by the Covenant of works for that is broken and all are become heires of hell wrath because of the violation of that Covenant Not by the Covenant of Grace for that requireth faith before persons be interessed in these special favoures privileges And the Scripture tels us that all men have not faith how then come all men to share of these highest privileges or of this divine and glorious life which are promised in the Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ by whom they are purchased Is this divine and glorious life so meane and common a thing that even Heathens and Reprobats share of it Sure the divine and glorious life pointed forth in the Scriptures is a rare thing and is the privilege of very few and even of few of those that are members of the visible Church Will this Quaker tell me if this â—ivine and glorious life whereof all Iaponians Brasilians Cannibals are made partakers be distinguished from the divine and glorious life peculiar to the Saints And if it be distinguished how Or if it be the same in kinde why Regeneration Union with Iesus Christ by faith the Effectual Working of the grace of God and a through Renovation is requisite to the enjoyning of that in some greater measure which all have Naturally in some measure 8. He saith this measure of the divine and glorious life is a seed But whereof Is it the seed of the Eternal weight of glory that the Saints live in the hope of Wherever that seed is it cometh at length to the harvest of glory as the Scripture teacheth us and if this seed be sowne in all all shall at length be saved If it be not the seed of Glory whereof I pray is it the seed Is it the seed of Grace This seed abideth 1 Ioh. 3 9. and is incorruptible and is by the Word of God even that Word of God which is preached by the gospel 1 Pet. 1 23 25. So that this seed is no common thing but peculiar to such as are borne againe who by Christ do believe in God who raised him up from the dead and who have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1 21 22. 9. He saith this seed inviteth and inclineth all men to good But doth it invite and incline the Iaponians Braâ—ilians Artigovanteans and such Heathens who never heard of Christ nor had any shew of Religion to faith in Christ Or even to all that is enjoyned by the Law of Nature or the Law of the two Tables How cometh it then that Paul who was far better versed in the Law than Heathens are saith he would not have known concupiscence unless the Law had said thou shall not covet And how can this consist with the sinful state of every natural person whose thoughts and imaginations incline and invite to evil Read Rom 3 10 to 20. All are under sin vers 9. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God vers 23. Nay how can this be seing the carnal minde is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom 8 7 Is not the heart of every man by nature deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked Ier. 17 9. is not their very minde and conscience defiled Tit. 1 15. Where then can this good seed lodge It lodgeth neither in Heart Minde nor Conscience And shall it lodge in the Flesh It is true there is left in every Man a bit of a Natural Conscience informing concerning some Natural good requisite for self-preservation and for the preservation of Societies and inclineing thereunto but what is this to that Spiritual good required now by the Gospel and discovered by its Light Alas I see the hieght of the Quakers divinity is what a Natural Conscience can teach a Man-eater and this is their Gospel and this is their divine and glorious life O poor wretches 10. This seed he calleth the Vehicle of God A wonderful expression savouring more of a distracted braine and of an audacious blasphemous spirit than of a sober Christian fearing God 11. He calleth it the Spiritual body of Christ But by what Scripture I know not Christ is called the Saviour of the body Ephes. 1 23. Is Christ the Saviour of this seed The spiritual and mystical body of Christ is the Church Ephes 4 4. 1 Cor. 10.17 12 12 13 20. Rom. 12 4 5. Col. 1 24. Ephes. 2 23. Râ—m 12 27. Ephes. 3 6. 4 12 16. Col. 1 18. 2 19 What are the members of this body the body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 12.14 12. He saith it is the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven But had Christ no other flesh and blood than this Then the whole Incarnation of Christ is denyed And where is our Christian Religion then where is the Death of Christ where is his Resurrection where is his Ascension where is all the History of his life Is all that but dreames and lies whither will the Quakers lead us Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world Ioh. 6 51. did he give this seed for the life of the world was this seed a sacrifice to satisfie the justice of God what foolries be these Now the man in deed appeareth in his colours a Quaker in graine speaking non-sense at random and hereby evidencing what Spirit acteth him But one word more where readeth he that Christ's flesh and bloud came out of heaven They mean that Christ had the same Spiritual flesh and blood within his carnal flesh and blood which they have and so they are as much the Christ's of God as he was O dreadful blasphemy 13. He saith all the Saints eat of this What do only the saints eat of this while it is in every Man Every man by this mans doctrine is partaker of Christ's Spiritual body and hath Christ's flesh and bloud in him but they do not all eat thereof a strange phancy that persons have food in their belly before they eate it that persons are partakers of Christ's flesh and blood before they eat him by faith what wilde Notions be these Men are partakers of a glorious and divine life by having the spiritual body of Christ in them and the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven and that before they make any application of him to themselves by faith where read we of such things Christ tels us the contrary that except we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood we have no life in us Ioh 6 53. and that with a doubled asseveration verily verily And he tels us moreover that he dwelleth in such as eate his flesh that is in beleevers vers 56. and not in others and vers 57. that he that eateth him even he shall live by him But these Impudent Quakers whose work is as it seemeth to câ—ntradict Christ and all the Gospel tell us that even
it the Spirit supposing that Paul 1 Cor 3 16. maineth every man breathing when he saith know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and not remembering that the Apostle Rom. 8 9. maketh this the peculiar privilege of the Saints saying But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his But this is a maine business it doth not a little concerne him and his cause to shew a clear difference if there be any betwixt his opinion and that of Pelagians and Socinians and yet instead of doing this he runneth out in extravagancies to bewilder his Reader telling us Pag. 87. 88. that when the principle or rational propriety exalts it self to reigne and rule in spiritual things above the seed then the seed is wounded We know that corruption and carnal reason can and doth fight and strive against the grace of God in God's people and that in others it will rise up against the Truth and authority of God in the Scriptures But to imagine such a thing as either of these in persons living in heathenisme without God and without Christ without the very report of the Gospel is to dream wakeing And to call it Antichrist riseing-up against Christ as he doth call it is but a Notional juggle to hide their blasphemies 21. He goeth on to tell us his dreams for he saith as God created the sun to give light by day and the moon by night so he hath given to men the spiritual and divine light of his Son to rule them in Spiritual things and the light of reason to rule them in Natural things c. These are but impertinent fancies for he should cleare to us here how that which he calleth the Spiritual and divine Light of Christ which is in every man differeth from Nature or the Natural Enduements which accompany the Rational soul that it may appear that he is no Pelagian nor Socinian for we grant that there is a spiritual and divine light of Christ which only can savingly make the spiritual things of God manifest to the soul but this is not common to all but peculiar to God's peculiar ones if we may believe the Scripture and in this sense it is true which he saith That reason must be illuminated with this divine light before it can rightly take up Spiritual things but that divine light is some other thing then the Light within 22. Againe He would make us beleeve that this Light in every man he talketh of is distinguished from the Natural Conscience upon this ground that the Natural Conscience can be defiled Tit. 1 15. but the light cannot for it maketh manifest all things that are to be reproved Ephes. 5 13. But how cleareth he that the light that is in every man by nature cannot be defiled The Apostle in that cited place Tit. 1 15. sayes that the Mindes and Conscience and what light is in men is there of unbeleevers are defiled And as for that light mentioned Ephes. 5 13. He will never prove that is a light common to all men especially when the next verse restricketh it to them that awake out of sleep and are arisen from the dead which cannot I suppose be said of all men get this light from Christ. Sure such as are yet asleep yea dead can have no Spiritual light And they that are yet darkness are not light in the Lord vers 8. nor can they prove what is acceptable unto the Lord vers 10. not having yet received the Spirit which is in all goodness and righteousness and truth vers 9. So that the whole scope of the place manifesteth this mans detorsion thereof The Apostle is exhorting them who sometimes were darkness but now were light in the Lord to walk as Children of light and to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness vers 8 11. shewing what is the true nature of that light whereof they are now made partakers being light in the Lord and brought out of the state of darkness viz. to discover and make manifest such unworthy actions to the end they may be shuned and thought shame of What he addeth of conscience challenging and vexing for what is not wrong according to its misinformation is nothing to the purpose now in hand unless to give a convincing argument against himself and to shew that the Light in Turks who are challenged by their misinformed and deceived consciences for drinking of wine prohibited by Mahomet is nothing different from the darkness of their blinded consciences for how will he prove that there is any spiritual light in them witnessing the contrary of what their blinded and misguided conscience saith Of the same nature and import is that which he addeth Pag. 89. of the blinded conscience of Papists challenging for eating flesh in Lent But he addeth that the light of Christ will never consent to such abominations but taketh away blindness openeth the Intellect and directeth judgment and conscience All which is very true of the true light of Christ bestowed upon beleevers and revealed in his word but is most false of his Light which is in all men naturally and common to all the Sons of Adam Heathens Turks and Cannibals as well as Christians in name and thing And while the Quakers preach up this as a sure guide to life eternal they are abominable Pelagian and Socinian deceivers who should be fled from as the most impudent and sworne enemies of the Grace of God and of His Gospel that ever appeared out of the bottomless Pit a company of pure Pagan-preachers whose doctrine is Paganisme and driveth thereunto 23. In the last place as a plaister to cover all the deformities of his opinion hithertil held forth he tels us that this light and seed is not the power and faculty of the mans soul whereof a man is master and can exercise when he will if no natural defect hinder for a man cannot stirre up when he pleaseth this Light and seed but it moveth and breatheth and contendeth with men as the Lord seeth good so that a man even though he hath some sense of his misery cannot when he will by his stirring up of this light attaine tenderness of heart but he must attend to that which at certain times cometh upon all in which it wonderfully mollifieth and warmeth the heart and worketh in the man at which time if the man resist not but joyn with it he obtaineth salvation thereby And he compareth it with the Spirits moving the waters of Bethesda not Bethsaida as he saith and addeth that God in love to all mankinde worketh so in the heart by this seed at certain singular times setting their sins in order before their eyes inviting to repentance and offering remission of sinnes and salvation which if man refuse not he may be saved
himself By this accusing of conscience Paul proveth here that the Gentiles had the Law in their heart 10. He would know that there is a twofold writing of the Law in the heart One is whereby the knowledge of the Law is so fixed in their mindes as that it cannot be utterly delet howbeit their wils cannot and will not comply therewith and of this the Apostle is here speaking for the Heathens have this Law of nature so imprinted and fixed in their Mindes as to several things concerning God and their carriage and walk in the world that they cannot but see a difference betwixt Righteousness and Iniquity Honesty and Dishonesty in several particulars and in their judgment preferre the one to the other though their hearts and wills be not reconciled thereunto and made to comply therewith even according to thâ— measure of their Knowledge and Judgment The Other is whereby the whole will of God revealed in Law and Gospel is by the Spirit of God deeply imprinted in the soul of Beleevers so that as their Mindes know it and their Judgments approve it so their Wills imbrace it with love and desire and their native Endeavour is after Full Pure Sincere and Spiritual conformity thereto in the strength of the same Spirit and it is their griefe and matter of unfaigned sorrow when through the workings of a remanent body of death they come short of what is commanded whether as to Matter or Manner or End intended c. If he shall evince that Paul speaketh of this here he shal do more than all the Socinians no persons else ever dreamed of this ever have been able to do to this day But the truth is I apprehend all this is a riddle to this man who understandeth no other writing of the Law in hearts than the first for as he is an enemy so is he a stranger unto the Gospel of the Grace of God as will evidently enough appear ere we have done 25. He addeth a second reason for his Interpretation Pag. 57 saying that if nature here be understood of the proper nature of Man then the Apostle should contradict himself who elsewhere saith that the natural man cannot perceive the things of God but among these things of God the Law is comprehend seing Paul Rom. 7 12 14. itâ—oly â—oly just and good and Spiritual and calleth himself carnal which must be understood as he was unregenerat I answere 1. Paul no way contradicteth himself except in this mans dreaming fancy for these spiritual things whereof the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2 14 are not the things of Nature or of the Law or Light of Nature But the things of the Spirit of God which must be spiritually understood vers 14. which none can know without they have the minde of Christ vers 16. which concerne Christ and Him Crucified vers 2. the same which Paul preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power vers 4. which was Wisdom among such only as were perfect vers 6. and which only the Spirit which is of God did reveal and not the Spirit of the world vers 11 12. and which eye had not seen nor eare heard c. vers 9. It was the preaching of the Crosse of Christ which even the Wise and Understanding and such as had not only Natures Light but the Light of the Law could not know It was that which even to the Jewes was a stumbling block and to the wise Grecians was foolishness Chap. 1 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Hence we see the Law which was written in the hearts of the Gentiles is not among those things whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 2. 2. It is truâ— the Law both that which is written in the heart of the Gentiles and that which was more clearly and amply declared and explained by God to the Jewes was Good Holy Just and Spiritual yet was it not the same with the things of God whereof the Apostle spoke 1 Cor. 2. 3 This man must have a strange antipathy at â—ruth and against the Orthodox for he will joyne with any before he take part with them we heard but just now how he joyned with Smalcius the Socinian and here in interpreting Rom. 7 14. c. he deserteth the orâ—hodox and joyneth himself with Pelagians Arminians and Socinians who will have the Apostle there speaking not of himself but as assumeing the person of one in nature not yet regenerated as if such were not wholly â—in and whâ—lâ—y flesh or had an Inward man delighting in the Law of God or â—ad a Law in their minde contrary to the Law in their members or were capable of this captivity when they are willing slaves or could groan under a boâ—y of death and account themselves miserable upon that account or thank God through Jesus Christ because of the begun delivery and certane expectation of the full victory or as if they with their minde could serve the Law of God 4. His sole reason viz. because the Apostle said he was carnal proveth nothing for what the Apostle speaketh in a certane respect must not be understood in an absolute sense He was it is true carnal as all â—egenerat persons are not absolutly nor wholly but in part in so far as the old man remained in which respect the best have a Law in their members warring against the Law of their minde and have the flesh lusting against the Spirit as they have the Spirit lusting against the flesh Gal. 6.17 And the Apostle calleth even such babes in Christ carnal in a certane reâ—pect 1 Cor. 3 1. 26. Thereafter he tels us That when we are urged with this testimony by Pelagians anâ— Socinians and by them so â—hat we see with whom he and his party are birds of one feather we use to answere that there were some remnants of the spiritual image left in Adam But sayes he this is affirmed without probation In which he either speaketâ— aâ—ainst his Light or he â—aâ—â— neâ—er read what hath been said upon this by the orthodox against Socinians and Arminians and such as would defend that there were some speculative Atheisâ—s unto whom this Mans assertion doth no small service as we may shew hereafter But next he saith that hereby we contradict ourselves and destroy our own cause Why so For saith he If by these relicques they could fulfil the law then either Christ's coming was not necessary or men could be saved without him or that these thâ—ugh they keeped the Law were damned because ignorant â—f Christ to come which the Lord had made impossible for them to know Answere 1. We never said that they could fulfil the Law by these relicques nor doth the Apostle say so It is true they did and could do by nature somethings contained in the Law and this was sufficient for the Apostles designe not all Even Paul though many stages above many heathens while in the state of nature did not know till the written Law told him that
question of this Quaker If Infants be borne pure and free of sin as he saith How can this be the peculiar prerogative of Christ to be conceived and borne without sin And in reference to this what necessity was there that he should have been conceived of the Holy Ghost and borne of a Virgine Let him answere this at his owne leasure CHAP. VII Of Reprobation 1. WE have heard this Mans Opinion concerning the State and condition of fallen Man Now his Fift and Sixt Thesis come under consideratioâ— wherein he giveth us an Account of the way and meanes how man is delivered from this miserable and depraved Condition But howbeit his Theses were sufficiently large Yet he toucheth moe things in his Vindication or Apology than he gave any hint of there but this is no material ground of challenge for the more full he be in explaining his minde and the moe the particulars be which he speaketh to we come to know his minde the better Though he made no mention of Reprobation in his Thesis yet he giveth us in his Apology Pag. 64. c. a large discourse thereof and beginneth his Explication of these two Theses with this matter And though he spareth no paines or paper in venting his displeasure against that which he supposeth to be the doctrine of the Reformed Churches concerning Reprobation yet I cannot finde that he giveth us any account of his owne positive Judgment of this matter be like he thought it his Wisdom to forbear that lest he should entangle himself into inextricable difficulties and howbeit his Admirers may commend him for this yet I think his dealing the less ingenuous and upright 2. It is observed that since the truth of God in the matter of Predestination began first to be questioned by Pelagius and his Followers in the dayes of Augustine there hath hardly been any Seck or Heresie wherewith the Church of Christ hath been infested that hath not stumbled upon this stumbling stone and encouraged themselves thereby to continue fixed in their Errours and not only to blaspheme in their pride and audacity the Truth of God when it had favoured more of Christian sobriety to have been silent and when they could not with their corrupt and blinded Understandings satisfyingly comprehend this truth to have stooped unto God's Revelation of the mystery rather than to have condemned it and that in such a petulant and intolerable manner as if God and his mysteries must stand at the bar of mans Judgment and either conforme to the Apprehensions and Conceptions of Mâ—ns corrupted blinded byassed Reason or be rejected as reprobat matter not to be tolerated in Church or Common wealth so that this corrupted and blinde judge must umpire without the remedie of an appellation most peremptorily and absolutely in the sublime acts of the Great Absolute Soveraigne Jehovah And therefore it should seem less strange to us that these Quakers whose chief Excellency or rather most desperat Madness and Wickedness lyeth in this that they rake together all the filthiest brats of other Hereticks and therewith patch up a compleet Cento for their Religion and whose chiefe and only rule for faith and practice is the dim Light of Nature a light within every man which as to the great mysteries of God revealed in the Gospel is pure hellish darkness have following the Light of their corrupt guide not only Rejected but also blasphemously Inveighed against the Truth of God in this particular For vaine man would be wise though man be born like a wild asses colt 3. It is likewise observable that the proud rebellious adversaries of the Grace and Soveraignity of God that they may in their popular discourses and scriblings make the truth concerning the Absolute and Free Grace of God more odious and hatefull to such as usually measure the Incomprehensible God and all his wayes by their own carnal Imaginations and not by the sure Revelations of his will in his Word It is I say usual with such to pitch upon this point of Reprobation knowing that carnal self lovers are so blinded with prejudice at any truth that crosseth their humors and at this especially which at first look seemeth so repugnant unto the fixed delusory apprehensions of God which they satisfy themselves with all And though the Judicious know and they themselves cannot be ignoâ—ant that what is spoken against Reprobation reflecteth upon Election these being as twines which must die and live together for take away Reprobation and Election is forthwith destroyed and grant once Election and Reprobation is thereby established without further disput by such as know what they say and whereof they affirme yet such is the Unmanly let be Unchristian yea and Unscholastick Disingenuity of these more enraged than rationally acted Adversaries that they passe over the matter of Election as finding it possibly too hote for their fingers and exaggerat the matter of Reprobation with all the strength of their Invention and keenness of their Rhetorick whereby though they contribute to the fixing of themselves in an Errour it may be contrare to the very suggestions of their more Impartial and a little more Enlightned Consciences and to the raising of scruples and prejudices in the mindes of the simple yet they but render themselves more ridiculous unto the more understanding and exercised persons in these debates And this is the whole of the present work and designe of this Quaker for not one word hath he of Election less or more but runeth out in such a rage against Reprobation that he runeth himself blinde so that he cannot see the most palpable and obvious Contradictions and Inconsistencies which himself uttereth and no man of common sense would ever speak and so doth his irrational rage drive him that to all intelligent beholders he proclameth his own brutish Ignorance Take one instance which will demonstrate both Towards the very beginning of his discourse Pag. 64. 65. he presenteth us as speaking thus That God did predestinate to everlasting damnation the most part of men without any respect had to their sin only to demonstrate the glory of his justice Now let all men of common sense judge to speak nothing of the learned who cannot but look with indignation upon this ridiculously and perversely false Representation of our meaning if ever man in his wits did or any who understood what they said could say That God did predestinate any man to damnation for the glory of his justice without any consideration had of the mans sin who seeth not what a palpable contradiction is here can God have the glory of Iustice any other way than in punishing of sin And can God intend to gloryfy his Iustice and not intend to punish sin and can he Intend to punish sin or men for sin and not consider their sin 4. This Man inveigheth much against absolute Reprobation as he calleth it but what sort of Reprobation he maintaineth he never once acquanteth us why and
Light and Grace whereof he talketh and which he will have common to all men breathing His saying that the Word of which he spoke is lively and penetrating c. Is no proofe For that word is not a Word or Seed or Grace implanted in every man as we shewed He addeth this seed is called the manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to profite for it is written that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body And Peter ascribeth this birth unto this seed 1 Pet. 1. being born againe not of corruptible seed c. Ans. 1. If this Seed be the manifestation of the Spirit whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 12 7. It is not common to all the world for the Apostle is there speaking of the Church whereof the Corinthians who were sanctified in Christ Jesus called saints 1 Cor. 1 1. were a part and being an homogeneal part are called the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 12 27. Where doth this Quaker read in the Scriptures that Heathens and such as are without the Church are called the Body of Christ 2. Nay if this seed be the manifestation of the Spirit it is so far from being common to all men that it is not common to all Church members For these gifts as they are called vers 4. were peculiar only to some members of the Church given in order to Administrations Operations vers 5 6. are particularly specified vers 8 9 10. Therefore saith the Apostle vers 11 12. But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit divideing to every man severally as he will for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. Which is abundantly confirmed by the scope and whole contexture of the discourse 3. The Apostle for pressing of union and concord among the members of the Church of Corinth with an edifying use of their several gifts saith vers 13. That by one Spirit all we are baptized into one body c. that is that by baptisme all the Professours of the Name of Iesus are outwardly made members of the visible body of Christ and such as are really baptized by the Spirit and made partakers of his grace are made members of the invisible mystical body of Christ and so should lay forth themselves in the use of their gifts and graces for the common good of the whole body And what I pray can this make for the Quakers point Doth the Apostle say that this is common to all such as never were baptized nor heard thereof or did never partake of the other Sacrament imported by these words made to drink c. in the end of the verse as some suppose And if not what way will this Quaker hence prove the operation of the new birth by that which is common to all men breathing The Apostle it is true saith here whether Iewes or Gentiles Yet he meaneth only such as are comprehended under we that is such as were already members of the Church Will this Quaker say that all and every man are baptized by the Spirit and have bin made to drink into one Spirit Then I suppose he will next say That all must needs be saved 4. As for that Word or Seed whereof Peter speaketh every one may see that will beleeve Peter himself Chap. 1. vers last that this word of the Lord which is the incorruptible seed which liveth abideth for ever is not any thing abideing in all men but is that which is preached by the Gospel 14. He proceedeth and saith Though this seed in the first manifestation be small as a graine of mustard seed Mat 13 31 32. and though it be hid in the earthy part of mans heart yet life and salvation is hid in it and is revealed according as they yeeld unto it And in this seed the kingdom of heaven doth potentially lurk to be produced or rather exhibited as it getteth ground is nourished and is not suffocated Answ. 1. Are not these noble proofs Do the Quakers think that we are bound to take their groundless and inconsistent assertions for probations 2. How can this seed have its manifestation and yet be hid and latent 3. Hath a natural carnal unregenerat and heathen man a spiritual part of an heart or is the heart of every man partly earthly and partly heavenly and why doth this seed lye hid in the earthy part and not in the heavenly part of the heart are these any thing but Quakers dreames or new Pelagian Notions sufficiently confuted above 4. This must needs be a hid salvation which is hid in a seed which is hid in the earthy part of mans heart and that even in its first manifestation What idle fancies do these men feed upon 5. This hid salvation must be a wonderful salvation for it is revealed according as these in whom it is hid yeeld unto it But must it not first work appear in its operations before men can yeeld to it who can yeeld to a latent lurking thing that worketh not nor appeareth not 6. If Salvation be hid in this seed the kingdom of heaven is more then potentially in it for we say not that an apple is hid in the seed especially seing he saith that this kingdom of heaven is not produced as the seed can produce in its way a tree its fruit but rather exhibited 7. This seed he saith is already hid in the earthy part of mans heart and if so sure it hath ground how can he then say that it is exhibited as it getteth ground 8. The summe of all is pur◠Pelagianisme or worse viz. that there is something in every man which is sufficient of it self to Produce Grace Glory Life and Salvation if man will be but that well natured as to suffer it to work not suffocate it so that there is no need either of the outward Preaching of the Gospel or of the inward Operation of the Spirit upon the minde which Pelagius at length did acknowledge let be of the special Operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the will and creating a new heart of flesh c. This is doctrine for Pagans indeed 15. But how is this proven He citeth Luk. 17 20 21. and would have n◠beleeve that Christ saith there that the Kingdom of Heaven was in the Pharisees But judicious Calvin thinketh these words were spoken to the disciples upon occasion of that question of the Pharisees And though we take them as spoken to the Pharisees it will not hence follow that this Kingdom was already in them though the greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used which as was showne above doth not alwayes carry this import as might be evidenced by a number of places as Luk. 14 1. Mark 13 24. where it importeth after So Mat. 20 26. Luk. 16 15. Rom. 16 7. 1 Cor. 2 6 Rom. 8 29. 1 Thes. 5
must be when he saith we are not Justified by the Law that we are indeed justified by Inherent Holiness or Conformity to the law What more The meaning of these words we are Iustified by faith sayes he may by we are made just by faith purifieing the heart Ans. Then the Apostles should contradict himself for if we be thus made just by faith we are made just by works and further purifying of the heart cannot otherwise be understood but of renewing the heart but Iustifying signifieth not making just Againe sayes he When we are said to be Iustified by grace by Christ by the Spirit what absurdity to understand this of making just Ans. Of being Justified by the Spirit we read â—ot for these words by the Spirit mentioned 1 Cor. 6 11. are to be referred to washing and sanctification When we are said to be Justified by grace it is by the gracious and free favour of God as our Divines make good against the Papists and that with the circumstances of the places are against such a Justification Nor must we any where so interpret any passage as to make it crosse or contradict other passages When we are said to be Justified by Christ the meaning is clear against his sense 31. He citeth againe 1 Cor. 6 11. not 11 6. and then tels us that Thysius thinketh that Iustification here includeth sanctification as its consequent and that Zanchius in Ephes. 2 4. thinketh it is the same with sanctification And that Bullinger on the place sayes the Apostle in diverse words expresseth the same thing Ans. 1. None of these Divines confound them and make them one as this Quaker doth but distinctly and orthodoxly explaine the nature both of Justiâ—â—cation and Sanctification 2. As I said above though this were granted that the word Iustify should import the same with sanctify in this or that place Yet unlesse he made it manifest that it alwayes so importeth and can never be taken in another sense he could not make good his Assertion and Opinion So that in all this work he is but beating the winde 3. Thysius had no ground to speak so seing sanctiâ—â—cation is as well expressed as Justification but ye are sanctified but ye are justified 4. Bullinger saith no more than what Calvin saith yet Calvin distinguisheth them in his Comment on the place Zanchius saith no such thâ—ng in the place cited 32. In the next place Pag. 138. he citeth with Bellarm. Rom. 8 30. And saith that either Sanctification must be excluded or Iustification must be taken in its proper sense Ans. 1. There is no necessity for either for Sanctification is comprehended under Vocation which is saving and effectual otherwise the linkes of this chaine could be broken for a common and ineffectual call is not attended with Justification and Glorification And effectual Vocation is by infusion of grace and the Spirit of holiness and a real change 2. Sanctification might be comprehended under the word Iustified it being a necessary and inseparable consequent and that without any prejudice to the native usual and constant import of the word Iustified 3. Thereafter vers 33.34 the Apostle cleareth in what sense he took Iuâ—tified when he opposeth it unto condemned a forensical terme and to accused another His citing of some Protestants so saying I passe finding no argument alleiged by them to enforce this acceptation Melanthon's saying that to be Iustified by faith doth not only signify to be pronunced just but to be made just May admit of a saife interpretation for he saith not to be made just by inherent righteousness And it is certain that all that are Justified are first made just not by inherent righteousness but by the Imputed righteousness of Christ. What he citeth out of one Martinus Boraeus I cannot examine having never seen the book Bucer's words cited make nothing for him B. Forbes's words I will not justify but judge that Cardinal Contarenus spoke more orthodoxly then he The Fathers so taking the word sometimes moveth not me more nor it did Calvin Chemnitius and Zanchius cited by himself And further if to justify signifie to make righteous to accuse and to condemne which are opposite terms must signifie to make unrighteous or unjust 33. After this § Pag. 140. he bringeth in his conclusion from what he hath said and it is a bold one Having now sufficiently saith he proved that by Iustification must be understood to be made really just This is concluded like a Quaker with unparalleled falshood impudency and boldness He undertook only to prove that the word might without absurdity be so understood and how weakly he hath done this we have seen But now he wonderfully concludeth a must be from a may be and that too no wayes satisfyingly proved But I have said already that the beleever who is Justified may be said to be really made just but not in his sense nor because of the import of the word as he alleigeth but because the judgment of God is according to truth and God will not justifie an unjust man The Justified person therefore is first made just not by Inherent Holiness and Righteousness but by the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to him and Received by faith What saith he next I do confidently affirme from real and sensible experience but the delusory sensations or impressions of an erroneous Spirit on the mindes of persons given up to strong delusion is no demonstration to us of the verity of what they boldly affirme that the immediat next and formal cause whereby a man is Iustified in the sight of God is the revelation of Christ in the soul who converteth and reneweth the minde and he who is the Author of this work being so formed and revealed we are truely Iustified and accepted in the sight of God Ans. 1. Who seeth not that these things as here expressed are not such as can fall under the inward sensations of the soul Can the soul feel what is the Immediat Nearest or Formal Cause of God's acts What needs more proof of a desperat delusion 2. If the revelation of Jesus Christ be such a cause of Justification Justification cannot be a making just for it is not as he sayes the revelation that converteth and reneweth but Christ revealed and if Christ revealed maketh the change â—ustification doth it not nor can Justification be a declareing of one righteous because of inherent righteousness for here the man is Justified upon the revelation and yet the man is not renewed for he is not renewed by the revelation but by Christ revealed and the Revelation of Christ is before this Operation of Christ. 3. If the man be not justified till Christ be formed in him as his last words seem to say then the revelation of Christ cannot be the Immediat cause of Justification because that is before this forming of Christ in the man for it is before the work of Christ reforming and renewing the minde 4. I see all this
the effectual operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the whole man and working him up to an union and closeing with Christ conforme to the tenor of the Gospel that thereby he may come to the actual participation of the great and saving benefites which Christ hath purchased by his bloud What can we then judge or say of this state let us imagine it to be in its perfection but that it is a pure state of Nature and as the perfection of this state formerly mentioned can be nothing but corrupt Nature the constant and irreconcileable enemy of the grace of God and of the Gospel in its strongest fort of opposition and resistance to the Gospel-grace of God and in its strongest citadel of security wherein it is freest from the invasions and attacques of the grace of God whence experience hath proven it true that none have been greater enemies to the Gospel-grace of God and furthest from a yeelding thereunto than such as have attained unto the highest improvement of nature as they supposed and were accounted the wise men of their age for to such wise men the preaching of the crosse was foolishness And who seeth not that even within the Church such remaine most disobedient to the call of the Gospel and unperswadable by all its Reasons Motives and Allurements who suppose themselves to have attained to some more then ordinary Improvement of the Light of nature or correspondence in their walk with a Natural Conscience and Principles of morality especially if this be seconded or attended with an outward compliance with the outward ordinances of the Religion they profess for these seeking to establish their owne righteousness which is a piece of the heirshipe of corrupt nature which all have from Adam cannot and will not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10 4. Wherefore Perseverance in such a state can be no advantage but a manifest fixedness in the way of death and nothing can annul a perseverance in this state and cause a falling therefrom but the strong hand of the grace of God And that state of stability of which he talketh and from which there is no falling away can be nothing but the Lords holy and judicial giving up to blindness and unbeleefe and closeing their eyes that they should not see and stoping their eares that they should not heare and hardning their hearts that they should not beleeve conforme to Esai 6 9. Ioh. 12 vers 40. Math. 13 vers 14 15. Luk. 8 vers 20. Act. 28 vers 26. Rom. 11 vers 8. Mark 4 v. 12. 4. His saints then being such as we have mentioned and not such as we hold with the Scriptures to be saints indeed that is Such as being by nature children of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes. 2 1 2 3. are in due time effectually called out of nature into grace by the mighty power and operation of the grace of God having their Mindes and Understandings graciously Illuminated by divine Light and their Wills Renewed and powerfully Determined unto a closeing with Christ offered in the Gospel Ephes. 2 vers 5. Phil 2 13. 1 Cor. 2 10 12. Act. 26 18. Ezech. 11 19. 36 26 27. Ioh. 6 45. And hereupon are made partakers of the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in them and reneweth their whole soul more and more so that having a new Principle of life and new spiritual supernatural Habites whereby they become wholly new creatures acting from new Principles for new Ends upon new Motives to the glory of God and their Redeemer Ephes. 2 6 8 10. Gal. 2 20. 1 Ioh. 5 12. 2 Cor. 5 17. 1 Ioh. 3 9. 1 Pet. 1 22 23. And thus translated into a new state from death to life Ephes. 2 2. 1 Ioh. 3 14. Col. 2 13. from darkness to light Act 26 â—8 Ephes. 5 v. 8. 1 Thes. 5 v. 4. from sin to holiness 1 Cor. 6 11. Ezech. 36 25. Ephes. 5 6. Tit. 3 5. from enmity to friendshipe Ephes. 2 12 13 14 15. Col. 1 21 being now Iustified Accepted of God having their sinnes pardoned and bâ—ing Adopted as heires of the inheritance Rom. 5 1. 8 1. Col. 2 10. Rom. 8 32 33. Ioh. 1 12. 1 Ioh. 3 1 2 And all this upon the account of the merites and purchase of Christ the Mediator in pursuance of the Covenant of redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator conforme to the Covenant of Grace exhibited in the Gospel The saints whereof he speaketh not being such as these described to us in the Gospel of Christ we need not think ourselves concerned in the vindication of their stability and perseverance for we owne only the perseverance of such as are thus effectually Called out of nature into grace and endued with the Spirit of Christ. Esai 59 21. Rom. 5 5. 1 Cor. 6 9. Ioh. 14 16 17. Gal. 5 22. Psal. 51 11. Ezech. 36 27. to lead act and guide them Rom. 8 9 11. who differ far from his natural pagan-saints and have no affinity with them nor with natural outward-Christians And thus might we let this whole matter whereof he treateth in this Thesis and in his Vindication thereof passe without any further animadversions 5. Yet lest he according to the Genius and usual manner of that Seck should boast and say that we durst not contend with him upon this head and so triumph among his admirers we shall examine hâ—s doctrine with patience The truth which we owne is shortly and fully set downe in our Confes. of faith Chap. 17. thus They whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved Phil. 1 6. 2 Pet. 1 10. Ioh. 10 28 29. 1 Ioh. 2 9. 1 Pet. 1 5 9 This perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their owne free will but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father 2 Tim. 2 18 19 Ier. 31 3. upon the efficacy of the merite and intercession of Iesus Christ Heb. 10 10 11. 13 20 21. 9 12 to 15. Rom. 8 33 c. Ioh. 17 11 24. Luk. 12 32 Heb. 7 25. the abideing of the Spirit and seed of God within them Ioh 4 16 17. 1 Ioh. 2 27. 3 9. and the nature of the Covenant of grace Ier. 31 40. from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof Ioh. 10 28 2 Thes. 3 3. 1 Ioh. 2 19. Nevertheless they may through the temptations of Satan and of the world the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation â—all into grievous sins Mat. 26 70 72 74. and for a time continue therein Psal. 51. title with v 14. whereby they incurre God's displeasure Esai 64 5 7 9. 2 Sam 11.27 and grieve his Holy Spirit Ephes.
God beyond and above words thoughts and understanding and in a suffering-permitting-way go off himself and sinck after an inward and unknown manner into the darkness oâ— pure naked faith So in his second Sermon on that day he hath these words When a man hath given himself wholly over as denuded of himself of all propriety in things and of all â—hings here all that is borne in him is not his but Gods and againe when once a man in an upright and well ordered inwardness is drawn by God to higher things he shall put away all outward works and exercises were it even such as he had bound himself unto by oaths and promises 31. In his Sermon on the first Sunday after the three Kings Day he tels us that in order to this new birth our understanding must rest from all work and be void of all knowledg and â—bide in darkness and ignorance and not seek to return to its former knowledge and that this state of darkness is called a possible reception for there remaineth saith he no more in the soul but a possibility or capacity to receive that which will perfect it and the man must laboure more and more after this possibility till his minde be satisfied and become all things that it can receive And the more empty and unknowing that the soul is it is the nearer unto God So in his Sermon on the first Sunday after the Three Kings Day he saith I dar boldly say that he that introverts not once at least every day and turns not in according to his power into his fund doth not live as a Christian But such as are busie with their fund and empty themselves of all things and lay aside all imaginationâ— that the Sun of righteousness may send out his beames of Light in their inward fund finde the yoke of Christ easie So againe saith he Truely if any man could finde within himself know and see how the eternal God hath founded himself in the inward fund of the soul and how he is there hid and as it were soaked he should be happy 32. In his Sermon on Trinity Day he tels us That God begetteth in the fund of the soul his only begotten Son an hundered thousand times more quickly than in a moment in a now of eternity alwayes new And thereafter That he who would finde this must introvert beyond all the workings of his outward powers and phantasies and must sinck there into the fund and then cometh the power of God the Father and in him calleth upon him through his only begotten Son and as the Son is begotten of the Father and floweth againe into the Father so is this man begotten of the Father and floweth againe with the same Son in the Father and becometh one with him And afterward In this fund a man shall pray for his friends both dead and alive and such prayer is more powerful then to sing or say many Psalmes by mouth and then finde we the witness of the three that bear witness in heaven that is in the inward heaven in the fund of the soul. Moreover in his first Sermon on the third Sunday after Trinity he hath these words The penny must have its weight and its image the weight that the man may fall and sinck againe in Gods fund as he is come out of it his image is that image which is God himself in his own pure divine essence in which God knoweth loveth and enjoyeth himself in which he liveth is and worketh by which the soul is wholly God-dyed or like God and becometh divine and in this union with and sincking into Gâ—d he becometh through grace all things that God is by nature also So that if he could see himself he would think himself to be God and every one that couâ—â— see him in that cloathing dye forme and divine essence would become happy in that sight The man casts away againe unto God who gave all all things becometh so naked and empty as one that is nothing and hath nothing And thus the created Nothing sincketh into the uncreated nothing And thus one abysse calleth unto another the created abysse calleth unto the uncreated abysse and these two abysses become as one a pure divine essence where the Mans Spirit hath lost its self in the Spirit of God being drowned in that bottomless sea the like he hath in his sermon on the eleventh Sunday after the Trinity In his second sermon on that day he tels us that the little shipe mentioned Luk. 5. signifieth the inward conscience or minde the fund of the man where our Lord truely dwelleth and where his rest and joy is in case the man will alwayes carefully observe this inward fund and in the love of God for saking all things will introvert into this fund c. Againe if one while singing or reading be moved to introvert into the inward fund and finde that that exercise should hinder his introversion he must leave that and all other good works and introvert and in this introversion give himself wholly up unto God and follow the divine pull with all his heart So he expoundeth Christs sitting in the shipe and teaching to be Christ's sitting in the inward fund of the obedient man and there teaching him his most acceptable will and saith he such a person is able sufficiently to teach the whole world 33. In his sermon on the third Sunday after Trinity he saith this weakness speaking of Pauls words 2 â—or 12 9. cometh not from outward exercises but from an overflowing of the outpourings of the Godhead that is so poured forth on the man that the poor earthly body cannot endure it For God hath now so brought him in that he is wholly like God and all that is in him is in a hyperphysical manner transformed so that God now worketh all works in the man so that justly he may be called one like God for whosoever should see him aright would see him as God that is by grace for God liveth doth and worketh all in him yea enjoyeâ—h himself in him So on the fourth Sunday after Trinity speaking of prayer he saith the man that would pray must recollect himself and introvert into his inward fund with his mind lifted up and his power streatched forth and with an inward regarding of God's presence and a real desire above all things to do God's will going out from himself and all created things and sincking himself there deeper and deeper in the clarified will of God and this is to pray in the Spirit And againe he tels us the third degree of an inward life is a going over into a God-likness by union of the created Spirit with the essential Spirit of God And this saith he may be called an essential inturning Thereafter speaking of this same mater he saith Then doth God draw the man out of the humane forme into the divine forme and then is he so Godded and so divine that all he is
17 12 16 17 Neh. 13 15 17 21 22 25 30 2 King 23 5 6 9 20 21. 2 Chron. 34 31. 15 12 13 16. Dan. 3 29. 1 Tim 2 2. Esai 49 v. 2. Zech. 13 23. 3. Our Quaker premitteth some things for clearing of the question and first he tels us that by Conscience as he said before he understandeth that perswasion of soul which ariseth from the Intellect with the truth or falshood of a thing Anâ—w 1. How this description can agree to a scrupulous or to a doubting Conscience I see not for neither of these have attained to any perswasion though I know a blinded conscience or an erroneous conscience can have a sort of perswasion 2. Before to wit Pag. 89. he told us that some of the Quakers did fitly compare the Conscience unto a lanterne and the light of Christ to a candle burning in it And compareing this with what is here said we may see that in the Quakers judgment the light of Christ whereof they talk so much is nothing but the light of the understanding for it is this light of the understanding that causeth the perswasion which he calleth Conscience here and it is that which shineth in the dark lanterne of conscience as they speak there But 3. How can Conscience be compared to a lanterne seing a lanterne is a dark thing having no light in it self only it hath an aptitude to transmit the light that shineth in it but Conscience is a lump of light and is either an act of the practical understanding as some or rather as others a power of the practical understanding is not a distinct faculty from the understanding but the very understanding judging of and giving sentence upon the mans State Wayes and Actions And the very name Conscience importeth a knowing power and faculty con scientia or co-knowledge to it belongeth the Synteresis the intellectual store-house and magazine of truthes the Register of common notions left in us by nature whether as to things concerning God or as to things concerning Ourselves and our Nieghbour in respect of which the conscience is said to be a Law or Light and this belike is all the Light of Christ which our Quakers understand And the judgment of Conscience being discursive to it belongeth also the knowledge of all the mans actions in which respect it is called a Book or Witness or an Indiâ—ement as it bringeth forth these actions to light and compareth them with the Law To it also belongeth the judgment or sentence passed upon the actions as conforme or disconforme to the Law of God 4. Conscience then cannot properly be called a perswasion for this resulteth from the clear apprehensions dictats witnessing and judgment of the Conscience and so is but a consequent of Conscience acting that not of every conscience either as not of a doubâ—ing nor of a scrupling conscience but of a clear and sound conscience or of a deluded one 4. What saith he further which to wit the thing presented by the intellect thâ—ugh it be false and evil in it self yet as long as the man is perswaded to wit that it is true and â—ood he should sin if he did contrary to that perswasion for saith the Apostle whatever is not of faith is sin and he that doubteth is damned if he eat And Ames saith a conscience erring tyeth c Answ. It is true whatever the Conscience dictateth or enjoyneth it doth it in the name and authority of God whose Deputy and vicegerent it is yet it is but an underjudge and is not the supream Law but regula regulata so that though its dictats even when erroneous and contrary to the Law of God do so binde as that the man who doth contrary cannot but sin for though upon the maâ—er he doth nothing contrary to the Law of God yet formally and interpretatively he transgresseth that which is represented to him by Conscience as the Law of God and he knoweth no better but it is in very deed the Law of God which he transgresseth Yet for all this the erroneous conscience layeth on no formal obligation as the same D. Ames telleth us for it cannot oblige us to do that which is a transgression of the Law of God our supream Lawgiver It is true which the Apostle saith Rom. 14. last that whatever is not of faith is sin c. because when we do any thing not knowing certainly but in so doing we sin against God we shake off the awe and fâ—ar of God and have not a sufficient abhorrence at sin 5. He proposeth the question thus Whether the Civil Magistrat hath power to compel men against their conscience in maters of Religion And if they will not obey to punish them in their goods liberty and lives And he holdeth the negative I Answere This is a most perverse stateing of the question For 1. He distinguisheth not the Elicite and Imperat acts of the Conscience but confoundeth them As if the Magistrates power were said equally to reach both whereas we do not say that the Magistrate can compel men as to the inward liberty of the soul and conscience that is to Thiâ—k Judge Understand and Conclude in their mindes as he will as if he could force and compell any to Believe and Assent unto this or that opinion in the matters of God We say no such thing the Conscience as to these inward acts is far beyond the reach of his Sword But the question is concerning Outward and Imperated acts such as Speaking Preaching Writing Printing Open Profession and Perswading of others which are visible and audible dishonourable to God and noxious to men to wit Whether the Magistrate may punish such by the Sword who in maters of Religion Teach Speak and Printe blasphemies against God doctrines overturning Religion perverting souls c. And other things of that nature that men can pretend conscience for or not If he hold the Negative here as he must if he speak to the point we shall consider his arguments 2. Upon the other hand Though the Magistrate cannot enforce a Religion upon men Yet he may force them to the use of publick meanes whereby they may be brought to the knowledge and conviction of the truth As to hear sound Instruction and Information and to attend the meanes whereby light is usually conveyed into the soul and this is no force upon conscience but a putting of people to duty 3. So then the question is not whether the sword be a meanes of conversion of men to the true faith nor whether heathens are to be compelled by the magistrates sword to embrace the truth Nor yet whether the Inward Opinions of the minde can be punished by the Magistrate But the only question lyeth here Whether the Magistrate can by his power punish and restraine Open Idolaters false Worshipers false Teachers Perverters of the right wayes of the Lord Seducers of souls Corrupters or Deniers of the true worship of God open
be mortified in the regenerate they have nothing to do with that duty and so this stuâ—ying of mortification is incumbent only to unregenerat persons doth the Scripture speak so Why doth he not then shew it This would be more pertinent to the purpose than his extravagant discourse that followeth which I have nothing to â—o with But what saith he to prayer He answereth with Smalcius the Socinian aâ—ainst Frantzius disp 6. Pa. 181. disp 9. Pag. 289. That wen we are to pray forgive us our sinnes the meaning is not of daily sinnes but of bygone sinnes Ans. Why will he not say also that when we pray give us this day our daily bread it is meaned of long since before conversion what vanity is this But he saith next This militateth as much against perfect justification Ans. The man understandeth not our doctrine of Justification He supposeth we say with Antinomians that in Justification all sinnes not yet actually committed are actually pardoned while as from this petition we prove the contrary and yet assert a difference betwixt Justification Sanctification as he may see in the larger Chatechisme Quaest. 77. cited above 34. He citeth some sayings of Hieron and of Gelasius and bids us see som places of Augustine But if he will be pleased to read what Vossius hath gathered out of these and many others of the Fathers against Pelagius upon this head which we hinted above he may see his folly and blush Doth not Augustine in his book against Celestius frequently use that very argument forgive us our sins And doth he not say De Spirit liter 36. Multum ille in hac vita profecit qui quam longe sit a perfectione justitiae proficiendo cognovit A grave saying that is He hath advanced very far in this life who hath so far advanced as to know that he is far from perfection And Hierom in the very place cited him to wit Epist. ad Ctesiphontem saith This is mens perfection if they know that they are imperfest And against his conclusion as it standeth I will not be so morose as not to assent to it unless he mean the last words hereof viz. that passage Revel 3 12. to him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of mâ— God as fulfilled in this life and if so he must mean the same of all the rest of the promises made there Chap. 2. 3. to Overcomers which would make him ridiculous enough If he would have cited Ancients to his purpose he should have cited the old Begardi who maintained this and said that a perfect soul being reduced to God loseth its own will so that it hath no other will but the divine will which it had from eternity in that ideal being which it had in God which being supposed they say they may do any thing which their affection puts them upon without sin And so the reason why such persons cannot sin is because all sins even unclean mixtures as they also said are no sinnes He should have cited also the old Alumbradoes who had the same opinion practices suteable CHAP. XV. Of Perseverance 1. In his ninth thesis he layeth down his judgment concerning that question first brought upon the stage by the subtile adversary of the grace of God Pelagius concerning the final Perseverance or full and final Apostasie of the Saints and hath since been agitated by Iesuites Socinians and Arminians and he asserteth two things first They in whom the light the seed the gift of God the inward sufficient grace for it hath many names hath wrought something to their purifying tending forward to a perfecting of them may goe backward and depart from it by disobedience That is in plainer termes for these men must have liberty to speak in their owne dialect They who are Regenerated Purified and Sanctified may Apostatize and fall from that state of Regeneration and Sanctification and in this he taketh part with Pelagians Iesuites Socinians Arminians against the orthodox Next He asserteth That some may attaine in this life to such a measure of fixedness and stability in the truth that they cannot fall away from it 2. It is observable that all such who in the doctrine of grace erre from the right pathes of the Lord and so speak and write of it as to exalt Man Free will and acknowledge nothing in the way of grace's working in souls first and last but what may consist with their project and resolution of setting the crown upon mans head as making himself to differ from others do also in correspondency with their oâ—her principles positions assert this full final Apostacy of the Saints for as they put it in mans power to accept or reject grace when offered so they put it in his power to stand in grace or depart from it as he pleaseth that man may be Lord of the whole and wear all the glory of it And therefore as they would admit nothing to be said concerning the Lords working of grace in the souls of his people that might in the least seem to encroach upon the Free Will of man though the Gospel doctrine of the grace of God rather advantageth than disadvantageth true Free Will so will they admit nothing to be said concerning the further progress of the work of this grace in the soul to the end that will not consist with Free Will 's absolute Lordshipe Smalcius hath said the matter fully in few words Refut lib. de Error nov Arian lib. 1. c. 1. p. 7. as it is free for all men saith he to beleeve who before were infidels when they have occasion to beleeve so againe it is free to all men after they have once beleeved to fall from faith 3. I cannot in the least wonder why this man should be for the Apostasie of the Saints when I consider what his Saints are and what his Principles formerly examined savoure of Nay I rather wonder how it cometh to passe that any of these he calleth or supposeth to be saints should ever come to that measure or fixedness of stability in good as not to depart therefrom Only because in his former Thesis as we heard in the former Chapter he asserted such a perfection attaineable as might put men out of all hazard or possibility of sinning he could not but now assert that such a state and degree of perfection that took away all possibility of sinning would also exclude a possibility of defection sin being that which only can make souls stagger and fall from their stability and defection being only by sin All the Grace Regeneration Sanctification which his saints attaine unto is as we saw above the pure and meer result of Natures Light and of the power of Nature without the least assistance as necessary of the outward sound and knowledge of the very letter of the declaration of God's minde in the Gospel or of the bare report of a crucified Saviour let be of