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A35667 Truth outweighing error, or, An ansvver to a treatise lately published by J.B. entituled, A confession of his faith and a reason of his practice, or, With who he can, and with who he cannot hold church-fellowship ... by John Denne ... J. D. (John Denne) 1673 (1673) Wing D1027; ESTC R11873 57,462 128

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been performed by his personal acts there had then been no need of his Death and Passion the necessity whereof is declared by Christ himself Luk. 24.46 Thus it behoved the Christ to suffer and confirmed by the Apostle Acts 17.3 that the Christ must needs have suffered wherefore it must be concluded that the aforesaid blessings were not effected by the personal acts of Christ And therefore although the Confessor J. B. Epist presumeth a candid Christian may judge the root of the matter to be found in him it may from what hath been said be feared that the root is evil and then it is easie to judge what the branches will be But now in the second place let us see wherefore the aforesaid Article is believed I was enforced to consider it because he urgeth it so emphatically I believe therefore as if there was something preceding that would demonstrate the truth thereof But I have weighed both the precedent and consequent Articles with the Scriptures annexed and I profess I know not what he means by Therefore The Article precedent is I believe this very Child is both God and Man the Christ of the Living God J. B. Art 14. pag. 8. And the Scriptures annexed are Luke 2.7 12. Matth. 1.21 22. But why he should say from thence I believe therefore c. to me doth not appear This Confessor tells us J. B's Epist That above eleven years he hath weighed paused examined paused again these Doctrines and that in cold blood Surely it demonstrates his instability to be so tedious a tract of time to use his own words in pausing and weighing I wish that may not be true in him according to the words of Paul 2 Tim. 3.7 Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth For hitherto his Judgment and Understanding notwithstanding his long pausing seems as cold as his blood If any object That it is written Christ gave himself for us laid down his life was obedient to death all which amount to acts of Christ I Answ 1. That the sufferings were all voluntary that he readily condescended to obey his Father's Will wherein we have cause to accept the Grace of Christ But 2. This was no act viz. no Personal act of his There may be a voluntary submission a free condescension even so far as we may be said to lay down our lives to obey God and yet no personal act Christians are required to obey God in sufferings and it is accounted an Obedience to God when we lose our lives for his sake wherefore although I do extol the personal acts of Christ in the days of his Flesh and desire to respect them in their own Sphere yet I must conclude as aforesaid that those blessings are not wrought by his personal acts but by his sufferings as it is written The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 Christ hath also once suffered for us that thereby he might bring us unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 J.B. Art 16. pag. 10. I do believe that for the compleating of this work he was always sinless did alwayes the things that pleased God's Justice that every one of his acts both of doing and suffering and rising again from the dead was really and infinitely perfect being done by him as God-man Wherefore his acts before he died are called the Righteousness of God his blood the blood of God and herein perceive we the love of God in that he laid down his life for us The Godhead which gave vertue to all the acts of the humane nature was then in perfect union with it when he hanged upon the Cross for our sins Answ It is the advice of the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 4.11 That if any man speak he should speak as the Oracles of God But sure this Confessor's words are more like the Oracles of the Devils that of old were accustomed to be given so ambiguous and obscure that no body could understand them aright yet they might be wrested to the understanding of any Such is the matter of the aforesaid Article wherein it is hard to determine what he means unless it is that the Godhead of Christ suffered death which although he doth not plainly declare yet he doth imply if he saith any thing For saith he every one of his acts of suffering was really perfect being done by him as God-man I wonder that he who pretends that he doth not abusively present to the Reader any other Doctrine but what he holds J. B's Epistle professeth and Preacheth should be so abusive to himself and Doctrine as to Preach and Print that which is so inconsistent with common sense But to proceed he saith The Godhead which gave virtue to all the acts of the Humane Nature was then in perfect union with it when he hanged upon the Cross Now to be in perfect union was to be even as that was viz. hanged upon the Cross and also dead which sure the Confessor means for he further urgeth that therefore his blood was called the blood of God and hereby perceive we the Love of God in that he laid down his life for us Now if this be his meaning it is directly contrary unto Truth for the Godhead that was equal with the Father Phil. 2.6 with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning Jam. 1.17 an Eternal Spirit immortal c. as it hath neither flesh nor bones Luk. 24.3 cannot die hath no blood to shed Death and Immortality are not congruous and therefore herein this Confessor is mistaken for the death of Christ was only as he was man And therefore it is said Heb. 10.5 When he cometh into the World A body hast thou prepared me If the Godhead could have died there needed not the preparation of this body of flesh but thereby being made man he became subject to death which he was not before as it is written Heb. 2.14 15. Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that bad the power of death wherefore he did not assume the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham vers 16. As it is said Heb. 2.9 He was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death This also our Confessor acknowledged saying Art 12. The great reason why Christ clothed himself with our flesh and blood was that he might be capable of obtaining Redemption and that was by his Death even the death of the Manhood As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 3.18 Being put to death in the flesh in the body of his flesh Col. 1.22 And therefore although some Scriptures alledged by the Confessor call the blood of Christ the blood of God and God's Life it must not be taken as properly spoken but in respect to that conjunction between the Deity and Humanity as figuratively Christ is said to be Hungry Thirsty Naked c. Matth.
25.42 when it is properly to be understood of his People as himself saith Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least of these ye did it not to me And in this sense God saith He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2.8 In which sense also the aforesaid Scriptures may well be understood although the Deity is Immortal Touching divers other Articles of this Confessor's Creed although stuffed with many profuse words and incongruities of speech contrary to that advice 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words I shall say nothing at this time but pass to Art 19. pag. 13. I believe that the sufferings of Christ were all voluntary that he readily condescended to obey his Father's Will wherein we have cause to accept the Grace of Christ But 2. this was no act viz. no personal act of his There may be a voluntary submission a free condescention even so far as we may be said to lay down our lives to obey God and yet no personal act Christians are required to obey God in suffering and it is accounted an obedience to God when we lose our lives for his sake wherefore although I do extol the personal acts of Christ in the dayes of his flesh and desire to respect them in their own sphere yet must conclude as aforesaid that those blessings are not wrought by his personal acts but by his sufferings As it s written The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 Christ hath also once suffered for us that thereby he might bring us unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 The Articles about Justification Election and Effectual Calling which I shall only give you the sum of what he saith collected for brevity sake out of them all wherein he declareth That there is a Decree Choice or Election J. B. Art 3. pag. 26. Art 7. pag. 30. before the Foundation of the World even that which contains in it self the Persons Elected and the Graces that accompany their Salvation which must be wrought in the hearts of such Persons there being a necessity of the use and effect thereof Art 1. pag. 31. because they are chosen and therefore they and they alone are effectually called it being the fruit of Electing love pag. 32. which Call is a word that out-goeth all opposition wherein the Voice of God is heard the Gates of Heaven are opened pag. 33. there is an effectual awakening of the Soul in reference to sin pag. 34. and the World to come a sanctifying virtue whereby Faith Hope pag. 35. pag. 36. pag. 37. pag. 28. and Repentance are so necessarily produced that there is not any impediment that can hinder their Conversion and Eternal Salvation which things are thus effectually wrought only in those which before the World were appointed unto Glory and the rest were blinded pag. 23. pag. 24. pag. 31. that as they will not so they cannot hear and turn Answ Here you have an account of this Confessor's Faith which he saith in his Epist he would have open to the view and judgment of all men Wherein although he is so confident that he makes his appeal even to his Enemies such unsoundness appears as even strikes at the Justice of the God of Heaven declaring him to be exceeding partial and unequal in his dealings For I appeal to the World whether it must not be so if John Bunyan's Doctrine aforesaid although eleven years examined be true If God hath chosen to Salvation before the Foundation of the World any persons without any respect to qualifications or if he hath in their Election ordained That they shall be supplied with such Grace which shall of necessity produce the Effects intended and that so beyond all opposition that there is no impediment can hinder their Conversion and Eternal Salvation And again Hath blinded others that they cannot hear or turn What respect of persons without controule is this Yea what iniquity and injustice is it which J. B. declares But far be it from our God Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Whom that I may according to my abilities vindicate to the world against John Bunyan and his groundless Creed I shall first endeavour to shew his deceipt Secondly I shall demonstrate the righteous dealings of our God in behalf of the Salvation of mankind Wherein consider these things in opposition to John Bunyan's Creed viz. 1. That God doth not Elect any man unto Salvation without respect to qualifications foreseen 2. That there is not any such Eternal purpose of God which necessarily produceth John Bunyan 's Effectual Call 3. There is no such Call as is beyond all opposition 4. There is not any such Estate as no impediment can hinder the Conversion and Salvation of a man 5. There is no Person originally so far blinded by the God of Heaven that they cannot hear and turn to him These things although Negatives I shall Essay to demonstrate to be although contrary to John Bunyan consonant to Truth by the ensuing Arguments viz. Arg. 1. If God Electeth some Persons without respect to qualifications fore-seen Then there is respect of Persons with God But there is no respect of Persons with God Ergo. The Major is undeniable for if there be no respect to qualifications there must be respect of persons or respect to nothing Peradventure it will be said that there is respect to nothing it is of God's meer will and pleasure whereto I shall Answer That if God looking upon every man alike viz. without respect to any qualifications chooseth one and not another it is partiality and therefore the Major appeareth true The Minor is evidently proved Rom. 2.11 1 Pet. 1.17 and positively affirmed Acts 10.34 I know of a truth saith Peter that God is no respecter of persons which afterwards he demonstrates vers 35. In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness he doth not say he that is Elected is accepted of him Arg. 2. If God hath from the beginning Elected any persons to Salvation without respect to qualifications fore-seen Then the Sentence shall not pass at the last Day and Judgment be rendred to every man according to their works But the Sentence at the last Day shall pass and Judgment be rendred to every man according to their works Ergo. The Major is plain for if it shall be according to our works then not according to such Election if it be of Election as aforesaid then not according to works The Minor is confirmed 1 Pet. 1.17 Matth. 16.27 and Rom. 2.6 where it is said God will render to every man according to his deeds and vers 7. speaking of Eternal Life he saith It shall be rendred to them who by patient continuing in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality Christ also declares Rev. 22.12 That at his coming he will give to every man without exception according as his works shall be Arg. 3. If those men