludes their faith to be dead and because the said twofold righteousness in the Saints are ever distinct and yet never separated therefore of Abraham and Rahab and all right beleevers James might safely conclude they are justified by works as Abraham in offering up Isaac and Rahab by receiving the spies but to avoid mistakes in this Doctrine of works because the Scripture sometimes promiscuously attributes justification to the Saints works sometimes to faith and sometimes to Christ therefore we must remember this rule as a ground in this point for our direction That these things are spoken according to the rule of communication of properties as for example our Lord attributes that to the eye which is not proper to it saying The Eye is the light of the body yet the Eye hath no light in it self to enlighten the body but he attributes that to the eye which is onely proper to the light because the eye receives the light into the body so in this sense it is said that works saves faith saves and Christ saves attributing that to one thing which is proper to another by reason of that connexion in this point of justification by this rule of communication of properties so it is said that God redeemed the Church with his blood yet God bleeds not but that which is proper to the humane nature is attributed to the Divine by reason of the personal union so in this point by reason of the neer connexive relation between Christ and his righteousness which is the object and the wills and understandings of the Saints together with the motions of the whole man to Christ therefore it is thus promiscuously attributed each to other wherefore Cardinal Bellarmine from the force of divine truth while he endeavoured to prove justification by the Saints own works yet concludes That to cleave to Christs righteousness as to justification is the safest way as is affirmed by Divines And the truth is that right aspect of Christs imputed righteousness which he laboured to make void in those dark times It may be that implicite Aspect might stand him in as much stead to pardon of his sin and salvation as but a glimps of the Brasen Serpent to the salvation of mans body which had been bitten with the fiery Serpent he rendering this
his flesh and bones with that reverence from God as he did the losse of his Children and his whole Estate as he did in the first Commission Another particular was this he had too high an esteem of his own uprightness wrought by the spirit of Christ in him who also assisted him to perfect patience under the first Commission consequently he did too much undervalue the glorious imputed righteousness of Christ in which was comprehended the pardon of his sin and eternal life included in the sacrifices which he daily offered therefore O ye Saints of God that are eminent in the fruits of righteousness beware you stumble not at this Rock but endevour with Paul to be found in Christs righteousness more and more in a sole dependencie onely on it for pardon of sin and eternal life And though ye endevour to grow in the fruits of inherent righteousness and at the best as compared to his esteem yours but as filthy rags or as drosse and dung as did Paul Formerly you affirm Object That man in order to become a Saint did in a patient seeking c. But now you affirm none have true patience but Saints According to the being or nature of a thing such is its workings Answ therefore that former patient seeking was but a shadow of this true patience or as to its perfect work for this patience in the Saints ariseth from the root of their inherent righteousness or sanctification which the former hath not but onely a previous disposedness towards it from a remote principle from whence they do by nature the things contained in the Law of Christ therefore the objection is without ground CHAP. XII In which is more fully opened the works of the Saints as under a dolorous and troubled minde IF it be objected The Apostle saith Object He that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him therefore the Saints are accepted of God for their own works of righteousness as to salvation Although this point be formerly answered Answ and also that I grant that their own works of righteousness is the ground of their acceptance yet I deny it in the sense objected for although Christs righteousness imputed is the Saints own righteousness and that upon a double ground the one is That righteousness is Gods free gift to all mankind as formerly is proved and so theirs with others and so accepted as others the other ground is this That work of Christs righteousness is by beleeving received by them Rom. 5.17 and in it abundance of grace and so a particular ground of their acceptance with God and no men else Again The Saints inherent work of righteousness in one particular branch doth act and work in the receiving of Christs righteousness namely Faith and so Christs righteousness is brought to be their own as the eye by its operation brings that light to be its own which was not its own Hence saith our Lord this is the work of God that ye beleeve so that the one righteousness as in it self is an external object of blessedness the other righteousness in this particular branch is the blessed act of reception and from this union with the subject and object according to the Text He that worketh righteousness is accepted of him and that in two respects First That mans person is accepted of God a member of Christs mystical body whereof he is the head Secondly That mans person is accepted the Son of God by adoption as saith the Text To as many as received him he gave this prerogative to be called the Sons of God even to as many as beleeved in his name You affirm formerly Object the reward from God proper to the works of the Saints is onely in this life by the increase of their graces consequently a more neerer and clearer union and Communion with God then what say you to Heman that holy man whose dayes of life from his youth were in dolor terror and horror Saith he to God Thy terrors have cut me off c. where was the increase of his graces Psal 88.16 either of Faith or love or the quiet fruits of righteousness the reward of his righteous works Questionless Answ He was a most holy man as appeares by his heavenly breathings from his woful minde thoroughout the Psalm therefore it is a hard case to give a right judgement in this particular whether his afflictions were for tryal or chastizement or for neither for this case is very rare and not ordinary for the sacred Scriptures as I remember doth not speak of one man the like as to the whole life of any therefore this is besides our point in hand as to Gods ordinary course of the Saints reward as is proved yet nevertheless in Scriptures we finde one extraordinary proceeding of God in the affliction of a particular man for a time as John 9. God denyed from the womb one man the light of this World being born blind whereupon the Disciples put the question to our Lord Who did sin this man or his Parents that he was born blind Jesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents that is not to so transcendent a heighth as to draw on this judgement for that 's implyed but he was so born with respect to Gods glory that Christ might prove himself to be he that was sent of God to give sight and light to man sitting in the shade of death and darkness and accordingly Christ and he met together and the man born blind received sight as never man the like So doubtless as this man so Heman was in some eminent respect to the glory of God for although God thus deeply afflicted him in sorrow and troubles of minde yet it is apparent God secretly preserved him and his minde to himself Vers 1. He saith Oh Jehovah Elohim of my salvation I have cryed day and night c. For God sometimes brings men to a low ebbe of distraction some in respect of Estate some in body and some in minde Psal 9.3 Ps 116 3. but we read not at so great a length as this man as to a troubled minde And then God saith to such men Return again ye Sons of men The Psalmist saith The sorrows of death compassed me the pangs of Hell got-hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow whereupon Vers 4. He prayed to God to deliver his soul and Vers 8. His soul was delivered So without doubt God granted Hemans unfeigned prayers either delivering his soul out of those great troubles of minde in the latter end of his dayes or else over and above what he could think or speak secretly preserved him to his Heavenly Kingdom whereof his deep afflictions were but light in comparison of that glory now revealed Now the main ground why God doth so deeply sink some holy men in sorrows terrors and troubles of conscience as Heman is for the redundancy of his glory that maugre Satan I mean the Apostate Angels by all
serve me c. For if our Lord himself be loved unto the said respect of his Fathers glory as to be compleated in his final end by him Consequently this his prayer is according to that level and not otherwise as plainly appears in the comparing the 26th Vers of the 12. of John with this 24th Vers in the 17th of John But what Gods final end is here I pass it over because it is proved in the first and 12th Chapter of my second Treatise So much for the opening of the 17th Chapter of John which proves that the Saints perseverance hath no dependance upon the supposed personal Elections which neither this Chapter nor any other doth own CHAP. III. In which are opened several other Texts to the purpose aforesaid BEhold the dayes come saith the Lord Jer. 31.3.31 22 33 That I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. By that word in those dayes is meant as is expressed in the 17. Verse There is hope in the latter end saith Jehovah that thy Children shall come to their own border that is their own Land and return into that posture wherein they may receive eternal life as is implyed in these words I will write my Law in their hearts further implying that formerly they were dead in sins and trespasses To the same purpose he saith I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.39 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them and I will not turn away from them to do them good In the next words he shewes wherein principally their good consists I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from me onely note this by the way That this fearing of God for ever and a Covenant that shall last for ever and that they shall never depart from him is in no sense spoken in reference to personal election as the ground of the Saints perseverance in the grace of God by Jesus Christ for all this story points onely at the Jews Gods elect visible Church and these words as to them imply two things First That God had formerly turned away from them from doing of them good many years yet he continued them to be and so to be distinguished in all Ages and Generations as that they are known by the name of Jews as Abrahams off-spring to this day Secondly These words further point out That although they are now no visible Church of Christ yet after their conversion into the said posture they shall never totally depart from being Christs visible Church unto the Worlds end as they have been many hundred years and are at this day and that is meant when God saith I will make an ever lasting Covenant with thee as to the same effect in the 3. Verse And in that he saith Rom. 11.15.27 Heb. 8.8 9 10. Heb. 10.16 17. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever And to this point the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.15 27. and to the same purpose Heb. 8.8 9 10. and Heb. 10.16 17. So that it is clear these Texts speak nothing to the maintenance of personal Election as I said â—efore Onely I marvail that so many godly learned men should be so bold to infer from the Apostles words Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated That Esau was personally reprobated to eternity for the Apostle doth onely repeat a Record as it is written by Malachy and Malachy followes God declaring his purpose to Rebecca concerning those Children That they were the Roots of two Nations and he purposed the one Nation should be his visible Church and the other being the elder Brother should not that no flesh as flesh should glory in his sight and in this sense he saith Esau have I hated as is formerly proved in this and both my other Treatises Again For further clearing of the truth against those threefold erroneous Elections I will prove the original use of the word Elect and in what sense that word is applyed in the old and new Testament For instance many hundreds of years after Esau and Jacob were dead came the burthen of the word of Jehovah by Malachy I have loved you saith Jehovah yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau Jacobs Brother saith Jehovah yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and his Heritage waste And to Jacobs Nation Vers 5. he saith your eyes shall see and you shall say Jehovah will be magnified from the border of Israel And to Israels Nation Jsaiah applies the word Elect which as to them Isa 44.1 2. was the original use of this word Yet hear now O Jacob my Servant and Israel whom I have Elect Thus saith Jehovah that made thee and formed thee from the womb he will help thee fear not O Jacob my Servant and thou righteous whom I have Elect. But thou Israel art my Servant Isa 41.8 9. Jacob whom I have Elect the seed of Abraham my friend And in the 9th Verse Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the Earth and called thee from the chief men thereof and said unto thee thou art my Servant I have elected thee and not cast thee away From this ground our Saviour speaking of the destruction of this visible Church Elect after his death he concludes those dayes of vengeance shall be shortened except those dayes should be shortened there should be no flesh saved Mat 24.2 and from 15. to 22. But for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortened implying no flesh otherwise of Abraham his friend whould be reserved for a future call to the said posture in which they might receive the gift of eternal life Dan. 11.15 1 King 3.8 So the Prophet saith thy Servant is in the midst of thine Elect people whom thou hast elected likewise O seed of Jacob his Servant ye Children of Jacob his Elect ones 1 Chron. 16.13 so that in the old Testament we see the original of this word Elect and the application of it hath not the least sense to any personal Elections but to a visible Church or to its individual members under the same capacity Secondly It is applyed to the same sense and none other in the new Testament To the visible Church of Colos the Apostle saith Put on therefore as the Elect of God Col. 3.12 1 Thes 1.4.7 bowels of mercy c. likewise to the visible Church he saith knowing Brethren beloved your election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also
the minde of man and therefore Light for saith the definition Whatsoever doth manifest that is light Fourthly There is in all men a light within but not in your sense for although in Adams fall we were all totally darkness it self yet I say there is a light which enlighteneth every man which commeth into the World which is the Spirit of God the third Elohim and he doth write the effect of the Law of God in the hearts of all men from whence they do by nature the things contained in the Law which as saith the Text shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts and it was written to this end that from this Light within suitable to that Light without Gods Word namely the Scriptures they might come to Christ that he might give them life or on the contrary if then by custom in sin extinguish this light within this will leave them in their own Consciences without excuse as is at large amplified in all my three Treatises but your light within you is a lye and you have extinguished that good light which was written within you And you are become dead in sins and trespasses to come to Christ for you deny him and say the light in you is Christ and you deny the Scriptures to be Gods word you also deny the Trinity and consequently you deny God himself and therefore as our Saviour saith If the light that is in thee be darkness Mat. 6.23 how great is that darkness And now I come to the fifth general point which is you affirm the Scriptures are true as a witness-bearer or declarer of that light in man which you call Christ in answer to which I deny that the Scriptures are a witness-bearer to your light within which is your Idoll stiled by the several names aforesaid for if it should beare witness to your foolery it should witness it self to be no word of God and also that the Lord Jesus personally God-man blessed for ever more is not the Son of God and so it should contradict what it self affirms Also it should deny what it self affirms that is that Jehovah our Elohims is one Iehovah as doth your light within which Mystery of Iniquity you varnish over with the words of the Scriptures in an injurious and uncouth sense as do our Gipseys and Canting-beggars who leave their native language as do you the native sense of the Scriptures and onely use the termes and you had need put glorious titles upon it and when you have done all it is nothing else but a painted Sepulchre and nothing but stench and rottenness wherefore you gild it over with your sufferings and imprisonments writing your selves persecuted Saints truly if you and your Companions be Saints you are of the Pope or the Devils canonizing for I am sure that God never owned any man to be holy that ever denyed the holy Scriptures to be his word or that denyed the second Elohim to assume humane nature and so became personally God-man and to be his seventh meanes as is proved in my second Treatise or that ever denyed the Trinity which is to deny God himself Jehovah our Elohim to be one Jehovah And if the Lord Jesus Christ commanded Peter who was a Saint get thee behinde me Satan in reference to the temptation which Peter unawares tempted him unto then much more will he judge you to be the Children of the Devil whose works ye will do as did your Father the Devil when he alleaged the Scriptures to Christ tempting him to throw himself off from the Temple that he might destroy himself so you bring in the Scriptures a witness-bearer to the lying light within you but it is to destroy and dissolve the Scriptures from being Gods word to make that good that there is no sure word of God but that lying light of yours within you for you deny the second person in Trinity to be the increate word mentioned in 1 John 1. and the Scriptures to be Gods word also you deny the Trinity consequently you deny Jehovah our Elohims to be one Jehovah consequently you leave no God at all but your light within which you call by the name of God in divers places of your Book Lastly you affirm That Gods Word the Light in man was long before the Scriptures but having so largely proved this Word of God within you to be no more nor lesse then a lye this last point of yours needs no answer at all nevertheless I grant your Word of God to be long before the Scriptures were For your Father the Devil was a lyer from the beginning and it was long after the Devil was first a lyer Joh. 8.44 that Moses began the Scriptures and your quotations of Scripture in the margent of your Book are numerous and all is but to guild over your Idol Light within and although you give us number yet you give us no weight of truth even as you give us antiquity but no verity And although you undervalue the Antiquity of the Scriptures yet it declares a truth unto us more ancient then you or your Fathers lies that is what the Elohims speak each to other and said Let us make man in our Image Also it tells what God said to man having made him the Elohims said unto him Be fruitful and multiply and the Elohims said Behold I have given unto you every Tree bearing seed Gen. 1.26 27 28 29. Gen. 2.16 c. Jehovah Elohim commanded the man saying Of every Tree of the Garden c. Also the Scriptures tell us of divers things long before themselves were written That the Word of God after the fall was manifested to Adam and his Wife Gen. 3.8 9. and also that Jehovah manifested himself to Cain by his Word three times and also that the Word of Jehovah came to Noah Gen. 4.6.9 13. and so to Abraham and others I would ask you this Question Can your Light within tell you any of all this if the Scriptures had not told it first and yet you would fain make us beleeve that that Light is the onely word of God and Scripture and that is the reason you endevour so much to dissolve our Scriptures but in all this you do but wash the Blackamore and make a night-cap for the Moon for that which our Lord Jesus Christ saith shall stand firm Heaven and Earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away And as he saith in the forecited Text Luk. 24.33 and the Scriptures cannot be dissolved And for all your Light within which you call your God and unbeleeve the Scriptures yet God will make his Word good upon you and all your Companions He that beleeveth shall be saved He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 And truly whereas you put this title upon your Book The Resurrection of John Lilburn you should rather have put it thus The perverting of John Lilburn in order to his destruction if God