Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n
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A37371
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A Declaration of the congregational ministers, in and about London, against antinomian errours, and ignorant and scandalous persons intruding themselves into the ministry
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1699
(1699)
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Wing D655; ESTC R30977
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18,241
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80
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A DECLARATION OF THE Congregational Ministers In and about London AGAINST Antinomian Errours AND Ignorant and Scandalous Persons Intruding themselves into the MINISTRY The SECOND EDITION to which is Added The Testimony of some of the said Ministers LONDON Printed for John Hartley over-against Gray's Inn in Holborn MDCXCIX IT having been Reported and Industriously spread abroad That the Declaration against Antinomian Errours c. was not Considered and Approved of by the Congregational Ministers in and about this City which is in manifest Contradiction to the Title-Page and Preface We whose Names are hereunto subscribed to the end the Truth of Matter of Fact may Appear to the Conviction of Every Reader do Declare That Excepting Two or Three Ministers who go under the same Denomination with us to whom we thought not fit to Communicate the said Declaration All the Pastors of Congregational Churches in and about this City did Consider and Vnanimously Express their Approbation of it London Feb. 23. 1699. Geo. Griffith Matth. Mead. Stephen Lobb Richard Taylor John Nesbitt THE PREFACE SOME of us a while after the Heads of Agreement were Assented unto by the United Ministers in 91 Apprehending that the Doctrines of Christ's Satisfaction and our Iustification were in Danger 't was in a Brotherly way Endeavour'd that they might be Explained and Own'd as commonly held by the Reformed And after some considerable Time wherein 't was once hoped there had been a Sincere Renunciation of the Errours which too soon appeared to be otherwise a Paper containing a Right State of these Articles and a Disowning the Opposite Opinions was sent unto and Joyfully Receiv'd by us as what was Adjusted to Remove the Offence but at last laid aside for Another Paper that Encreased the Dissatisfaction Matters lying thus for several Months the First Paper with a brief Account of what had been done towards a Conciliation came to light and thereupon we were surprized with an Accusation not against a Person or two of Our Way only but against Us more generally and altho the Charge was of our being Tainted with Antinomian Errours yet was it not sent unto nor seen by us but in a Publick Print wherein we were treated not as Brethren but in a Way very Uncommon perhaps without a President by One of those Nine who had Subscribed that First Paper and in Conjunction with others sent it to us in a Letter Pressing us to Accept of it as an Expedient for Accommodation When we considered the Nature of this Charge and under what Countenance according to the Representation given of it in Print it appeared we had Reason to think that if our Accusers themselves did not yet the other Brethren would upon Reflection judge it to be both Equal and Fair that they who were in a Regular and Christian Manner first Accused should Vindicate themselves before they expected any thing of that kind from us Yea more that seeing they did so very well know our Principles to be Orthodox and Sound they would clear themselves from having any Hand in the Accusation if not save us this Trouble by Testifying their Dislike of those Unjust Aspersions cast upon us by some of their own Way in Point of Discipline But having waited a long while and nothing more done than the continuing the Clamour of our being Antinomians we have made the ensuing Declaration which has been Confidered and Approved of by us viz. The Ministers of the Congregational Perswasion in and about this City wherein we have been more full than our Accusers have in their Propositions desired us to be Now having thus Discharged our selves from the Groundless Accusations which have been against us on the one Extreme we cannot but at the same time express our Dislike of those Hurtful Errours about Christ's Satisfaction and our Justification on the Other Particularly such as are in the Writings of Mr. B r and his Followers wishing That what Persons soever have been charged would Declare their true Sense to the End we may know how to carry it towards them in the Exercise of Forbearance For altho we do with Luther think Truth to be of so Inestimable a Value That it 's better Heaven and Earth be Blended together in Confusion than that the least Dust thereof should Perish And that therefore it ought earnestly to be Contended for yet do we very consistently Agree with the Elders and Messengers at the Savoy who in the Preface to our Confession declared That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a Forbearance and Mutual Indulgence unto Saints of all Perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the Necessary Foundations of Faith and Holiness in all other Matters Extra-Fundamental whether of Faith or Order p. 6. 7. And seeing our Governors have by a Law Tollerated us we judge our selves the more obliged to bear with and Exercise that Compassion and Tenderness towards our Fellow Servants which we have had from our Superiors Our Prayer unto God is That the same Mind be in all which was in Christ Jesus that nothing be done through Strife and Vain Glory but in Lowliness of Mind ERRATA PAge 6. Line 7. for easie read easily l. 17. read some of us expressed a p. 32. l. 7. read whereof A DECLARATION c. ALtho' the Elders and Messengers of Congregational Churches who met in the Year 1658. at the Savoy after they had as themselves express it sailed through an Aestuation Fluxes and Refluxes of great Variety of Spirits Doctrines and Opinions which have been Accompanyed in their several Seasons with Powerfull Perswasions and Temptations to Seduce those of our way did Declare their Faith in the same Substance for matter yea Words for the most Part which other Churches and Assemblies Reputed the most Orthodox have done before them expressing their Approvall of the Confession of the Assemblie at Westminster and holding forth a Professed Opposition to the Common Errors and Heresies of those times And altho our Brethren in New-England who for the Substance Assented fully to the Assemblies Confession Zealously oppugned the Wild Notions of the Antinomians And also tho we our selves have frequently Signifyed our Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England and the aforesaid Confessions and many of our way have not only Preached but Written against them and never hath a Book Containing Errors of that or any other sort been sent forth under the Countenance of an Attestation of it's Soundness subscribed by any Number of us and altho our Orthodoxy be so manifest that we cannot want a Witness of it in the Consciences of our Accusers yet to the Dishonour of God and the Reproach of that Holy Profession which we with the rest of sound Protestants make of the Truth and in contradiction to the plainest Evidence are we traduced for being Antinomians and several upon this account pressed against their Attendance on our Ministry Whereupon in Faithfuness unto God and Compassion to the Souls of
Christ than what is commonly received by Protestants and Inculcated by our Ablest Divines at Home and Abroad in their Writings against Papists and Socinians which is That by the Imputation of our Sins unto Christ he became Accountable unto God for them He was made under that Law we violated and our Guilt was charged upon him yea our Sins were the Proper Meritorious Cause of his Sufferings and his Sufferings a proper Punishment for our Sins as a Learned Divine of the Church of England Dr. South in his 3d. Vol. of Sermons p. 488. God in the whole Procedure of Christ's Sufferings must be considered as a Judge Exacting and Christ as a Person paying down a Recompence or Satisfaction for Sin For tho Christ was as Pure and Undefiled with the least Spot of Sin as Purity and Innocency it self yet he was pleased to make himself the Greatest Sinner in the World by Imputation and rendring himself a Surety Responsible for our Debts For as it is said 2 Cor. 5.21 He who knew no Sin was made Sin for us When the Justice of God was lifting up the Sword of Vengeance over our Heads Christ snatch'd us away from the Blow and substituted his own Body in our Room to receive the whole Stroke of that Dreadful Retribution Inflicted by the Hand of an Angry Omnipotence Thus far this Learned Doctor In opposition hereunto Bellarmine saith That by the Imputation of Sin unto Christ he must be Polluted and thence be Denominated a Sinner in every kind To which the Answer of Dr. Owen p. 277. is full This would saith he be true if our Sins could be Communicated unto Christ by Transfusion so as to be his Inherently But their being so only by Imputation gives no countenance to any such Pretence However there is a Notion of Legal Vncleanness where there is no Inherent Defilement Numb 16.7 8. The Second That we are not every way as Righteous as Christ That we are made Righteous in Christ by Imputation of his Righteousness unto us is what we firmly Believe And whereas the Jesuit objects against this Doctrine That then we are as Righteous as Christ himself because we are Righteous with his Righteousness Dr. Owen with good Reason replies To say We are as Righteous as Christ is to make a Comparison between the Personal Righteousness of Christ and our Personal Righteousness if the Comparison be of Things of the same kind But this is Foolish and Impious for notwithstanding all our Personal Righteousness we are sinful He knew no Sin And if the Comparison be between Christ's Personal Inherent Righteousness and Righteousness Imputed unto us Inhaesion and Imputation being things of divers kinds it is fond and of no Consequence Christ was Actively Righteous we are Passively so When our Sin was Imputed unto Him He did not thereby become a Sinner as we are Actively and Inherently a Sinner but Passively only and in God's Estimation As He was made Sin yet knew no Sin so we are made Righteous yet are sinful in our selves Of Justifie p. 509. or as Dr. Crew of Justif Ed. 2. p. 96. We are as Righteous Christ need to make us before God 3. That none may expect to be Pardoned in a State of Vnbelief and Impenitence We have by referring our selves to the Assemblies Confession constantly owned thus much as well as by our Preaching and Writings In the Confession of the Assembly it is said cap. 15. § 3. Altho Repentance be not to be rested in as any Satisfaction for Sin or any Cause of the Pardon thereof which is the Act of God's Free Grace in Christ yet is it of such Necessity to all Sinners that none may expect Pardon without it The Fourth That continued Repentance and Holiness are necessary to our Possession of Eternal Life for without it we can't see God Our Confession at the Savoy fully Asserts cap. 15. § 4. That Repentance is to be continued through the whole Course of our Lives upon the account of the Body of Death and the Motions thereof And in cap. 13. § 1. They who are effectually called are also further Sanctified Really and Personally by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the Dominion of the whole Body of Sin is destroyed and the several Lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified and they more and more Quickned and Strengthned in all Saving Graces to the Practise of all true Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. These Things we Offer to be considered that it may appear to the Conviction of all that our Soundness in the Faith and Agreement with the Reformed Churches is so very Conspicuous and Manifest that it cannot but Surprize and Astonish the Vnprejudiced to hear any Accusing us and move them to conclude That our Accusers themselves believe not the Truth of their own Charge but have brought it against us to the End they may the more effectually divert from an observing how and after what manner they insinuate and spread their own Erroneous Opinions In this Apprehension many will be confirmed when they consider that the Matters charged upon us are not only without the least colour of Reason but most contrary to our known and avowed Principles Nor hath there been any thing offered that we know of to countenance this Accusation but the raising Another which has as little Truth and no more ground for it than the former which is That we Encourage Ignorant Persons and Men of no good Report to enter on the Ministry who make it their Business to Preach up the Errours charged upon us which we would never have done had we not favoured their Notions To which we Reply 1. That touching Mens entering on the Ministry we yield no more than other Protestant Churches such as the Churches of Scotland Holland and England have hitherto done viz. That Men of Sound Knowledge in the Substantials of Religion Discreet Holy and Humble whose Hearts God Inclines to the Work of the Ministry tho they have not had the Advantages of Eminency in the Academick Learning or any considerable skill in Philosophy yet when the State of the Churches and some special Circumstances in regard to their Opportunity of Service and Usefulness require it may enter on this Holy Work in an Orderly way with Approbation 2. We do also declare That they who enter on the Ministry ought ordinarily to be endued with a competent Measure of Learning which is necessary for the Defence of Truth against subtile Adversaries as well as with other Ministerial Gifts And that they may obtain this Qualification they ought to use those Helps that are most proper in order thereunto In this we Agree with Dr. Goodwin who in Vol. 4. of Church Governm L. 7. Cap. 3. saith There is a Generation of Men that are against Acquir'd Knowledge or that which is sought out by Study or received from others and would have all Infused Now consider Timothy had the main and chief of his Knowledge