and worship him but to plead so obstinately as ye do that the Fourth Commandment bindeth to a particular observation of that day and yet to be found so slack in the observation of it as you generally are in such an Inconstancy as the Quakers cannot own And so whereas thou would'st confine the Lord his giving rest and comfort to the Souls of his People and the falling of the Manna to the First Days calling them Spiritual Market-days as if there were no other we cannot own it knowing that the Lord giveth rest and comfort every day and causeth the Manna plentifully to fall every day to those that walk in his fear and wait upon him and he has no such circumscribed Market-day as thou dreamest of The Priest's Market-day But that ye I mean the Priests make a Market-day of that day so that ye may call it Your Day as thou say'st Page 44. our day we know wherein you sell and vend your Babylonish Commodities and will be forcing and compelling all to come and buy of them or if not to send you Money whether they receive ought or not or else ye will endeavour by the help of the Magistrate to have them punished So that it is made manifest that it is only the Inventions of Men that we disown and not any of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Page 46. Thou grantest the word Original Sin is not found in Scripture and yet thou pleadâ—st for it because say'st thou the thing intended by it is contained and expressed in Scripture Answ. We deny that the thing by you intended is exprest in Scripture to wit That all Infants are sinners before God only for Adam 's sin and that there are Reprobate Infants who are sent to Hell only for Adam 's first sin This we deny nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove it Psal. 51. Behold I was conceived in sin But first if this place should prove the Infant guilty of any sin Infants not guilty of Adam's sin it should be of the sin of its own immediate Parents In iniquity did my Mother bring me forth Now you say the Infant is not guilty of the sin of its own immediate Parents but only of Adam's and Eve's first sin of which this Scripture speaks nothing 2. It doth not say I was conceived and brought forth a Sinner as you would have it why make you Infants guilty of Adam's sin and not the sins of their immediate Parents Now it is granted that there is a seed of sin derived unto Adam's Posterity The Seed of Sin but we say none become guilty of sin before God until they close with this evil seed and in them who close with it it becomes an Origine or Fountain of evil Thoughts Desires Words and Actions which are their sins who close with it But that the guilt of Adam's first sin lyes at the door of Infants who never actually sinned we deny For a Second Proof thou citest Rom. 5.12 alledging It should be rendred that in Adam all sinned But it is no such matter For the words however they be truly Translated can never be so rendred In Adam all sinned The strictest Translation of the words is thus upon which all have sinned or in which all have sinned They hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an entrance to Sin in the World and Death by Sin and so upon this accasion all others have sinned to wit actually in their own Person so that all who ever sinned actually it was upon the occasion of Adam's Sin For the Apostle is here speaking not of Infants who are not capable of any Law but of such as have a Law and act against it Yea from the Apostle's words in the other following Verse it is plain that Sin is not imputed to Infants For saith he Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Now there is no Law given to Infants as such for they are not capable of it What the Law saith it saith to them No Law no Transgression who have in more or less some exercise of understanding which Infants new born have not Or if the words be translated in which all have sinned that word WHICH hath a nearer Relative than ADAM to wit Death for the seed of sin is justly called Death because where it is joined unto and obeyed it killeth and so in this seed all have sinned who ever did actually sin And as for the 18 th Verse of Rom. 5. which is commonly used to prove Infants guilty and under Condemnation it is not rightly translated for the word Judgment or Condemnation or Guilt is not at all in the Greek but those who have drunk-in this imagination have added this word to the Scripture so bending and bowing the Scripture to their false Opinion And whereas thou say'st We were all in the Loins of Adam and therefore wouldest infer That Infants are sinners in him or guilty of his sin I say It follows not more than to say We are guilty of all the sins of our Fore-fathers because we have been in their Loins Again thou labourest to prove that Infants are sinners because they are subject to pains and diseases and death But this proveth them not to be Sinners as it proveth not that the Earth is a Sinner or that the Herbs and Trees of the Field are sinners for even these things have suffered by Adam's fall a great decay And as for the outward Death of those that are saved from Eternal Death it is rather a Sleep The outward and eternal Death than a Death as Christ said concerning Lazarus he sleepeth And concerning the Maid she is not dead but sleepeth And therefore that Scripture Rom. 6.23 cannot be applied to them who dye not or perish not eternally for though the Saints lay down the outward man is not as the punishment or reward of their Sins which are forgiven and from which they are delivered And so the sting of Death being taken away in those who are saved it is not that Death which is the Wages of Sin And seeing the Apostle said unto the Saints that all things were theirs even Death it cannot be that their Death should be reckoned the Wages of their Sin How many of the blessed Martyrs have looked upon their Suffering a most violent Death for Truth and Righteousness as a Gift of God How then could it be said to be the Wages of their Sins which implys as if their Sins were not all freely forgiven Page 48. From this Doctrine thou say'st it will follow First That all Infants that dye in their Infancy are saved and though Charity may be pleaded for this Opinion thou say'st yet what Scripture can be alledged for it Infants dying how saved Answ. If I should bring that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven It will much more naturally flow from the words than that they ought to be sprinkled which is the meaning
Act of Sin and never actually sin in their own Persons do for this sin of Adam Eternally perish Now whether this Doctrine be sutable either to the Justice or Mercy of God I leave the Christian Reader to judge I shall examine the Reasons he brings for it His chief Argument for this in his Dialogue page 47. was That because Children die citing Rom. 23. The wages of sin is death Now I shew him pag. 41. of mine how that made nothing because natural Death of the Saints is not the Wages of Sin for their Sins are forgiven them c. this he hath not so much as mentioned far less answered And whereas he might as well argue that the Earth The Saints natural Death is not the Wages of Sin Trees and Herbs were Sinners because they received great decay by Adam's Sin He slightly passes it over alledging It will not therefore follow that all Mankind who suffer Death are not Sinners Now this is no answer but a meer shift and the thing I intended against his Assertion doth very naturally follow from my Argument thus If as W. M. says Infants be guilty of Adam's Sin because they are subject to Diseases and Death then the Beasts who are subject to the like and the Earth Herbs and Trees who have received their decay are Sinners before God But this is absurd therefore the other Let him answer this the next time more effectually The first proof he brings here is 1 Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh adding This intimates man by his natural Birth to be Corrupt and Fleshly But for this his gloss he bringeth no proof Though That which is born of the flesh be flesh he sheweth us not how it followeth thence that Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin After the like manner he concludes this his Doctrine from Job 14.4 Psal. 5.5 Whether Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin But as the words in these places do not plainly express any such thing so he brings no Reasons to make his Consequences deduceable from them After the like proofless manner he alledgeth Rom. 5.14 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Now though the matter in question be Whether these many were made Sinners before they actually sinned in their own Persons He doth not so much as offer to prove it In the like manner though David said his Mother conceived him in sin he sheweth us not how it followeth from thence that David was guilty of Sin before he actually sinned And here I observe how he asserts That men are guilty of the Sin of their immoderate Parents contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezek. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father To prove Infants thus guilty he further addeth Rom. 5.12 alledging these words For that all have sinned includes Infants But I shew him this includes not Infants because the Apostle clears it in the next verse saying Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and that there being no Law to Infants they cannot be guilty of sin To this he Replies There was a Law to Adam and that he represented mankind and stood as a publick Person Therefore Children had a Law in him But for this signification of his own he produceth no proof and it cannot be received as being direct contrary to the Scripture above-mentioned The Son shall not bear the Father 's Iniquity He alledgeth That those the Apostle speaks of who sinned not after the similitude of Adam 's Transgression are Infants But after his usual manner bringeth not the least proof for it The 1 Cor. 15.22 cited by him is so far from making anything for his purpose that it maketh directly against him which any that have the least grain of true understanding may perceive The words are As in Adam all died even so in Christ all are made alive for here All are said to die in Adam None die in Adam until they actually join with his Vnrighteousness even as All are said to be made alive in Christ now as none are made alive in Christ until they actually receive and join with his Righteousness so none die in Adam until they actually receive and join with his unrighteousness c. He maketh a deal a do page 110 111. about the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein though it were easie to refute him were it not needless to fill up Paper with Grammatical Criticisms For giving but not granting the words might be Translated In Adam all have sinned it will not from thence follow that Infants are guilty before they actually sin seeing All are said to die or have sinned in Adam even as All are said to be made alive in Christ and yet none are said to be so until they actually receive his Righteousness as is above demonstrated Page 113. He alledgeth Though it be said that the Kingdom of God is of little Children yet some Infants are not saved because they are not of the Kingdom of Grace But for this he bringeth no proof at all And I here take notice That he acknowledges that God Sanctifies and Regenerates some Infants W.M. contradicting himself and thereby he notably contradicts his second Section concerning the Light and page 29. of his Dialogue where he condemns it as a dangerous Error in us to say Any can be saved without the outward Knowledge of Christ of which Infants are not capable To prove That some Infants perish even Eternally he alledgeth The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah citing Jude 7. But his wresting this Scripture is very manifest For the reason Jude gives of their suffering Vengeance was because they gave themselves up to Fornication and went after strange flesh Now of this Infants were not capable of whom therefore Jude speaks not one word He terms Impudent or else Ignorant for bringing Matth. 1.22 against them alledging It is an unjust charge to say they plead for a Salvation in their sins And yet he has the Impudence immediately to aver it himself saying They are but in part delivered or saved in this Life do they not then dream of Salvation while in part they remain in their Sins Compare Matth. 1.21 with 1 Joh. 1.7 Christ is said to cleanse us from All Iniquity not a part of it It is bad Inference drawn from my Assertion that Children are not guilty of sin to say that therefore they need not a Saviour I told him in my last Christ was truly a Saviour unto them in that he kept them from sinning as one How Christ is a Saviour to Children that 's kept from falling in a Ditch is as truly saved as he that 's taken out of one It is altogether Inconsequential to infer from this That Christ died to save the holy Angels from sin because they are not suffered to fall into it For Christ is said only to have died for Adam's Posterity of which number Infants are but not Angels It is likewise
called with respect to their Animal property and not their Rational or that that Wisdom that is Foolishness with God is not meant of the Rational but only the Animal Property any Rational Man laying aside Interest may easily Judge § IV. I come now to the other part to wit That this Evil and Corrupt Seed is not imputed to Infants until they actually join with it Infants no Sin imputed to them For this there is a Reason given in the End of the Proposition it self drawn from Eph. 2. for these are by nature Children of Wrath who walk according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Here the Apostle gives Their evil walking and not any thing that is not reduced to Act as a Reason of their being Children of Wrath. And this is sutable to the whole strain of the Gospel where no man is ever threatned or judged for what Iniquity he hath not Actually wrought Such indeed as continue in Iniquity and so do homologate the sins of their Fathers God will visit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children Is it not strange then that men should entertain an Opinion so Absurd in it self and so cruel and contrary to the Nature as well of God's Mercy as Justice concerning the which the Scripture is altogether silent But it is manifest that man hath Invented this Opinion out of Self-love The Absolute Decree of Election springs from Self-love and from that bitter Root from which all Errors spring for the most part of Protestants that hold this having as they fancy the Absolute Decree of Election to secure them and their Children so as they cannot miss of Salvation they make no great difficulty to send all others both old and young to Hell For whereas Self-love which always is apt to believe that which it desires possesseth them with a Hope that their part is secure they are not solicitous how they leave their Neighbours which are the far greater part of mankind in these Inextricable Difficulties The Papists again use this Opinion as an Art to Augment the Esteem of their Church and Reverence of its Sacraments seeing they pretend it is Washed away by Baptism only in this they appear to be a little more Merciful in that they send not these Vnbaptized Infants to Hell but to a certain Limbus concerning which the Scriptures are as silent as of the other This then is not only not Authorized in the Scriptures but Contrary to the express Tenor of it The Apostle saith plainly Rom. 4.15 Where no Law is there is no Transgression And again 5.13 But sin is not imputed where there is no Law To Infants there is no Law so no Transgression Than which Testimonies there is nothing more positive since to Infants there is no Law seeing as such they are utterly Vncapable of it the Law cannot reach but such as have in some measure less or more the Exercise of their Vnderstanding which Infants have not So that from thence I thus argue Sin is Imputed to none where there is no Law But To Infants there is no Law Therefore Sin is not Imputed to them The Proposition is the Apostle's own words the Assumption is thus proved Those who are under a Physical Impossibility of either hearing knowing or understanding any Law where the Impossibility is not brought upon them by any Act of their own but is according to the very Order of Nature appointed by God to such there is no Law But Infants are under this Physical Impossibility Therefore c. Secondly What can be more positive than that of Ezech. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity For the Prophet here first sheweth what is the Cause of man's Eternal Death which he saith is in his Sinning and then as if he purposed Expresly to shut out such an Opinion he assures us The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity From which I thus argue Infants bear not Adam's Transgression If the Son bear not the Iniquity of his Father or of his Immediate Parents far less shall he bear the Iniquity of Adam But the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father Therefore c. § V. Having thus far shewn how Absurd this Opinion is I shall briefly Examine the Reasons its Authors bring for it Object 1 First They say Adam was a publick person and therefore all men sinned in him as being in his Loins And for this they Alledge that of Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned c. These last words say they may be translated in whom all have sinned Answ. To this I answer That Adam is a publick person is not denied and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all men which in its own Nature is sinful and Inclines men to Iniquity yet will it not follow from thence that Infants who Join not with this Seed are guilty As for these words in the Romans the Reason of the Guilt there alledged is For that all have sinned Now no man is said to Sin unless he actually Sin in his own person for the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the nearest Antecedent so that they hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an Entrance to sin in the World And so death entred by sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. upon which viz. Occasion or in which viz. Death all others have sinned that is actually in their own persons to wit all that were Capable of sinning of which number that Infants could not be the Apostle clearly shews by the following Verse Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and since as is above proved there is no Law to Infants they cannot be here Included Object 2 Their Second Objection is from Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Hence they say it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty How they infer this Consequence for my part I see not The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more Ascribable to the Parents Answ. than to the Child It is said indeed In sin did my Mother Conceive me not My Mother did Conceive me a sinner Conceived in Sin Answer'd Besides that so Interpreted Contradicts expresly the Scripture before-mentioned in making Children guilty of the Sins of their Immediate Parents for of Adam there is not here any mention Contrary to the plain words The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity Object 3 Thirdly They Object That the Wages of Sin is death and that seeing Children are subject to diseases and death therefore they must be guilty of sin Answ. I answer That these things are a Consequence of the Fall and of
I think of those of Sodom Jude v. 7. the words are these Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange Flesh are set forth for an Example Sodom's Children c. not guilty of their Fathers Transgressions nor of Adam's suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire But it is strange the Man should be so desperately Audacious as to proclaim his own Sottishness to the World Is there a word here of Infants Is not the very Reason of suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire given because of their giving themselves over to Fornication which Reason could not touch Infants Pag. 129. he thinks I wrong Zuinglius upon the Credit of the Council of Trent but if the Council of Trent wronged Zuinglius in Condemning him for that he was not guilty of he and his Brethren have the honour to have their Judgment Approved by that Council while ours is Condemned and let him Remember how he useth to upbraid me with Affinity with Papists yea in this very Chapter upon less ground Pag. 130. he goes about to prove his matter from several Scriptures but how shallowly the Reader may easily observe 1. He citeth Gen. 6.5 Mans thoughts are evil continually What then Are Infants therefore guilty of Adam's Sin that 's the thing in Question But the Hebrew signifies a pueritiis from their Infancy What then how proves that the Case I do not deny but Children may become guilty of Sin very early but the question is Whether they be guilty of Adam's Sin even in their Mothers Womb And hereby we may see he thinks not their Version so Exact but J. B. must take upon him to Correct it to help himself at a Dead Lift as they say The same way is answered the other Scriptures that follow Ezek. 16.4 Matth. 15.19 Eph. 2.3 which are yet more Impertinent as the Reader by looking to them may see and I might easily by Examining them particularly shew Infants perishing in the Flood proves not them guilty if it were not that I study Brevity and delight not to glory over the Man's Impertinency And though Infants perished in the Flood and that was brought upon the Men and Women that sinned for their Iniquities yet it will not follow thence that Infants are guilty of Sins until he better prove that Natural Death is always and to all the Wages of Sin albeit I confess with the Apostle Eternal Death is And indeed if these Infants were punished at all it must have been for the Sins of their Immediate Parents which he will not affirm since the Flood is not said to have come for Adam's Sin but for their own so this Instance clearly overturns his Assertion I leave to the Reader 's Judgment the Scriptures not mentioned at length but set down by him in this to judge whether they prove the thing in Debate to wit That Infants are guilty of Adam's Sin The Citations out of Augustin and Origen brought by him in the next page 131. the Reader may also judge of in case they be truly cited which I cannot Examin at present whether they have Weight enough to Overturn what has been here proved from Scripture The words of Eliphaz Job 15.14 speak of a Man not of a Child and therefore not to the purpose neither do I believe though the Spirit of God gave a Relation of what Eliphaz said that we ought to build our Faith upon his Affirmations Next he urges Gen. c. 5. v. 3. And Adam begat a Son in his own Likeness after his Image but this would prove Adam's Sons as guilty of all Sins as that first which he denied or let him shew a ground for such a Distinction And thus is further Answered Circumcision argues not Infants guilty what he saith next page Gen. 17.14 where it is said The Man-Child that is Vncircumcised shall be cut off which he thinks so strong that in a Vapor he desires me to Chew my Cud upon it For if this Cutting-off was a Punishment of these Children for Sin it must be for that of their Immediate Parents who neglected to Circumcise them which Adam could not do and therefore could not Sin in omitting it and since he will not say this he can Vrge nothing from that place He saith The Fathers used to make use of these words of Christ Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water c. But their Vsing it was upon their Mistake that Baptism took away Original Sin and that therefore Infants Vnbaptized could not to be saved Regeneration of Infants That Regeneration is needful to Infants I deny not and whereas he asks how they are Regenerate I answered that before asking him How those he accounts Elect Infants whom he confesses to be guilty of Adam's Sin are Regenerate He Confesses The Fathers Argument taken from sprinkling Infants with Water which they and he falsly call Baptism will Conclude nothing against me But since he names here Initial Sacraments in the Plural Number which the Fathers made use of it seems they had some more than Baptism And since he and his Brethren make use of no more as Initial but Baptism it seems he differs from them in what they judged needful here as well as the Quakers I have shewen above how I Evite both Contradicting my self as to Vniversal Redemption and Excluding Infants from the benefit of Christ's death And as for his last Question Christ's Birth without Sin and the Birth of other Infants differ Wherein did Christ Excell other Infants if they be born without Sin he should have said not guilty of Sin I answer In that he had no Seed of Sin in him as other Infants have and that not only but he had nothing of that Weakness and Propensity to yield to the Evil Influence thereof as other Infants but was in greater Strength Glory and Dominion over it than Adam even before he fell This shews his Priviledge above others and in nothing Contradicteth what I have said before SECT VI. Wherein his Seventh and Eighth Chapters of Reprobation and Universal Redemption are Considered ¶ 1. IN his seventh Chapter of Reprobation he Expspatiateth himself at great length in large and tedious Homilies which will make my Reply the shorter who look not upon it as my concern to answer them because these Controversies are largely handled by others and what is said by him is abundantly answered Yet if he will affirm he has said something that is New upon this Theam and point to it it is like it may not want an Answer And indeed the Reader may observe him much pained and strained to put a fair Face upon these Foul Doctrines and though what he saith here may be and it is most probable is to be understood of the Reason he gives in his Epistle in being so Large because of the Opposition of others besides Quakers and also because I touched these things but passingly as
and then to Pray as is above shewed Sect. page 125. He says Quakerism tends to make Mortification of sin Useless and to me asking Whether Mortification be useless where the end of it which is Perfection is attained He answereth That Perfection is twofold Comparative and Absolute and seeing we are for an Absolute Perfection there is no use for Mortification Answ. There can none come to this Absolute Perfection as he terms it but by Mortification of Sin and even such Perfection attained by Mortification as are so Perfect while on Earth do constantly use Mortification to keep down Sin least it rise again and to resist the Temptations of the Enemy wherewith even such as be Perfect are daily assaulted He alledgeth I Triumph before the Victory in quarrelling him for saying That a sinless Perfection wounds the very Vitals of Religion But his silly Subterfuge in this place may easily be discovered I asked him in my last That seeing he says so Whether the Vitals of Religion consisted in sinning or not sinning Adding That if it consist in sinning they that sin most are most Religious but if it consist in not sinning than to plead for such a thing as attainable hurts not the Vitals of Religion To this he answereth That the Vitals of Religion consist in the means appointed of God Who seeth not this to be a meer Evasion Why did he not give a direct Answer But that he could not without either denying his former Antichristian Expression or else falling into palpable Grosness And whereas he adds That these Means are Repentance Mortification Believing Application of the Blood of Christ Though it be no Answer to my Question I deny not but that Religion consists in these things but I suppose he will not say that they are sinning It is not in the least absurd that one who hath attained to Perfection may practise these Duties Man though he have attained to Perfection cannot too much Repent of his former Wickedness And therefore it is without ground that he alledgeth That I shift and cannot deny but the forbearance of these Duties flow as a Consequence from our Principle Nor is my saying that they who come to Perfection witness the true use of these things any Shift at all though he be pleased to term it so without any proof after his wonted manner according to which he addeth That under the pretence of Perfection we take Men off from the practice of these Duties and so strike at Christianity in the Vitals of it Which though it fall of it self as being a meer Assertion yet the contrary is above abundantly shewn He saith He doth not contradict himself in inferring a sinless man to be sinful He affirmed only the Quaker's conceitedly sinless men to be sinful who discover much sin in their pride passion bitterness railing accusations adding If such say they have no sin they are but liars and the Truth is not in them Answ. There was no such Addition in his Dialogue as Conceitedly Sinless but absolutely he said Bring me to the Man that is sinless and therefore his Contradiction remains Moreover let him name that Quaker if he can that told him he was Perfectly free from all sin and yet was guilty of those Crimes he speaks of else he can deduce nothing from his own false Supposition Page 127. To prove the Saints Continuance always in Sin he desires to remark that 1 Joh. 18. It is even such who have heard seen and handled of the Word of God The Saints were cleansed from All Vnrighteousness c. Who say If we have no sin we are liars And here indeed is to be observed his detestable Impudence in adding to the Scripture-words citing verse 7. which he repeats thus We who are cleansed from the guilt of sin whereas there is no such word as Guilt in that place but only We are cleansed from all Sin which imports a Cleansing from the Filth Mark these words verse 9. From All unrighteousness now when the Guilt is only taken away and the Filth remaineth as W. M. falsly supposes they could not be said to be cleansed from All Vnrighteousness For it is an improper speech to say W.M. pleads for a Cleansing from the Guilt or Punishment but not from the Filth or Act of Sin We are cleansed from Guilt It is from the Filth we are cleansed and the Guilt is forgiven us Therefore saith the Apostle verse 9. first He is faithful to forgive us and next he adds To cleanse us from all unrighteousness Nor will John's saying If we say we have no sin import John himself to be of that number more than than the Apostle James speaking of the Tongue James 3.9 saying Therewith Curse we Men who are made after the similitude of God will prove James to have been of these Cursers Now in answer to me shewing that that Scripture 1 John 1.8 is Conditional else it would contradict what follows verse 9. Chap. 24. and Chap. 3 9. he returneth no Answer but his own Assertions He saith The 9 th verse speaketh of Forgiveness but it also adds Cleansing as is above observed He saith That 1 John 2.4 is understood of a sincere not absolute keeping of the Commands of God but for this he brings no proof at all He saith That John 3.9 whosoever is born of God sinneth not Is meant of sinning unto death from which the Child of God is secured The reason he gives of this gloss is Because the Apostle Chap. 5. verse 16. speaketh of a Sin unto Death which Sin W. M. supposeth to be that the Apostle means He that 's born of God cannot Commit But to prove this Supposition we have nothing but his own meer Assertion Reader These are the best and strongest Arguments he hath to prove his Doctrines His Seventeenth Head page 128. is to shew his Doctrines not to be acceptable to the Wicked and his Eighteenth Head page 131. is To prove ours to be so But he is so pitifully ridiculous in this matter that such as have the least measure of Vnderstanding and are Unprejudiced cannot but see his Weakness Yet that he may be left altogether without a Cover I shall Answer his Objections and leave the Unbiassed Reader as he desires to judge which Principles in their nature have most tendency to strike at or foster Wickedness To prove that it is not acceptable to the Wicked to hear they must always Sin he says Some are so conceited of their honesty that they cannot be convinced of their Sins And that Mortification of Sin is distastful to them But how he makes this to answer the other is not told us If Hypocrites love not to hear of their sins it doth not therefore follow that pleading for a constant Continuance in Sin is not acceptable to the Wicked Continuance in Sin pleaded for is acceptable to the Wicked they may be the easier induced to acknowledge their Sins that they hear it told them
not under the Law but under Grace Q. How cometh the Apostle then to cry out and complain of Sin saying Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Doth he speak that as a Condition always permanent to him and other Saints or only that which he had passed through What saith he afterwards A. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 2 3 5 36 37 38 39. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. What saith that Apostle then unto such who taking Occasion from his words should plead for Continuance in Sin for Term of Life and think to be saved by the Imputative Righteousness of Christ as being under Grace A. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin Rom. 6.1 2. that Grace may abound God forbid What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Q. Is not the Apostle then so far from supposing that Condition of being always under Sin to be his own Constant Condition Freedom from Sin or that of all the Saints that he even supposes many of the then Church of Rome to whom he wrote to be free of it How bespeaketh he then as in relation to this matter A. How shall we that are Dead to Sin Rom. 6.2 7 11 12 13 16 23. live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are Buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin for he that is dead is free from Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin but ye have Obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness I speak after the manner of Men because of the Infirmity of your Flesh for as ye have yielded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity even so now yield your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q It would appear then that God requires of us to be Perfect A. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.48 is Perfect Q. Is it then possible to keep the Commandments A. My Yoke is easie and my Burden is light For this is the Law of God Matt. 11.30 that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 Q. Is it necessary then for Salvation to keep the Commandments A. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 and may enter in through the Gates into the City Q. Do you understand by this Perfection that any have so kept the Commandments as never to have sinned 1 John 1.10 A. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his Word is not in us Q Do you understand that those who are Perfect may say they have no Sin or only that having sinned and so having Sin in respect they once sinned as the Apostle in the Passage cited mentions May they notwithstanding thereof come to know Forgiveness for the Guilt but also Cleansing from the Filth A. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 If we confess our Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Q. This Scripture seems to be very plain being compared with the other before mentioned But because some are apt to mistake and wrest the Words of that Apostle What saith he else-where Did he judge any could know God or be True Christians who kept not the Commandments A. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye Sin not 1 John 2.1 3 4 5 6 3.2 10. and if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him But who so keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in
Imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm Eph 2.1 That Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air. The Fifth and Sixth Propositions Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition Ezek. 18.23 Isai 49.6 John 3.16 and 1 9. T it 2.11 Eph. 5 13. Hebr. 2 9. God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a Sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation if not Resisted Nor is it lessVniversal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death 1 Cor. 15.22 who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Vniversality of Christ's Death are easily solved Neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in those places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and Common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those Remote parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This certain Doctrine then being received to wit that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Vniversality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted death for every Man Hebr. 2 9. not only for all kinds of Men as some vainly talk but for every one of all kinds the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Suffering as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightning their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoied so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn To do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be included As they have then falsly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the absolute necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to the obtaining its saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Asserters of Vniversal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 The Seventh Proposition Concerning Justification As many as resist not this Light but receive the same in them is produced a holy pure and spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all these other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his work in us as we are Sanctified so are we Justified in the Sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Eighth Proposition Concerning Perfection In whom this holy and pure Birth is fully brought forth Rom. 6.14 Id. 8.13 Id. 6.2 18. 1 John 3.6 the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and removed and their hearts united and subjected unto the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestion or Temptation of the Evil one but to be Free from actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect Perfect Yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth there remaineth a possibility of sinning where the Mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover in whom it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection 1 Tim. 1.6 Hebr. 6.4 5 6. by disobedience such may fall
Adam's Sin is Confessed but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are Subject to them is denied For though the whole outward Creation suffered a Decay by Adam's Fall Death the Wages of Sin Answer'd which groans under Vanity according to which it is said in Job That the Heavens are not clean in the sight of God yet will it not from thence follow that the Herbs Earth and Trees are Sinners Next Death though a Consequent of the Fall incident to man's Earthly Nature is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints but rather a Sleep by which they pass from Death to Life which is so far from being Troublesom and Painful to them as all real punishments for sin are that Prop. 5 6 the Apostle counts it Gain To me saith he to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 Some are so foolish as to make an Objection further saying Object That if Adam's sin be not imputed to those who actually have not sinned then it would follow that all Infants are saved But we are willing Answ. that this supposed Absurdity should be the Consequence of our Doctrine rather than that which it seems our Adversaries reckon not Absurd though the undoubted and unavoidable consequence of theirs viz. that Many Infants Eternally perish not for any sin of their own but only for Adam 's Iniquity where we are willing to let the Controversy â—ist commending both to the Illuminated Vnderstanding of the Christian Reader This Error of our Adversaries is both Denied and Refuted by Zwinglius that Eminent Founder of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland in his Book De Baptismo for which he is Anathematized by the Council of Trent in the fifth Session We shall only add this Information That we Confess then that a Seed of Sin is Transmitted to all men from Adam although Imputed to none Original Sin no Scripture-Phrase until by sinning they actually join with it in which Seed he gave occasion to all to sin and it is the Origin of all Evil Actions and Thoughts in mens hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Romans 5. i. e. in which death all have sinned For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scriptures and The body of death seeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteousness and Holiness Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man the Old Adam in which all Sin is for which cause we use this name to express this sin and not that of Original sin of which phrase the Scripture makes no mention and under which Invented and Vnscriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took place among Christians PROPOSITIONS V. VI. Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is Inlightened PROPOSITION V. GOD out of his Infinite Love Ezech. 18.32 and 33 11. who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a LIGHT that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Joh. 3.16 who enlighteneth EVERY man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and maketh manifest all things that are Reprovable Eph. 5.13 and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light lighteneth the hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation and this is it which Reproves the sin of all Individuals and would work out the Salvation of all if not Resisted Nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death who tasted Death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 PROPOSITION VI. According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Universality of Christ's Death are easily solved neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God useth to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in the places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and common Grace For as hence it well follows that some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may some who by Providence are cast into those Remote Parts of the World where the knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they Receive and Resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This most certain Doctrine being then received that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted Death for every Man Hebr. 2.9 not only for all kind of men as some vainly talk but for every man of all kinds the benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily Excluded from the benefit of this Knowledge by some Inevitable Accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightening their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoyed so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn to do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be Included As They have then falsly and erroneously Taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have They sufficiently Taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the Absolute Necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to obtain its Saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Assertors of Universal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of his Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightened Every man that cometh into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9 16. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 HItherto we have Considered Man 's fall'n lost corrupted and degenerated Condition Now is it fit to Inquire How and by what means he may come to be Freed out of this miserable
they may be justly punished If these Sayings do not plainly and evidently Import that God is the Author of Sin we must not then seek these mens Opinions from their Words but some way else it seems as if they had Assumed to themselves that Monstrous and Twofold Will they feign of God one by which they declare their minds openly and another more secret and hidden which is quite contrary to the other Nor doth it at all help them to say That Man sins willingly since that Willingness proclivity and propensity to Evil is according to their Judgment so necessarily imposed upon him that he cannot but be Willing because God hath willed and decreed him to be so Which Shift is just as if I should take a Child uncapable to Resist me and throw it down from a great Precipice the Weight of the Child's body indeed makes it go readily down and the Violence of the Fall upon some Rock or Stone beats out its Brains and kills it Now then I pray though the Body of the Child goes willingly down for I suppose it as to its mind is Vncapable of any Will and the weight of its Body and not any immediate stroke of my hand who perhaps am at a great distance makes it Die whether is the Child or I the proper Cause of its Death Let any man of Reason judge if God's part be with them as great yea more Immediate in the Sins of men as by the Testimonies above brought doth appear whether doth not this make him not only the Author of Sin but more Vnjust than the unjustest of men § III. Secondly This Doctrine is Injurious to God because it makes him delight in the Death of Sinners yea 2. It makes God delight in the Death of a Sinner and to will many to Die in their Sins Contrary to these Scriptures Ezech. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.3 2 Pet. 3.9 For if he hath Created men only for this very End that he might shew forth his Justice and Power in them as these men affirm and for effecting thereof hath not only with-held from them the means of doing Good but also predestinated the Evil that they might fall into it and that he inclines and forces them into great sins certainly he must necessarily delight in their death and will them to die seeing against his own Will he neither doth nor can do any thing § IV. Thirdly It is highly Injurious to Christ our Mediator and to the Efficacy and Excellency of his Gospel 3. It renders Christ's Mediation Ineffectual for it renders his Mediation Ineffectual as if he had not by his Sufferings throughly broken down the Middle Wall nor yet removed the Wrath of God or purchased the Love of God towards all Mankind if it was afore Decreed that it should be of no service to the far greater part of Mankind It is to no purpose to alledge that the Death of Christ was of Efficacy enough to have saved all Mankind if in Effect its vertue be not so far Extended as to put all Mankind into a Capacity of Salvation 4. It makes the Gospel a Mock Fourthly It makes the preaching of the Gospel a meer Mock and Illusion if many of these to whom it is preached be by an Irrevocable Decree Excluded from being benefited by it it wholly makes Vseless the preaching of Faith and Repentance and the whole Tenor of the Gospel-Promises and Threatnings as being all relative to a former Decree and Means before appointed to such which because they cannot fail Man needs do nothing but wait for that Irresistible Snatch which will come though it be but at the last hour of his Life if he be in the Decree of Election And be his diligence and waiting what it can he shall never Attain it if he belong to the Decree of Reprobation 5. It makes the Coming of Christ an Act of Wrath. Fifthly It makes the Coming of Christ and his propitiatory Sacrifice which the Scripture affirms to have been the Fruit of God's Love to the World and transacted for the Sins and Salvation of all men to have been rather a Testimony of God 's Wrath to the World and one of the greatest Judgments and severest Acts of God 's Indignation towards Mankind it being only ordain'd to save a very few and for the hardening obduring and augmenting the Condemnation of the far greater Number of Men because they believe not truly in it the Cause of which Vnbelief again as the Divines so called above assert is the hidden Counsel of God Certainly the Coming of Christ was never to them a Testimony of God's love but rather of his Implacable Wrath and if the World may be taken for the far greater Number of such as live in it God never loved the World according to this Doctrine but rather hated it greatly in sending his Son to be Crucified in it 6. It renders Mankind in a worse Condition than the Devils § V. Sixthly This Doctrine is Highly Injurious to Mankind for it renders them in a far worse Condition than the Devils in Hell For these were sometimes in a Capacity to have Stood and to suffer only for their own Guilt whereas many Millions of men are for ever Tormented according to them for Adam's Sin which they neither knew of nor ever were Accessary to It renders them worse than the Beasts of the Field of whom the Master requires not more than they are able to perform and if they be killed death to them is the End of Sorrow whereas Man is for ever Tormented for not doing that which he never was able to do It puts him into a far worse Condition than Pharaoh put the Israelites for though he with-held Straw from them Than the Israelites under Pharaoh yet by much labour and pains they could have gotten it But from men they make God to withhold all means of Salvation so that they can by no means attain it Yea they place Mankind in that Condition Tantalus his Condition which the Poets feign of Tantalus who oppressed with Thirst stands in water up to the Chin yet can by no means reach it with his Tongue and being tormented with Hunger hath Fruit hanging at his very lips yet so as he can never layâ—hold on them with his Teeth and these things are so near him not to Nourish him but to Torment him So do these men They make the outward Creation of the Works of Providence the smitings of the Conscience sufficient to Convince the Heathens of Sin and so to Condemn and Judge them but not at all to Help them to Salvation They make the preaching of the Gospel the Offer of Salvation by Christ the Vse of the Sacraments of Prayer and good Works sufficient to Condemn those they account Reprobates within the Church serving only to Inform them to beget a seeming Faith and vain Hope yet because of a secret Impotency which they had from their Infancy all these are wholly
us § III. First then as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears Expl. 1 we Renounce all Natural Power and Ability in our selves in order to bring us out of our lost and fallâ—n Condition and first Nature Justification springs of and from the Love of God and Confess that as of our selves we are able to do nothing that is good so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own so as to merit it or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us but we acknowledge all to be of and from his Love which is the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Acceptance Secondly God manifested this love towards us in the sending of his Expl. 2 Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the World who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Christ giveing himself a Sacrifice for us and having made peace through the blood of his Cross that he might Reconcile us unto himself and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God and suffered for our Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Thirdly then Forasmuch as all men who have come to man's Estate the Man Jesus only Excepted have sinned therefore all have need of Expl. 3 this Saviour to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences in this respect he is truly said to have born the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree and therefore is the Only Mediator having qualified the Wrath of God towards us so that our former sins stand not in our way being by virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice Removed and pardoned To Remission of Sins Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected sought or obtained any other way or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever though as has been said formerly they may come to partake of this Remission that are Ignorant of the History So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath Reconciled us to God The only Mediator betwixt God and Man even while we are Enemies that is he offers Reconciliation unto us we are put into a Capacity of being Reconciled God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities and to accept us as is well expressed by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation And therefore the Apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience of Christ Jesus he is willing to be Reconciled unto them and ready to Remit the sins that are past if they Repent A Twofold Redemption We Consider then our Redemption in a twofold Respect or State both which in their own nature are perfect though in their Application to us the one is not nor cannot be without respect to the other I. The Redemption of Christ without us The first is the Redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for us in his Crucified Body without us The other is the Redemption wrought by Christ in us which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former The first then is that whereby man as he stands in the Fall is put into a Capacity of Salvation and hath conveyed unto him a measure of that Power Virtue Spirit Life and Grace that was in Christ Jesus which as the Free Gift of God is able to Counter-ballance Overcome and Root-out the Evil Seed wherewith we are naturally as in the Fall leavened II. The Redemption wrought by Christ in us The second is that whereby we Witness and Know this pure and perfect Redemption in our selves purifying cleansing and redeeming us from the power of Corruption and bringing us into Vnity Favour and Friendship with God By the first of these two we that were lost in Adam plunged in the bitter and Corrupt Seed unable of our selves to do any good thing but naturally joined and united to Evil forward and propense to all Iniquity Servants and Slaves to the power and spirit of Darkness are notwithstanding all this so far Reconciled to God by the death of his Son while Enemies that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us and God is Reconciled unto us in Christ calls and invites us to himself in which respect we understand these Scriptures * Eph. 2.15 1 John 4.10 Ezech. 16.6 1 Pet. 2.22 24. and 3.18 He slew the Enmity in himself He loved us first seeing us in our blood he said unto us live he who did not sin his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and he died for our sins the Just for the Vnjust By the second we witness this Capacity brought into Act whereby receiving and not resisting the purchase of his death to wit the Light Spirit and Grace of Christ Revealed to us we witness and possess a real true and inward Redemption from the power and prevalency of sin and so come to be truly and really Redeemed Justified and made Righteous and to a sensible Union and Friendship with God Thus he died * Tit. 2.14 Phil. 3.10 for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and thus we know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to us This last follows the first in order and is a Consequence of it proceeding from it as an Effect from its Cause So as none could have enjoyed the last without the first had been such being the Will of God so also can none now partake of the first but as he witnesseth the last Wherefore as to us they are both Causes of our Justification The first the Procuring Efficient the other the Formal Cause Fourthly We understand not by this Justification by Christ barely the Expl. 4 good works even as wrought by the Spirit of Christ for they as Protestants truly affirm are rather an Effect of Justification than the Cause of it The Formation of Christ in us begets Good Works But we understand the Formation of Christ in us Christ born and brought forth in us from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree It is this Inward Birth in us bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us that doth Justify us which having removed and done away the Contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation now is in Dominion over all in our hearts Those then that come to know Christ thus formed in them do enjoy him wholly and undivided who is the LORD our RIGHTEOVSNESS Jer. 23.6 This is to be Cloathed with Christ and to have put him on whom God therefore truly accounteth Righteous and Just. This is so far from being the
then makes just he adds But let them have a care lest by too great and empty subtilty unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers they lessen and diminish the weight and dignity of so great and Divine a Benefit so much celebrated in the Scripture to wit Justification of the Wicked For if to the formal Reason of Justification of the Ungodly doth not at all belong his Justification so to speak i. e. his being made Righteous then in the Justification of a sinner although he be justified yet the stain of sin is not taken away but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification And so notwithstanding the benefit of Justification he remains as before Unjust and a Sinner and nothing is taken away but the Guilt and obligation to Pain and the Offence and Enmity of God through non-Imputation But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm that in the Justification of a sinner their sins are not only remitted forgiven covered not imputed but also taken away blotted out cleansed washed purged and very far removed from us as appears from many places of the Holy Scriptures The same Forbes shews us at length in the following Chapter that this was the Confessed Judgment of the Fathers out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion some whereof out of him I shall note Calvin Inst. l. 3. c. 11. § 15. As First Calvin saith That the Judgment of Augustine or at lest his manner of speaking is not throughout to be received who although he took from man all praise of Righteousness and ascribed all to the Grace of God yet he refers Grace to Sanctification by which we are Regenerate through the Spirit unto newness of life Chemnitius saith That they do not deny but that the Fathers take the word Justify for Renewing Chemnitius in Exam. Concil Trid. de Just. p. 129. by which works of Righteousness are wrooght in us by the Spirit And p. 130. I am not ignorant that the Fathers indeed often use the word Justify in this signification to wit of making just Zanchius saith That the Fathers and chiefly Augustine interpret the word Justify according to this signification Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. Thes. 1.5 to wit of making Just so that according to them to be Justified was no other than of Unjust to be made Just through the Grace of God for Christ. He mentioneth more but this may suffice to our purpose Assert I § VIII Having thus sufficently proved that by Justification is to be understood a really being made Righteous I do boldly affirm and that not only from a Notional Knowledge Christ revealed and formed in the Soul of a man is the formal Cause of man's Justification but from a real inward experimental Feeling of the thing that the Immediate Nearest or Formal Cause if we must in Condescendence to some use this word of a man's Justification in the sight of God is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Soul changing altering and renewing the mind by whom even the Author of this inward Work thus formed and revealed we are truly justified and accepted Proof I in the sight of God For it is as we are thus covered and cloathed with him in whom the Father is always well-pleased that we may draw near to God and stand with Confidence before his Throne being purged by the blood of Jesus inwardly poured into our Souls and cloathed with his life and righteousness therein revealed And this is that Order and Method of Salvation held forth by the Apostle in that Divine saying Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life For the Apostle first holding forth the Reconciliation wrought by the Death of Christ wherein God is near to receive and redeem man holds forth his Salvation and Justification to be by the Life of Jesus Now that this Life is an Inward Spiritual thing revealed in the Soul whereby it is renewed and brought forth out of Death where it naturally has been by the Fall and so quickned and made alive unto God the same Apostle shews Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath quickned us together in Christ by whose Grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together Now this none will deny to be the Inward Work of Renovation and therefore the Apostle gives that Reason of their being saved by Grace which is the inward Vertue and Power of Christ in the Soul but of this place more hereafter Of the Revelation of this Inward Life the Apostle also speaketh 2 Cor. 4.10 That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies and v. 11. That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh Now this inward Life of Jesus is that whereby as is before observed he saith We are saved Secondly That it is by this Revelation of Jesus Christ and the New Proof II Creation in Vs that we are Justified doth evidently appear from that Excellent Saying of the Apostle included in the Proposition it self Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost c. Now that whereby we are saved that we are also no doubt Justified by which words are in this respect Synonymous The Immediate Cause of Justification is the inward Work of Regeneration Here the Apostle clearly ascribes the Immediate Cause of Justification to this inward work of Regeneration which is Jesus Christ Revealed in the Soul as being that which formally states us in a capacity of being Reconciled with God the Washing or Regeneration being that inward Power and Vertue whereby the Soul is cleansed and cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ so as to be made fit to appear before God Thirdly This Doctrine is manifest from 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own Proof III selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates First It appears here how earnest the Apostle was that they should know Christ in them so that he presses this Exhortation upon them and inculcates it three times Secondly The Cause of Reprobation is Christ not known by Inward Revelation he makes the Cause of Reprobation or Not-justification the Want of Christ thus Revealed and known in the Soul whereby it necessarily follows by the Rule of Contraries where the parity is alike as in this case it is evident that Where Christ is inwardly known there the persons subjected to him are Approved and Justified For there can be nothing more plain than this that if we must know Christ in us except we be Reprobates or Vnjustified persons that if we do know him in us we are not Reprobates and consequently Justified ones Like unto
and always have denied that Popish Notion of Meritum ex Condigno Nevertheless we cannot deny but that God out of his Infinite goodness wherewith he hath loved mankind after he Communicates to him his holy Grace and Spirit doth according to his own Will Recompence and Reward the good Works of his Children and therefore this Merit of Congruity or Reward God Rewards the good Words of his Children in so far as the Scripture is plain and positive for it we may not deny neither wholly Reject the Word in so far as the Scripture makes use of it For the same Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Merit is also in those places where the Translators express it Worth or Worthy as Matth. 3.8 1 Thess. 2.12 2 Thess. 1.5 8. concerning which R. Baxter saith in the above cited Book p. 8. But in a larger sense as Promise is an Obligation and the thing Promised is said to be Debt so the Performers of the Conditions are called Worthy and that which they Perform Merit although properly all be of Grace and not of Debt Also those who are called the Fathers of the Church frequently used this word of Merit whose sayings concerning this matter I think not needful to insert because it is not doubted but evident that many Protestants are not averse from this word in the sense that we use it The Apology for the Augustan Confession Art 20. hath these words We agree that Works are truly Meritorious not of Remission of Sins or Justification but they are Meritorious of â—ther rewards Corporal and Spiritual which are indeed as well in this life as after this life And further Seeing Works Prop. 8 are a certain fulfilling of the Law they are rightly said to be Meritorious it is rightly said that a Reward is due to them In the Acts of the Conference of Oldenburgh the Electoral Divines p. 110. 265. say Conference of Oldenburgh In this sense our Churches also are not Averse from the word Merit used by the Fathers neither therefore do they defend the Popish Doctrine of Merit G. Vossius G. Vossius of the word Merit in his Theological These concerning the Merits of Good Works saith We have not adventured to condemn the word Merit wholly as being that which both many of the Ancients use and also the Reformed Churches have used in their Confessions Now that God judgeth and accepteth men according to their Works is beyond doubt to those that seriously will read and consider these Scriptures Matth. 17.26 Rom. 2.6 7 10. 2 Cor. 5.10 James 1.25 Hebr. 10.35 1 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 22.12 § XIII And to conclude this Theam let none be so bold as to mock God supposing themselves Justified and Accepted in the sight of God by virtue of Christ's Death and Sufferings while they remain unsanctified and unjustified in their own hearts and polluted in their sins left their Hope prove that of the Hypocrite which perisheth Neither let any foolishly Imagine Job 8.13 that they can by their own Works or by the performance of any Ceremonies or Traditions or by the giving of Gold or Money or by afflicting their Bodies in Will-worship and voluntary Humility or foolishly striving to Conform their Way to the ouward Letter of the Law flatter themselves that they Merit before God or draw a Debt upon him The Hope of the Hypocrite shall perish but Grace is to the Humble or that any man or men have power to make such kind of things Effectual to their Justification lest they be found foolish Boasters and Strangers to Christ and his Righteousness indeed But blessed for ever are they that having truly had a sense of their own Vnworthiness and Sinfulness and having seen all their own Endeavours and Performances fruitless and vain and beheld their own Emptiness and the vanity of their vain Hopes Faith and Confidence while they remained inwardly pricked pursued and condemned by God's Holy Witness in their hearts and so having applied themselves thereto and suffered his Grace to work in them are become chang'd and renew'd in the spirit of their minds past from death to Life and know Jesus arisen in them working both the Will and the Deed and so having put on the Lord Jesus Christ in Effect are Cloathed with him partake of his Righteousness and Nature such can draw near to the Lord with Boldness and know their Acceptance in and by him in whom and in as many as are found in him the Father is well-pleased PROPOSITION VIII Concerning Perfection In whom this Pure and Holy Birth is fully brought forth the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and Removed and their Hearts united and subjected to the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestions or Temptations of the Evil one to be free from Actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect perfect yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth and there remaineth always in some part a Possibility of Sinning where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully Attend unto the Lord. § I. SInce we have placed Justification in the Revelation of Jesus Christ formed and brought forth in the heart there working his Works of Righteousness and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit The question is How far he may prevail in us while we are in this life or we over our Soul's Enemies in and by his strength Those that plead for Justification wholly without them meerly by Imputative Righteousness denying the Necessity of being cloathed with real and inward Righteousness do consequently affirm These are the words of the Westminster larger Catechism That it is Impossible for a man even the best of men to be Free of Sin in this life which they say no man ever was but on the contrary that none can neither of himself nor by any Grace received in this life O wicked Saying against the power of God's Grace keep the Commandments of God perfectly but that every man doth break the Commandments in thought word and deed Whence they also affirm as was a little before observed That the very best Actions of the Saints their prayers their worships are impure and polluted Whether it is possible to keep the Commandments of God We on the contrary though we freely acknowledge this of the Natural Fall'n Man in his first state whatever his profession or pretence may be so long as he is Vnconverted and Vnregenerate yet we do believe that those in whom Christ comes to be formed and the New Part I Man brought forth and born of the Incorruptible Seed as that Birth and man in Vnion therewith naturally doth the Will of God so it is possible so far to keep to it Controversy stated as not to be found daily Transgressors of the Law of God And for the more clear Stating of the Controversy let it be considered § II. First That we place not this possibility in Man 's own Will
Singular Number as if thence he would Infer that One Sin is only Transmitted But how he proves his Consequence thence he has not shewen For albeit by that first Offence he gave Entrance for Sin that being his First yet it will not follow he then ceased to be a publick Person and if not nothing can be proved from granting him to be such as is above observed As by the Offence of one c. Objected Next the Words are The Offence of one and not One Offence as he would Insinuate which though in the Singular Number may include many yea all his Offences For whatever way he seek to urge this from this Place as to Adam the parallel will allow it to be Interpreted of Christ where the Apostle speaking of his Righteousness useth also the Singular Number and thence according to him we might say that it is only the first Act of Christ's Righteousness that is Imputed unto us and none of the rest so that we have nothing to do with his Death Sufferings and Resurrection What thinks he now of his own Divinity Let him loose his Knot the next time to give him one of his own modestest Proverbs The Absurdity he seeks to draw from denying this Consequence of his being a publick Person That if Adam had stood Infants should have no Advantage by him since they have no hurt by his Fall Toucheth not me at all who no where say That Infants have no Hurt by Adam's Fall Adam by his Fall became obnoxious to Temptations Adam by his Fall lost his Glory his Strength his Dominion by which he could have easily withstood the Devil and came under great Weakness whereby the Enemy's Tentations had a ready Access to him and he became very obnoxious to fall under them And so all his Posterity are come under the same Weakness and Obnoxiousness to the Enemy's Tentations who influenceth them by Entring into them and powerfully Inclining them to Sin and this malignant Influence is that Seed of Sin in all Men whereunto they become obnoxious by reason of the Fall which though in it self really Sin yet is it not Man's but the Devil 's until Man give Way to it But I deny not but the least yielding is Man's Sin among which I reckon Concupiscence to be one and so differ from Papists For albeit the Tentation simply considered or as presented by the Devil be not Man's Sin yet if he have the least Love or Desire to it albeit he join not Actually that shews his Mind is already defiled and corrupted and that he is become a Partaker of it Thus are answered his Reasonings and Questionings How this Seed of Sin can be and yet not the Persons Sin p. 121 122 c. as the Reader by Comparing may observe Only it is remarkable p. 121. where he seems to put a great Stress upon the Judgment of Augustin and citing him he brings him in saying these Words among others concerning Infants Shall they sin that are under no Command Now since they Infants are under no Law who are under no Command are under no Law for every Law imports a Command how will he reconcile this saying or his Holy Father which he brings as a matter of Authority with his accounting it both foolish and strange in me p. 119. to prove Children are under no Law J. B. taken in his own Snare So that either the Authority of Augustin he brings is not to be regarded or his Reasonings to prove Children under a Law that is a Command must be naught let him chuse which he will and clear himself of Impertinency His Argument in this page That as the Seed of Grace denominates a Man gracious even while not exercising works of Grace so the Seed of Sin must denominate a Man sinful is but a begging of the Question as in its place will appear when I come to treat of the Seed of Grace ¶ 7. When he cometh p. 123. n. 18. to Reply to my Answer to their Objection Rom. 5.12 among his preliminary Observations the first is very proper where he saith It is observable the Apostle makes Comparison betwixt Adam and Christ. I answer As Christ's Righteousness so Adam's Vnrighteousness is not Imputed to Men before actual Joining with either It is indeed so for as the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to Men for Justification until they actually Join with it or apprehend it by Faith as himself will acknowledge for I suppose by his accounting the Antinomians Hereticks he will not with them affirm that Men are Justified before they believe so neither is the Vnrighteousness and Disobedience of Adam Imputed to Men for Condemnation until they actually Join with it but this Comparison spoils all his Doctrine Then after he has beg'd the Question a while by meer Allegations affirming his Doctrine to be so clear from the Apostle's words that it cannot be Contradicted without doing violence to the Text he forms an Argument thus That Sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he saith it brought Death upon all Men that Men sinned by it and were made Sinners even they who could not as yet actually Sin that thereby all became guilty of Death and of Condemnation that Sin by Imputation is the Sin of the whole Nature included in Adam and rendreth the whole Nature obnoxious to Death and to Condemnation But The first Sin of Adam is described to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That Sin is the Sin of Nature c. This Argument may perhaps satisfy such as are already Proselites of his Theam but will not Convince one that either believes other ways or doubts since the Major is a meer begging of the Question And if any thing be a foisting-in of words to the Text this must be it since he foists-in the thing in Debate and words not in the Text such as Even they J. B. foist 's in words of his own to deceive his Reader who could not as yet actually Sin and joineth them with the words of the Text without distinction and not as an Interpretation that his unwary Reader may Conclude them to be of the Text. And yet the Man has the Impudence in the same page to Accuse me of Intolerable Boldness as foisting words into the Text while I expresly shew it is but an Interpretation by saying That is c. so much is he blinded with Self-Interest but I am Content there be neither Addition nor so much as Consequence made use of Let him shew me the plain Scripture that saith Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin If he say It must be necessarily Inferred from these words in whom all have sinned I say it as necessarily follows that it is only to be understood of all that could sin which Infants could not as not being under any Law as I have above proved and Augustin whom he so much reverenceth doth affirm if his Citation from him be true And
therefore finding this to pinch him he brings it up again p. 126. where bringing me in saying Infants are under no Law J. B.'s proofless Assertion of Infants under a Law he answers But the Apostle saith the contrary He would have done Charitably to have told me Where that I might have observed it What he saith in this as well as the former page in answer to my Affirmation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relate to Death and that it 's understood upon which occasion Man sinnedâ— urging Absurdities by the like Application of Christ's Righteousness is solved by a serious observation of the Comparison as stated by me betwixt Christ and Adam His Arguing from Childrens dying doth not Conclude until he prove Death simply considered necessarily to infer guilt in the Party dying Whether Childrens DEATH argues Guilt in them of which I have spoken before p. 126. n. 20. to my answer to Psal. 51.5 alledged by them wherein I shew that David saith not My Mother conceived me sinning and therefore it proves not his Assertion His Reply is after he has given a Scoff It quite crosseth David's design But why so because in that Psalm he expresseth his Sorrow and Humiliation for his Sins and what then might not David lament upon that occasion that he was not only a Sinner himself but also came of such as were so But when I urge this place further shewing their Interpretation would make Infants guilty of the Sin of their Immediate Parents since there is no mention here of Adam His Answer to this is a Repetition of his own Doctrine A rare Method of Debate very usual to him And then taking it for granted he asks me Whether this Originated Sin of which he supposed David spake for he never offers to prove it though it be the matter in Debate came from another Original than Adam What he affirmed here of my Insinuating Marriage-Duties to be Sin is but a false Conjecture but as to the Hurt and Loss that Man got by Adam which I ascribe to no other Original as being no Manichee I spake before But he should first prove before he Obtrude such things upon others and I desire yet to be Informed of him In what Scripture he reads of Original Sin and whether if the Scripture be the only Rule he cannot find words in it fit enough to express his Faith or must he shift for them else-where The Wages of Sin is Death proved Eternal ¶ 8. Pag. 127. n. 21. He urges Paul's saying The Wages of Sin is Death and to my saying This may be a Consequence of the Fall but that thence it cannot at all be Inferred that Iniquity is in all those that are subject to Death he saith It is in plain terms but my Modesty dare not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not Truth Answ. Is not this to take upon him to judge of another Man's heart which elseâ—where he accounts a great Presumption and why takes he no notice or gives he no Answer to the Absurdity I shew followed from thence since the whole Creation received a Decay by Adam's Fall and yet we say not Herbs and Trees are Sinners And while he would make-out this great Charge of my Contradicting the Apostle he forgets the half of his business which is To prove the Apostle meaned in that place Natural Death and not Eternal since the Apostle opposeth it there to Eternal Life and Eternal Death he will Confess is the Wages of Sin which the Apostle shews they shun by Jesus Christ's obtaining Eternal Life whereas Natural Death they do not avoid Likewise he should have proved that all the Scriptures mentioned by him p. 128. are meant of Natural Death which he will not find very easie As for his citing Death as mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. the Apostle's words ver 56. Confirm what I say That Death is only a punishment to the Wicked not to the Saints for the words are The Sting of Death is Sin so where Sin is taken away there Death has no Sting and that is the Saints Victory Now he cannot Apply this to Infants without supposing that they have Sin which were to beg the Question And whereas he asks Whether Death be NO Punishment for Sin I Answer that I said not so neither is that needful for me to affirm seeing it is sufficient if it be not always a Punishment of Sin which if it be not it cannot be Concluded that because Infants die therefore they must be guilty of Sin Since then the Absurdities he after urges follow from his Supposition That Death is No Punishment for Sin which I say not they do not Touch me He judgeth p. 128. n. 22. That I run wilder than Papists in saying We will rather admit the supposed Absurdity of saying All Infants are Saved to follow from our Doctrine than with them say That Innumerable Infants perish Eternally not for their own but only for Adam's Fault This he reckons a Contradicting of my Doctrine of Christ's dying for all Infants saved without Christ J. B.'s horrible Lie saying I here grant That all Infants will be saved without Christ. What horrible Lie is this Where say I That all Infants will be saved without Christ If he say it is by Consequence that I say so which he must needs do or else be an Impudent Vnparallel'd Lyar then he Infers it either from my saying Christ died for all Therefore if all Infants are saved it must be without Christ or that If all Infants be saved Christ cannot have died for all for one of these two must be If I Contradict my self But such Consequences are only fit for such an Author as seems to have abandoned all sense of Honesty and Christian Reputation and resolves per fas aut nefas and without Rime or Reason as the Proverb is to bespatter his Adversary As for his adding They that have no Sin have no need of a Saviour to save them from Sin He Overturns it all by asking me in which also lies the pinch of his matter Since I affirm they have a Seed of Sin in them which is called Death and the Old Man how can they put-off this and sing the Song of the Redeemed which all that enter into Glory must do Infants are saved by Christ who died for them Does not this then shew I believe they have need of Christ as a Saviour who died for them to deliver them from this And is not the Contradiction his own in urging this Question which I thus answer How are those he accounts Elect Infants saved whom he affirms to be really guilty of Adam's Sin and so in a worse Condition than I affirm Infants to be for he will not say with Papists and Lutherans that the Administring of that they call the Sacrament of Baptism does it When he Answers this he will solve his own Argument To insinuate That some Infants are damned he asketh me What
the Testimony of the First Protestants 91 92. the Lord's day is not the First Day of the Week 39. nor is it limited to a particular Day 92. the First Day is not come instead of the Sabbath 93. superstitious observing of Days is the Inventions of Men 92 146. and an Inlet to all the Popish Holidays 39 92. the Priests make the First Day of the Week their Market-day to sell and vend their Babylonish Commodities in 40. It is convenient and necessary that a Day be set apart to meet and Worship God in 146 the Divines Nonsensical Proofs that the First Day of the Week is instead of the Sabbath 177 178. no Man is to be judged in respect of an Holy Day or the Sabbath-days c. 170. the observing of Days being a returning to the beggerly Elements 224. the first Dawning and breaking forth of the heavenly Day of the Lord in this our Age described 689-691 Deacons 508. ‖ Deaf Persons see Light Death see Adam Redemption it entred into the World by Sin 316 317 In the Saints it is rather a passing from Death to Life 316. a Sleep 41. and their Natural Death is not the Wages of Sin 94. Devil he eares not at all how much God be Acknowledged with the Mouth provided he be Worshipped in the Heart 272 355 356. he can form an outward Sound of Words 278. he haunts among the Wicked 391. How he can be a Minister of the Gospel 425 427. when he can work nothing 453 454. he keeps Men in outward Signs Shadows and Forms while they neglect the Substance 489 491 507. The Rage of the Devil against the Lord's Chosen 713. Differences in the Church in outward Matters to be Composed 207. as coming from the besetments of the Enemy 228. the Spirit of God giving Judgment in the Church of Christ 240. Dispute The Dispute of a Shoo-maker with a certain Professor 422 423. of an Heathen-Philosopher with a Bishop in the Council of Nice and of the Vnletter'd Clown 423 424. Divinity School-Divinity 417. how pernicious it is 423 to 427. Divisions see Schism Dreams see Faith Miracles Doctrine That Doctrine which is both contrary to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it 601. the Fruits prove the Doctrine 624. J. B. brings his own Author in for Devilish Doctrines 749. Duty The hardned and blinded see not their Duty 242. Duties natural and spiritual differ 636. E. Ear There is a Spiritual and bodily Ear 271 278. whether the outward Hearing is necessary to make a Man a Member of the Visible Church 806. Easter is Celebrated other ways in the Latine Church than in the Eastern 289. the Celebration of it is grounded upon Tradition 289. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name J. B's false Gloss upon it 859 487. see Baptism Ejaculations proved from Scripture 852. Elders 277 430. How Christ in Revealing his Will ordinarily makes use of the Elders and Officers in his Church 229. in Cases of Differences and Controversies 236. Election and Reprobation of Infants 766 767. J.B. makes the Word All express of two Numbers the least to be Elected 784 804. by the whole World he falsly understands the Elect only ibid. Elector of Saxony the Scandal given by him 471. Eminency Your Eminency see Titles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oftner translated in than among as in 1 Cor 2.2 p. 66. Endowments the Author glories not in natural Endowments Enjoyments inward former Feelings and Enjoyment are far exceeded by the Feelings and Enjoyments of this day 28 29. Enoch walked with God 394. Enthusiasm its proper signification 658. Epistle see James John Peter Esau and Jacob did strive in the Womb 447. Ethicks or Books of Moral Philosophy are not needful to Christians 424. Evangelist who he is and whether any now a days may be so called 429 430. Evidence the best and most principal is the Immediate Evidence of the Spirit and the greatest outward Evidence that can be given is the Scripture 593 594. the Spirit 's Evidence is that it teacheth to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts c. 575 576. an Evidence that no Hypocrite can have 657. See Ministry Spirit Revelation Exaltation self-Exaltation leads to Separation and Division 192 193. Excellency Tour Excellency see Titles Excommunication the evil thereof 690 691 Exorcism or Adjuration in the use of Water-baptism denied 492 Eye The Spiritual Eye sees and discerns the true Confessor from the false 657 837. F. Faith its Definition and what its Object is 277 278. how far and how Appearances outward Voices and Dreams were the Object of the Saints Faith 278. that Faith is one and that the Object of Faith is one 279. It s foundation 293 294. see Revelation Scripture Little Faith is perfect in the measure of it 23 80. what it is its absolute necessity 129. Accidental Objects of Faith 602. wherein the nature and Essence of Faith consists 603. J. B's halting Examples to prove true Faith 759. Sadeel's Testimony concerning Succession of Faith 648. the material and formal Object of Faith distinguished 742 744. whether Faith comes by the outward Hearing 904. falling away and departing from Faith 42 43. who they were that fell from Faith 96. not holding it in a good Conscience 137. thou that standest by Faith c. ibid. see Grace Fall of Man see Man Farellus 506 Father see Knowledge Revelation Fathers so called they did not Agree about some Books of the Scripture 296 303. they affirm that there are whole Verses taken out of Mark and Luke 288. concerning the Septuagint-Interpretation and the Hebrew Copy 303. they preached Universal Redemption for the first four Centuries 326. they frequently used the Word Merit in their Doctrine 387. concerning the possibility of not Sinning 397 398. the possibility of falling from Grace 400. many of them did not only contradict one another but themselves also 423 424. concerning Baptism and the Sign of the Cross 492. concerning an Oath 550. Feet Concerning the Washing of one anothers Feet 447 498 499. Christ washed the Disciples Feet 169 170. the Washing of Feet c. 651. a spiritual Washing of Feet pointed at by Christ 652. Washing of Feet observed by Christians in the Primitive Times ibid. which though Commanded with so great solemnity yet Ceased 863. Forbearance of God see God Franequer all things are set to sale at Rome to Franequer apply'd 433. Freedom from sin see Perfection Freely the Gospel ought to be preached freely 403 432 434. Nic. Arnoldus his Answer to Freely ye have received c. 433. G Games see Plays Gentiles by what Nature the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law 313 763. The Gentiles justified in doing the Law 360 362. Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian partakers of the Salvation of Christ 363. see Heathens Gifted Brethren 416. Gifts 204. diversities of Gifts Administrations and Operations from the same Spirit makes no division 220. Gifts differing according
Truth Triumphant Through the SPIRITUAL WARFARE Christian Labours AND WRITINGS Of that Able and Faithful SERVANT of JESUS CHRIST ROBERT BARCLAY Who Deceased at his own House at Vrie in the Kingdom of Scotland the 3 Day of the 8 Month 1690. Heb. xi 4. He being Dead yet speaketh LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lombard-Street MDCXCII THE Preface to the Reader WHen the Son of God had wrought that mighty Miracle of feeding 5000. persons with only five Loaves and two small Fishes he said to his Disciples Gather up the Fragments that Remain Joh. 6.12 that Nothing be Lost. This Preface no sooner fell to my share than this Passage was brought to my Mind and very aptly to the Occasion For our Blessed Lord having also Effectually Gathered and Fed his People by his Disciples in this Generation it is a Duty we Owe to God and our selves as well as to them That we Gather up the Remainder of their Testimonies of Love and Service that so nothing be Lost. To God we Owe it for his Vnspeakable Benefit to our selves for our Example and Instruction and to the Memories of such Deceased Brethren as their Just but Fairer and more lasting Monuments than those of Engraven Tables of Marble or Statues of Brass As their Works look beyond this World so their Praise will out-live it There is an Vnfading Glory in the Labours of Good Men And though Death is permitted to draw a Dark Shadow over their Persons they will Live in the Just Reputation of their Good Works the lively Characters of their Vndying Pious Minds It cannot wither their Fame or obliviate their Names On the contrary Death often silences Envy and augments their deserved Praise The Author of these Collected Labours was one of them and as he has left us so has he left These to us for his Legacy the Better Part doubtless of his Estate as befitted the Divine Nature of our Kindred Not therefore for Ostentation or to Indulge a Worldly Custome but to the Glory of the Invisible God the Edification of his Church the Benefit of all People and as a Testimony of our Respect to the Deceased Author and of his Fidelity and Service to the Truth This Ensuing Volume Reader is published as thou seest Which brings me to the Nature of it and the several Parts that do Compile it Divinity Plain Sound Christian Divinity the most Glorious and Entertaining Object of the Soul of Man is the Subject Matter of this following Book Divinity I say in all the right Senses of the Word In its first and stricter Sense to wit the Divine Nature or Godhead this is Humbly and Reverently Considered but more especially in its larger Acceptation viz. Of the Knowledge of God and those Doctrines of Truth and Order that immediately relate to the Duty we Owe to God and Man both in and out of Society In short Faith and Practice which is the Course Mankind should steer through this World to the Haven of Everlasting Rest as we cannot find a better Subject so it will be hard to find it better treated and followed not because he was more of a Scholar than some others but in that he was more Gifted than many others For this Knowledge of Divinity comes not by the Means of Vniversity-Learning but that of the School of Christ by the Illumination of his Light and Spirit and the Holy Doctrine and Discipline of his Cross in one great but true Word Regeneration which is an Experimental Science and to be had without Money and without Price and that both by Gentle and Simple Rich and Poor c. but not without Labour Pain and Travail Which made our Blessed Lord say Labour not for the Bread that perishes but for that which endureth to Everlasting Life Joh. 6.27 Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1.10 And the Apostle tells us We must work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling and give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure It consists of divers Operations but all by the same Light and Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. and because all have need of it all partake of it that they may profit by it Joh. 1.9 It Enlightens all that come into the World says the Beloved Disciple and whatsoever may be known of God his Mind and Will is manifested in them for God by the Revelation of this Light hath shewen it unto them Rom. 1.19 says the Apostle to the Romans And again Whatsoever is Reproved Ephes. 5.13 is made manifest by it It is made the Touchstone of our Lives and Conversation for we are to bring our Deeds to it Joh. 3.20 21. 1 Joh. 1.5 6 7. It leads to the Benefit of the Blood of Jesus That cleanseth from all Sin and gives us fellowship with God and one with another as his Children and People It is our Armour also against all the Fiery Darts Rom. 13.12 Rev. 21.23 24. and Furious Assaults and Crafty Workings of Satan our great and common Enemy Nay the Nations of them that are saved must walk in this Light Yea it is the Light of the Soul on Earth and the Light of the Spirit of the Just made perfect in Heaven too in the divers Degrees of it And Man is Darkness as to Divine Matters till he turns to this Blessed Light in him which is the true Manifestation of the Son of God to and in the Soul and Mind of Man the Real Seed and Root of all Divine Knowledge and Life in Man which only gives him a Sight Sense and Saviour of Divine things and of that Immortality he otherways vainly talks of i and hopes for The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord indeed when it is lighted by this Glorious Light Prov. 20.27 but in the Wicked it is said to be often put out not the Light it self but Man's Spirit which becomes a Dark Candle again as it was before it was enlightened by this true Light through his Disobedience to it It is called Light because of that Discovery it makes and sure Evidence it gives of God's Mind and Man's Duty and Ways That which is called Light is also called Spirit because of the Life and Sense it begets in the Soul of its Condition It Quickens Man that was dead in Sins and Trespasses for Sin hardens the Heart as well as darkens the Understanding And this Glorious Principle by its Spiritual Efficacy makes it Sensible Soft and Tender so that the least Sin is felt as well as discerned Not an Evil Thought passes or a Temptation to it but this Living Heart turns against it An Antipathy shews it self and Get thee behind me Satan is the determined Sentence of the Enliven'd Soul It is of this Spirit the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians and it makes almost an Intire Chapter He tells us that it searches the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. and without which Man cannot discern Spiritual things And he gives a Reason for it too grounded on his own
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
be great Peace True Peace with God but we have not come by it after such a way as thou dost falsly and rashly judge as by neglecting the Worship of God and stopping the mouth of Conscience but by being turned to that living Word and Law of God in our hearts by loving it and cleaving to it yea by receiving the reproofs and chastisements of God through it and submitting to the Judgment of it when it hath been as a hammer and as a sword and as a fire in us breaking in pieces and destroying all that false unsound Peace we had created to our selves in the day of our alienation from the light of God in us And unto Peace we are come through great tribulation of Soul even such as thou art a stranger unto being ignorant both of the one and the other and so hast therein shewed thy folly in judging what thou knowest not And as for woful security we know not where it more abounds than among hypocritical Professors The Whore's Peace who with the Whore in the Proverbs offer up their Sacrifices of Morning and Evening Prayers and thereby create a Peace to themselves though they let their hearts go a whoring after their Lusts all the day Did not the Pharisees pray much outwardly and were much in other outward practices of Devotion and so created a false peace and esteem unto themselves And can you deny but that there are many such among you who make up a false peace to themselves by leaning upon their outward performances Now what if I should charge this upon your Principle would'st thou think it fair dealing Thirdly Page 52. Thou say'st Doth not that Opinion tend to Atheism which rendreth mortification of sin even in this life useless c. Answ. Here thou dealest dis-ingenuously Is Mortification of sin useless where the end of it is attained And is not perfection the end of mortification Again thou say'st The Opinion of a sinless perfection wounds the very vitals of Religion Answ. Who could have expected that one that pretends to Religion would have been so brazen-faced as to put such an Expression in print What is the end of true Religion The end of true Religion to lead out of sin but to lead out of sin Do the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or in not sinning If it consist in sinning then they that sin most are most religious But if it consist in not sinning and keeping the Commandments of God without sin then to plead for such a thing as attainable hurteth not the vitals of Religion What! cannot the Saints live better without sin than with it Yea surely they can live well without that which is a burden and as Death unto their life they whose life is in sin cannot live but in sin but the Saints life is not in sin but in righteousness And thy consequences are vain and foolish As 1. That men need not pray for pardon of sin 2. That they need not the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from sin 3. That they need not Repentance For we grant that All have sinned and so need those things by which they may attain unto perfection and who witness perfection are come to witness the true use of these things and as the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all the sin so it preserveth clean and such have received the forgiveness of their sins being turned from them unto righteousness which is the fulfilling of Repentance And whereas thou say'st Bring me to the particular person that is sinless and I shall apply to him that of the Apostle 1 John 1.8 Thou shewest openly thy confusion for by thy applying to him that of the Apostle wouldst thou infer a sinless man to be a sinning man That is a contradiction but though we should bring a man to thee that is made free from sin by the power of God thou couldst no more judge of him than a blind man can judge of Colours And as to 1 John 1.8 it is a plain case If we say we have no sin and have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness as verse 6. then we deceive our selves So it is Conditional otherwise it would contradict what follows Verse 9. and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.6 9. As to that of the Sabbath it is answered above Page 53. Your Religion say'st thou will be welcome to the worst and wickedest of men for you will please them exceedingly in crying down of Ordinances the observation of the Sabbath and private and family Prayer c. Answ. We cry down no Ordinance of God but your hypocritical ways and we know no worse men than those Hypocrites whom we are so far from pleasing Crying down Hypocrisie pleases not the Hypocrite in crying down their hypocritical Prayers and Performances that they frâ—t and gnash at us with their Teeth and if they could get their will would tear us in pieces for witnessing against those things And they are very blind who see not that the denying of those things in shadow and bare formality and establishing them in the power and substance can no ways be acceptable to the Wicked but most unpleasing to Hypocrites who can perform the one but not the other But now let us examine whether your Principles or ours be most acceptable to the wicked and hypocrites 1. Wicked men and Hypocrites love well to hear Hypocrites and wicked mens Principles of the Priests that they can never be free from their sins in this life and that they must always sin 2. They love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them and his Righteousness without but not by him and his Righteousness within them 3. They love well to hear that the words without them are the only Rule which they can wrest according to their own corrupt Inclinations but they love not to hear that the Word and Light of God within is to be their Rule which they cannot wrest nor bend 4. They love well to hear that they may use the fashions and customs of this World bow and cringe and give and receive the Honour of this World 5. They love to hear they may use Sports and Games and Plays 6. To wear Laces and Ribbons and Gold Rings and other superfluity 7. They love well to hear that men must not expect to hear God immediately being such as those who said Let not God speak unto us 8. They love well to hear that Water-baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of God and the true Baptism and Supper for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things and they are mad against us who call them shadows And as for their Observation of that called the Sabbath we find none more plead for it than profane light men and women for they can easily dispense to hear a man talk for an hour or two and then have all the rest of the day to spend in idleness vain communication
in our mouths and in our hearts Rom. 10.8 Deut. 30.14 Moreover W. M. himself Confesseth That the Light of Christ is in Wicked Men and if so let him tell us plainly if Men ought not to take heed to the Light of Christ where it is how hath Darkness blinded him in this Matter Page 14. He repeats my words falsly alledging I say The Light is Darkness to them that Reject it instead of is as Darkness For I said plainly The Light of Christ is not nor connot be Darkness otherways than as the Day of the Lord in Scripture is called Darkness this he hath Omitted Page 15. Having sought but Ineffectually to overturn my Assertion where I say Some may have Saving Light and Grace who after a certain manner may be said not to have the Spirit Viz. as not bringing forth the Fruits of it Averring That unless I can prove that the Spirit calls upon all in Order to Conversion I cannot conclude that all have the Spirit Answ. As the one is easily proved so is the other safely concluded these are the plain words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Now it were not profitable unto them if it did not strive with them in Order to Convert them That other Scripture John 16.8 he passes over alledging I should prove the World there to be understood of All and every one though in Reason it might suffice for answer that there is nothing brought by him to shew why the word World here is not taken in its Genuine and Common Acceptation yet the Apostle solves this Scruple in the following Verse Of sin because they believe not in me Then if there All unbelievers be included is not that all and every one in the World for of the Saints there is not here any question In his second Section page 16. he beginneth with Omitting my Concession of the Benefit and Advantages that accrue to those that Believe by the outward Knowledge of Christ and mentioneth nothing of the state of the Question which was Whether any might be Saved without this outward Knowledge And to shew that some might I gave him the Instance of Deaf People and Children To which he returneth nothing but takes up the Paper to prove That the Greek Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes Translated among Which is not denied yet I shall find him twenty to one The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in this place more properly where it is rendred in and can no ways be said to be among The Question is Whether in this place 1 Cor. 2.2 it be In or Among The Reason alledged by him proves it no ways to be Among to wit That it would have been the Apostle's Grief not his Joy to know that the Light of Truth was born down Among them This was the Apostle's Joy that the Corinthians came to be sensible how they had Crucified Christ in them that so looking upon and taking heed to Him whom they had Pierced they might come to be Healed by him Page 17. He slightly passes over that expression of Paul 2 Cor. 5.16 where he saith Henceforth know we Christ no more after the flesh but after the Spirit Adduced by me to shew that Paul preferred a Spiritual Knowledge of Christ to all other As if the Apostle were here only condemning earthly thoughts of Christ as if as King of Israel he should begin a Temporal Kingdom but for this Exposition we have only the bare Authority of his own naked Assertion Page 18. For want of a true Spiritual Understanding concerning what I mean by the Inward Blood of Christ he bringeth forth his own malitious Guessings The first is That I seem to incline to Justify that which hath been charged upon some of my Brethren to wit That we are not such Fools as to hope to be Saved by that Jesus that died at Jerusalem As he hath no ground to Suspect such a thing from my words so there was never any ground for such a Charge against any owned of that People The second is That perhaps I intend that Christ as Man dwells in us There can none truly charge us with such grosness Christ's Indwelling in Man is Spiritual as to Assert the Manhood or Vessel that walked at Jerusalem is in us but if any of us have said that Christ as Man dwells in us they have said no more than the express words of Scripture 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Let your adorning be the hidden man of the heart Eph 4.24 That ye put on the new man Now what is this New Man but Christ Jesus And therefore saith the Scripture Rom. 13.14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 3.27 As many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And this is Christ whiâ—h the Apostle travelled that He might be formed in the Galatians Gal. 4.19 And whereof he Admonisheth the Corinthians that they should know Him in them else they were Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 If it be hard for W.M. to take up the meaning of these things let him acknowledge his Ignorance in the Holy Scriptures whose Language this is In his third Section page 19. he begins by offering to prove Our Principles have a tendency to introduce Paganism and to Contradict him he reckons an Impertinency But his ridiculous Vanity herein will appear by looking unto page 24. of my last Neither bringeth he any Arguments to prove this but such whereby he might conclude the same against the Apostle Paul The Quakers saith he The Light no Introduction of Paganism Speaks of a Light within to which who take heed need no Teacher And the Apostle speaks of a Knowledge or Light under the New Covenant where there is no need of a Teacher Hebr. 8.10 11. So if the tendency of the Apostle's words be not to Introduce Paganism neither are ours And because that W.M. finds that notwithstanding of this we despise not Teaching but are led even by that Light to hear and to receive the Ministry of them whom God sends he concludes that herein we are Inconsistent adding That some of us have been heard to say That we only taught to bring People off from other Teachers to mind the Light within that then they will need none which he concludes would quickly make them like such among whom the Name of Christ is not in Remembrance But he might as well seek to Infer the like hazzard and Contradiction from the plain words of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.27 Ye have an Anointing and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and yet in the mean time was Teaching them As for that Story mentioned by him Of a certain Dying Man in Aberdeen whom two Quakers pressed so much to mind Christ within The inward Knowledge of Christ preferred before the outward It inferreth nothing for his purpose for that Dying Person had
of the Saints pag. 38 39. of mine But his Impertinency will be more than manifest if the Reader do but look unto the place for I shew him how Faith was not always attended with doubting by the Example of Abraham And therefore his Example of the Light and the Air is foolish for Faith and Doubt are not only distinct Little Faith is perfect in its Measure but Opposite and not mixt as is the Air and Light and a little Gold may be perfect and unmixed with dross so may little Faith be perfect in its measure without doubting And though the knowledge and obedience of the Saints be not such as there can nothing be added unto or answerable to the infinite Love of God yet that doth not prove them in what they are to be defined His Answer to that Scripture brought by me 1 Joh. 3.9 He that 's born of God sinneth not is most Impious and Antichristian He that 's born of God sinneth not Impiously explained by W. M. as if the words imported only He maketh not a trade of sinning For accordingly he might argue that where it is said Commit no Adultery do not Steal Murder c. it is only understood that we ought not to make a trade of these sins but yet might practise them now and then Page 67. He addeth That as the Prophet Isa. 64.6 saith not All our Righteousness which is of thy working in us is as filthy Raggs What Righteousness is as filthy raggâ— so neither as we say All our Righteousness which we even the best of Saints can perform of and from themselves are as filthy Raggs from thence inferring That because of this general term All even the Righteousness of Christ in us ought to be accounted as filthy Raggs but for this he bringeth no proof and as the Prophet saith All so he saith Our which implies it to be different from the Righteousness of Christ. As he proceeds in the same page he is highly confused First he says It ought not to make us ashamed that our Righteousness understanding that which Christ works in us are as filthy raggs and then he saith That they are a special Ornament to the Soul making it in Beauty to resemble God And again to get ground he saith That as so W. M's Blasphemy Imperfection cleaveth to the very Grace of God here Absolute Blasphemy Can there be any thing more confused and contradictory than to say That which is defiled as filthy raggs is a special Ornament to the Soul or makes it in Beauty to resemble God In Answer to page 40 41. he replies nothing only grants That the Saints in Heaven are cleansed but not on Earth Which instead of Reply is a meer begging the thing in question He closeth up this Section to prove The Righteousness of the Saints is defiled with his old Instance of Clean water passing through an unclean Pipe alledging it By me not to be weakned though it do no ways answer what I said against it page 41. to wit That Spiritual Water is not like outward Water which an unclean Pipe can defile but is like the Fire and Light An outward Water not capable of defilement which though it touch unclean things cannot be defiled because every thing of the Spirit is undefilable as is the Spirit And whereas he desires me To instruct him of an outward Water which is not capable of defilement I refer him to a more diligent study in his Physicks of which it seems he is very ignorant and that he may not have reason to think this a shift let him read the Essays of the Virtuosi in France and those termed The Royal Society at London and he will find such a thing both practicable and practised He begins his fourth Section page 70. with a gross piece of dis-ingenuity in mentioning a part of my words where I say Justification is taken for making a man righteous and then it is all one with Sanctification thereupon alledging I confound Justification and Sanctification whereas he omits the very former sentence wherein I say Justification is also taken as God's Judging men unto Eternal Life But this deceit the Reader may at more length observe by looking to page 41. of my last And in that he adds Men are made righteous by an Inward Righteousness Men are not made Righteous by an inward Righteousness he doth greatly declare his Ignorance for if men can really be made Righteous without Righteousness be really in them by that which is wholly in another then they might as well be really made holy without any inward Holiness and this were rather to confound that which God distinguisheth and to alter the Scripture-sense of the word Justifie He alledgeth That Phil. 3.8 disclaims the Righteousness of Christ but brings no proof for it And as to his Commentaries he must advert he is not in the Pulpit and must bring nothing here without probation And whereas I shew That this Argument from 2 Cor. 5.12 is most absurd and impious because accordingly it would follow that as Christ was made Sin for us who of himself knew no Sin no not in the least so we may be made righteous before God though we have no Holiness no Faith no good thing wrought in us he terms this an impudent wresting of his Words alledging That the strength of his Argument lieth in that As our Sins are inherent in us and imputed to Christ W. M's Gloss of Imputed Righteousness so his Righteousness is inherent in him and imputed to us but he doth not shew me how this in the least solves the Consequence above deduced which followeth as before And as for that Excellent gloss which he says A certain one put on these words it would appear the more such that it had some shadow of proof for it It is with a Fool 's Consequence that he calleth This which I shew was deduceable from his Words my Inference charging me with it as if I were Impious and absurd to imagine that God should accept one as Righteous in his sight and yet his Person remain abhorred as an unholy Sinner Did I ever assert any such thing or can there be any thing more ridiculous than for him to dream I imagine that to be true which I reprove in him as false absurd and impious In the like manner he condemns me as Impious for insinuating That they are against inward holiness seeing as he says They profess that without holiness none can see God It is true they say so some times and therein often contradict themselves as is above remarked yet seeing they look not upon it as any ways necessary to Justification and term the best of it but as filthy raggs their seeming to plead for it doth but bewray their ignorance and confusion Now whereas to prove that Works of the pure Spirit of God are not all as filthy raggs I did inquire of him if the Apostles did sin in writing the
not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Q. These Scriptures do sufficiently hold forth that the true Call to the Ministry is from God that which maketh a Minister is the Gift and Grace of God that the true and effectual Preaching of a faithful Minister is such Maintenance as is from the inward Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God But what say the Scriptures touching the Maintainance of Ministers Gal. 6.6 A. Let him that is taught in the Word Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good Things 1 Cor. 9.11 12 13 14. If we have sown unto you Spiritual Things is it a great matter if we shall reap Carnal Things If others be Partakers of this Power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this Power but suffer all Things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy Things live of the Things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordain'd that they which preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel For the Scripture saith 1 Tim. 5.18 Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward Q. I perceive by these Scriptures that there lieth an Obligation upon the Saints to help with Outward Things such as truly Minister unto them Spiritual but this seems to be Voluntary Ought not therefore true Ministers to preach whether they be sure of this or not What saith the Apostle of himself in this Case and what adviseth he others 1 Cor 9.15 16 17 18. A. But I have used none of These Things neither have I written those things that it should be so done unto me for it were better for me to die than that any Man should make my Glorying void For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to Glory of for Necessity is laid upon me yea Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this Thing willingly I have a Reward but if against my Will a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me what is my Reward then Verily that when I Preach the Gospel I make the Gospel of Christ without Charge that I abuse not my Power in the Gospel Acts 20.33 34 35. I have Coveted no Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel yea your selves know that these Hands have ministred unto my Necessities and to them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so Labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Q. It 's observable that the Apostle every where makes special mention among the Qualifications of Teachers that they be not given to Filthy Lucre What ought we then to think of these Teachers as will not preach without Hire yea that will by Violence take from those who receive no Spirituals from them Are they like to be the Ministers of Christ or what else saith the Scripture of such Isa. 56.11 A. Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter * Ezek. 34.2 3 8. Son of Man Prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel Prophesie and say unto them year 1675 Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds Wo to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves Should not the Shepherds feed the Flook Ye eat the Fat and ye cloath you with the Woll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the Flock As I live saith the Lord God surely because my Flock became a Prey and my Flock became Meat to every Beast of the Field because there was no Shepherd neither did my Shepherds search for my Flock but The Shepherds fed themselves and fed not my Flock Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People Err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace Mich. 3 5 11. and he that puts not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us None evil can come upon us Q. These are plain Testimonies from the Prophets Are there none such from the Apostles A. Perverse Disputings of Men of Corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 6 7 8 9 10. from such withdraw thy self But Godliness with Contentment is great Gain For we brought nothing into the World and it 's certain we can carry nothing out and having Food and Raiment let us therewith be content But they that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil which while some Coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows For Men shall be Lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers 2 Tim. 2.3 Disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy For there are many unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers Tit. 1.10 11. especially they of the Circumcision whose Mouths must be stop'd who subvert whole Houses teaching things which they ought not for Filthy Lucre's sake But there were false Prophets also among the People 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3 14 15. even as there shall be False Teachers among you who privately shall bring in Damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift Destruction And many shall follow their Pernicious Ways by reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be Evil spoken of And through Covetousness shall they with feigned Words make Merchandize of you whose Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their Damnation slumbereth not Having Eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from Sin beguiling unstable Souls an Heart they have exercised with Covetous practices Cursed Children which have forsaken the Right Way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the Wages of Vnrighteousness Wo unto them For they have gone in the Way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward Jude 11 16. and perished in the Gain-saying of Corah These are Murmurers Complainers walking after their own Lust and their Mouth speaketh great Swelling Words year 1673 having Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage Q Ought there to be any Order in the Church of God A. Let all things be done decently and in Order 1 Cor. 14.40 Q What good Order is prescribed
observation is reserved for the Arising of the Sun and its shining in full brightness And we can from a certain Experience boldly affirm that the not waiting for this but building among yea and with the Old Popish Rubbish and setting up before a full purgation hath been to most Protestants the foundation of many a Mistake and an occasion of unspeakable Hurt Therefore the Lord God who as he seeth meet doth communicate and make known to man the more full The more full Discovery of the Gospel reserved to this our Age. evident and perfect Knowledge of his Everlasting Truth hath been pleased to Reserve the more full Discovery of this Glorious and Evangelical Disensation to this our Age albeit divers Testimonies have thereunto been born by some noted Men in several Ages as shall hereafter appear And for the greater augmentation of the Glory of his Grace that no man might have whereof to boast he hath raised up a few Despicable and Illiterate Men and for the most part Mechanicks to be the Dispensators of it by which Gospel all the Scruples Doubts Hesitations and Objections above-mentioned are easily and evidently answered and the Justice as well as Mercy of God according to their Divine and heavenly Harmony Exhibited Established and Confirmed According to which certain Light and Gospel as the knowledge thereof hath been manifested to us by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in us fortified by our own sensible Experience and sealed by the Testimony of the Spirit in our hearts we can confidently Affirm and clearly Evince according to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures the following Points § XI First That GOD who out of his Infinite Love sent his Son the Prop. I Lord Jesus Christ into the World who tasted Death for every man hath given to every man whether Jew or Gentile Turk or Scythian Indian or Barbarian A Day of Visitation to all of whatsoever Nation Country or Place a Certain Day or Time of Visitation during which Day or Time it is possible for them to be Saved and to partake of the Fruit of Christ's Death Prop. II Secondly That for this end God hath Communicated and given unto every man a Measure of the Light of his own Son a Measure of Grace or a Measure of the Spirit A Measure of Light in all which the Scripture expresseth by several names as sometimes of the Seed of the Kingdom Matth. 13.18 19. The Light that makes all things manifest Eph. 5.13 The Word of God Rom. 10.18 or Manifestation of the Spirit given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 A Talent Matth. 25.15 A little Leaven The Gospel preached in every Creature Col. 1.23 Thirdly That God in and by this Light and Seed invites calls exhorts and strives with every man in order to save them which as it is received and not resisted works the Salvation of all even of those who Prop. III are ignorant of the Death and Sufferings of Christ and of Adam's Fall God's Sâ—lvatation wrought by the Light in all both by bringing them to a sense of their own Misery and to be sharers in the Sufferings of Christ inwardly and by making them partakers of his Resurrection in becoming holy pure and righteous and recovered out of their sins By which also are saved they that have the Knowledge of Christ outwardly in that it opens their Understanding rightly to use and apply the things delivered in the Scriptures and to receive the Saving Vse of them But that this may be Resisted and Rejected in both in which then God is said to be Resisted and Pressed down and Christ to be again Crucified and put to open shame in and among men And to those as thus Resist and Refuse him he becomes their Condemnation First then According to this Doctrine the Mercy of God is excellently Consequences 1 well exhibited in that none are necessarily shut out from Salvation and his Justice is demonstrated in that he Condemns none but such to whom he really made Offer of Salvation affording them the Means sufficient thereunto Secondly This Doctrine if well weighed will be found to be the Cons. 2 Foundation of Christianity Salvation and Assurance Thirdly It agrees and answers with the Whole Tenor of the Gospel-Promises Cons. 3 and Threats and with the nature of the Ministry of Christ according to which the Gospel Salvation Repentance is commanded to be preached to Every Creature without respect of Nations Kindreds Families or Tongues Fourthly It magnifies and commends the Merits and Death of Christ in Cons. 4 that it not only accounts them sufficient to save all but declares them to be brought so nigh unto all as thereby to be put into the nearest Capacity of Salvation Fifthly It Exalts above all the Grace of God to which it attributeth Cons. 5 all good even the least and smallest Actions that are so ascribing thereunto not only the first beginnings and motions of good but also the whole Conversion and Salvation of the Soul Sixthly It Contradicts Overturns and Enervates the false Doctrine Cons. 6 of the Pelagians Semi-Pelagians Socinians and others who exalt the Light of Nature the Liberty of Man's Will in that it wholly excludes the natural man from having any place or portion in his own Salvation by any acting moving or working of his own until he be first quickned raised up and acted by God's Spirit Seventhly As it Makes the whole Salvation of Man solely and alone to Cons. 7 depend upon God so it makes his Condemnation wholly and in every respect to be of himself in that he refused and resisted somewhat that from God wrestled and strove in his heart and forces him to acknowledge God's just Judgment in rejecting him and forsaking of him Eighthly It takes away all ground of Despair in that it gives every Cons. 8 one ground of Hope and certain Assurance that they may be saved neither doth feed any in Security in that none are certain how soon their Day may Expire and therefore it is a constant Incitement and Provocation and lively Incouragement to every man to forsake evil and close with that which is good Ninthly It wonderfully commends as well the Certainty of the Christian Religion among Infidels as it manifests its own Verity to all in that it 's confirmed and established by the Experiences of all men seeing there was never yet a man found in any place of the Earth however barbarous Cons. 9 and wild but hath acknowledged that at some time or other less or more he hath found somewhat in his heart reproving him for some things Evil which he hath done threatning a certain horror if he continued in them as also promising and communicating a certain peace and sweetness as he hath given way to it and not resisted it Cons. 10 Tenthly It wonderfully sheweth the excellent Wisdom of God by which he hath made the means of Salvation so Vniversal and Comprehensive that it is not needful to recur to those miraculous and
Outward Prayer is when as the Spirit being thus in the Exercise of Inward Retirement and feeling the Breathing of the Spirit of God to arise powerfully in the Soul receives strength and liberty What Outward Prayer is by a supperadded Motion and Influence of the Spirit to bring forth either audible Sighs Groans or Words and that either in publick Assemblies or in private or at Meat c. As then Inward Prayer is necessary at all times so so long as the Day of every man's Visitation lasteth Inward Prayer necessary at all times he never wants some Influence less or more for the practice of it because he no sooner retires his Mind and considers himself in God's Presence but he finds himself in the Practice of it Outward Prayer doth require a superadded Influence The Outward Exercise of Prayer as needing a greater and superadded Influence and Motion of the Spirit as it cannot be continually practised so neither can it be so readily so as to be effectually performed until his Mind be some time acquainted with the Inward therefore such as are diligent and watchful in their minds and much retired in the Exercise of this Inward Prayer are more capable to be frequent in the use of the Outward because that this holy Influence doth more constantly attend them and they being better acquainted with and accustomed to the Motions of God's Spirit can easily perceive and discern them And indeed as such who are most diligent have a near Access to God and he taketh most delight to draw them by his Spirit to Approach and Call upon him so when many are gathered together in this watchful Mind God doth frequently pour forth the Spirit of Prayer among them and stir them thereunto to the edifying and building up of one another in Love But because this Outward Prayer depends upon the Inward as that which must follow it and cannot be acceptably performed but as attended with a superadded Influence and Motion of the Spirit therefore cannot we prefix set Times to pray outwardly We cannot fix set times to Speak and Pray to Tempe God so as to lay a necessity to speak words at such and such times whether we feel this heavenly Influence and Assistance or no for that we judge were a Tempting of God and a coming before him without due Preparation We think it fit for us to present our selves before him by this Inward Retirement of the Mind and so to proceed further as his Spirit shall help us and draw us thereunto and we find that the Lord accepts of this yea and seeth meet sometimes to exercise us in this Silent place for the Trial of our Patience without allowing us to speak further that he may teach us not to Rely upon outward performances or satisfie our selves as too many do with the Saying of our Prayers and that our dependence upon him may be the more firm and constant to Wait for the holding out of his Scepter and for his allowance to draw near unto him and with greater freedom and enlargement of Spirit upon our hearts towards him Yet nevertheless we do not deny but sometimes God upon particular occasions very suddenly yea upon the very first Turning-in of the Mind may give power and liberty to bring forth Words or Acts of outward Prayer so as the Soul can scarce discern any previous Motion but the Influence and Bringing forth thereof may be as it were simul semel nevertheless that saying of Bernard is true that All prayer is tepid Such Sin as are neglecting Prayer which hath not an Inspiration prevening it Though we affirm that none ought to go about Prayer without this Motion yet we do not deny but such Sin as neglect Prayer but their Sin is in that they come not to that place where they may feel that that would lead them thereunto And therefore we question not but many through neglect of this Inward Watchfulness and Retiredness of Mind miss many precious opportunities to Pray and thereby are guilty in the sight of God yet would they Sin if they should set about the Act until they first felt the Influence For as he grosly offends his Master that lieth in his Bed and sleeps and neglects to do his Master's Business A Forward and a Careless Servant answer not their plight yet if such a one should suddenly get up and without putting on his Cloaths or taking along with him those necessary Tools and Instruments without which he could not possibly Work should forwardly fall a doing to no purpose he would be so far thereby from Repairing his former Fault that he would justly incur a new Censure and as one that is Careless and other ways Busied may miss to hear one speaking unto him or even not hear the Bell of a Clock though striking hard by him so may many through negligence miss to hear God often-times calling upon them and giving them access to pray unto him yet will not that allow them without his liberty in their own wills to fall to Work And lastly Though this be the only true and proper Method of Prayer as that which is alone acceptable to God yet shall we not deny but he often-times answered the Prayers and concurred with the Desires of some especially in the times of Darkness In times of Darkness God did often hear their Prayers who have greatly Erred herein so that some that have sate down in formal Prayer though far wrong in the matter as well as manner without the Assistance or Influence of God's Spirit yet have found him to take occasion there-through to break in upon their Souls and wonderfully Tender and Refresh them yet as in preaching and elsewhere hath afore been observed that will not prove any such Practices or be a just Let to hinder any from coming to practise that Pure Spiritual and Acceptable Prayer which God is again restoring and leading his people into out of all Superstitions and meer Empty Formalities The State of the Controversy and our Sense thereof being thus clearly stated will both obviate many Objections First Spiritual Prayer prov'd from Scripture and make the Answer to others more Brief and Easie. I shall first prove this Spiritual Prayer by some short Considerations from Scripture and then Answer the Objections of our Opposers which will also serve to Refute their Method and Manner thereof § XXII And First I. God's Spirit must be felt to move the Mind to Prayer That there is a Necessity of this Inward Retirement of the Mind as previous to Prayer that the Spirit may be felt to draw thereunto appears for that in most of those places where Prayer is commanded Watching is prefixed thereunto as necessary to go before as Matth. 24.42 Mark 13.33.14 38. Luk. 21.36 From which it is evident that this Watching was to go before Prayer Now to what end is this Watching or what is it but a Waiting to feel God's Spirit to
of their own Party think is not any Spot in their Religion so little are they looked upon among their own Yet those that are Curious may also have that first Part. As for this second Part wherein our Principles are handled we judge we deal with the Clergy in General however they seek to shift it and hide themselves since their Book is Licensed by the Bishop of Edinburgh and he being challenged said He did it not without a Recommendation from Aberdeen So that no Man of Reason can deny but they are accountable for the Errours and Impertinencies which we have herein observed which we leave Reader to thy serious Examination remaining Thy Friends R. B. G. K. THE CONTENTS SECTION I. COncerning Immediate Revelation SECT II. The Students Argument against the Spirit 's being the Rule proved one with the Jesuit Dempster's SECT III. Concerning the Supper Perfection and Womens Speaking SECT IV. Concerning the Necessity of Immediate Revelations to the Building up of True Faith SECT V. Concerning Worship SECT VI. Concerning Baptism SECT VII Concerning the Ministry SECT VIII Concerning Liberty of Conscience The CONCLUSION Wherein their Observations upon R. B. his Offer and their last Section of the Q. Revilings as they term them are Examined Quakerism Confirmed year 1675 SECTION I. Concerning Immediate Revelation Wherein the Second Part of the Students Book from pag. 44. to pag. 66. is Answered IN their first Section they alledge We do wickedly put many Indignities upon the Holy Scriptures and that we monopolize the Spirit to our selves Which are gross Lies But that they are against the Spirit is no malicious Accusation but a Truth as will appear to any true Discerner Their comparing us when we plead for the Spirit to them who cried The Temple The Temple is Unequal and Profane They that cried The Temple The Temple rejected the Spirit of God and relied too much on the Temple and outward Priviledges but dare they blame any for relying too much on the Spirit of God Again in their first Sub-section they commit a gross Deceit in which they follow G. M. their Master who useth the same in his Manuscript to us in alledging They are more for the Spirit than we because they affirm That the Efficacy of the Spirit is Insuperable For we do affirm Operations of the Spirit may be Resisted That the Efficacy of the Spirit is in a true Sense Insuperable as namely where the Mind is well disposed See R. B. his Thesis where he useth the Word Insuperably But that the Spirit doth Insuperably move or irresistibly force the ill-disposed Minds of all in whom it operates is False and contrary to Scripture which saith That Some Resist the Spirit yea and is contrary to the Experience of all who are acquainted with the Spirit 's Workings that know that the Spirit many Times worketh so gently that his Operation may be resisted Therefore said the Apostle Quench not the Spirit Now that Doctrine which is contrary both to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it Again how are they more for the Spirit than we seeing they affirm The Spirit 's Influence is but only Effective as having no Evidence in it self sufficiently to demonstrate that it is of God We say it hath as being both Effective and Objective 2. They say The Influence of the Spirit is only given to some We say To all 3. They say It is so weak that it can bring none to a perfect Freedom from Sin in this Life though never so much improved We say it can Yea. 4. They say commonly year 1676 The Influence of the Spirit cannot keep the best Saint one Moment from Sin We say It can keep them for whole Days yea always if they improve it as well as they can 5. They say A Man may and ought to pray without the Spirit Which we deny And so we leave it to the Judicious if here they do not commit a gross Deceit Lastly in their stating the Question they accuse us falsly As if we did hold that all Men ought to judge and examine all the material Objects of Faith and Articles of Religion by Inward Revelations As if all Men were bound to an Impossibility All Men have not all the Material Objects of Faith propounded unto them Accidental Objects of Faith for some of the Material Objects of Faith are meerly Accidental unto all Mens Salvation As to believe that Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac Jacob c. Others although not Accidental yet are but Integral Parts and not Essential of Christian Religion such as the Outward History of Christ c. and so by this Distinction divers of thefe Arguments are answered without more ado especially the first two where they spend much Paper fighting with their own Shadow telling us That the Heathens have no Revelations shewing the Birth Passion Resurrection c. of Jesus Christ Which we do grant For the Belief of such Things is only necessary to them to whom they are propounded and the Scriptures alledged by them at most prove no more It were a needless Labour and not worth the Pains to answer particularly to all their Impertinencies Follies and Blasphemies which they obtrude upon us as Arguments and in the Issue their last Probations resolve into meer Assertions as much denied by us as the things they undertake to Refute Therefore upon each Section or Sub-section we shall but take notice what their Arguments resolve into at last and as there is occasion set down some Propositions that may serve as a Key to open the Reader 's way through all these Heaps of Confusion and Blasphemy wherewith they fill their Pages As for the Scriptures brought by them Arg. 1. as Isa. 9.2 Matth. 4.16 Psal. 147.19 20. These prove not that they had no Light for the Light shineth in Darkness Joh. 1. And Prov. 29.18 doth not import That People have wanted Vision from the beginning but that for some Time they may want it to wit when their Day of Visitation is over which we deny not And whereas they tell us That the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often to be translated among and therefore so to be Col. 1.26 and other Places alledged by us we deny this Consequence And that they say The Apostle is speaking of the outward Preaching of Christ Col. 1.26 is their bare Assertion without any Proof Also in their first Argument they alledge a gross Vntruth upon G. K. as if he did hold in his Book of Immediate Revelation pag. 11. That the Jews generally under the Law had no Immediate Revelation in the Seed Let the Place be read and it will clear G. K. where he distinguisheth a Two-fold sort of Revelation in the Seed according to a Two-fold Condition of the Seed The first sort of Revelation is more hid and obscure Revelation universal and particular the Seed not being compleatly formed but as under Ground The second is more manifest and clear
Students tell us whether in their esteem they deserve a better Designation Now that to use Proverbs in things written even from the Spirit of Truth is no Inconsistency let them read Tit. 1.12 To use Proverbs is not Inconsistent with Truth Evil beasts slow bellies 2 Pet. 2.22 The dog is returned c. and the sow to the puddle But to proceed they offer to prove the Spirit in the Quakers not to be the Spirit of God because it teaches Doctrines contrary to the Scriptures The first Instance of this is The Quakers denying the necessity of the Continuance of the use of Bread and Wine as an Ordinance in the Church which they alledge pag. 67. is Commanded Matth. 26.26 Mark 14.21 Luke 22.19 But the Students may look over these places and find if they can any thing in the first two of Matth. and Mark like a Command The Use of Bread and Wine discontinued but only a meer Narrative of the Matter of Fact In that of Luke these Words are added Do this in remembrance of me They proceed to prove that this is not Ceased of its own nature carping at these Words of R. B. in his first Answer to W. M. pag. 54 55. where he saith The very Institution intimates the Abolishing thereof at Christ's Coming Insinuating as if he had mistaken himself for his Words say they allude to Paul 's 1 Cor. 11. and not to Christ's But while they take a Liberty to judge of his Thoughts they do but shew their own forwardness to Mistake For either these Words of Christ's in Luke above-mentioned do import They should do that in Remembrance of him until he came or they do not If they do not the Students give away their own Cause If they do then he might allude to that as being there included though not expressed As often c. implies no Continuance They urge The Coming of Christ mentioned must be his Coming to Judgment because these to whom Christ was come in Spirit do use it But this proves not That they then practised it by way of Necesary Duty more than their practising other things which our Adversaries themselves do acknowledge do not Continue nor are not Binding But they proceed pag. 69. to prove it Commanded since from the Apostle's words 1 Cor. 11. And to prove that this was not a meer Narrative of a Matter of Fact as we truly affirm but a Command they Affirm first That he often gives the Title of the Lord's Supper to it even as received by those Corinthians For Answer the Students must needs be like themselves and as they often belied us so they use the Apostle the same way For not only in this Chapter or Epistle but in all Paul's Epistles these Words the Lord's Supper are only once mentioned so not often Secondly verse 20. where he useth these Words thus When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lord's Supper It is so far from making for them that it makes clearly against them And the Syriack Copy hath not in that 20. ver nor elswhere these Words The Lord's Supper at all but in lieu of it when then ye meet together not as ye ought to do in the day of the Lord. For the Apostle clearly here asserts that the Corinthians in their using of Bread and Wine did not eat the Lord's Supper He says not they did not eat it as they ought Secondly they urge That the Apostle received of the Lord a Command to take eat do this This is strongly alledged but we deny it and let them prove it For Proof they give none unless we may take an Example for a Proof in which they beg the Question For unless that alledged Minion of the King should tell these Citizens he came to that he had received Order to Command them to obey the Decree repeated by him the Example says nothing But that the Apostle has signified any such thing to us we deny and it remains for them to prove Thirdly They alledge That since the Apostle reproves them for Abuses in the use of this and to rectifie those brings them back to the Institution the duty of Receiving it may be much more concluded from the same Institution Answer this is their bare Affirmation The Abuses committed in practising a Ceremony may be regulated by telling the proper Rise Vse and End of it and yet the using it may not be an Absolute Duty The Apostle says how those that observe Days ought to do it to the Lord it will not therefore follow that the Observation of Days is a Duty Incumbent upon all Yea the Apostle in that Place expresly asserts the Contrary Their fourth Reason is yet more Ridiculous The Apostle insinuates that it is a Duty because of the first Word FOR that which I have c. Who but the Students would Argue at this rate such kind of Reasons serve to shew their Folly not to confirm their Opinions As do these that follow with their old Example of the King's Minion In all which they miserably beg the Question taking for granted That it is a standing Statute Which is the thing remains to them yet to prove In the end of this page they desire to join the Word OFTEN which say they evidenceth it was a practice to be Continued in And here they insult because that R. B. in answer to W. M. arguing thus from this Word Often did Reply That thence it would not follow That As often as a man sins he offends God did import we should sin often Here they say R. B. egregiously shews his Folly and Impiety because they never did argue from the Word OFTEN precisely But their Brother W. M. to whom he then Answered did precisely Argue from it whose express Words in his pretended Sober Answer are pag. 92. It may be observed That the Corinthians were to be often in the use of it because it is said as often as ye eat c. So since he argued from the Word Often his answer was proper nor have they brought any thing to weaken it And whereas they add Who will say that ever sin was instituted by God R. B. never said so but yet that weakens not his Retortion nor strengthens their Argument from the Word Often As may appear in a thing truly Instituted by God and yet unlawful else as Often as a Man Marrieth he is bound to his Wife might be said to Import that it were a Duty Incumbent upon Men to Marry often or unlawful to forbear Their Fifth Reason is A Regulating Prescription is no Commanding Injunction because the Apostle prescribes the right Method of using it For they alledge If it had been indifferent he would have rather forbidden it as useless c. This is no Argument but their bare Conjecture in which they would be wiser than the Apostle and we have answered it before shewing the Apostle gives Rules to rectifie the Observation of Days
they once had in their Foederal Head according to his Phrase and Notion Another of his alledged Mistakes is that I say They Affirm God did decree Men should not obey but whether these Passages I cited out of their Authors do not make out this the Reader may judge yea his Confession doth Asscribe the With-holding of Mercy which is the Means to Agree to the Decree of Reprobation so that all the Fig-leaf-Coverings whereby this Man would fain shelter this Opinion contrary to their Publick Confessions of Faith and positive Sentences of their Chief Doctors are too short and narrow to hide the Vgliness of it He Confesseth the Ancients say little of this before Augustin I never so used their Testimony as to build my Faith upon it or to reject their Doctrine meerly for its Dissent from them which he Insinuates and yet to his own Self-contradiction Confesseth I say I would not much regard all that if it had any Ground in Scripture And he denies not his Vnion with the Dominicans J. B. rejecting the Chief and first Reformers And that he may shew how little he cares for good Company he willingly Rejecteth the Chief and First Reformers to wit the Lutherans whom according to his Charity he denieth so much as the Name of Reformed Protestants ¶ 3. Pag. 146. n. 16. He cometh to prove That this their Doctrine maketh not God the Author of Sin but he laboureth here like a Man in a Sweat and giveth so little of a direct Answer as scarce deserves any Reply Such as amounts to this being by way of Retortion That if I acknowledge God fore-saw Sin permitted it and might have hindred it I will make God the Author of Sin too But I deny the parity and he has forgotten to prove it His other Answer is from the Authority of Cicero and Plautus who oppose Author to Dissuasor and then he asketh Whether they say God perswadeth any Man to sin Zanchy's Erroneous Doctrine That God moves the Thief to Killing But Zanchius one of their Doctors saith He moves the Thief to kill and that he sinneth God putting him yea forcing him to it And sure that 's more than perswading But the Poor Man must be at a low Ebb when he is forced to go to the Heathens of whom he has expressed he has so mean Thoughts for a Shelter to his Doctrine At last to come off with some seeming Credit he desires me to Confute the Apostle Rom. 9.11 12 13. because that he thinks from that as much as from their Doctrine this Charge may be Inferred but here he doth only only beg the Question He and I do both Agree That the Apostle makes not God the Author of Sin but it doth not thence follow That their Doctrine doth not Infer it since from the positive Saying of their Doctors and the Doctrine it self it is manifest as is more largly shewen in my Apology and this remains yet by him to be Removed For his desiring me to Refute the Apostle is no more Answer than if to all his Arguments in his Book I should only say Confute the Scripture which contains our Doctrine and therefore dispute no more against us until thou first do that would he reckon this sufficient As for their Misapprehensions of Rom. 9. he may find them Refuted in many Authors that have written upon that Subject particularly in the Examination of West Confess of Faith Chap. 3. to which I Refer him To the Citations I give him of their Authors making God the Author of Sin he saith If they give more Ground than the very Expressions of Scripture he will not own them And what then the Consequence is but very small whether he will or not It is enough for me that I have shewen the Absurdity of their Doctrine which even by the Testimony of their Chief Doctors makes God the Author of Sin unless he will reply All this is nothing because I J. B. will not own them And if to say He that forceth another to do a thing is the Cause and Author of it who without Contradicting their own Reason can deny they make God the Author of Sin As for the many Testimonies of Scripture brought by him I own them and both Agree they make not God the Author of Sin but that the Saying of their Divines doth it what is above said doth Evince Pag. 149. He cometh but as may be observed Calvinists Distinction between the Revealed and Secret Will of God unwillingly to Vindicate the Twofold Will they ascribe to God the one Revealed by which he commands Men to Repent and the other Secret and quite Contrary How he is pained here the Reader may observe by his Ifs and And 's thinking to turn it by without any direct Answer The Sum of what he saith resolves in this That the Purpose of God is not of the same Nature with his Command But what if that should be granted The Question is Whether they be quite Contrary and that in respect to one and the same Subject so that when a Man is Commanded by God to do a thing by his secret Purpose he is forced to do the quite Contrary Pag. 150. n. 19. He comes to Answer my Saying That their affirming Man sinneth willingly will not avail because according to them his propensity of Inclination to sin is necessarily Imposed upon him by God To this instead of Answer he refers me to Rom. 9. of which before and for want of Reason he falls a Railing calls me a proud Quaker saying I Agent the Devil's Cause But whether that be to Remove my Objection or Vindicate their Doctrine the Reader may judge Pag. 151. n. 20. In Answer to my shewing their Doctrine is Injurious to God because it maketh him delight in the Death of a Sinner Contrary to Ezek. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.3 2 Pet. 3.9 he saith nothing directly but would be Retorting That If I prove any thing from this then I must say That God did absolutely Decree J. B's silly Shifts and Evasions overturned that all Men should be Saved but I deny this Consequence Albeit it is Injurious to God to say He decreeth that which he declareth to take no delight in it will not follow that it is Injurious to him to say He permitteth what he delighteth not in For on all hands it is Confessed he permitteth Sin and yet on no hand that he delighteth in Sin so that this Injuriousness of their Doctrine to God is no ways Removed by him albeit he would fain be mincing and covering it saying They do not say that God purposes to punish any not for their Sins but meerly to satisfy his own Pleasure but such silly shifts must only satisfy blind Men. Do not they say God purposed to damn Many to Eternal Torment and that Sin is no ways the Cause of this Purpose And will he say to be Eternally Tormented is no Punishment And was not this a purpose to punish Men and not
c. For he doth not say here that All he died for are made Alive but that they that are made Alive should so live neither doth the saying Christ has born the sins of all in his own Body on the Tree Import any being actually freed of the Guilt of Sin until they receive the Condition as above Be ye therefore Reconciled unto God But he overturns what he earnestly pleaded for before p. 310. N. 23. where he saith They own not that Reconciliation was so perfected by Christ on Earth that there is nothing to be done by Man in order to his Actual Justification If so than no Man is Actually Justified until something be done by him and this doing Imports a Work so here a Work of Man is necessary for Justification and this is rather more than I say And if something be to be done on Man's part ere Actual Justification be obtained then that which is done by Christ before must be only a Potential Justification and what is this more than a Capacity of being Justified Which yet he batters against in me J. B. proves to be One with the Antinomian Doctrines and yet he must Confess this to distinguish himself from the Antinomians whose Opinions albeit he divers times disclaims yet he shews not how he can liberate himself from it and therefore in Contradiction to what is here observed both his Assertions and Proofs resolve in the Antinomian Doctrine and conclude for it as much as for him which I might therefore pass all as Impertinent But for Instance his great Example of a Cautioner or Surety used often as pag. 299.310 311. for when a Cautioner pays a Man's Debt for him so soon as he lays down the Money which is a sufficient Intimation to him to whom the Debt is due the Person for whom it is paid is really Acquitted albeit he have done no Act yea know not of it and this as I observed before himself acknowledgeth in the Application saying p. 304. That some who are united to Christ by Grace and surely such are Justified can neither see it nor acknowledge it So then if this Example of his Surety hold true Men are Justified before they Believe The Antinomians Imputative Justification Refuted as say the Antinomians and therefore all the Scriptures brought by him p. 308. to prove That Christ made a proper real and full Satisfaction in the behalf of Men will conclude for the Antinomians as much as for him whereas p. 314. he looks upon it as a Calumny to say They speak not of a real Justification for he concludes p. 312. That Imputative Justification is Real He argues for the Antinomians also since he accounts this Imputation to be only of Righteousness wrought without Men by Christ in his own Person for if by this Imputation Men be really Justifyed then they are as much or at least as really Justifyed before they believe as after since Faith is an Act of Man's will and no such thing according to him can have place in Justification and yet to go round he saith p. 308. That they say not That God Justifieth any remaining in their Sins But do they not say so since taking his Opinion the safest way and furthest from Antinomians he concludeth A Man Justified in the Act of Conversion And such he supposes to have been great Sinners yea and that they may not be purged from them many years after yea and how can they if they must Sin daily as they say in Thought Word and Deed of which more hereafter Are not such then Remaining in their Sins according to them Justified Pag. 306. N. 26. he would Infer a Contradiction upon me from saying Good Works are necessary as Causa sine qua non for this he saith Contradicts my saying We are Justifyed by the Inward Birth Good Works are the Consequence or Effect of Regeneration and not by our Works seeing Works being but the Consequence of that Birth are but the Effect even as Causa sine qua non must be before the Effect on which he also insists p. 319. n. 38. But this Contradiction is founded upon the Supposition that this Birth is brought forth without good Works which I deny seeing Regeneration is a Work of the Spirit in us by which we are Justifyed that is really made Just and the Works which proceed therefrom are but a Consequence of it And now as to his Proofs and also his Examining of mine they are inserted pag. 204. n. 13. where he saith That the Redemption of Christ is a far other thing and hath far other Effects than to make Men Capable of Salvation even Remission of Sins But I never denied but that it brought Remission of Sins to such as embrace and receive it neither do the Scriptures cited by him prove more 2 Cor. 5.19 Dan. 9 24-26 Col. 1.19 20. Ephes. 1 11-15 Joh. 17.2 Heb. 9.12 13. 2 Cor. 1. v. 20. none of which speak of the Reconciliation made by Christ to be in it self more Reconciliation made by Christ laid hold on by Believers than procuring a Capacity of Salvation otherways than as received and laid hold-on by Believers and when it is spoken of with respect to such I never denied but it was more for the Capacity is brought unto Action He addeth The very Texts cited by my self make against me Eph. 2.15 He died to make in himself of Twain one new Man so making Peace ver 13. but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ Asking Was this only a Capacity of coming near But the Apostle here speaks of those who had Received and not Resisted the benefit of that Capacity And whereas he saith 1 Joh. 4.10 The Son of God's being said to be a Propitiation for our Sins is more than a meer Possibility of Friendship But doth not the same Apostle say He is a Propitiation for the whole World yet he did not actually Reconcile the whole World save in a Capacity Ezek. 16.6 he giveth a Question instead of Answer 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sins should live unto Righteousness by whose Stripes ye were healed Noting 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered that he might bring us to God but it saith not that Christ by his Sufferings did bring us to God which would have more made for his purpose and though it had been so yet neither that nor what is above cited prove any thing being spoken to those who had received the Second Redemption as well as the first Then he notes these following Col. 1.14 Gal. 1.4.3 13.14.4 5. Rev. 5.9 10 and 14.3 4. Tit. 2.13 all which I have looked but find not that they prove what he intends some were spoken not only to those who had already received the Benefit of Christ's Death here but of such as were already glorified in Heaven if
he think they will prove his matter he must shew How the next time he writes ¶ 4. Pag. 309. N. 21. He brings my Argument shewing That where there is a perfect Reconciliation there is no Separation Why doth God then so often Complain of his People for their Sins from this it would follow that Sin made no Separation or that their good Works and worst Sins are the same in God's Account His Answer to this is J. B's Faith that God declares Men Just whilst in their wickedness That a Man may be in a Justified State and declared Just because Constituted so albeit unrighteous as to his Person because of his unrighteous Actions in which sense he is not Justified nor Approved of God That is in plain Scots to say God constituteth and declareth Men Just albeit they be Wicked Men and really Vnjust the first being understood of their Condition the second of their Person But the Misery is there wants something to knit this Incoherent matter together and inform us How a Man as to his Condition is Just while in his Person Unjust And indeed he brings no Proof for all this And albeit I wonder not at this Omission since he could do no better yet I desire he may let me know the next time why I should receive his Answer without Proof That every Sin which may be Committed by a Saint doth not Vnsaint him or destroy his Condition I acknowledge but they suppose no Sin to do it For when they affirm Murder and Adultery and Treachery not to have done it as they do If these Sins are not destructive and killing as to Man's Condition I know none and desire to be Informed how by Scripture it can be made appear that these do not So my Argument still remains in Force and his Charge of Antinomianism against me falleth to the Ground Pag. 311. He brings my Argument shewing the Absurdity of their Objection from 2 Cor. 5.21 thus J. B.'s gross Opinion of Imputative Righteousness If we be just as Christ was a Sinner by Imputation then as there was not the least Sin in Christ so there is no necessity for the least Righteousness in us To which he answers Neither is there to our being Justified upon that account The Reader may judge of this Doctrine which the Man either forgetting or being ashamed of plainly Contradicts in the same page saying That Sanctification is inseparably joined with Justification for then sure Righteousness must be necessary to be Justified upon whatever Account And yet to go round again within five Lines he cites Joh. 6.29 and 9 35.36 and 10.38 and 12.36 and 14.1 and 16.9 to prove That Christ would have People resting upon a Righteousness meerly Imputative for Justification for that is the thing denied by me For if Sanctification be unseparable from Justification it is Impossible to Rest upon that which is meerly Imputative That these Scriptures prove no such thing the Reader may see all of them press believing in Christ but that to believe in Christ is to rest upon a Righteousness meerly Imputative remains yet for him to prove But to proceed with an unparalled Confidence to Answer to my saying Sanctification is Inseparable from Justification That to my Observation that Sentence the Imputed Righteousness of Christ which they so much urge as the Foundation of their Faith is not to be found in all the Scripture he noteth divers places of Scripture in not one of which there is any such thing And indeed this Controversy being of Matter of Fact can be easily decided by any that can Read who can easily see whether that Expression be there or not For the Question is of the Expression in Terminis not of what he apprehendeth may by Consequence import the like What he saith in answer to my proving Justifying to be understood of being really made Just from I Cor. 6.11 he overturneth himself in a few Lines Confessing That the Corinthians were really Changed and if so we need not doubt where it is said They were Justified but they were really made Just that is Changed from Vnrighteousness as he Confesseth they were ¶ 5. Pag. 312. N. 26. He cometh to take notice of what I urge from the Word Justification and from the Etymology of it and having Introduced himself with a Scoff he saith I do place this upon the Authority of the Vulgar Latine Edition but therein he is Mistaken The Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will make as much for my purpose as the Latine He passeth from the Etymology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justifico p. 313. and saith The Words usually import a Juridical Absolution by the Sentence of a Judge But what then Is not that because Judges usually at least Absolve Men upon the account of their Innocency And so his Comparison of a Surety will not here hit For when Men are Accused of Murder or Adultery or Theft and that the case is Proved and Confest what Judges use to declare the person Acquitted upon Surety given by another Innocent Person And therefore Justifico I justify signifies the declaring of one Just To justify signifies the declaring of one Just who is so who is so And though Justifico as being sometimes taken in a Law-sense doth not in the Indicative answer to sanctifico because it is there Active and has relation to another Person yet in the Passive when relating to the Person Sanctified it is understood one way For Justificatus and Sanctificatus signify the same But he overturneth all his Quibbling here p. 313. N. 27. by asking Whether they say That a Man is said to be justified who is not really Just which imports they say not so and then we are Agreed Only I would ask him How a Man is really Just while committing actual Wickedness and Vnrighteousness as to his Person and yet he said before Such were Justified and yet in the next p. 314. he faith I malitiously Calumniate them to say they make use of the figurative Sense of the Word Let the Reader judge of these Consistencies And whereas I cite some Scriptures that Justifying is spoken of some who arrogate Righteousness to themselves though it do not belong to them and at these he carpeth saying The very first Exod. 23.7 is spoken of God himself he should have said It is God speaking of the Wicked that he will not Justify them some of them speak of a not Justifying Joh. 9.20 and 27.5 And what then the Places were marked to shew the Import of the Word Justify and to shew that many of them speak nothing of Justifying at all whence he concludes in these Words So unhappy is the Man in his Citations He notes first Esai 5.23 but it seems he has been in haste and therefore to rectify his Mistake let him read the Words which are Which justify the Wicked for Reward And what though where many Scriptures are noted together by the Mistake of the Transcriber or
are the Laws useless if Men obey them This saith he takes away the Exercise of Repentance the Exercise of Prayer and maketh the Petitions of the Lord's Prayer useless forgive us our Sins On this he also insisteth pag. 345 346.349 That because all have sinned they have need to Repent and pray for Forgiveness and the Continuance of it I have shewen in my Apology But if this his Argument hold true to prove That Men must sin all their Life time and break the Commands every day in Thought Word and Deed then the greatest Sinners and most Wicked profligate Villains do less make useless Gospel-Commands than others because they afford more Matter to Exercise Repentance and Prayer for Forgiveness of Sins J. B. believes Perfection foments Pride ◠and taketh away the Vsefulness of Ordinances But he proceedeth That this tendeth to foment Pride and Security and taketh away diligent Watchfulness and holy Fear Humility and the Vsefulness of the Ordinances of Christ But where dom from Sin is where can Pride and Security have place or Diligence and Humility be wanting But with him to sin is the way not to be proud and secure but to be watchful and humble Let the Judicious Reader judge whether they that break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed and affirm they must do so all their Life-time be more diligent and humble and less proud and secure than such as keep and obey them for such Ordinances as must be made useful by daily breaking God's Commands in Thought Word and Deed I resolve never to Cry up but always Cry down by the Grace of God however J. B. may Rail at me for it Some Scriptures here added by him will come herereafter to be Examined ¶ 2. Pag. 332. N. 9. When he comes to take notice of my stating this Matter as not being such a Perfection as cannot admit of a daily Increase but only a being kept from Sin and receiving Strength to fulfil the Will of God for these are my words he would upon this both in this Place and elsewhere pag. 333 341. c. urge this Absurdity That since the least Sin is a Transgression of the Law it follows that no Regenerated Man can sin and that no Man that sinneth is Regenerated But we will not wonder at his Inference here considering his many other Perversions But to shew he has no ground to urge this Absurdity let it be Considered Regeneration begun carrying on and perfected that we are to consider Regeneration as begun and carrying on and as perfected and accomplished he which hath begun a good Work in you saith the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.6 And again Ye did run well Gal. 5.7 with many other Places which might be mentioned Whereby it is clear That Regeneration is not wrought in an Instant and if he think so he must prove it ere he conclude any thing from it and those were already Converted and Regeneration begun in them Now albeit such may Sin and that every Sin doth Hinder and Impe the Work of Regeneration yet it doth not Destroy it nor wholly Annihilate it Physick given to a Man Physick doth not Cure in an instant in whom there is an Inward and Inveterate Disease doth not Cure Instantly and albeit by some heedless Actions he may hinder the Cure from being perefected so soon yet every one of these Actions do not render it altogether Vnsuccessful Also as to the Comparison of a Child which he accepts of A Child has not the Strength of a Man So those that are born of God albeit he have all the Integral Parts of a Man yet he has not that Vigour and Strength of Body nor yet that Vnderstanding nor Exercise of Mind that a Man hath and thence can neither defend himself nor do either in Body or Mind that a Man can do Now what I speak of such as are born of God saying That I dare not affirm but there may be some that cannot sin I understand this of Absolute Compleat and Full Regeneration Not that I deny but such as are Entred and in part Regenerated may be also said to be born of God though not in that absolute Sense and therefore still under the possibility of sinning and Capacity thereunto And thus his great Absurdity upon which he Insists so much is removed Next he proceeds p. 334. to shew my Agreement with the Pelagians but the very Citation he brings to prove it out of Vossius History bewrays his Weakness and shews the Contrary where it is manifest that the thing Condemned in Pelagius was his affirming Men might keep the Commands by the Power of Nature which I never said but always denied The Fathers believed a Freedom from Sin And whereas he cites the Fathers Saying That none by the Strength of Grace did live all their Days without sin That the perfection ascribed to some in Scripture was not from Nature but from Grace c. This clearly shews they believed Men might be free from Sin by Grace sometime though none had been so far all their Life-time Which shews they were far from believing Man must break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed Which is his Affirmation What he adds of the Fathers Arguments against the Pelagians and of the Opinions of the Socinians and others in this Matter I judge it not my Work to meddle with it I heed not in this what these Sects say but believe the Truth without respect to them as it is clearly proposed in Scripture I could easily Recriminate by shewing things wherein he Agrees with Papists Socinians Arminians Antinomians Pelagians Anabaptists and others against us if I judged it pertinent to be filling up Paper with such Stuff to make a Noise as he doth hundreds of Times to nauseating but I love to abstain from such Superfluities and come to the purpose And will now Consider What he saith in Answer to my Arguments ¶ 3. He begins pag. 337. n. 18. and to my saying Their Doctrine is against the Wisdom of God who is of purer Eyes than he can behold Iniquity he asketh Is it against these Attributes of God that Sin should be in the World But my following words shew I spake of the Godly neither will it follow what he adds after That then they must be as free of Sin here as in Heaven and that at first for I urge it to be Contrary to God's Wisdom to make this Freedom Impossible unto them only Means for their being free being given them and not his permitting Sin And whereas he proceeds in Answer to my saying That if Man be always joined to Sin he should be always disjoined from God according to Isaiah 59.2 whereas on the contrary they to wit the Saints are said to be Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 he answers All this would plead for a Sinlesness from the very first Instant of Regeneration In the absolute
Sense above mentioned it doth as also for the necessity of pressing after Regeneration begun and Perfection pressed after and for the possibility of obtaining it after Regeneration begun since so far as Man is joined to Sin his perfect Regeneration is Retarded Yet as himself towards the end of this Paragraph saith It may be begun where some Members may yet be to be mortified and albeit some Corruption be not wholly purged out yet God can have Fellowship with his own work of Grace in the Soul and with the Soul so far as it is sanctified and renewed but no further Pag. 339 n. 19. he saith I wickedly dispute for God c. to say It is against his Wisdom not to have found Means whereby he might be served but by such Actions by which the Devil is no less yea is more served But his Charge is upon the naked Supposition that their Doctrine is the Truth which is pitifully to beg the question Yea he indirectly notwithstanding much winding about to avoid it Confesseth my Charge saying There is no formal service performed to the Devil so he grants some Material Service to be performed to him Is not the Devil served and that Service justly displeasing to God unless it be a Formal Service for to serve the Devil formally is to acknowledge him as their Master and give him Service as due to him which many do not who yet may be said truly enough to serve him He addeth The Spiritual Warfare J. B. pleads for is not to Overcome but to break daily the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed. That God bath seen meet his Children be in a spiritual Warfare What then Can no Man be in a Warfare unless he be Overcome Men may be Engaged in War and may be liable to be Assaulted yea may be often-times narrowed straitned and beset by the Enemy and sometimes wounded and yet never overcome but what he pleads for is not only a Warfare but a being Worsted and Overcome and that Every Day for so truly are such Overcome by the Devil Who daily break the Commandments of God in Thought Word and Deed as he affirms of all God's Children He goes on n. 20. to say I run my self blind in saying it is against God's Justice to require Men to abstain from all Sin and not enable them to do it because it would prove all the Wicked are Perfect for God requires of them Obedience But it seems himself has been blind when he made this Answer I never urged that because God gave Men power therefore they are perfect as he foolishly throughout this Paragraph Imagineth and then battereth against this Man of Straw of his own making And that this proves that Wicked Men might if they had not Resisted God's Grace have forsaken their Wickedness and been Perfect I deny not neither doth he prove the Contrary He confesseth Manâ—s Imperfection to be of themselves but he thinks it cannot be accounted Vnrighteousness in God to Require and yet not to give that measure of Grace whereby Men should become Perfect because that power which was once given was sinfully Cast away But all this dependeth upon the Supposition that Man lost his power in Adam which was before Discust and is now in him but a begging of the Question And when I shew That their Doctrine maketh God more Vnjust than the vilest of Men J. B.'s Doctrine makes God to give a Stone instead of Bread c. who will not give to their Children asking Bread a Stone c. he reproacheth me as a Blasphemous Tongue But let us see how he frees their Doctrine of this foul Consequence The Lord forbid saith he they hope for a full Deliverance but it is in Heaven This Answer confirmeth the Charge and doth not lessen it and so for all his Brag the Stone yet remains according to them instead of Bread and is like to Choke him unless he find some better way to digest it than thus for God requires to forsake Sin here and yet according to them denies the power here for concerning being free from Sin in Heaven there is no question He addeth pag. 341. That my saying Their Doctrine is Injurious to the Sacrifice of Christ's Death which was To take away Sin destroys all I said of Vniversal Redemption but he forgets to shew How perhaps we may Expect it next since his 8 th Chapter is already Answered His saying They affirm that the stain of Sin is taken away and Victory obtained doth not answer because they refer that to another Life and the question is concerning this And to my saying That if the Children of God Sin in Thought Word and Deed daily then there is no difference betwixt the Holy and Profane he answereth The difference is great because what the Wicked do is done with full purpose of heart c. but the Other mourneth over and repenteth of his Sin This difference is in respect of Repentance not of Sinning in their Sinning they are both alike That there is a Difference betwixt him that Continueth in Sin J. B.'s Godly continue in Sin all their Life-time and Sin daily and him that Repenteth I deny not but since he supposes the Godly to Continue in Sin all their life-time yea in daily Sinning the Similitude still remaineth and such will do well to take heed Who break God's Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed lest notwithstanding they may be in J. B.'s Account the Godly yet in Jesus Christ's they prove such to whom it shall be said Depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not ¶ 4. Pag. 343. N. 23. Instead of answering my Argument shewing Their Doctrine maketh the Work of the Ministry Preaching and Praying useless he saith Hence we see the necessity of a standing Ministry which I am against This is false as shall appear He adds The Ministry is to bring them on toward Perfection but the question is Whether that Perfection is not attainable here For a Perfection that admitteth not of a growth I plead not If he would have had this Answer understood to be to the purpose he should have said That such as Sin not cannot be said to admit of a growth which he doth not so much as attempt nor offer to prove What I affirm to the Contrary in the Example of Christ who notwithstanding he was always free of Sin is said to Increase both in Favour with God and Man Luk. 2.52 To this mentioned in my Apology notwithstanding his Prolixity he is as Mute as a Fish How their Doctrine makes Prayers useless I have shewen before Instead of answering Col. 4.12 where Epaphras is said To labour fervently in Prayers Perfection prayed for and Vnblameableness c. that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God and to 1 Thess. 3.12 13. where Paul prays That the Lord would make them increase and abound in Love c. to the end he might
establish their Hearts unblameable in Holiness I say instead of Answering he makes Commentaries upon these places which in themselves are as plain as can be that this is They should walk in Sincerity and always be growing And what if all this be granted it will not follow that it is Impossible Men should be free of Sin here even by the Grace of God And sure where Men are Perfect and Compleat in all the Will of God and Vnblameable in Holiness they are not Sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed. Thus the Reader may judge of this Man's Confidence who saith These Scriptures make against this Imagined Perfection meaning that which is asserted by me Pag. 343. he saith My affirming Men are called Justified or Reprobated in respect of their being leavened with Sin or Righteousness fermenting is a piece of his own Pedantry and none of the Quakers Dialect would prove full Perfection to be Essential to the State of Christianity Therefore I must answer it as well as they who deny that to be Common to all the Regenerate But it seems he has not well understood his own New-Coined English word fermenting for one thing thing is not said to be leavened with another but where it hath much prevailed Every Touch or Tast of a thing doth not leaven him with it that so toucheth or tasteth it as all Men that understand common Language know and so every Sin is not enough to denominate a Man leavened with Sin And so with his own Answer that follows he looseth the Knot he imagined I was Tied by What he adds afterward of fulfilling the Law urges nothing but upon a Supposition of its being fulfilled by the meer strength of Man which I never affirmed That no Man is called Just because of inward Righteousness is but his bare Supposition as for the word Inherent so often repeated by him it is none of mine And to my urging That the Subject is denominated from the Accident he saith A Wall that is more Black than White cannot be called White So J. B.'s breakers of the Commands daily and yet such as have renounced the Works of Darkness Yet that a Wall is called White though the Whiteness be not Perfect But it is not called White if it be more Black than White which was the pinch I urged but slily over-slipt by him and such must be those that break the Commands daily for how such can be said to be more Just than Sinful is more than I can Reconcile either with Scripture or Reason sure the Answer which he gives doth it not To this question Where are then the Children of God and of Light His Reply is with a notable piece of Inconsistent Presbyterian Canting Even where these are who are giving to Christ much work to speak so to wash and make them clean from their daily Pollutions and Defilements and have renounced the Works of Darkness c. I desire to know of him the next time how these can be said to have Renounced the works of Darkness who have need to be washed from their daily defilements To my Argument shewing That Christ's Command to be perfect proves it possible he saith p. 344. That this only proves we should Endeavour after it But for this he addeth no Proof we must rest contented with his meer Affirmation As we must also do throughout the next N. 26. where he confidently Preacheth his own sense of Scripture instead of Answer or Reason and then concludes with a Railing saying I am led by an anti-Evangelical and Diabolical Spirit He saith that Matth. 7.21 and some other places cited by me prove nothing without supposing that no Man shall be saved who ever Sinned but without giving any Reason That the Vnconverted may be by the Grace of God Converted and consequently made Perfect I deny not He saith Rom. 6. speaks only of the Dominion of Sin And what then Doth not every Sin bring him that commits it under the power of that Sin in so far To the Instances of Enoch Noah and others Enoch Noah c. called perfect in Scriptures whom the Scriptures call Perfect he goes about to prove they sometimes Sinned And what then The question is not Whether they always were without Sin but Whether they never were without it and Sinned daily which is his Affirmation Which if they had done they could at no time have been called Perfect As for his other Glosses it will be time to receive them when he proves them it is not enough to make them Authentick with me though Augustin had approved If he will subscribe to all Augustin's glosses of Scripture I may give him a further Answer ¶ 5. Pag. 346. n. 28. He comes to take notice of my Answers to their Arguments and first to my Answer to their arguing from 1 Joh. 1. v. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves c. That this will not prove the Apostle includeth more than James c. 3. v. 9 10. He answereth The Apostle is included though not for the present time If it be not for the present time J. B.'s pretended Proofs for Sinning daily then it will not plead for Sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed which is the case in hand Next supposing the Apostle were not Included he saith It is enough that Believers are Included But this he affirms without proof troubling himself and the Reader to prove that those John wrote to were Believers which no body will deny yet though they were Included it will not prove such a continual and daily Sinning as they plead for In answer to my shewing the words are Have not Sin and not Ye Sin not he only proves That they did or may Sin which I deny not And then when I say It may be affirmed of the Seed of Sin he concludes This to be Sinful so as to affect the Man but minds not to prove it and with this manner of begging the Question he concludes this Paragraph pag. 347. To my shewing that in 1 King 8.46 and Eccles. 7.20 there is nothing said of Sinning daily he answers It is express in Ecclesiastes That there is not a just Man upon earth that doth good and Sinneth not clearly Importing that even in their doing good they Sin But that this is clearly Imported he affirmeth but proveth not though there be no Man that Sinneth not it will not follow they Sin daily And for his Alledging That my Answer That it will not thence follow that though there was none that did not sin at that time there are none such now or that it is Impossible there should be such will infer there was none then Regenerate no not Solomon himself What if I should say so understanding Regeneration in the absolute Sense To what I shew from the Hebrew Word that it may be Interpreted not That sinneth not but That may not sin he tells me in sum That it is but Vanity and this he saith is obvious to
understood of true and saving Grace but let him Inform according to Scripture How any Man can come to tast of the Heavenly Gift and of the Powers of the Life to come and be made partaker of the Holy Ghost without true and saving Grace For what he adds to this being built upon the Supposition of Election I refer it to what is abovesaid upon this Subject He Concludes Vossius's Testimony to be false in saying That this was the Common Opinion of the Ancients But if so little Credit be to be given him he did not well that made so much use of him to prove what was Pelagius's Doctrine as he has done throughout this Treatise For John Owen's Citations I have neither Accommodation nor Time at present to Examine them it is enough to me that this is Contrary to Scripture though all these he mentions had said so To prove That Men may have a good Conscience and yet want true Faith he bringeth Paul's Words Acts 23. v. 1. where speaking of himself while a Pharisee he saith He lived in all good Conscience before God c. but that will not meet this Case Those 1 Tim. 1.19 who are said to Make shipwrack of a good Conscience are such who believed the true Doctrine of Faith in Christ A Man may live in good Conscience to other Principles while Ignorant of the true Faith in Christ. as himself before acknowledgeth Now albeit a Man may be said to live in good Conscience to other Principles while Ignorant of this yet he should prove How a Man can be said to have a good Conscience with respect to the true Faith of Christ held by him and yet without saving or true Grace With Railing he tells me pag. 358. N. 18. that Phil. 1.6 and 1 Pet. 1.5 speak of God's beginning and perfecting the Condition And what then yet God doth not this against our Wills it is with a respect to our performing the Conditions on our part which yet we cannot do without him Then he goes about to prove That Paul could not fall in answer to my saying from 1 Cor. 9.27 That Paul supposeth a possibility that he might become a Reprobate But if the Reader Consider how I bring that in my Apology he will find he had no reason for this Cavil for I alledged it only to Reprove those that are too too secure shewing where Sin was there was always a Ground of Jealousy Since the Apostle did reckon it needful to keep under his Body to subdue Sin that he might not become a Reprobate Which since the Apostle did but upon this Supposition if he did not keep under his Body suppose possible others had no Reason to presume SECT XI Wherein his Sixteenth Chapter Of the Church his Seventeenth Of the Ministerial Call his Eighteen Nineteen and Twenty First Of their Qualifications Office and Maintenance and his Twentieth Of Womens Preaching is considered ¶ 1. HIs Chapter of the Church is soon dispatched for it contains scarce any thing but Perversions and Railing For after he has given a large Citation out of their Confession of Faith and then added some Enlargements of his own and some little nibbling Cavils to what I say of No Salvation being without the Church pag 361. he goes on with his old reiterated Calumny That I suppose Men may be made Members of the Catholick Church by the Light of Nature which is utterly false And upon this false Supposition is built his N. 5. pag. 362. as also what he saith pag. 364. But N. 4. he screws this to a greater Pitch of Falshood affirming J. B.'s gross Calumny That our Faith and Principles are only taught by the Light of Nature That what I say of a Particular Church gathered together in the Faith of the true Principles and Doctrines of Christ by the Spirit of God and Testimony of some of his Ministers is that these are Persons only taught by the Light of Nature and by such Ministers as preach nothing of the Gospel Against a Man thus desperately resolved and determined to Lie and Calumniate there can be no Guard bu sure all sober Readers will abhor such Dealing What I speak of a Church in this Respect is only of such as have the Advantage of the outward Knowledge of Christ as my Words afterwards shew where I say Such were the Churches gathered by the Apostles of which the Scripture makes mention And therefore what he Objects That cannot be done by Pagans is wholly Impertinent and doth but verify the grosness of his Calumny which he endeavours to inculcate as a Truth to his Reader pag. 363. as if what I say further of the things requisite to be a Member of this Particular Church were a third Sort and not a more particular Description of the former Which the Reader may easily observe by looking to the Place to be a meer Fetch of his to afford himself some matter of Cavil Which imagining he has got he fills up the Paragraph with gross Lies and Railing saying That the Quakers believe not the Holy Truths set down in the Scriptures because they oppose and contradict them J. B.'s further Lies against us of the Scriptures of Christ and our Faith That they believe not in nor make Profâ—ssion of Jesus Christ Revealed in the New Testament because they oppose him and all his Institutions That Faith according to them is not wrought by the Spirit of God but that Nature can sweetly and naturally Incline yea Compel thereunto All which are Gross Calumnies And then he concludeth saying And thus we have Run round and are again where we began which is very true for he began with Calumnies and having run round the same way his Work Resolves in them Pag. 364. He affirmeth Men may be Members of the visible Church and consequently ought to be reputed such who are ungodly and without holiness and offereth to make it good if I will form a Dispute upon it but I leave him as to this to Dispute with his Learned Dr. Owen whose Works he has Applauded in this Treatise and whom his Postscript-Brother R. M. has in his Preface to this J. B.'s Book highly Commended as a Gracious Man As for his Silly Argument that from the Apostle's saying Act. 2.39 The Promise is unto you and to your Children and 1 Cor. 7.14 it follows Men become Members of the Church by Birth I leave him to debate it with his great Author Thomas Hicks who will tell him if he be Consonant to his own Principles it is a Babylonish Invention But J. B. hath here unawares Contradicted himself for if these Scriptures prove Men become Members of the Church by Birth then the Sprinkling them with Water sometime after they are born or their Baby-Baptism J. B. shuts out their Baby-Baptism from making them Church-Members is not necessary to make them Members of the Church and they are to be accounted such without it He saith I am mistaken when I say
to the Grace given 300. the confining of the Gifts and Graces of God to certain External Forms and Ceremonies is directly opposite to Vniversal Love 703. by the Gift of God all things are possible 398. Gilpin John his Story answered 74. God How he hath always manifested himself 269 unless he speak within the Preacher makes a rustling to no purpose 271 272. None can know him aright unless he receive it of the Holy Ghost 270 271 272. God is to be sought within 272. he is known by Sensation and not by meer Speculation and Syllogistick Demonstrations 271. he is the Fountain Root and Beginning of all good Works and he hath made all things by his Eternal Word 274. God speaking is the Object of Faith 278. among all he hath his own Chosen ones 270. he delights not in the Death of the Wicked see Redemption he hath manifested his Love in sending his Son 367 368 see Justification he rewards the good Works of his Children 386. whether it be possible to keep his Commandments 388. he is the Lord and the only Judge of the Conscience 515 517 he will have a free Exercise 522. his Forbearance and Long-suffering 343 344 223 217. When God hardens 344. what Man does act without his Power is not accepted 453. by Manifestation he cometh forth into the Creatures and yet is still in himself 580. whom to know is Eternal Life 115. God's Voice is known by a Spiritual and Supernatural Sense 898 God is Light 65 115 161. There is in all Men a Supernatural Idea of God as of a most perfect being 900. his Glory and Beauty makes all the Glory of this World as Dross and Dung 902. his Condescension to the Weak 35. of all things Sin is most contrary to his Nature 320. whose Riches and Bounty lead Men to Repentance 791. who speaks inwardly to the Mind of Man 896. Godliness from a tender Age the Happiness of few and why 677. Good that which is good for one to do may be sinful to another 300. the Good in all ought to be Commended 682 and the Evil not to be encouraged 683. Gospel see Redemption the Truths of it are as Lies in the Mouths of Profane and Carnal Men 276 284 285. the Nature of it is explained 285 286. It is distinguished from the Law and is more excellent than it 386 287 298. see Covenant Law whether any ought to preach it in this or that Place is not found in Scripture 299 416 417. its Works are distinguished from the Works of the Law 382. how it is to be propagated and of its Propagation 517. The Worship of it is inward 484. it is an inward Power 349 350. Evil under the Gospel not to be resisted 665. its most excellent Dispensation is to be like Christ 664 The Gospel of Salvation is brought nigh unto all 125. which is the Power of God 126. a new Revelation of the good old Gospel and Doctrines 308. this Gospel is made a Mock and Illusion by the false Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation 319 321 322. is preached to every Creature 323. or in every Creature 799. which Gospel is hid in them that are lost 632. a twofold Dispensation of it 664. the preaching of it perverted by our Adversaries 782. the History of the Gospel is necessary 793. yet the Declaration is not the Power or Manifestation of God in Man 799. which Assertion is neither Heathenism nor Jesuttism c. ibid. and Salvation is not impossible without the hearing of the Gospel or outward preaching 805. Government see Church Magistrate Order and Government Asserted in the Church of Christ 193. being appointed by Christ himself and the form thereof 194. the Abuse makes not void the true use ibid. the end thereof 195. being practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians ibid. 199. the Apostles Doctrine concerning it 196. dissenting Reasonings against it 197. It is no inconsistency or Contradiction to be a Follower of the Grace of God in ones self and to be a Follower of Men in whom the Spirit of God hath the Dominion ibid. in what Cases and how far this Government extends i as to Outwards and Temporals 206 211. ii in Matters Spiritual and purely Conscientious 212 224. It differs from the Oppressing and persecuting principality of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies 230 235. Grace the Grace of God can be lost through Disobedience 398 c. Saving Grace see Redemption which is required in the calling and qualifying of a Minister see Minister in some it worketh in a special and prevalent manner that they necessarily obtain Salvation 340 341. Your Grace see Titles Grace is given in order to save 63 64. what it teaches 128. all have Grace sufficient for Salvation 341 578 699. if not resisted works Salvation 801. the Calvinists make Grace an Irresistible Power falsly 803 827 828 834. God's Grace and Love is Universal 164. its Work in the Heart 387 802. concerning falling from Grace 136 138 167. a graceless Man is rendered unfit to receive the new Wine of the Gospel in his unclean Vessel 656. Greeks the Wisdom of the Greeks appeared in their worldly Affairs 764. H. Hai Ebn Yokdan 365 Hands Laying on of Hands 417 511 660 833. Paul wrought with his Hands 652 435 Head Of uncovering the Head in Salutations 531 533 540 543 564 565 874. to put off the Hat one to another not commanded by Christ 3. is one of the Corrupt Customs of the World ibid. not warranted to Man by Scripture but to God 60. and Salutations commanded by Christ are owned by the Quakers 2 3. who don 't consist in taking off the Hat and bowing of the Body 874 see Honor Salutations Hearing Inward and outward Hearing distinguished 603 803 804. Faith comes not by outward Hearing 904 905. see Infants Heart the Heart is Deceitful and Wicked 30 312 314. Obdurateness and Hardness of Heart when begotten 789. Hardness of Heart and blindness justly reprovable and all the Enormities following thereupon 242. man cannot procure to himself tenderness of Heart in his own will 338 Heathens Albeit they were Ignorant of the History yet they were sensible of the Loss by the Fall 361. some Heathens would not Swear 555. Heathenish Ceremonies were brought into the Christian Religion 492. Heathen-Philosophers Divine Knowledge 361 362. they declared that Inward Concupiscence is sin 604. the Gospel held forth to them 327. and Christ was given as a Light to inlighten the Gentiles 358. Concerning the Heathens Book of Nature 630 631. Salvation is possible to them in the most barbarous places 700 803 804. they having a Day of Visitation through the Gospel 788. Those that deny the Inward Principle of Grace and Light given to all Men are forged to urge the same against an Heathen because he doth not acknowledge any Scripture or Tradition 700 701. See Gentiles Pagans Heathen-Persecution see Persecution Hebrew The various Lections of the Hebrew Character of the Bible 303. Henry
pray without any Inspiration or gracious Influence of the Spirit So that such a Prayer is an answering of the Obligation to the Duty upon the Matter although it be separated from the Right Manner And accordingly they do both require and allow Men to Pray when they have no gracious Influence or Motion thereunto telling them That even such Prayers are required and that they do better to give such Prayers as want Sincerity unto God than not to pray at all seeing such lifeless and spiritless Prayers have the Matter of True Prayer although they want the Right Manner Whereas we on the contrary affirm that Lifeless Prayers have neither the Right Matter and Substance nor yet the Right Manner of Prayer and therefore are not at all required in Scripture Yet we deny not but many Times when Men want an Influence of Life to Pray they are still under the Obligation and at such Times it is their Sin not to Pray because they ought to have suitable Influences to Prayer which would not be wanting if they were faithful unto God But when through unfaithfulness they want them it doth not excuse them from being under the Obligation yet still when they want the Help of the Spirit they ought to pray by the Spirit because they ought to have it Even as when one Man oweth unto another Man a just Debt in Money the Debter ought to pay the Money although he have no Money to pay it with for his Want of the Money doth not excuse him from the Obligation to pay it yet he ought to pay the Debt only with Money or the Equivalent of it But if he should offer to pay it with any thing that is not Money nor Mony 's Worth as suppose with a few Counters this is no answering the Obligation either in the Right Matter or Manner And so it is in the Case in Hand Again N. 8. They fall into the like Prevarication in alledging The Question is not about a New Heart and Spiritual Principle of Obedience for they own that as Indispensably necessary for acceptable Performance But do not they say That when Men pray without a New Heart they do in part answer the Obligation And do not they encourage them to pray even the most Wicked This is denied by the People called Quakers and is a great part of the Question We say indeed Is. 1 10 18. c. 55 7. c. 59 2 Ezek. 8 18. Prov. 15 8 29. c. 21 27. Joh. 9 31. c. 4 23. Wicked Men ought to Pray but not remaining Wicked but that they ought to forsake their Wickedness and have a new Heart and therewith to pray Moreover whereas they say The Question is not about every Performance but about acceptable Performance Herein they most palpably contradict themselves N. 9. where they grant That no Act of Worship can be acceptably performed without these Influences and they well know that the Quakers say the same The Question then is not about Acceptable Performance seeing both they and we grant that no Duty can be acceptably performed without the Spirit So that if the Students had understood their Matter they would have said The Question is not about acceptable Performance but about simple Performance whether there be any Obligation to perform Duty that is not acceptable which they affirm and we deny For indeed Vnacceptable Performance Unacceptable performance no performance is as good as no Performance but rather worse As if under the Law the Jews had offered up a Dog's Neck in place of a Sacrifice it had been a greater sin than not to offer at all as it is a greater Offence for a Man to offer to pay his Debt with Counters or Pennies made of Slait-Stone than not to pay at all Another gross Error they commit in alledging The Question is about preparatory Motions previous in Time This is a Lie We challenge them to shew us any such thing in our Books Motions of the Spirit previous in order of Nature We do not require Motions or Influences of the Spirit previous in Time although they are oft given it sufficeth that they are Previous in Order of Nature as the Cause is previous unto the Effect which is not always in Time but in Nature But the Question is indeed about the Necessity of Motions to and in the Performance of Duty so as the Performance is to be in by through and with the Spirit which may well be without a previousness in Time as to inward Duty at least And if the outward can be simultaneous with the Inward it may also be as to the outward but if it cannot be so soon as the Inward in some Cases the Reason is not for want of the Motion but because the bodily Organs cannot so hastily answer the Motion as the mind it self can And it sufficiently answereth the Motion that the Mind answer it first and then the bodily Organs as soon as their Nature can permit There is yet another great Error they commit in alledging Such a lively and Spiritual Disposition as being necessary in our Sense whereas we do not lay it upon such a lively c. as if we required such a Degree of Life for the least Measure of Life that is but able to carry forth the Soul in any living Measure of Performance is sufficient where the Soul keepeth to the Measure and doth not exceed or go beyond it In the Prosecution of their Arguments they are no less unhappy in the stating of the Question as will shortly appear Pag. 95 67. they bring in R. B. and A. Sk. denying their Sequel which they labour to prove but how unsuccessfully we shall se anon because as Angels and Brutes agree in that they are both Substances so Spiritual Duties and other Duties agree in that they are both to be performed in the Spirit Duties Natural and Spiritual differ But what then Yet the Difference is still great betwixt those Duties that as to their Matter are Natural and Civil and those which as to their very Matter are Spiritual As for Example To eat to plow to pay a Debt are not Spiritual as to their Matter but only as to their Manner and End when acceptably performed And therefore the Matter of those Duties and whole Substance of them may be without any gracious Motion of the Spirit And in that Case the Performances themselves are really profitable in the Creation among them and consequently do answer the Obligation in part But Prayer and Thanksgiving c. are Duties wholly Spiritual both as to Matter or Substance and as to Manner and End so that whoso essayeth to do any of them without the gracious Motions of the Spirit he leaveth not only the right Manner but the very Matter and Substance of the Duty behind him and bringeth the meer Accidents along with him Which have no Profit nor use to Men nor are any wise in the least part an Answer to the Obligation And as
to that Scripture cited by them The Plowing of the Wicked is Sin The plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 they do not prove that it is meant of outward Plowing The Margin of our English hath it The light of the wicked and Arius Montanus rendereth it on the Margin Cogitatio the Thought That the Plowing of the Wicked is Sin in respect of the Manner and last End we grant but that the Action materially considered is Sin we altogether deny even in a Wicked Man For the outward Mechanick and Bodily Act is good in its Nature and profitable as also in so far as it may be for the Maintenance of his Family it is good So that in respect of the Matter and subordinate End there is no Difference betwixt the Plowing of a Good Man and a Wicked whereas the Prayer of a Good Man by the Spirit and the Prayer of a Wicked Man without the Spirit differ materially in their very Nature and Substance The Good Man's Prayer by the Spirit is true and real Prayer but the Wicked Man's Prayer The true Worshipper distinguished from the False is no true Prayer at all but a dead Image of it Nor is the Wicked Man a true Worshipper for he only is True Worshipper according unto the express Doctrine of Christ Who worships the Father in Spirit and in Truth whereas a Wicked Man's Plowing is as Real and true and good as to the Matter and Nature of the Outward Action as that of the Good It doth not therefore follow That according to the Quakers Principle because a Man is not to pray without the Spirit that therefore he is not to Plow without the Spirit in respect of the Matter although in respect of the Defect in the Manner and last End which should be the Glory of God he sins when he Plows as when he Prays but yet not so much in the one as in the other for in the one both Matter and Manner are wrong in the other not the Matter but Manner But if a Man be faithful to God he may as certainly expect the Divine Assistance of the Spirit to help him to Plow as to Pray although that Assistance to pray is greater and of another manner than that to Plow As is obvious to any that hath Spiritual Experience And whereas A. Sk. inferreth upon them Their going about the Spiritual Duties in a Carnal Manner c. This they call an Impudent Calumny But in this the Impudent Calumny is their own not his For dare they deny but they are for going about Prayer and Praise which are Spiritual Duties without the Motion of the Spirit which is as much as to say in a Carnal manner for what is not done by the Spirit is done but in a Carnal manner And whereas they call his Second Answer A Clear Confession c. yet they tell us nothing of it pag. 96. They are no less disingenuous in alledging That G. K. dissenteth from R. B. and A. Sk. whom in their airy and frothy Minds they call his pretended Infallible Brethren for as G. K. requireth Inspirations to the Acceptable Performance of other Actions so doth A. Sk. and R. B. Yet we all say Wicked Men may very lawfully go about Natural and Civil Performances as to Plow to Eat to pay Debts as they are materially considered without Inspiration and in so doing although they fall short of Acceptable Performance for Defect of the right manner and the End they sin less than to omit those Actions and indeed sin not at all as to the Nature and Substance of them as they do who pray without Inspiration As for G. K. his Distinction of Mandatory and Permissory Inspirations it holds good notwithstanding all their Idle Inspirations mandatory and permissory Foolish and Impertinent Cavilling at it From the Words of Paul that he essayed to go to Bithynia but the Spirit permitted him not G. K. inferred by the Rule of Contraries That the Spirit sometimes permitted him To evade this they are sorely pinched In their Account of the Dispute pag. 30. they grant his Consequence That Paul at sometimes had a Permission but they deny it to be an Inspiration But here in this new Assault they deny That any Permission followeth by the Rule of Contraries from Paul 's Words alledging That he permitted him and he permitted him not are not Contraries But G. K. did not alledge these to be Contraries for they are flat Contradictory Propositions Contrary and Contradictory distinguished But these we say are Contraries The Spirit permitted not Paul to go to Bithynia therefore he permitted him to go sometimes to some Places This is a plain Inference from the Rule of Contraries by Contraries We mean not Contraries in the strict Logical Sense as when the Contrariety is betwixt two Vniversals but Opposites which in the common way of Speech are called Contraries and in the Logical Sense may be called Sub-Contraries Which do infer one another not to be true always simul semel at one Time and Place but at divers Times and Places c. As for Example If there be a South there must be a North if a Time to come there is a Time to be past If some things be Hot and not Cold other things must be Cold and not Hot. And to use a more near Example to the Matter in Hand If when a River is not permitted to Run by reason of an excessive Freezing that bindeth it up at one Time it followeth That it is permitted to Run at another Time when there cometh a Thaw Or yet to come nearer If the Wind do not permit a Ship to sail Southward at one Time it doth permit her at another Time to sail Southward We would not have insisted on such Rudiments had not the great Ignorance of the Students occasioned it Pag. 97. They close their § 9. most pitifully After having failed to refute G. K's Distinction of Permissory and Mandatory Inspirations they say They leave it to be proved by G. K. That the simple permitting of him meaning Permission not joined with a Command hath been by Inspiration The Students Evasions and preposterous Demands Here they shamefully desert their Undertaking which was to Refute permissive Inspirations but when they fail to do this they put G. K. to prove them Whereas they ought to remember that G. K. is not bound by the Law of Dispute to prove any thing being a meer Defendent yea when he offered ex abundanti to prove something in the Dispute they blamed him for so doing being but a Defendent And now they would have him leave Defendent and become Opponent This is a pitiful Confutation of the Quakers Principles that when they fall short in their Proofs against us put us to prove our own Principles But seeing they are so beggarly as to beg from G. K. a Proof of this he shall give it unto them and it is this Admit then that according to the
they urge from Rom. 3.20 by the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Works of the Moral Law Justify not which I shew is to be understood of Works done and not by the Grace of God he answers That such are no good Works at all But may not a Man do some of the Works which even the Moral Law commands such as not to commit Murder Theft or Adultery without the Grace of God Hath not he confessed as much of some Heathens whom he judgeth not to have had the Grace of God and will he say these Works are not materially good albeit not formally with a respect to any advantage as to Salvation they receive by them And though it should be confessed That all is not always Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification which falls out to be Antecedent to Salvation yet the Question is Whether there be anything absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Salvation which is not also absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification If not then if Works be absolutely necessary or so far as they are absolutely necessary to Salvation they must also be so to Justification If he say other ways then as I observed before full and perfect Justification according to him must not be esteemed sufficient to Salvation J. B. pleads the Works of the Spirit to be Impure Pag. 322. N. 42. He comes to prove the Best Works even those wrought by the Spirit in the Saints to be Impure which before also he had affirmed pag. 307. there he would Infer we say the same of good Works because I affirm That Works done by Man's own Strength are polluted But it will not thence follow we believe Works done by the Grace of God to be such But for this Impurity of good Works he marks Psal. 143.2.130 3. Job 9.16 none of which speak one Word of good Works thus understood Then he mentions Esai 64.6 All our Righteousness is as filthy Rags but silently passeth over how I shew their own Authors as Calvin and Musculus c. affirm this not to be understood of Evangelical Righteousness and himself overturns what he urges from this Works of the Spirit to be pure and undefiled confessed by J. B. affirming That we ought not to call the Work of the Spirit of God in his People Filthy Rags But if they were so they might be so called and yet he overturns it further by confessing Some Works wrought by the Apostles were undefiled then all the Works wrought by the Spirit in the Saints cannot be said to be Impure which is their Assertion And the Instance of Clean Water passing through an Vnclean Pipe doth not hold which is their great probation He will not Contend with what I say about the word Merit neither hath he much against my Conclusion in this matter yet that he may end this Chapter like himself he concludeth it with a gross Lie and Railing saying I affirm A Man may be Regenerated without the least help of the Grace of God J. B's gross Lie which as I wholly abhor so there cannot be a greater Falshood alledged upon me SECT IX Wherein his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection is Considered ¶ 1. I Come now to his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection where after he has repeated my Eighth Proposition he reckons it Confidence in me to Accuse their Answer in their Larger Catechism of speaking against the Power of Divine Grace which saith That Man is not able by any Grace of God received in this Life to keep the Commands of God But in stead of justifying this Assertion he saith They are not ashamed of it Then he recurreth a little to his Author Hicks according to his Custom and falls a Railing where among other great Charges he accuseth the Quakers of Reproaching Reviling Calumnies Scolding and the like J. B. a Railer exceeding others confessed by his own Party Also pag. 329. speaking of bridling the Tongue But he of all Men should have been silent in this who is such a Railer in the Superlative Degree that some of his own Faith who have Bad enough Thoughts of the Quakers have said that he not only Equals them but Exceeds them in Railing Of his Railing in this Chapter the Reader may further observe pag. 332 345-349 Here as in his former Chapter to enervate the Perfection asserted by me he brings forth his old and often-repeated Calumny as if I asserted This Perfection to proceed meerly from the Light of Nature affirming The Light pleaded for by me p. 227. to be such His false Charges as never came from the Grace of God to be Flesh Blindness Enmity to God Natural Sensual c. affirming that I say Man is Regenerated Sanctified Justified though not one Ray of Divine Illumination hath shined into his Soul nor one Act of Grace has reached either his Intellect Will or Affection to cause this Change The like p. 331. All which is most abominable false and never either believed or asserted by me and therefore all he concludes upon this malitious Assertion falls to the Ground and needs no further Answer Next he bestows much Pains p. 328 329. to shew from the Hebrew and Greek Word that Perfection is sometimes understood of Sincerity and Integrity and Perfection in these Respects he thus Defines In Regeneration the whole Man is changed Perfection defined so that he is now born a New Creature sanctified wholly in Mind Heart Spirit Affections Consciences Memory and Body though but in a small Measure or degree and again Yielding impartial Obedience through the Grace of God unto all God's Precepts waving none But if he will stand by what he here Asserts I will desire no more albeit he falsly say in the following page That all this will not satisfy us For I would desire the next time Breaking the Commands daily c. is not Perfection nor a growing in Grace he would Reconcile this with Breaking the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed. To prove this he insists in Contradiction to what he said before p. 330. N. 7. and his Proofs are 1 Because in Christ's House there are diverse Sizes and Degrees of Persons as Babes or little Children young Men old Men And this is not denied but the thing he should have proved is that none of those Degrees can be without daily breaking God's Commands His Second Proof is yet more rare Christians are exhorted to grow in Grace to put off the Old Man which is corrupt to put on the New Man to mortify their Members Very good But is To break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed the way to grow in Grace to put off the old Man and on the New If this be not to pervert Christianity what can be said to be so If Men can dream waking as he sometimes supposes he has sure been in this Posture when he brought this Proof But he adds That this Perfection rendreth Gospel-Commands useless But