and not esteemed of in the sight of God but yet we cannot understand by this that our VVorks are to be so perfect that the Law must not be broken for then what would the Blood of Christ signify to us VVho is it that ever liv'd so holy but every Day breaks the Law tho against his Desire But more of this in another Place As to the Scripture which seems to plead for Perfection of good VVorks and Faith in this Life or no Salvation which is that Vbelievers Fearful and all Lyars shall have their Portion in the Lake Rom. 21. 8. points that such Perfection is given after this Life otherwise who shall be saved this will end the Confusion that is preach'd Thus I have given an uniting of the Scripture as to Faith and Works And for the better understanding this I proceed to the Definition of a justiing Faith But first let me tell you Perfection in good Works is taught to be in this Life and so the Error of the Galatians is on us who expected Justification by the Law for they say if we repent we shall be forgiven which I grant but that which is the Mistake and brings us under Bondage again is that they allow not Repentance sufficient without also a forsaking of the Sin repented of and Men not always finding it in their Power so to do fall into Despair So that we had need of a more comfortable Doctrine to encourage us in that which is good and to render us Satisfaction For I find from the Example of the Primitive Christians that sold their Estates and gave it to the Poor that Love draws more than Fear compels A Definition of a Justifying or Saving Faith A Justifying or Saving Faith consists in three parts 1. To believe that Christ suffered for Sin without doubting of it 2. To love him to that perfection of Love as not to fear but to be assured of our Salvation 3. To delight in good works tho we cannot be so perfect in them as to keep the whole Law of Moses or Moral Commands of Christ yet having this Faith Good Works would be as was in the Primitive Faith when they sold their Possessions and distributed to those that wanted far surpassing what is now practised So that believing without doubting assurance of Salvation and good Works make up one Faith for Justification And if one of these three parts be wanting the Faith is not Justifying and so by consequence nor Saving Whence all three parts put together make up such a Faith as we must have either in this World or the World to come or no Salvation Proofs of this Faith in every part of it 1. He that doubts whether Christ suffered or not doth not believe for he that doubteth is damned is he eats because he eateth not of Faith Rom. 14. 23. questioning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the Meat he eats which shews that a doubting Faith is a damning Faith But in objection to this we say Christ healed the Man that said Lord I believe help my Vnbelief So he healed all that were diseased of their Bodies that came unto him whether Believers or Unbelievers yet without this Faith there 's no Salvation And as to his not quenching the smoaking Flax that 's in some for it 's certain that Israel in part are concluded in Unbelief born to die in Unbelief And indeed the Faith now in general is a doubting wavering seeking Faith and Books are now writ to prove the Scriptures the word of God there being so little credit given to them 2. The second part of this Faith is assurance of Salvation It is neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision that availeth but Faith that works by love Gal. 5. 6. Hence 't is a Faith that works by love that is saving or available and this Faith which works by Love is not made perfect if Fear be not extinguished as 't is writ He that fears is not made perfect in love 1 John 4. 18. Now if 1 question whether God loves me so well as to save me I am in fear and where there is Fear there is Torment John 4. 18. So that it 's evident a Faith which works by Love is made perfect by a casting out of Fear which cannot be till there be an assurance of Salvation this being so clearly proved proves the first part of Faith to be true that doubting is not believing for who can be sure of his Salvation that doubts of Christ's Suffering 3. The third part of this Saving Faith is to delight in good Works tho we cannot be so perfect in them in this Life as to keep the whole Law of Moses and Moral Commands of Christ The Error that the foolish Galatians were under is the same as now 〈◊〉 which was that they sought Justification by being so 〈◊〉 good Works that they were able to keep the Law or 〈…〉 committing Sin as if we must first keep the Law 〈…〉 before we can have an Interest in Christ As 〈…〉 â—o absurd as to say they can live without 〈…〉 But Paul tells them he preached the Gospel to them 〈…〉 the Flesh and in the next Verse he calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Flesh which was Sin And in that 〈◊〉 so 〈…〉 they must have seen it because Paul 〈…〉 this his Temptation in the Flesh which theâ—efoâ—e must be a visible Sin or Temptation Gal. 4 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may go far and not be perfect 1 Cor. 13 'T is â—â—â—rity that is the tryal of a Christian's Faith and it never faileth The 〈◊〉 satisfaction of future Joys opens the Hearts of Men but Unbelievers hold it best to be sure of keeping what they have here for fear of not being recompenc'd hereafter But I would not have you mistake the Apostle when he saith Though I bestow all my 〈◊〉 to the Poor and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing â— Paul doth not say he that giveth his Goods to the Poor for Christ â— sake hath not Charity that cannot be but to give them in Oâ—â—â—uâ—ation or Pride For Charity covereth a multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8 and true Charity sussereth long or is patient and is kind and eâ—vieth not â—â—aunteth not it self is not puffed up and doth not unseemly beleave it self especially towards the Poor as if they were not his Fellow-Creatures Paul preach'd Sin unavoidable so that if he had found in himself that he could have avoided it altogether he could not have let his Experience and Doctrine so contradict each other for in Rom. 7. 21 he thus writes I find then a Law that when I would do good evil it present with me Again ver 18. to will is present with me but 〈◊〉 to perform that which is good I find not and much more in that Chapter to the same purpose And indeed the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit that we cannot do the things we would Gal. 5. 17. But iâ— objection to this we read Paul got the Victory 1 Cor. 15. â—7
carry no other Sense than its one literal Sense and that is Satisfaction enough for us And so I leave you to understand that Text fully in these Books and then you 'll be better satisfied but the Mysteries of Divinity or the ways of God are so far above our ways though they be made apparent to the Vnderstanding and Experience yet may appear Fabulous to your Faith for sometime and it may be in this World for ever as it pleases God to enlighten your Mind As to my Sheet concerning Elijah I find they that know least make most Noise and by such I have reeeived Abuses enough and shewed their malice to forsake my Shop But what would People have me to do Had they bad such Visions and such fulfilling of their Expectations as I have had mentioned in that Dispute with the Athenian Society Could they with a safe Conscience go back Especially when the Learned fly from Argument as if they were afraid to discourse me But herein will lie some Satisfaction if no Man can be found that is able to discourse me then I hope I have the mere reason to suspect my self to be that Person but if I were able as I know nothing to the contrary as yet to overthrow the whole World in Divinity I should never believe my self to be that Elias except I also lived to see the Second Coming of Christ In the mean time I put forth these Books to try the Learned and to cause a Preparation against that Day but whither 't will answer my Expectation I am not certain however I must try it and if it fails me I have been no Impudent Affirmer but modest in what I have writ and have to the best of my Knowledg kept close to the Truth and better cannot be expected from me whereby my Conscience is perfectly satisfied let things go how they will and if there be any Evil let the Learned answer for that whose place it is to satisfy Men in their Errors and Doubts and once more I now try them being the last I intend to write and so I take my leave of them except they answer me and others will be at the Charges of Printing my Re-answers for my Ability will not do it The last things that I can understand by the Scriptures is the Preparation Elias is to make to meet Christ in Love at his second Appearance for the turning a Curse from the Earth Mal. 4. and then follows the second coming of Christ As for the calling of the Jews it lyes somewhat dubious in Scripture whither it will be immediately before Christ's coming or at his coming Our Saviour saith When I come shall I find Faith on Earth Luke 18. 8. Now if the Jews are called before he come I should be apt to think there would be Faith upon Earth otherwise how are they called Besides the Deliverer that is to come out of Sion to turn Iniquity from them must certainly be by Faith and who can give them Faith but Christ See Rom. 11. 26. Again the Generation of the Jews are not to pass away till all these things be done Math. 24. 34. that is in the foregoing verses till the Son of Man come in the Clouds with Power and great Glory this Generation is not to pass away Observe then if the Jews should before the coming of Christ turn Christians they would not regard their Geneology and so their Generation would pass away so that I cannot discern that their calling will be till the the second coming of Christ I shall not detain you here any longer but I hope this Age will not altogether imitate the blind Zeal of the Jews who persecuted that Doctrine they were not able to answer But already my Suffering in this case in forsaking my Shop that have so great a Family proves their Knowledge as little as their Charity which last is one Proof of Apostolick Doctrine And thus in all Ages hath God confounded the Wisdom of the World T. M. An Addition to the Clavis Aurea for a more perfect Satisfaction in Salvation after fifteen years tryal of the Learned THE Scripture tells us in one place That we are saved by Grace through Faith and not of Works least any should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. but in another place contrary to this We are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works James 2. 24. In another place by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified Gal. 2. 16. But in another place contrary to this all Vnbelievers Fearful and whosoever maketh a Lye have their Portion in the Lake of Brimstone and Fire Rev. 21. 8. which argues we must be saved by perfection in good works I need not tell you the insatisfaction in these things insomuch that we are at a Nonplus to know on what terms our Salvation doth depend whether entirely on Faith or entirely on Works or partly on Faith and partly on Works or entirely on Grace So that the Scripture is a Book sealed up and he that is not able to overthrow all Men of the contrary Judgment to his can be no Minister of it As it came by Inspiration so Inspiration must unfold it they were never yet laid open for Paul writ the Wisdom of God in a Mystery 1 Cor. 2. 7. and there hath been no Spiritual Man to do it since and the Scripture speaks but of one to come to which I refer you to my Disputation with the Athenian Society concerning Elias in Mal. 4. By the word Grace I mean a Free-gift as if Salvation were given us we not meriting it by any Free-will in us VVhen I say Moses Law I mean not only the Moral Commands of Moses as the Ten Commandments and the like but also the Moral Commands of Christ which are the same as the Law only some of them more difficult to be obeyed as for example if the Law saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery Christ saith if we but lust after a Woman we commit Adultery in the Heart If the Law saith Thou shalt not covet Christ bid the Rich Man to sell all he had and to give to the Poor This being understood I shall now open what I have said concerning on what terms our Salvation doth depend when it is said by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified it is without we keep the Law of Moses so entirely as not to break it in one point for then we are guilty of the whole James 2. 10. in that Sense that it will condemn us and Repentance will not fetch us back to be justified by that Law being once broken but a Sacrifice or Christ must make up what of that Law we are not able to keep when it is said we are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works it is to be understood that Faith is dead without Works James 2. 26. So that Faith which works not by Love from whence flows good VVorks is not a living but dead Faith
vain this is a great mistake and I have prov'd the contrary but you may say if the fear of Hell be taken away and Love not given this will encourage to Sin I answer if there were Free-will it might do so but no Man can soften or harden his own Heart God can take away this fear of Hell and not give his Love and so make it a means to allure to Sin or he can by taking away this fear of Hell make it a meanes to love him the more 't is as he pleases to move in us the Mercies of God mov'd Paul to please him the more but they were far better Christians that Love hath allur'd than that Fear hath compelled The Primitive Christians who were sure of their Salvation and fear'd it not compar'd with the Christians of our Age who fear a Hell may soon I say decide this for who now will sell his Posessions and distribute them to the poor As in Acts 4. 32. If then we would be doing what is good for Satisfaction of Salvation let us not fear Hell which hinders us from the love of God and deny Free-will which makes as in Charity with our Neighbour and that 's the Reason that love is the fullfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. and without love there 's no Religion can threatning to bâ—â—n me make me love Love is not to be forc'd by Fire but allur'd or drawn by Mercy And the better to satisfie you against a Hell that you may love observe in Scripture that altho Good be commanded the contrary Evil is said shall be viz. Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 13. yet he that fears is not made perfect in Love 1 John 4. 18 and the fearful are cast into a Lake Rev. 21. 8. One Text saith thou shall love God with all thy Heart c. yet Men shall be lovers of themselves more than lovers of God 2 Tim 3. 4. it's writ love thy Neighbour as thy Self and another Text saith I have set all Men every one against his Neighbour Zâ—ch 8. 10. We are commanded not to covet yet â—â—â— shall be Covetous Proud Blasphemers c. 2 Tim. 3. 2. â—t's writ then shalt not kill yet Prophets and Apostles are sent and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them they shall kill Mat. 1â— 49 50. nay and think they do God good Servce And when such Blasohemies Murders Pride Covetousness Unbelief c. are compell'd on Men and that a real Hell-Fire must be the Punishment of it it cannot be Object Sin is made the Punishment of Sin that 's an Argument it was not ordain'd Answ It was Murder and the greatest of Murders to kill Christ as being the Lord of Glory and by no Law they could do it Well then Christ was ordain'd to be slain from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. which was before Adam was created and this was kept secret since the World began Rom. 16. 25. And when Christ came to suffer it was not till his very Hour was come that they had Power over him John 7. 30. he tells Pilate that he had no Power over him except it were given him from Above And more than that he saith in John 10. 17. That he laid down his own Life no Man took it from him again I lay it down my self ver 18. How then could the Jews and Judas avoid the effecting of this How then was this ordained as a Punishment for Sin before Man was created And how can part of Israel ordained to Unbelief before they are born be for Sins committed by them And if God did make the Commission of one Sin as a Punishment of another Sin before committed it 's no Argument but that he is the Author of Sin As for that Objection that God permits Sin he must of necessity permit what he owns to do himself Object If Sin be an Informity and unavoidable as in Vnbelief Fear Anger Murder c. How shall I six an Idea or conceive that it can be a Sin And how can Man be the Subject of Punishment and Reward I answer Sin is a breach of what 's commanded and that through Infirmty as I have proved in the Unbelief of Israel and that when we would do Good Evil is present as I have already discoursed So that Man cannot be said to be really Good or Evil by the way of freewill but by the way of Example to set forth by commanding what is Good that we might know Good and then forcing us to break those Commands that we might know what is Evil and then rewarding the Good he makes us do to set forth his Love to that which is Good and punishing that Evil he makes us do to set forth his hatred to Evil So that both the Sin and the Punishment are inevitable whereby also his Terrors are made known and his Wisdom in confounding the Wisdom of the World in this Mystery of Iniquity which the Scripture saith shall abound Mat. 24. 12. as Pâ—ul was created in Christ unto Good Works which God before ordaiued he should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. as Judas was compelled to betray Christ Thus strait hath been the Gate and narrow hath been the Path which is Faith in this Life and who can find it Buâ— God is able to give it us after this Life as he will do and from such particular Examples we may with Paul draw a General Rule And don 't we see now Vessels of Wrath fitted to Dectruction as Plotters who are so conceited in freewill that think things to be kept secret when it 's frequent for one of their own Paâ—tiâ—s to betray them some hang themselves some drown themselves c. But these are only Temporal Punishments I spake of as for Eternal I deny to be after this Life as being where there is no Free-will altogether tyranniâ—l and â— dishonouring of God All which Punishments Temporal renders the Creature more happy in that Adversity commends a future of Prosperity and makes us prize our Happiness the greater and to this end was a Parabolical Hell-Fire threatned also as well as to set forth the Terror of the Almighty Object But 't is good to fear the worâ— the best will help it self Answ If you fear such an Eternal Punishment if there were any that very Fear would condemn you to it as 't is writ The unbelieving and fearful are cast into the Lake of Brimstone and Fire Rev. 21. 8. And besides it 's Fear will hinder you from Love to God and Charity to your Neighbour in that you must then own Free-will and so deprive you of the means here to esape it Object Many have committed great Sins and have here liv'd happy or free from much Trouble either in Body or Mind and must they receive all alike Answ There 's none but have their Troubles here tho some more than others and Israel that die in Unbelief and have committed great Sins yet art saved whether there be degrees of
but there he saith it was through Christ that God gave him the Victory â—â—â— Sin and Death that is in reference to another World otherwise we must conclude he never died here in the Flesh The Spirit of Christ moved in him to do that which was good yet he teaches that he had a 〈◊〉 Temptation in the Flesh and preach'd a Doctrine suâ—eableâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and suppose he got the Victory over Sin how should the Jews over their Unbelief In John 3. it 's said He thaâ— obideth in Christ sinneth not And in John 1. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves c. This is the same as Paul said ' T is no more I that do it but Sin that is in me he did commit Sin but not willingly with a desire to commit it But alas â—â— those that have not a Beam in their Eyes may by reading what is commanded and how far short they come of it easily discern they cannot live one Day without committing one â—in or another Now let us see how far short Men come of the Works of those that had this Faith we find St. Paul work'd to maintain himself caring not to burden the Church 2 Thess 3. 8 9 and left it for an Example Where the Holy Ghost was evidently given that Comforter Joh. 16. 7. that sweetness of the Powers Above that gave them assurance of Salvation and ravished them with such Celestial transporting Joys without which we may be said to be in Hell that this World and all its Glory was as dung Phil. 3. 8. They sold their Possessions and distribute◠〈◊〉 their Brethren the Christians wanted and accounted nothing their own they possessed Acts 4. 32. and this was easy to them that had a saving Faith or assurance of Salvation whereby the Love of God was spread abroad in their Hearts but these are hard 〈◊〉 these Days Thus have I ended the Description of Saving Faith without which a Man cannot be saved so that if there were such a loâ—â— Place of Torment as a Hell-Fire after this Life who can by his Faith escape it But I have proved in my Clavis Aurea and will make it more plain here that Faith is given 〈◊〉 this Life and therein must rest our Satisfaction for little Signs of Faith are now and I pass by the miraculous Cures oâ— the Apostles and their raising the Dead as Signs of their Faith But if Covetousness Pride Envy c. be Signs of Faith we see enough rich Apparel and out-vying one another instead of searching out and visiting distressed Familes 'T is 〈…〉 themselves give good Examples in this kind 〈…〉 may be they will not let their right Hands know wha◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hands do An opening of some Obscure Places in the Clavis Aurea In Page 6 and 7. it 's prov'd that Blindness in part â—â— happened â—o Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be came in Rom 11. 25. But to be more plain if this Unbelief was not ordained for them and to continue till the Fulness of the Gentiles were come in How came St. Paul to know this And such Unbelief could not be foreseen if Free-will was intended for these Men multitudes of them not being born The Fulness of the Gentiles is when the Jews are called evident from the Text viz Blindness in part is happened unto Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in The Fulness of the Gentiles also is when the Deliverer comes out of Sion to turn Iniquity from Jacob Rom. 11. 26. which Iniquity cannot be turned away but by Faith for as long as Unbelief remains upon them their Iniquity remains And so long as Jerusalem lies trodden under-foot the Fulness of the Gentiles are not come in as 't is writ Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21. 24. From this then we must allow that multitudes of the Jews were ordained before they were born to die in Unbelief and amongst such multitudes the grossest Sins have been committed Yet the Scriptures tell us All Israel shall be saved they being Enemies also to the Gospel yet are elected and beloved Rom. 11. 25. 28. All the Reason then that the Jews are broken off through Unbelief can be no other as the Scripture tells you but that the Gentiles might be grafted in Rom. 11. 17. And so Sin and Unbelief is not the Original Cause that all are not Israel which are of Israel 't is only a Distinction between the Children of the Flesh and Children of the Promise As 't is writ the Children of the Flesh are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are accounted for the Seed Rom. 9. 8. The very Text it self tells you they are termed Israel though they are born to die in Unbelief in that it saith Blindness in part is happened unto Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11. 25. It 's but rational then that these unavoidable Vnbelievers should be saved and the Scripture agrees with it and besides Unbelief is a Cause of Sin as for want of a Saving Faith Men are covetous proud c. having only a form of Godlinâ—ss These Unbelievers and Sinners are notwithstanding termed Israel and the following Text saith All Israel shall be saved ver 26. So that the Children of the Promise must be all Men in the Spirit in their Glorified Estate tho they are the grossest Unbelievers and Sinners in the Flesh and this is very easy to believe since there is no Free-will in Faith and Unbelief is the Cause of gross Sins committed And in Sin there is not Free-will but some are made Vessels of Wrath as Judas to betray and some are made Vessels of Mercy as Paul who was created in Christ unto good Works which God before ordained be should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. And since such Examples are I would know the Reason why we must ascribe more Free-will to our Selves than the Jews Judas and Paul And why must not we draw a General Rule from these Particular Examples as well as Paul did from the Example of Pharoah's hardness of Heart Therefore saith Paul hath he Mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens Rom. 9. 18. They being then such Unbelievers ordained to Unbelief and born to die in Unbelief yet are saved there can be no Hell Fire after this Life considering also that amongst such multitudes that die in Unbelief they have committed the grossest Sins But to proceed farther the Promise extends it self as 't is as reasonable to all Nations nay to all Families of the Earth we see Sin nor Unbelief being no more a hindrance to its Extension than the premeditated Lye of Jacob was to the receiving of the Blessing saying I am Esau thy first-born Gen. 27. The Promise is this Gen. 26. 4. I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven c. and in thy Seed shall all Nations of the Earth be