of the day vacant from publick duties in private reading prayer and repetition of Sermons c. It is true and we confess it that the foresaid duties are most needful to be practised by us and that a day to do them in is most needfull to be appointed and assigned and as for our selves we do profess to all whom it may concern that we are most ready to perform the same duties enjoyned on the said day in every capacity we stand related unto yea we acknowledge our selves bound in obligation of Scripture and Conscience to observe the said day now set a part to be observed by this nation from outward and bodily labours so farre as we can do it without transgressing some other command of God incumbent at that time upon us and thus we acknowledge we cease from our said works as a figurative Sabbath which imports a cessation to rest and as an instruction to put our selves and others in minde to cease from thinking of our own thoughts words and actions Is 58.13 which are our sinful thoughts words and actions as being most properly ours because Saint James saith every man is drawn away of his concupiscence James 1.13 14. which we must cease from that so at length we may come into the true rest which is prepared for the people of God Heb. 4.9 This is our confession of faith in this particular aforesaid and if the Christian magistrates we are to live under do appoint two such Sabbaths aforesaid in a week to be observed by the nation we are ready to do what is required of us accordingly in every capacity we stand in But we still querie the said Divines whether they can prove by text or context that Saint John in the foresaid place Rev. 1.10 did mean by the Lords day the first day of the week or whether the first day of the week is specified in any place of Scripture in plain terms to be our Christian Sabbath and so to be used and set apart as aforesaid for the Lords day Thirdly what place is there in the New Testament which calleth the first day of the week the Lords day for Christians to observe as the Lords day in cessation from all bodily labours which are appointed for the benefit of the natural life because if there be no such day specified in the Scriptures as aforesaid it is lest to Christian magistrates to order and appoint a day of cessation from bodily employments in reference to the performance of such pious and needful duties aforesaid to the glory of God and good of our souls which must be cared for in special manner for Christ saith What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul Matth. 16.26 Secondly because if the said day be set apart by God to the ends and purposes aforesaid and in such a manner as is pretended then we must be bold to tell the Christian magistrate that he hath no more liberty and authority to dispense with any civil affaires to be done on that day then any private man hath unless there fall out some present and unavoidable necessity to transact some performances for the preventing or suppressing of some imminent and destructive mischief In other cases we say if it be as aforesaid the Christian magistrates must not allow and tolerate such civil affairs to be done on the Christian Sabbath as are ordinarily and frequently allowed to be done for Christ who said Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars said also Give unto God the things which are Gods Matth. 22.21 And likewise Christ-saith Math. 15.19 Let none teach for doctrines the traditions of men hence all especially in authority must be wary how they publish any thing to be Gods mind for to bind others to its observance as the positive command of Jesus Christ unlesse it be plainly expressed according to their sense in some Scripture-axiom or other for as an axiom is onely true or false so a divine axiom is always true 9. Querie In case it be a plain Scripture-axiom which is affirmed or denyed whether then to find out the true meaning and scope of the said Scripture-axiom as it s translated whether we say it be not requisite first to consider if the words of that axiom be rightly translated out of the original tongue or language in which the axiom was first written that is whether the words of the axiom in the translation do bear the same and as full a sense as the words in the original do evidently import Secondly whether the verbs if there be any in the said axiom be translated in the same mood and tense which the original language will bear and are usually put into when there is great reason for to make good sense so to do As for instance Solomon saith 2 Chron. 6.36 If they sinne against thee for there is no man saith our Translation in the said place that sinneth not and thou be angry with them c. Those words in the parenthesis for there is no man which sinneth not are offered and premised as the reason of the hypotheticall axiom if they sinne against thee Now it s as true as an usual saying that hypothesis nihil point in esse a supposition doth not put the thing absolutely but in possibility onely as 1 Sam. 12.25 But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King now none can conclude from thence that they must needs continue to do wickedly or that there is not a possibility to abstain from doing wickedly but the hypothesis or supposition in that place doth onely declare that there was a possibility for them still to do wickedly or not to do so any more Hence also the hypothesis 2 Chron. 6.36 doth only declare a possibility to sinne or not to sinne against God if they sinne against thee Now Solomons words which are by him brought as the reason why he said to God if they sinne against thee which are those in the parenthesis aforesaid are so translated that they make the hypotheticall axiom if they sinne against thee ridiculous and nonsense because if it be true that there is no man that sinneth not then its ridiculous and nonsense to say to God or any other if they do sin when it is prejudged and declared that there is no man which sinneth not but it is most apt sense to say if they sinne against thee for there is no man which may not sinne or that is not in a possibility to sin by reason of the mans weaknesse for a long time and the manifold temptations he is liable unto Hence the Translators ought to have translated the said verse to make it good sense if they sinne against thee for there is no man which may not sinne which is the Potential mood of the verb and present tense of the same mood which the Translators ought to have rendred the verb In to sinne or transgresse though it is true that the
such-like that he would intercede to his Father saying Father forgive them for they know not what they say 4. Querie Whether it be not interest and self-love in any to maligne others for what they hold out to the world for doctrines according to godlinesse before the said maligning persons do confute by plain Scriptures the said doctrines held out to be contrary to godlinesse and likewise give the said maligned persons freedom and time to make reply and answer for themselves for you may see what Festus said Act. 25.27 5. Querie Whether they do well and do as they would be dealt with who charge men for preaching poysonfull doctrine before they themselves have heard such kind of doctrine from them whom they charge with it or have received some information from others either viva voce or under their hands that the persons charged have preached such kind of doctrine 6. Querie Whether the holy Scriptures commonly called the word of God be not the rule and the only extornal rule to confute all error and confirm all truth by because it is said Isai 8.20 to the Law and to the testimony 7. Querie Whether an errour in Divinity be not a Scripture-axiome commonly mistaken and not understood As an Anabaptist for so some are called by others of divided judgments mistook that Scripture-axiome Matth. 20.25 26. where it is said The Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they who are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you From which exceptive particle but in the last clause the said person denied magistracy to be exercised over Christians for which cause he was some years since as it s said imprisoned in Lincoln-Castle and indicted upon the next opportunity before the Judge of Assise for that County Upon which Indictment he produced his Bible and desired the Judge that the place might be read where it is said but it shall not be so among you But who was most in fault for his said opinion the poor misunderstanding man who out of conscience did adhere to the translated Scripture or they who did translate the said two verses amisse and so led him from the mind of Christ to the said misunderstanding for the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth ofttimes contrarium adversus being added to the verbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must make the said verbes to signifie to abuse and pervert their rule and authority which was no doubt our Saviours meaning when he said to his disciples but it shall not be so among you namely not to abuse any authority committed unto them which is a good caveat to all Christian magistrates to use their authority rightly and Christian-like according to which if the foresaid words had been translated as they ought to have been the foresaid conscientious man had no question submitted to Christian magistrates and so have been kept out of prison for who will not submit to magistrates out of obediential love while they exercise their ruling power and authority according to rules of justice prescribed by God without respect of persons because then there would be no complaining in our streets But saith Christ wo be to them by whom offences come Matth. 18.7 7. Querie Whether it be not the most compendious way of right judging every pretended divine controversie to put the said controversie into a Scripture-axiom or axioms and consider whether both parts which are commonly called the subject and predicate of the said axiom be expresly or equivalently contained in the Scripture as for instance It is said by the Romanists that Papa Romanus est caput Ecclesiae that the Pope of Rome is head of the Church and that Maria est mediatrix gratiae that Mary Christs Mother is the intercessor to her Son for grace and help for us in time of need Now it s confessed that caput Ecclesiae which is the prodicate or last part of the foresaid axiom is in the Scripture but we cannot find the subject or first part of the aforesaid axiom Papa Romanus in the Scripture which surely must be therein contained if ever we think to prove by Scripture that the Pope of Rome is head of the Church So must we find mediatrix gratiae in Scripture the predicate or latter part of the second axiom before we do with confidence affirm that Maria est mediatrix gratiae that Mary is the intercessor to her Son for grace to be given to us in our time of need therefore why should we believe the said assertions for divine truths when we cannot find those axioms to be expresly or equivalently laid down in Scripture 8. Querie Whether the sense we put upon an axiom expresly laid down in Scripture ought not to be proved to be expresly or equivalently in some one Scripture or other of Gods word that so we may justifie our said sense of the axiom to be the very mind of Christ according to the Scriptures As for instance Saint John saith of himself Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day In which words are these two divine axioms First That there is a Lords day Secondly that Saint John saith I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Now he that will presume to fix his proper sense upon the first axiom affirming what is meant by the Lords day or upon the second axiom what is meant to be in the Spirit on the Lords day must not he first prove that his said sense is plainly declared in some Scripture or other to be a Scripture-sense and so the mind of God otherwise he may justly be questioned why he putteth such a sense upon the said axiom which the holy Scriptures do not expresly hold out in some place or other of the said Scriptures And in case some other place of Scripture do fully declare his sense of the axiom to be divine according to his assertion yet he must prove by the context if not by the text of Scripture that his sense imposed is the sense and meaning of the axiom he hath laid down in the said place otherwise it had been much better for his advantage to have chosen the axiom in Scripture which expresly holdeth out his said sense then to put a sense upon an axiom which he cannot prove by the text or context to be the genuine sense of the said axiom The sense which too many Divines put upon Saint John's words is that Saint John meaneth by the Lords day the first day of the week which they call our Christian Sabbath in contradistinction to the Jews Sabbath to be set apart as the Lords day which we must solemnize and keep sacred as a day to the Lord commanded by him to be solemnized by all good Christians in holy duties as preaching the word hearing the same administring the Sacraments publickly with prayer and thanksgiving and also spend the remainder
them for God hath shewed unto them That there ensued likewise the want of inclination yea and aversnesse to obey God in us all Contrary to what was spoken now by Paul Rom. 2.14 But he brings divers Scriptures to plead for him as first Gen. 6.5 All the thoughts of man are evill to wit after his personal fall and own depravation as the men of the old world were depraved but it is true which the Fathers have in their writings neme repente fit turpissimus Then saith he can the Ethiopian change his skin Jerem. 13.23 But this is spoken only of them who by long continuance had both contracted an evill habit and hardness as it follows there then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil It is possible also that the Vindicator may sometimes speak the truth though he hath long used lying Mat. 7.28 that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Yea if it be corrupt but in part as all men after the fall are but in part and by degrees corrupt at the first and for some time afterwards nor in all things at once but specifically in one evil after another and gradually in each As for Ephes 2.3 we shewed before what that imports and 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not able of our selves to think imagine or conceive any thing as of our selves to wit in spiritual and heavenly mysteries which must only be made known by revelation as they were to him 2 Cor. 12.7 Gal. 1.15 16. Ephes 3.3 4 5. That we have no liberty and pronenesse of will to do that which is good Is there then no difference between willing and doing liberty and pronenesse pronenesse and power That by nature we have no love of God nor readinesse to obey him But by creation and the word ingrafted we have both before our fall otherwise how can we seek God which is the great end of our creation Act. 17.26 27. That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feele after him Or why doth the Lord expect any such thing from the sons of men if they have no faculty or ability to doe it Psalm 14.2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there was any that did understand and seek after God Pag. 22. by the first miscount he denyeth that God doth enable the will of it selfe to do good works if it please But to will is one thing and really to do good is another thing and requires a further power Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I know not He saith also that Grace worketh in the will to please or choose Which is false for if it determine or force the will it were not a free agent voluntas trahitur non cogitur the will may be drawn but not forced That God doth not hang his work upon the suspended Ifs of our wils This is altogether against the Scripture Psalm 95.7 8. If this day ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation or Isai 1.19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall cat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be devoured with the sword or Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the severity and goodnesse of God on them which fell severity but toward thee goodnesse if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt be cast off But he cites Ezek. 36.17 to prove it where the Lord saith I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and doe them To which we say that this is a full enablement to keep Gods Law even in this life contrary to his second position yet will the Lord be sought unto for this to doe it for them ver 31 of that chap. He cites also the words of Augustine but against his second position likewise saying we will indeed but God worketh in us to will that is generally and habitually but not in hypothesi by a particular determination to this or that act and so are Pauls words to be understood not of our habitual doing yet of our willing Philip. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you not only to will but doe of his good pleasure for otherwise this verse should contradict the former in some sort where the Apostle chargeth us to work out our own salvation with feare and trembling if we must be meerly passive in this business why doth he lay such a charge of working or co-working upon us yea of working out our salvation to the end That the will is effectually moved to doe according to the new inclination which God hath put into the renewed will and affections True but this is done by motion motive or perswasion not by determinating the will For those Scriptures which he cites page 23 by miscount prove not any more then what we grant Deut. 10.6 The Lord will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed for that is only to remove the foreskin of the evill inclinations Eze. 36.26 A new heart will I give that is new inclinations with an habituall power to choose and an actuall power when it is sought to do good Act. 16.14 The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that is her understanding 2 Cor. 2.7 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty to wit according to the measure and working of that Spirit which first opens the understanding then puts inclination into the will and affections and lastly giveth power Page 23. he saith that in this life the renewing of our nature is not perfectly done here as concerning our knowledge of God or our inclinations to obey him But untruly for relatively to what the Law requireth of us here we know that it is only to love God above all and our neighbour as our selves Mat. 23.37 38 39 40. which we may both know and doe also by grace in this life as there it is made known and power is promised to act accordingly Deut. 26.18 And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldst keep all his commandements so also Deut. 30.6 which he lately cited And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live but comparatively to the world to come we grant it as we did before that neither our knowledge nor our inclination nor yet our power shall be so intensively full and great in this life as in the world to come That the regenerate are not always ruled by the holy Spirit but are sometimes forsaken of God either to try them that is to make their own weakness without God known unto them as he did to Peter or to chastise and humble them This is true if we understand it of the whole process of regeneration
but not of their finall estate to which they doe or may attain by grace in this life for Christ tels his Disciples Joh. 16.16 that he will pray unto the Father for them and he shall send another comforter unto them which certainly is the holy Ghost and he saith Christ shall abide with you for ever And those Scriptures which he produceth prove nothing to the contrary Psal 51.11 Take not thy holy Spirit from me for that spirit was for a time withdrawn from him for his great fall into adultery and murder Isai 63.17 Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy way and hardned our heart from thy fear return for thy servants sake the tribe of thine inheritance Where the Prophet in the name of the young Saints and not in his own bebalfe complains of an hardnesse contracted by their own sinnes as see 1 Kings 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us it seemeth to witnesse against him that God did not leave or forsake their fathers His conclusion from hence that the regenerate in this life doe always goe forward or backward and doe not at any time stand still or continue in the same estate is neither true nor consequent from the premisses Hosea 13.13 For he is an unwise son otherwise he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children did not the pillar of fire and the Arke often stand still at which time Jsrael was not to move Page 24 by the same miscount That the righteousness of the regenerate in this life is not such as may stand before God Contrary to many Scriptures Prov. 28.1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous is bold as a Lion 1 Joh. 22. And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this present world That those who are converted can no further retain good inclinations thoughts affections or purposes to persevere or goe forward therein then as the Holy Ghost worketh and preserveth these in them This is not true for the Holy Ghost doth in time beget not only inclinations but habits in the understanding memory will and affections sometimes they need indeed the Spirits admonitory and excitant grace especially in time of temptation but not always either then or at other times See Rom. 15.14 15. where the Apostle saith That those Saints at Rome have no need of an outward admonisher or remembrancer at all times and the same may be concluded of an inward commonefaction Doth not Saint Paul charge Timothy to stir up the gift that was already in him 2 Tim. 1.6 And Christ himselfe gives the like charge Rev. 2.25 that which ye have already hold fast till I come Further he saith that if the Spirit of God withdraw it selfe the regenerate are blind and wander and slip and fall yet so as they perish not He speaks very favourably of wanderers if so be that they were ever truly converted but as the former part of his assertion is not true as to their blinding unless the Spirit of God wholly desert men so the latter part is false for some true converts may by their own default fall totally and finally and perish Heb. 6.4 5 6. Heb. 10.5 8. for the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 1 Tim. 5.12 Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith Nor do the Scriptures to which he refers us ratifie what he saith 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received I say unto him again what hast thou received that thou dost bring this and all other Scriptures which are silent to the point in hand But 1 Cor. 1.8 seemeth to plead for him where the Apostle saith that God shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Christ and Phil. 1.6 Also being confident of this thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ But we answer that God indeed is constant on his part and will carry on the work which he hath begun if we prove not inconstant in our belief love and obedience to him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.12 goodness towards thee if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off and Christ himself Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love if ye obey my commandement sye shall abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers commandements and abide in his love So must Joh. 15.5 which he hath cited be understood He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit and Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your falvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure and 1 Cor. 10.13 Who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it and that of 1 Pet. 1.5 remaineth true notwithstanding that ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Pag. 25. he saith but he saith without any ground of truth that the four-fold liberty of the will answerable to the four-fold estate of man before and after the fall in regeneration and glory may serve for one ground to confirme the point in hand That sin will have a being in the best of men while they are here is false also and no less then these which follow That the regenerate estate of man is here but begun and not to be perfected Clean contrary to the Scriptures even now by him cited 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.5 That the estate of the regenerate here is but a growing in grace and a perfecting more and more and a prevailing in mortifying their corruptions but not attaining in this mortal life to have grace consummate nor corruption abolished but sin remaines and will remain till they lay down the body and be completely sanctified in glory But is not this principium petere to beg a principle or idem per idem probare But after a promise to confirme his position further by Scriptures Fathers and reasons he goes on and tells us out of Rom. 8.1 That the Apostle there doth not say that there is no sin in them that are in Christ but that there is no condemnation yet he tels us in the latter end of the same verse
3. Luk. 4.18 19 20 yet contrary to this and other promises he saith that we draw the chains of our sins after us which make us move the more slowly But it is the portion of the wicked to be in chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Psal 107.10 11. and to be bound hand and foot Matth. 23.13 There are some that draw iniquity with cords of vanity Esay 5.18 that is with vain excuses and distinctions or ungrounded promises wo to such saith the Prophet Is 5.18 wo c. But these chains saith he are not able to draw us into the bondage that we were in before Yes they have done too many 2 Pet. 2.19 20. That death which is the wages of sin is so changed that it is not the death of the man but the death of the sin in the man What doth this babler say the death that is the wages of sin is the second death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.9 10. and chap. 20.10 15. Sin is the first death and this is the second how then can this be any thing else but the death of a sinner There is another death indeed that is the death of sin and not of the man which is a suffering out of all temptations and a dying with Christ unto all evil Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints of which see Rom. 6.7 8. Rev. 14.13 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Of this death and not of the corporal death did Chrysostome and Ambrose whom he cites speak or else they were as much mistaken as the Vindicator is in this matter saying there that the death which is brought out by sin he should have said by Christ doth at the last even destroy and consume it in the children of God and that sin will remain though not reign Yes if its will may take place it will reign also and that for ever But he goes on and comments thus upon Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body hereby saith he the Apostle shews that after regeneration by grace and before glorification grace is not consummate nor is corruption wholly abolished But with what spectacles did he read this Text when he found these things couchant in it for out of the whole verse he might have learned these saving truths for his better information and reformation also First that God doth suspend his final purpose and promises of our salvation upon Ifs or conditions on our parts to be performed For if ye live after the flesh saith Saint Paul ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shall live Secondly that the remaining corruptions in the Saints such as these Romans were have death and condemnation attending upon them Thirdly that therefore they are not to be wounded only but mortified that is absolutely killed And lastly that this is not to be done by the death of the body but by the power of the Spirit which we are to seek by grace and with which we are to cooperate in this life till the work be done His conclusion then from hence pag. 19. and 20. by the new account is false That as long as we live in the body there is some life of sin remaining which we had need to mortify and put off But not as he doth to put it off til our natural death But he addes Saint Augustine saying that our life here is bellum not triumphus a warfare not a trophee of victory Yet may our warfare have an end here and so to have our triumph and victory follow Esay 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned Ephes 6.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand 2 Tim. 4.6 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness But he contradicts himself in his next speech pag. 20. by the new account saying that in this battel we must fight without intermission untill we have gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort cut off his superfluities that he hath no need of reforming Yes Paul could say it 2 Cor. 5.17 and the holy Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.17 and 5.5 with many thousands more to whom Christ bears witness Rev. 7.14 15 20. and 14.4 5. That when sins and superfluities are unregarded they kindle again That it is true that the same spiritual temptations may return after the former are quenched but at length the Devil is by Christ to be cast out with all his works Rev. 12.10 11. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down who accused them before God day and night Yet he saith further That whosoever he be unless he dissemble he shall find within himself something that had need to be subdued But such a Pigmee in grace as he is if he be under grace must not measure the growth and mortification of Gods faithful and sanctified Saints by his pitch But he brings in some sentences which he fathers upon Ambrose as this velis nolis infra sine tuos habitabit but he saith habitavit Jebusaeus subâ—ugari potest exterminare he should have said exterminari non potest that will thou nill thou the Jesubite will dwel wit hin thy coasts and borders he may be subdued but not rooted out This is true of temptations especially for a time after our first conversion but this conslict if we bestir our selves aright shall have an end here as we have proved of late some Jesubites are our sins and corruptions which must be rooted out again some Jebusites are our native faculties as they are corrupted disordered and poysoned with rebellion These also may be subdued and brought into obedience but neither can be cast out nor ought to be howbeit we have sure promises that all our sins and corruptions shall be subdued if we will sue out the benefit of the same Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue all our iniquities and thou will cast their sins into the depths of the sea Insomuch as that there shall not be one Canaanite left in our soul which is the house and the temple of the Lord So Zech. 14.21 And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts Yet he goes on saying saying That the great deceitfulness of mans heart of which the Lord complaineth Jer. 17.9 saying the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it is attributed to all men
our sins not only where they pray for and with others in a mixt Congregation but alone by themselves also in regard of our innumerable sins formerly committed But we would aske Augustine againe doth Christ contradict himself in that prayer when he teacheth to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven But he interrogating saith is this prayer to be said of Christ only or of beleevers also Yea it is the prayer of the sons of God also for they call God father all which is true but nothing to the purpose But he proceeds saying what are ye that say ye have no sin Lyars saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1. To which first we say that men that say they have sin may be liars and nototious liars also witnesse the Vindicator And secondly that some men may say they know no sin by themselves for the present and yet speake the truth therein as Paul did 1 Cor. 4.4 but if any man saith he hath not sinned at all he is a liar and so Saint Iohn explains that in the first Epist chap. 1. ver 10. which he had spoken more darkely and especially to the babes in Christ ver 8. as may further appear chap. 2. ver 1. where he saith My little children thes things have I written unto you that ye sin not What doth he put them upon impossibilities then No he furnisheth them there and in the next verse with such a propitiator and healer of sin as is able to cure and take away the sins of the whole world if they would seek unto him for it is Jesus Christ the just or righteous But whereas in the next place he cites against us Luk 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which is our duty to do But he is here like the man possessed who cut himselfe with stones Mark 5.5 for this Text shews that if we doe all those things that are commanded us which he implyeth that we may doe yet we doe but our duty therein and add nothing to the Lord and in that regard are but unprofitable servants and no dvantage to our Master O how unprofitable are they then who neither will doe all those things that are commanded nor suffer other men to be at quiet who indeavour to do and teach others their duty therein But he saith that we have a silly subterfuge for concealing our perfection or rather for saying we are unprofitable servants that were we never so righteous for humility sake we should say we are unprofitable servants But he answereth with Saint Augustine proper humilitatem ergo mentiris Therefore for humility sake thou lyest but it is certain that Christ never taught men for humility to ly No he did not but Angustine and he are far from truth if they say that Christ hath not taught them who hath fulfilled the Law and Gods will to say that they are still unprofitable servants for can a man be profitable to God as he that is wise is profitable to himselfe Iob 22.2 But he urgeth us again with Bernards words first in Anunciatione Mariae who is better then the prophet David of whom the Lord said I have found a man after mine own heart and yet he need not to say enter not into judgement with thy servant True so hath every man in regard of his manifold former sins but not always in regard of sins newly committed when he is throughly sanctified as they were 1 Ioh. 4.17 18. yet there is a time of greater grace and growth in grace promised then that which David had attained Zach. 12.18 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is fallen or a feeble one among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David thatâ—s of the beloved or of the Princess shall be as God as the Angell of the Lord before them Secondly he alledgeth this saying out of Bernard 23. Serm. 25. upon Cantic It sufficeth me for all righteousnesse to have him reconciled unto me whom I have only offended True but he is not fully reconciled unto any man nor any man fully reconciled unto him until he be dead with Christ unto al known sin Rom. 6.8 For if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him and this cannot come to passe without receiving of abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.17 and being thus justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and no otherwise Rom. 5.1 But he brings a third saying of his in Serm. 10 contra vitium ingrati To be without sin is Gods righteousnesse but mans righteousnesse is Gods grace pardoning of sin Which accords well with our doctrine if rightly understood for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the putting away of sin as well as the pardon of sin Luk. 1.74 to give the knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission or putting away of their sin to wit by sanctification Now this cannot be done but by the contrary goodness and righteousness Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of the evil but overcome the evil with the good But page 25 he saith Wo to the miserable generation in whom their own insufficiency seems sufficiency So say we for our sufficiency is of God alone 2 Cor. 3.5 and we also bewaile the miserable generation that shall die in their sins because they believe not a sufficiency in Christ alone but in and through weakness it self a corporal death to purge away the dross and filthiness oi sin John 8.21 24. which also is his unbeleife But here which is his third digression without any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cometh to distinguish of perfection and perfect men and first askes how Paul Phil. 3.12 13. denyeth that he was perfect and verse 15. ranks himself among those that are perfect To which he answers out of Augustine Sermon 28 we suppose he means de temp That he was perfect according to his intention not according to prevention and attainment and out of Bernard saying That great vessel Saint Paul grants perfection that is a going forward as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is not only one that is come to the end but signifieth him that moveth towards it and out of Ambrose in Rom. 8.9 which yet is known to be none of his comment That the Apostle speaketh unto Christians sometimes as unto them that are perfect and other times as those who are to perfect that which is required of them But this is one of his digressions and impertinences for we plead not for such an absolute degree of perfection as is expected in the world to come but a limited one which is called perfection viz. yet containeth a love of God above all and of our neighbour as of our selves which removeth all contrary lusts
and commands and all exhortations spoken and pressed in the name of the Lord and those in speciall which tend to the purging out of all sin and the fulfilling of the Law in Christ yet are not only precepts but possible to the Saints as the said Augustine elswhere confesseth The School also saith and that truly Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri God promiseth grace to fulfil all that he requireth Secondly he saith that many of those places of Scripture do shew us not what we are now in via in the way but what we shall be hereafter in patria at the end of our pilgrimage when we shall be freed from the imperfection of our flesh and clothed with the garment of perfect righteousnesse Yea they doe in a speciall manner shew us both what we are and what we should be now in via or here now yet it cannot fully be set forth what we shall be hereafter for as Paul speaks 1 Cor. 2.9 But as it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Thirdly he saith that in many places the Scripture but he cannot produce one such terms them perfect and immaculate which have defiled their garments and polluted their consciences mark saith he not with no sins which is impossible but with no grosse sins or damnable enormities which as is said before is commendable But first we think the Vindicator alloweth no sin to be veniall but all mortal and damnable though not equally such Secondly we say that while any man pollutes his conscience he is neither called or accounted either perfect or immaculate by the Lord who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity Haba 1.13 And thirdly what though all men have so defiled their garments for a time yet it is not impossible at length through grace to keep our souls and consciences so unspotted for so had Paul done 2 Cor. 1.12 and knowing that the like grace was attainable for others he prayed for it in their behalfe Phil. 1.10 11. that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ See also Heb. 13.19 20. before cited Fourthly he saith the Scripture pronounceth men perfect blameless and blessed not because they have no sins but because their sins are not imputed unto them Psal 32.1 2. But we have shewed before that this not imputing is a purging them away by sanctification as well as a remission Further he saith and therefore though the Saints are called righteous and perfect not only in regard of the imputative righteousnesse which is wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ but we must understand in what sense the Saints are inherently called righteous for we must not think them to be so perfectly righteous as to be void of sin or to be justified in the sight of God because that together with the sanctification of the Saints there is still in them a remainder of original coruption by the touch and stain of which their best works are corrupted and defiled and therefore we say that though the Saints and holy men of God may and have lived sine scandalo without offence and page 29. sine querela without reproof and complaint on mans part by or in the observance of all outward principles yet it is impossible the best of them should live and die sine peccato without sin So he Unto all which we briefly answer that his distinction of imputative and inherent righteousnesse is vain for they are all one as we have shewed before Secondly the Saints are or ought to be so perfectly righteous by inherent righteousness as to be thereby justified in the sight of God whether the word be taken for a purging from sin as it is Acts 13.39 or for a positive righteousnesse as Titus 3.4 5 6. for there is no other way of justification in Christ unto eternal life spoken of in the Scriptures Thirdly we have proved before that there is not nor ought to be such a remainder of original corruption always found in the best Saints as to stain and corrupt their best works Lastly we have likewise asserted by clear Scriptures that the Saints through Christ not only may but should live here at the length not alone sine scandalo and querela but sine peccato without sin as well as without scandal or just reproof for to that end Christ gave himselfe Ephes 5.24 25 26. But he tels us in that 29 pag. that Rom. 4.1 2. is a remarkable place So it is indeed but not for his purpose to prove that Abraham lived and dyed an imperfect man and with some remainders of corruption in him which words ought to be thus translated as they lye in the Greek Text What shall we say then that Abraham our father hath found according to the flesh or in his unregenerate estate for if Abraham were justified by works to wit before not after grace received he hath whereof to glory but not before God as he proveth in the following verse but of this more in another place Then here he shews by a distinction that the Saints whom he holds to be always imperfect in this life may be in a four-fold sense called perfect First in regard of their intention and aime at and desire of perfection for resting in a good condition saith he is contrary to grace grow in grace But may not the Saints rest when they are at the end of their journey and race which is the final mortification of sin through faith according to Heb. 4.3 For we which have beleeved doe enter into rest Let him here who is tantus temporum observator such an observer of tenses before mark the tenses here for the work of beleeving is past and the entring into rest is present The Saints in heaven are doubtlesse in a good condition is it against grace for them to rest in it Secondly he saith that the Saints are perfect inchoatively and because they goe on more and more but inchoation and consummation are two remote terms or stations and progression may stand at a great distance from perfection and the end of the race at leastwise in the beginning and the middle of it Thirdly he saith they may be term'd so comparatively or in respect of other mens unrighteousnesse And fourthly acceptatively because God accepteth them though not absolutely just by the reason of manifold sins and defects yet in Christ and for Christ his sake through whom all our imperfections are pardoned as just and righteous men But by his leave God accepts no man no not in Christ otherwise then as he is according to his present inward state and growth hence
measure of knowledge is to had if sought for that men shall not need to say know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Jer. 31.32 33. and that the knowledge of the Lord shall abound like as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 His second reason is that if grace were consummate in this life there should be no difference between the state of grace and of glory Yea grace may here be consummate in his degree and that in a very high one and yet fall short of that transcendent measure which shall be attained in the life to come What saith Paul Phil. 1.21 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain His third reason is petitio principii all the Saints on earth have sin remaining in them and they that deny it are liars and have no truth in them Yet we do deny that all Saints must while they are upon earth have sin remaining in them and have a greater Divine then Mr. John Tendring to warrant us even the holy Apostle John upon whose testimony which he understands not he ignorantly and confidently relieth See 1 Joh. 4.17 5.4 5. Rev. 7.14 15 17. 14.3 4 5. before often cited Yet we are not such liars as he is notoriously known to be and we hope have more truth in us then he and his book set forth But he adds that all the Fathers against the Novatians and Donatists understand this place Which if it were true as it is not the Novatians may convince them to be Novices not Fathers and the Donatists evict them to be Dotists or Dotards for the Scriptures shew clearly that we must or ought to be such before and for the obtaining of the kingdome of glory 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 10.11 That ye may be pure and without offence in the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 And I pray God that your spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless untill the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless But he saith it is the Church triumphant and not the Church militant that must be found without spot or wrinkle Yet the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. and much more the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. do appear to be such here because Christ himself who searcheth the hearts and reines Rev. 2.23 and who finds fault with five of the aforesaid Churches of Asia and upon occasion rebukes them sharply finds not the least fault with these but commends them highly and that may also be in some sense a triumphant Church who hath upon earth gotten victory over all her enemies and in that behalf triumpheth with Paul Rom. 8.33 39. In the seventh place he brings 2 Tim. 4.7 to be answered by himself where Paul saith I have fought a good fight and finished my course which he fortifieth against himself as if it were not of sufficient strength by it self for him to oppose which Text the Vindicator will not observe nor the other place 1 Cor. 9.27 where Paul saith but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away To both which he answers page 46 as he was wont to do without truth or judgment First that Paul fought a good fight being now ready to be offered up but that conflict was yet to come saith he not so as to obtain exact perfection of grace and to be without all inherent sin of which he complaineth Rom. 7. Yes he was even at that time of his complaint freed from the Law of sin and death as we have often shewed out of Rom. 8.2 and that long before he was to be so offered up He tels us also but we know not to what purpose that Peter was led where he would not But surely it was not into sin John 21.18 Thirdly he saith Paul kept the faith and he who said unto him my grace is sufficient for thee and my power is perfected in weakness enabled him to overcome though he had corruptions remaining in him and the buffetings of Satan But doth the man understand what he saith It is the office of faith to purifie the heart from sin Acts 15.9.1 John 3.2 3. which faith Paul did not onely keep and retain but fought the good fight of faith till the battel was ended and so finished his race and course in that kind in dying to sin yet he justly expected that promised reward of which he speakes Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. As to the second Text 1 Cor. 9.27 he saith that Paul kept down his body by fasting and prayer to bring it into subjection But was this the body of flesh and blood or the inordinate desires of the sinful flesh He tels us also that Augustine did use fasting prayers and tears to the same end But he did it not in the faith of Christs assistance and the hope of final victory of which it seems he despaired here and James shews that if we would obtain Jam. 1.6 we must him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like the waves of the sea c. In the eighth place he brings a second Scripture of which Doctor Drayton had made use in his sermon and these two are all that he can call his it is taken out of Ephes 4. from verse 10 to 15. And he gave some to be Apostles some prophets some Evangelists some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the work of the ministry and for the edifying the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfest man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Unto this he answereth after the old mode ignorantly and intricately First that the ministry of the word is given not onely to convert men from sin but to perfect men in holiness Then it must either effect that for which God hath designed it or else the Lord was mistaken in chusing and using too weak instruments But he adds yet so as the same Paul speaks Acts 20.32 Which is able to build you up that is to edifie and build the Saints more and more Where first he understands not that word of Gods grace which Paul speaks of there for it is the essential word which is almighty not onely able to build us up to perfection but afterwards to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly he contradicts himself because this is able to build us up to the uttermost in the way of sanctification that we may be fittted for that inheritance Thirdly that fitting must also go before in this life therefore the two things
following are false and his are his old picklocks for first he saith though the Saints do grow up under the word and Sacraments yet it is not to the attainment of an exact obedience in this life to be without sin in this life and to have grace consummate but they grow and edifie one another in love But we speak not here what the Saints do actually but what they may and ought to do nor of their mutual edification of each other but of the words design and abilitie to build them up to the top or the finishing of the edifice for a skilful and a faithful builder gives not over till the structure is finished Secondly he saith that the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is attained onely in glory Which in his sense is false for here we may have a perfection of degrees as well as of parts to wit the perfection of sanctification or grace which we call the perfection of the way as we have often proved before whatsoever he saith to the contrary In the ninth place he brings in two or three Scriptures together out of Doctor Draytons sermon upon one and the same head as he might have found more of the same kind there They are these that the Apostle prayes for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 and surely they prayed for things feasible and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same be in vain John 17.25 I in them and they in me that they might be made perfect in one Unto which page 47 he gives in the old lying and sinful distinction for an answer namely That the Apostles prayed for the perfecting of the Saints and so did our blessed Saviour and they obtained what they prayed for that is to say to have them sincere in this life and to have grace consummate in the state of glory But we have proved that the sincerity which Paul prayed for in the behalfe of the Saints was a state devoid of sin and to be had before and in order unto the kingdome of glory Phil. 1.10 11. That ye may approve the things that are excellent and that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ and that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be reserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But he brings in two replies of ours by way of Anticipation likewise the first of which is this is sin pardoned and mortified and doth it yet remain Which he answers with his old crambe centies posita It is so pardoned as not to be imputed it s so mortified that the power and dominion of it is taken away yet it remaineth to be more and more mortified and wholly cast out at the death of the body and death shall be destroyed at the general resurrection and so it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed But though he and others have often and confidently affirmed that sin shall be cast out at the death of the body they could never bring one Text of Scripture for this article of their belief nor should they be able to do it though they live to the age of Methushelah whose name and life is a dart of death against sin and their position Then he brings in our second reply which as he saith is this When must sin be purged out if not in this life must we carry the remainders of sin into the kingdome of heaven whereinto no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21.27 To which he gives us his old thred-bare and beggarly we had almost said and lowsie answer that men shall not carry the remainder of sin into Gods kingdome with them but they shall lay it down at the death of the body Then there is hope that none shall go to hell for corruption or thereby be debarred from heaven there is hope also that the Vindicator may then lay down his lying and his other lewd prrctises against God and man at that day The thief saith he onely converted shall be that day in paradise Therefore he may safely continue in his sin till the hour of death But what if that thief had repented long before even from his first apprehension or perhaps from the committing of the fact for this is possible and the Scripture hath nothing to the contrary Yea what if he belived on Christ afore having heard of or seen his miracles though he had not the opportunity to confess him till now nor to pray unto him face to face nor doth he understand what paradise this was into which Christ and he entred for the first paradise is a submission unto Gods will even under the punishing hand of God and the last is the third heaven unto which Paul was caught by way of vision 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. And as for Rev. 21.27 he saith it is confessed by our own fraternity to be the state of the Saints in patria It s true all the reformed Churches and that of England whose first reformation might have been a pattern to all the rest doe almost generally conceive that the new Jerusalem or heavenly City of God spoken of Rev. 21 22. chap. is the state of the Saints in patria and so do the Papists also for the greatest part which of those then must be our fraternity But there are some of both Religions that hold the new Jerusalem to be an estate attainable in this life because John saw it descending down from heaven unto men as a tabernacle of God wherein they were to worship him and he heard a loud voice following and saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.1 2 3. But herein all doe agree that men must cease to be of Mr. Tondrings fraternity before they can enter into this state for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Then he concludeth with the like confidence as he begun And thus have I briefly proved unto you the truth of the point which yet hath not one point of truth in it That sin will have a being in the best of men while their souls have a being in these houses of clay And this I hope saith he may be sufficient to satisfie the people Yea and perhaps some of the Priests also who are very easily perswaded to sleep still in sin and loth to be put upon an hard encounter against the Canaanites for such are apt to believe the unbelieving spies and much more the Scout-master-generall who like his Master doth go to and fro compassing the earth and walking up and down in it And if saith he I shall meet with any
curse and secondly supernatural grace to reform deformed nature and thirdly saith he but this last coincident with the former though it shews us the way of life yet it ministers no grace to walk therein nor doth his Gospel minister sufficient grace for that purpose But to make us some amends he comforts us with lies saying but all that which the Law could not do Jesus Christ by whom cometh grace and life hath done unto us But hath Christ already performed for us and in us perfect obedience to the Law and to that end fully reformed and renewed our deformed natures These two saith he cannot be done till we be perfected in glory Then he concludes for his second position or the first part of it rather but out of his false premises therefore there is no life to be found in the observance of the Law Unto which we have often replied upon undeniable grounds that there is no life to be found but in the observation or Gods Law through Christ Jesus Again he ress us that the Apostle in another place cals the Law the ministry of death and condemnation because it instantly binds men under death for every transgression of her commandements It is true the work of the Law by the help of the word doth give such a condemnatory sentence but elsewhere the Law is called the perfect Law of liberty as James 1.25 yea and our life also Deut. 32.46 47. ye shall command your children to oâ—serve to do all the words of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your life to wit when performed by the grace of Christ But mark his inference from hence so that he which hath eyes to see what an universal rebellion of nature there is in man to Gods holy Law yea what imperfections and discordance with the Law are still remaining in them who are renewed by grace to wit after John Tendring's model may easily see the blind presumption of those who seek life in the ministry of death But we know none that do so more frequently then such loose Gospellers as he who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness And sure we are that the Jews who seek life in the observation of Gods Law for the most part are more obedient to God and consequently nearer to Gods kingdome though yet they own not Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Christ then any such libertines as he is who own Christ in words but in life and deeds deny him whose sentence he may find recorded before hand by way of premonition Matth. 7.21 22 23. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and then will I profess unto them I never knew them depart from me ye workers of iniquity The Jews are called natural branches because they avoid known sins to the uttermost of their power and follow after righteousness with all their strength but such as take liberty to the contrary are still branches of the wild olive Rom. 11. yea these last though they have Christ often in their mouths are further from the love of Christ who hath no communion with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 then the former and it is the wicked lives of those that call themselves the Disciples and followers of Jesus that hath kept both Jews and Turks and many others from embracing the holy way of true Christianity Yet saith he so universall is this error of seeking life and salvation by their own deeds that it hath over-run the whole posterity of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to stand to the covenant of works But those who are rightly illuminated by Christ Grace teacheth to seek salvation in the works and observation of the Law yet not out of their own strength and endeavours alone but by the grace and help of Christ which grace John Tendrings vindication curtaileth But the supernatural doctrine saith he of the Evangelist page 53. teacheth us to transcend nature to goe out of our selves and to seek salvation in the Lord Jesus All this is true if rightly understood but so is not that which follows and so to use the Law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a Schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ in whom we have remission of our sins so that which is to be had in the last place he puts it in the first sanctification of our nature acceptance of our imperfect obedience what always when it should for times and means afforded be made perfect benefits which the Law could never afford us Thus saith he ye see it is impossible in our own persons but what if Christ be brought in hither to purge us and renew us fully to fulfill the Law of God no such grace saith he being given from above Oh the bold blasphemy of man against the renor of the old and new Testament Deut. 26.18 19. and 30.6 Jerem. 31.32 33. Rom. 8.4 and 10.4 Or if we could saith he yet it is not possible for the Law to save us but he confesseth that it is not through any defect or imperfection in the Law for the Law is just and holy and good Rom. 7.12 but in regard of the corruption of nature which Christ came purposely to abolish 1 Joh 3.8 yea I say quoth he that although the Law be good yet it is not good to that end neither is it ordained of God for that end Yes at first it was and still is in force yet he confesseth that the Law was given for a double end first in common to all men namely to discover sin Rom. 3.10 and the wrath of God due to us for sin and to restrain all men by its rule and discipline from sin and to retain them in a civil course of morality for the good of humane society And secondly in speciall first to the reprobate to make them without excuse because it teacheth them what shall be done or left undone But all have not the outward Law it is therefore the inward Law that doth this and especially because there is grace also afforded likewise to help us in the doing of the good required and the resisting of the evil forbidden Secondly he saith page 54. in respect of the elect to incite us by the sight of our sins to seek out a Saviour as he that informs us of some dangerous disease doth tacitly advise us to seek out some expert physician which is not John Tendring but the Law was never intended that it should justifie us or of it selfe bring us to eternal life Yes it was so at the first But he brings divers arguments to prove that which we deny not as he is very profuse and prodigal in his proof of such things For he first saith that eternal life had been
as we shall in our catasceuastical or affirmative part of our discourse more fully manifest But he concludes with his form of prayer I pray God to enable us all to hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and that we may renounce all those doctrines that set up any thing of man And much more say we do tend to the setting up of Satan or his kingdom to the abasing of Christ and that we embrace those doctrines which abase man and much more whatsoever is of the devil and which exalt the Lord according to that of the Psalmist Not unto us O Lord not unto us and much lesse unto the Devil but unto thy name and unto that only give the glory Psalm 15. Unto all which we say and that not formally but cordially Amen You see the Vindicator hath closed like a Saint of the Pharisaicall sect with a prayer even as specious in words of Scripture-phrase as his Preface was to his beloved friends placed in the front of his Vindication but when his prayer is explained to you in reference to his position That sinne will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live then it will appear to have the same scope and end to his said position as we have declared his Preface had For whom can he mean and include in the relative word us when he saith I pray God enable us but the Levites his friends and other his allies with himselfe For be it known to all men by these presents that we disown his Tenents and resolve to speak against them dum maneat Lachesi quod torqueat to speak until we lack breath if we have opportunity Secondly if to hold the unity of the Spirit be intended in reference to his position then these words must signifie to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit for all sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.9 therefore to pray in reference aforesaid to hold the unity of the Spirit is to pray to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit in upholding and maintaining with one affection that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live Thirdly to hold it in the bond of peace is to pray in reference to the foresaid position that in the onenesse of affection to the wicked spirit that he and his friends may in all tyes bonds obligations of a quiet and peaceable agreement be bound together to maintain that sin will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live and not to disturb one another as those foresaid false Prophets do disturb them who deny their position Yea the Vindicator prayeth as ignorantly as he can if he maintain his position that he and his friends may renounce all the doctrine that sets up any thing of man to the abasing of Christ for if he intend that clause of his petitionary note in reference to our doctrine of a possibility of a total mortification of sinne in this life then his prayer is that nothing of man that is of us in contradistinction to himselfe and his friends may be set up to the mortifying of all sin and so to abase Christ by a total mortification of sin if he mean to prefer his own petition before our doctrine tendeth absit blasphemia dicto to the abasing of Christ But if he iutend to maintain to the end as he begun that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live then the said clause of his vote and prayer is a contradiction to himself and his position for doth any doctrine set up any thing of man but that Doctrine which maintaineth the necessary continuance of sin in this life for only sinne and allsin is of the Devill and man Joh. 3.9 Rom. 5.12 by one man sinne came into the world and 2 Thess 2.3 the devil or wicked one what ever men dream to the contrary is called the man of sin therefore for the Vindicator to pray that no doctrine be owned but renounced that sets up any thing of man is to pray against his own position that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because only sinne and all sinne is from man as aforesaid And is there any thing which abaseth Christ but sins continuance when as the Lord complaineth thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Isai 43.24 Hence also upon the same account that the doctrine of sins remaining is the setting up of man and abasing of Christ we say here also the clause of his prayer which is expressed in these words And that we embrace those doctrines that abase man and exalt the Lord is a prayer for the embracing our doctrines because a total mortification of sin in this life is it which exalteth Christ in his holinesse will and power to destroy all sin according to that James 4.5 6. for the Lord offereth more grace that is to overcome it See Phil. 4.13 Joh. 1.16 who came to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 that the Lord may be exalted alone in that day Isai 2.17 Not unto us Lord Psal 115.19 in a better sense then the Vindicator doth apply those words in reference to his prayer relating to his position but unto thy name be the glory who hast in some measure made known to us and made us to believe the true doctrine which abases man and exalts Christ which doctrine is a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this world Thus we have traced the Vindicator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the first to the last of his Vindication wherein the unbiassed Reader may easily comprehend what nonsense tacit contradictions besides open ones this Vindicator is guilty of in this his Vindication so that he hath first and last verified therein another apt Anagram of his name In no end right Our Gusmond hath spit folly with despite But marvel not for He 's in no end right The finis rei by his confession Of his positions is transgression Will you his friends elect this sinful wight To be your Pilot who 's in no end right Can he direct your souls unto heavens blisse Who at both ends doth steer amisse You Levites in his Preface cal'd to fight With us forbear for he 's in no end right His Jus and Saints mentioned in his letters Are mongrels compared with their betters For he cannot on best Saints temper light It to define who is in no end right Disown him then who hath no morning light Detest this vagrant who 's in no end right Having demonstrated the Anasceuastick or confutative part of our revindication and observed the Vindicators ends what they are we proceed to the Catasceuastick or confirmative part thereof in two axioms or assertions contrary to the Vindicators positions First we affirm that there is a possibility through the grace and help of Christ of a total mortification of
sin in this life Secondly that there is a possibility of perfect obedience through the grace and help of Christ to the Law of God in this life It is true that if these two assertions be not coincident yet they consequently follow each other so that to prove one of them is to confirm the other for if sin by the grace of Christ be rooted out in this life what hinders but the Law of God may be here by the same grace fulfilled yea to be so fulfilled as to be justified thereby and that through Christ of grace given and if the Law of God may be so far fulfilled here through the grace of Christ as not tooffend against the same then doubtlesse all sins may be rooted out here by the same grace yet we shal confirm each of them apart with their respective branches both by divine and humane authority so fully and clearly that scarce any Article of the Christian faith shall have more evidence of truth and piety to plead for it then our positions shall produce for themselves And first for the former of them That all sin and corruption may be and ought to be in this life by the grace and help of Christ purged and rooted out of the Saints which we shall evince by many Topick places And first from Gods expresse commandements which if they were not possible by grace to be performed were not only unjust and unlawful but would be frustrated of their end which is observance and accomplishment and the Author of them would be argued of the want of wisedome or equity and of tyranny and cruelty Of which sort are these among many other Job 11.14 15. If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickednesse dwel in thy Tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and not fear Psal 4.4 Stand in aw and sin not Isal 1.16 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before me cease to do evil and 55.11 Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean thing go ye out of the midst of her be ye elean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Jeremiah 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins by calling upon the name of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new Lamp Ephes 4.20 21 22. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Christ that ye put off as concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupting through the lusts of error or deceit Coloss 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil Heb. 10.21 22. Having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water Jam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you clense your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envyings and evil speakings as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby vers 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh so arm your selves with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin The second Topick is from the promises wherein sufficient grace is promised for the effecting that which is so often so clearly and fully required Isai 1.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely take away thy dross and purge away all thy tinne and 11.14 But with righteousnesse shall he judge the poor and with equity shall he reprove for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breach of his lips shall he slay the wicked and 25.7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations and 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins and 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bonnd Jere. 33.8 And I will clense them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and 50.20 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and from all your filthiness and from all your abominations will I cleanse you Amos 9.8 Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the kingdome of sin for so it is in the Hebrew and I will destroy it from the face of the earth Micah 7.14 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us who will subdue our iniquities And thou will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea the Lord will subdue them as he did the Canaanites and all other the enemies of David in his dayes so that there was neither adversary nor evill occurrent left in his son Solomon's entrance upon the kingdome 1 Kings 5.4 And will drown them as he did Pharaoh and his host of which not one escaped Zephan 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies Zacha. 13.1 2. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Malachi 3.2 3. But who may abide in the day of his coming to wit in the Spirit and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is as the refiners fire and as the fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness and chap. 4.2 3. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings and ye shall go up and grow as calves of the stall And
ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this for you saith the Lord. Matth. 1.21 And thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins and 3.11 12. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner but he will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire Luk. 1.70 71 74. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from all our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace and 11.26 There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and chap. 2.1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have a comforter with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins by way of propitiation and purgation of them and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world A third Tropick is this That our subduing overcoming and rooting out of sin is made the condition of manifold spiritual and heavenly promises which would be frustraneous and void if the condition were not feasible by grace And such conditional but performable promises are these Psal 24.3 4 5. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord even righteousness from the God of his salvation Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall obtain mercy Isaiah 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean take away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayest be saved And Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 16.24 25. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life of sin shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it Chap. 24.13 But whosoever shall endure to the end of his race and mortification the same shall be saved Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted in him into the likeness of his death we shall be also into the likeness of his resurrection vers 8. For if we be dead with him unto the sin we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye shall mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shal be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore dearly beloved having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Hebr. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end to wit the end of sin as before vers 14. for we are made pertakers of Christ in the Spirit after the likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6.5 If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh all sins temptations and spiritual enemies will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God vers 11. He that overcometh sin which is the first spiritual death Rom. 7.24 he shall not be hurt of the second death which lay lurking and hid therein vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he which receiveth it vers 26 27 28. And he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end aforesaid to him will I give power over the nations to wit all the powers and faculties of the outward man or the natural being and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken in shivers if through any new temptation they shall offer to rebel Rev. 9.27 even as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning-starre and Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels vers 12. him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name vers 21 22. to him that overcometh will I give to set with me upon my throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Church which condition we had six times before in the former and this present chapter The fourth Topick shall be the end for which Christ was given by the Father and for which he gave himself for us which on his part cannot be disappointed cannot be frustrate if we be not wanting to our selves Isa 42.6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a covenant to the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring the prisoners out of prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house So again Isaiah 49.8 9. Isai 61.1 2 3. as before The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted who are troubled about
the remaining and prevalence of their sins and spiritual enemies to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God against his and our spiritual enemies to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the plantings of the Lord that he may be glorified See Luk. 4.18 19 20 21. Luk 1.74 That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Tit. 3.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity in a purifying way and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil to wit by his spirit and power Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Ephes 5.24 25 27. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish The fifth Topick shall be the prayer that Christ his servants and his Apostles have made and thereby taught us to pray for this grace of a through purging from sin and victory over it and all temptations in this life who so prayed in faith that the things which they so prayed for might be obtained 1 Chron. 4.10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and wouldest enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me or redeem me from evil that it might not grieve me and God saith the Text ' granted him that which he requested as he will do unto us Psal 55.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Hos 14.1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn unto the Lord saying take away all iniquity and give good or receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips Mat. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil See Luk. 11.14 Joh. 17.15 I pray not saith Christ that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil 2 Cor. 13.7 Now I pray to God that ye do none evil Phil. 1.10 That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 1 Thess 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly And I pray God that your whole Spirit soul and body may be kept or preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ The sixth Topick shall be the faith of the Apostles and of the elect in the Primitive Church which now and for many hundred years hath been almost quite lost in two grand benefits and works which they believed and hoped for This faith expected Christs spiritual coming and return with his Father and the Holy Ghost to set up his kingdom not only of grace but of power and glory in them here and for ever and in order thereunto they were to purge themselves by faith through his grace and help from all iniquity in the mean time as these following places do clearly witnesse and prove without all contradiction if duly looked into Joh. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come unto you yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye shall see me because I live ye shall live also At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father and ye in me and I in you He that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Judas saith unto him not Jscariot how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus answered and said if any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him and chap. 16.22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take away from you See Rom. 6.5 as before 1 Cor. 1.7 8. So that yecome behind in no gift waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will finish or perform it till the day of Jesus Christ vers 10. that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Jesus Christ 1 Thess 5.23 be preserved unto the coming of our Lord Christ as before 1 Tim. 6.14 That thou keep this commandement without spot unrebukable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.20 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation chap. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another so much the rather as you see the day approching vers 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Jam. 5.7 Be patient therefore brethren vers 8. be patient and stablish your heart for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ All which places and many more to the like effect have absurdly been understood of Christs external last and dreadful coming to judgement which in so many ages since is not come to passe nor peradventure may arrive in many ages more whereas the former Texts speak of a day and an appearing or coming of Christ which the Saints were to expect and prepare themselves for in their dayes it being the kingdom of heaven which first John the Baptist and then Christ and his Apostles published to be at hand Mat. 3.21 and 4.17 which accordingly came to the Saints which waited for it in a right way Revela 12.10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven the Church of God wherein he dwels saying Now is
signified therein A. A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness Hence it is that our Church prayed thus at the baptism of infants And humbly we beseech thee to grant that to the person baptised he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin And now we hope that the Vindicator had not renounc'd his baptism by sinful positions and his own wicked course of life Secondly in our late Liturgie we are taught thus to pray in the Collect on Easter-Tuesday and to like effect in many other places Almighty God which hast given thine onely Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may alwayes serve thee in pureness of living and truth through Jesus Christ Unto which we might adde that out of the Letanie From all evill and mischief and sin from the crafts and assaults of the Devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us From all blindness of heart from guile vain-glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and strife from all uncharitableness Good Lord deliver us From fornication and all other deadly sin and from all deceits of the world the flesh and the Devil Good Lord deliver us And thus much for the confirmation of the first position Come we now to the establishment of the second That the law of God may by the grace and help of Christ be so perfectly kept and fulfilled in this life as not to offend against the same yea as to be justified and that only by Christ of grace given whch we will divide into two branches and first prove the possibility of such a fulfilling by the like Topicks and authorities as we did the former and then briefly ratifie that which will follow by consequence namely that by such a fulfilling of the Law by the grace of Christ we may be justified before God and men according to the truth of the Gospel As for the first of these we take it for granted that the Law of God requireth no more of us then what is contained in those two commandements Mat. 22.36 37 38 39. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and the great commandement and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Because our Saviour saith vers 40. On these two commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Our first Topick to prove all this attainable by grace is taken from Gods predestination and election See Joh. 15 16. I have chosen and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain Rom. 8.29 30. For whom he did foreknow them he did predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren moreover whom he did predestinate those he also called and whom he called those he also justified and whom he justified those he also glorified Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love and chap. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained that we shall walk in them 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God in holinesse unto obedience and in order thereunto unto the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ that is his sanctifying Spirit as shall be proved hereafter The second Topick is from Gods expresse commands which cannot be impossible for they should be frustraneous tyrannical or unjust as aforesaid Gen. 17.1 I am the almighty God walk thou before me and be perfect Deut. 4.21 Ye shall not add to the words which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I commanded you chap. 5.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left chap. 6.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and those words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them dilligently unto thy children Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self fear the Lord. Deut. 6.24 25. And the Lord commanded us to do all those statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always that he may preserve us alive as it is at this day And it shall be our righteousnesse if we observe to do all these commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us chap. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul chap. 18.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Josh 22.5 But take diligent heed to do the commandement and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandements and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Jerem. 7.25 But this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Mala. 4.4 Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses which I commanded in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements The third Topick is Gods promises to enable us to fulfill these by grace in Christ Deut. 26.18 19. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou ' shouldst keep all his commandements and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in honour that thou mayst be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Deut. 30.6 7 8. And therefore thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live and the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee and which persecuted thee and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord thy God and do all these commandements which I commanded thee this day Isai 46.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no strength he increaseth might even the youths shall faint and be weary and
the young men shall utterly fail but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint chap. 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousnesse sake he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Which it would not be if it were impossible chap. 48.17 18. Thus faith the Lord thy redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shalt go O that thou hadst harkened to my commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea chap. 51.4 5. Harken unto me my people and give eare O Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgement to rest for a light to the Gentiles my righteousnesse is neer my salvation is gone forth vers 7 8. Harken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their revisings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them up like wool but my righteousnesse shall be sure and my salvation from generation to generation Jerem. 31.32 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah saith the Lord not according to the covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them or therefore I must overule them saith the Lord but this shall be the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more Where take notice of these things that the first covenant is a covenant of works and the effect a compulsive obedience out of fear of vengeance Secondly that the second covenant is made to those that now love God and righteousnesse and obey it out of good will after the days of compulsion are ended which must have their foregoing work to break mans strong lusts and inclinations to sin after which comes the revelation of free mercy and salvation out of grace unexpectedly witnessed from Heaven to the lost yet humbled penitent and praying or deprecating soul which melts his heart with godly sorrow and inflames his heart with love to God and righteousnesse and with an hatred of all known sin Thirdly that this second covenant is of sanctification and then of some degree of glory As to the former the Lord promiseth to put his Law into our inward parts and to work the same in our hearts which is done no other way but by regeneration and by the promised Spirit of Christ which is called the blood of the new covenant and the blood of the everlasting covenant for the purging or the dimission away of our sins whereof both the expiative and consecrating blood of the old Testament was a figure Exod. 24.8 and 14.14 10. and chap. 8.23 24. and whereof the wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the New Testament is a sign and representation as the bread broken is a representation both of his word to be broken received and eaten Jer. 15.16 and of his suffering patience and weakness which is a body of his to be broken unto us by degrees and received by faith and obedience where through we may remember Christs death and follow him therein crucifying sin till he come unto us in the Spirit and power of his resurrection Thus the Apostle saith ' Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ this Spirit and spiritual blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself as man without spot to God purge the consciences or souls from dead works to serve the living God And Heb. 10.29 He that falls from grace counts the blood of this covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing or a thing of smal price and so doth despite to the Spirit of grace and hence it is that the Apostle prayeth Heb. 13.20 that God who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep would through the blood of the everlasting covenant make the believing Hebrews perfect in every good work to do the will of the Lord as Peter also tells the Saints 1 Pet. 1.18 that they were through the same redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation in a Jewish righteousness received by tradition from their Fathers This blood is promised unto them that walk in the light with God and his Saints 1 John 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sin With this blood the Saints washed their robes or imperfect righteousness and made them white Rev. 7.14 with this Christ washed the Apostles and made them Kings and priests unto God Rev. 1.5 6. for which they give him praise and glory and with this is the Devil overcome and cast out Rev. 12.11 A third thing observable in this covenant is that there is a clear full and glorious wisdome promised to each Saint in due time so that they shall not need to say to each other know the Lord for they shall know him from the least of them to the greatest for that perfect knowledge and love is then come which makes the imperfect knowledge and prophecying to cease 1 Cor. 13.8 9. Lastly the time of that perfect wisdome power and love is also limited namely vers 34. in those words for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more it is then when God hath purged and taken away all their sins by the same blood where forgiving of sins as in many other places is to be understood of the purging them away by Gods grace which we call dimission and that is the principal taking away of sin upon which the pardon or taking away of the guilt follows of course and is cast in over and above out of Gods abundant mercy for the death and sufferings of Christ But to proceed Ezek. 36.25 26 27. we have another of these promises of enabling grace Then will I pour clean water upon you and from all your sins and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new
Spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony heart out of you and I will give you an heart of flesh that flesh of Christ of which we spake before and will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my commandements and do them Luk. 1.72 73 74 75. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to our Father Abraham that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life With which agrees that which follows 2 Pet. 11.4 whereby exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust In both which places we may take notice that there are but two grand benefits promised in Christ the first in order of time and nature is deliverance from our spiritual enemies or our escaping out of corruption and the second is a partaking of the divine nature whereby we may serve God cheerfully and without fear in holiness and righteousness all our dayes Here is no mention made in these promises of the remission of sins either because it is an appendant to the first benefit God taking away the guilt with the corruption and fault or because the Lord counts it so inconsiderable a benefit in comparison of the other two that he makes no mention of it but casts it in over and above as Christ speaks Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you The fourth Topick shall be That this full obedience through the grace and help of God is made the condition to the greatest part of Gods promises and his spiritual blessings in special Exod. 19.5 6. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine c. And Exod. 23.20 21 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee the Angel of the covenant to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name or being is in him But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy to thine enemy and an adversary to thine adversaries See Levit. 26.13 all manner of blessings are promised upon this score Deut. 11.8.9 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandements that I command you this day that ye may be strong and go in and possesse the land whether ye go in to possesse it and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give unto them a land flowing with milk and hony which land is a type of the heavenly Canaan Deut. 28.1 15. And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to serve him and to do all his commandements which I command thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God blessed shalt thou be in the city c. Joshua 1.7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest Isaiah 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Ezek. 33.15 If the wicked restore the pledg give again that which he robbed walk in the statutes of life he shall surely live he shall not die Matth. 5.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Chap. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world Luk. 10.25 26 27. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life he said unto him what is written in the law how readest thou and he answered and said thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live See John 15.10 If ye keep my commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Heb. 10.36 For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Rev. 21.14 Blessed are they that do his commandement that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city The fifth Topick shall be The end of Christs coming to fulfill the law in us according to Gods covenant aforesaid Psal 22.30 31. A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation he shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this to wit wrought that righteousness in them Isaiah 53.10 He shall sow his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand See chap. 61.1 2 3. before cited Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth in men in his dayes Judah shall be saved from their enemies and Israel shall dwel safely And this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness to wit that righteousness which he executeth and worketh in his Saints Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy by bringing in the everlasting righteousness aforesaid Matth.
5.17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfill to wit in us as for us for verily I say unto you that till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled and that in us as the next words there prove Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandements and teach men so he shall be counted least in the kingdome of heaven c. Rom. 8.3 4. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 1 Cor. â— 30 Who is made of God unto us wisdome in the understanding righteousness in the will and not onely sanctification in both but redemption in fulness also Ephes 5.25 26 27. As Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Titus 2.14 Who loved us and gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The sixth Topick shall be from the end of the law and the written word of God Psalm 111.4 5 6. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements vers 89. For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven And vers 105 106. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for our learning that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we should have hope 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work See 2 Pet. 1.19 ' We have also a sure word of prophesie unto which ye do well to give heed as unto a light shining until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts The seventh Topick shall be from the end of the ministry of the word set up in the Church by the Lord himself Ephes 4.11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ For which end see the Apostles suitable practise Coloss 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ As for the Topick of the end of the two Sacraments we have spoken before The eighth Topick then shall be the prayer which Christ hath taught us to pray and which his Apostles yea Christ himself hath prayed for this perfection Matth. 6.10 Thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 2 Cor. 13.9 And this also we wish even your perfection Ephes 3 19. That ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Phil. 1.10 11. That ye might be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse c. Coloss 1.9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord to all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work chap. 4.10 labouring fervently for you in prayer that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God 1 Thess 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards all men as we do towards you to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse chap. 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Did those Ministers of God pray against perfection in this life as the Vindicator and a certain Minister in Salisbury who came out of New-England rather then out of new Jerusalem are said to to have done Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will 1 Pet. 5.10 Now the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternall glory by Jesus Christ after ye have suffered a while make you perfect c. Joh. 17.23 I in them and they in me that ye may be made perfect in one saith Christ The ninth Topick shall be the admission of this work as possible every where in Scripture Psal 112. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandements and 119 1â—2 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquitie they walk in his ways Ezek. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn away from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Luk. 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law are justified Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye do dwell chap. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man 1 Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous for whatsoever is born of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1
himself and many others in this life saying 1 John 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment But saw first many thousand servants of God of every tribe sealed And after I beheld a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands who came out of great tribulation here and had washed their robes and had made them white in the blood or spirit of the lamb Rev. 3.14 And the like spectacle he saw chap. 14.4 5. of men that follow the lamb wheresoever he goeth being redeemed from among men and made the first fruits unto God and the lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God The eleventh Topick shall be the two parts of all practical truth in Christ of which before out of Ephes 4.20 24. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupting through the deceitful lusts and be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds and put you on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth The last Topick shall be the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven which in its coming is called the Lord our righteousness from the presence of the holy Ghost or rather of the whole Trinity Jer. 33.15 16. At that day and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land in those dayes Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwel safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Which Jerusalem is promised to every overcomer of sin and Satan Rev. 3.12 as before and it is an estate to be had in this life as Mr. Brightman and most of the best interpreters among the the Protestants and Arrias Montanus among other Papists doth confess out of the clearness and evidence of the Text Rev. 21.23 And I John saw the holy city new Ierusasalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he shall be with them and be their God And at vers 9. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death viz. spiritual death which is either sin or the wages of sin neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more spiritual pain which being effects of sin are with their causes taken away before for the former things are passed away So our obedience to the law must go before as a preparative and a qualification hereunto Lev. 26.3 and 11.12 If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandements and do them then will I give you rain in due season c. and I will set my tabernacle among you and my soul shall not abhorre you and I will walk among you and I will be your God and you shall be my people See Ezek. 37.27 My tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people and Psal 128.1 5. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes and vers 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem to wit the spiritual Jerusalem aforesaid all thy dayes Thus much of divine authority now for humane Justine Martyr in Resp ad Orthodoxos saith That which is possible to one man is possible to any as to saile by sea for even as the Scripture saith that certain of them who live under the law were unblamable in righteousness so it was possible unto all those who lived under the law to have been alike unblamable for Saint Luke the Evangelist saith of Zacharie and Elizabeth chap. 1.6 that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements justification or righteousness of the law blameless But what is the total righteousness of the law even to love God above thy self and thy neighbour as thy self which is not impossible unto those men which apply their will and desire thereunto Wherefore that saying By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified was not spoken or used by the Apostle because we cannot perform impossibilities but because we will not frame our selves to do things possible Origen in his ninth homil upon Joshuah saith Doth not that man seem unto the Worthies to be reckoned among women who saith I cannot observe or do that which is written And again in the same place he that saith I cannot fulfill them doth he not manifest himself worthy to be ranked among the feminine sort who can do nothing that is virile or like a man or worthy of that sex Cyprian serm de Baptis Christi Neither doth this written law in any thing differ from the natural but the rejection or refusal of evil and the election of good are so infixed into the rational soul from above that no man hath just cause in this behalf to complain because there is neither knowledge nor power wanting unto any man for the prosecution and performance of the same because we know what ought to be done and have power to effect what we know whereas if the precepts were impossible or invironed with so great difficulties or thy will therein so abstruse and hidden that the thing could not be understood which thy Highness or Majesty requireth of us albeit no man sins against his will yet he might many ways excuse his offence or sin unless the equity and moderation of that which is commanded and the clear knowledge of the truth and the distinction of things to be done or not done had been sufficiently provided for us by an intelligible authority and therewith the possibility facility and power had therein embraced each other Basil Magnus homil 3. It is impious to say that the precepts of Gods Spirit are impossible And in Psalm 119.155 he saith I knowing that thou beholdest me have not onely fulfilled thy commandements but I have done it also with a fervent mind Chrysost homil 19. in Heb. Christ commandeth nothing that is impossible in so much that many go beyond the commandements and homil 18. de poeniton And if it be demanded who ever did this he presently answers Saint Paul Saint Peter and even the whole chorus or quire of Saints and homil de poenitent 8. Do not in any wise accuse the Lord for he doth not command things that are impossible Hieron Symbol Apost Epist 17. We detest their blasphemy who affirms that
shall reward evill to mine enemies cut them off in thy truth and 59.13 Consume them in thy wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Iacob to the ends of the earth and 71.24 My toung shall talkof thy righteousnesse all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought to shame that seek my hurt and 101.8 I wil early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord which is every Saint Jerem. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodg in thee Psal 112.8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies and 139.23 24. Search me O my God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting and 143.9 10. Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I fly to thee to hide me with thee teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit it is good lead me unto the Land of uprightnesse and of thy mercy cut off all mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work knowledg wisedome or device in the grave whether thou goest and Luk 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousnesse and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind that he which is dead hath ceased from sin that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh after the lusts of men but after the will of God Fifthly that when we were first converted sin had his death-wound contrary to Rom. 7.14 24. and 8.13 Gal. 5.17 Heb. 3.13 14. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and 6.4 5 6. and 10.26 27 28 29 30. and 12.15 Looking diligently lest any fall from the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 2 Pet. 2.1.20 21. Jude 4. c. for no sin hath its deadly wound till it be by the patience and Spirit of Christ wholly overcome and lest Rev. 2.16 and 3.10 Sixthly That all the guilt of sin and punishment is taken away though the pollution and corruption remains contrary to Prov. 28.13 Jer. 33.8 Acts. 26.18 this is to take away the effect and leave the cause in force and being hence it is that Hieronymus saith on 1 Cor. 6. Be not deceived thinking that faith alone sufficeth for every sin that remaineth excludeth men from the kingdome of Heaven as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5. how the works of the flesh are hurtfull which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse c. of which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven But also saith he they pray sinfully who persevere in sin and desire that those sins of theirs should be pardoned or put away by the Lord which they themselves have not put away from them Seventhly they say that there is not any other active obedience or righteousnesse of Christ to be attained by faith then that which Christ works in his Saints for its contrary to Isai 45.24 25. and 48.18 and 53.11 and 59.17 and 61.3 10 11. and 62.1 2. Jerem. 23.5 6. and 31.31 32 33. and Rom. 4.11 and 5.7 18 19. and 8.4 Phil. 3.9 10. Eighthly that we are perfect in this life and complete by justification though not by sanctification where 's they are both one thing as hath been proved at large and while the one is imperfect the other is also Ninthly that justification lies in remission of sins or taking away the guilt of the same yet leaving the sin or pollution behind whereas justification taken in a liberative way is a purging and washing away of the fault and corruption in the first place as hath been proved out of Acts 13.20 and 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. Thirdly consider that the kingdome of God which Christ and his Apostles preached is not onely an inward kingdome Luk. 17.21 as it is a kingdome both of grace Rom. 14.17 and of glory also Rom. 8.19 Ephes 1.18 but consequently that there is an internal heaven of holiness and glory to be had and obtained by the Saints in this life Heb. 10.34 knowing that ye have in your selves a better and more induring substance in the heavens for so the words are in the Greek Text. As Paul also speaks of himself and fellow-Apostles whom God hath raised up and set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. this is that kingdome which Christ taught his Disciple to pray for saying ' thy kingdome come and which he and John Baptist published 'to be at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and which ' John saw coming down from God out of heaven Rev. 21.23 before whose coming all sin must be purged away for ' no unclean thing can enter into it Rev. 21.27 yea all the spiriteal effects of sin as the second day sorrow crying and tears shall be removed Rev. 21.4 Fourthly that they which know not own not nor witness this kingdome of God with the way and means thereunto were never sent of God to preach the true Gospel of the kingdome but do publish their own imaginations and traditions of men as the Vindicator and many of far greater note then he both living and dead both do and have done Fithly that they who do not believe that he God will avenge his elect who cry unto him night and day for vengeance against their spiritual enemies for the rooting of all out Luk. 18.1 7. have not the faith of Gods elect as hath been said before Sixthly we shall leave it to your serious consideration whether it be not the voice of the unbelievers and not of the Saints of whom it is said concerning the beast of sin which came out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns saying Rev. 13.4 and they worshiped the dragon who gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Which interpretation concerning the beast of sin is not ours but
Arrias Montanus hath it and that from a special Author also Seventhly we would not have it slightly passed over which is written Numb 13.14 concerning the ten unbelieving spies who would neither encourage themselves nor others to go and fight against the Canaanites that so they might have inherited the promised land but disheartened themselves and others with the apprehension of impossibilities till they were excluded therefrom in the end ' for whatsoever was written in time past was written for our instruction Rom. 15.14 1 Cor. 10.6 Heb. 4.1 and so was the story of Bar-Jesus Elymas the Sorcerer Act. 13.6 who called himself Bar-Jesus that is the Son of Jesus and pretended to become a prophet but he opposed the true faith in Christ as the Vindicator and some others do seeking to turn away the Deputy Sergius Paulus from it and so perverted the right way of the Lord being an enemy to the true righteousness in which regard he is not onely called a false prophet and a sorcerer as his name importeth but smitten with blindness from which sin and all other as well as from the horrid effects thereof the Lord in his mercy preserve us all and let those in speciall find mercy at his hands who opposing the truth have done it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1.13 Eighthly that a great part of the Clergy in this nation and no smal part of them in authority begin to decline from the Orthodox faith of our English reformed Church and to urge the rigid and turbulent opinions of Mr. John Knox the father of the Gomarists in Scotland whose doctrine and discipline in an hundred years space hath not brought forth so much reformation of life in that nation as our late erected Government hath done there though for the most part by awe and constaint Lastly that as this doctrine deviates from the Apostles faith Rom. 6.8 for if we be dead with him we believe that we shall live with him so it swerves from the right end of both the Sacraments for by baptism we are buried into the death of Christ that like as Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father even so we should walk in newness of life for if we have been planted together into the similitude of his death so then shall we be into the likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6.5 6. and in the Lords supper we are to shew forth the Lords death in dying with him unto all iniquity until his coming again unto us in the power of his resurrection 1 Cor. 11.26 Which two estates are by the Vindicators doctrine opposed as things of impossible attainment in this life and so the summe of the Gospel the right belief and true Christian race hereby denied decried and openly opposed in this Vindication by which the Vindicator hath verified as if his name were ominous in reference to his design another anagram of his Name O hindring net God hath his net and so hath the Devil Both nets are daily us'd about the evil Gods net draws fish out of the sea of sin The Mare clausum Satan casts them in Where Satans drudger-man is still impli'd To watch and draw Gods fish on his shore side This work to do John Tendring he is set To plead for sin hence call'd O hindring net True Doctrine is Gods net his fisher men Are ministers of righteousness and then False doctrine must be Satans net to draw Men from their due observance of Gods law By which they love to God and man forget And such thy book doth prove O hindring net Having finished also the catasceuastical part of our Revindication in the next pirce we shall presume to offer some Queries because we desire to lay open our hearts and minds for the trueths cause to such as are held to censure and rashly to judge of those whom they beleive are contrary-minded unto themselves 1. Querie Whether do you or any of you pretend to an infallible Spirit whereby you do not nor can erre in what you affirm or deny to be divine truth according to the Records commonly called the Scriptures The reason is because the late Synod confessed cap. 31. of their Confession that Councels and Synods have erred as themselves have done else why do they not answer the Examen against it in the materal points out of pity to the examiners who pitied them to undeceive them and the well-meaning people Secondly because if it be true as aforesaid then why do the Committees for trying in one place and ejection in every County though some are more moderate then others put the Article at the foot of other Articles That he is ignorantand insufficient for the work of the Ministry when sometimes the person the said article is put upon is a grave Doctor of Divinity and may be their catechisers Father for age in years and learning Thirdly because many are put out and others kept out of a livelyhood in the way themselves live and grow with other additionals rich by because they cannot ex consciencià subscribe and own their masters opinions Et jurare in verba magistri and yet these masters by their own confession may erre as their masters did whose servants were the miser men John 7.45 46 47 48 49. 2. Querie What do you aim at in your preaching with such bitterness especially in Wilts against us whether to maintain a combination and faction of self interest or that the people you preach unto may live a peacable and most holy life and their souls saved in the day of the Lord. The reason of this Querie is because the Apostle saith James 1.14 If you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not also you lye against the truth and vers 16. where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work vers 17. and that the fruit of righteousnesse sown in peace of them that make peace Therefore Heb. 11.14 the Apostle saith follow peace with all men without which none shalt see God 3. Querie Whether such doctrines as hold out a possibility of a total mortification of sinne through the grace and help of Christ and a perfect obedience to the Law of God are not the Doctrines which do perswade people to live that most holy life but lead men as some have said from Heaven to Hell if Hell be where no sin nor unclean thing can come and Heaven be where much sinne will remain it is confessed according to the Vindicators attestation and position The reason of this Querie is offered by reason we have heard from an intelligent and present hearer thereof that a Minister in Salisbury but it is said he was late a New-England man did pray to God in his ignorant real before many people that he might never believe such a doctrine as a possibilty of a total mortification of sin in this life And we pray God of his mercy not to say Amen to his prayer but pray unto the Lord Jesus for him or
he cast into the Sea then that he should offend a little one 9. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 7.2 where ' it is said With what measure thou metest it shall be meted unto thee again 10. Qu. What is meant by the false ballance Prov. 11.1 ' where it is said A false ballance is an abomination to God but a just weight is his delight See Prov. 16.16 20.10 Levit. 19.35 36. The reason of this Querie is because ' it is said Dan. 5.27 that the King was weighed in the ballance and found too light therefore other things are weighed besides natural or artificial things 11. Qu. What doth the Psalmist mean by those words ' Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law 12. Qu. What is the scope and intent of the Lord in those words Mal. 2.8 9. Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts v. 9. Therefore have I made you contemptible and base before all according as you have not kept my ways but the people have been partial in my Law 13. Qu. What did David mean by that 1 Sam. 26.19 For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other Gods 14. Qu. What is meant Heb. 8.10 11. After those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people v. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least unto the greatest 15. Qu. What is the meaning of those words of the Psalmist Psal 119.98 99 100. Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser then my enemies for they are ever with me v. 99. I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditations v. 100. I understand more then the ancients because I keep thy precepts 16. Qu. What is the meaning of that 2 Cor. 8.13 Not that one should be eased and another burdened but that there may be equality 17. Qu. What is the meaning of that Ezek. 17.18 19. The reason is because of the sore threatning declared by the Prophet for breaking oath with the King of Babel and we see that the Lord calleth it the despising of his oath and the breaking of covenant with him What will the Lords displeasure be lesse against such who have lifted their hands to him to reform in doctrine and discipline according to the word of God Exitus actu probabit what will you do in the latter end thereof Jer. 30.23 24. 18. Qu. What is the meaning of that Revel 2.2 3 4 5 6. The reason is because the Lord threatens to remove the Candlestick unlesse they repented for that they had left their first love 19. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 1.20 where it is said The wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God 20. Qu. What doth the Apostle mean v. 26. where he saith If any seem to be religious and refrain not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 21. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 23.25 where it is said These things thou oughtest to have done and not to have left the other undone 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 2.7 where it is said 'Faith without works is a dead faith The reason is because we are said by many to be justified by faith alone without works which if so then we are justified by a dead faith according to St. James and its contrary to the justification of Abraham v. 21 22. 21. Qu. What is the meaning of that Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man fall by an occasion you who are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meekness considering thou thy self maist be tempted one way or another The reason of this Querie is because of that mentioned v. 1. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Rom. 15.1 You that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak which are but such for a time 1 John 2.12 13 14. 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 15.26 where it is said ' The last enemie which shall be destroyed is death The reason is first because it s said v. 25. ' Christ must reign untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet and death is said there to be the last therefore what death is meant there is worthy of Divines enquiry Secondly if it be so that death is the last enemy then all sin must be destroyed before death come and so sinne shall not remain in all Saints as long as they live 23. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 11. v. 26. where it is said So ost as you eat c. you shew forth the Lords death untill he come The reason of this Querie is because it is spoken to every one who rightly receiveth the Lords Supper and if so it cannot be meant of his last coming which is so much spoken of among Divines 24. Qu. What is the meaning of that Luk. 18.8 where it is said ' When the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth The reason of this Querie is because we believe that it is not likely to be meant of the rarity of the faith to be-lieve that Christ came to save sinners or that he was made man to suffer for our sinnes 25. Qu. What is the meaning of that Rom. 8.4 where it is said That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The reason of this Querie is because it is usually affirmed that Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness of the law for us and the Apostle saith that it might be fulfilled in us 26. Qu. What is the meaning of that Mark 16.17 18. And these signs shall follow them that believe In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly poyson it shall not hurt them and they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover The reason of this Querie is because these signs are declared to follow not the Apostles who were to preach the belief in their order every believer as to know â—hether they believe a right or not which is set down ver 16. to be of that ' necessity that he who believeth not shall be damned therefore it concerneth us much to know whether we believe aright yea or not hence these signs shall follow them which believe and the believers shall do these ensuing things in their order It doth therefore concern us to find out what is contained under those stupendious expressions that every
claiming their ministration as aforesaid will prove themselves their successors whether included or not included in the words Math. 28.20 who are mentioned Ephes 4.11 and so the Ministers of Jesus Christ then they must demonstrate themselves to be men of honest report amongst Apostolick-men if there be any and full of the Holy Ghost and wisdome even that wisdome specified Jan. 3.17 and not be pufed up with pride and shewing bitternesse and wrath and carry themselves Diotrephes-like loving so far to have the preeminence as to have power to receive whom they think fit into the Ministerial office and to reject whom they affect not because they are not of their mind though peradventure better qualified with saving truths then themselves yea do not only so but forbid or hinder them that would receive them or cast them out of their livelyhood Hence we sayagain that if they derive their claim as aforesaid to be their successors they must be qualified like those Pastors which we have proved to be qualified as aforesaid by reason it is said Ephos 4.11 they were of Christs own making and gifted with his immediate gifts v. 8. which cannot be lesse or fewer then fit for the ends they were appointed unto v. 12 13. the ultimate whereof is to become a perfect man which most of our Ministers deny to be in this life unto the measure of the stature or age of the fulnesse of Christ Therefore the Ministers of England if they lay claim to be the successors of the foresaid Pastors and Teachers and so the Ministers of Jesus Christ they must be such Pastors so made by Jesus Christ inwardly for their outward ordination is but a ceremony which they most frequently apply where there is not the thing signified namely such gifts in those ordained men which if there be then they must first understand those gifts to be and own them yea imploy them for those ends expressed Ephes 4.12.13 which ultimate end is denied by many to be attained in this life and their great contest and zeal is to lay claim to the said succession for to justifie their office and not to have the office of Presbyter Ministers and Bishops to be extinct out of their Church but we heare no disputes nor can we see such zeal and animosities put forth to defend their claim to their predecessors gifts but they can be content to say yea to excuse themselves to be like other men save only in the Grecians wisdome and literature 1. Cor. 1.22 in passions and conversations if not below other men as too often it s to be feared but their office forsooth they would have looked upon as to be the Ministers and Bishops of Jesus Christ when the gifs aforesaid of such Pastors Ehes 4.11 and of such Bishops Deacons which are specified 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. c. are not to be found yea not be believed can they be in these days so that if the Son of man come again as he will come will he find faith as it s said Luk. 18.8 on the earth amongst these sorts of men to believe that there is any who can come while he liveth to a perfect state in holinesse though it s declared to be the end that all these officers are appointed Ephes 4.12 13. The foresaid men are so sollicitous and careful to prove their office of ministration to be from the Apostles downward that when they are reproched as to have their office from the Pope and Popish Bishops because those did once rule in England that they presently deny it and say having brushed their vesti tures and pickt out the Crosse that they have cast off the reliques of Rome and only retain they said the office which indeed the Popes had from their immediate predecessors and so they run to the top of the scale or ladder to see the Apostles descending like the Angel on Jacobs ladder Gen. 28.12 to justifie them to be their successors for matter of office without their gifts as aforesaid But we believe that Christ meant by that place of Scripture otherwise then such a continued future succession to follow to the end of the world for the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am with you all the days to the end of that age Hence why may not we think Christ meant the like dayes of which he biddeth them rell Herod that fox Luk. 13.23 24. Behold I do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected so all the days of their age or dispensation he would be with them to assist them in the accomplishment of their cures or work which like dayes are intimated Hosea 6.2 After two days he will revive us and in the third we shall live in his sight which Christ we believe calleth the last day and not the end of the world when he saith and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.39 40 41. in a parallel respect to the Lord Jesus day who was raised up at the last day for it is said he was dead and buried and the third day he rose again so it is said Rom. 6.4 5 6. c. We are buried with Christ by baptisme into death c. for if we have been planted together into the similitude of his death even so shall we be into the similitude of his resurrection which work of mortification to a new life the Apostles were appointed to preach v. 19 20. until the accomplishment ' of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13 In this foresaid sense the words may be justified to be truly spoken to the Apostles in their own persons but not in the sense the words are translated into Lo I am with you to the end of the world for so they cannot be literally true therefore such as desired to hear of such a succession aforesaid and finding no fitter place in their apprehensions they presently fancied Christs meaning to be in their successors by saying ' Lo I am with you to the end of the world that is with you in your successors and then the next inserence is themselves are the Presbyters and Ministers of Jesus Christ because Christ meant as aforesaid I will be ' with you in your successors to the end of the world which yet he may be with the Apostles successors and yet none of the publique ministration of England may be the said Ministers of Jesus Christ that is according to his constitution and order though many of them we deny not but acknowledge them to be God-fearing men and wel meaning servants for Jesus Christ but yet we cannot believe them to be Ministers of Jesus Christ that is by his order and appointment by reason that we are more then confident that Christ would not have the office of the Apostles in their ministration separated from the gifts concomitant and needfull thereunto which we cannot yet find to be in them yea they disown them to be unattainable and therefore