Spirit the righteousness of the Law is and shall be fulfilled in me The brief Instruction to be gathered out of these Questions and Answers is this that the Law that is the Decalogue or ten Commandments is of good use to bring us to Christ but after that we be brought to him then his Grace and Spirit be sufficient to direct us so that we shall not much need the Law to be a Rule to us at leastwise not regard it more than any other piece of Scripture To this I answer We have hitherto in our Church been taught and have learned that the Decalogue is a Rule directing and a Law binding even justified and regenerate Christians though otherwise than it bindeth persons unregenerate Artic. 7th of the 39. Though the Law given by Moses as touching Ceremonies do not binde Christian men nor the civil precepts be of necessity to be received yet no Christian man what soever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral No man be he never so perfect a Christian So the Articles of K. Edw. 6. Assemblies larger Catechisme The Moral Law is a Declaration of the will of God to mankinde directing and binding every one as well persons regenerate as others to perfect and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto The Congregational Churches in the Declaration of their Faith chap. 19. 5 6. The moral Law doth for ever binde all as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and is a Rule of life to true beleevers as well as to others Thus have these taught agreeably to the Catechismes and Christian Institutions of other reformed Churches and writers For whether they have made the ends and uses of the Moral Law fewer or more this hath still been one to be Norma vivendi a Direction to order our life by We thought we had attained hitherto to walk by the same Rule and to be of one minde in this matter whatsoever our other differences be And why this Authour should by teaching otherwise draw away disciples after him let him see to it Open door Preface It 's injurious Many preachers in stead of Gospel-preaching become teachers of the Law and jumble Law and Gospel together so that they neither preach Law nor Gospel but a mingle mangle of both not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm talking of Duties to them who want Principles to perform them rightly by these words of his it should seem that as the Law must not be a Rule of Duties to persons unconverted so it must be no Rule at all to any person whatsoever But I prove that the ten Commandments even As given by Moses do oblige justified persons to the Duties therein enjoyned First by Scripture When Jesus Christ came he confirmed the Law Moral Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I came to destroy the Law I came to fulfill it Now that he meant the Law Moral and that As given by Moses appears by the following explication of the several Commandments vers. 21 and 27 and 33. Matth. 22 v. 38,39 He gave the sum of the first and second Table calling them the first and second the two great Commandments Moses gave the Law in ten Precepts and two Tables and as so given Christ confirmed it The Apostles also in their Epistles exhort Christians to the Duties of the Law As given by Moses as well for manner as matter Jam. 2. He that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill And the Apostle Paul Ephes. 6. calleth the fifth commandment The first commandment with promise the first to wit of the second Table Moses gave the Law in ten precepts and two Tables and as so given the Apostles do mention it and urge the Duties of it Secondly I prove by his own words the Law to be a Rule to them that are in Christ Qu. and Answ 197. he saith The first lawfull use of the Law is to shew us what is sin and to convince us that we do sin that is that the regenerate do sin as appears by his Text 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin c. How can the Law shew us that we do sin but by being a rule against which we sin Then next he alloweth the Moral Law to be profitable with all other Scriptures to instruct exhort rebuke c. indeed he doth not say to direct rule binde unless these be contained in his c. But if all other Scripture be a rule or Canon to us in belief and life why may not the Decalogue be so also or what reason can be given why the Decalogue written in the 20 Chapter of Exodus should be of use above other Scripture to discover sin and convince men Before Justification and yet after Justification should be of no more use then other Scriptures are to rule and direct us in our obedience for plainly he teacheth in his Answ to Qu. 197. What is the lawfull use of the Law That for justified persons to use the Law as a Rule of obedience More then other parts or places of Scripture is to use it unlawfully Qu. 197. he faith The Law sheweth what we may expect to be effected in us by the Grace of Christ and to that Qu. Oughtest thou not to walk in the observation of the ten Commandments the Answer is In acting forth faith and love we keep the Commandments because in walking after the Spirit the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. I answer First that place now named I beleeve he misunderstandeth for he taketh it to be meant of Sanctification whereas most probably it is meant of the righteousness of Justification as is evident by conferring the fourth verse with the first being both of the same import Secondly Whatsoever the teacher intends to sow the scholar may likely pick up here a seed of Enthusiasime for if walking in the Spirit and grace of Christ and Acting forth faith and love do bring a Supersedeas to the ten Commandments then why not to all the Scripture as well why may not the written word in general be thought needless to teach us our duties or minde us of Comfort Reproof or Instruction since this may be as well supplied in us as the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us by walking after the Spirit But the Spirit of God directs us by the word not discharging it but causing us to understand beleeve embrace and remember it Thirdly whereas he produceth that text in the margin Rom. 13. Love is the fulfilling of the Law to prove that if we act forth love we shall not much need to walk in the observation of the Decalogue I shall now endeavour to shew his mistake To fulfill is taken two ways First to perform perfectly To fulfill all righteousness Matth. 3. To fulfill the Ministery Coloss. 4. And thus the Ceremonial Law of Moses was fulfilled while the Priests Levites and people performed the rites and Ordinances which were enjoyned
Doctrine of that Universal Grace which the Patrons of it maintain to be presented to all men and met withall by all men have desired and called for at the Adversaries hands the Names of some of those persons that have at any time by this Grace been brought home to God and have further said that if any there were to be found they should have heard of them long ere now on both ears Mr Horn in this Question puts himself upon the service and accepts the challenge which had better be waved and holds up the cause in such a manner that he lets it quite fall to the ground for in the Answer he produceth onely a pair of Proselytes the which were Jews in Religion though not by birth or nation and therefore had as distinct knowledge of Christ as the true Church of God then had Thus by naming these two he hath caused withall good proof to be given in that none can be named When he saith by what means he affords them he speaketh as if it were already gained and granted that there is variety of means to the attainment of saving faith and as if Gods non-acception of persons were partly in this that he regards not how men come by Grace so they have it whether by work or word whether by Nature or Creature or Scripture Whereas Rahab and Cornelius had no means but the onely means And let him finde out whom he can perswade that the one of them did not learn the faith and fear of the true God from those whom Joshua sent to Jericho nor the other living in the Metropolis of Palestine from the nation Jews but rather from the view and contemplation of heaven and earth Qu. 177. What is herein discovered to be sin A. All erroneous and false conceptions of him as if he was like an old man or cruel or all mercy or takes no notice of men and their actions with all will-worship according to our own devices or mens traditions Cruel This is an arrow shot upward and must fall somewhere let them look to it who are most therein concerned He seeth little who seeth not which way this and the like rude and unsavoury girds do look This is but a taste for his new beginners who may afterward be laid in with a larger allowance to feed on from his own party or if need be from his own pen with Abaddon {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and such like poysonfull stuff as help to swell the Preface to his open door When Andradius another universalist had argued for his opinion that Faith indeed is necessary to righteousness and life but may be obtained by that knowledge which is in part written in mans heart naturally and in part acquired by the consideration of the Creatures otherwise Non posse Deum vel ab injustitia vel à crudelitate defendi Chemnitius took the boldness to say that these were Cerberei latratus pag. 108. de operibus Infidelium and yet Chemnitius was no Calvinist and yet Andradius his words were not direct and positive but through his confidence spoken out of supposition and putting case that his own opinion should be false and his Adversaries true But it seems some men choose to be deeply engaged and resolve to take no quarter being sworn to their beloved cause even after the manner of the old Soldurian's law they strengthen their partie with the uttermost breach and as they who landing sink their ships they intend not to listen to sound of retreat nor proffer of compromise Whereas were their opinion true and certain touching Gods decrees and dealings towards the sons of men Nevertheless as earthly Princes love not to hear their power or prerogatives disputed much less circumscribed it were neither true nor safe to say that God were unjust if he should do otherwise And I do observe here the Catechists partiality He hath included in a different character four several instances of such as have false conceptions touching God Almighty The first is some of the Papists who worship God in the picture of an old man The second his Adversaries whom he selected to deal withall in this Catechisme and against whom principally it was composed as intentionally for his chief aim so intensively for his greatest earnestness these he meaneth who conceive of God as cruel The third they who hold God to be all Mercy as the old Marcionites and many others now their near allyes The fourth the Epicureans who denie Providence these four Now of these four he represents the first so as they themselves do willingly own what he chargeth them withall Bellarmine saith that though it be not a matter of Faith but of Opinion yet for his part he holds it lawfull to picture God in forma hominis senis and the 7th of Daniel is commonly alledged where it is said that the Ancient of days did sit and the hair of his head was like the pure wooll that is white as wooll as white as snow Rev. 3 And yet perhaps and by the way the ground of the proof from thence may be found to fail For first Candidum and canum are not the same whiteness most likely meaning not hoariness or age but purity or sanctity Mundities not canities as well in hair as garment Secondly Antiquus and Senex are not the same Ancient doth signifie Gods Eternity before all times but an old man is looked upon as decaying and going out of the world Et quod senescit prope est interitum Hebr. 8 The heavenly Spirits whom God hath placed next himself in condition and state as well as in station are pourtrayed with younger faces commonly Even as that Angel that rolled away the stone from our Saviours sepulchre was in forma {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the form of a young man or youth quia Angeli nunquam canescunt aut consenescunt sed perpetuò florent vigent vegéntque as the most learned Vossius hath noted in his Harmony of the Gospel that is because the Angels do never wax old or wither but are still and always lively vigorous fresh and flourishing But whether the practice can be made good or no it is not denied nor disowned No more is that which is charged upon the third sort who make God all goodness and mercy they think they need not be ashamed of this so pleasing it is and plausible And our Authour himself gives them no great discouragement pag. 268 of his work abovenamed where the question being concerning Gods desire of mans salvation how great it is and of his helpfulness thereto he makes a kinde of wonder at it that any man should think that we can speak too well of God Our selves in the mean time being judges what is well and what is ill thought or said and understanding goodness not absolute but related which is no other but beneficence or bounty The fourth sort are likewise forward to maintain the opinion that is laid
how much soever it be cried up that must assure our interest in Christ without good actions or good affections And whereas also he excludeth Revelation we oppose like wise the Apostles testimony Rom. 8. 16. the Spirit beareth witness that we are the children of God and 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God I know no other Revelation the pretended orthodox do pretend to and he sets himself against none else and his words are general not any other pretended revelation I think that under those words in the Qu. or the like may be meant also changes and alterations in mens hearts and lives from bad to good In a funeral sermon of his pag. 18 19. he plyeth this matter much disheartening those that think they beleeve and are of Gods Elect because they finde themselves changed and reformed he telleth them they ground their faith of Christs Mediation upon their works Answ Those who are taught that good works are the product and fruit of faith cannot ground their faith upon their works Neither can good Christians value such talk as this while they remember what S. James saith Shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works He that is suspected to be dead may by a stander by be certainly known to be alive if he perceive him to draw his breath and if another of of the by-standers shall argue that it is a great weakness to ground any mans life upon his breath and that it can be no true life that is so grounded he would by others be thought in this not to be reasonable but ridiculous Mans Conversion is a work of that nature that it is not always easie to be discerned neither ought men to be too scrupulous or curious in finding the time means and manner of it But where these are obscure or uncertain and when doubts and difficulties arise touching these the help hath always been from consideration of the change that is wrought in us If a man may assuredly know that he hath attained his journeys end and arrived at the desired haven he ought not too much to trouble himself about the way how he came there Let not therefore Christians be beguiled of this supply and relief but pass by if need be the circumstances of time and place and way and insist upon the substance which is the alteration that is made which they may do as well and upon as certain ground as to this work upon the soul as the blinde man did concerning the work that our Saviour wrought upon his body saying Joh. 9. One thing I know that whereas I was blinde now I see So may a true convert say I was sometimes darkness but now am I light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. And the prodigal son had as much cause of comfort and joy as the father had upon the new return and change appearing that He who was dead is alive and he that was lost is found And whereas he told his Auditory then pag. 19. that it is Pharisaical to conceit that God loveth us because of reformations and frames begotten in us by his grace and a certain secret insensible working of power in the heart it may be answered If the work of the Spirit be secret and insensible what better way can there be to take notice of it than by the change and alteration that is made in us He that would know whether the Sun moveth or not must not look upon the Sun nor can he see the shadow move upon the Dial but if he comes an hour or two hence he may easily discern that the Sun and the shadow are removed and that therefore they did move before But the truth is our Authour holds no such internal work or power needfull to conversion for of the six helps to Quakerisme afforded by such as are counted orthodox this is by him counted the second Their speaking of faith as wrought by some immediate power as besides the word preached but so much for this I think by the like in the Question last rehearsed he may mean also Consolations and sense of heavenly joy for in a discourse of his called A Caveat to true Christians pag. 84 85. he much mislikes that men should gather comfort or assurance from sensible feeling and visits and saith that such are thence called sensual as not living by Faith but upon matters of sense thus he there But where are they called sensual who ever called them so A little before pag. 82. upon those words of the Apostle Peter They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures he noteth thus He means not unlearned in Aits and languages But I suppose there be few among us though so far illiterate as they be not able to read his book but even by custome of our English language have learned the difference betwixt Sensual and Sensible The word sensual is twice found Jam. 3. and Jude vers. 19. in both places it stands opposed to spiritual and signifies as much as Carnal such as intend onely and are led by their part sensitive or carnal appetite or nature common to us with the bruits sensual having not the Spirit and in our common speech a sensual man is one that is given to brutish pleasures Now shall such a Christian as is visited with the consolations of God and is made sensible of heavenly light and joy that can in some sort take up the Prophets words in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soul be called Sensual It is true that the sense of divine comfort and the light of Gods countenance may denominate persons sensible namely thereof yet not absolutely sensible for such we call them that are apt to perceive and understand readily what is done or said But to say they are absolutely Sensual is so gross a mistake that I cannot but wonder it should fall from him who is skilfull in Arts and languages how soever undervaluing them in others Not living by Faith saith he but upon matters of sense Faith and Sense may be opposed and are sometimes very distant and contrary but not as sense is taken here For they who have as holy Scripture speaketh joy in beleeving or that as the Apostle Peter saith beleeving rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious do live by faith and upon sense too that is upon sensible consolations or perception of divine favour as a man may comfort and chear himself in a winters night by the heat of the fire and the light of it too But what is the reason why we may not beleeve that Christ hath dealt graciously with us in that he hath bestowed upon us the gifts of Faith and Obedience or that we may not conclude spiritual life from spiritual affections and desires It is this because a mans heart is deceitfull The Scripture saith indeed Mans heart
is deceitfull but it saith not that every mans heart is at all times and in every thing actually deceived Some men have a custome lacerare Scriptur as to rend the Scripture as it were to tear a text out of the Bible which they think is for their turn though against reason against the Analogie of Faith and quite contrary to other places which should by collation help to interpret One Scripture saith Mans heart is deceitfull above all things Another saith that our heart doth gives right and true verdict concerning our estates If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things If our heart condemn us not it is so good a signe that we may have confidence towards God A faithfull Christian may rightly judge of his own condition though an hypocrite be mistaken in judging of his whose heart yet as it is heavy in the midst of his mirth and laughter may likely enough condemn him in the midst of his confidence and self-deceit I answer secondly and affirm that this rule here given or this saying of Scripture without right interpretation or due restriction That Mans heart is deceitfull and no sure foundation of beleeving a thing being applyed to other matters in like sort and why not to others as well as to this is a sure foundation or principle of Scepticisme or beleeving nothing at all which is not many removes distant from Atheisme With the heart man beleeves and if the heart be deceitfull in every thing how can he beleeve any thing And thirdly he doth not well to make opposition betwixt a beleeving mans heart and Gods word He who collecteth that God loveth him because he hath bestowed his sanctifying graces upon him doth not make his own heart but Gods word to be the foundation of his belief Nor doth he as the Text pointeth Prov. 28. Trust in his own heart but maketh use of his own heart or reason in applying the word of God to his own case and his own benefit according to the will of God Now followeth the second reason 2. Nor is such a Faith under the Gospel-Declaration a distinguishing Character of Gods Election as springs not up from the love of God and bloud of Christ shed for us as in the word of God declared to us and by the authority thereof apprehended by us as this faith that goes before and is our ground of such an apprehension This is his second reason preferring the faith of the Universalist before the faith of the pretended Orthodox The one is no character of Gods Election the other is The meaning is this as if he had said He who beleeveth that God loveth all alike and Christ died alike for all men as to the intention of benefit by his Death hath a right faith even before any grace of Sanctification wrought But he who beleeveth that the benefit of Christs Death who died for all is more intended to some than others hath no true faith nor signe of Gods Election though his faith be accompanyed with obedience good desires and changes and a pretended testimony of the Spirit An Assertion I know not whether he more boldly or more blindly uttered I shall touch now onely upon these two particulars 1. How uncharitable he is to his adversaries or the dissenting partie 2. How uncomfortable to his own partie 1. He hath no charity for that party that is not of his own way I take charity now for that effect or fruit of charity which is shewed in beleeving all things and hoping all things that is the best things that may be beleeved and that may be hoped touching others He assirmeth the faith of the Universalist to be the onely distinguishing character of Gods Election the faith of all others be they never so vertuous pious sanctified mortified to be a false and feigned faith it seems they set their soot in the wrong way at first they began amiss and now how far soever they go and how fast soever they go they still wander and go astray in a by-path What good can be expected from an ill beginning what firm building from a sandy foundation if the root be rottenness the fruit can be nothing but dust and smoke But I answer That every one may be saved in his own Religion is an Opinion Anathematized in our Church-Articles Nevertheless Christians are not wont I am sure they ought not to be peremptory in condemning one another upon matters of no greater importance But of all men an Universalist how ill doth it become to be a Monopolist How ill accordeth that charity to it self if at least that be not a false charity that overthroweth the true faith which is in so high a flow to Heathens and in so low an ebb to fellow-Christians But it must not be any great matter with us to be judged by man That person who with a true belief can say The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me and with an humble and thankfull minde can say God hath put his fear in my heart if not researching but adoring Gods secret judgements he shall forbear to think that there was as much good intended to every one as to him hath far more reason to suspect this Catechist for a seducer than himself for an hypocrite or unsound beleever For supposing it were true as we are verily perswaded it is not that God had such a love and such a gracious intention towards all persons in the world as this Authour teacheth yet is not the belief of it so necessary an ingredient to justifying faith that it should be no true justifying faith without it For as the faith of Peter and many others of the Jews was a true and saving faith even then when they were ignorant of the extent of Gods Love and Grace in the Gospel towards the Gentiles Act. 10. and 11. So we doubt not but the faith of a Christian beleever may be and is a sound faith and character of Gods Election although he be to seek in this New discovery very of Gods good will and grace extended towards all men in an equal dispensation 2. As he is uncharitable to all others so is he uncomfortable to such who do think it best to leave the beaten path of Gods Church and follow him For he doth deprive and spoil them of that assurance and testimony of Gods love which they had from sanctifying gifts and inherent graces having been heretofore rightly taught that though they might not put confidence in their works and good desires yet they might raise and gather confidence and comfort from their works and good desires testifying that their faith is true And that Apostle who said That his rejoycing was the testimony of a good conscience and good conversation adviseth every man to rejoyce in himself Gal. 6. 4. And whosoever goeth any other way to work to get a comfortable assurance than by these marks of holiness and fruits of faith will never