worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they â—ay have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in by the Gate into the City John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because c. Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his See also verse 4.5.7.14 2 Cor. 13.15 Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory See Eph. 2. What the Elect are before Conversion 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators And such were some of you But ye are washed ye are Sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Thes 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love Phil. 2.13 Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh c. Rev. 2 3. Read the promises to him that overcometh Mat. 6.19 20. Lay up for your selves a treasure in heaven Luke 16.9 Make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when you faâ—l they may receive you into the everlâ—sting habitations Gen. 4.7 If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted But if thou c. Luke 13.3.5 Except ye repent ye shall all perish Mat. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 5.9 He is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Luke 19.27 These mine Enemies that would not I should reign over them Heb. 10.33 Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompense of reward 39. We are not of them that draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul Mat. 18.32 35. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all that dâ—bt because c. so shall my heavenly Father do also to you if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses The Answer to all this by the Adversaries I. By the Infidels The Scripture is not the Word of God II. By the Mahometans in special The followers of Christ altered it III. By Papists Scripture is to us but what the Church declareth of it 1. The reading of it and rejecting supplemental Tradition by the Vulgar causeth heresies IV. By the Quaker It is the light within us that is our Rule V. The Enthusiasts or Fanaticks We must try Scripture by the Spirit and not the Spirit by the Scripture the Apostles Spirit by ours and not our low measure by theirs VI. The seekers The Scripture must first be recovered by a true Ministry VII The Cabbalist and Familist It is not to be understood Literally but Mystically VIII The Antinomian Libertine The written word or at least all that prescribeth duty and hath conditional promises is but a Covenant of works The Covenant of Grace is only the Spirits Effectual work I will and you shall A Breviate of the Doctrine of Justification Dilivered in many Books By RICHARD BAXTER In many Propositions And the Solution of 50 Controversies about it Written 1. To end such Controversies 2. To confute Rash Censurers and Errours 3. To inform the Ignorant 4. To procure Correction from wiser men if I mistake Occasioned by some mens Accusation of me to others that will not vouchsafe their Instruction to my self And by the Erroneous and dangerous Writings and Preachings of some well-meaning men such as Mr. Troughton c. who at once mistake and misreport God's Word and ours and fight in the dark against Christian Faith and Love LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1690. The Preface long ago written Reader IT was the Army and Sectarian Antinomians more fitly called Libertines who first called me in the year 1645. and 1646. to study better than I had done the Doctrine of the Covenants and Laws of God of Redemption and Justification I fetcht my first resolving thoughts from no Book but the Bible specially Mat. 5 and 6 and 25. Grotius de Satisfactione next gave me more light While I was considering many mens friendly Animadversions on my Apâ—orisms and answering some that more differed from each other than from me it increased light especially the Animadversions of Mr. George Lawson My Writings against the Antinomians had success beyond my expecâ—ations though some good men of the Party called Independent having more heat than light deceived by the notions of some that had spoken injudiciously before them cast out suspicions and contradictions in a jealousie that I encroached on the honour of Free Grace I mean such men as prefaced the Book called The Marrow of Modern Divinity which on pretence of Moderation is Antinomian or Libertine and very injudicious and unsound And others Books such as Paul Hobsons Mr. Saltmarshes Bunyan on the Covenants c. which ignorantly subverted the Gospel of Christ came out on the same business and revealed mens mistakes on pretence of revealing the Mystery of Free Grace John Goodwin was then and before publishing his Judgment of Justification and Mr. Walker and Mr. Roborough wrote against him with great disparity of light and strength But because J.G. turned to the Arminians prejudice cryed down his Doctrine of Justification and it was not all to be approved Mr. Gataker published many things to the like purpose and among the rest the Narrative of Mr. Wottons Case referred to many London Divines and decided by them Of my suspension of my Aphorisms and of my Contests with Mr. Craudon Mr. Eyres Mr. Warner and afterwards with Dr. Tully I need not here make particular mention The most that I converst with seemed of my Judgment The rest beside the Animadverters on my Aphorisms who freeliest spake of me behâ—â—d my back would none of them speak to me Vavasor Powel and Mr. Ed. Bagshaw were two of the chief Many worthy men published the same Doctrine which I assâ—rted especially Mr. Gibbons of Black-fryars in his Sermon in the Morning Lectures at St. Giâ—â—s Mr. Benjamin Woodbridge Mr. Hotchkâ—â— Mr. Thomas Warren Mr. Graile and Mr. Jeâ—â—op laboured to prove that Dr. Twisse meant the same who seems to speak for Eternal Immanent Justification And Mr. Truman and Lud. Le Blankes Theses at last came out after the Theâ—es Salmurienses and the Breme Divines Lud. Crocius Conrad Bergius and the Berlin Johan Bergius as clear as any But the practice of some who wanted the humility and â—iliâ—ence which were necessary to learn the Truths which they knew not was just the same with that of the Prelates in Councils for a thousand years even to put it to the Vote of mâ—n of their own mind or to lean on the names of some of their Predecessors who were men of note and especially to cry down those that heard them not
20. it 's said The blood of God It s a sad case that partiality can so much prevail as that they that cry out of some doubtful words as damnable heresies do yet think it tolerable language to say that by Imputation of the very sin itself to Christ as his sin he was the greatest sinner the greatest Murderer Lyer Adulterer c. in the world I beseech you abstain from such words till you find them in the Scripture Christ never was reputed of God a sinner who did so much to shew his hatred of it Nor ever took our sin unto him any further than to suffer for it to expiate it And if this be the similitude by which we must understand how his Holiness and Righteousness is made ours it will make all very plain It is ours or imputed to us so far as to be reputed the true cause of our Justification Adoption Sanctification and Glory as our sin was the cause of his suffering and death Cont. 12. Doth not Christs righteousness cause our Sanctification in the same sort of causality as it causeth our Justification Ans The effects are divers but both from the same meritorious cause But it is more unapt to say that it is the material cause of our Sanctification than that it is the material cause of our righteousness Though it merit both Because our habitual and actual holiness hath a nearer material cause in itself which our pardon and meer adoption have not Cont. 13. When it is said that faith is imputed to us for righteousness is it faith indeed that is meant or Christs Righteousness believed on Ans A strange and bold question What occasion hath the Holy Ghost given us to raise such a suspicion that when it is so often said by him that Faith is imputed or accounted for righteousness men should make a doubt whether it be Faith indeed that he meaneth If it be not the context is so far from relieving our understandings that it contributeth to our unavoidable deceit or ignorance Read over the Texts and put but Christs Righteousness every where instead of the word Faith and see what a scandalous Paraphrase you will make The Scripture is not so audaciously to be Corrected It 's wiser to believe Gods Word than to contradict it on pretence of expounding it Obj. But it is said also that Righteousness is imputed And that must be either Christs Righteousness or our own But not our own therefore Christs Ans We are not now questioning whether Christs Righteousness be imputed to us Though it be not the Phrase of the Scripture I have shewed you that it is true in a sound sence But the question is Whether Faith be imputed for righteousness And what is the meaning of all such Texts To have righteousness imputed to us plainly signifieth to be Reckoned Accounted Reputed or Judged righteous And it 's strange that it must not be our own righteousness that is imputed or reckoned to us as our own If it were never so well proved that the very Habits and Acts of Christ are by Gift or Union made our own in themselves and not only as the causes of their effects yet still our own they would be and the righteousness given by them our own in order of nature before they are imputed accounted or reckoned to us as our own Some way that righteousness which is reckoned to constitute us righteous is surely made our own Psal 106.30 31. Phinehas's executing Judgment it is said to be accounted to him for righteousness And of Abrahams Justification God saith Because thou hast done this c. What man that ever read the Bible can doubt but that every man that will be saved must have a personal faith repentance and holiness which is called righteousness many hundred times in the Scripture besides the righteousness that was or is in Christ And will not God reckon him righteous that is righteous He that doth righteousness is righteous And shall it not be imputed to him if God account not a man a believer can he be justified and saved Christs Righteousness hath made Satisfaction for all our sins and for our unrighteousness as to the Law that doth condemn us But he made us not lawless but put us under a Law of Grace which saith He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned And must we not be judged by this Law and be justified or condemned as we keep or break it wonderful is the power of prejudice that any good men that read the Scripture can doubt whether Christ himself hath made us a Law of Grace according to which as performers or non-performers we must be justified as righteous in subordination to Christs Righteousness or else be condemned as neglecters of so great Salvation Is any thing plainer in all the Gospel Obj. But it is the Object and not the Act Christs Righteousness and not our Faith the Gold and not the Hand that taketh it that is our Riches and Righteousness Ans 1. No question but the Faith that we talk of is Faith in Christ even the Believing Receiving of a Saviour and his Grace freely given us And therefore Christs Righteousness is ever connoted when we talk of Faith For what is the very Specification of the Act but the Object But it is not the essence of Christ or his Righteousness that constituteth Faith but Christ in esse coâ—nito objectivo even as it is not the essence of Sin that constituteth Repentance but the notion of Sin in esse cognito as an Oâ—ject And there is no doubt but Christ is the Souls Riches which Faith receiveth But if the King by Law should restore all the Rebels in Ireland to their Estates and give them their Lives that lay down Arms and ask Mercy and accept it if it come to the Tryal whether they are Accepters or Refusers their Acceptance must be so far their justifying Righteousness though their Lives and Estates be their Treasure and the Kings Act be their Title to it Faith is reckoned or imputed to be that which by the Redeemer himself is required of the Sinner to make him partaker of Christ and his Benefits Reconciliation and Salvation and it is no other Righteousness Christs Righteousness is not imputed to us instead of our Faith and Repentance and sincere holiness which is made by himself the condition of Life As he died not for the Sins which we were never guilty of and are no sins so his Righteousness is not instead of that Righteousness which by his Grace we have but instead of that which we have not Not instead of our being penitent Believers and sanctified before we die but instead of that perfect innocency which we want Not that we are reputed perfect innocent obeyers because he was such but that our want of it shall not hinder our Justification or Adoption Grace or Glory Christ hath done all his part but he hath appointed us a necessary part
when yet sincerity of Obedience is necessary and those Acts if done have their place with the rest as means of Salvation so here But Saving Faith is denominated from the essential part The nature of Faith is in order of nature antecedent to its Office The nature of it in genere is to believe all that God saith The nature of it in specie is to believe in Christ and consent to his Covenant The integrity of it is to believe all that we find revealed The Office of it as the Means of Justification is to be the condition of the Justifying Covenant or Law That which some call the Instrumentality is the very nature of the Act the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere in specie Believing in Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere and that 's it that they call an Instrument of receiving him as such But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere even in specie Faith in Christ doth not justifie quâ talis as that Faith but as it is that qualifying Condition which the Promise annexeth Justification to without which it would not have done it Had the Promise been absolute it had pardoned us before and without Faith The nature of the Act is like the metal of Gold or Silver and the tenor of the Justifying Covenant is as the Kings Stamp that maketh it currant Coin It is Faith in order of nature before it is the Justifying Condition The quâ justificans therefore should speak not a distinct Act from the other Acts of the Christian Faith as such but the relation of the same Acts to the benefit Omnis fidei actus qui justificat considerari potest quatenus justificat Contr. 19. Whether we are justified by the Law of Innocency saying Obey perfectly and live Ans This is one of the chief points of all our difference Some say that because Christ fulfilled it for us we are justified by that Law as fulfillers of it This is it that Mr. Anthony Wotton hath bestowed most of his Learned Treatise de Reconciliatione to confute The Law justified Christ but not us for it never said Thou or another for thee shalt obey Nor doth it know a Vicarius obedientiae aut poenae nor take Christs Person and ours for the same Therefore we are not justified by that Law but condemned by it And it cannot condemn and justifie the same man But we are justified by another Law Covenant or Promise by Christs fulfilling the Law of Innocency and making over to us the benefits Contr. 20. Whether by Works be meant Acts in general or â—nly such Acts as are adverse to Faith in Christ and make the reward to be of debt and not of grace Ans The last is the Apostles Exposition of them Christ saith we are justified by our words James by our works and all the Scripture that speaketh of Justification ascribeth it to some Acts It is according to our works And Faith is an Act yea many Acts. Obj. But it justifieth not as an Act but as an Instrument Ans That is not as an Act or good Act in genere but as this Act in specie viz. Believing on Christs Righteousness But that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere that is As this Act But it is not so unless you add As it is this congruous Act or Acts authorized by Gods Covenant to this Office So we will grant that no Act justifieth as an Act or as a good Act but as a congruous good Act appointed thereto As is said before To believe in God and in Christ as Christ and in the Promise of Salvation and to believe the evil of sin and the need of a Saviour and to desire him and be thankful for him and pray for pardon are not the works that Paul speaketh against but some belong to the Essence and some to the Integrity and Accidents of that Faith by which we are justified Yet a foolish person may contradict himself and hold his own Faith as well as his Love or Desire or Prayer to be meritorious as making the reward not of grace Such mad contradiction may suppose Faith to be the works which it denieth Cont. 21. Are any works of man meritorious Ans Not in point of Commutative Justice that giveth one thing for another to the commodity of each as in buying and selling 2. Nor yet in distributive Governing Justice as making any good due to us by the Law of Innocency or Works 3. But as God hath freely given us Christ and Life by a Law of Grace on condition of suitable acceptance and use so he that performeth this condition is called worthy and the contrary unworthy in the Gospel and did not men abuse it they might with all the ancient Chuâ—ches use the word merit in the same sense â—s 〈◊〉 As a good natured Child that humbly and thâ—nkfully taketh money or meat when his Father giâ—eth it him is said to deserve it of him better than he that scorneth it and him So â—ur merit is but of â—aternal â—overning Justice in the Kingdom of Love according to Gods Law of Grace in Christ Cont. 12. â—hâ—ther oâ—edience be a part of Faith or we aâ—e justifiâ—d by obedience Ans 1. To beliâ—ve in Christ at first is an act of obedience to God who commandeth us so to do But it is but Subjectiâ—n to Christ which that act includeth that is taking him for our Lord and Saviour to be obeyed which iâ— virtually all future obedience as its root but not actually 2. Actual obedience to Christ is not faith but the fruit of faith and part of our performâ—nce of the Covenant which we made with him and necessary to the câ—ntinuance of our â—ustification and to our Salvation as all the Scripture fully sheweth Cont. 23. Whether any 〈◊〉 bâ—â—â—cessâ—ry t◠〈◊〉 continuance or not losiâ—g our jusâ—ifâ—catioâ— than to 〈◊〉 bâ—ginning of it Ans Yes 1. More acts of the same faith 2. Praying for pardon 3 Forgiving others as Christ expresly tells us 4. Sincere Love and Obedience to Christ unto the end Cont. 24. Is Pardon and Justification perfect the first moment Ans No. 1. All the punishment is not yet taken off We have yet much penal want of Grace and the Spirits Operations and Communion with God 2. We have not right to the present removal of all the punishment 3. Many more sins hereafter must be pardoned 4. Much means is yet to be used for final Justification 5. That final Justification only is perfect Cont. 25 〈◊〉 nolle punire or non punire a pardoning of sin It 's Dr. Tâ—isses Controversy Ans Yes In some degree to a capable person that iâ— to a sinner But not to one that is no sinner 〈◊〉 before one hath a being Cont. 26. Is future sin pardoned before hand Ans Fuâ—ure sin is not sin and therefore not capabâ—e of pardon nor the person for it But it may be pardoned virtually though not actually A general grant of pardon may be
Bâ—t a part it hath as is confessed and for that part it must be trusted and pleaded and no man must trust to be saved without faith repentance and obedience Heb. 12.14 Mar. 16.16 Luk. 13.3 5. I conclude all in Dr. Prestons words Treatise of Faith p. 44 45. And of the Attributes p. 71. â— Justifying Faith defined is a Grace or habit infused into the Soul whereby we are enabled to believe not only that the Messiah is offered to us but also to take and receive him as a Lord and Saviour that is both to be saved by him and obey him No man believeth Justification by Christ but his faith is mainly grounded on this Word of God In Scripture we find that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and that he is the Lamb slain for the forgiveness of sins That he is offered to every creature That a man must thirst after him and then take up his Cross and follow him Now come to a believer going out of the World and ask him what hope he hath to be saved he will be ready to say I know that Christ is come into the World and offered up and I know that I am one of them that have a part in him I know that I have fulfilled the conditions as that I should not continue willingly in any known sin that I should love the Lord Jesus desire to serve him above all I know that I have fulfilled these conditions and for all this I have the word for my ground c. So far Dr. â—reston Cont. 36. Hath Justification and Salvation the same conditions and do works save us which do not justifie us Ans 1. The works which Paul excludeth from Justification he excludeth from saving us Eph. 2.5 8 9. Tit. 3.5 so Jam. 2.14 c. 2. Justification begun and our right given to Salvation have the same condition 3. Justification in the last Judgment is the justifying of our right to Glory and hath the same condition with our glorification Mat. 25. Come ye blessed c. But more is necessary to final Justification and Salvation than to our first right as is before shewed Cont. 37. Is there any such thing as a Justifying us against Satans false accusations As that a believer is no believer impenitent an hypocrite c. Some say the Devil will not be so foolish knowing that God knoweth all Ans If Justification relate not to Accusation Divines have hitherto much wronged the Church in maintaining it so commonly as they have done If it do 1. It is either to a true or a false accusation Against a true accusation no man can be justified but must confess the charge If it be said that we sinned and that this sin deserved death it must â—e confessed and we cannot be justified directly against this charge For Guilt and Righteousness cannâ—t consist as to the same particular cause But if it be said 1. That we are unbelievers impenitent hypocrites c. 2. Or that we have no part in Christ 3. Or that we are not pardoned accepted reconciled and adopted for his meritorious righteousness and intercession and were not thus constituted just 4. And that therefore we have no right to life but ought to be condemned All these are false accusations against which we may and must be justified 2. And Satan is a Lyar and a Murderer and the accuser of the brethren And his knowledge hindred not his malice from falsly accusing Job to God himself nor from tempting Christ himself to the most odious sin 3. But it sufficeth us that Justification relateth not only to Actual Accusation but to â—â—â—tual yea to Possible And if â—od declare the Righteousness of his Servants by his â—ight Sentence or Execution though none accuse them either Satan or Conscience it stiâ—l relateth to possible Accusation They that deny all this must needs say that at Judgment and before as to any Sentence there will be no Juâ—tâ—fiâ—ation at aâ—l because no Accusation true or faâ—se And if no Justification nor Condemnation then no Judgment which is all contrary to an Artiâ—le of Faith Contr. 38. But though all this prove that we are justified by Faith yâ—â— not as a Rightâ—ousness so that it is questioned whether any personal Righteousness consisting in our performance of the Condition of the Covenant be thâ—t which we are justified by here or at last in suboâ—â—â—nation to Christs â—ighteousness which needs no supplement from us Ans 1. This Question is either of the Thing or of the bare Name of â—ighteousness whether it should so be called 1. Aâ— to the Thing it is fuâ—ly proved already that Faith Repentance and Obedience are of flat necessity to our Salvation and therefore to the Jusâ—â—â—ying of our Claim of Right to that Salvation And thereforâ— to Justiâ—â—e the Person as to that Right and Claim that he is one that truly hath such right For the Person is justified by the justifying of his Cause I suppose none of this will be denied 2. And as to the Namâ— 1. The definition will prove it apt That which is Righteous denominateth the subject accordingly Every Cause in Judgment is Righteous or Unrighteous And the Person is Righteous so far as his Cause is so If it be said against a Believer that he hath no right to Châ—ist and 〈◊〉 his Right is his Righteousness as against thi◠〈◊〉 This Right is no natural being at â—ll buâ— Moral Relation called Dâ—â—ness Yet this is hiâ— â—uâ—â—ifying Righteousness But the fundamenâ—â—â— of that Right is quid absolutum It is an aâ—surd contradiction to say that a man hath any Righteousness that doth not so far constitute 〈…〉 as it is to say that a man hath Learning Wâ—t Honesty Goodness which do not so far make him Learned Wise Honest or Good Or the Paper hath whiteness that maketh it not white 3. But we ever distinguish between Total Righteousness and Partial in tantum or secundum quid And betwâ—en that Righteousness in tantum which Salvation is laid on and that which is of small concern And also between Christs part and mans And so we still say 1. That Christs part needeth no supplement from ours nor do we perform the least tâ—at belongs to him 2. But his own Law Will and Covenant hath laid a necessary part on us 3. That by this we are no further justified than in tantum as it is a Righteousness of ours that is Faith in it self as such justifieth us only against the false Charge of Infidelity Repentance only against the false Charge of Impenitency Holiness and Sincerity against the false Charge of unholiness and hypocrisie c. But as the Condition of the Covenant they prove our right to Christ and Life And so as the Donation in the Gospel is the Titulus 〈◊〉 fundamentum iuriâ— so Faith and Repentance are the Conditio tituli There is a Partial Righteousness which every wicked man may have which entiâ—leth no one to Salvation The Devil himself may
good men as Mr. Fowler and Mr. Cole by telling the World how unstudied and yet how confident they have been in some points But he did worse in citing Dr Manton that incurr'd their Censure for defending me in that very Pulpit where he saith I Preach'd against such accusers as he and was wholly of my judgment And reciting Arch-Bishop Usher who perused my Confession written against the Antinomians and altered not a word in it before I published it I got him and Mr. Gataker to read it and it was the last Work that Mr. Gataker did in the World as his Epistle and his Sons shew Had the Prefacer read but that one Book my Confession written in 1655. and there the explications of the Coâ—troversies and the many score plain Texts and Arguments and the hundred Testimonies of Synod and Protestant Divines for the Doctrine which I defend and specially if he have read my Explication of all these Controversies in my Catohlick Theology and Methodus and Dispute of Justification and of Justifying Righteousness and yet hâ—d call'd for an answer to Mr. Cole or Mr. Fowler I should have told him that he and such as he are too hard or deaf for me to answer But he impertinently citeth other men that say we are justified by Free Grace and the Righteousness of Christ and not by Works as if he would falsly intimate that I deny it when I neither trust to nor know any Righteousness that is not meerly subordinate to the Rigâ—teousness of Christ and take his Righteousness Habunâ—l Active and Passive to be the only and perfect Meritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation of Grace and Glory And I wonder not that Paul counted his own Righteousâ—ess by the â—aw to be dung in compaâ—ison of being found in Christ having his Righteoâ—sness But I abhor the opinion that Câ—rist's Righteousness given us is all without us and none within us when Christ dwelleth in us as if 600 Texts of Scripture were all false that speak of the necessity of an inherent and actâ—ve Righteousness I abhor the opinion of any works necessary to Justification or Salvation or to any common Blessings in the sense of Paul such as make the reward to be of Debt and not of Grace I think few men living are less tempted to magnify or trust to any worth of thâ—ir own than I am I look not for a bit of Bread or an hâ—urs Ease or Life or the Pardon or Acceptance of one Duty or of my Holiest Affections so faulty are they by their great Imperfection but meerly from the Free Grace of God and the Merits and Intercession of Christ But should I take all for Errour that this Preface reciteth as such and all for truth that Dr. Crispe and such men write I should look for wiser men than him or Mr. Cole to Anathematize me rather as an Anti-Gospeller than a meer Antinomian And I am the sorryer for the prefixing of tâ—e Twelve Reverend Names when I find by their Epistles that they had read this Preface so full of false Citations and gross Errour and say not a word against it nor against such a Book Mr. Cockain in his Epistle directing it to them that live Godly in Christ Jesus tâ—lls them that the Kingdom of God within them shall never be shaken and the Divine Nature that hath swallowed them up shall for ever satisfy them with variety of Contentments And is not that ours which is within us And is this Kingdom and Divine Nature nothing but that which Christ did without us imputed to be done by us And if this be no subordinate Righteousness what doth the word signify so many hundred times used in the Scripture Let them but grant Justification by Faith and let them assign Faith what Office therein they can reasonably imagine without flat denying all Pauls Doctrine and they will confute Dr. Crispe Say but that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and give not the lye to Paul and sure we shall be reconciled But if they will tell us that by Faith Paul meaneth not Faith but Christ's Righteousness they must prove that they have more than a Papal Power to make God's Word by making the Sense when God maketh but the Letter before we can renounce the Scripture and believe them And yet if they will expound Imputation soberly we shall grant them the matter that Christ's Righteousness is accounted to us of God as the only Meritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation tho' we believe that by Faith Paul meaneth Faith But if they still say that by Faith is meant only the Object of Faith and not the Act could we but get them to forbear Anathematizing Men for being so Learned as to understand English we might yet hope at least to keep the flame of their Zeal out of the thatch within the Chimney by telling them the difference between the Object of Faith as such and the person that is the Object otherwise considered In real Existence Christ tho' not yet believed in is the sole meritorious Cause But it is only in esse cognito that Christ is the Object of Faith And School-Boyes that have no damnable Learning may teach these confident men that the Object as an Object believed is the very form in specie of the Act of Faith It is an Act without it but not this Act viz. the Christian Faith As sin in esse reall is damning but in esse cognito objectivo it is the form of the Grace of Repentance so is it here But if they will grant that by Faith is meant Faith and not say that Paul condemneth Justification by Faith as being but Justification by Works let them but tell us how it justifieth I say not efficiently at all but only as a meer receptive qualification If they say as an Efficient Instrument they give it much more than I do and lay it on the Act or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere as they speak For what else is the Instrument I hope they mean not that Christ and his Righteousness is but the Instrument But of this more after I thought it meet to have recited many hundred Texts of Scripture which they directly contradict which good Men should rather believe than them But if the Reader will peruse my Confession he will find it there done already And I thought it necessary to commend the good Lives of many of them excepting the Schism and Vnrighteousness that Faction doth involve them in lest the Grosness of their Verbal Errours which come from unskilfulness in Words and Methods should tempt many to judge of the Men by their Words and Opinions and should harden the malignant to justifie all their hard Censures and Vsage of the Non-Conformists for their sakes And yet Mr. Crispe is one of my sharp Censurers for charitably excusing Men from lesser Errours than his own while he falsifyeth my Words about our difference with the Papists I have said oft and long agoe that
Physical and Moral Reception when they should tell us that Faith is not the Physical but the Moral Reception of Christ to Receive in sensu Physico is nothing else but to be the Passive tâ—rminus of an Agents efficiency and is signified by Passive Verbs To receive Justification Sanctification Adoptiâ—n Physically is nothing but Justificari Sanctificari c. to be Justifâ—ed Sanctified Adopted But to receive Morally is Accipere to accept the gift by consent and exercise thâ—t consent by contract and containeth as is aâ—oresaid many Physical Acts as to receive a Tutor a Master a Physitian a King a Husband c. And such is Faith a receiving not of righteousness only but of Christ with all his offered benefits And when they say that other Acts or Graces may be Conditioâ—s but none but Faith is the Instrument 1. Certainly that called by them Instrumentality is but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crederâ— the Act it self in specie and the Conditionality is the nearest reason of its Interest in our Justification 2. And there is nothing more in the Nature of Assent Trust or any Act of Faith beâ—â—des meer Acceptance or Consent why they should be called Receiving than in Love Desire Gladâ—ess Hope or Seeking 3. And Accepting Christ as our Teacher King and Intercessor in Heaven is as much conditional and necessary to our Justiâ—â—cation and Salvation as accepting his Justiâ—â—cation and Deliverance from Punishment That which men are most averse to Love Holiness and Obedience is made the Condition of that which men more easily accept And indeed those that in sensu Phyâ—ice they call Other Conditional Acts are but modifications or parts of the same Moral Act which is the Condition The Faith by which we are justified is that true Christianity which includeth our believeing consent to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost our belief of Christ and our thankful acceptance of him to be our Teacher Intercessor or Priest and King with his offered Grace and that this acceptance is with Desire Love and Hope exprest in a holy Contract or Covenant This is the Souls Marriage with Christ and Allegiance to him and it includeth the renouncing our trust in all Creatures or in any Righteousness of our own so far as they would usurp the least part of Christ's Office Work or Honour None of all this is Justification by Works LXIV They erroneously tell us That nothing is Properly a Condition which is it self a Free Gift As if God could not Command and Give the same thing and make his Command a congruous means of Giving LXV They erroneously hold that nothing can be called a Condition of one Gift of the Covenant which is not a Condition of all Whereas God hath many Anticedent Gifts before any Condition be so much as imposed Without any Condition he gave us our Being and gave us a Saviour and the Gospel and the conditional Covenant and offers of Grace And why may not the reception and use or not rejecting of a former Gift of Grace be made a condition of the giving of more To him that hath shall be given may not Faith be the gift of God and yet be the condition of Justification and Salvation LXVI They erroneously hold that when a man is once justified the continuance of his justification is Absolute and hath no imposed conditions contrary to Christs own words Joh. 15. and many plain texts of Scripture LXVII They erroneously put Free Grace and Free Will in such opposition as if nothing could be an act of Free Grace which imposeth any condition on Free Will which is true if by Free Will they mean Freedom of Natural sufficiency as Free without Grace from vitious habits and inclinations for we have no such Free Will But these men know not what Free Will is nor distinguish Freedom from Prohibitions and from Constraint and necessitating predeterminating efficient Premotion from Moral Freedom LXVIII In some points forementioned about Faith and Justification the unapt Words and Methods of some Reformers give them advantage But Dr. Crispe and the gross Antinomians take Faith to be neither Cause nor Condition of Justification but meerly the receptive belief that we are Justified already before we were born so that Faith justifieth only in our consciences which is but to be conscious that we are Justified LXIX Accordingly Dr. Crispe maintaineth that Election and Justification are known only by two means The Spirit within revealing it and Faith receiving it that is The Spirit inwardly saying Thou art Elect and Justified and Faith believing this so that neither of these Justifie us but only make us know it LXX They mâ—stake the meaning of the Witness of the Spirit As if it were but an inward Inspiration and Impulse equal to a voice saying Thâ—u art Elect and Justâ—fied Whereas it is an Inherent Impress and so an objective Evidencing witness even the Divine Nature and Image of God and the habit of Divine â—â—lial Love by which Gods Spirit marketh us out as adopted As likeness of the child to the Father and love are an evidencing witness of true Son-ship And as Reason is a witness that we are Men And as Learning is a witness that we are Learned So Sanctity is an evidencing witness that we are the children of God Holiness to the Lord is his Mark And he that nameth the name of Christ departing from iniquity hath Gods Impres Yet there are other subsequent parts of the Spirits witness that is 1. Causing us to exercise 2. And to know the Grace that he hath given us 3. And exciting in us a joyful perception of it LXXI Hereby they destroy the assurance and comfort of most if not almost all true Christians in the world because they have not that inspiration or certain inward word of assurance that they are Elect and Justified I have known very few that said they had it And of those few some fell to Debauchery and some to doubting And though Prophetical Inspiration prove it self to them that have it it s not possible for others to know but that a counterfeit Fanatick conceit may be it LXXII Hereby the Ungodly are dangerously tempted to damning presumption and security while if they do but confidently believe that they are Elect and Justified they are quieted in sin LXXIV Dr. Crispe copiously maintâ—ineth that a Man cannot be sure that he is Justified either by Sâ—â—cerity or Vâ—iversal Obedience or love to the Goâ—ly or any such Grace To the dishonour of Holiness the contradiction of Scripture and the ovâ—â—throw of the comfort of Believers LXXV They tell us that we must not fix sâ—t times for Prayer or other Worship but stay till Gods Spirit move us or tell us when to Pray As if God were not the God of Order but of Confusion and did not move us as reasonable creatures by a rational guidance of us They would be loth to follow their crooked Rule in commoâ— things and to keep no set-times for their Trading Labours
XVIII Of the distinction of sides quâ—â— and fidâ—s qua Justiâ—icaâ— what it meaneth Cont. XIX Whether we are Justified by the Law of Innocency saying obey perfectly and live Cont. XX Whether by works Paul means acts in genere or what sort of Acts. Cont. XXI Are any works of man meritorious Cont. XXII Is obedience a part of Justifying Faith Cont. XXIII Is any more necessary to the keeping or not losing our Justification than to its beginning Cont. XXIV Is Pardon and Justification perfect the first moment Cont. XXV Is nolâ—e punire or non punire not punishing true pardon Cont. XXVI Is future sin pardoned before Cont. XXVII Is any one punished for pardoned sin Cont. XXVIII Is punishing one that Christ died for unjust punishing one sin twice Cont. XXIX Are regenerate believers under any guilt of any but corrective punishment or should ask pardon of any other Cont. XXX What is it to be judged according to our works Cont. XXXI What Law is it that Paul calleth the Law of works which cannot justify Cont. XXXII How and why it is so called Cont. XXXIII What is Pauls drift in his disputes about Justification Cont. XXXIV What is the drift of James Cont. XXXV Mâ—st a believer any way plead his Faith Repentance or Holiness to his Justification or trust to them Cont. XXXVI Hath Justification and Salvation the same conditions Do those works save us that do not justify us Cont. XXXVII Have we any Justification against false accusations of Infidelity c. Cont. XXXVIII Doth faith justify as a righteousness or any personal righteousness in subordination to Christs Abundant Scripture proof of the affirmative Cont. XXXIX Is Gods accepting Christs righteousness for us the imputing of it Cont. XL. Whether Christs sufferings merit Eternal life for us seeing the Law said Do this and live and not suffer and live Cont. XLI Whether Christ being the end of the law for righteousness prove that Adams first law justifieth us as fulfilled by Christ Cont. XLII Whether the sufferings of Christ merit our freedom from nothing but what he suffered in our stead Cont. XLIII And so whether Christs sufferings merit not our freedom from habits and acts of sin which Christ had not Cont. XLIV And so whether his sufferings redeem us from Spiritual death seeing we suffered it and not be Cont. XLV Is this the reason of our deliverance from the curse of the law because we suffered the equivalent of everlasting Hell Fire in Christ Cont. XLVI Is it true that Christs active obedience only meriteth Heaven for us and therefore that only meriteth Sanctification Cont. XLVII Is it true that Repentance can be no condition of Justification because it followeth it Qu. XLVIII How can faith and repentance give a right to the righteousness of Christ which must first give us that faith and repentance Qu. XLIX Is it true that we must be practical Antinomians unless we hold that only Christs Active righteousness merited grace and glory for us Qu. L. Is this proved by Rom. 7.4 The Conclusion A Breviate of the Doctrine of Justification Pr. 1. WE must first agree what Righteousness is Righteousness is formally a Relation And therefore must have the definition of a Relation I need not tell Schollars what that is 2. The subject of this Relation is first mens actions and habits and their Titles and Rights and then their Persons as the subject of these 3. Righteousness is a Relation to the Rule or Law And is an Agreeableness thereto If it be Gods Law it is Righteousness before God If but mans it is but humane Righteousness 4. As a Law hath two parts the precept and the retribution of reward and punishment so there are two sorts of unrighteousness and righteousness As to the precept Obedience is Righteousness and Sin is Unrighteousness As to the Retribution Right to Impunity and to the promised Reward is the Persons Righteousness and so contrary 5. Righteousness materially is either 1. Particular in some one cause or few causes 2. Or Vniversal and perfect in all causes 6. Righteousness particular is either in some small matter that we are not made happy by 2. Or in some great cause which our happiness dependeth on 7. The first Law required personal perfect constant obedience on pain of death and so justifieth none without it 8. Adam was the Father of all mankind from whom they spring but he did not so represent the Persons of all that were to spring of him as if his obedience without their own would have justified any of them at age If Adam had not sinned Cain should have been condemned if he sinned and so others 9. The first Law being broken man was made uncapable of either part of Justification by it either as one that sinned not or as one that was not by it to be condemned And so it was no more to him a Promise or Covenant of Life the Condition being now become impossible and so no condition and the threatning becoming as a Sentence 10. This Law neither gave mentioned or owned any Surety Substitute or Mediator 11. But the blessed Lawgiver our Creator would not so lose his Creature but the eternal word presently interposing undertook mans Redemption and God gave man a new Law of Life or a Covenant of Grace promising him a Mediator in the fullness of time and giving him freely for his sake both pardon of his sin and right to Life on the Terms of Grace therein prescribed and commanding him future obedience especially in the reception of his Grace and use of the means of Grace appointed him 12. This Law of Grace was made to Adam the lapsed head of all mankind and so to all mankind in him And it was renewed to Noah in the same capacity so that all fallen mankind was put under this Law of Grace in that first Edition of it made to Adam and Noah And were neither left lawless nor utterly desperate as under the meer damning violated Law which now no more offered Life to any the condition being become of natural impossibility God is not to be supposed to say now to sinners If you be not Sinners you shall liâ—â— when it 's known that they are 13. Abraham being eminently righteous according to this Law of Grace and Believing a special promise of God and not withholding his only Son in his obedience to his command God made with him moreover a Covenant of peculiarity superadded to the common Law of Grace In which he chuseth out his Seed as a peculiar Holy Nation from whom the Meâ—â—iah should come in whom all the Nations of the Earth shouâ—d be blessed This promise was renewed to Isaac and Jacâ—b Gen. 26.4 5. Because that Abraham obeyed my Voice and kept my Charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws 14. This Covenant of Peculiarity with Abraham nulled not the common Law of Grace made to mankind nor was it ever nulled or abroâ—ate but perfected after Though men make themselves
a Moral Act or qualification required by the Law or Promise to which it annexeth and till it be performed suspendeth the event Natural or meerly contingent conditions that are not moral belong not to our enquiry As if it be a fair day to morrow If such a ship come safe home If I live so long c. Some define a condition here to be any Moral medium of obtaining a benefit ex pacto But 1. A Law hath its conditions and so hath a Donation or promise when there is no proper mutual pactum or Covenant 2. There are other Moral media ex pacto besides conditions as are all simple duties 3. But these definers cannot congruously deny the Gospel Covenant of grace to have conditions of our â—ustification and Salvation For none but an Infidel can congruously deny that Faith and Repentance are conditions of our Justification and Salvation if every Moral medium be a condition which is ex â—acto Is faith and is repentance no means And are they not required of us and do we not profess them at present and promise them for the future Sometimes the same thing is a moral cause and a Condition of the Event And sometimes it is a meer Condition and but sine quâ— non and no proper cause usually in Moral Conditions there is something in the Nature of the matter for the sake of which the Donor or Lawgiver maketh it necessary which is its aptitude as a means to some of his ends If Faith had no more fitness to be the condition of Justification than Vnbelief or hating God and if Godliness or Holiness had no more fitness to be the Condition of our Salvation than wickedness they would not have been deputed to this place Office and Honour Faith is no Condition of Gods making the promise He absoâ—utely made some Conditional promises and others only on conditions performed by Christ But it is the condition of our right to or possession of the thing promised or of the event Either the deniers of conditions deny all or but some If all then they deny that Christ performed any conditions If but some they deny either the name only or the thing also If the name only 1. Is it worth their Zeal and Contention 2. Are they not singular and singularity in the use of words tendeth to causless quarrels 3. Why do they not commend to us some better name for the same thing Grammar and common use hath taught us this Dr. Twisse hath found another oft and oft saying that Faith is a dispositive cause of Justification I dislike not his notion save that 1. It is too general there being more dispositive causes besides Conditions 2. That it is not Political enough as the Subject requireth or Civil 3. That it is in two words when one is better and 4. That the very terms Cause is liable to mistake For faith is no efficient cause of Justification principal nor instrumental We must not ascribe so much to it Nor is it a final cause nor the formal cause But it is as the Dr. speaketh Dispositio Subjecti recipientis Not a natural but Moral disposition Yet made such by Gods institution because the very nature of the act containeth a fitness to its receptive Office even as it is the believing acceptance of such a free and wonderful gift to such special ends and uses 2. But if it be not the Name only but the thing defined that is denied the Gospel is denied and that which is of necessity to Salvation is denied To deny faith to be necessary to Pardon Justification and Salvation as a moral means congruous in its nature and instituted of God is Infidelity or open prophaneness Nor can those be meet Preachers of the Gospel that deny it and oppose it Two ways Scripture sheweth that Justification and Salvation are given conditionally 1. By the plain Conditional Phrase and 2. By the conditional description in the mode of the promise To instance in a few Texts among a multitude Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Rom. 4.25 To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead Rom. 10.9 10. For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shall be saved For with the heart man believeth to righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name Joh. 3.19.18 16. Joh 6. throughout Mat. 6.14.15 If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you But if ye forgive not c. Luk. 13.3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Acts 10.35 In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Acts 8.37 If thou believest with all thy heart thou maist i. e. Be baptized for the remission of sins But I have recited so many Texts of this sort in my Confession and other books that I will here forbear unnecessary recitals Mat. 5. alone may suffice and all the Texts that say Faith his imputed for or to righteousness and that we are justified by it Furthermore 1. If the Baptismal Covenant have no condition then none is to be prerequired in the person to be baptized nor his promise of any demanded But the consequent is false Else the baptism instituted by Christ and ever practised in the Church is false And here you see what a Baptism these men would make If they practice it according to this principle and how they would overthrow our Christianity and baptize Infidels The major is evident because where no condition is required of God or imposed there none should be required or imposed by the Minister And if so in Baptism why not also in Absolution and the Lords Supper 2. If the Promise of Pardon and Justification be Absolute without any condition then either to All men or but to some If to All then all are justified If but to some to whom If you say to the Elect no man knoweth them while they are unbelievers and so neither the Person nor the Minister can apply that Promise to any singular man If you say To Believers you grant Faith to be a necessary moral antecedent And if so whence can you imagine it to be such but Aptitudinallyâ— in the Nature of the Act receiving Christ which some call it's Instrumentality and Actually by Gods Institution in the Tenor of his Word Now this is 1. In the Tenor or Mode of the Precept and that maketh it a Duty 2. In the Tenor or Mode of the Promise and that maketh it it's Condition In what other respect do they exclusively feign it necessary Obj. As an Antecedent Ans That speaketh but the Order But what Antecedent is it
either the Objectiors speak de nomine or de re If but of the Name One they shall call it One if that will please them and let them only distinguish the Parts of that One If they â—ill say that the Covenant made by the Father with the Mediator and the Law made for him are one and the same with the Covenant made by the Fatâ—â—â— and Son and Holy Spirit with us and that our Baptismal Covenant is no Covenant but only a part of the Covenant of which that with Christ aforesaid is another part I will not use their phrase but let me understand them that it is only the Name of One or Two that they contend about and we will fit our words accordingly I think on several accounts they are to be called Divers Covenants If they dislike it let us enquire whether the various Precepts of one Covenant make not various duties to Christ and to us and whether the various Promises of it have not various Conditions some to be performed by Christ and some by us Our present Question is Whether that part of the Covenant which promiseth and giveth Pardon of sin Justification Adoption and right to Glory have any Condition as the Modus of the gift We will rather follow them in unmeet terms than leave them thence a pretence to confound names and things and hide their errour by the confusion All Divines ancient and modern reformed and and unreformed that I know of agreed with us in the conditionality of the said Promise and by the form of Baptism shewed the Churches consent till Maccovius in Holland and Dr. Crispe and other Antinomians in England began to subvert the Gospel on pretence of magnifying the freeness of Grace and yet they durst never attempt to alter the Form of Baptism as this Opinion will require Contr. 4. By what hath been said the fourth Controversie is already resolved viz. Whether our performance of the Condition of Justification doth efficiently justifie us Some say because we say that Christ doth not justifie us till we perform the condition by believing that therefore we make our own Faith or performance to justifie proximately and Christ but remotely and so to do more than Christ to our Justification Ans 1. As to the phrase Scripture saith that we are justified by Faith that word not signifying an eâ—â—â—ciency but a receptive qualifying condition but it never saith that Faith doth jusâ—ifie us much less thâ—t we by it justifie our selves Our performance or Faith is no efficient cause but as to two parts of our Justification it hath a twofold Office 1. As to our Justification by the Merits of Christs Righteousness against this charge that damnation is due to us for sin our Faith is the Condition of our Pardon and Justification that is the moral qualification which God hath made necessary to make us capable receivers of it As laying down Arms and taking his Pardon thankfully may make a Rebel capable of Pardon but doth not pardon him if the pardoning Act say This shall be the Condition And by his Pardon he is justifiable against the charge of being liable to death 2. But as to the subordinate part of Justification against the falâ—e charge that we are no believers nor repent and so have no part in Christ here our own Faith is the very Matter of Righteousness by which we must be in tantum so farâ— justified As truth and innocency is against every false accusation And to say that because Christs Merits justifie us not before and without our Faith and performance of the Condition therefore our Act justifieth us more than Christ or efficiently at all is a thing unworthy of an answer being below the thoughts of an intelligent Disputer How much the capacity or incapacity of the Receiver doth as to all the various changes in the world both physical and moral when yet efficiently it doth nothing is not wholly unknown to any sober thinking man As the same sun-shine maketh a Weed stink and a Rose sweet so the same Act of Oblivion or conditional Justifying Law or Covenant doth justifie the capable and not the uncapable though no mans Faith doth effect any part of his own Justification Mr. Troughton and such others denying Faith to be the Condition of our Justification by the Promise hath drawn me to speak the largelier of this Contr. 5. Whether we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed to us and whether the Scripture say so Ans The Scripture oft saith that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and that is Faith in Christ And it saith that Righteousness is imputed or reckoned to us that is we are reckoned or reputed righteous Rom. 4.11 22.6 And that sin is not imputed that is not charged on us to punishment or damnation Rom. 5.13 4.8 Psal 32. v. 2. 2 Cor. 5.10 The words of Imputing Christs Righteousness to us I find not in Gods Word and therefore think them not necessary to the Churches peace or safety But as for the sense of those words no doubt but it may be good the Papists themselves own them in the same sense as many Protestant Divines profess to use them as I have proved Contr. 6. In what sense is Christs Righteousness imputed to us Answ It is accounted of God the valuable consideration satisfaction and merit attaining Gods ends for which we are when we consent to the Covenant of Grace forgiven and justified against the condemning Sentence of the Law of Innocency and reconciled and accepted of God to Grace and Glory Q. But did not Christ represent our persons in his Righteousness so that it is imputed to us as ours as if we our selves had been and done what he was and did as righteous Ans This being the very heart of all the Controversie should be decided only by Scripture and nothing added or diminished That Christ is the second Adam and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sponsor Surety or Interposer and a Mediator between God and Man that suffered for us the just for the unjust a price and a sacrifice is all found in scripture Wise and peaceable men here will be as fearful of humane Inventions and Additions as in Discipline or Ceremonies at least But because all are not such we must speak to men as they are There are several sorts of Sureties or Sponsors Few represent the very person at least not all If men will needs impose on us their own word of Representation for peace sake we accept it in a sound sense In a limited sense it is true that Christ represented us that is he suffered in our stead that we might not suffer He obeyed and was perfectly righteous as Mediator in our Natures and so far in our stead as that such perfect Righteousness should not in our selves be necessary to our Justification But he did not absolutely represent us he was not our Delegate Our persons did not in a Law-sense do in and by Christ what he
which must be done by our selves and though without him we can do nothing yet by him we must believe and be new Creatures and by him that strengtheneth us we can do something and must work out our Salvation while he worketh in us to will and to do The purchase then and Donation is by Christ but the voluntary acceptance is by us by the operation of his Grace which is not to make up any deficiency in Christs part or to be a supplement to his Righteousness nor to bear any part of the same office in our Justification but it 's that which subordinately is required of us as the Condition of Pardon and Life by his own Law or Covenant of Grace And so far it is imputed to us for Righteousness Contr. 14. Whether Grace be Grace or Free if it have any Condition Ans As free and great as God will have it but not such as the wicked man would have it who would be saved from pain but not from Sin or without any Condition required of him The Covenant is made conditional for the use that the commands are made to bring man to his Duty and to convey the Benefit in a sapiential congruous way but not as requiring a price for the Benefits He that pardoneth a Traytor on condition that he thankfully accept it and will not spit in the Princes face and rebel again doth pardon freely without a price And as our Duty and Act denieth not that it's Grace by which we do it so the necessity of Grace thereto denieth it not to be our Duty or our Act when we believe The Covenant giveth some Mercies absolutely but not all He that would be from under all Conditions of Gods Promises would be from under all Law and all threatnings For what kind of Law is that which hath no Conditions of Reward and Punishment Obj. But when the Condition it self is promised it is equal to absolute Ans 1. If that be true still it is conditional Why do you not say so then not that it hath no Conditions but that it is a conditional Promise equal to an absolute 2. But stay a little Is the condition promised to all that the conditional promise is made to even to all that hear the Gospel or that are baptized If you say that the conditional Promise is made to none but the Elect you deny the Gospel which is to be preached to all the World 3. Will you cast out Baptism by this Argument and so visible Christianity Or will you new mold it into an absolute Form Or will you say that it is no Covenant If you suppose not God the Father Son â— and Holy Ghost to be there given to us with pardon and right to Life upon condition of our believing acceptance and that we there profess that acceptance which is the Condition you suppose not that it is Baptism indeed And when your little notions shall lead you to deny Gods Law and Covenant Gospel Baptism and so Christianity as visible they are scarce fit notions to make you pass for Orthodox and to be turned against others as erroneous 4. But how is it that God promiseth the Condition it self and to whom I find Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit to you I will make known my Words unto you Is it if you do first turn Then there is some degree of turning necessary as a condition to the promised special gift of the Spirit Or is it that you may turn Then God promiseth his Spirit and Word to help even those to turn that yet turn not which must suppose some Condition of consent or non-resistance required which they could perform I find that it 's all mens duty to pray and I read Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find c. And so that to ask and seek saving Faith is a Duty to him that hath but common Faith And God commandeth no man to ask or seek in vain A meer command to use means implieth that they are not vain God then giveth as Dr. Twisse oft saith as out of Augustine the posse credere where yet the act of Faith doth not follow and it is not a meer Passive but an Active Power And where he giveth Grace which causeth the Act it self did God Promise it before hand to that man any more than to others He promiseth Christ to call all his Elect But this giveth no right to any individual Person before he is born or before he believeth Therefore not to the first Faith For God to tell men what he will do with his Elect is one thing and to enter into Covenant with a man and give a right thereby is another This Covenant hath it's Coâ—ditions Contr. 15. Here comes in also the Controversie whether Repentance be any Condition of Pardon or Justification And whether to affirm it be not to equal it with Faith Ans Read these Texts of Scripture and judge Ezek. 14.6 18.30 Luk. 13 3 5. Act. 2.38 8.22 17.30 31. 26.18 20. Mar. 1.4 Lu. 24.47 Act. 5.31 11.18 13.24 20.21 Luk. 15.7 c. 2. Faith in Christ as it is the remedying Grace ever â—supposeth Faith in God as God and Repentance towards God Act. 20.21 as it's end and is connoted when it is not exprest He that saith Take me and trust me as your Physician and I will cure you implieth 1. If you desire to be cured 2 If you will take my Medicines To believe in Christ is to trust that through his Mediation a penitent returning Sinner shall be pardoned and accepted of God and saved Holiness is the Souls health and Christ believed in is the remedy Repentance and Holiness are necessary as the end for themselves and Faith in the Mediator is necessary as the use of the Remedy The Office or Nature of these is not the same though both be Conditions Yet as Repentance is the change of the Mind so repenting of unbelief is Faith it self denominated with respect to the terminus à quo Unhappy wits set things as opposite which God hath connexed and made coordinate Contr. 16. Whether Faith justifie us as a meritorious Cause or as a dispositive Cause of receiving Justification or as a meer Condition or as an Instrumental Cause Ans If these Logical names had never been used plain Christians would have understood what is necessary without them 1. That the Promise maketh Faith a Condition making unbelief a stop to the benefit and Faith the removal of that stop is past all doubt And the Promise being the Donative Instrument and its Condition being its Mode the interest of a Condition is most certainly the formal Law-interest that Faith hath as to our Justification 2. And Dr. Tâ—â—ssâ—'s forementioned name of Causa dispositiva i e. recipiendi is undoubtedly also â—pt and signifieth both the Nature of the Act and the Offâ—ce 〈…〉 as a Condition For in both respects it is
the nâ—â—â—ssary qualification of the Patient or Reâ—â—iver i. e. naturally and legally necessary such as dispositio materiae is said to be in Physicks 3. And as for the notion of an Instrumental Cause of Justification it is past doubt that properly taken neither Faith nor any act of ours is any such nor doth justifie us efficiently at all But if any be so fond of the invented notion of an Instrument as that they will use it though unaptly they must say 1. That it is not an Efficient but a Recipient Instrument Dr. Kendall calls it like Boys catching the Ball in their Hats or as a Spoon is in eating But it is not an Instrument of Physical Reception but Moral To Trust is no more a Reception than to Love The active Acceptance of a Saviour given with his benefits is a Moral Receiving of him which disposeth us as the Condition of the Covenant to receive Justification that is to be justified And in this lax sense you may call it all these if you please viz. a Condition a Dispositive Cause and a Receiving Instrument 4. A Meritorious Cause it is not in a Commutative or strict sense But if you will call that meritorious which is pleasing to God as congruous to his free gift and design of grace whence some are called Worthy in the Gospel so the thing is not to be denied and so all are reconciled Contr. 17. Is justifying Faith an act of the understanding or will Ans Both and therefore it is no one Physical act only nor Instrumental in a strict Physical sense Contr. 18. What act of Faith is it that justifieth as to the Object whether only the belief of the truth of the Promise or of the whole Gospel also or the affiance on Christs Righteousness or on his Truth or on his Intercession or taking him wholly for our Saviour Prophet Priest and King And whether Faith in God the Father and the Holy Ghost do justifie or all these And if but one which is it and wheâ—her all the rest are the works which Paul excludeth from Justification Ans To say that only one Physical act of Faith is it that we are justified by and all the rest are those works is a perverse corrupting of Christianity and not to be heard without detestation For it will utterly confound all persons to find out which that one act is which they indeed can never do And it will contradict the substance of all the Gospel There is no such thing as Faith in Christ which containeth not or includeth not Faith in God as God both as he is our Creator and as reconciled by Christ and as the Giver of Christ to us John 3.16 and as the end of all the work of Redemption Nor is there any such thing as Faith in Christ which is true and saving that includeth not or connoteth not the Knowledge of Christ and Love and Desire and Thankfulness and Consent Nor did ever God tell us of a Faith in Christs Imputed Righteousness only that must justifie us which is not also a Faith in his Person Doctrine Law Promise and Example and his Intercession in the Heavens And to say that only the Act of Recumbency on Christs Righteousness as imputed to our Justification is that act of Faith by which we are justified and that Believing in God his Majesty Truth Wisdom Goodness and the believing in Christ as he is the Prophet Teacher King of the Church and the Resurrection Life and Judge of all and believing in the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier Comforter and Witness and Advocate of Christ and believing and trusting the Promise of God for Life Eternal or for any grace except Christs Righteousness imputed that all this Faith in God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and all our Love to Christ and desire after him and prayer for his grace and thankfulness for it c. are all none of the Faith which Justification is promised to but are the Works by which no man is justified and that he is faln from grace that seeketh to be justified by such works that is by true Faith in God as God and in Christ as Christ This is a new Gospel subverting Christs Gospel and making Christianity another thing and this without any countenance from the Scripture and contrary to its very scope The Faith by which we are justified is one Moral act containing many Physical acts even our fiducial Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and dedication of our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be our Reconciled God our Saviour and our Sanctifier to give us Pardon Adoption Holiness and Glory which is our Christianity it self as such Contr. 18. But though this be the Faith quae justificat which justifieth us is it not only Recumbency on Christs Imputed Righteousness quâ— talis which hath the Office of Instrumentality and is â—ides quâ— justificans Ans Such quibbling and jingling of a meer sound of words is usual in ludicrous Disputations of Lads But it 's pity it should pass as the last remedy against plain truth in so great a matter First it must be remembred that no Faith justifieth efficiently and therefore neither quae nor quâ justificans is to signifie any such thing but a meer Moral qualification of the recipient subject so that to be justified by Faith is but to be justified by it as that which God hath promised Justification on as the qualifying Condition But if it be not the same thing that is here called Fides quae and quâ but in the first part they speak of the Habit and in the second of the Act had it not been plainer to say The same Habit of Faith hath several Acts as believing in God in Christs Intercession Kingdom c. but none of these Acts do justifie us but one only viz. trusting to the Imputation of his Righteousness And so both the quae and quâ is â—denied to all Acts save that one This is their plain meaning which is denied to be truth and is a human dangerous invention Yet it 's granted them that it is not every Act of Faith that is made the Condition of Justification or Salvation It is necessary that the formal Object Gods Veracitâ— be believed to make it true Faith and that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace be believed with Consent as aforesaid to make it to be the true Christian Faith in essence and it 's of necessity that every thing be believed which we know that God revealeth But it is the Christian Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and that not any one single Act of it but all that is essential to it and that which belongeth but to its Integrity ad bene esse when it existeth is also so far conducible to our Justification as Abrahams believing that Isaac should live and have seed when he went to sacrifice him yet Justification may be without some Acts as Salvation may without many due Acts of Obedience
word It was strictest Justice as upon Christ It was perfect Justice as to the ends of Government But it was not strictest Justice as to us nor as strictest signifieth the strict fulfilling or executing of the threatning of the Law For it was not so executed but the sinner mercifully pardoned § 6. You note that Christ must take our guilt on him or else he could not take our punishment Ans 1. He took not the Reatum facti or the Reatum â—ulpae For 1. Our guilt was the accident of one Subject and that which Christ took of another Therefore the accidents were not the same 2. Else sin however taken in its reatus culpae would have made him culpable and formally a sinner and hateful to God and like to Satan Which he was not 2. He took upon him the Reatum poena seu obligationem ad â—oenam But not ours individually the same but one of his own instead of ours Christs guilt and ours were divers accidents of divers persons The obligations nor the Subjects were not the same Our obligation to punishment was an act of the Law which we broke So was not Christs That Law never bound him to punishment But his own voluntary undertaking and his Fathers imposition Our guilt was the occasion and reason of Christs assumed guilt As our punishment individually was not it that he suffered but his own punishment to prevent ours He suffered the just for the unjust to redeem us to God God tells us plainly that Christ suffered for our sins and was made sin that is a Curse or Sacrifice for sin for us that we might not suffer And cannot we receive this plain Gospel without spinning so many additional webs of our own Christs taking our guilt and puniâ—hment is no more but his voluntary suffering in our stead that we might be pardoned not by that suffering immediately but by his free donation in the Law of Grace in his time and on his terms § 7. You note that though we are justified by our own Faith Repentance and Obedience to the Gospel against the false charge of being unbelievers impenitent and ungodly Yet to be free from the curse of the Law and obtaining right to life it is Christs Righteousness that we must plead Ans Very true thus 1. It is only Christs Righteousness that we must plead as the Satisfying and meriting cause 2. It is only the free Donation of the New Covenant which we must plead as our Title or Fundamentum juris and conveying cause of right 3. It is our Faith and Repentance in various respects which we must plead as the conditio tituli praesâ—iâ—a which is the necessary moral receptive disposition of the Subject receiving These things are all very plain and sure § 8. You seem to doubt whether by the Law of Works Paul meant not the Law of Innocency And first you seem to mistake me as if I had said that he meant only the Ceremonial Law I say no such thing But the whole Law of Moses considered meerly as a law and by the Jews ill separated from Faith and Grace was an operous Yoak and of severe penalties to the transgressours and though it gave pardon for some faults it was not meerly for the task of sacrificing but for the great Sacrifice typified The Law as a Law doth only Command and threaten and promise life to them that do all things written but gave not grace to do it The Jews left out the true sence of the types and promise which intended the Messiah in whom it was that the promissory part of the Law was made and thought the very task of duty or works would procure their acceptance and pardon when they failed If you are not satisfied with this reason why Paul calleth it the Law of Works find out a better if you can But most certainly that is a great mistake that Moses and Paul describe the Law of Innocency It 's tedious to recite the proof 1. It 's enough that the Law of Innocency as a Covenant was before ceased cessante capacitate subditorum When all men had 2000 years been Originally and Actually sinners will you feign God with all that solemnity to make such a Law as this I know and you must know that no Son of Adam is Innocent And I make now a Law that if you â—re and will continue innocent you shall live Else you shall die This is too gross to be feigned of God 2. It is enough that when the Law was made they were all under actual mercy which was the grace of the new pardoned Covenant 3. Yea that the Covenant of Grace had so long before been made with all fallen mankind in Adam â—nd Noah and renewed to Abraham with speâ—ial promises And doth God now repeal or hide it 4. What need we more proof than so many Laws about Sacrificing and Confessing for forgiveness Which the Law of Innocency knew not And why else did God deliver the Law as a God of Redeeming mercy I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of Egypt proclaiming his name Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin 6. Peruse all the Contexts in Pauâ— and you will be satisfied See Camero de triplice faedere which Dr. Bolton of Liberty was so taken with and magnifieth and Anthony Burges of the Law proving Moses Law to belong to a Covenant of Grace But I have more fully opened all thiâ— in my Methodus Theologiae No doubt but Pauls dâ—sputes have great difficulty but this much is very plain § 9. Your next question is about the nature of Faith whether if it be placed in the will and include consent it be not confounded with Love whose object is goodness I have answered this oft and largely in divers Books and therefore must here be excused from saying any more than this viz. 1. You must distinguish between Faith Physically taken and Faith morally taken 2. Between its formal act and its material I. Physically some one natural act constituted by one Object is called Faith But morally taken it comprehendeth divers Physical Acts both of the Intellect and Will And as it is Justifying and Saving it is so taken Yea morally it is sometime in Scripture taken largelier for our Christian Faith as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Promise Grace and Glory are all the constituting Objects of it in their truth and goodness and sometime more narrowly as altogether distinct from Hope and Love It is taken in the first sense when it is said to be the condition of Justification and Salvation And here what you said of the necessity of conjoyning the many similitudes which express Christs Office to us when but one of them in a Text is named the same must be said of Faith in Christ A Moral act which hath many Physical acts must be named by some one the rest being connoted or implied for it would be uncomely to name
personality that is the question for so Christ himself had many Persons as one and the same man may have the Person of a Father of a Husband of a Master of a King c. But it is Physical or Substantial Personality which Mr. Crispe saith is more than natural we being one Spirit and Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh And if this be so I shall grant that we are as righteous as Christ and Christ now in Heaven and nâ—t on the Cross only is guilty of all our sins and was indeed as they call him the greatest blasphemer hater of God adulterer c. in the World But 1. If all the Elect be really many distinct Persons tâ—en either Christ must be also as many distâ—nct Persons or not be the same Person with them aâ—l or any of them But the Elect are many distinct Persons and shall be so for ever Peter was not Paul or John They do not the same Acts They be not guilty of the same numerical sins Every man shall answer for all that he hath done in the Body and not for all that all others of the Elect have done All the Elect shall not sit on the twelve Thrones as Apâ—stles All did not Preach the Gospel as Paul did nor Persecute as Paul did Overthrow distinct iâ—dividuation here or in Heaven and how dismal will be the consequence And here will not each man have right to anothers House Wife Food Goods if they are but one Person To be one in Spirit is no more to be one Person than seeing by the same Sun-light maketh all Lyes to be one Eye For the Spirit is not our personality And if you make Christ to be many Millions of Persons where is his Vnity in himself or with any 2. If Christ and the Elect be all one and the same Person then the Elect are really God himself For the Person of Christ is God These men are unfit to confute the Schools who have long maintained that the very human nature of Christ is not a part of his Person but an accident of it because he is but one Person which is the second in Trinity from Eternity and is God of which see Derodon de Supposito And if we are all one God then God suffers when we suffer and God judgeth himself when he judgeth us May not Men pray to such then and Worship them as Gods and Trust in them as Gods Is not this Idolatry worse than Image-Worship or than Anti-christianity 3. If Christ and the Elect be one and the same Person then Christ sinneth when ever they sin And Christ suffered for his own sin even that which he by them committed And then he pardoneth his own sin or who pardoneth him But all this is false 4. And it would follow that all the Elect are Mediators to themselves and dyed for their own sins and pardon their own sins and justify themselves and believe in themselves and save themselves 5. And are all Christ's threatnings against himself which are against us Doth Satan overcome him when ever he overcometh us Is his Law made for himself that is made for us Doth he command a Father to correct Christ when he commandeth him to correct his Children Doth the Magistrate hang Christ when he hangeth a Malefactor tho' Elect that sinneth by surprize 6. Where there are divers Bodies and divers Souls and divers Vnderstandings and divers Wills there are divers Persons But of all these in Christ and us there is a diversity I believe that the Vnion between Christ and the Glorified will be neerer than we can well now conceive But not such as will make us one and the same Person with Christ I have read in Phanatick Fryers such as Barbanson and Benedictus de Benedictis and in Gibienf the Oratorian of our Deification and being Goded with God and that it is the only perfection to know no being but God And I have read of such Heathen as Worshipped Demon-Gods that once were men And it is the top of the now prevalent Bruitism or Sadducism to believe that all Souls are but one God and as Candles that are individuate by the Oily Matter when extinct are all one in the common Air and that there is nothing but God and Matter But I hope few good Christians will so far lose the knowledge of themselves as to take themselves to be the same Person with him that is God Angels forbad John to Worship them tho' he took them not for God Do those Churches exercise Discipline upon such as are one Person with Christ Do they Excommunicate Christ for sin No wonder that Dr. Crispe chargeth David as speaking untruth for complaining of his sin and Gods displeasure tho' John says He is a Lyar that saith he hath no sin and all God's Saints have profess'd Repentance but I read not that Christ did ever Repent of sin I doubt some will think that I feign Mr. Crispe to say what he doth not his words are these First He accuseth me as saying To say our Union with Christ so makes us Flesh of his Flesh that we are the same PERSON with Christ this is so gross that I will not bestow time to confute it He answers Nor cannot as long as that Text is in our Bibles we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Ephes 5 God saith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit which is more than a Political Member or a Natural Member either I believe that it is more than Political but not such as maketh us one Person with Christ Andrew Osiander is condemned by Protestants for feigning that the Essence of God is our Righteousness Nestorius was condemned by General Councils as supposed to feign Christ to have two Persons What would these Councils have judged of them that feign him to have Million of Persons or Millions to be all one Person with him As to Mr. Crispes Epistle it calleth more for Pitty than Confutation He pretendeth out of his Notes to tell what I Preached at Pinners Hall Jan. 17. 1673. and Aug. 11. 1674. so long since And he begins with a gross untruth that I said A mans first believing is by external Arguments not by the Operation of the Spirit but his after believing is by the Spirit I do not believe that the man purposed to lye but trusted hâ—s false Ears and Notes The World knoweth how voluminously I have written to the contrary Never such an Opinion came into my head But contrarily I have copiously proved that even common Faith much more the first justifying Faith is the work of Gods Spirit My Catholick Theology proveth it all at large I doubt not but both first and second Faith is by Scripture Argument but never dream'd that it was not the Work of the Spirit Indeed I find few of his accusing Notes that be not falsificâ—tious by his defective or patcht Recital I am sorry that he hath wronged the Memory of such
They 〈◊〉 thâ—â— to hold that Câ—â—â—sâ— Righteousness and Meâ—iâ— iâ— to make our Fâ—iâ—â— and holy Obedienâ—e 〈…〉 is a Pâ—â—â—sh Dâ—ctrine against Fâ—â—â— Gracâ— Aâ— if Câ—risâ— had 〈◊〉 â—â—me to save his People from their sins and to make them holy and zealous of Lâ—ve and â—ood Works or God were grown so indifferent to his 〈◊〉 and to Christ within us and so forgetful of all his Promises of Reward that he would acâ—ept and reward our Fidelity and Obedience to Christ â—ever the more for all Câ—râ—st's meritorious Sacrifice Righteousness and Intercession which is the only Price that purchaseth our Acceptance and as if Judgment should make no difference between mens rewardableness but only judge Christ to have been a Saviour to the Elect. XCVII They devise a Plea for the justifying of all the wicked damnable Hypocrites in Judgment while they tell them that there will be no need of a Justification against the Charge of Hypocrisie and Unholiness but only against the Charge of being sinners and so they can say that all were sinners as well as they and that Christ was offered them as a Saviour that had made a sufficient Sacrifice for their forgiveness And they professed to believe in him as their Saviour And as to the soundness of their Faith there will be no need of Justification And if Christ say I was hungry and ye fed me not I was naked and ye cloathed me not c. They are taught to say The Righteousness of their own personal Holyness or Obedience is none of the Cause of the day to justifie them or to be tryed and justified XCVIII Some say that Christ Reconciled Man to God but did not Reconcile God to Man because God was at no enmity with the Elect but loved them from Eternity and to the Reprobate he is unreconciled It is true that Christ made no real change on God by his Reconciliation But by his Sacrifice and Merits and Intercession he made it a thing Just and Meet for God to forgive and save us notwithstanding all our Guilt all his Holiness Justice and Truth and so dissolving our obligations to punishment and removing the impediments of our Reconciliation he is by extrinsick denomination said to be Reconciled to us when he is no way bound to Damn us and this without any change in God But the Clouds being thus dispelled that were between God and us his Face as Reconciled shineth on us God was in Christ Reconciling the World to himself by making them capable of personal plenary Reconciliation by purchasing a Free Pardon to be offered to all tho' they have after need to be intreated to be personally and actually Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Gods Love of Benevolence goeth before his Love of Complacence tho' the change be really in the Object only XCIX Dr. Crispe and all that say that our own Obedience and Duties and personal Righteousness do us no good nor further our Salvation Christ doing all that and that it hindereth Salvation to do any thing for Salvation do plainly make Heavenly Blessedness and God himself as sought loved and enjoyed to be against our Salvation For all our Sanctity is but our Love of God and our Fruition of him And the perfection of this is our Heaven and Happiness and Holiness is here the beginning of it And if it be against the Grace of Christ to seek Heaven and the Fruition of God and to be receptive of it by Holyness and to seek God be the way to keep us from him as not going out of our selves to Christ How then is Christ the way to the Father How doth he bring us to God Why doth he Sanctify us and bid us seek and strive to enter Will Heaven be against Heaven and God against God to us If so then striving to be saved from Sin and Hell is the way to bring us to Sin and Hell which none would hold that knoweth how much of Hell Sin it self is and how much Holiness is of Heaven C. They falsly reproach the Orthodox that erre not with them as Enemies of Free Grace and as not going out of themselves and by odious Words as being for Justificatioâ— by Works When it is thâ—y themselves that overthrow all Justification and tâ—e Gospel as Justifying us and Justiâ—â—cation by Faith it self calling it Tò Creâ—â—re and a Work Ridiculously making Tò Credâ—re and Faith to signify diversly And tell us not when it is the Phrase and when it is the the Meaning that they oppose If it be the Phrase that they oppose they condemn Christ and the Scripture that say Men are Justified by their Words and Works If it be the Sence let them tell what that Sence is which they accuse and not consound the Controversies of the Name and of the Thing Those that they reproach Renounce all Works for Justification or Salvation that arrogate the least part of the Office Merits or Grace of Christ or that make the Reward not of Grace but of Debt Yea all that Honour not Christ and Grace more than if he had not required them and did not as dwelling in us by his Spirit cause them and make them acceptable to God But we will not renounce Christ living in us nor the use and worth of the Image of God CHAP. III. To moderate Mâ—â—s 〈◊〉 Câ—nsâ—riâ—g thâ— Eâ—râ—â—◠〈◊〉 Recâ—â—cil HAving enumerated a Centurâ— of their Errours I shall next tâ—ll â—ou how and why notwithstanding all these gross Corruptions you should mâ—â—erate and regulate your Censure of the Men and of other such Ortho. Yoâ—â—av◠〈◊〉 sufficieâ—tly wâ—at to think of them wheâ— you have told me what they hold I must nâ—ither judge of the Faith by the Man â—or forbear judging â—f the Man by â—is Faith Can any man judge 〈◊〉 hardly of men that overthrâ—w all Religion They sâ—â—m to me to be Atheists Infidels Anti-Christians Prophane and open Enemies of all that is Holy and Good â—ave only the Name of God aâ—d Christ and Frâ—e Grace and that Good which they oppâ—se This Charactâ—r of them I gather from yâ—ur â—wn Words I. They deny the only true God and feign or make us another God The true God is Holy and hateth sin But they feign a God who is the maker of sin yea that 〈◊〉 his own Son the greatest sinner in the World by mâ—king all the sins committed by all the Elect to be really his sins and so making him the worst of men II. Yea whereas Devils can but tempt men to sin they feign God to translate our sins themselves Essentially on Christ and so to make him a sinner that could not be tempted to it III. They make us another pretendeâ— Christ and so deny the true Christ and so are Anti-christs The true Christ had no sin but only became a Sâ—crifice for our sin which were laid upon him no further than to suffer for us But they feign a Christ that was a hater of God an Atheist a Servant of the Devil
Grace made with Adam and Noah the Covenant of Preculianity with Aâ—rahâ—m the Political Law of Mosâ—s to the Jews and the Law or Covenant of Christ of Grace of Faith by which Christ doth Govern and will Judge his visible Church Get unstudied dull heads but to understand these four distinctions and you cure them without a new regeneration And doth not this prove that they are Godly To instance no more but in the first an Antecedent Surety is either 1. A party in the Bond 2. Or an Instrument of the party Bound 1. If two persons be bound disjunâ—tively this or that to a Duty or a Penalty the bond is answered if either of them perform it If the Law to Adam had either said thou or Christ for thee shalt perfectly Obey shalt dress the Garden shalt take Eve for thy Wife or that thou or Christ shall suffer for not doing it then Christ's performance had antecedently freed us from Guilt and Punishment 2. Or if the Law had said or meant thou shalt Obey or Suffer by thy self or by thy substitute or pâ—r alium as a man may pay his debt by his Servant or appear by his Attourney then Christ's Righteousness or Suffering would have proved us guiltless But a subsequent Surety who after the guilt doth voluntarily as a Mediator undertake the discharge of the guilty is no strict or absolute Representative but as a Mediator purchaseth the Captive to receive his Grace on the terms and to the ends which by a Law or Covenant of Grace the Mediator shall appoint CHAP. IV. My Reasons against a tedious needlâ—ss Câ—nfutâ—tiâ—n Sect. 1. THE chief thing that I intended next to be done that is To Confute the Hundred Errors before named I am on further thoughts discouraged from performing 1. Because upon perusal I find that I have already done it so oft and largly in many Books unanswered that repetition is like to be disgracefully nauseous 2. And they that will neither answer nor read what I have written 34 years ago or 20 are not like to read what I shall write now In my Confession of Fâ—ith Printed 1655. I have so largely opened this Controversy about Justification Faith and Works in necessary distinctions and many score self-evident Propositions and many score Arguments and abundance of express Texts of Scripture and above an hundred Testimonies of Protestant Churches Confessions and eminent Divines that I find very little needful to be added And why should I think they will read more that will not read that In my Apologies I have Answered them that have opposed and have had no reply In my Treatise of Justification I have done it over again In my Catholick Theology I have thrice over-done the same by Explication and Confutation distinctly In my Treatise of Justifying Righteousness in a Disputation and an Answer to Dr. Tully and to Mr. Cartwright I have done the same perhaps too largly In my Methodus Theologiae I have opened the Case methodically and briefly In my Life of Faith I have clearly explained it And must I expect no Answer and yet do all again 2. But my great disswasive is that it will swell the Book to so great a magnitude that few will read it should I cite all or moâ—â— of the plain Texts of Scripture that confute them how great a part of the Bible must I Transcribe Yet do they lay Salvation on points that no one Text of Scripture mentioneth Sect. 2. 1. If I should cite all the Texts that prove that we are truly Sinners though Christ hath been a Sacrifice for our sin and that the guilt of Fact and Fault on us is not taken off by Christ's taking the penalty but we are verily sinners still How great a part of the Bible may I recite to prove it Sect. 3. 2. If I must prove that Christ is and was no sinner by true imputation of our sin as to the guilt of Fact or Fault but only as a Sacrifice bear the Penalty it would be a reproach to the Adversaries to need a Confutation of their Blasphemy and all the Gospel would confute them Sect. 4. 3. Should I cite all the Texts that prove us to need and have an Inherent and Acted Righteousness by Grace besides Christs Personal Righteousness Meriting for us above six hundred Texts of Scripture expresly prove it and how tedious and needless a work is this Sect. 5. 4. Should I prove that All Righteousness so far maketh Righteous and that making Righteous is a Justifying which goeth before Judging us Righteous and that it is a putid contradiction to say that any Righteousness doth not make Righteous in tantum School-boys would turn it into a derision of the opposers Sect. 6. 5. Should I prove by Argument that no Accident can by ye same numerically in divers Subjects nor traâ—siâ—â— a Subjecto in Suâ—jectum and so the Habit Act and Relation of Righteousness in Christ's Person cannot â—n it self be our Habit Act or Relation unless our Persons and Christ's be really the same every novice in Logick would be too much occasioned to insult over the ignorant gain-sayer Sect. 7. 6. Should I prove that to Justify Efficiently by making Righteous and to Justify Constitutively being our Righteousness and to Justify by Plea or by Witness or by Evidence and to Justify in Estimation or Account and to Justify by decisive Sentence of a Judge and to Justify Executively and to Justify privately in Conscience and to Justify publickly before Rulers or the World or more publickly at the Bar of God are several sences of the Word Justification and several sorts what man of sense would not pity the Confounder that denyeth it and talk as if the Word had but one sence Sect. 8. 7. Should I prove that by Imputing Paul meaneth truly accounting a man Just that is so reckoning that to him which he hath and not feigning him to have what he hath not even Dr. Crispe hath spared me that labour venturing to say that the contrary sence of Imputing maketh God a Lyar or deceived God never judged a man Righteous that was not first made so Sect. 9. 8. Should I prove that by Works Paul meaneth those that make not the Reward of Grace but of Debt and James meaneth those that are â—he effects of Free Grace and purely subordinate to Christ as commanded by him the express Texts do make it needless Sect. 10. 9. Should I prove that Christ is our King and Ruleth and Judgeth by his own Law and hath not made us Lawless and all Judgment on Rule is now committed to him and that the very Law of Nature is now his Law and also the Law of Sâ—pernatural Revelation called by Paul the Law oâ— Christ the Law of Faith and of Grâ—â—â— and by James the Law of Liberty the whole scope of the Gospel sâ—veth me that labour Sect. 11. 10. Should I prove that Christ in â—sse objectivo as the Object of Faith is the very specifying form of that Faith