that their believing takes away the Curse but puts the Soul upon trusting to him that before Purged this Guilt and Curse I say before he sat down on the Right Hand of God Not to Suspend as you would have it but to take away the Sin of the World The Lord hath LAID upon him the Iniquities of us all And he BARE them in his own Body on the Tree Nor yet that he should OFTEN Offer himself for then must he OFTEN have suffered since the Foundation of the World But NOW and that at Once in the end of the World hath he Appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself Mark he did put it away by the Sacrifice of his Body and Soul when he dyed on the Cross but he could not then put away the inward Filth of those that then remained Unconverted or those that as yet wanted being in the World The putting away of Sin therefore that the Holy Ghost here intendeth is such a putting of it away as respecteth the Guilt Curse and Condemnation thereof as it stood by the Accusations of the Law against all Flesh before the Face of God which Guilt Curse and Condemnation Christ himself was made in that day when he dyed the Death for us And this is the First and Principle Intendment of the Angel in that blessed saying to Godly Joseph concerning Christ He shall save his People from their Sins from the Guilt and Curse due to them first and afterwards from the Filth thereof This is yet manifest farther because the Heart is Purified by Faith and Hope Acts 9. 15. 1 John 3. 3 4. Now it is not the Nature of Faith I mean of Justifying Faith to have any thing for an Object from which fetcheth Peace with God Holiness before or besides the Christ of God himself for he is the way to the Father and no Man can come to the Father but by him Come that is so as to find Acceptance and Peace with him The Reason is because without his Blood Guilt remains Heb. 9. 22. He hath made Peace by the Blood of his Cross so then Faith in the first place seeketh Peace But why Peace First because till Peace is fetched into the Soul by Faiths laying hold on the blood of Christ Sin remains in the Guilt and Curse though not in the sight of God yet upon the Conscience through the Power of Unbelief He that believeth not stands yet Condemned Now so long as Guilt and the Curse in Power remains there is not Purity but Unbelief not Joy but Doubting not Peace but Peevishness not Content but Murmuring and Anger against the Lord himself The Law Worketh Wrath Rom. 4. Wherefore as yet there can be no Purity of Heart because that Faith yet wants his Object But having once found Peace with God by believing what the Blood of Christ hath done Joy followeth so doth Peace Quietness Content and Love Which is also the fulfilling of the Law Yet not from such Dungish Principles as yours For so the Apostle calls them Phil. 3. But from the Holy Ghost it self which God by Faith hath granted to be received by them that believe in the Blood of his Jesus But you add That Christ giveth First Repentance and then forgiveness of Sins Page 17. Answ. 1. This makes nothing for the Holiness which we lost in Adam for the Proof of which you bring that Text Acts 5. 31. 2. But for Christ to take away Guilt and the Curse from before the Face of â—ods is one thing and to make that discovery is another 3. Again Christ doth not give forgiveness for the sake of that Repentance which hath it's rise Originally from the Dictates of our own nature which is the thing you are to prove for that Repentance is called the Sorrow of this World and must be again Repented of But the Repentance mentioned in the Text is that which comes from Christ But 4. It cannot be for the sake of Gospel Repentance that the forgiveness of Sins is Manifested because both are his Peculiar Gift 5. Therefore both Faith and Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins are given by Christ and come to us for the sake of that Blessed Offering of his Body once for all For after he Arose from the Dead having led Captivity Captive and taken the Curse from before the Face of God therefore his Father gave him Gifts for Men even all the things that are Necessary and Effectual for our Conversion and Preservation in this World c. Ephes. 4. 6 7 8. This Text therefore with all the rest you bring falleth short of the least shew of Proof That the great Errand for which Christ came into the World was to put us in Possession of the Holiness that we had lost Your Third Chapter is as Empty of the Proof of your Design as that through which we have passed there being not one Scripture therein Tited that giveth the least intimation that ever it entred into the Heart of Christ to put us again into Possession of that Holiness which we had before we were Converted for such was that we lost in Adam You tell us the Sum of all is That we are Commauded to add to our Faith Vertue c. Page 35. I suppose you intend a Gospel Faith which if you can prove Adam had before the fall and that we lost this Faith in him and also that this Gospel Faith is none other but that which Origianally ariseth from or is the Dictates of Humane Nature I will confess you have Scripture and Knowledge beyond me In the mean time you must suffer me to tell you you are as far in this from the mind of the Holy Ghost as if you had yet never in all your days heard whether there be a Holy Ghost or no. Add to your Faith The Apostle here lays a Gospel Principle viz. Faith in the Son of God which Faith layeth hold of the forgiveness of Sins alone for the sake of Christ Therefore he is a great way off of laying the Purity of the Humane Nature the Law as written in the heart of natural man as the Prenciple of Holiness from whence is produced good Works in the Soul of the Godly In your Fourth Chapter also Pag. 28. even in the beginning thereof even with one Text you have overthrown your whole Book This Chapter is to prove that the onely Design of the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel is to Promote and put us again in Possession of the Holiness we had lost For that the Reader must still remember is the onely Design of your Book Pag. 12. Whereas the First Text you speak of maketh mention of the Divine Nature or of the Spirit of the Living God which is also received by the Precious Faith of Christ and the Revelation of the Knowledge of him this Blessed Spirit and therefore not the Dictates of Humane Nature is the Principle that is laid in the Godly But Adam's Holiness had neither
design therein to be none other but that of an enemy to the Son of God and Salvation of the World For that Holiness as I have shewed is none other but a Shadowish Christless Graceless Holiness and your so exalting of it very Blasphemy You proceed saying Let us exercise our selves unto real and substantial Godliness still meaning your Adamitish Holiness Let us study the Gospel not to discourse or onely to believe but also and above ALL things to do well Answ. Herein still you manifest either ignorance of or malice against the Doctrine of Faith that Doctrine which above all Doctrines is the qâ—intessence of the new Testament because therein and not Principally as you feign by doing well is the Righteousness of God revealed and that from Faith to Faith not from Faith to Works nor yet from Works to Faith Besides the Gospel is Preached in all Nations for the obedience of FAITH Neither Works the Law the Dictates of Humanity nor the first Principles of Morrals knowing what to do with the Righteousness of the Gospel which is a Righteousness imputed by God not wrought by us a Righteousness given not earned a Righteousness recived by believing not that which floweth from our obedience to Laws a Righteousness which comes from God to us not one that goeth from us to God Besides as I also have hinted before the Apostle and you are directly opposite You cry above ALL things DO well that is Work and do the Law but he Above ALL take the SHIELD of Faith wherewith are quenched ALL the fiery Darts of the Wicked Eph. 6. But you add Pag. 300. Let us do what lyeth in us to convince our Atheist that the Religion of the blessed Jesus is no trick or deviâ—e and our wanton and loose Christians that it is no notional business speculative Science Answ. This you cannot do by your Morral Natural Principles of Humanity For even some of your BRAVE Phylosophers whose Godliness you have so much aplauded were even then in the must of their and your Vertues Athestically ignorant of the Religion of Jesus And as to the loose Christian Christ neither hath need of nor will he bless your Blasphemous opinions nor feigned Godliness but Real ungodliness to make them Converts to his Faith and Grace neither can it be expected it should seeing you have not onely dirty thoughts but vilifying Words and sayings of his Person Work and Righteousness You have set your Works before his Pag. 223. calling them Substantial Indispensible and Real but coming to God by him a thing iâ— it self Indifferent P. 7 8 9. You go on and say Let us declare that we are not hearty â—elyers 〈◊〉 Christ's Righteousness by being imitators of it Pag. 300. You cannot leave off to Contemn and Blaspheme the Son of God Do you not yet know that the Righteousness of Christ on which the sinner ought to rely for life is such as consisted in his standing to and doing of the Law without a Mediator And would you be doing this What know you not that an Essential of the Righteousness he accomplished for Sinners when he was in the World is That he was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born without Sin did all things in the Power of and Vnion with his own eternal God-head And are you able thus to imitate him Again the Righteousness on which we ought to rely for life is that which hath in it the Merit of Blood We are Justified by his Blood through Faith in his Blood Is this the Righteousness you would imitate Farther the Righteousness on which poor Sinners should rely is that for the sake of which God forgiveth the Sins of him that resteth by Faith thereupon But would you be imitating of or accompishing such a Righteousness Your Book Sir is begun in Ignorance mannaged with Errour and ended in Blasphemy Now the God of Glory if it may stand with his Glory give you a sight of your Sins against the Son of God that you may as Saul lye trembling and being astonished cry out to be Justified with the Righteousness of God without the Law even that which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Many other gross Absurdities which I have omitted in your whole Book may perhaps be more throughly gathered up when you shall have taken the opportunity to reply In the mean time I shall content my self with this Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World Joh. 1. 29. Even Jesus who delivered us from the Wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. Who when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High Heb. 1. 3. Christ dyed for our Sins 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. God hath made him to be Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ was made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. He bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. He loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Rev. 1. 5. God for Christ's sake â—ath forgiven you Eph. 4. 23. We have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of our Sins according to the riches of his Grace Eph. 1. 7. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the onely Wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Conclusion That my Reader may farther perceive that Mr. Fowler even by the chief of the Articles of the Church of England is adjudged Erronious and besides the very Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and that in those very Principles that are the main I say and that most immediately concern Christ Faith and Salvation will be evident to them that compare his Design of Christianity with these Articles hereunder Recited The Articles concerning Free-will THe condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own Natural strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will The Article concerning justification WE are accounted Righteous before God ONELY for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith ONELY is a most wholesome Doctrine and full of Comfort c. The Article of Works before justification WOrks done before the Grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ or deserve Grace of Congruity Yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the NATVRE of Sin These Articles because they respect the points incontroversie betwixt Mr. Fowler and my self and because they be
Apostles was that which instead of helping forward did hinder and pervert the Gospel of Christ he applieth himself to them in this manner This onely would I learn of you Received you the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith By the works of the Law that is by putting of your principles into practice Nay may I not adde by putting of your principles into practice by a more bright and clear rule then in the beginning of your description is inserted by you for the Law as written and engraven in stones with the addition of all the Mosaical precepts was a more ample and full discovery of the mind of God then can be obtained by your virtues of Soul your purity of humane nature or the first principles of morals as they are written in the heart of man and originally dictates of humane nature Yet by these by following these by labouring to live up to the light of these their own experience told them that they neither could nor did obtain the enjoyment of the holy Ghost but that rather their now declining the word of Faith by which indeed they receive it at first whatever pretences of holiness and godliness were the arguments to prevail with them so to do was in truth none other but the very witch-craft and inchantments of the Devil Farther The Apostle sets this your Spirit and Principles and that which indeed is the Spirit of God in aline Diametrically opposite one against another yea the receiving of the one opposeth the receiving of the other Now we have received saith he NOT the Spirit of the World that is your Spirit and principles of humanity to walk by it or live in it but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. But what is the Spirit of the World He tells us in the verse before it is the Spirit of a man which Solomon calls the Candle of the Lord that which searcheth all the inward parts of the Belly Prov. 20. 27. by humane principles good motions to moral duties workings of reason dictates of nature to obey God as Creator These things flow from the Spirit of a man which is the Spirit of all the World They that preach or speak by this Spirit they preach or speak of the World of the virtues of the World and the World the whole World heareth them or know in themselves what they say Now when this Spirit is received imbraced and followed as the Spirit that is of God then it must be branded with the mark of the Spirit of error and of Antichrist because the act in so doing is most wicked yea and Christ himself is made head against by it But I say the holy Ghost is not obtained by these principles nor by the pursuit of them 2. Faith is not obtained by the pursuit of your principle but by hearing of another doctrine He that presseth men to look to and live by the purity of humane nature principles of natural reason or by the Law as written in the heart or Bible he sets the word of Faith out of the World for these doctrines are as opposite as the Spirits I spake of before For Moses describeth the righteousness that is of the Law that the man that doth these things shall live by them Now he that receiveth this Law to do and live by he hath set up and is in pursuit of a doctrine of another nature then that which is called the righteousness of faith that being such as for justification aâ—d deliverance from the curse maketh no mention at all of hearing the Law or of doing good works but of hearing of the mercy of God as extended to sinners and of its coming to us through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus The righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead but what saith it The word is nigâ—h thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mâ—uth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 5 9. This then is the doctrine of faith or the righteousness with which faith hath to do Now as old covenantâ— works are begotten in men by the doctrine of works so faith is begotten by the doctrine of faith Therefore after he had said faith cometh by hearing â—e insinuates it to be the hearing the preaching of the Gospel of peace peace by the blood of the cross and the glad tidings of good things ver 14 15 16 17. of good things promised for the sake of the Lord Jesus not for the sake of good deeds done of us by humane principles or the dictates of our nature Faith Then the second essential comes into the heart not by the preaching or the practice of your principles but by another a higher and far more heavenly doctrine And hence the Apostle compleatly puts the difference betwixt the worker of good works in the Spirit of the Law and the believer that taketh hold of grace by Christ that he may be saved thereby The one he calls Them that are of the works of the Law the other They which are of Faith This being done he tells us that as they differ in the principles to wit of Faith and Works so they shall differ in conclusion For the Law is not of faith the promise is onely made to faith therefore they onely that are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 3. The third essential is a new Heart and a new Spirit or mind and this also comes not by your principle that being but the old covenant that gendreth to bondage and that holds its Ismaels under the curse for ever there comes no new heart by the Law nor new Spirit It is by the new Covenant even the Gospel that all things are made now Jer. 31. 33. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 17 18 19. The Apostle after a large discourse of the two ministrations and their excellencies 2 Cor. 3. tell us that the heart is nothing changed so long as it abideth in the works of the Law but remaineth blind and ignorant Nevertheless saith he when it shall turn from the Law to the Lord the vail shall be taken away But what is it to turn from the Law to the Lord Why even to leave and forsake your Spirit and principles and works from those principles and flie to the grace and merits the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now when the heart is turned to Christ then the vail of Moses is taken off wherefore then the soul with OPEN face beholding as in a glass the glory of
you Mentioned the First though but once your Babel had tumbled about your Ears For if in the Holy Jesus did dwell the Word One of the Three in Heaven or if the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was Truly Essentially and Naturally God then must the Principle from whence his Works did Proceed be better then the Principle from whence Proceeded the Goodness in Adam otherwise Adam must be God and Man Also you do or may know that the self same act may be done from several Principles And again that it is the Principle from whence the act is done and not the bare doing of the act that makes it better or worse Accepted or not in the Eyes either of God or Men. Now then to shew you the Main or Chief Design of the Life and Conversation of the Lord Jesus First It was not to shew us what an Excellent Holiness we once had in Adam But that thereby God the Eternal Majesty according to his Promise might be seen by and dwell with Mortal Men For the Godhead being altogether in it's own Nature Invisible and yet desirous to be seen by and dwell with the Children of Men therefore was the Son who is the self same Substance with the Father closed with or Tabernacled in our Flesh that in that Flesh the Nature and Glory of the Godhead might be seen by and dwell with us The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory What Glory The Glory as of the onely Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Again The Life that is the Life of God in the Works and Conversation of Christ was Manifest and we have seen it and bear Witness and shew unto you that Eternal Life which was with the Father and was Manifested unto us And hence he is called the Image of the Invisible God or he by whom the Invisible God is most perfectly presented to the Sons of Men. Did I say before that the God of Glory is desirous to be seen of us Even so also have the Pure in Heart a desire that it should be so Lord say they shew us the Father and it suffiseth us And therefore the promise is for their comfort that they shall see God But how then must they see him Why in the Person and by the Life and Works of Jesus When Philip under a mistake thought of seeing God some other way then in and by this Lord Jesus Christ What is the Answer Have I been so long time with you saith Christ and hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then shew us the Father Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me The Words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the Works Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else Believe me for the very Works sake See here that both the Words and Works of the Lord Jesus were not to shew you and so to call you back to the Holiness that we had lost but to give us Visions of the Perfections that are in the Father He hath given us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. And hence it is that the Apostle in that brief Collection of the wonderful Mystery of Godliness placeth this in the Front thereof God was Manifested in the Flesh Was Manifested viz. In and by the Person of Christ when in the Flesh he lived among us Manifest I say for this as one Reason that the Pure in heart who long after nothing more might see him I beseech thee said Moses shew me thy Glory And will God indeed dwell with Men on the Earth faith Solomon Now to fullfil the desires of them that fear him hath he shewed himself in Flesh unto them which Discovery Principally is made by the Words and Works of Christ. But Secondly Christ by his Words and Works of Righteousness in the days of his Flesh neither shewed us which was nor called us back to the Possession of the Holiness that we had lost but did Perfect in and by himself the Law for us that we had Broken Man being Involved in Sin and Misery by reason of Transgression Committed against the Law or Ministration of Death and being utterly unable to Recover himself there-from the Son of God himself Assumeth the Flesh of Man and for Sin Condemned Sin in that Flesh. And that First by walking through the Power of his Eternal Spirit in the highest Perfection to every point of the whole Law in it's most Exact and full Requirements which was to be done not onely without Commixing Sin in his doing but by one that was perfectly without the least being of it in his Nature yea by one that now was God-Man because it was God whose Law was broken and whose Justice was offended For were it now possible to give a Man Possession of that Holiness that he hath lost in Adam that Holiness could neither in the Principle nor Act deliver from the Sin by him before Committed This is Evident by many Reasons First because it is not a Righteousness able to answer the Demands of the Law for Sin that requiring not onely a perfect abiding in the thing Commanded but a satisfaction by death for the Transgression Committed against the Law The Wages of Sin is Death Wherefore he that would undertake the Salvation of the World must be one who can do both these things One that can perfectly do the Demands of the Law in Thought Word and Deed without the least Commixture of the least Sinful thought in the whole Course of his Life He must be also able to give by Death even by the Death that hath the Curse of God in it a compleat satisfaction to the Law for the breach thereof Now this could none but Christ accomplish none else having Power to do it I have Power said he to lay down my Life and I have Power to take it again And this Commandment have I Received of my Father This Work then must be done not by another Earthly Adam but by the Lord from Heaven by one that can Abollish Sin Destroy the Devil Kill Death and Rule as Lord in Heaven and Earth Now the Words and Works of the Lord Jesus declared him to be such a one He was first without Sin then he did no Sin neither could either the Devil the whole World or the Law find any Deceit in his mouth But by being under the Law and walking in the Law by that Spirit which was the Lord God of the Law he not onely did always the things that pleased the Father but by that means in mans Flesh he did perfectly accomplish and fullfil that Law which all Flesh stood Condemned by It is a Foolish and an Heathenish thing nay worse to think that the Son of God
the Son of God if I do not the Works of my Father believe me not but if I do though you believe not me believe the Works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him John 10. 37 38. But what is it to believe that he is Messias or Christ Even to believe that this Man Jesus was ordained and appointed of God and that before all Worlds to be the Saviour of Men by accomplishing in himself an Everlasting Righteousness for them and by bearing their Sins in his Body on the Tree that it was he that was to Reconcile us to God by the Body of his Flesh when he hanged on the Cross. This is the Doctrine that at the beginning Christ Preached to that Learned Ignorant Nicodemus As Moses said he lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life The Serpent was lifted up upon a Pole Christ was hanged on a Tree the Serpent was lifted up for Murmurers Christ was hanged up for Sinners the Serpent was lifted up for them that were bitten with Fiery Serpents the fruits of their wicked Murmuring Christ was hanged up for them that are bitten with Guilt the rage of the Devil and the fear of Death and Wrath the Serpent was hanged up to be looked on Christ was hanged up that we might believe in him that we might have Faith in his Blood They that looked upon the Serpent of Brass lived They that believe in Christ shall be saved and shall never perish Was the Serpent then lifted up for them that were good and Godly No but for the Sinners So God commended his Love to us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ dyed for us But what if they that were Stung could not because of the swelling of their face look up to the Brazen Serpent then without remedy they dye So he that believeth not in Christ shall be Damned But might they not be healed by humbling themselves one would think that better then to live by looking up onely No onely looking up did it when death swallowed up them that looked not This then is the Doctrine Christ came into the World to save Sinners according to the Proclamation of Paul Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this Man is Preached unto you the forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are Justified from all things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses The forgiveness of Sins But what is meant by forgiveness Forgiveness doth strictly respect the Debt or Punishment that by Sin we have brought upon our selves But how are we by this Man forgiven this Because by his Blood he hath answered the Justice of the Law so made amends to an offended Majesty Besides this Man's Righteousness is made over to him that looks up to him for Life Yea that man is made the Righteousness of God in him This is the Doctrine that the Miracles were wrought to confirm and that both by Christ and his Apostles and not that Holiness and Righteousness that is the fruit of a feigned Purity of our Nature Take two or three Instances for all The Jews came round about him and said unto him How long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Jesus answered them I told you and you believed not the Works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me but ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep John 10. 24 25 26. By this Scripture the Lord Jesus testifies what was the end of his Words and wondrous Works viz. That men might know that he was the Christ that he was sent of God to be the Saviour of the World and that these Miracles required of them first of all that they accept of him by believing a thing little set by by our Author for in Pag. 299. he preferâ—eth his doing Righteousness far before it and above ALL things else his words are Verbatim thus Let us exercise our selves unto Real and Substantial Godliness such as he hath Described in the first part of his Book viz. That which is the Dictares of his Humane Nature c. and in keeping our Consciences vsid of Offence both towards God and towards Men and in studying the Gospel to enable us not to Discourse or onely to BELIEVE but also and above ALL things to DOWELL But Believing though not with this man yet by Christ and his wondrous Miracles is expected first and above ALL things from men and to do well in the best Sence though his Sence is the worst is that which by the Gospel is to come after Secondly Go into all the World and Preach the Gospel unto every Creature He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved and he that Believeth not shall be Damned 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 thing it shall not hurt them c. Mark 16. 16 17 18. Mark you here it is Believing Believing It is I say Believing that is here required by Christ. Believing what The Gospel even good Tydings to Sinners by Jesus Christ good Tydings of Good glad Tydings of good things Mark how the Apostle hath it the glad Tydings is that through Jesus is Preached the forgiveness of Sins and by him all that BELIEVE are Justified from ALL things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 33 39. These Signs shall follow them that Believe Mark Signs before and Signs after and all to Exite to and Confirm the weight of Believing And they went forth and Preached every where the Lord working with them and Confirming the Word with Signs following Amen Mark 16. 20. Thirdly Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard least at any time we should let them slip For if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Recompence of Reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was Confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them Witness with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 1 2 3 4. Here we are Excited to the Faith of the Lord Jesus under these Words so great Salvation As if he had said Give earnest heed the most earnest heed to the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus because it is SO great Salvation What this Salvation is he tells us it is that which was Preached by the Lord himself That God so loved the World that he gave his onely Begotten Son that whosoever Believed in
Precious Faith with all the Elect and that which is most Holy but those Acts of it which Respect our Justification with God from the Curse of the Law that is due for Sin are such as respect not any good Work done by us but the Righteousness that Resideth in the Person of Christ and is made ours by the imputation of Grace This Faith I say accounteth him in whom it is now a Sinner and without Works yea if he have any that in his own eyes are such this Faith rejects them and throweth them away for it seeth a Righteousness in the Person of Christ sufficient even such as is verily the Righteousness of God Now to him that worketh not but believeth Works and Faith are put here in oppposition Faith being considered as Justifying in the sight of God from the Curse The Reason is because the Righteousness by which the Soul must thus stand Justified is a Righteousness of God's appointing not of his Prescribing us a Righteousness that Intirely is Included in the Person of Christ. The Apostle also when he speaks of God's saving the Election which hangeth upon the same Hinge as this of Justification doth to wit on the Grace of God he opposeth it to Works and that not to this or that sort onely but even to Work in the Nature of Work Rom. 11. If it be of Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more of Grace otherwise Work is no more Work By this Text I say the Apostle doth so throughly Distinguish between Grace and Works as that which so ever standeth in the Case the other must be Annihilated If it be by Grace then must Works be no more then it is no more of Works but if it be of Works then is Grace no more then it is no more of Grace But this notwithstanding you urge farther That Faith Justifieth as it includes a sincere Resolution c. Answ. Although as I have said before the Faith which is the Justifying Faith is that of the Holiest Nature yet in the Act by which it layeth hold of Justifying Righteousness it respects it simply as a Righteousness offered by Grace or given unto the Person that by Faith layeth hold thereon as he stands yet ungodly and a Sinner Faith Justifieth not seperate from the Righteousness of Christ as it is a Grace in us nor as it subjecteth the Soul to the obedience of the Morral Law but as it receiveth a Righteousness offered to that Sinner that as such will lay hold on and accept thereof Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners by being their Redemption and Righteousness himself But you add The Faith that Intaileth the Sinner to SO High a Priviledge as that of Justification must needs be such as complyeth with all the purposes of Christ's coming into the World c. Answ. By this supposition Faith Justifieth not by receiving of the Righteousness that Christ by himself accomplished for Sinners but by falling in with all good Works which because they cannot be known much less done by the Soul at first his Faith being then as to the perfection of knowledge of Duties weak he standeth still before God unjustified and so must stand until he doth comply with all those purposes of Christ's coming into the World But yet again you recall your self and distinguish one purpose from the rest as a grand one Pag. 222. And that is to receive Christ as Lord as well as a Saviour Answ. 1. Although the Soul that in truth receiveth Christ receiveth him wholly and intirely as Christ and not as chopt and pul'd in Pieces Yet I distinguish between the act of Faith which layeth hold of Christ for my Justification from the Curse before God and the consequences of that act which are to engage me to newness of Life And indeed as it is impossible for a Man to be a new Man before he be Justified in the sight of God so it is also as impossible but that when Faith hath once layed hold on Christ for Life it should also follow Christ by Love But 2. Christ may be received at first as Lord and that in our Justification and yet not at all be considered as a Law-giver for so he is not the Object of Faith for our Justification with God but a requirer of Obedience to Laws and Statutes of them that already are Justified by the Faith that receiveth him as Righteousness But Christ is as well a Lord for us as to or over us and it highly concerneth the Soul when it believeth in or trusteth to the Righteousness of Christ for Justification with God to see that this Righteousness Lords it over Death and Sin and the Devil and Hell for us The Name wherewith he shall be called is The Lord our Righteousness Our Righteousness then is Lord and Conquerour over all and we more then Conqerours through this Lord that loved us The Author to the Hebrews calls him King of Righteousness because by his Righteousness he ruleth as Lord and King and can reign and Lord it at all times over all those that seek to seperate us from the presence and Glory of God Now how you will brook this Doctrine I know not I am sure he stands in need thereof that is Lorded over by the Curse of the Law the guilt of Sin the Rage of the Devil and the fear of the Death and Hell He I say would be glad to know that in Christ there is a Righteousness that Lords it or that Christ as he is Righteousness is Lord. Wherefore Reader when thou shalt Read or Hear that Jesus Christ is Lord if thou art at the same time under guilt of Sin and fear of Hell then do thou Remember that Christ is Lord more ways then one he is Lord as he is Righteousness he is Lord as he is Imputative Righteousness he is the Lord OVR Righteousness Of the same import is that also he is a Prince and a Saviour he is a Prince as he is a Saviour because the Righteousness by which he saveth beareth Rule in Heaven and Earth And hence we Read again that even when he was in the Combat with our Sins the Devils the Curse and Death upon the Cross he even in that place made a shew of them openly and triumphed over them Now in these things he is Lord for us and the Captain of our Salvation as also in that he hath Led Captivity Captive all which places with many more being Testimonies to us of the sufficiency of that Righteousness which saveth us from the Justice of the Law and Wrath of God But you respect not this his manner of Lording but will have him be a Saviour as he giveth Laws especially those you call Indispensible and Eternal the Morral Law You would have him a Saviour as he bringeth us back to the Holiness we had lost But this is none