both be reconciled to God and what did the removal of Ceremonies contribute to that end But says he This New-Covenant belongs to all Mankind to Gentiles as well as Iews there 's now no distinction of Persons no Man is ever the more or less accepâ—…able to God because he is a Iew or a Greek very true I wonder when ever it was otherwise Our Author could have Answered himself from p. 27. Those particular favours that God bestowed on Israel were not owing to any partial fondness and respect to that People but the design of all was to encourage the whole World to Worship the God of Israel And that the Jews were not accepted for their Ceremonial Services we may easily believe if we can but believe what he tells us Pag. 269. The Law of Moses 〈◊〉 them up in a ritual and external Religion taught them to Worship God in the Letter by Circumcision Sacrifices and an external Conformity to the Letter of the Law but the Gospel aloue teaches us to worship God with the Spirit to offer a reasonable Service to him And if he can but assure me that the Gentiles were never the less accepted of God because they were Gentiles I dare give him my Warrant that the Iews were never the more accepted of God for their Judaism according to those Measures which our Author has given of their Religion which it seems was mere Pageantry 2. Concerning Redemption he acquaints us what it signifies both to Iews and Gentiles 1. As to the Iews They says he are said to be redeemed from the Curse of the Law by the accursed Death of Christ upon the Cross Gal. 3. 13. Because the Death of Christ put an end to that legal Dispensation and sealed a New and better Covenant between God and Man It 's well he could find any thing small enough to be the proper and immediate effect of the Death of Christ but who shall reconcile the Apostle and our Author The Apostle says Christ redeemed them by being made a Curse for them Our Author says No he only put an end to that Legal Dispensation The Apostle says they were redeemed by a price paid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He brought them out with a price which he expresses in words at length 1 Cor. 6. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye are bought with a price No says he Christ's Death put an end to that legal Dispensation The Apostle says they were redeemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from under the Curse No says he 't was only a freedom from the legal Dispensation Two suppositions he makes use of to give a Colour to his matters 1. Sect. That the Iews were under no other Curse but that of the Ceremonial Law Now 1. He should have been sure that the Ceremonial Law was a Curse It 's a wonder to me what grievous sins the Iews above all the World should commit that God should put them under such a Curse as should need the Death of Christ to redeem them from it especially what great Crimes had Abraham been guilty of that God should thus Curse and plague him with Circumcision which yet the Scripture calls the Seal of the Righteous Faith Rom. 4. 11. 2. It would be considered whether ever God gave a Law to any People in the World besides them that in its own Nature was a Curse Our Author once told us p. 196. That it pleased God to Institute a great many Ceremonies in the Iewish Worship to awe their Childish minds into a greater Veneration of the Divine Majesty And truly better so than worse better be frighted into Obedience than not at all Obedient But that ever God designed it for a Curse is past my apprehension 3. The Ceremonial Law in it's constitution end and design was a great Blessing there they had Pardon of sin Atonement Reconciliation exhibited and sealed to them Lev. 17 11. 2 Chron. 29. And all this could be no curse but to those who loved their sins better than the pardon of them and to such every Blessing of God would eventually prove a Curse 4. It will appear they were under a greater curse than what arose from the burden someness or their violation of the Ceremonial Law viz. That Condemnation which came upon all Men by the Fall of Adam Rom. 5. 12 13 14. 17 18 19. Such a Curse as was Common not only â—…o Iew and Gentile but to every individual under both capacities Rom. 3. 9. We have proved both Iews and Gentiles that they are all under sin ver 19. That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God ver 23. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God And therefore all had need of free justification by Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ ver 24. 5. The Jews were under a curse upon the Account of their violation of the Moral Law and their not duly attending to the true ends of the Ceremonial Law but if the violation of a Law would make it become a curse then the Moral Law was become a curse too and then they had need of a Redeemer from the one as well as the other though both were blessings in themselves The Ceremonial Law in particular had this great blessing in it That as it discovered to them the demerit and Wages of sin in the slaying of the Sacrifices so it discovered a remedy two in the Sacrifices slain for them which directed them to look through them beyond them and above them to him who was the Lamb of God slain from the Foundation of the World All this was no curse 2. Sect. He supposes that the Text Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us relates onely to the Iews Whereas the Apostle adds to obviate that Cavil That the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles Christ is made a curse for them upon whom the Blessing of Abraham came by his Death but the Blessing of Abraham came upon the Gentiles by his Death therefore Christ is made a Curse for the Gentiles And that the Law from the curse whereof both Jews and Gentiles were Redeemed by Christs being made a Curse for them is the Moral Law I have endeavoured to evince in the last Section but whether to our Authors content or no I know not One thing more he supposes that Christs Sealing a New Covenant is Redemption But there must go more than the sealing of such a Covenant as he has described There must be the payment of a Price to Iustice or there can be no Redemption To Redeem is properly to buy back again that which was forfeited and such were Sinners Their Persons forfeited to Iustice their Mercies escheated into the hands of the Law Now comes a Redeemer and gives himself to God as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Counter-price a valuable Consideration to Answer the demands of Justice and the claims of the Law and
Another The short of the Business lyes here Our Lord Jesus Christ by his Resurrection Ascension into Heaven and sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high is visibly exalted to more Dignity and Honour he exercises his Regal power in a way more glorious and agreeable to his exalted state yet was he truely a King from his Incarnation and all along in this world and gave such Proofs of his Royal greatness and Power that the Devils had not Impudence enough to out-face them And now to conclude all with this excellent Gloss upon the whole matter It was an Act of his Regal Power to conquer Error and Ignorance to destroy the Kingdom of Darkness by the Brightness of his Appearing to erect his Throne in the Hearts and Consciences of Men. These Metaphors of conquering destroying erecting a Throne came in as luckily as the heart of man could wish to prove a Royal Power for what man will now be so refractory but he will confess and so senseless and stupid but he may smell a Kingdom in the wind when he hears such language but now if you strip these Metaphors to their bare skins and uncase them of all our Authors Bombast and Fustian they shrink into a mere declaration of Truth leaving the matter to the umpirage of an habitually prejudiced and prepossessed Will and some think here 's no great Kingship in all this for all this is done by the Power and evidence of Truth which argues a Prophet teaching an Oratour pleading or a Disputant arguing but little of a King commanding conquering and subduing the heart to himself and there erecting a Throne in opposition to all the force that Satan and Helâ—… can make against him We do freely own that to conquer and destroy the Kingdom of Darkness to erect a Throne in the Hearts of Men are proper Acts of Christs Kingly Office but then there goes a little more to the business than the bare Evidence of Truth the Arm of a King must be revealed as well as the Mouth of a Prophet opened a Power to deal with the enslaved and obstinate Will as well as a Light to shine into the darkened understanding which Light yet requires something of the Kingly energie to render it savingly enlightning to the mind and understanding And now our Author has made the kingly Office to swallow up the Prophetical have but patience till he has made it â—…at up the Priestly Office too and then â—…e day is his own for ever Secondly He comes to Attacque the Sacerdotal Office of Christ. He was saith he a Kingly Priest Well! so he was and so he might be and yet though both the Offices center'd in his Person they might be formally distinct in their Acts special Ends and proper Objects Nay we will allow that All his Offices conspiring in the same general Ends their Acts might have mutual respect and give reciprocal assistance each to other And he could not have chosen a fitter Instance than that of Melchizedek who being King of Salem and Priest of the most high God Heb. 7. yet would it savour of too gross Absurdity to say that when he offered sacrifice or blessed Abraham he appeared in the Quality of a King or when he enacted Civil Laws he bore the Character of a Priest but our Authors Proofs are as Pertinent as his Doctrine True His Doctrine is When he offered himself a Sacrifice for sin he acted like a King p. 6. Really one would think he acted as like a Priest as we could reasonably desire For 1. Here is a Sacerdotal Act he offer'd 2. A Sacrifice Himself And 3. This was for sin And what of a King do we spell out of all this The truth is there 's nothing in all this but a pitifull Socinian Iuggle who having resolved not to own Christ as a true and proper Priest at all and yet not daring to deny express phrases of Scripture found out this Expedient to own the thing in words and then to shuffle it off with a Metaphor The Proof of his Doctrine is of the same Leaven Ioh. 10. 18. No man took his Life from him he had power to lay it down and he had power to take it up again Our Author had told us p. 2. of a crafty sort of Men in the World that consider nothing but the sound of words and from thence form such uncouth Idaea's of Religion as are fitted to the meanness of their understanding and will tell us further p. 102. of some who Interpret Scripture by the Sound and Clink of Words and Phrases And it seems the Contagion of this vanity infected his own intellectuals he found the word Power in the Text and he runs away with a full crye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Mischief on 't is it 's not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Physical but a Moral Power that Christ owns there a Power which is common to all his Offices he had Power or Commission to Preach Power or Authority to Rule and govern Power or warrant from his Father to lay down his Life for the great End that was agreed on between them both For he explains himself in the same Verse Not this Strength but This Commandement I received from my Father Nor yet is it denyed that Christ made use of his Kingly might in laying down his Life and taking it up again all we plead for is that the Offices and their peculiar Acts may not be jumbled and confounded together Thirdly Having dispatch'd out of the way the two great Eye-sores of the Prophetical and Priestly Office he thought it not amiss to send the third after them And that to which we commonly appropriate the Name of Regal Power that Authority he is vested with to govern his Church to send his Spirit to forgive sins to dispense grace and supernatural assistances to answer Prayers and raise the dead and judge the World All this is the reward of his Death and Sufferings I confess I wondre'd why he should make the Regal Office of Christ so over-top all the rest but I soon satisfied my self from Volkelius lib. 3. de verâ Relig. p. 41. Maximè Regibus id habebatur honoris ut Christi sive uncti appellarentur ita ut cum Christum dici audis Regem imprimis dici intelligas Kings had chiefly that Honour that they should be called Christs or Anoynted ones so that when you hear the Name Christ mention'd you must understand that a King is especially intended This I confess quieted me but why our Author should be so zealous to set up a King of his own making and then all o' th' sudden to pluck him down again to enthrone and dethrone at pleasure is at present to me unaccountable for I observe he has removed these great Things from his Kingly Office and placed them upon another Foundation viz. the reward of his death and sufferings Now take away Preaching the Gospel from
Proof thereof For in Christ Jesus c. Did the Apostles Premises speak of one thing and his Conclusion of another 2. Here 's this lies in the way that no Cogent Reason can be assigned why we should depart from the Plain Ordinary Primary acceptation of the Word Christ for a Figurative Improper and Secondary acceptation but only to humour our Author for which at present I am not in the Mood 3. He is miserably short in his Foundation for after all his pains to prove that Christ signifies an Office a Doctrine a Church he must go over with all this again and prove that Jesus signifies a Doctrine and Jesus a Church or else he 's just in Statu quo For he had told us before that though Christ was an Homonymous word a Name of Desuetory Lubricous and Versatile sound Jesus was his Proper Name given him by the Angel before he was Born and therefore surely that has not been Warped and Twisted and Scrued at that Rate that this other poor Name has been for as it falls out unhappily Here 's Jesus joyned with Christ and that perswades us almost that a very Person is intended But yet secondly The apparent Falshood of it sticks more with me than all this I could easily down with a few Absurdities For I think and believe according to the Scripture That there is something besides a Vertuous Life of value to Recommend us to the Favour of God nay something more of Value and I shall not be Hector'd out of it by Blustering words 'T is the Righteousness of Jesus which I mean and we have the Apostles Warrant for it Ephes. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved If God should enter into Judgment with us according to the Exactest of our Obedience perhaps we should be willing to accept of Christ's Recommendation to the favour of God notwithstanding our most vertuous Lives but secondly I indite it of Falshood that he makes a new Creature and a vertuous Life equivalent Expressions For I had thought that a vertuous Life is but the Fruit that Grows on the Tree but the Tree must be made good e're the Fruit can be so A vertuous Life the Streams that flow from the Spring of the new Creature and the Fountain must be cleansed e're the Streams will be so In plain Terms the vertuous Life is but the Result of a new Heart the product of a Renewed Nature without which Principle of a vertuous Life and without Christ to Recommend both to God there is no hope to find favour in his sight His second place is Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Traditions of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. Where says he after Christ is oppos'd to the Traditions of Men and Rudiments of the World and therefore must signifie not the Person but the Religion or Gospel of Christ. Must And what necessity of that I can see none from the Text But if our Author has impos'd upon himself an absolute and indispensible necessity of being Baptiz'd into Volkelius then indeed it must be so Interpreted no remedy Lib. 5. c. 10. p. 437 438. Divinitatis Nomine nec Dei nec Christi Natura sed Divinae voluntatis notitia Deique colendi ratio Intelligi porest atque ideo debet By the name Deity not the Nature of God or of Christ but the knowledge of the Divine Will and the manner of Worshipping God May be and therefore Must be understood The Reader is now satisfi'd why it must be so 1. It may be so and therefore necessarily it must be so 2. Volkelius says it must be and therefore it must But let us be Judg'd by the words following Not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ver 9. Does the fulness the all fulness of the Godhead dwell bodily in the Doctrine or in the Person of Christ ver 10. And ye are compleat in him who is the Head of Principality and Powerâ—… Is iâ—… Christs Person that is that Head of Angels or his Doctrine and so the Apostle runs it on till he comes to the Cross of Christ ver 14. Must we now to Gratifie these Gentlemen renounce our Reasons and say that a Doctrine is the Head of â—…roncipality and Power A Doctrine is rais'd from the Dead That we are Buried in a Doctrine That the Hand-writing of Ordinances was Nailed to the Cross of a Doctrine I confess I would go as far as another for Peace-sake but here I must fairly shake hands and leave my Author and his Masters to their own ways But though the words following the Text do frown severely upon them and their Cause yet they promise themselves much from the foregoing ver 6. As you have therefore received Iesus Christ the Lord so walk ye in him i. e. Obey the Doctrine of Christ as you have been taught it by us It must be remembred what our Author is endeavouring to prove still I hope he has not forgot it and I hope we shall not viz. That the Name Christ signifies the Gospel Now it is easily granted that though the Name Christ do Immediately signifie the Person of Christ yet Mediarely it may imply the Doctrine and yet all this while the Name or Word Christ stand in its Original posture and Purport As the name King does primarily signifie the Person of a Supreme Magistrate and yet that Treason which is committed against the Person of a King is against his Law and yet none will say that because Treason against the King is Treason against the Law that therefore the name King signifies Law To violate the Commands of the Gospel reflects upon Christs Person and he that sins against the one sins against the other because of that Privity of Interest that is betwixt a King and his Laws a Prophet and his Revelations a Priest and his Sacrifice yet it were harsh to say that Prophet does signifie Revelation or Priest Sacrifice or King signifie Laws Those things may have Relation one to another one be Inferred from another and not the one signifie the other As 1 Cor. 7. 12. When ye sin against the Brethren and wound their weak consciences ye sin against Christ To sin against the Brethren is by consequence to sin against Christ. Yet none will say that the Name Christ signifies Brethren But more particularly I answer 1. That Christ Jesus the Lord does signifie in the first place a Person And secondly That consequently it Includes the Promises the Precepts the Revelations the Death Sufferings the Intercession and the whole of Jesus But his main strength lies here That after Christ is opposed to the Traditions of Men and the Rudiments of the World and therefore must not signifie the Person but the Religion or Gospel of Christ. So argues Volk Lib. 3. de verâ Relig. p. 125. His mundi Rudimentis omnem Divinitatis Plenitudinem in Christo
Caution to Declare his Righteousness to Clear and Vindicate it that God might be Iust and the Iustifier of them that should believe in Him Rom. 3. 25 26. These things would have had their Use but alas this Head was brought in by the Shoulders only to make way for more of our Authors excellent Theology Religion is the Theam he has singled out to practise upon and he considers it first in General and then in its particular Species 1. For Religion in General 'T is founded says he on a belief that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. That this is a Postulatum somewhat to be presupposed in all Religion is easily granted and and no more can be necessarily inferred from the Place All Religion does suppose the Existence of God and that it is not in vain to seek Him But if hence our Author would conclude that nothing more is required as a Foundation for Sinners to Build their hopes of Acceptation with God in their Approaches to him and Service of him he gathers what the Apostle strewed not and Reaps what c. where he Sowed not There are no Infidels in Hell the Devils believe God to Be and Tremble at their own Belief wishing they could perswade themselves what they have perswaded others that there is no God They know too that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him and yet they have no Foundation to come to God A despairing Cain a self-condemned Iudas may know this to be a Truth and yet not seeing a Mediator through whom they may securely come and find Acceptation in their seeking of Him they dare not they have no ground to come but if this be in very Deed the Foundation of all Religion why durst not our Author Trust to it but flie as Bellarmine to his Tutissimum est to the Lord Jesus Christ For pag. 15. He freely tells us That the Foundation of his Hope is that which is the Foundation of the Christian Religion the Sacrifice and Intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. For the Sorts and particular Kinds of Religion he is pleas'd to Instance only in three but he might as well would he have Created himself the trouble have named Threescore A various Mode or Circumstance does not Constitute a new Religion It may appear in various Garbs and Dresses be represented under other Oeconomies and Forms and yet continue the same for Substance The Ocean as it salutes differing Shoars falls under divers Denominations yet is but the same vast Body of the Sea There may be many false Religions Errour is Multiform Truth is Uniform but as to any that can plead for acceptance with God there never were but Two That of Integrous and upright Innocent Persons in Paradice and that other of Sinners retrieved and brought back to God by a Mediatour But I attend his Motions First Natural Religion as he says is founded on the natural Evidences of the Divine Bounty and goodness in making and Governing the World I now see my Errour and it 's well it is not too late He had told us pag. 14. That Religion in its first Natural Estate knew no Priest nor Sacrifice nor Mediatour Whence I innocently concluded that he spoke of a State of Pure and uncorrupt Nature which indeed knew none of these but I see I was but Choust for here we have a Natural state of Religion on this side the general Revolt from God below the common Apostacy of Mankind a Sublapsarian Posture of Affairs which yet is a meer stranger to Priest Sacrifice and Mediatour founded on Natural Evidences of Divine Bounty and Goodness To which I humbly offer That these Natural Evidences were not could not be a Foundation firm enough to bear the weight of the Religion of sinners in their Return to God so as to render them secure of Acceptation with him For 1. Those natural Evidences could not assure the guilty World that God would enter into a new Covenant with them nor Treat with them upon other Terms or upon another Account and as to the old Terms they were Lost as to any hope by them This we see plainly in Adam Who when he had sinned and Guilt Recoyled upon his Conscience in stead of Returning to God he became Vain in his Imaginations thinking to flie from him that is Omnipresent or to Abscond from him that is Omniscient he takes Covert in the Trees of the Garden and he gives this Reason He heard the Voice of God and was afraid And yet I see not but 't was as Rational acourse as to think of Returning to God when in that Covenant wherein he had stood and now had broken there was no provision for an After-game or salving Matters by Repentance The Law he had Violated in the Sanction thereof tells him he must Die Natural Evidences from Creation or Providence or present Patience and Reprieve spoke nothing till Supernatural Evidence came in in that Protevangelium the Oare and Bullion of Evangelical Discoveries The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head Gen. 3. 8 9 10. 15. But 2. I say that Natural Evidence would discover only common Goodness and general Bounty which God might afford the sinner without any security that he should not Perish eternally 3. Whatever Evidences man might have that God made the World which were Pregnant enough yet the Evidences that God did Govern the World would afford him but cold comfort Seeing that the Righteous Governour of the World could not be supposed by any other Laws or Rules to Administer it than those he had given at first which being now broken and the Creature withdrawn from Gods Order by Disobedience what could Natural Light discover but that God would Reduce the Creature again into Order by Punishment 4. Nor could the Evidences of Gods making the World give any Glimps of Assurance that first or last he would not destroy it though at present he suspended the Execution upon a Secret Design of Grace lodged in his own Bosom unless a Mediatour had Interpos'd and that Interposition Accepted and both Revealed to those Consciences which were fill'd with hideous Apprehensions about the Holiness of God Secondly The Mosaick Religion was founded on those Miraculous deliverances which God wrought for Israel and that particular Providence which watched over them To which I return 1. The Mosaick and the Christian are not different Religions but one and the same for Substance differing in Ceremony and Circumstance What they foresaw that we enjoy They had Christ in Sacrifices and we have all their Sacrifices in Christ What they had at sundry times and in divers manners that have we in one Uniform way by Christ They had scattered Particulars we have them all summ'd up in one Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for ever 2. The Miraculous deliverances which God wrought for Israel were indeed Cogent Motives super-added to those many others
vouchsafed them but not the Foundation of their Religion under any Notion When God gave the Law upon Mount Sinai He Prefaces it with this strong Inducement I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage Thou shalt have no other Gods before me May we now upon our Authors Warrant say That Gods delivering them out of Egypt was the Foundation of their Religion in Worshipping the true God and none besides Him or rather that it was an Additional Enforcement to command Obedience to that Law which yet Antecedent to such particular Obligation approved its Authority to their Consciences But that these Deliverances and Providences were no Foundation for the Mosaick Religion I shall endeavour to prove 1. In that God himself declares that he had laid another Foundation Isa. 28. 16. Behold I lay in Zion a sure Foundation And this is not constitutive of what was New but declarative of what was Old not only a Prophesie of what he would do but a clearer Discovery of what he had done that he might lead them into stronger Expectations of that Messiah which from time to time was promised would come and in fulness of Time should come and this Foundation God laid in Zion Which though it may express the Gospel-Church yet surely must not exclude the Iewish to which the Name Primarily appertains 2. In that God had actually laid another Foundation from the Foundation of the World for sinners to Build their Hopes upon in their addresses to God Thus was Christ the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Apoc. 13. 8. Slain particularly in the Sacrifices which commencing with the New Covenant ran a Line parallel with the Old World to the one great Sacrifice of Christ our High Priest upon the Cross. In that first Promise then made to our first Parents and afterwards Amplified to Abraham was the Foundation of all acceptable Religion and Worship Gen. 12. 2 3. God promises to Abraham In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed which promise that it contained Christ the Apostle assures us Gal. 3. 8â—… The Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie tâ—… Heathen through Faith Preacht before the Gospâ—… to Abraham In thee shall all the Nations of tâ—… Earth be blessed ver 16. Now to Abraham aâ—… his Seed were the Promises made he saith not tâ—… Seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seeâ—… which is Christ. Now unless we will find out â—… Quintum Evangelium that has nothing of Chriâ—… in it Abraham had Christ for he had the Gospâ—… Preacht to him and I do not understand what Gospâ—… signifies without Christ. Our Author I me sure of all the Men under Heaven has Reason to alloâ—… it for he would have Christ signifie Gospel anâ—… therefore cannot blame us who would have Gospâ—… to include Christ because we are loth his Persoâ—… should be quite shut out of it And again Thâ—… Promises were made to Abraham And is it not strange that Promises should be made to him and he not understand one word of them What waâ—… the Foundation of Abraham's was the Foundation of the Iewish Religion Nothing at all in their Service or Worship could plead for Acceptation bâ—… as it came under the Influence of those Types which were of no value in themselves but upon the Account of Christ. In Levit. 6. 1 2 3 4. If â—… Soul sin and commit a Trespass against the Lord c. I cannot but give the Reader a Breviate of some Remarkables in this Scripture 1. That the Sins here mention'd were not ceremonial Pollutions legal Defilements but such Wickednesses as were discoverable by the Light and condemned by the Law of Nature Lying Cozening False-swearing Unfaithfulness in Trust c. 2. That these sins did bring a proper Guilt upon the Conscience as being committed against the Lord and therefore the Sinner was guilty before God that is Obnoxious and liable to his Displeasure and bound over in conscience to answer it at Gods Tribunal ver 1. If a Soul sin and commit a Trespass against the Lord ver 4. Then it shall be because he hath sinned and is guilty 3. That for that part of his Fact which was Injurious to his Neighbour that which he violently took away or the thing he hath deceitfully gotten or that which was delivered him to keep or the lost thing which he found he was to restore the principal in Specie and to add a fifth part more because of the Damnum emergens 4. That notwithstanding he had thus compounded with man he must bring his Trespass-offering to the Lord a Ram without blemish ver 6. 5. The Priest was to receive the Trespass-offering at his hand and offer it up to the Lord. 6. The design of this Offering was Attonement procuring Favour from God 7. Here 's a Promise of the full Pardon of sin annexed unto this Sacrifice ver 7. It shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in Trespassing therein Now upon the whole Matter we observe here was Pardon of sin annext to a Sacrifice and yet their Reasons could tell them as Paul has told us Heb. 10. 4. It 's not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin And I think we may venture to say the same of the blood of Rams too How shall these then be Reconciled I know no other way but by owning the Respect which they bore to the Lord Iesus Christ who was from the Foundation of and all along the World the only Lamb slain of value for these ends in Gods Account Thirdly The Christian Religion is founded on the Incarnation Death and Resurrection of the Son of God Our Author had founded his own and the Christian Religion on the Sacrifice and Intercession of Christ p. 15. But perhaps fearing or finding the Foundation too narrow has here widened it at the bottome and taken in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. But I hope now the Storm will blow over and the Indignation conceived against those Persons who Love Honour and admire Christs Person a little Slake for if their Religion the Acceptation of their Persons and Services be built upon Him as Sacrificed for them on the Cross and Interceding for them on the Throne they do judge it their duty to love him against the World Nay what will you say if our Author himself should become a Convert his own Hope and that 's his All he says is Built on the Sacrifice and Intercession of Christ And can you imagine but he should Admire and Adore his Person And then may there not arise a danger that he should set up a Religion of Christs Person However that goes This I know it was Christs blessed Person that endured the Shock and abode the Storm of that Displeasure which was due to our sin and no Reason can be assigned why a Person should endure all the Sorrow and not have
that he hath appointed an Atonement for us and given no less Person than his own Son for our Ransome The Reader cannot but observe that he is there giving us Another Scheme of Religion from an Acquaintance with Christs Person without Scripture and then when he comes to take the Matter in hand he can from the Person of Christ demonstrate Gods good Will his pardoning Mercy and what not when others indeed venture upon Conclusions without Scripture they give some uncertain conjectures get some feeble hints some dim appearances and smattering Iâ—…cklings of the Matter but to Us it speaks nothing less than Apodictical and great Demonstration 2. The Reader will observe how perfectly he Overthrows the very design he would exalt for undertaking to prove How unsafe it is to found Religion upon a Pretended acquaintance with Christs Person and assigning this for a Reason that this is to build Religion upon uncertain Conjectures which we acknowledge to be Cogent When he comes to wind up his bottomes he tells us Though we had seen Christ in the flesh we could never have ghess'd at the End and Design of it had not he Christ Acquainted us with it So that the short and long of this great Demonstration is this That it 's uncertain to found our Religion upon Christ's Person because we could have known nothing of Religion unless we had been Acquainted with him He will lift himself off this flatt by replying that he means nothing but Christs acquainting us in and from his Gospel and we rejoyn that that which will bring him off will bring off his Neighbours for who ever affirm'd any more 3. He has herein at unawares stabb'd his main Cause to the heart For if there be no necessary connexion between the Person of Christ his Death and Suffering and the Salvation of Mankind but that as he assures us the End and Design of Christ in dying must be known onely by Revelation then it will unavoidably follow that Christ dyed for some greater Ends than to give us an Example of Patience and Submission to the Will of God to Confirm what he Preach'd seeing we needed no Revelation to acquaint us that a holy man is to be imitated in all holy things living or dying and that he thought at least his Doctrine was true or else he would never have exposed and layd down his Life to justifie it Now it 's plain however our Author does now and then humour us with Propitiation Ransom Atonement Expiation these are all reducible by his Engine to Christs confirming what he preach'd Pag. 320. All that I can find in Scripture concerning the Influence that the Sacrifice of Christ's Death hath upon our Acceptation with God is that to this we owe the Covenant of Grace which is Nothing else in his sence but God's Promise of saving us if we obey his Laws 4. He is slipt into the very same guilt with which he loads though unjustly his Adversaries viz. The Dividing the Person and Gospel of Christ. He was of a good Mind once p. 3. if he could have kept him in 't That the Person of Christ is not at oddes with his Gospel and that Christ and his Religion were well agreed but he has quitted his Post and dogmatically asserts That whosoever would understand the Religion of our Saviour must learn it from his Doctrine and not from his Person And why not from his Person in or by his Doctrine It 's a harder matter than our Author is aware to hear a Sermon preach'd without a Preacher and almost as difficult to believe it without good warranty that the Preacher has good Authority for what he delivers All the Authority of the Scripture is resolved into the Authority of Christ and therefore it concerns us to fetch our Religion from Christ by his Word 5. I must needs observe to the Reader one piece of cleanly conveyance and Legerdemain which our Author is forced frequently at a standing pull to serve himself of to draw Dun out o' th' Mire and that is to shew you a fair round Tester and then fob you off with a Counter to shew you a Horse in the Premises and pass to an Asse in the Conclusion He has pasted and posted it up in the Title of this Section How unsafe it is to found Religion upon a Pretended acquaintance with Christs Person but when he addresses himself to prove his Thesis he falls a persecuting the old thing of Learning Religion from an Acquaintance with Christs Person He who has the famous Art of Arguing from the essential Differences of things can he find no accidental difference at least betwixt Principium essendi and Cognoscendi Betwixt the Foundation of our Religion and the Means of conveying the Knowledge thereof unto us A thing may be first in Knowledge which is last in Being there has been some such Distinction in former Ages There was a time when the old World learnt it's Religion from Angels as our Author thinks from Prophets from the Government of the World will he say that the Religion of those dayes was founded upon any thing short of God upon Angels Men Sun Moon Stars Say the same in our Case Jesus Christ has revealed what we are to know and believe of the Father Son and Spirit in his Word he has reveal'd it yet our Faith Hope Love Obedience is founded on and ultimately terminated in God alone by Christ He that believes a Promise obeyes a Precept does believe the veracity of Christ in that Promise and obey the Authority of Christ in that Precept That Credit we give to Letters Patents praemunited with the Royal Seal is resolved ultimately into the Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Obedience we give to a Law is founded upon the Authority of the Legislator We learn our Duty from a printed Act of Parliament from a Proclamation but that which is the formal Reason of our Duty is the Relation wherein we stand to our Prince So childish is our Author in his Reasonings he begins to make a Cauldron and tinckers up a sorry kettle Amphora coepit institui currente rotâ cur urceus exit He undertook to prove the unsafeness of the Foundation of our Religion but he 's glad to come down a button-hole lower and prove onely the danger of learning of our Religion from a pretended acquaintance with Christs Person without Scripture-Revelation 6. He tells us there is not a Natural and Necessary connexion between the Person of Christ his Death c. and the Salvation of Mankind Very discreetly worded Not a natural and necessary connexion What 's matter if it be not Natural if it be Necessary Let it be owned Necessary any way that 's fair and honest and let him choose whether it shall be necessary by Nature or no. If our Author understands himself here it 's very well I am sure some others do not Does he mean therefore of all Mankind that there 's no natural connexion betwixt Christs Person
so affected with all the Arguments to a New Life which are contained in Christs Incarnation and Life and Doctrine c. It seems there are not Arguments enough in his Person but we must run to his Doctrine for a Recruit and what 's become then of his specious Promise that he would out-throw all that ever tryed before him in making Schemes of Religion from Acquaintance with his Person The veriest Bungler on Earth could but have contradicted himself but I wish that were the worst onâ—…t For 1. Some cannot see any Method at all in it But to be recovered is the Method of being Recovered to be converted is the way to be converted and that 's a very sure way I promise you for Omne quod est in quantum est Necesse est esse But this one of his peculiar Excellencies p. 18. The way to be perfect is to live as Christ lived or which is all one The way to be perfect is to be perfect If any one can make any better of this he shall have my free leave When we are so affected with all the powerfull Arguments contained in Christs Incarnation c. as to be sensible of the shame and folly of sin and to be reconciled to the love and practice of true Piety and Holiness Then The English of which is this When we are once holy then we are holy And this is his New way or Method of a Sinners Recovery by Christ. But 2. We have been made to believe hitherto That Method is a convenient sorting and marshalling of Matters which relate each to other into such an Order as may tend best to the reaching the End in practical Disciplines and making out the Truth in Theories But herein our Author is wretchedly out of the way For first he tells us we must be so affected with all the powerfull Arguments contained in Christs Intercession c. and then we partake in the Merits of his Sacrifice and find the Benefit of his Intercession for us That is we must set the Cart before the Horses which is an excellent Method Seeing we cannot partake of the Fruit of Christs Intercession before we partake of the Fruits of his Sacrifice for it is unquestionable that the Intercession of Christ is available by virtue of and operates by his Sacrifice 3. His Method is very lame upon this Account that he tells us we must be affected with all the powerfull Arguments contained in Christs Incarnation c. and yet never tells us how these Arguments become effectual to affect us which is a main thing in this Method A Method he supposes and yet never informs us whether it be onely a way that God prescribes us to recover our selves by using the best of our own Natural strength or whether it be Gods Way and Method which he proceeds in for the effectual recovery of a Sinner to himself 4. Here 's a Method pretended how a Sinner is recovered and yet no Consideration had what part and share the Holy Spirit bears in it which must needs be marvellously ridiculous to him that considers Iohn 3. 5 6. Except a man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Our Saviour had said v. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God but not contenting himself to have shew'd how absolutely necessary Regeneration is to Salvation v. 5. he shews the Spirits concernment in that work and that all other Endeavours after Conversion without his powerfull Operation will amount to no more than flesh The streams will not rise higher than the Spring V. 6. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit But yet 5. It 's equally absurd to speak of a Sinners Recovery and never shew from what he is recovered As if he should promise to Open to us the Nature of Motion and yet never shew us from whence the Motion takes its rise nor whither it tends Sinners are here talk'd of to be recovered but whether there be a state of corrupt and sinfull Nature a state of Enmity against God a state of blindness and darkness of Mind from which this Recovery must move we are not honoured with half a word 6. Here 's a recovery to Acts of Obedience love and practice of Piety but nothing of a New Heart a New Nature which the Scripture makes the Vital Principle of all New Obedience Here we are told a little of the Fruit the Tree brings forth but nothing how the Tree was made good that it might bring forth good Fruit. 7. He assigns a sensibleness of the Shame and Folly of Sin as the Means to get a Title to the Promises of the Gospel and yet some of those Promises contain an Engagement of God to give that New heart new spirit which he makes the Condition of obtaining a Title to the Promises Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the heart of Stone out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of Flesh. I am perswaded that if we should all study seven years to be Impertinent and Ridiculous there are not many that could reach or equallize our Authors Attainments Secondly The other part of his Task wherein he is always most Admirable is To pluck down those Methods which others have or are supposed to have Built And 't is certainly an easier province to find faults than to amend them Now first he enlightens us with this Doctrine That the design of Christs coming into the World was not to distract mens minds with the Terrors of the Law and the Inexorable Iustice of God not to bring us under a Legal Despensation of Fear and Bondage Now all the Colour of this trifling Sophistry lies in two things 1. In putting in the word Distract to make his Negative seem Tenable For though Christ came to Humble to Abase to Awaken the guilty Consciences of sinners yet it would be hard to say he came to fright men out of their Wits to prepare men for Bedlam and the slipping in such an useful word will make a Negative justifiable upon any of the Designs of Christ But can sinners be more Mad than they are who go on securely in a state of Impenitency and Rebellion against God No sure That which some call distracting of sinners is but really a step towards the helping of them to their Wits 2. The Design of Christs coming into the World is either Subordinate which relates still to some further end and design of Christ or Ultimate to which all others do submit and give deference Now 't is true To awaken guilty Consciences with the Terrors of Gods Iustice to bring the Soul into a spirit of Bondage were not that which Christ did aim at as his great End but that he aimed at these things also in the way to his farthest End That is he used the Law to rowse the sleepy sinner to see his danger and provide
Hope and Expectations upon God through Christ The Knowledge of all which they owe alone to the Scriptures given forth by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost The supposition therefore that our Author has proceedeed upon all this while is a meer Falshood yet had it been True what he charges them with he had very weakly overthrown their Errour and none can doe greater disservice to the Truth than by a weak and feeble defence of it or a weak Opposition to the contrary it 's enough to tempt some men to take up what he opposes and to presume there are no better Arguments one way or other because so confident a Designer could give no better For all the Misadventures in his Tedious Scheme he will make us believe hee 's not bound to answer for them for if the Proportions be but regular let the Doctrine be what it will he does but personate the Mode of others But yet we have discover'd here many of his own dear Notions sent abroad in Masquerade which will appear more bare-faced in the following sheets Imitating herein the famous Limner who would stand behind his Exposed Piece to Eaves-drop the Censure of the Critical Spectator Just thus does our Author skulk behind his New Model of Divinity and if it meets with an Imprimatur he will play a more Overt Game but if otherwise he can quickly pluck in his Horns CHAP. III. Sect. 4. How Men Pervert the Scriptures to make it Comply with their own Fancies IT 's storied of Messa la Corvinus once a Famous Orator that he got such a Crack in his Pericranium that he quite forgot his own Name the most unhappy man certainly in all the World to have been Employed in the Management of a Lye the Mystery whereof consists mainly in Tying both the Ends so handsomely together that it may not Ravel out into Thrums Our Author has Managed a severe Charge against some that they Deduce all their Religion from an acquaintance with Christs Person without consulting the Scriptures And yet now The truth is says he if you consult their Writings you will find them stuffed with Scriptures These things did not Cotten very Lovingly and he was as much put to his Trumps to make both ends meet as the Gentleman who told it with great Confidence That he shot a Deer with one Arrow through the right Ear and the left Foot behind But he has an old Friend that never fails his Servants at a Pinch and he lifted him over the Style with this They do but accommodate Scriptures to their own Fancies Their Crime then in the last Result is this That they are not so happy Interpreters of Scripture as himself They have the same Text but they want his Head-piece to Comment on 't They have the same Materials to work upon but they want his Tools Or as one of his Friends expres'd it they have his Fiddle but cannot get his Fiddle-stick But to reproach them upon this Account is to reproach by far the greatest part of Mankind All were not Born under his smiling Stars nor had the same benign Aspects of the Planets in their Nativity It 's not every mans happiness to have the Bees swarm about his Cradle or to be entranced upon the Top of Parnassus However after all the Scuffle we have gain'd this Point that we may joyn Issue with him upon the Question and modestly Debate it Whether he or they do best understand the Scriptures Two great Faults and they are great ones indeed he finds in their Writings First That they Expound Scripture by the sound of Words And secondly That they reason about the Sence of Scripture from their own preconceived Notions 1. They Expound Scripture by the sound of words Our Author had discovered to us p. 80. the Danger of using a way of Reasoning that would serve any Mans turn that had but any Quickness and Vigour of Fancy What a dangerous way then must this be that will serve any Mans turn though he be not blessed with his Quickness and Vigour of Fancy For though his Antagonists Pulse toll as heavily as Tom of Lincoln though he never drew his Breath but in Boetia nor ever had his Temples crown'd with the Ignis Lambens yet he can with as much ease and more truth Retort all his Rhetorick When mens Fancies are so possessed with Schemes and Idaea's of Religion what ever they look upon appears of the same shape and colour where with their Minds are already Tinctur'd like a Man sick of the Iaundies or that looks through painted Glass who seeth every thing of the same colour that his Eye or the Glass gives it Some such Medium the poor Priest used to Prove that the Virgin Mary was Prophesied of from the beginning of the World because he had made a shift to read Gen. 1. 10. Congregationem aquarum vocavit Maria And with the same learned skill did the Rector of Convince his obstinate Parishioners that it was their Duty to Pave his Chancel for him from Paveant illi ego non Pavebo And let me tell our Author for all his Vapouring and that he looks so goodly on 't he has not a more serviceable Engine than this one in all his Arsenal For having once double-dyed his Fancy with a strong Conceit that the word Christ signifies a Church an Office a Doctrine you cannot Quote that Text where the Word occurs but his Fancy Chimes all in just as Imagination thinks so Scripture clinks and every thing he sees turns round to that Crotchet when all the while the Wind-Mill is in his own Head If you should but venture to say that for an Orator our Author is truly excellent but for a Logician he is but Ordinary I l'e undertake from the sound of that one word he shall conceit himself at first Dash to be a Bishop So easie it is for a French Cook to make Suffolk-street Soupe of a Stool-foot and most Ravishing Minc't Pies of an Old Boot-top or a Leather Doublet As it is a Ridiculous procedure to make the sound of words the Measure of our Interpretation so is it no less perverse a Method to Expound Scripture by the Ranverse and go just cross to the sound of words The Plain and Literal sence commands our Reception unless the Context and Coherence Evident contradiction to some other plain Scripture or some gross Absurdity and insuperable Difficulty compell us to Recede from it But now according to our Authors Rule which he has most Religiously observed throughout his Book the further any Interpretation departs from the sound of words the better it is that is to say for his own purpose As suppose you should meet with this word Heaven let not the Chiming and Tinckling of your Fancy betray you into a Notion of some Glorious place where the spirits of Iust men made perfect are Blessed in the enjoyment of God for that would be but to Gratifie your Tinctured Imagination with the sound of a word
and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your Flesh and give you an heart of Flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them where the order and method of God in this great work is laid down with such a convincing evidence that he must have no eyes or shut those he has who does not see it And 1. God promises that he will remove the great principle of resistance that which makes head and opposition to the Commands of God the stony hard inflexible-Heart 2 That he will bestow another a better a new heart a soft Spirit a heart of Flesh that may comply and close in with Gods Commands 3. That from this new heart all new obedience all service acceptable to God must proceed as from its spring or root I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments 4. That all obedience inward and outward obedience keeping the Commandements of God with the heart and doing them in the practice of our lives yet all must proceed from this new heart this new Spirit which God promised to put within them But he comes to close Argument we are exhorted that the same mind be in us that was in Christ Phil. 2. 5. And to be his disciples is to learn of him who was meek and lowly in spirit Math. 11. 29. We question not that it s our duty to imitate Christ to copy out all his imitable excellencies and if he can prove that we can do this viz. imitate Christ in Acts of self denyal taking up the Crosse bearing reproach forgiving enemies without a better heart and Nature than we brought into the world with us he will then begin to speak to the purpose But says our Authour Christ transcribed his own nature into his Laws and therefore a sincere obedience to his Laws is a conformity to his Nature To which I answer 1. He that transcribed his Nature into his own Laws must yet transcribe it once more even into the heart of a son of Adam e're he can give to him that new Obedience which is acceptable to him It was not enough that God wrote his Lawes in Stone unless they be written upon the Tables of the heart with the finger of God 2. Obedience to the Laws of Christ does increase our conformity to the Nature of Christ but still there must be a renewed heart and Nature upon which all progressive conformity to Christ in obedience must proceed 3. Transcribing of Christs Nature into his Lawes is a Metaphorical expression which our Authour may explain how he pleases but I observe alwayes when he can cloath an Argument with Metaphors he is then secure yet still he presses upon us from Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his That is says he Unlesse he have the same Temper and disposition of mind that Christ had Now let the Reader look well about him and he shall see rare sights we do all remember that to be United to Christ or to be one of Christs signifie to be United to a particular Church And now we are told That by having the Spirit of Christ is meant being of the same temper and disposition and now from hence we have these consectaries 1. That if any man be not of the same Temper with Christ that is be not holy as he is holy he cannot be United to a particular Church And our Saviour has vouched for it John 3. 5. Except a man be regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God We must be like minded with Christ and thereby become one of his and what is now become of the great Proposition that has filled so many pages That the only means of Uniting as to Christ is by our Union with a particular Church 2. He tells us that Union to Christ is described by having the Spirit and then having the Spirit is interpreted by being of the same Temper with Christ so now we have got another Doctrine That our Union to Christ consists in being of the same Temper and disposition with him But 3. We have here an excellent expedient to discharge the World both of the Person of Christ and of the Spirit too For as he can interpret Christs Person into Doctrine office Church Religion Bishops Baptism so he has interpreted the Spirit into Temper disposition and when an exigency calls for it he may explicate it by a strong wind or a vapour and then his work is done But 3. For the explicating of the new Nature he tells us there is a closer Union which results from this which consists in a mutual and reciprocal love which I am glad of amongst other Reasons for this that now it will be lawfull to Love Christ without persecution provided alwayes we do not over love him nor be passionately in love with him but yet there are a few inconveniences which attend this explication For 1. If we be United and closely United to Christ by Love then a Political Union is not the onely one betwixt Christ and Christians And 2. Then it seems for all the sorrow a Christian may be United to Christ without being United to a particular Church for we therefore love Christians because we love Christ and are taken with the imperfect holiness which is copied out into their Natures and lives because we are surprized first with a delightful admiration of Him who is the grand exemplar of all perfect Holinesse 1 John 5. 1. He that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 3. Why may not this Union with Christ signifie an Union with the Church as well as the other and then to love Christ signifies no more than to love his Church and so we are but where we were 4. It s very strange that our Love should result from our obedience and subjection whereas its hard to conceive how the soul should give subjection without Love and if it should give any a forced subjection without its principle of Love would find as cold a well-come in Christs heart as that cold heart it came from our Saviour had described obedience as the result of love John 14. 15. If ye Love me keep my Commandements No says our Authour keep my Commandements and then you will fall in Love with me but let him give light to his own Notions when we are transformed into the Image of Christ he loves Us as being like him and we love him too as partaking of his Nature He loves us as the price of his blood as his own workmanship created to good works and we love him as our Saviour and Redeemer now love is the great Cement of Union which unites interest and thereby does more firmly unite hearts It is not then quite so bad as was
he was pleas'd to institute a great many Ceremonies and many of them of very obscure Signification iâ—… the Iewish Worship to aw their Childish Minds into a greater Veneration of his Majesty Now let the Reader substract A many out of A great many and the Remainder will inform him just How many of God's Institutions had Any light in them Had this Divinity faln into some mens fingers they would perhaps have made desperate work with it For 1. Some might say Nay then if God's own Ceremonies were invented to aw Childish Minds we can never hope for better from Humane Ceremonies but that they should fright the Churches Children out of their wits 2. Others would censure it as guilty of horrid Prophaneness to assign such a Reason for God's sacred Institutions as must imply That he was forced to go subtly to work with his people and to use the Artifice of Mormo's and Scarce-crows to fright them into Reverence as women terrifie their children with Robin with the Raw-head and Bloody-bones And 3. Some would not stick to say That surely some prying pate or other would have discovered the design and then instead of conciliating more Reverence it would certainly have exposed his Ordinances if not the Author of them to contempt But they who had seen Mount Sinai all on flame and smoak they who had heard the sound of that dreadful Trumpet who felt the Earth-quake without and a greater Heart-quake within at the presence of the Almighty God were convinced that God needed not to have recourse to those little slights of Ceremonies to aw their Childish Minds into a Veneration of his Majesty 4. Others expect when our Author should make God himself a Ceremony contrived to manage this bulky and unruly World with more ease For some it seems have got it by the the end that Primus in Orbe Deos fecit Timor 5. But all agree in this That this Doctrine argues our Authors gross ignorance in the true end of those Ceremonies All which had a fair and clear Prospect towards a Redeemer Col. 2. 17. They were a shadow of good things to come but the body was of Christ. But men may speak their pleasure our Author has determined against them That God's Institutions were to fright Children But now says he in these last days God sent his Son to make a plain easie and perfect Revelation of his Will to publish such a Religion as may approve it self to our Reason Well! whatever we have gained I am sure Religion has got no great mattâ—…r by the Bargain For then their Reason was to crowch to God's Religion though in an obscure Ceremony but now poor Religion must stoop to Reason must appear before the Tribunal of Reason and if it does not acquit it self well and give a Rational and Satisfactory account of its Tendries it must be bored through the Tongue with a red-â—…ot Iron for an Heretick And which is the worst on 't this Reason holds its Consistory in our Authors brain so that if he be but 〈◊〉 with a Rheumatism the droppings of his Nose must be imposed upon us for Twice distilled Reason Nor yet can I perceive wherein Religion does more approve it self to our Reason than formerly to theirs For 1. As to the Moral part of Religion that was as agreeable to Natural Light then as ' â—…is now Murder Adultery Stealing were equally condemned by the Sentiments of all Mankind in all Ages 2. For the Ceremonial part which depends upon the mere Authority and Sovereign pleasure of the Legislator they had as good Reason for their obedience as we can claim for ours There was as fair Reason pleadable for Circumcision as for Baptism for the Passover as the Supper the first Reason from which all instituted Worship springs being the Will and the last Reason into which all is resolved being the Glory of the Supreme Law-giver 3. The Perfection of Christ's Revelation above that of God to the Iews lies not in giving us a new Moral Law or adding any thing to it but in exhibiting Himself as the Substance of their Ceremonial Law who was revealed though less clearly revealed to them in Types and Figures And now Dr. Owen shall have a short truce and respite from Persecution whilst the storm falls upon Dr. Iacomb Some cavilling spirits have made a Qâ—…estion How the Air and Earth could afford sufficient Matter for Rain to make an Universal Deluge But I more wonder whence our Author could furnish himself with such a vast stock of sâ—…olding Materials and Utensils as might maintain such a constant Tenor of Fury and Rage against these men What Cistern or Receptacle is able to hold such a body of Rancor as may feed that stream which perpetually turns his Mill Some thought surely these Doctors had a great hand in burning the City or have rob'd the Temple at Delphos or however that of Tholouse But I relieved my self against that Suspicion by a seasonable Consideration That it 's not the custom to hear ill but for doing well And therefore my thoughts began to reel to the other side Whether possibly they had not club'd together to build or endow some Hospital or Colledg or had bought in all the Impropriations and laid them to the Church because it must be some glorious Work that could purchase our Author's Indignation and at no lower rates could they entitle themselves to his severe displeasure At last with much beating about I found that they had both zealously and strongly engaged against the Socinians for the Doctrine of the Church of England and then no Penance shall ever expiate their Guilt or procure an Indulgence for such Delinquenâ—…y But then the Difficulty recurred upon me Why he should slip his Hold of the one and fasten upon the other Yet I considered that Nature is much delighted with Variety And I have heard some that pretend to know something in those matters say That it 's not Policy to fight long with one Enemy for in a while they will understand our manner of fighting and become as good at our Weapon as our selves But now attend When we enquire says he what this Union between Christ and Believers is They answer It 's a Mystical Union through the Spirit and Faith And truly they answer pretty well For that it is a Mystical Union they produce the Apostle Paul for their Voucher Ephes. 5. 32. This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church The Apostle is there discoursing of that intimous Oneness good Sir be not angry that is between the Husband and the Wife That the Wife is the Husbands own self vers 28. He that loveth his wife loveth himself Now covertly the Apostle with one and the same labour will shew us how mystical and intimous that Union is which is between Christ and his Church v. 29. No man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are members of
that remains in the Clouds still and upon our Authors Hypothesis must lodge there Eternally 3 Our Author fancies a Rigour and Severity in the Law now what that should be is not easily conceivable Is it any of the Ten Commandements which is so rigorous above the rest which is it or how many are there of them and where has God dispensed with them or it or what part of the Law is it the external or the internal part wherein the Rigour of the Law lies or is it no certain thing but left to Discretion such as hath a latitude in some greater in some less or rather is not this Rigour of the Law as 't is here applyed a great Name of Blasphemy and reproach against the Law and therein the Law-giver all whose Commands and every part and parcel thereof are holy just and good And in a word if God can dispence with his Law and indulge the Violation of it what Reason can be given why he may not dispense with all the rest Why so he may if our Author say true p. 45. That part of Justice which consists in Punishing Offenders was alwayes look'd on as an Instrument of Government and therefore the exacting or remitting Punishment was referred to the Wisdom of Governours who might Spare or Punish as they saw Reason without being unjust in either And therefore he concludes There was no Necessity for such a Sacrifice as the Death of Christ for the Expiation of Sin He is now drawing his Conclusion and I hope will draw to a Conclusion So that our Righteousness is wholly owing to the Righteousness of Christ. I am in hope it will be owing to something before he has done A little before it was owing not solely indeed but almost to humane Endeavours and now the Debt is transferred wholly to the Righteousness of Christ. And yet he flies higher in his Complements to the Righteousness of Christ Which says he in this sence may be said to be Imputed to us because without this Covenant which is founded on the Righteousness of Christ the best man Living could lay no claim to Righteousness or future Glory And is it come to this Is there a sence wherein the Righteousness of Christ may be said to be Imputed to us And must all men be Reviled and Persecuted with Scurrility because they cannot Jump just into his Sence And yet the sence of this way of Imputation is Invisible VVas it not possible for God to pardon without respect to Christ O yes Could he not reward sincere Obedience without regard to Christ O yes Could he not accept him that walkt uprightly before him without any consideration had of Christs Righteousness Oh yes Could not God have promised to do all this as well as do it without a promise No doubt of that VVhy then might not the best man Living lay claim to that which God promised upon performance of the condition of which he promised it Yes indeed he might had God promised it but before the appearance of Christ in the Flesh he made no such promise VVell then all we have got by the Bargain is a promise that God will do that now which he always would have done and did do though not promise that he would do before the appearance of Christ and if he never had appeared If then this be the only sence in which Christs Righteousness may be said to be imputed to us it may be said to be imputed in no sence at all for it gives us no right upon which we may make a claim only an evidence of right whereby we may lay claim to Righteousness and future Glory But why might not the best man living lay claim to Righteousness and future Glory Why he supposes there was no such Covenant in the World before the appearance of Christ and he supposes that this Covenant was founded upon the Obedience and Sacrifice of Christ. Here must needs be a great mistake 1. Upon his own Principles For pag. 252. he asserts That Natural Religion is founded upon Natural Demonstrations that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him And that upon this Foundation Abel and Enoch proceeded in their serving of God pag. 253. And that they pleased God by their Obedience the Apostle assures us Heb. 11. 4 5. And that Abel obtained witness that he was Righteous And that Enoch before his Translation had this Testimony that he pleased God Now that which God Spoke by Natural Demonstration to that upon their diligent seeking of Him they might lay claim but God Spoke by Natural Demonstration that he was a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him therefore to that Reward they might lay claim Yes no doubt a claim to that Reward But what was that A meer Temporal transitory Reward And was that all the Reward that righteous Abel was to have for his Sacrifice for his serving of God Doubtless for he was presently Murder'd for it And was that all the reward that holy Enoch might claim Doubtless for Good took him Ttranslated him to a better Life for before his Translation he received this Testimony that he pleased God 2. There 's a mistake upon better Principles That which God Spoke by Revelation to that they might lay claim but God Spoke to Abraham by Revelation that upon his walking uprightly before him He would be his God therefore Abraham upon his walking uprightly before God might lay claim to it that God should be his God Ay says our Author Be his God No doubt of 〈◊〉 But what does that signifie This was one of the great difficulties that lay in his way to believe that Abraham was justified by Christ. For then We must be well assured that the Blessings promised to Abraham were Spiritual Blessings pardon of Sin and Eternal Life And therefore this is Ignoratio Elenchi But I profess my Name on the other side And that the Promise that God would be Abrahams God comprehended all that ever God Promised or could promise to any of the Sons of Men When God could Swear by no greater he Swore by Himself and when he could promise no thing greater he promised Himself I will be thy God is the Abstract and Epitome of the whole Covenant of Grace 'T is that Gold in the Lump which was afterwards beaten out into greater breadth but still of the same weight Summe up all the particular Promises in the Gospel and the total Summe is no more than this I will be thy God And therefore when the Apostle gives us the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. 10 11 12. He describes it thus I will be their God and they shall be my People That he will Write his Laws in their Hearts that he will pardon their Iniquities are some of the particulars included in that comprehensive Promise I will be their God 3. That which the Saints guided by the Infallible Spirit laid claim to that they might justly lay claim to but the Saints guided by the