effectuall calling that is that may be without conversion For that speech which in effect we had afore pag. 23. though we have answered it effectually we hope afore yet lest any should cast an eye upon it here as unanswered and so conceive it unanswerable though you doe but speak not prove wee answer in a word Before Calling and Conversion God doth onely purpose predestinate elect sinners to be loved in time Ephes 1. first 11. verses a place of your own quotation not actually love Rom. 9.23 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved that was not beloved And in Gods predestination God doth as well purpose mans fall and foresees him a childe of wrath Ephes 2.2 as his salvation And therefore when God doth actually give Christ to us and us to Christ there is his great and greatest love For in him we have all 1 Cor. 3.22.23 Yet you will hold the conclusion p. 30. That Gods love is as great before faith as after yet you know that God saith Without faith it is unpossible to please him Heb. 11.6 Next you come to answer Objections and we to reply to them Jn the Objection against the Page 32. which you have not answered to refute yet we have spoken to afore that distinction of hating the sinne not the creature which you you reject is a trueth God cannot hate the entities or beings he made Gen. 1.31 Physically considered no not the devill himselfe for being considered so abstractively from sinne God saw all exceeding good But morally considered as sinfully mannered so he hates them He hates the workers of iniquitie because of that iniquity Psal 36.2 He flattereth himselfe till his iniquity be found to be hatefull which done away in Christ he loves them dearely Ephes 2.1 2. Likewise that distinction Page 33. rejected by you Of Gods love of benevolence to the sinner before conversion and his love of Complacience to him after conversion It hath more light in it than all your assertions in this dispute which are a very darknesse provided that it be meetly understood Namely that God hath a benevolent purpose of saving a sinner before conversion or faith in Christ And after these he hath an actuall love of Complacency to him And before that not Mat. 3.17 17.5 So August In quo non cum quo Your own proof shall assert it This is my beloved son IN whom not VVITH whom I am well pleased Heare yee him So that men must heare and have and be in Christ and then God is well pleased with them Not afore This you grant unawares page 38. in your owne Answer to the Objection and so doe yeeld the Question namely in your large parallel or as least antithesis in that page 38. between Justice and Mercy Law and Gospell The summe whereof is to use your owne words That the one declareth wrath without forgivenesse the other mercy grace and peace in Jesus Christ * VVhere also you put a difference very wel of being under the Law and under grace The onely piece of Divinity that we have had from you all this while The Lord keep us all to that In your Answer likewise to the second Objection Page 40. which you propound as against you out of Math. 6.15 and 18.35 If you forgive not men c. your heavenly Father will not forgive you In summe you yeeld the question and overthrow your eternall Justifi-fication c. For you yeeld that there is a time when a man doth not apprehend or lay hold on for the words are the same in sense Gods forgivenesse And that till Gods pardon come to us we cannot pardon men And sure enough we cannot doe that till conversion that makes the Wolfe to dwell with the Lamb as the Prophet speaks Likewise in your last answer Page 46. to the third Objection Page 45. viz. If God love us before conversion as well as after then to what purpose serveth faith I say in your answer to this objection you overthrow your own position of justification before faith For these are your very words Faith is to good purpose that believing you who were under darknesse and in the shadow of death and saw no light yet I say yee might rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your faith 1 Pet. 1.8 9. * You durst not goe on with the whole 9. ver of that 1 Pet. but break off in the middle excluding that clause Even the salvation of your soules Because that you thought did too apparently attribute salvation to faith Read the place wisely Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing So you Now where is life where is peace before faith comes according to your owne answer and your proofes of Scripture The other three last Objections Page 51. c. against your Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation before faith As 1. That then what need we take care what we doe if we believe the Lord will not love us the better if we believe not he will not love us the worse 2. That then a man may dye without faith and yet be saved 3. Why then doth God suffer us to live in prophanenesse twenty fifty sixty yeares I say these Obiections following meerely on your unsound Doctrine are stronger to doe hurt than all your declamations against desperatenesse and loosenesse and disparaging the power of being under grace beneath some heathens morality are likely to prevent It is in vain for that man to forbid yong people the conclusion of committing fornication that allows them the premises of all wanton carriage Corrupt men are in their kind rationall and they will conclude according to the principles you teach them ☜ A maid led away with this Doctrine said boldly to me that she knew not how she could offend Jesus Christ by any thing she did But I leave men to read the Book of our brethren of New-England touching the tragicall effects of these Doctrines 2. Part. Or Sermon Reconciliation of man to God Page 1. There is say you in Scripture a twofold Reconciliation 1. Originall 2. Actuall Parallel to the distinction of originall and actuall sinne Originall Reconciliation is of our natures Actuall is of our persons Answ 1. There are no such termes of distinction in all the Scripture Those places you bring for it Rom. 5.10 Ephes 2.16 Colos 1.21 2 Cor. 5.18 19. let all men read and iudge whether there be the least hint of any such thing For is this any argument that because the Apostle saith to the Romans Ephesians and Colossians that they were already reconciled and tells the Corinthians that he was now but a perswading them to be reconciled that therefore the Corinthians had one reconciliation and were to have another For nakedly this is the sense of your inference For these are your very words you having quoted the former places Now say you compare we these
into it because your self in part wave it And you doe well For the grimnesse of the thing it self will make a conscience afraid of it For those your Expressions Pag. 23. That Gods love to us in our blood was as great as ever afterwards and that God loved Paul with as great love when he persecuted as when he preached the Gospel Because I finde them there to be but words without proof I forbeare to confute them unlesse in one word that if before and when signifie a time of being out of Christ your words are most false For whiles the elect Ephesians are out of Christ they are without all hope Ephes 2.12 And children of wrath Ephes 2.2 And before men are in Christ God doth but purpose to love not actually love Ephes 1. Or else you must say That God can actually love without Christs making satisfaction to his Justice If you say that these your assertions were proved afore as you doe in that 23. pag. Then we can as truly say they were answered afore Those expressions in the 23. pag. That God loves sinners with infinite love Yea his Love is God himself 1 Joh. 4.16 A word will suffice God in himself is as essentially Justice as he is Love And therefore as necessarily must the one he satisfied as the other communicated to save So that when his infinite justice is satisfied with Christs infinite merits then hee can exercise with honour to himself his infinite love himself properly being the only Obiect of his infinite Love because he is infinite It is enough for sinners that he saves them to the uttermost Hebr. 7.25 and that God Loves Christ infinitely and loves us in him enough if you dare say that obiectively and properly A creature is in a capacity of infinite act upon it or that God can love infinitely a finite thing unlesse you mean infinite in duration that is eternall for time to come And before his Iustice is satisfied hee actually loves not Rom. 9.25 I will call her beloved that was not beloved but onely purposeth to love upon that consideration and satisfaction as wee have afore often proved Heb. 9.26 c. Immediately before in the margin For that Passage onely breathed out Pag. 24. Gods Act of love is immanent in him Gods actions of love are transient upon and in the Creature That Gods Love cannot increase or decrease Wee say That it is true of the Act of Love in God But the actions of Redemption and salvation from God to a creature may as well increase as those of the creation wherein the World was first a Chaos c. after was raising to perfection sixe dayes The more of Christ is in a man the more of Gods actions of love are manifested to him Speciall graces above common graces God speaks higher touching those his Martyrs that have the suffering graces of Christ then of others Phil. 1.29 Dan. 12. last Revel Heb. 6.4.9 The Apostle puts a wide difference between common graces from which there may be a defection and such as accompany Salvation 20.4 If Actions of Gods love may not be more or lesse to a Beleever within the latitude of never falling from grace totally and finally then there are no desertions of which there are so many instances in Scripture Mistake me nor My meaning is Though God never ceaseth to love those that are once in Christ according to that Joh. 13.1 Rom. 11.29 yet sometimes he may doe more sometimes lesse for the inward comfort of such a soul even as on the other side a Christian may more worke his own discomfort at one time then at another The rest that you have in pag. 24.25 are in effect but repetitions of the same things Therefore wee follow you to Pag. 26 27 28. God doth not onely love us before conversion with his great love but say you with his greatest love that ever was communicated to the creature This may appeare by severall effects of the love of God communicated unto men by God in and through his Sonne before conversion faith c. As Predestination Choosing Redemption Justification Adoption before repentance faith conversion or calling And Sanctification Calling opening the heart all of them gracious acts of God communicated unto the creature before the conversion of the creature to God Answer O Brother that you would consider what strange doctrine is here which the Bible never knew For that Scripture you alleage is flat against you Namely That God hath chosen us in him Christ Eph. 1.4 Hath predestinated us unto the adoption of Sons by Jesus Christ Hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom we have redemption through his Blood even the forgivenesse of our sinnes vers 5 6 7. In whom we have obtained an inheritance vers 11. For can any thing be communicated to the creature through Christ those are your words without Communion Co-union with Christ by faith Is not Christ in us by faith Ephes 3.17 Doth not the Scripture speak as plainly as may be that wee are the sonnes of God which is Adoption by faith Ioh. 1.12 Accepted in him through faith Hebr. 11.6 That wee have Forgivenesse of sinnes which is justification by faith Rom. 5.1 That the inheritance is not of the law but of faith Gal. 3. So for the expressions you use above the Scripture is cleer that sanctification is by faith 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 Acts 15.9 That effectuall calling is by faith Heb. 4.2 If you had only meant that all these choosing redemption justification c. had been made a sinners by Gods decree and purpose 1. You would not have said they were communicated to the creature 2. You should not have numbred Predestination with the rest For by this meanes you speak vaine repetitions thus Predestination is communicated by Predestination For Predestination can be no otherwise ours then in Gods purpose 3. Why did you not think upon this that in Gods purpose faith and repentance and conversion were eternally as well thought upon by God and intended for man as Redemption and Justification He lincks the means and the end in an indissolvable chain Rom. 8. So that in Gods decree you cannot say that any one of those Acts is older then another Let any man read your words over again and speak truly whether you can mean any thing if he make sense of your words though false unlesse he understand a communicating that is actuall and not mentall meerly in God For you speak of sanctifying an ungodly man of effectuall Calling 〈◊〉 as some of the instances of those things that you say are communicated in Christ another note that you meane actuall communicating And then you fall upon your Bead-roule as they speak if not your bad-roule of a redemption justification sanctification calling opening the heart communicated to the creature before the conversion of a creature to God Good Lord teach you seriously to think what conversion that is that hath no effectuall calling or what
three places fore-mentioned with that which we find 2 Cor. 5.20 In the former places the Apostle told us we were reconciled and in this place he beseecheth us to be reconciled So you If you mistook your selfe and intended to make the parallel between the 18. verse of 2 Cor. 5. God hath reconciled us to himselfe and verse 20. We pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled Meaning herein that the same Corinthians were reconciled and were yet to be reconciled Know that in that 18. verse the Apostle speakes of his and his fellow Ministers reconciliation verse 19. of the reconciliation of others in the world And therefore ver 20. intreats and beseecheth the Corinthians that were not yet converted to be reconciled For as for the other they were Saints and a Church of God Chap. 1.1 and therefore actually reconciled 2. Answ If our first reconciliation be originall that is hath a beginning like as originall sinne then our first reconciliation is not before the foundation of the world much lesse our second which you call actuall And whereas in your first part or Sermon you mention another reconorliation before both these namely Gods reconciliation of himselfe to us we ask you what shall be the obiect of this reconciliation seeing that our nature and persons are not say you reconciled but by the other two namely by that originall and actuall reconciliation 3. By bringing both ends of your Book together we perceive that the whole frame of your mouldring foundation is this 1. God is reconciled to man Serm. 1. Page 2. And this containes such a love as Christ never purchased Page 21. Yea that God was never an enemy page 2.2 There is reconciliarton of us to God and this is two-fold 1. Originall of our natures 2 Serm. Page 2. And of this you lay down this Proposition That we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son without any previous conditions in us page 3. Here you admit Christs sufferings but Christs grace and spirit of faith is excluded 2. Actuall Reconciliation of our persons page 2. And of this you lay downe this position page 5. of your 2. Part or Sermon Mans actuall reconciliation say you to God requireth previous conditions and qualifications to be wrought in man by the Spirit of God before man can be actually reconciled to God or Gods reconciliation manifested unto him For there are say you three sorts of conditions 1 Antecedent 1 Knowledge of sin 2 Knowledge of the depth of misery by sin to such 2 Present 1 Without believing the soule remaining in the body cannot bee reconciled to God John 3.36 That by believing the soule is actually reconciled to God Iohn 3.33 John 1.12 Rom. 5.1 Thus you Your third sort of conditions are rather effects than conditions therefore I mention them not Thus brother after you have filled the bellies of your auditory with crudities I am loath to say poyson in your after service or second course you bring somewhat that is wholsome in that one dish of actuall reconciliation All the rest we must vomit up or we die To that end I goe on to administer my Dosis 1. Ans That there is but one only reconciliation namely that of God and man into atonement by faith in the one only Mediator Jesus Christ We proved afore * On page 2 of 1. Sermon that the Scripture would yeeld you this one only not two much lesse will it now allow you three one being enough and therefore one onely held out to us in the word whereof we have said so much already that we shall add the lesse now 1. The quarrell between God and us is but one namely our fall in Adam and continuance in that condition Rom. 5. it 's the businesse of the Chapter 2. The satisfaction is only one and made at once Rom 6.10 In that Christ dyed he dyed unto sinne ONCE Likewise reckon yee also your selves dead to sin but alive to God Hebr. 7.27 Christ needeth not dayly to offer up sacrifice for this he did ONCE Heb. 9.12 Christ by his owne bloud entred in ONCE into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us mark that clause Heb. 9.26 But now ONCE in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe And ver 28. Christ was ONCE offered to beare the sins of many and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath ONCE suffered for sins the just for the unjust that be might bring us to God And so in the fourth of Ephesians the Apostle much runs upon one That as every Christian hath but one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ and one and the same holy Spirit so every one hath one calling one hope one faith and one Baptisme as a seale of those Out of all we conclude that if Christ did not at once make a full reconciliation for all that shall bee found in him then is he an insufficient Saviour If he did make a full and sufficient satisfaction whereof they have benefit by the individuall act of justification Rom. 5.1 then is he fully within the atonement in an instant 2. Answ Reconciliation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Ecclesiasticall Church polity No members of a Church Ismael in the Church circumcised His posteritie out of the Church not circumcised and non-reconciliation are immediate contraries therefore either a man is wholly reconciled or nothing reconciled This immediate contrariety the Apostle toucheth and intimateth 2 Cor. 6.14 where the Apostle makes the opposition between believers and unbelievers to be as between righteousnes and unrighteousnes light and darknes Christ and Belial And the Apostle toucheth our conclusion or inference that a man is either wholly irreconciled or reconciled Eph. 2.11 12 13 14 15 16. Remember that ye in time passed were Gentiles in the flesh who were called uncircumcision c. that at that time yee were without Christ being aliens from the common-vvealth of Israel or rather * Politie of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope vvithout God in the vvorld But now in Christ Jesus ye vvho sometimes vvere far off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ For hee is our peace vvho hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished the enmity even the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace and that hee might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse O golden place to our purpose Read it and read it and weigh it and read it See 1. the Apostle sets down once and again a time in this life wherein they were not reconciled 2. Saith that the they were afar off 3. That as they were without hope so without Christ as without Christ so without God God and they were not reconciled And 4. That the bloud of Christ the cresse of Christ by the preaching of peace verse 17. had made believers verse 8. Jewes and Gentiles one among themselves and both one with God at Peace I know not what can be plainer to convince that we are either altogether at peace God with us and us with God or else not at peace at all 3. Answ I remember it was the maine argument of the Orthodox against the Arminians that if we might fall totally as the Arminians said from grace and yet not finally that they should produce the evidences of Scriptures set downe of one totally fallen and not finally If the Scripture set down none but of those that were totally off or finally on then the Arminian truth was not sound So may wee argue that the Scriptures set down no discoveries of one halfe reconciled or two parts reconciled and not the third for you make three reconciliations one after another but set down a demonstration to know whether we are wholy unreconciled or wholy not And therefore either we are wholly reconciled or wholly not for the time till Christ comes and makes the change This demonstration set down in the Scripture is onely from the act of actuall iustification by faith in Christ Rom. 5.1 By this we are blessed or else not blessed Rom. 4.6 Faith makes that there is no difference between us and others in state of salvation or else there remains the difference that we are not in state of salvation for the time till God comes and alters the case through faith This is evident Acts 15.9.11 And put no difference between us and them purifying * There is a purity by faith as well as of imputation of sanctification Rom. 4.3 their hearts by faith But wee believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Postscript MUch more might bee said but I have been much larger than I intended though I had two severall printed Tracts to answer the materiall mistakes whereof we have discussed not letting one as I know of escape I wish it had been undertaken by a fitter man and to such a one I had left it but that I saw most of the able men so busie and the meane while some of my neere friends to begin to bee taken with these mistakes I have answered with as much judgement as I could in so verie a short time as I had allotted for this businesse still carrying with me a render conscience the Lord knowes I lye not that I nught not in the least grain or jota prejudice or cloud the free grace of God in Jesus Christ which is more precious to me than my life and the onely bridge that must carry me over the eternall Lake to heaven I have also used as much modesty and love in all my expressions as I could I appeale to the would for the truth of this that I might not grieve any but guide them If any apprehend any materiall mistakes let them but with divine reason cleere them unto me and I will print my retraction Or if they will needs print a confutation let them but doe by me as I have done by this for the manner and keep to the Scriptures for matter and I will say well done Farewell FINIS
to be advised guided by Christ Mat. 17.5 And Christ is honoured in that he must find the price of our redemption finde an hand for us to receive it So that the salvation and the application by faith is all of the gift of Christ and of the power of Christ Ephes 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith see Gods favour and Saints faith conioyned and that not of your selves it is the gift of God who works to will and to do Phil. 2.13 The Proposition We are justified before God before the act of our beleeving Argument I. LEt me speake for those that are not able to speake for themselves I meane the little Babes to whom belongs the Kingdom of God I argue thus Infants doe not beleeve a But Infants are justified Therefore some that do not believe are justified Which if it be granted it will follow that some are iustified before they believe That infants are iustified need no proofe * That infants beleeve not must be proved b although the Church of England hath long since put it out of doubt First Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10.17 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard shall we say that infants in the Wombe hear the Word Secondly Faith is a Knowledge as some say a Perswasion as others a Trust as others But Infants are capable neither of Trust Perswasion or Knowledge therefore Infants are not capable of Faith But some have said that infants hear the Word of God beleeve in God and love God in an unknowne way c as sometimes John Baptist sprang in his Mothers Wombe for joy at the salutation of the Blessed Virgin But Saint Augustine did answer long agoe not more wittily then truly That this was done by a singular Miracle Neither doth this conclude other infants to beleeve any more d then we may conclude all Asses to be good Counsellors because we read that Balaams Asse spake more wisely then her Master An Answer to Argument I. * Yea if you would hold that infants are iustified before they believe you had need exceedingly to prove that they are so iustified for we know no Scripture for it Justified infants do beleeve a Such an infant may be filled with the holy Spirit Luk. 1.15 And where is the Spirit there are its fruits one of which is faith Gal. 5. The inbeing of grace no way depends upon the growing of the body we know a reasonable spirit is the subject of grace and without respect to age The Angels were full of grace as soone as made Grace doth but perfect reason The soule of an infant is full of reason Ergo why not capable of grace that doth not hurt but help reason how more capable is the soule of a man asleep of faith then the soule of an elect waking childe Yet 1. God hath appeared to men in dreams why not to a waking childe revealing Christ unto it 2. The habit of faith saves else a believer dying in his sleep cannot be saved All infused habits depend not on organicall knowledge that enters by sense 3. Godly men in their deepest sleep have oft the most rationall and divine notions Ergo a childe may awake smiles are the property of reason they will smile Infants do not believe b because Rom. 10.17 Answer that is spoken de Adultis of ripe in yeares for there is mention of confession and supplication The expression is affirmative not negative By this argument because it is said the spirit is given by hearing 2 Cor. 3. Ergo it could not be given to Iohn Baptist without hearing This confirmes that spoken afore c that Iohn was filled with the holy Spirit from the womb now manifesting an apprehension of Christ by that motion the body was organized unto namely leaping in the mothers wombe For that of Augustine 1. If men are to be urged in this point then the whole streame of all sound Divines run to this effect We are elected before all time Created in the beginning of time Justified in the fulnesse of time Glorified after all time That the first is the decree the other the execution 2. Augustines speech must be interpreted that he meanes by miraculum mirandum or else his speech is false as in many things he mistooke for a miracle is Mutatio naturae rei of the water into wine Moses rod into a Serpent Now Iohn in the womb was not altered in nature 1. d It is not said that the Asses soule was capable of humane reason and speech The voice or fitnesse of speech was created in his mouth But it is said Iohns soule was filled with the holy Ghost This infusion of the holy Spirit in regard of Gods acting is the same with his infusion of the Spirit into all other believers though the subiect not like to all other believers in regard of body But the Lord did not make the asse speake as he makes man to speake He makes man speake by the naturall instruments of speech And speakes reason from a reasonable soule But the asses speech was created above the power of nature And for that speech that Iohns condition doth no more conclude that other infants do believe any more then we may conclude all asses to be good counsellours because we read that Balaams asse spake more wisely then his Master We answer 1. This will conclude that as all asses would so speake if God did worke alike in them by creation so all infants would believe if God did work alike in them by infusion as he did in Iohn Yea 2. We can conclude more a fortiori If God doth put the spirit of faith for so it is called 2 Cor. 4. into Iohn whom he intended should live to be a man to see Christ and heare of him if not hear him how much more will he put the spirit of faith into elect infants that shall never grow up to manhood but die in their childehood 3. We can conclude that some one hath had faith in infancy But you can give us on instance of any one that hath beene iustified in infancy without faith I say no instance of example As for your Arguments we will answer to them in order 4. It seemes more infants then Iohn have had saving grace in their infancy Mar. 10. Else how were they pronounced blessed and that to them did belong the Kingdom of heaven and were actually blessed of Christ Argument II. HE that is in Christ is justified But we must be in Christ before we can believe a b c Therefore we must be justified before we can believe The Major is plaine the Minor is proved that we must be in Christ before we can believe To believe is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. But we must be in Christ before we can beare fruit Therefore we must be in Christ before we can believe Joh. 15.4 As the branch cannot bear fruit of it selfe except it abide in the
seven Arguments which if need had required might have been seventie Now I will answer the Objections An Answer to Argument VII IF we are not justified in his sight before we believe a then we are unjust sinners workers of iniquity Answer So we are As we have shewed out of Ephes 2.2 Where we are said to walke after the course of the world to be guided by the Spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience and to be children of wrath as well as others till we be in Christ by faith v. 4 5 6 7 8. So 1 Cor. 6.9.10.11 But then saith the obiection If we be workers of iniquity God hates us Psalm 5. 1. Answ We know no middle between Gods love and hate And the text saith plainly that till they be called they are in regard of actuall love a people not beloved Rom. 9.24.25 ☞ Some reply that this is meant of the Gentiles To which 1. We reply that that is all one In the Gentiles we see those that were not beloved afore the call are beloved after 2. That the text names Jewes and Gentiles and brings that of Hos to prove it with which if we go on to end of 3. chap. of Hos it is fully proved Chapters are of late invention Besides that 9. of Rom. we alledge that Ezekiell 16.8 It was a time of love This text is urged against us but you may see it is for us For it should seeme it was not the time of love till God passed by her and spread his skirt over her the righteousnesse and excellency of Christ In order of nature she lay in her blood before justified and loved But in order of time at the same time yea minute of time she was in her blood was justified and loved At the same time the soule is created in man But in order of nature the understanding acts before the will And whereas it is said Esau have I hated not Jacob But Iacob have I loved This the Apostle applies peremptorily to Election and reprobation Now Election is every where in Scripture called a purpose If any where it be called a love we must be forced to ioyn both together unlesse we will set the Scriptures together by the eares and say It is a purpose of love Now a purpose is not an act nor an act a purpose Gods decree is not the execution nor the execution the decreeing 2. Answ Isay 1.13 Your incense is abomination to me the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it it is iniquity even the solemne meeting your new moones and your appointed feasts my soule hateth c. And all because their hands were full of blood But ver 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow See here is as much said of hating those that should be pardoned ver 25. as of Sodom and Gomorrah ver 10. God cannot hate the essence of the Devill being his creature but onely his manners So of the iustified before iustified as we have shewed Answ b What absurdity can be conceived by one principled with Divinity For though man could fall in the first Adam yet he cannot fall from the second Adam being once in him For the gifts and calling of God Rom. 11. are without repentance We can perfectly sinne being out of Christ and so deserve to be hated But we being in Christ have a perfect righteousnesse in him that saves them to the utmost that is for ever that come to God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 So that as he breaks the power of corrupt nature that it cannot sinne perfectly with a full will Rom. 7. so he perfectly pardons all sinne that there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 Objection 1. We are justified by Faith therefore not before Faith Answer First it should have concluded not before the act of beleeving a Secondly I denie the consequence and say we may be justified both by it and yet before in a different sense This Proposition We are justified by Faith is very ambiguous He was not a Foole who an hundred years since said that this Proposition was one of those things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 I would our Age had not proved it true that the misunderstanding of this Proposition hath turned upside down the Doctrine of Justification amongst pudling preachers There is in this Proposition two words ambiguous and doubtfull The first Justified which sometimes in Scriptures signifieth to be reputed reckonned or accounted Just as It is God that iustifieth Sometimes it is taken for to be declared or manifested to be Just as By workes a man is iustified James 2.24 If you take Justified in the first sense we say we are not reputed or reckoned Just by the act of believing If you take Iustified in the second sense I say we are justified that is declared to be Iust by believing Faith manifesting to our consciences that we are Iust before God By Faith we understand that God hath freely iustified us in his Son Another word ambiguous in this Proposition is Faith which is diversly taken sometimes for the act of Faith or believing and sometimes for the obiect of Faith the thing believed as Faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse Rom 4. that is the obiect of faith So that it is all one as if he had said God or Christ was reckoned to him for righteousnesse If we understand the act of Faith then I say as before we are not reckoned Iust by the act of our faith if by faith we understand the obiect of our faith then I say we are reckoned or reputed Iust by God in by or through Christ Jesus our Faith An answer to your reply to the 1. Obiection We are iustified by faith therefore not before faith Your Answer is 1. That the conclusion should be not before the act of believing We reply the conclusion should not have more termes in it then the premises 2. That if a man hath the habit of faith he cannot but be actually in Christ For it is part of Christ 2. You answer That you deny the consequence We reply That which is said to be done by an instrument inferres it is not done without the instrument 3. You reply that a man may be iustified by faith and yet be iustified before faith in a different sense distinguishing of the reputation of one iust and the manifestation of one iust And of Fides quâ fides quam of faith and its obiect What is all this to the purpose when your own former replies do intimaredly confesse that you took the Argument to mean iustification it selfe not the manifestation and faith the quality not the obiect For the Apostle doth not mean Rom. 5.1 that Christ is the instrumentall cause but the meritorious cause And faith the
no place Add what the said Doctor hath touching creation Ibid. cap. 8. that you may not think me singular and selfish Active creation saith he is conceived in manner of a transient action in which is alwayes supposed an object upon which the agent doth act yet is it not formaly transient but only virtuall because it doth not suppose the object but makes it So hee How much more therefore is Redemption a transient act and justification a transient act which doth cleerly suppose that praeexistent object man made already And therefore as actuall creation done in time though decreed eternally doth not inferre a change in God so nor doth actuall Redemption Justification putting us into Christ and loving us as found in him conclude that there is a change in God hereby which before was eternal but onely in the decree and purpose God from all eternitie hath the Idea and platforme of all in his minde yea his essence as understood by himselfe is the Idea of all But to say that God doth actually justifie whiles man is not actually existent is to charge God with contradictions Or to say that God doth actually love justifie c. that which is actually nothing is to frame phantasies to our selves God made man after his own Image God lookes on us no otherwise from all eternity for matter of being but as he lookes upon his owne essence the Idea as we said and platforme of all things Therefore God in his decree cannot be said to justifie us from all eternitie unlesse you dare say God justifies himselfe There is the same reason of distinguishing of a man afore conversion and after If Gods decree be that 1. he calls effectually by the Word And then 2. justifies in Christ And 3. glorifies with grace and blessednesse Then it is impossible to conceive or say That it is done eternally afore that we are justified eternally afore loved as justified eternally afore when the Decree is That is shall not be afore we are actually called So this indeed is to defend Gods unchangeablenesse to maintaine that God doth Act all things in time place manner and degree exactly according to his eternall unchangeable purpose Your Quotation of Rom. 5.6 8. of Ezek. 16. wee answered afore The same Answer serves to that you alleage out of John 3.16 Thus God purposed actually to love some of the World And after he did actually love those of the World that were in Christ by faith So that God actually loved those that were of the world but not whiles of the World And this place of John 3.16 doth shew the order of Gods proceeding to make us actually loved 1. Hee having decreed to love 2. Prepared a Propitiation gave his Son for whom he might love 3. So actually loves all that beleeve in that Christ that he saves them If you understand otherwise of an actuall love in God towards the world before they beleeve then it will follow that God doth actually love all the world of which many never beleeve yea never were elected I wonder why you doe so contend for this expression Ephes 1.3 4 5.6.7 8. Rom. 8.28.29 Rom. 9.11 That God doth love the elect from all eternity For 1. If the holy Ghost in Scripture calls it a Love once he calls it a purpose an election a choosing a predestination a fore-ordaining a counsell a determination many times for that once And we are to follow the frequenter exposition of the holy Ghost as a commentary to that which is more rare 2 You your self will call that actual love which God beares to us when we are actually in Christ by Faith So you doe Sermon 2. p 3. p. 5. And the Scripture saith that before this Gods love is but a purpose a predestination an election c. Now a purpose and an act of love are immediate contraries no middle love between both And therefore what doe you contend for A meer imagination 3. Cui bono to what end doe you strive in this For what more effectuall argument lies in this to tell a poor forlorne sinner that God loves him then to tell him God hath elected him or purposed to save him in Christ for his Election and Purpose are unchangeable And you may as safely say the one as the other yea safer For that expression to tell him that God loves him being yet out of Christ may give an occasion of mistake whereby to neglect Christ Sure enough on their parts that use this phrase God loves sinners out of Christ many grosse expressions bud thence ☜ As that you have p. 27 28. following That we are Predestinated chosen redeemed sanctified called the heart opened and all before Conversion comes I leave you and all ingenuous men to stand and wonder at these words till I come to answer them in their order upon those pages of your Book which you see wee quote in order There you and all candid men may see how unextricably you hamper your self Pag. 21. You say neither may wee nor will Christ himself say that he purchased the Fathers Love for us Answer Here is another of those * For you see and say your self pag. 22. That you see a depth unsearchable and you cannot tell what to say to it So you thickets you rush into by understanding Gods election or purpose to love to be a love And that his eternall love containes more then a purpose For if you would keep to the frequenter expressions of the Scriptures of election purpose c. you would easily understand all Namely that as well the Son and holy Ghost as the Father doe elect and purpose to save sinners That all Three as well as one of the Persons must be pacified by merit of a Saviour God and man That all Three Persons doe purpose to love in this manner and method 1. That they will send the Second Person to take humane nature for Christ sends himself as he himself laid down his life Ioh. 10. to die and prepare a satisfaction for sinners 2. That this Christs sufferings shall be preached to sinners 2 Cor. 5.20 3. That the efficacie of the Spirit entayled on the Ministery of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3. shall make the elect by faith own these sufferings as done for them to discharge them whereby they are united to Christ Ephes 3.17 4. Then God finding them in Christ hee confesseth hee is satisfied and well-pleased with them Matth. 3. verse last Matth. 17.5 Twice spoken from heaven for the eminency of it Which in sense is all one as that Christ merits Gods actuall love to sinners And that is the reason that Christ is so oft in Scripture * Heb 9.26 Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5 11. Ephes 2.14 1 Cor. 5. called our Sacrifice our Propitation our Atonement our Peace our Passeover c. For that your dangerous Distinction That God can begin to love without Christ and after cannot continue it without the helpe of a Christ I wade not