self not be added to or diminished from 7thly That the Goodness of God where it takes impression or is received in man in the free tenders of it in Christ Jesus it is the principal inducement or cause of Repentance and forsaking of Sin 8thly And the Tenders of Grace and Salvation in Christ are free to all so that man's rejecting and slighting of it and of God's Kindness therein is the cause of his being rejected of God O man thy destruction is of thy self but thy help is in me saith the Lord. 9thly Seeing that many of their own Brethren have confessed God to be infinite in his Power and in all Perfections and to his Divine Attributes as their term is and that he is free in them and so his Love Goodness and Mercy which attend his Judgment being felt in the way thereof by them that wait therein upon him Why should any Doctrine or Supposition be brought forth that doth at least seem to diminish his Love and Good Will by either mis-representing it in its self or render it partially in its extent as only design'd or but free for a few that upon full payment and also the same full punishment and wrath that sinners deserved by a Person distinct and separate from himself as Jesus Christ hath been mis-represented He being One with the Father who said Hitherto the Father worketh and I work and the Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do that he doth 10thly Christ being the Brightness of the Glory of God and the express Image of his Divine Substance as also truly called the Son of his Love by him is exprest and clearly signified God's Free Love Goodness and Mercy towards Mankind both in his Life Ministry and Sufferings in the dayes of his Flesh. 11thly It being the Love Patience Long-suffering of God and Riches of his Grace that leads to Repentance Rom. 2. all which were truly expressed signified and bore Testimony unto by Christ Jesus both in his Ministery Suffering and Death on the Cross as also by his Resurrection and most Glorious Ascention The Almighty Power of God which is unto Salvation to the true Believers was shewed forth and born witness unto and blessed are they that receive the true sense thereof in its operation and effects 12thly I also know and confess That it was in God's Infinite and Free Love that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified of in due time And that in the same Love he hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5. and therefore God is to be followed and Christ obeyed by all that receive his Love But now to T. V. his Terms and Assertion seeing he has not been plain nor given any ingenious nor satisfactory Answer I ask and Query 1st WHere doth the Scripture say That it is impossible for God to pardon or forgive without a plenary Satisfaction as an act of Law made to his offended or vindictive Justice by another 2dly And if this Satisfaction depend upon a second Person or God equal with the Father as T.V. saith Christ is proved to be and not upon any finite Creature Is not this all one as to say that God satisfied God and then what non-scence is it to lay it upon a second Person distinct from him and yet coequal with him where doth he prove these words in Scripture Doth not this like the former Doctrine either render them two distinct Gods differing between themselves the one abounding in Judgement the other in Mercy or else God to differ from himself and so to give Christ for his own Pacification and not Man's real Reformation whilst the Notion of plenary satisfaction is made a cover or pretence for Peoples continuing in an imperfect sinful polluted state which the Priests Plead for the continuance of in all term of Life And does not this their Doctrine lead People to trample the Blood of the New Covenant under foot and this is to deny the one Offering 3dly And was that the end of Christ giving himself a Ransom being an Offering and Dying for All that men might live in sin all their time and say they are Pardoned and Redeemed whilst they are still in Bondage 4thly Is God fully satisfied that any should live in sin or is his infinite Justice satisfied so as not to lay hold on them in the sinful state 5thly If the Wrath of God be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and every disobedience shall have a just Recompence of Reward How then is Divine Justice fully satisfied and answered for All in that state without their coming under the sence of it in themselves For if so then nothing is to be done within them and then how did the Believers know the terrors of the Lord the sentence of Death in themselves the Law that Ministers Wrath the Ministration of Condemnation which in his time was Glorious and the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them by Christ Jesus who came to condemn sin in the Flesh for that end wherein still we confess to the one Offering and the blessed effects thereof 6thly And if All must live in sin all their time does not this tend to settle People upon their Lees and set them at ease in a false security in Sin and Transgression and so to deny the one Offering and Sacrifice that puts away sin 7thly And if such a plenary Satisfaction as it is called be made for some in that sinful state why not for all Do ye not here render God partial whereas Christ died for All tasted Death for Every man gave himself a Ransom for All which you Presbyterians to wit T. D. and others have denyed and so you make Sects and therein have opposed Scriptures and the Extent of God's Love and Good Will to all men but we Testifie to it and own Christ's Death and Sufferings and Effect of his Righteousness to be manifest within by the Spirit to every one that believeth 8thly Why doth T. V. so vilifie a man for Confessing according to Scripiture to the infinite Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind and his reasoning for it from Scripture seeing that he himself confesseth the impossibility of any finite Creature to make any plenary satisfaction to his offended Justice And many of his Brethren have confessed the Divine Attributes to be in God and he free in them as infinite Love Goodness Mercy as well as Justice As also he may find in the Common Prayer Book That the Graciousness and Mercifulness of God is confessed unto more then he has done And whereas T. V. accuseth W.P. with seeming to insinuate that he denys only the impossibility of Gods pardoning sin without satisfaction but that his Arguments are against Satisfaction it self he saith Whereas W. P's own Testimony stands against him in this matter in Pag. 32. which T. V. to his own Contradiction is also made to
thereby being to his satisfaction how can men continuing in their sins truly plead they are fully acquitted at once without them and they onely in the implicite belief thereof received from the ridged Presbyters rest satisfied in their sins all their life time And where doth T. D. prove his Doctrine of Christ's being holy by a true inherent righteousness of the humane Nature pag. 25. what Scripture hath he for this or these Expressions was not his Righteousness from the Divine Nature and was it not Everlasting but is not that which is humane Finite And T. D. saying that the Socinians vomit the Quakers have now lickt up pag. 27. herein hath he spoken scornfully and falsly against us which will not at all tend to convince Socinians if they were as bad as rendred but to that they can answer him And his saying the Elect whilst Sinners in state where proves he this that the Elect are Sinners in state seeing the state of the Elect is a sanctified and chosen state out of the World and its wayes chosen in Christ through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 the impossibility of deceiving the Elect is signified Matth. 24.24 where the Calling and Election is made sure they shall never fall 2 Pet. 1.10 And that Christ was made surety of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 And came to do his Fathers Will Hebr. 10.7 And that his being a Surety is an Act of Grace pag. 28. This we confess and own more then you that contend for Sin for the Will of God is our Sanctification and the better Testament and Covenant which Christ is the Surety Mediator and Establisher of is that of Righteousness Life and Peace wherein Sins and Transgressions are done away and wherein true Believers live to God And as for T. D. his so often comparing God to a Creditor Christ to the Surety and Sinners as the Debtors telling of God being considered as a Creditor and as a private Person pag. 32. But where doth the Scripture so call him Reply He does not speak from a true sence of God or Christ or of Gods Covenant but a Notion he hath learned by Tradition and as to Sinners their case is worse then meerly Debtors they not onely owing obedience to God and Christ but are disobedient and rebellious as the case of Fellons Traytors and other Malefactors is worse then that of Debtors yet Christ is our Surety Mediator and Intercessor to make agreement between God and man and to deliver man from the Punishment and Wrath to come by delivering from Sin the cause of it and destroying the Devil the Author of Sin not for us still to live in Sin and daily both contract more Debt and incur tribulation and anguish upon our Souls Howbeit the Wayes of God extend beyond T. D's comparison his Wayes are not as man wayes nor his Thoughts as mans thoughts for as the Heaven is higher then the Earth so are my Thoughts higher then your thoughts saith the Lord whose graciousness also to poor deceived lost man for his restoration is infinitely beyond mans legality and exactions as the Lord said I will not execute the fierceness of mine Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One in the midst of thee Hosea 11.9 But is there not perfect obedience now for men to perform must they all live in Sin and Imperfection tearm of life and say all our Debts is paid and if all their Debts be paid why are they not out of Prison Are not all that are in Sin and Bondage of Corruption in Prison and would it be glad Tydings to tell them that though Christ has paid all their Debts and procured their release and ransomed them that they must not expect personal freedom out of Prison nor out of their Chains and Fetters so long as they lived here or if one should tell the Slaves in Turkey that they are ransomed and yet they must not expect personal freedom from their Vassalry and Slavery so long as they live here would this be glad tydings no sure but rather sad news and is just like these Presbyterians and Independants preaching to people and the tendence of their Gospel and pretence of Satisfaction Redemption Ransom c. whilst they hold none of them in Truth nor Righteousness nor in the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures of Truth and Testimonies of Christ or his Apostles T. D. pag. 29. He is satisfied and the debt paid too by his Intercession which being grounded upon his Satisfaction supposes it to be what it pretends full and compleat Observ. Here it is to be observed that notwithstanding this his Assertion of the Satisfaction both by payment and punishment being compleatly made and the debt fully paid yet he confesseth to Christ's Intercession but what does he ever live to make Intercession for if all be fully done paid satisfied at once by Christ's personal subjection and obedience must there ever be an intercession for that which is already so fully and dearly paid for as they reckon Christ hath done and God hath granted how will this hold consistent But then it appears it supposes it to be what it pretends full and compleat saith T. D. pag. 30. So here is now supposition and pretence put upon Christ's Intercession and Satisfaction what sorry shallow work is this but it appears But to proceed from one that hath followed his own conceptions notions weak judgement and humane understanding as also one that by his Logick and Traditional borrowed Notions and Doctrines goes about to make People to believe that from him that he hath no Scripture phrase for as that of God being a private person and other things And therefore like a Lawyer is fain to patch up his work as well as he can though in many things it be very inconsistant and repugnant to it self And whereas our confessing Christ both in Life and Suffering to be a perfect and real Example is so much struck at by these Priests and Professors we still withal confessing both to his Power and Living Effects through all and of all his Sufferings Afflictions Death and Life which we reverently esteem touching which I testifie in the Lord that if Christ be not really owned and confessed as he was a real Example both in Life Conversation and in Patient Suffering neither the Fellowship of his Suffering nor the Power thereof is truly known or experienced for they who would partake of the Benefit and blessed Effects of Christ's Death and Sufferings and yet will not own him for their Example shall never enjoy him therein seeing that Christ also hath suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps who did not sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Again Forasmuch then as Christ hath Suffered for us in the Flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath sufferred
THE Divinity of Christ AND Unity of the Three that bear Record in Heaven WITH The blessed End and Effects of Christ's Appearance coming in the Flesh Suffering and Sacrifice for Sinners confessed and vindicated By his followers called Quakers And the principal matters in Controversie between Them and their present Opposers as Presbyterians Independants c. Considered and Resolved according to the Scriptures of Truth And more particularly to Remove the Aspersions Slanders and Blasphemies cast upon the People called QUAKERS and their Principles in several Books Written By Tho. Vincent Will. Madox their railing Book stil'd The Foundation c. Tho. Danson his Synopsis John Owen his Declaration Which are here Examin'd and Compared by G. W. And their Mistakes Errors and Contradictions both to themselves and each other made manifest As also A short Review of several Passages of Edward Stillingfleet's D.D. and Chaplin in Ordinary so called to his Majesty in his Discourse of the Sufferings of Christ And Sermon preached before the KING wherein he flatly Contradicts the said Opposers Mark 14.56 For many bare false witness against him but their witness agreed not together Coll. 2.8 Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceipt 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5 20. If any man consenteth not to the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ c. he is puft up or proud c. Acts 24.14 After the way which they call Heresie do I Worship the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets c. London Printed in the Year 1669. An Epistle to the Presbyterians and Independants and their Rough Hearers who profess the Scriptures to be their Rule whereby they are examined and tryed and their wayes discovered 1 st WHether do the Scriptures speak of Three Persons in the God-head according to your own Rule in these express words let us see where it is written Come do not shuffle for we are resolved that the Scriptures shall buffet you about and that you shall be whipped about with the Rule 2 dly Where doth the Scripture speak of Christ's Righteousness imputed unto Unrighteous men who live in their sins and that in their Unrighteousness and Sins they shall live and die seeing that Faith purifies the heart from unrighteousness And he that believes passes from Death to Life and so from Sin that brought Death And he that receives Christ receives Righteousness it self by Faith in him the Lord the Righteousness this is Scripture 3 dly And where doth the Scripture say That a man shall not be made free from sin and that it is not attainable in this Life Let us see where ever Christ or the Prophets or Apostles preached such Doctrine Give us plain Scripture without adding or diminishing for Christ's bids men be perfect and the Apostle spoke Wisdom among them that were perfect 4 thly You that deny Perfection do ye not deny the One Offering Christ Jesus who hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified Do you not deny the Blood of Christ Jesus in trampling it under your feet and the Blood of the new Covenant which Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin and whose garments are made white by the Blood of the Lamb and he throughly purges his floor with his Fan and gathers his Wheat into his Garner 5 thly And did Christ make Satisfaction for the sins of men that they should live and die in their sins for he came to save his People from their sins and so he Died for them that they should not live to them but to God through him 6 thly Where do the Scripture speak of a Trinity of distinct Persons from Genesis to the Revelation give us plain Scripture for it without shuffling adding or diminishing you that talk so much of Scripture to be your Rule for the Father Word and Spirit this is owned according to Scripture and they agree in One. And we charge you to give us a plain Scripture that saith there are three separate Persons let us see Scripture we will have Scripture for it or otherwise be silent 7 thly And where do the Scriptures say That Christ the Light of the World which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World is not sufficient to guide men to Salvation Christ saith Believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light and Children of the Day and who walk in the Light there is no occasion of stumbling And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather than Light because their deeds be evil And is not the Light sufficient that lets a man see whether his deeds be wrought in God read John 3. 8 thly Where doth the Scripture say from Genesis to the Revelation That the true Faith of God is without Works Hath not Faith works that purifies the heart Doth it not give Victory Will you deny the Works of Faith because the Works of the Law was denyed by the Apostle 9 thly Where doth the Scripture say That it self is the Word of God Do you not belye the Rule here For doth not the Scripture say That Christ is the Word and the Scriptures are Words read Exodus 20 and Revelation 22. He that adds to these Words and takes from these Words the Plagues of God are added to him So see whether you are not adders to these Words as it is made appear before And Christ saith My words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and Life c. And in many places of Scripture God saith My Words Doth not Scripture signifie Writing For all your high Schollar-ship you may go to the English School-Master and it will tell you what it signifies What is all the writing in Peoples hearts Is Paper and Ink in Peoples hearts Come do not cheat People but confess truth you affirm Scripture to be the Rule but are found contrary to the Rule But what is all the Scripture the Rule from Genesis to the Revelations to walk by and practice Or what part of Scripture is the Rule are Herods words Pharoahs words Nebuchadnezars words Judas words the Jewes words Jobs Friends words the Devils words the Offerings and the Sacrifices c. Come what part of Scripture is your Rule Distinguish For you say the Scripture is your Rule Is it all a Rule for practice Must we obey every tittle of it for we own the Scriptures more then you do which Holy Men of God gave forth Christ Jesus and the Apostles and Prophets and they made a distinction but you make none Do not go with your Malice and envious minds to possess the People and say That we dis-esteem the Scriptures for we esteem Scripture more than you do that have kept People under your Teaching that they might be paying of you and so make a Trade of them The Scriptures speaks plentifully concerning Christ being the Word of God God is the Word is not this Scripture And in the Beginning
then sayes suppose as a subsistent or Person c. But which of these terms it is this Notionist hath not declared to us in his 13th page And this Notionist goes on in the said 13th page and sayes Nor can we say that the Notion of the Father as one Person in the God-head includes the Son nor the Notion of the Son as one Person in the God-head includes the Father Reader Didst thou ever hear the like This is but a Notion of the Father and a Notion of the Son indeed And are these Presbyterian Priests like to interpret Scripture with their Notions Conceptions and Suppositions no no. No one knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him Nor none knows the Son but the Father and to know God and Jesus Christ is Life Eternal and none can call him Lord but by the Holy Ghost And so this Knowledge is beyond all your false Conceptions Suppositions and Notions And if the Holy Ghost the Saints bodies be the Temple of it which Holy Ghost leads them into all Truth And if the Holy Ghost be a Person then have not the Saints a Person in their bodies And why did not the Apostle say That their bodies were the Temples of a Person according to your Doctrine and Rule the Holy Ghost is a Spirit and so let us see that Scripture which gives the Holy Ghost the Name of a Person And he speaks again in his 14th page of Three distinct Persons are one with the God-head Now Reader is not here Four to wit Three Persons and the God-head But Reader we charge him to give us Chapter and Verse for this Doctrine for we must order him with the Rule And then he tells us of a Notion of the Father and including the Son it 's but his own Notion for if he had known him he would have spoken in a form of sound words whereby he might not have been reproved And again the Presbyterian sayes the Three Persons are distinct and the Rule is to be understood that they are One among themselves only in respect of that wherein they agree not simply Answ. Reader take notice he sayes The Father and Son and Holy Ghost which he calls Three Persons doth not agree simply Is not this contrary to Scripture What agreement is this which is not simply What! separate distinct Persons not agreeing simply Come what is this agreement then if it be not an agreeing simply Tell us what it is by Chapter and Verse thou sayes the Scripture is the Rule Where doth the Scripture say That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply Didst thou not say That God was so simple that he admitted of no parts what agreement is this if it be not simple What is it then tell us Dost thou not abuse the Father Son and Spirit and Scriptures clear thy self and make this good That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply if not simply then tell us how and give Chapter and Verse for it out of the Scriptures or else acknowledge thy self to be of a Sandy Foundation Seeing thou sayst A Man is a Person and God is a Person and the Scripture saith God is a Spirit and Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost the begotten of the Father Was Christ the Image of the Father as he was of the Generation of Abraham or David or Adam or according to the Spirit Whether of these was he the express Image of his Father's substance because thou calls the Father a Person And the Scripture sayeth He suffered according to the Flesh which he did not die as he was God and the Scripture calls him Son of Man and Son of God and he being the express Image of his Fathers substance see the Old Translations And dost thou not in thy 16th page of thy Synopsis bring the Greek Philosophers to prove the Persons Yes How now Presbyterian Priest thou hast run beside thy own Directory and Scripture both but the Greek Philosophers must be thy Rule and Leader surely People will not alwayes have their Eyes blinded by you Christ is come to open them And in the 17th page of his Book the Presbyterian saith that Hypostasis must be rendred Person or Subsistent or some word to that Effect he sayes So People see it must be some word but what it must be he knows not and so in this manner they are giving Names to Christ and God besides the Rule of Scripture we charge thee shew us a Verse in Scripture that speak such Language and where one word may be put for another by Metalepsis and so leave People in Doubts and Questions you are going beside your Scripture and Rule that at last People shall not know what to call God and Christ. So the Presbyterians and Independants must give us Scripture For we will not be satisfied with your Notions and Whymsies and false Conceptions which you have from Aristotle and the Greek Philosophers and the Papists and Cardinals We do command you to give us Scripture Chapter and Verse Presbyterians and Independants for these things plainly seeing you are of late perked up in a way of scolding against us not like the Holy Men of God Patient and Meek and apt to Teach as you may see in the latter end of your Brother Vincent's Book Is that the Language of a Christian No He hath declared what spirit you are of Rabshecha's spirit railing and speaking evil of the way of Truth he thinks to overcome by Railing and complaining not by Love nay the Lamb must have the victory Whether or no was Christ's Blood shed for All men and by it Justifies All men they living in their sins and not believing in it are they saved by their saying they believe in the Blood and not believing in the Light which Christ Commands and become Children of the Light and they say they believe and yet not pass from Death to Life and from sin that brings Death And whether or no any are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ but such as walk in the Light of Christ as in 1 Joh. 1. And so whether or no are those Justified who believe not in the Light of Christ nor passes from Death to Life nor walks not in the Light whether or no are those Justified by Christ's Blood and have not the Testimony of Justification in them as in the accompt to God Christ's Blood was shed for All men but for a man to come to partake of this Justification is it not to feel the Blood sprinkling the Heart and Conscience For the outward Jewes in the Figure had Blood sprinkled upon them in the outward Offerings Come answer us by Scripture Do not daub up People with untempered Mortar do you know the Mortar that is tempered Whether or no was Christ an Offering for the sins of the whole World and died for the sins of the whole World Whether or no all the sinners and ungodly of the whole World
Justification is within and the Mystery of Faith is held in a pure Conscience and the Conscience must be within must it not Reader And so here thou mayst see how these Presbyterians and Independants have erred from the Apostles Doctrine And in Rom. 5. and being Justified by Faith by whom we have access to God by Faith and Justified by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 2. And the Apostle saith I live by the Faith of the Son of God and the Just lives by Faith by grace you are saved through Faith Eph. 2.8 Luk. 2.5 thy Faith hath saved thee And do not the Presbyterians and Independants deny Christ's Doctrine who deny Perfection both the Doctrine of God and the Command of Jesus Christ and the Ministry of Christ Jesus and makes void all the Apostles Exhortation For God said to Abraham Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17. And do they not deny the way of God which is perfect Psal. 18.30 And the Law of the Lord is perfect and Christ saith Every one that is perfect shall be as he is And be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5. And Noah was a perfect man Gen. 6. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord He hath made my way perfect 2 Sam. 20. Job was a perfect man and one that feared God and eschewed evil Job 1.1 God will not cast away the perfect man Now do you not say there is no Perfection Do you not give the Scripture the lye God made my way perfect Psal. 18. Mark the perfect man Psal. 37. And the Wicked may shoot at the perfect Psal. 64. And are not you them that shoot at the perfect with your dirty Arrows And Christ prayed That they may be perfect in one Joh. 17. Is not Christ's Prayer to be fulfilled or did he pray in vain Will you deny his Prayer you vain men Is not Christ's Prayers available The Apostle said He spoke wisdom among them that were perfect ye false Ministers say there are none perfect God comforts his People and Ministers and sayes His strength is made perfect in their weakness Herein is encouragement to Perfection by God's Ministers Be perfect be of good comfort but you say none can be perfect and so you are miserable Comforters And the Work of the Ministry Eph. 4. was to bring People to the knowledge of God to a perfect man and to the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ And are not you false Ministers and evil workers who say there is no Perfection you cannot bring them it seems to a perfect man you cannot bring them to the measure of the stature of Christ but runs up and down and fetches all the weaknesses of the Saints and applies them to People to hold up Imperfection to them as Paul Peter John and some others 2 Cor. 13. We wish your Perfection and Heb. 6. let us go on to Perfection And Col. 2. the bond of Perfectness So is it not clear here whose Ministers you are neither according to God nor Christ nor according to the Scriptures nor according to the Prophets nor Apostles By one Offering he hath Perfected for ever them that are Sanctified And what Hee is this but Christ Jesus And now it 's clear That you deny this Faith that Sanctifies and that you deny this one Offering mark for ever them that are Sanctified And so it 's clear That you deny the one Offering of Christ Jesus without the Gates of Jerusalem and sayes That none are perfect and no Perfection here You may as well say there is no Faith here And you that say also there is no Overcoming here you may as well deny Belief here for he that believes is born of God and he that is born of God overcomes the World and greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World So it is manifest That you have not this greater Birth in you to overcome the World and here you stand against all the Believers and all the houshold of Faith which Faith gives Victory And you say there is no Victory here And so what can you cry up but sin and Bawdy-houses And you would rather have your People go into Bawdy-houses then to go to the houshold of Faith which preaches down Sin and Imperfection For God is perfect his Way is perfect and he bids be perfect And the Ministers was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus see Col. And you Preach up Imperfection for term of Life so Ministers of Satan for the Devil made man imperfect Christ makes them perfect and God made them perfect and said Be perfect So are you not all the blind Guides that leads into the ditch which is a corrupted place that People are corrupted not perfect but the true Ministers presented them perfect in Christ Jesus And so is it not clear That you deny the Blood of Christ and trample it under your feet For Christ Sanctifies his People with his own Blood Heb. 10. The Blood of Christ Jesus cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1. Rev. And he hath washed us from our sins in his Blood And they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb And whose Garments were made white by the Blood of Jesus And do you not give the Apostle and the Scriptures the Lye and makes Christ's Blood of none Effect And sayes They are not made white they are not cleansed from all sin and that they must have a body of sin and death as long as they live and that they are not Redeemed to God Do you not make the Blood of Christ of none effect here which is to wash and to cleanse away that which is brought into Adam by the Serpent and deny Christ's Purchase who purchased his People and Justifies by his Blood and Redeemed through his Blood And what Redemption is this and Purchase is this and Justification is this if they be not Redeemed out of sin and evil and old Adam Christ hath Redeemed us to God through his Blood Rev. 5. Eph. 1. Are not you them that have counted the Blood of the new Covenant of none effect Heb. 10. and troden it under foot wherewith he Sanctifies and so are they that have done despite against the Spirit of Grace for do you not say the Spirit of God is not given to every man to profit withal only some have the Spirit say you Who are they then that vexes it and quenches it and grieves it And were not they wicked People whom the Lord gave his good Spirit to to instruct them Nehem. 9. they were such as rebelled against Nehemiah And here it is clear That you make Sects and denies the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine And you say That Christ doth not enlighten every man that cometh into the World Do you not here deny John's Doctrine and Scriptures and Christ himself who saith He is the Light of the World And deny that which People should believe in believe in the Light that you may become
own having known his Virtue and Power to redeem us from our vain Conversations and to save us from wrath to come And our knowledge of the only true God and our Faith in and concerning him and his Name unto our Salvation doth not consist in the traditional Names humane Inventions nor in Philosophical terms and nice School distinctions derived from Heathenish Metaphysicks which since the Apostles time men have put upon the God-head but in the living sense and feeling of his Divine Power Life and Love revealed in us by the Spirit of the Son of God whereby we have in his gift of Divine Light and Spirit received Life and Salvation from sin and death see Matth. 11.27 Luk. 10.22 Matth. 16.17 Rom. 1.17 ch 8.18 Gal. 1.16 Eph. 3.5 1 Pet. 15.12 ch 4.14 ch 4.13 ch 5.1 2 Pet. 1 3. Matth. 1.21 Also we judge That such Expressions and Words as the Holy Ghost taught the true Apostles and Holy Men mentioned in the Scriptures are most meet to speak of God and Christ and not the words of mans wisdom or humane inventions and devised distinctions since the Apostles dayes Finally We have received an Unction or Anointing from the Holy One which as it doth teach us we know a continuance in the Father and in the Son 1 Joh. 2. And for whom we know the Father is well pleased and in him we know the true Satisfaction Justification and Peace which all that abide in him enjoy and witness Now unto the Father Son and Holy Spirit the One Eternal Word The Only Wise Pure Perfect God who is Infinite Omnipotent Incomprehensible who giveth unto all Life and Being and is the Life of all and the Being of Beings who filleth all in all with his Presence Unto whom be Glory now and evermore saith our Souls G. Whitehead And for Definition of a Person or what a Person is we shall not need to go to Popish and Heathenish Authors as Thomas Aquinas Aristotle and others as some of these Presbyterian Teachers and others have done when they have gone about to demonstrate their Doctrine of a Trinity of distinct Persons in God And yet in Contradiction for a cloak they pretend the Scriptures to be their Rule wherein there is no proof of their calling the Father the Word and the Spirit three distinct Persons while the Scriptures be full and plain enough to prove define or shew what a Person is as namely a Man or Woman sometime the body the face or visible appearance of either c. But the Infinite God is not like unto corruptible man See first in the Old Testament so called as to Person Esau took his Wives his Sons and Daughters and all the Persons of his house Gen. 36.16 Joseph was a goodly person Gen. 39.6 The Number of your persons Exod. 16.16 No uncircumcised person Exod. 12.48 The person of the poor and of the mighty Levit. 19. The guilty person unclean person Numb 5.6 A clean person Numb 19.18 Thirty two thousand persons in all of Women c. Numb 31.35 Whosoever killeth any person vers 19. Numb 35.11 15 30. Josh. 20. 3 9. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal hired vain light persons and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal being threescore and ten persons Judg. 9. Note here that persons dyed or were slain But can it be said of the Immortal God whom they distinguish into three several Persons that he ever dyes And though Christ as concerning the Flesh or Person was put to Death so was not his Divine Life or God-head And again Not a goodlier person than Saul 1 Sam. 9.2 David a comely person 1 Sam. 16.18 When wicked men have slain a righteous person 2 Sam. 4.11 They shall come at no dead person Ezek. 44.25 Or will he accept thy person Mal. 1.8 These places before cited with many more are according to the English God accepteth not the person of Princes Job 34.19 which in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene Sarim i. e. facies Principum the faces of Princes And the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene is in Gen. 1.2 for the face of the deep See likewise Gen. 4.14 Job 38.30 with many more places in the Old Testament so that the same word which is translated person having also relation to the outward face of men and things how can it be either proper seasonable or good Doctrine to Preach the Invisible Incomprehensible God under these terms of three distinct or separate Persons And whether it doth not render God or represent the Deity to be like visible men or finite creatures that are comprehended in time yea or nay And hath not this kind of representing the God-head produce those vain Conceptions and Imaginations in the minds of the Ignorant from whence they have formed the Images and Pictures of God and Christ and Holy Ghost made by men of corrupt minds in the night of Apostacy and Popery to the great reproach and abuse of the Name of God and Profession of Christianity in the World See also more Scriptures touching Persons to the same purpose as before Judg. 20.39 1 Sam. 9.22 22.18 22. 2 King 10.6 7. 2 Chron. 19.7 Psal. 26.4 Psal. 82.2 Prov. 12.11 Prov. 24.23 Jer. 52.29 30. Lam. 4.16 Ezek. 17.17 Chron. 27.13 Joh. 4.11 Zeph. 3.4 Mal. 1.9 And 2dly in the New Testament so called it appeares that the word Person or Persons is mentioned with the same acceptation as before in the Old As for instance Thou regardest not the person of men Matth. 22.16 Mar. 12.14 Luk. 20.21 In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. faciem hominum the face of men In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phene haadam Doth not this still relate to the outward or visible appearance of man See also Matth. 27.24 1 Cor. 5.13 Gal. 2.6 Eph. 5.5 Heb. 12.16 2 Pet. 2.5 Luk. 15.7 Act. 10.34 17.17 Rom. 2.11 Jude 16. 2 Cor. 1.11 Eph. 6.9 Col. 3.25 1 Tim. 1.10 Jam. 2.1 9. 1 Pet. 1.17 2 Pet. 3.11 In all which it is evident That the word persons is attributed to men c. And as to that of 2 Cor. 2.10 where some of our English Copies have it To whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the Person of Christ The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are translated in facie Christi in the face of Christ And some of the Latins have it in conspectu Christi in the sight of Christ. And that in Heb. 1.13 where speaking of the Son of God In some of the English we have it thus Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Et character substantiae ejus and the Character of his Substance It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Person As also in Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is
separate Persons or finite subsistances in the God-head which is no less than Blasphemy But then how poorly maliciously and falsely this W. M. comes off in so positively deeming their Doctrine and terms in these matters to be Scripture Truth and charging us with designing to blast and overthrow the Deity of Christ and the Holy Ghost upon which Blasphemers and blasphemy and damnable speeches are hideously cast upon us but most unjustly and falsely for no such design ever had we as either to blast or over-throw the Deity of Christ or Holy Spirit we having openly professed and declared the contrary both in words and writings As also his accusing us with boldly spitting in the face of God is a gross and malicious slander and a presumptuous taking for granted that our opposing their corrupt unscriptural distinctions and vain babling was a spitting in the face of God as if we must believe all what these men say in this matter to be as true as God is and his Glory to be so deeply concern'd in their vain Philosophy Judge whether they ' herein are competent Disputants yea or nay and whether these our opposers or we have compared God or the Father Son and Spirit to men let the Reader judge by what follows In their Answer to that Argument of W. P's viz. The Divine Persons are either finite or infinite if finite then something finite is in God if infinite then there would be three distinct infinites and consequently three distinct Gods thus far W. P. Touching which after they have denied infiniteness to be applicable or ascribed to them as to their subsistences or personallities as they call them they bring a comparison of the subsistance of a man pag. 46. saying It would be improper to ascribe the property that belong to him unto his subsistence to say that his subsistance in the abstract is either a learned or unlearned subsistence a great one or a small one a white one or a black one What vain babling and a blind instance is here And so they say It is improper to say that either of the Persons in regard of the personallity or subsistence are finitie or infinite but in regard of their Essence in the concrete are infinite Now the Reader at length may see what 's become of their distinctions of three distinct subsistences or persons in the God-head or Divine Essence wherein they having here undertaken to demonstrate that which Reason cannot demonstrate to them nor they clear to themselves by demonstration as in pag. 26. they have run themselves as into a Wood and Labyrinth as persons bewildered and confounded so as now the subsistences or distinct persons in the Deity they so much contend for are such as are neither learned nor unlearned neither great nor small neither finite nor infinite what are they then what Gods are they that these men would have us believe in before they were not infinite now neither finite nor infinite What grosse Confusion and Contradiction is here for if not infinite then finite but the God whom we serve and believe in is infinite the only Wise God and nothing relating to him or his being finite Howbeit since these our Opposers are contending for that which they cannot by Reason demonstrate nor clear to themselves pag. 26. It is very unreasonable in them to Impose it upon others to believe without either reason or demonstration or to pronounce them Blasphemers who cannot own their Doctrine and distinctions therein to be according to the Scriptures whilst they cannot clear them by Reason to themselves but both a mis-calling and grossely mis-representing of Father Son and Holy Spirit as one while with being not infinite another while neither finite nor infinite instancing in the case the subsistence of a man which they say is neither learned nor an unlearned one They have accused W.P. with Blasphemy who never denied the infiniteness of either Father Word or Spirit but what greater Blasphemy can there be than their own And now let the indifferent Reader judge what effect this kind of their vain babling would have in the minds of an Auditory if thus God should be Preached in their blind confused terms and if one of them should exhort People to believe in a Trinity of separate persons or subsistences which are infinite in the concrete but not infinite in the personallity or subsistence in the abstract Another while they are neither finite nor infinite and what they are they cannot tell for by reason they cannot clear this their Mystery to themselves Another while they are three Hee 's that People must believe in and therefore three persons or subsistances with incommunicable properties by all which they go to demonstrate the Father Son and Holy Ghost who are infinite in the Essence but not in their Personallities They say another while neither finite nor infinite as they say what effect would this kind of Preaching have with People do you think and where ever did the Apostles and true Ministers of God Preach in this manner or allow of such Philosophy in Preaching the Mysteries of God Nay did they not Preach in the simplicity of the Gospel and Exhort in simplicity as of the Abilitiy that God gave And did not Paul absolutely forbid such Philosophy and vain deceipt And to avoid opposition of Science falsly so called Coll. 2.8 1 Tim. 6.20 And are there not words sufficient in the Scriptures of Truth to Preach God and Christ in according to the plainness and simplicity thereof but men pretending to be his Ministers and Scripture their Rule must thus run themselves into confusion and darkness by Humane Inventions and Traditions both of words terms and blind distinctions of man's fallen wisom which neither knows God nor can rightly speak of him but hath obscured the Glory of his Appearance from very many but the Light is risen and the Day dawned which hath not only discovered but will expel those thick Mists and Clouds of mens Inventions that the simple may come to be undeceived and unvailed and so be delivered from such as these confussed Babel builders that have made a prey upon them CHAP. III. Something farther Observed in Answer to Tho. Vincent NOw let us a little observe some Passages and Arguments in Tho. Vincent's Work For their distinctions about Trinity of Persons as they call them distinguished one from another by incommunicable personal properties But such kind of distinctions and terms he hath not learned from Scriptures but from humane Inventions by which they have darkned the simplicity of Truth as also he hath appeared as one in self-contradiction when he saith That one should be in another the first should be in the second and the second in the first and both in the third and all one and the same individual Essence Now if they be in each other they are not separate Persons as at the Dispute was affirmed and if one be in another where are the personal
incommucicable properties wherein they are not Infinite as they have told us Is there finiteness in each person and yet each person God what gross darkness and blasphemy is this But then to mend the matter T. V. tells us This is such a Mystery as doth exceed the weak and narrow understandings of most inlightned and clear sighted Christians fully to comprehend Some by gazing too long upon the Sun become blind Surely then if it be such a Mystery as exceeds the understanding of the clear sighted it must needs exceed the dark understanding of T. V. and his Brethren And seeing as appears he was conscious to himself of his own dimness or darkness herein as by what follows also he should have let it alone and not troubled his head with things beyond his reach for he has confounded and marr'd his cause and not at all mended nor cleared it but if he hath assayed to demonstrate this Mystery as he calls it as one more clear sighted than the most inlightned his Work doth manifest the contrary And that God cannot represent himself otherwise than he is It 's true but where doth he thus represent himself as these men do with such invented terms vain tautologies and confusion We do not read such in all the Scriptures of Truth howbeit T. V. takes the boldness to Assert his Doctrine herein to be of Divine Authority and to be the Truth of God revealed in his Word and that if the Scriptures have revealed that there are Three distinct Persons in one Divine Essence it is a certain Truth c. This is sooner said than proved if that Word of God and Scripture could be produced that doth so reveal their Doctrine and say there are three distinct Persons in one Divine Essence Produce us such a Scripture among all the Writings of the Holy men of God in all the Bible and it shall end the Controversie otherwise let T. V. be ashamed of his Asserting it to be revealed in the Word of God And of his saying that in his Sylogism pag. 13. There is not a word but what is to be found in the Scripture whereas neither the matter manner nor expressions of his Arguments are to be found in Scripture As for Instance his Argument Pag. 13. The Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are either three Substances or three Manifestations or three Operations or three Persons or something else but they are not three Substances nor three Manifestations nor three Operations nor any thing else therefore they are three Persons To the first part Indeed they must be something to the Minor if they be neither three Substances Manifestations c. nor any thing else this renders them nothing and contradicts both the Major and Conclusion where they are something else which is three Persons he saith so the tenour of his Argument runs thus they are something but they are nothing he meant nothing else but three Persons therefore they are three Persons It would have held better thus but against himself If the Father the Word and Spirit be not three distinct Substances then not three distinct Persons but they are not three distinct Substances Ergo. unless he can shew us a distinct person without its own substance But his Brother T.D. saith A person is rationalis naturae individua substantia an individual substance of a rational nature see how flatly T.D. and T.V. have Contradicted one another herein one affirming they are three Persons because not three Substances the other That a person is an individual substance But if T. V. by saying There is not a word in his Syllogism but what is to be found in Scripture intends that every word particularly is to be found in Scripture the word Substance the word Manifestation Operation Person c. abstractively what proves this of his matter for the contrary may as well be asserted from bare words I never met with more silly kind of Arguing before And if so be his other Argument from the Property of the Father to beget of the Son to be begotten of the Holy Ghost to proceed from them both c. be an Argument sufficient to prove Three distinct Persons in the God-head with three incommunicable Properties c. Then doth it not follow as well That every spiritual perfect Gift that proceeds from God to man must needs be a Person and then so many Gifts or manifold Graces as proceed from him or are begotten by him are so many Persons in him which would be numerous indeed and amount to a Plurallity of Trinities for the Spitit is given variously and in divers Manifestations and the graces gift of God are many and manifold but the shallowness of this mans arguing who is it cannot see besides that Christ being the express Image of the Fathers substance and the Spirit the Life of both it 's neither scriptural nor reasonable to say that the Image and Life of One and the same thing should be either Two distinct and separate Persons from it or from their own substance so that still it follows that if the Three bearing Record in Heaven be One divine substance and not Three substances then not Three distinct or separate Persons As also God is called both the Word and Spirit Farther Mark the manner of T. V. his expressing his Doctrine viz. The Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence and the Unity of the Divine Essenee in the Trinity of Persons that three should be one and that one should be three that three should be distinguished but not divided that one should not be another the first should not be the second nor the second the third nor the second or third the first and yet the first second and third the same that the first should be in the second and the second in the first and both first and second in the third Thus far T.V. for his separate persons Reader Do but mark his Jigg here and what a whirling he has made like one distempered but where is his Scripture for all this see how he manages it pag. 26. he saith Reason it may be will leave us in our search after the Deity in the Trinity and the Trinity c. but where Reason faileth Faith must supply its room And then tells us of Mysteries which Reason cannot demonstrate to us and that in this Mystery of the Trinity we must Exercise our Faith though we cannot clear it to our selves by demonstration c. But sure whilst Reason hath so much failed T. V. and his Brethren in this matter that thereby they cannot clear it to themselves by demonstration it s very strange and unreasonable they should make such a stir in the dark as they have done to Impose it on the Faith of others and what tends this to but to force People to Exercise an implicite Faith whilst they have neither Scripture Reason Demonstration nor Revelation for that 's ceased they say to ground a Faith upon
Three that bear Record in Heaven are not three separate Persons howbeit we are not bound to believe the determinations of Fathers and Councils any farther than they accord with the pure Language of Scripture And whereas T.V. and his Brethren supposing that they have detected the weakness and absurdity of W. P thereupon go to Caution People Not to follow the guidance of the Light which W. P. truly saith is communicated unto all and forsake the true Light of the Word and Spirit which alone can guide men into all truth This is a groundless Caution and false as it reflects upon the Light for suppose W.P. were in Weakness as they say yet the Light is not the cause thereof however his Weakness as they call it hath brought forth much of their Folly for the Light which is communicated unto all which People should follow the Guidance of is the Light of Christ which inlightens every man coming into the World and therefore to render weakness absurdity falshood and folly as the Products of it is both grosse Ignorance and Blasphemy for the Light never changeth however the Creature may neither is this Light contrary to the Word Spirit or Scripture And as for their so much Railing against the Socinians and Arians and malitiously comparing any of us with them it is no reasonable way to Convince either us or them if we were as ill as they render us for they have gone the way to animate and encourage both Socinians and others against them and their absurdities and ridged inveterate Spirits and Railing against many that are of better Spirits as men at least than themselves As for the Socinians they have given ground to some to think the better of them because they have shewn so much hatred and reviling against them howbeit Socinians if there be any that own themselves by that Name may answer to their Accusations it is not my work to maintain anothers Quarrel nor yet to reflect upon their Persons nor either to accuse or excuse them to gratifie such incompetent Judges as these our Revilers I am not going about to gratifie Parties or private Opinions or man's Wisdom on any hand but to vindicate the naked Truth yet it 's true I have heard of some beyond the Sea that went under that Name Socinians who were accused with denying the Divinity of Christ but I know of none here that either deny the Divinity of Christ or Him to be of one Substance with the Father if our Opposers do know of any such they may tell them of it and not accuse the Innocent with the Guilty as they have done to us However it is but a mean way of Arguing to accuse or miscall any for owning any Truth that any sort if they do Err in some things do hold for by that way I may as well be reckoned a Papist a Jew or a Turk Episcopal or Presbyterian or what not because some Truths are held by them all in words But we had not our Principles either from Arius or Socinias neither did we ever deny the Divinity of Christ or his being of the same Substance with the Father as Arius Socinias and others are accused so that therein we are very unjustly compared and mis-represented for which I can say The Lord forgive these our prejudiced Opposers But it is no strange thing for us to be called by nick-Names one after another by these and such false Accusers and incompetent Judges for one while they were wont to Revile us for wanting Learning being Illiterate Lay-men Preachers c. Another while they Railed against us and falsely accused us for Papists and Jesuits Another while they accused us falsely with being Free-Willers Arminians c. because we plead for the Free Grace of God to all men And now we are falsely reckoned Socinians and most injuriously accused with denying the Divinity of Christ the Son of God which we are ever alwayes clear of still Confessing him according to the Scriptures both in his Sufferings Dominion and Glory who is the same yesterday to day and for ever CHAP. IV. Touching the Love of God in Christ the One Offering and how his being a Sacrifice for Sin is owned by us according to the Scripture and for what end construed or applyed by these our Opposers and their corrupt Doctrines and Inferences to cover and maintain Sin and Imperfection tearm of Life under the notion of Satisfaction and Imputation c. SOme Presbyterian Priests and Professors of other sorts also affirming That man having transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so exposed to the Penalty of Eternal Wrath It 's altogether impossible for God to remit forgive or save men without a plenary Satisfaction both by full Payment and Punishment laid on Christ the same that sin and sinners deserved which they reckon extends for sins past present and to come So that though People live in sin all their dayes as Priests plead yet they sooth up themselves in sin under this opinion that all 's done for them at once But whether it be for all men or but for some T. Vincent hath not discovered nor ingeniously opened the extent of their Belief and Principle in this matter but has catched and snatched here and there and then gone to his wonted course of grinning and snarling by Reviling and Railing having not Asserted nor yet minded the End and Intent of his Opposer's Reasons from Scripture and Cautions in this matter on the behalf of God's infinite Love Mercy and Grace towards lost man which is judged and not without cause these Priests Doctrine doth eclipse and lesson which we do not concerning the Sacrifice of Christ as T.V. falsely thinks as their laying an Impossibility on God in the case against which many Scriptures were urged as Exod. 34.6 7. 2 Chron. 30.9 Isa. 55.7 Isa. 31.31 Mica 7.18 Matt. 6.12 Joh. 3.16 Act. 10.34 Rom. 8.31 32 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Eph. 1.7 1 Pet. 5.10 1 Joh. 4.9 whereby with many others is proved 1. The Lord God to be Merciful Gracious to forgive Sin and Iniquity and to pardon Transgression upon man return and forsaking of his evil way and that he retaineth not his anger for ever 2dly That it was Gods free Love and Grace to the World to give his only begotten Son that none should perish but have everlasting Life who believed in him 3dly That it was God's Work to Reconcile the World unto himself in Christ Jesus 4thly That the Benefits and Effects of Free Grace and Love in Christ Jesus as Pardon Remission Reconciliation Redemption through his Blood c. are of the nature and riches of this Grace to all that truly receive it 5thly That this Free Grace of God with its blessed Effects in the true Receivers are not of Debt Purchase or Merit on the Creatures part but Free according to the nature of Free Grace 6thly That the Love Kindness and Goodness of God is perfect and infinite in him and so in its
but for a few only for a select number the World of Believers c. as both T. D. and other Professors both Presbyterians and Independants both in Words and Writings and T.V. brings 1 Tim. 2.6 and mentions only gave himself a Ransom and leaves out the words for All pag. 56. And thus minces as if he had no mind to hear that Grace is free for All as well as himself but only for a few perhaps Presbyterians and such-like whom there is no reason or equallity for God to take such special notice and regard of more than others for their Spirits and Hearts are as perverse and corrupt as others if not more ridged and envious and their Garments of Self-Righteousness are as polluted ragged and filthy as others or worse Thus much they will acknowledge in their Prayers but perhaps they 'l take it ill that another should tell them of it Then Secondly The Power of Christ and his blessed Effects in his Death acceptable Sacrifice c. we own more than they for he gave himself to Redeem Man from Sin and Transgression and the servitude of it and his Blood purgeth the Conscience cleanseth from all sin his Flesh is given for the Life of the World that Man may come to rise out of sin and live again to God in perfect Righteousness God hath set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 He doth not say for sins past present and to come and that all must be sinful and imperfect all their dayes and yet all forgiven God being satisfied in Christ for all whilst he is not satisfied in them but his Spirit daily grieved where as Christs Appearance was to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and if it was to put sin away to cleanse man from it and not that he should say that only the Guilt is done away but not the Act and Pollution of Sin which is the gross corruption and false construction of Presbyterians and others And as to T.V. his wonder at W.P. his challenging any Person to give him one Scripture phrase which doth approach the Doctrine of Satisfaction But T.V. has deceitfully left out his following words viz. Considering to what degree it is stretched the degree whereto it is stretched by these Priests is mentioned before not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Father's Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice but not to pay God as otherwise being unable to save men he saith And further adds And for a Justification by an imputative Righteousness whilst not real it 's meerly an Imagination not a reality and therefore rejected otherwise that which is real which is the Righteousness of Faith really received and injoyed in the true and Living Faith is confessed and known to be justifying before God because there is no abiding in Christ's Love without keeping his Commandements I therefore saith he Caution thee in Love not longer to deceive thy self by the over-fond imbraces of Humane Apprehensions for Divine Mysteries but rather be informed that God hath bestowed a measure of his Grace on thee and me to shew us what is good that we may obey and do it which if thou diligently wilt observe thou shalt be led out of all unrighteousness and in thy obedience shalt thou receive Power to become a Son of God in which happy estate God only can be known by Men and they know themselves to be justified before him whom experimentally to know by Jesus Christ is Life Eternal So that the infinite God in his infinite Love Good Will Kindness Patience Forbearance Long-Suffering fully expressed declared and signified by Christ Jesus the Son of his Love and express Image of his Divine Substance not a separate Person from him and Gods good Pleasure and real Satisfaction in him and all for the regaining restoring redeeming and saving of lost man to himself out of the fallen estate out of sin and corruption and from Wrath to come this we know really own and confess in the Light and Life of the Son of God bestowed upon us which is that alone that can give the true knowledge of the blessed Effects of Gods Love in Christ and of the Righteousness of the true and Living Faith in his Name and Power as also of their true Peace and Satisfaction receiving the Attonement Reconciliation and union with God in Jesus Christ who is the Way Truth and Life to all that truly believe in him T. V. In the Scriptures he alleadgeth against Christ's Satisfaction W. P. Not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Fathers Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice Obs. This clears him from alleadging Scripture against Christ or what was really his satisfaction as he is falsely accused T.V. God proclaims himself to be gracious and merciful whereby be declares what he is in his Son whom he had before promised to give and in whom alone all Nations of the Earth that ever should obtain his favour were to be blessed Reply His giving his Son and his Favour and Blessedness in him proceeds from the Graciousness and Mercifulness of God How then does this agree with that of Impossibility freely to Pardon and with that of his being oblieged to take Vengeance upon all and yet ready to forgive and that he hath ingaged himself to do it pag. 60. Can this be deemed to be of the Nature of Debt full Payment c. by the rigour and punishment of Law Secondly If that it be in the Son of God alone in whom God declares what he is and in whom alone his Favour and Blessing is obtained then in him is the knowledge both of his Judgment and Mercy and if blessed in Christ it is not blessed out of Christ nor meerly for what he hath Suffered in the Flesh without being in him for we are accepted only in the Beloved as is confessed and God is well pleased with us only in Christ then not with us in sin And if so be God proclaims himself to be Gracious and Merciful in his Son how was God's infinite Wrath that sinners deserved inflicted upon him as a Person distinct from him Where does the Scripture say so Or were it good Doctrine to say that God so loved the World that he hated his only Son How then was he the Son of his Love who freely gave himself to bear the sins sorrow and burthen of all T.V. Pag. 62 63. I grant that God's Love of Benevolence or Electing Love is not the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction from whence it was that he sent his Son into the World for our Salvation but his Love of Complacency was the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction Matth. 3.17 Reply Where doth the Scriptures use these Expressions or this distinction of an Electing Love and
not subsist in a several and distinct nature of the same kind so as they are not three Gods as is confessed pag. 3. how are they three distinct or separate persons subsisting each by himself These things being considered by the impartial Readers the absurdity of the Presbyterians Doctrine and Comparison touching the Deity will easily appear And what was this Aquinas quoted as T. D's Author so much cited and commented by him as a wise Observant pag. 19 Was not he a great Writer for the Romish Religion and the Pope's Doctrine of Transubstantiation and so a promoter of Popery in his time and canonized 〈◊〉 Saint among them see his large Volums his Sums and others he is highly applauded by the Papists as being an industrious Promoter of their Faith and Religion and was he not a Dominican Fryer To whom it appears that T. D. is very much beholding for his Doctrine of three distinct or sever'd Persons in the Godhead more then he is to Scripture for that is silent concerning it but I have of late Read it in Aquinas his Sums who is Tho. Danson's wise Observant And further mark that after T. D. has confessed that the word Person cannot be properly attributed to Father Son and Holy Ghost and that the Names common to God and the Creatures do signifie somthing wherein the Creatures bears some anology to God and three Persons not strictly yet anologically in the Godhead pag. 3 4. Where proves he this by Scripture and wherein doth man bear a proportion or likeness in his Person with his Maker this is strange Doctrine importing that the Diety hath the resemblance or likeness of persons but not properly which if improperly why do they stand so much upon their improper distinctions in the Godhead Yet saith T. D. may this word Person be used by us to distinguish the Father Son and Spirit in the Godhead and one from another Answer So it appears he pleads for a liberty to put improper names upon God from his pretence of anology the Scripture he mentions Hebr. 1.3 makes against him it being the express Image of his Substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as it is in some English Copies express Image of his Person however it is not the express Person of his Person much less the express singular Person or rational Substance subsisting by it self distinct from the Father For I and my Father are one said Christ and the Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do and the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father and if so be that the Soul separated from the Body cannot be called a Person as T. D. saith pag. 2 3. how can he presume to call the Spirit which is the Life or Breath of God a Person distinct from God whilst God is never distinct and separate from his own Life But then it appears that T. D. is necessitated to call the Glorious Divine three in Heaven somthing and therefore he saith that distinction in the Godhead cannot be apprehended by us by any other notion or resemblance then Person and saith he we know not what to call these three but Persons pag. 4. For the conception or notion that we have of the Father suppose as a Subsistent or Person is in adaequatus conceptus in respect of the Divine Essence c. pag. 17. Reply But by what doth he and his Brethren apprehend this concerning God surely neither by the Scripture not by immediate Revelation or Inspiration nor yet by reason for that has failed them in this matter as also the nature and works of God is above their reach and the comprehension of the Creature so that their conceptions and notions being unscriptural we have no ground to believe them whilst we have but their conceptions words and notions for what they say derived from Popish and Heathen Authors and not from any immediate Power Revelation or Scripture and his saying they do not know what to call these three but Persons shews they were hard put to it as being necessitated to call them something but what are they ignorant of the Scripture or would not the Scripture satisfie them and yet profess it their Rule they had better search the Scriptures instead of Aquinas and Aristotle and see what they are called there viz. The Father the Word and Holy Ghost which are One besides these three bearing record in Heaven T. D. hath elsewhere called them Witnesses pag. 5 7 and 10. and thus he contradicts himself one while he knows not what to call them but Persons and another while calls them three Witnesses from their bearing Record and thus in contradiction he knows what to call them besides Persons but then he saith all Witnesses properly so called are Persons How proves he that Are not all things that bear record Witnesses Are Heaven and Earth Persons and are the Water and the Blood Persons seeing they bear record in the Earth and is Conscience in a man a Person distinct from the man seeing Conscience beareth witness if it be how then is the Soul distinct from the Body no Person page 3 5. T. D. upon 1 John 5.9 the Witness of God is greater referring to the Witness concerning Christ verse 7. not to verse 8. for none of those Witnesses are God Reply And yet those Witnesses verse 8. are the Spirit the Water and the Blood herein T. D. hath denied the Spirit to be God contrary to their former pretence and so is come under that they have so unjustly charged us withal but we own the Divinity of that Spirit that bears record in the Earth and know the Water and Blood which agree in one with it to be therefore Spiritual and of this water and Spirit a man must be born or else he cannot enter the Kingdom of God Joh. 13.5 and by this Blood his Conscience must be sprinkled from dead works who ever comes to enter the Heavenly Sanctuary And we may further observe how dubious T. D. in his Work hath appeared from what he saith pag. 83. viz. If my Answers seem not so clear as the Objections which I hope I need not fear unless in the point of the Trinity that being a Mystery so by that it rebates the sharpest edge of humane understanding c. By which the Reader may take notice that he was conscious to himself that his Answers in this case might not seem so clear as the Objections and that he has but made use of his humane understanding and not of Scripture therein the Edge of which is so rebated and grown so dull that it will take very little impression upon any that are in a right mind and understanding even none at all upon such who rely not nor lean to their own understandings but upon the guidance of the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth which it appears he has refused and gone from whilst he is now fain to make use of his humane understanding
and his own notions and conceptions which are not grounded on Scripture and therefore we may not have our Faith imposed upon by them as to accept of his humane conceptions and notions which cannot reach the nature of God for divine verities And how says T. D. That infiniteness being a property of the Divine Nature agrees to each Person subsisting in that Nature contrary to his worthy Master Vincent's saying that infiniteness is not ascribed unto the Personality but such like confusion and conrradiction we have enough of from them And indeed such nonsensical stuff as is in both their Pamphlets I have seldom met withal as one while T. D. saith We do not affirm the Person in the Godhead to be finite but infinite another while T. V. saith infiniteness is not ascribed to them another while T. D. saith pag. 14. That they are one among themselves only in respect of that wherein they agree not simply What kind of oneness or agreement doth he reckon is in the Diety if it be not simply Was there ever such darkness and confusion uttered and what blind Sophistry and silly Logick and babling do these men use and put upon the Immortal God whom with all their inventions airy notions and vain conceptions they can never reach the knowledge of neither will nor can their Heathenish Phylosophy tearms of Aristotle nor apostate Christians and Papists demonstrate or discover the Knowledge of either Father Word or Spirit to any people that want the knowledge thereof but make them more dark and ignorant and shut them up in more blindness as they have a long time done And his saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may by a metalepsis yea must be rendred Person or Subsistent or some word to that effect and so tells that Just. Martyr applies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Father Son and Spirit pag. 17. Reply Surely T. D. is put very hard to it to word his Doctrine by his Anology and Metalepsis for his distinctions of Persons and his thereby rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Person of necessity Where proves he this and those tearms by Scripture and if they signifie one and the same thing why is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebr. 1.3 and Chap. 11.1 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in Hebr. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for it is not Person of things hoped for the same word that is for Substance in that is Hebr. chap. 2. verse 3. where it is speaking of the Son of God who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Substance Besides what ever Authors or Fathers so called did put names distinctions and tearms upon the Godhead which were either improper or unscriptural we must believe the Scriptures rather then them And do they count all Justin Martyr wrot One hundred fifty years after Christ to be of equal Authority with the Scriptures of Christ and the Apostles Or might not probably Justin bring in some of his Philosophy which is not Scripture And we do not read in the Scriptures either of three distinct Substances in God or three distinct Persons for where are they so rendred either in the Hebrew Greek Latine or English in Scripture from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations But if they be not three Substances as Tho. Vincent saith how doth T. Danson make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equivolent or apply both to Father Son and Spirit Is not here a manifest contradiction between these two Brethren unto themselves and their own Doctrine in this matter As for T. D. his Discourse about satisfaction there needs not much to be said unto it for that the matter hath been answered before as also in part he assents to W. P. in what he hath said for he T. D. doth not affirm any impossibility of forgiviness without a plenary satisfaction made as in the sence and notion some of them have c. And though he knows some worthy Persons do deny W. P's Affirmative yet he cannot joyn with them therein He saith also God is free in his determinations what attribute he will manifest and in what degree and manner and that between Justice and Mercy and their effects and all of his meer will interveens c. By all which in a great measure he hath confest to what W. P. hath writ in that case though in contradiction to his Brother Vincent as is evident But where he speakes of Vindictive Justice that God might onely have manifested when man fell as he does upon the reprobate Angels or Devils c. Now I query then Is this Vindictive Justice that which Christ under-went at God's hand and satisfied according to their Doctrine if they say it is where do the Scriptures say so or that God inflicted the same revengefull justice as I think they mean upon Christ that he doth upon the reprobate Angels or Devils and then make this the means and manner of full satisfaction for mankind let us have plain Scripture for this Doctrine was God's Love to man purchased by such revenge upon his innocent Son as he lays upon reprobate Angels or Devils or is it not rather blasphemous to suppose that Christ could ever be so far out of Gods favour as to construe his Sufferings to the height of revenge as goes against reprobate Angels and Devils and doth not this also accord with T. V. his Doctrine whereas Chrit was the beloved of the Father even his onely begotten the Son of his Love in whom his Soul delighted and was always well pleased both in his works and Sufferings both in his life and death for Sinners but angry with the wicked such as persecuted him and crucified him afresh unto themselves as he was also crucified in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt such Adversaries God will be avenged of but his pleasure shall prosper in the hand of his Anointed Seed Christ but these things T. D. his weak judgement as he confesseth it to be pag. 18. cannot reach And indeed in much of his Discourse about this matter he has talked more like a Lawyer then a Divine and has brought several similitudes which will not hold in matters of such high concernment But I shall not need much to take notice of his dark kind of reasoning in this particular which proceeds but from his weak judgemnt and private conceptions since the matter is answered elsewhere and the extent of his and their Principles therein is further manifest and handled about his and their Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness and his Arguments for Sin and Imperfection in all tearm of life yet a little to some particulars I may observe by the way of this point after he saith he shall give us his sence confessing that Satisfaction is not a Scripture phrase pag. 19. However we will chuse Scripture phrase rather then T. D's weak judgment and conceptions therein having
in the Flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the lusts of men but to the Will of God Chap. 4.1 2. Now the ceasing from Sin and following of Christ's steps in the harmless sinless state is the right use and end of his Suffering for man and his Example to man But then mark T. D's Doctrine as followeth what an example and subject of Wrath and Vindictive Justice so tearmed he renders Christ viz. T. D. pag. 36.4 Christ when he suffered was not innocent and when God required satisfaction of him it was due from him Christ was guilty of our sin when he suffered for it for guilt is but obligatio ad paenam an obligation to undergo punishment which Christ was under by contract Hebr. 7.22 Answ. It s no wonder that these Presbyterians and those of their affinity accuse all Christ's Followers of being Sinners and imperperfect all their life time since that T. D. one of their Leaders or Chieftains hath accused Christ not to be innocent when he suffered saying also Christ was guilty of our Sin when he suffered for it which how false and blasphemous this charge is against Christ I appeal to all sober and moderate Professors of Christianity who have any real esteem and reverence to the Name of Christ and his Glory and how contrary to plain Scripture-testimonies plentifully given of him as being a Lamb yea the Lamb of God which declared his innocency and purity being without sin or guile who offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without spot to God 1 Pet. 1.19 chap. 2.22 Hebr. 9.14 Isa. 53.7 Acts 8.32 Now his being a Lamb without spot and without blemish manifests him to be a perfect Offering and Sacrifice for Sin as also how guilt is more then barely an obligation to undergo punishment being always imputed to the Transgressors and disobedient for sin and not to Christ Rom. 3.19 Jam. 2.10 1 Cor. 11.27 Deut. 19.13 and 21.9 Exod. 34.7 Although t is true those chief Priests false Witnesses and Persecutors of Christ among the Jews and such as accused him for a Blaspemer they said also that he was guilty of death Mat. 26.65 66. Mark 14.64 whose example T. D. hath followed in accusing Christ of being guilty and not innocent But if T. D. should say he meant not that Christ was really or inherently or personally guilty of sin but by imputation and so not innocent but guilty of our sins by this we may perceive then what he means by imputation that on the one hand an innocent person is made guilty and is not innocent whilst he hath no sin nor guile or evil in him and so on the other hand by their own rule of contraries contraria contrariorum ratio persons are to be reckoned imputatively righteous and innocent in God's sight whilst there is neither righteousness nor innocency really in them which is both unreasonable unscriptural and apparently false It was a false imputation of the persecuting Jews and Tho. Danson to impute guilt of sin to Christ and to accuse him with not being innocent when no sin evil nor guilt was in him and it is as false an imputation of theirs to impute Christ's Righteousness to sinfull persons who are not in it nor partakes of it in them so it s neither God's imputation nor Christ's for had Abraham no righteousness really in him when his Faith was reckoned to him for righteousness where then was his Faith and the righteousness and obedience of it if in reallity he was not a partaker and an enjoyer thereof within from whence did his acts or works of real obedience proceed and flow if not from his living Faith and its righteousness within Surely they are of very mean capacities that cannot see T. D's absurdities ignorance in these matters And his vain imaginations and conceits about imputation further will appear and that the stress and drift of all his and his Brethrens work in these invented Doctrines â—s to keep people in their sins and imperfections all their dayes and so their work in rendring Christ the subject of guilt and so of vengeance that belongs to Devils and their rendring people the subjects of his Righteousness and Justification by imputation whilst unjust and sinful in themselves it all centers in their sinfull Doctrine for sin and imperfection term of life Pag. 37. As to T. D's telling of the Son of God's Incarnation the creation of his Body and Soul the parts of that nature he subsisted in c. To this I say if the Body and Soul of the Son of God were both Created doth not this render him a Fourth Person for Creation was in time which contradicts their Doctrine of Three distinct Increated Co-eternal Co-essential Persons in the Deity seeing that which was created was not so but herein whether doth not his and their ignorance of the only begotten of the Father and their denial of Christs Divinity plainly appear yea or nay where doth the Scripture say that his Soul was created for was not he the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Divine Substance But supposing the Soul of Christ was with the Body created in time I ask if from Eternity he was a Person distinct from God and his holy Spirit without either Soul or Body and where doth the Scripture speak of any Person without either Soul or Body le ts have plain Scripture Pag. 38. Whilst T. D. grants our actual freedom from sin and wrath depends on what Christ did and suffered as on and upon its means what becomes of his Doctrine and Pleas for sin and imperfection which they that continues in term of life cannot be truly said to be Actually freed from sin nor yet imputatively righteous in Gods sight whilst actually and really sinfull And if Christ's obedience was not intended to exempt us from a personal obedience to the Law as is confest in pag. 38. then it s contrary to the end of his Obedience to live in sin and disobedience term of life and for any to be reckoned imputatively righteous when actually disobedient Secondly And if we be only so far made righteous by Christs Obedience as unrighteous by our own disobedience how far is that have we not been actually unrighteous and shall we so far be made righteous by Christ's Righteousness Is not this more then your Doctrine of Imputation whilst personally sinfull amount to but your flat contradictions in these matters are evident Pag. 39. And though Christ is our Surety this doth not exempt us either from following him or walking in the Way of God but the more ingage us therein and herein we know acceptance in the Beloved of God in that holy conversation which his pure Law within enjoyns without obedience to which God is not well pleased nor satisfied on man's part though he was even well pleased and satisfied in his own Son both in his doing and suffering
either required a thing not attainable or as if being perfect as he is perfect were but the measure of our Duty and so to be put off till the Life to come wherein the Saints had not such Commands given to them seeing they are not capable of sinning in the Life to come but John said As is he so are we in this world 1 John 4.17 And herein they knew their Love made perfect and this is more then either the small resemblance of Children to their Parents which T. D. speaks of and beyond his imperfect sinfull state and Doctrine for the perfect Love which they had was in them a perfect resemblance of God who is Love verse 16. But this way of T. D. his slighting and diminishing and falsly interpreting the Commands of God which require such perfection only as the measure of our Duty is like his Brethren saying That a Child of God his not committing Sin is to be meant he doth not make a trade of Sin which indeed is a very easie way they have taken to pervert the Commands of God and to give ease and liberty to the Transgressors in their sins as if when a thing is absolutely required of them they should put it off with this It is meant only as but in part to be obeyed and so if they should deal thus with God and say Lord then requires us not to Steal or not to commit Adultery or not to Covet but we are to understand it as that we cannot altogether abstain from Stealing Adultery or Covetousness only we are not to make a trade of these things nor wholy make it our business to be imployed in them what acceptance do they think such a Plea would have before the Lord and what Answer would he make them to this their corruption and what resentment would such Doctrine have in the minds of sober people if they should preach them and give such meanings to the Scriptures and tell them that where Stealing and Adultery and worldly â—usts and Covetousness are forbidden that they are not to go to the extent of the Commands but only not make a trade or a common practice of Stealing or these things c for thus they have dealt with many of God's Commands enjoyning perfect Holiness and Righteousness but then they have an easie way to lay all upon Christ as having paid their debt and fulfilled the Righteousness of the Law in his Person in their stead so that they must not expect its fulfilling in their persons for where the Scripture speaks of its being fulfilled in us we are to understand by in us that it is in Christ's Person and this is the manner of their course from time to time both to shut Christ his Works and Righteousness out of People so much as in them lies 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin T. D. saith to this We may interpret it as he is born of God he doth not sin every Child of God is mixta persona Pag. 57. as our Law sayes of the King consists of an old and new nature and so his new nature is Principium quo the Principle from which he acts graciously and the old nature the Principle from which he acts sinfully Reply Here again he hath palpably perverted plain Scripture and contradicted the Apostle John as may be seen in that 1 John 3. For he that is born of God who doth neither commit sin nor can sin because he is born of God has put off the old nature and is not acted by that Principle which leads to act sinfully because he cannot sin and that gracious Principle in him hath overcome the sin and the nature of it and so to tell of his being mixta persona is T. D's gross blindness For first that which is born of God that overcomes the World is not mixt with sin nor with the old sinful nature Secondly He or whosoever is born of God whose Seed remains in him who abideth in Christ is not acted by that old sinful nature because he is born of God and abideth in Christ in whom is no sin neither is mans having divers parts as Body and Soul c. or his being liable or not liable to death any reason to shew that he that is born of God doth act sinfully from the old nature for the Bodies of the Saints were the Temples of the Holy Ghost and their Bodies were sanctified and so brought into subjection unto the Divine Spirit or Principle in them so as they might glorifie God in their bodies and in their spirits which were his Again T. D's meaning to that first of John 3.9 is That it may intend the manner of sinning so the 8 th verse seems to limit it be that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning the Comparison quoth he is not between the act simply for then it should have been said only for the Devil sinneth but from the beginning implies a Comparison between the manner of man's sin and the Devils in respect of which he is said to be of the Devil because he immitates his example who from the day he began never ceased to sin nor ever did one truly good action Observ. By this we may gather T. D's limitation put upon that of 1 John 3.9 and the Comparison he makes between not the act simply but the manner of mans sin and the Devils still taking it for granted that he that is born of God doth sin and acts sinfully from the old nature but not in that manner as he that is of the Devil who intimates his example so that his meaning and comparison seems to amount to this that he that is born of God doth sin but not always or not as the Devil sinneth he is somewhat better then the Devil in that he doth some good actions but the Devil doth none Reply Surely our opposer hath come off but very poorly in his arguing for the Devils work contrary both to the state and testimony of such as were born of God whom he hath here very meanly debased and sadly abused the Scriptures misrepresenting Gods Children whom he by his Eternal Power hath delivered from the power of Sin and Satan and given them a Heavenly place in Christ where the Devil cannot come and in whom the Prince of the World hath nothing nor his sinfull Ministers any part or interest whilst they plead against God's Promises holy Commands and against the very end and purpose of Christ's manifestation as T. D. and his Brethren have done wherein they have shown themselves to be Antichrist's Agents and Ministers and not the true Christ's Now touching Christ's Enlightning every man whose Light we affirm to be saving this is set down as an Error by T. D. he and his Brethren denying the Light of Christ in every man to be Saving in its own nature and property which we do affirm it to be but that he enlightens every man to
Their own mouths will Condemn them when they charge God with laying impossible Lawes upon Mankind Yet such is the unlimited Nature of Divine Goodness and the exceeding Riches of God's Grace that he makes a large and free offer of Assistance to all those who are so senseable of their own infirmity as to beg it of him And can men then say the Command is impossible when he hath promised an assistance sutable to the nature of the Duty and infirmities of men pag. 23. Hath he not made use of the most obliging motives to perswade us to the Practice of what he requires by the infinite discovery of his own Love the Death of his Son and the Promise of his Spirit and what then is wanting but only setting our selves with a serious Obedience to them to make his Commands not only not impossible but easie to us pag. 24. Thus far E.S. Obs. Here observe That E.S. hath Asserted Truth contrary to the Presbyterians and Independants 1st On the behalf of the Freeness and Sufficiency of God's Grace to Mankind for the Fulfilling or Obeying of God's Commands 2dly In his Asserting the Possibility of man's Obeying them thereby which amounts to Perfection and Freedom from Sin as being attainable by those Divine Helps that God affords man for that end 3dly In Reproving them that being sharply rebuked in their Consciences for sin do charge God with laying impossible Lawes on men which is no less than to charge him with Cruelty or Tyranny The CONCLUSION The sum of the Controversie between us and our present Opposers consists in these following Heads 1st FIrst I Affirm That their distinguishing the Deity or God-head into Three separate or finite Personalities and to reckon the Father Son and Holy Ghost not Infinite is Anti-scriptural Erroneous and Blasphemous 2dly That their Affirming Christ not to be Innocent but Guilty of our sins when he Suffered is Blasphemous and so their deeming that the Suffering he underwent was the same Revenge or Vengeance from God which they term Vindictive Justice that 's due to Wicked men Reprobate Angels and Devils this is false also and that upon that ground their stating the matter of Satisfaction to Divine Justice as otherwise It being impossible 〈◊〉 God to Pardon c. All this is to charge God with Injustice and Cruelty against his Innocent Son and is in the first place Blasphemous against Christ and in the next its Impious to the dishonour of both Father and Son 3dly Their Affirming Christ but to have died but for a few and not for all men and that his being a Propitiation or Sacrifice is but for some of all sorts of Jewes and Gentiles and not for the sins of the whole World is contrary to plain Scripture and repugnant to the free Grace and gift of God to all 4thly Their Affirming That Christ doth not enlighten every man with a spiritual saving Light but with a natural insufficient Light is an Erroneous Doctrine of Darkness and Antichrist and repugnant both to Christ and God's free Grace and Love in him to Mankind 5thly Their Affirming Perfection or freedom from sin not to be attainable in this Life and so their arguing for sin term of Life is Antichristian and of the Devil being against the Commands and Promises of God and against the Power and Coming of Christ and frustrates the end of his Suffering Sacrifice and Manifestation 6thly Their Notion of Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to impure sinful rebellious Persons who are not partakers of it in themselves nor yet in that Faith which purifies the heart and thereupon their reckoning them Righteous in God's account is a false Notion and none of God's nor Christ's Imputation but as Gross Erroneous and Impious as their imputing sin to Christ as not being Innocent when he Suffer'd but Guilty c. 7thly And their Affirming men to be Justified or in a Justified state by an Imputed Righteousness whilst actually sinful and unjust is as false and as great abomination as he that Justifieth the Wicked and he that Condemneth the Just or as they are that Condemn Christ as not being Innocent and Justifie sinful men or Hypocrites as being Righteous whose Faith is but empty dead and feigned 8thly So their Affirming men to be Imputatively Righteous when inherently and actually sinful or Imputatively saved when actually damned And all their Doctrines that tend to dishonour God or Christ and to give People ease and liberty in sin are to be denied as Erroneous Antichristian and Devillish And here in opposition to our Ridgid Opposers both those of Presbyterians and Independants concerned in these Doctrines I further Affirm as followeth First That the Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit or the Father Son and Holy Ghost are One and inseparable no where in Scripture called Three separate Persons nor finite in Personalities though three in manifestation and so testified of as Three Witnesses for the Confirmation of the Testimony of the Gospel Secondly That Christ was Innocent and not Guilty when he Suffered he was Just that Suffered for the Unjust seeing he freely in the Love of God to man gave and offered himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without spot to God so that he was an Offering well pleasing a sweet smelling savour and so a most acceptable and satisfactory Sacrifice to God for all men It being also possible for God and he doth Pardon men upon Repentance for Christ's sake without either accounting Christ not Innocent or Guilty of men's sins and without either exercising the same Rigour of Punishment Eternal Death or Vengeance upon him that 's due to Reprobates and Devils For it was in one and the same Love mutual Condescention and a Spirit of Compassion and Forgiveness both in the Father and in the Son towards Mankind that Christ was given a Ransom or in which as it 's said God sent his Son and Christ gave himself c. Thirdly That Christ gave himself a Ransom for all men and by the Grace of God tasted Death for every man being a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World to shew forth and give Testimony of God's Love and Grace towards all Mankind Fourthly That Christ inlightens every man that cometh into the World with a spiritual saving Light which they that believe in and follow do receive Life in him the true Light however Darkness oppose or deny it and they that reject or hate his Light are condemned and left without excuse before the Lord by it Fifthly That Perfection and freedom from sin is attainable in this Life to all that believe in the Power of Christ for that end what ever the Devil and his Ministers say to the contrary Sixthly That while Persons are impure or sinful not experiencing the Work of God in them nor the Living Faith in it's Operation nor Sanctification in them God doth not impute Christ's Righteousness to them nor reckon it theirs they being out