moment be liable to the everlasting wrath of God 2. Gods good end in giving this Light is to reveal moral duties and sins against nature that avoiding these sins and practising these duties we might be delivered from temporal judgements as Nineveh was and might enjoy the Lords common savours 3. Gods gracious end in giving us the Scriptures is that seeing and embracing Christ Righteousness and Gods Mercy in him our souls might sincerely be reconciled to his Will and so living to God we might be sure of mercy favour and salvation Arg. 8. They usually bring that Scripture Luke 17.21 Behold the Kingdom of God is with you Answ Gods Kingdom is to be considered either as to the Common or as to the special Administration of it 1. As to the Common and this is whereby God doth restrain convince make offers of Christ and Grace and sometimes give a taste of the heavenly gift by the preaching of the word and the common operation of the spirit carrying the word into the Consciences of men for the word of God is quick and powerful piercing to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit God had so set up his Kingdom in them as he had not in the Heathen They are therefore called the Children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 Of the Kingdom only in this common Administration of it for they were to be cast out and the Kingdom of God was to be taken from them 2. As to the special Administration of it and this is whereby God awakens souls unites them to Christ by a lively Faith makes them willing subjects and stablishing them in their obedience preserves them to glory by his word and by his spirit powerfully applying it to their hearts inlightning renewing quickning comforting and dayly assisting them God had not thus set up his Kingdom in the Pharisees for his Kingdom as to this Administration of it is not in word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 Is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Is never to cease while the world last Dan. 7.27 Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Hence then cannot be concluded either that there is a Light effectually saving in Pharisees or the unconverted or that there is a Light objectively saving in every man for though the Pharisees had in them such a light which if they had embraced sincerely they had been in the way to salvation yet this was forc'd into them by Christs Preaching his Miracles and the common operation of the Spirit They did not bring it into the World with them Quest It was asked me in the first dispute I shall speak according to my best remembrance I know I must give account If an heathen obey his Light may he be saved And then not having so fully seen into this point I was shy and answered I was not to Judge them that are without Quest I was afterwards asked If a man improves his Light within him may not he be saved I answered he may and added if he improves that is studieth Scripture and looketh up to God for a blessing he may That night reflecting upon his passage I was very much disturbed in my spirit because I did not more fully speak to this point laying down the manner how upon improvement he might be saved and expressing the Truth on the contrary side What might unskilful people conclude from this Assertion Next day my wife destitute and near her Travail begging with Tears that I would seek her out an habitation I could not in the least regard her I could easily embrace any self-abasement to prevent the dammage of any soul through mistake To effect this as much as might be I drew up and dispatcht a Letter to G. W. with a Paper containing the same things to Thaxted where the dispute was to be openly read among them The Letter follows A LETTER sent to G. W. Beloved Friend TOuching one Query in the Disputation whether if a man improve the Light within him may he not be saved My Answer was that if he improve it that is make use of it in studying the Scripture and look up to God for a blessing he may be saved I judge it needful to acquaint you with my meaning how he may be saved 'T is this God may I do not say certainly will much less that be is bound I disown Pelagianisme so bless him as to give him to see embrace and endeavour to practice his whole mind revealed in the Scripture that is to speak with reference to you to sanctifie the Christian Sabbath seek justification by the Righteousness of Christ imputed repent if his sinful nature and sinful motions of his heart submit to the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lords Supper and in other things universally incline his heart to please him thus may the Lord through grace save him I was defective in the Disputation that I did not manifest this so weighty a matter Yea and that I did not manifest the Truth on the other side which is this For a Person to whom Scriptures are given to practice no more then what the Light that is in every man doth dictate rejecting the Scripture as not obliging in those things that this Light doth not discover is to fling away his own salvation Arg. 1. That Person that erres in the Doctrine of Justification by Christs Righteousness only and so sets up something else instead of this Righteousness for justification cannot possibly be saved Gal. 5.4 But this Light that is in every man doth not dictate that justification is by Christs Righteousness only Arg. 2. That Person that in many things lives and dies in allowed Rebellion against the mind and will of God revealed cannot be saved But having Scriptures to practice no more then what the Light in every man doth dictate is to live and dye in allowed rebellion against the mind and will of God revealed in many things 1. This Light doth not dictate that the Christian Sabbath is to be kept but God in Scripture commands Remember the Sabbath that is one day in seven which the Lord shall chuse in Gospel times it is not the seventh from the creation Let no man judge you for the Sabbath day and if it must be one of the other six which doth the Lord more clearly in Scripture point at then the first day To keep it holy do no manner of work To practice no more than what the Light that is in every man doth dictate is as good as to say I will not remember the Sabbath I will work on that day 2. This Light doth not dictate that Lusts or first motions of sinful principles much less the principles themselves are sins and so to be repented of and that we are to fly to Christ blood for pardon Rom. 7.7 But the Scripture sends us to Christ for pardon for all sin calls to repent of all sin manifesteth that the first motion to sins are sins thou shalt not
our Gracious God supernaturally to reveal his whole Will touching his Churches duty to the end of the World unto particular men moving them by his Spirit to write which motion was their Rule for that Action the same and commanding others to transcribe Copies that so our guidance to Heaven might safely be conveyed to posterity not lost through neglect nor forgotten through the slipperiness of his peoples Memories nor altered by relating it from mouth to mouth nor corrupted by the Relation of it made sometimes by wicked men So that as before the Scriptures were written Gods Will made known partly by the Light in every man partly by Supernatural Revelation and conueyed to posterity by word of mouth Tradition and Preaching was the full Rule of the Church then living so the same Will of God more clearly and brightly made known by Supernatural Revelation and conveyed down to us most safely by the Holy Scriptures of the Prophets and others is our full Rule in which we are to triumph as guiding us comfortably to Glory and Salvation Obj. Touching the Ceremonial Law he objects p. 31. As for those Laws of Ceremonies and Shadows to the Jews Salvation doth not depend upon them Answ This is much to the purpose The Query is whether those Laws were not part of their Rule before the death of Christ and whether the Light in them without the promulgation of those Laws could discover them Though our Salvation doth not depend on the Jewish Ceremonies yet had not the neglect of them before Christ's death been sin to a Jew Had not the contempt of them then been the hazard of his Soul Then it follows that these Laws were part of their Rule and that the Light within them was not their full or whole Rule The same is to be said for the Supper and Baptism in the Apostles days These were part of the Churches duty yet the Light within without the help of Supernatural Revelation or the Institution promulged could not discover it Obj. p. 8. If the Light within doth not dictate Baptism nor the Supper then if you Baptize you do it not as lead thereto by the Light within Answ 1. Would these men prove that the Light within without the help of Supernatural Revelation can see Baptism and the Supper a Duty Why then are they against it rebelling against the Light within 2. By the help of Supernatural Revelation even the Scriptures our Reason can tell us our Consciences can convince us of our duty herein And we dare not shut our eyes against the Truth lest we perish for ever But were it not for Scriptures our Light within could say nothing here To conclude Since something which the meer Light within could not reveal hath been the Duty of Gods people from Adam in Innocency to the Apostles days it followeth that in all that time the Light within was not their full Rule And certainly that Rule that comes short of what the Church in the Apostles days went to Heaven by cannot be a full Rule to us Arg. 2. That which doth not reveal many duties which we are bound to perform cannot be to us a full Rule and safely bring us to Glory A full Rule reveals all our duty whatever God would have his Church do and is pleasing to him But this Light in every man doth not reveal many duties which we are bound to perform We are bound to believe that the Father is God the Son God the Holy Ghost God and that these three are one God But these are high mysterious Truths which without Supernatural Revelation the Light in every man can no way discover We are bound to believe the Resurrection of our Bodies a fundamental Article of our Faith but Reason cannot assure us of this to seek for a new Birth but meer Reason cannot apprehend this nor the tendency of it no more than whither the wind goeth To pray that Gods Kingdom might come his Spirit might govern within us and cause us to bring forth fruit hearing the Word But this is a Mystery Mark 4.11 20. We are bound not to have the least motion or inclination in our hearts to sin against God Thou shalt not covet Consequently to repent of any such Motion fly to Christs Blood for the pardon of it but by the light within Paul had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet We are bound to believe and repent of our Fall in Adam and consequently fly to Christ for recovery but laying aside Scriptures this light cannot reveal that Adams eating the fruit of a Tree should be our Fall We are bound to keep the first day of the week a Sabbath to the Lord one day in seven we are enjoyned in the fourth Commandment the seventh from the Creation is not now the day Col. 2.6 Let no man judge you in Meat or Drink or in respect of a holy day or the New Moon or of the Sabbath days It must then be one of the other six and which doth the Scripture point out unto so much as the first John was in the Spirit on the Lords day And the Disciples met on the first day of the week to break Bread The bare light in every man cannot shew this We are bound to celebrate the Ordinance of Baptism Go Baptize The Ordinance of the Supper Do this By all this it appears this light cannot be a full Rule As much duty as it can reveal ought to be done these things which it cannot reveal ought not to be left undone If we would safely get to Heaven we must with Caleb fully follow the Lord obey him in all his Commandments and not those only this Light reveals Herod could do many things Arg. 3. My chief Argument is this That which reveals not Christ cannot possibly be a full Rule or by it self any Rule at all to Heaven But the Light in every man without Supernatural Revelation can make no discovery of Christ Therefore it cannot possibly be a full Rule or by it self be any Rule at all that can guide any to Salvation The Major I prove That that reveals not Christ can of it self be no Rule at all to Heaven Two things will clear this 1. There is no Salvation but by Christ God hath indeed exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins But there is not Salvation in any other Acts 4 12. For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ John 14.6 No man cometh unto the Father but by me As there is but one God so there is but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 They that are without Christ are without God without hope Ephes 2.12 2. There is no Interest in Christ without Knowledge and Faith in him This is that which the promise
Gods will and purpose In the day thou eatest thou shalt die the death If it be his will and purpose to punish sin in us he doth it Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he Then no fallen man is justified but is sin is punished and so justice his satisfied for that his sin 4. We may demonstrate it from Gods not sparing his own Son Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all What made Gods justice lay on so did Christ ever by sin provoke to this will God punish where there is no sin This is an Ocular demonstration The Faith of a Believer that is justified can here see Justice punishing his transgression and that he is not justified without full satisfaction to Justice God hath punished then the sins of all that are justified in Jesus Christ And the Holy Ghost tells us Heb. 2.10 This became God It became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings Did it not become God to act according to his Judgement according to his Truth according to his Justice having executed his justice on some of his offending Creatures fallen Angels not to let the sins of his other offending Creatures fallen Men and Women to go unpunished The point is clear That for which God justifies us who have been Transgressors must be that which satisfies his Justice for our Transgressions The next Proposition hath two parts 1. Nothing done or suffered by us can suffice to satisfie Gods Justice Every known sin is a wilful rejection of infinite Goodness a free choice of infinite Displeasure a bold contempt of Infinite Majesty presumptuous Rebellion against infinite Soveraignty and a disdainful making him a Liar who is infinitely a Lover of Truth It therefore carries insinite demerit with it and nothing short of infinite punishment or sufferings of infinite wrath can possibly suffice to satisfie for it But what proportion to Infinity can any thing we do or suffer bear Why do men lie in Hell to all eternity but because they are not able to bear a Curse proportionable to the Infinity of Gods perfections against whom they have offended Faith and the Works that follow can this without the imputation of Christs Sufferings satisfie Gods Majesty for our sin It is Blasphemy against God it is most damnable Idolatry to suppose it It is to debase God and make him our Equal this is Blasphemy It is to exalt our selves and make our selves Gods Equal this is Idolatry in the highest degree For there is none but Gods equal and this is God himself in our Nature that is capable to satisfie God for sin Zach. 13.17 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of Hosts If we crawling worms can satisfie Gods Justice any way for our sins then Christ received the Stroak of Gods Jvstice in vain 2. Christs Sufferings suffice to satisfie Gods Justice To compremise this Argument If when we lay under the Sentence of Death Christ became Surety for us had our sins imputed to him died for us God accepted his person his Sacrifice and for his sake turns away his wrath from us forgives us frees us from Condemnation is reconciled to us saves us then Christs Sufferings do suffice abundantly to satisfie Gods Justice for our sins But the Antecedent is true therefore the Consequent also 1. We lay under the sentence of Death Eph. 2.3 We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others 2. Christ became our Surety Heb. 7.22 By so much was Jesus made the surety of a better Testament 3. He died for us 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture 4. God accepted of his Sacrifice Eph. 5.2 He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour 5. God accepted of his Person Heb. 8.1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum We have such an High Priest who is set on the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens 6. For his sake doth God turn away his wrath from us 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins He saves us from the wrath to come 7. For his sake doth God forgive us Col. 1.14 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of our sins 8. For his sake doth God free us from Condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 9. For his sake is God reconciled to us Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son 1. Pet 3 18. Christ also hath once suffered for us the just for the unjust to bring us to God 10. For his sake he saves us Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood shall we be saved from wrath through him What can we desire more to manifest that Gods Justice is fully satisfied for our sins by the sufferings of Christ Christs Sufferings then are the hope set before us and God hath spoken with an Oath That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong Consolation who are fled for refuge from the Stroke of Gods Justice hither Christs sufferings fled to by Faith are they for which God will justifie us For in regard they have fully satisfied Justice for our sins we may be confident they will secure us from Condemnation it being against Justice it self to punish those sins a second time that have been punished to the full already Against this Doctrine of Satisfaction G. W. Div. of Christ objecteth many things I shall briefly run them over and reduce them to five Conclusions Obj. 1. Satisfaction is not needful Cannot God command his wrath p. 62. Cannot he satisfie and please himself Man can pardon without satisfaction this were to render God more cruel than man 62. Such Blasphemy is this man not afraid to utter The Lord convince and humble him But I answer Canst thou Reader see fallen Angels tormented in hell to all eternity because Gods Justice is no way satisfied for their sins and yet say what need is there for any satisfaction When God judgeth it meet all sin should be punished when in his Threats he hath declared his Will and Purpose for it bound himself by his Truth and Faithfulness canst thou yet say what need have I of any Saviour to satisfie Justice for my sins When God spared not his Son wilt thou say what need these Stroaks of Justice Yet if this Doctrine be true God is cruel in this mans eyes Possibly he will say too If God doth damn the Impenitent if he damnes the fallen angels he is cruel for he can command wrath Can a King forgive all violation of his Laws without punishing any and reign It would not be his perfection to do this
it would be his sin Eli's not punishing his Sons cost him dear and so did the like offence cost David The Lord would have us forgive private Injuries for his sake who will make us satisfaction when the Offender cannot as he himself is willing to forgive us for Christs sake who hath made him satisfaction which we cannot Eph. 4.32 Forgive one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you And since we have assurance that it is the free pleasure and purpose of God according to the truth of his Word and as he judgeth it meet to punish all sin and that he hath punished our sin in his Son how vain is it now to question Cannot God appease his own wrath If God will not justifie us without satisfaction we are not to look for it any other way but rather admire and heartily embrace his Mercy in that for Christs sake he is willing to forgive us Obj. 2. Christs Sufferings could not be any satisfaction to Gods Justice for our sins For they were Persecutors that imputed sin to him p. 63. Nothing but a Creature suffered He suffered by sinners and under the burden and weight of their Transgressions His tender Spirit suffered for Transgressors foreseeing wrath coming on them p. 58. He suffered not eternal death not that height of revenge as goes against Reprobate Angels p. 9. Not infinite Wrath pag. 45. Answ Whatever Persecutors did it must not be denied that God laid on him the iniquity of us all Nor that God made his Soul an Offering for Sin though men were Instruments of part of his Sufferings Not only did he grieve foreseeing mens misery but he bore the killing stroak of Gods Justice to prevent the misery of all that believe in him Without his Death Justice would not suffer that we should be forgiven Without shedding of Blood there is no Remission For the sake of his Death Gods wrath is appeased towards us he forgives accepts loves saves us What can be more evident than that Gods Justice is satisfied in his Death And for that person who is God to suffer a Temporal Death though in his humane nature only this is of infinite value an infinite abasement a stroak of infinite wrath for had not Gods wrath against sin been infinite he would not thus have struck a person of infinite worth and dearness to him interposing as Surety between him and us miserable sinners For God in our Nature to suffer what he did this is more than for Men or Devils to suffer Gods eternal wrath or revenge this wrath more clearly shines in the Infinitude of it in thus smiting the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person than in the eternal damnation of Men and Devils in the unquenchable Flames of Hell Obj. 3. It cannot be that God should punish our sins in Christ to satisfie his Justice God doth not hate his Son p. 52. God bears Infinite love to his Son His Law is the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father but every man his own sins Answ That Law admits exceptions One is this Except one man voluntarily becomes Surety for another In this case Gods Law is Take his Garment And he that is Surety for a Stranger shall surely smart for it In regard then Christ voluntarily became Surety for us in punishing him for our Sins God doth not act contrary to this Rule And in regard Christ could conquer his Sufferings and they according to the everlasting appointment of God were to be a Step to his own eternal advancement as well as the Salvation of his chosen it was an act of Gods Dear Love to chuse him forth for this Undertaking though for a time he poured forth his wrath upon him for our Iniquities Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth Obj. 4. Christs death did not make satisfaction to Gods Justice for our sins God promiseth pardon upon our repentance and turning p. 40. If satisfaction be made what need could there be of Christs Intercession p. 15. Why are not all out of Prison and Fetters Why doth the Debt of Obedience still remain p. 60. Why are those for whom Christ died still punished p. 61. Answ It is for Christs sake that God doth pardon upon repentance there is no pardon for fallen Angels promised upon their repentance because Christ satisfied not for them But having purchased Salvation for us at the hands of Justice by his Intercession he obtains the purchase at the hands of free Grace and so applies it to us Christs Death doth so glorifie Gods Justice in our Salvation as if therein he had put forth no act of Grace Christs Intercession doth so glorifie Gods Grace in our Salvation as if therein he had put forth no act of Justice This Satisfaction was designed for all them who through special Grace in time believe These all are delivered here from the guilt and reigning power of their sins and so are out of their Fetters and shall hereafter be delivered from the being of sin It is required of them that they be obedient which is but Gratitude Being disobedient they shall be corrected for their good which is but Love and Kindness They are to suffer nothing from revengeful wrath nothing in order to the satisfying of Gods Justice they shall never come into Condemnation Obj. 5. This Doctrine is mans Invention Did Christ satisfie that man might take liberty to sin As if a Prince should grant an Act of Indempnity that his Subjects might spread Dung on his Face p. 48. Answ How will mad men spurn away Gold and cast Dirt on those that tender it to them Since Mankind fallen must needs according to the truth of Gods Laws established perish for ever as well as fallen Angels if we had had no Mediator to expose himself to the Stroak of Gods Justice engaged and resolved to punish our sins Since for Christs sufferings sake it is that we are pardoned accepted saved all this according to the unerring Scriptures of our most glorious God He must shut his eyes against the Sun who will not see that this Doctrine of Satisfaction is according to truth Nor doth it tend to Licentiousness If a discovery that the least sin deserves Gods infinite wrath that upon commission of the least sin nothing can free us from everlasting burnings but the Death of Jesus Christ in our stead that for the sake of Christs death God is most freely ready to forgive all our sins if this tends not to break the heart for sin to turn the heart to God to engage the heart with everlasting indignation against what is displeasing to the Lord what is Nor can this Writer nominate one of us that encourageth men to take liberty of sinning from the consideration of Christs satisfaction Nay he cannot but know that our common doctrine is none are sharers in the benefit of this satisfaction but those who have such lively apprehensions of