which is as by the main course of their teaching plainly appears 1. To keep men from making conscience of any sin in regard of Gods sight of it in them and so to take off from mens consciences all such kind of curb and restraint as might thereby represse the remainders of corruption in the heart of a Christian. 2. To disswade them from being at all in that regard troubled when they have been so overtaken and from endevouring by the practice of humiliation and renewed repentance to make up again those breaches that have been made between God and them by their sins and by perswading them that their sins have no hand in the procurement of the present calamities to divert them from being humbled in that regard for any sins of their own whatsoever they may be for the excesses of others Which are such consequences as those men never intended but would have extreamly abhorred whose expressions and speeches as with divers passages of holy writ they likewise deal contrary to their own minds and intents they do wretchedly abuse The Apostle telleth the Romans that where sin had abounded there grace did much more abound but doth he therefore inferre Let men sin therefore as fast as they lust the more they sin the more shall Gods grace abound in the abandoning of their sin Nothing lesse nay rather having by way of preoccupation propounded what some corrupt heart might hereupon have suggested Shall we sin then the more that grace may abound with detestation he rejecteth it and with an absit answereth it God forbid as if he should say Far be it from any Christian heart to entertain the least thought looking that way and as far would it have been either from the Apostle or from any of those whose speeches these men cite and presse concerning Gods free grace and the power and efficacy of Christs blood for the taking away of sin to have added upon their discourses of either subject such an inference as this Let Christian men therefore sinne aâ— fast as they list there is Christs bloud at hand ready to wash all away Sure it is let their intendement be herein what it will as they remove hereby one main means of restraint from sinne Gods sight of it in his when they sinne so they take away one main ground of sincere repentance to wit that godly sorrow and grief for sinne whereby men are grieved because by their sinnes they have grieved God and vexed his good Spirit for as we use to say What the eye seeth not the heart â—ues not nor can God be grieved nor his Spirit vexed by us with that which he neither sees nor takes notice of at all in us nor can any man be grieved with the apprehension of that which he beleeves not to be 4. It is to be considered that these their assertions thus grossely delivered may and do in likelihood passe foâ— currant with many of their hearers and followers these their qualificaâ—ions and modifications of them being concealed from them and reserved to themselves And herein also they deal just as our Popish teachers do in many points of their religion For example to gull the people and draw money from them they tell them that through the Popes pardons they may have free and full remission of all their sins whatsoever even that sin not excepted which tho the Frier in the Pulpit shamed not publikely to mention I abhorre to relate whereas when they come to debate and dispute the point in the schooles they are by evidence of light enforced to confesse 1. that they cannot free from the fault it self for that cannot be without infusion of grace 2. nor from the guilt of any sin either mortall or veniall 3. nor from any naturally penalty as sicknesse death or the like 4. nor from any civill or ecclesiasticall censure but from what then onely from those pains which a man should have suffered in Purgatory for his veniall sinnes had he not made satisfaction for them while he lived here but while they dispute the point thus in the schooles the poore people mean while take for Gospel what in grosse they tell them that their sinnes are so blown away so soon as the Popes Bull bloweth upon them that they shall never more hear of them or be reckoned with for them so in the matter of image-worship they teach the people to adoâ—e images and the crucâ—fix as Christ. and when for such doctrine and practise we charge idolatry upon them they tender us a many distinctions to salve the matter withall that they worship not the image it self simply but that by it whose image it is or if the image it self yet not with the same but with a lower degree of worship then that wherewith they worship that whose image it is or if with the self-same worship yet not properly but improperly as the image standeth in Gods or in Christs stead like an Embassador representing the person of his Soveraign to receive for either the worship due to the Deity or if properly yet not by it self but by accident as a man conceives God or Christ invested with that image and so worships it with the same act of worship that he worships God or Christ with as a man worships the royall robe that the King weares when he worships the King mean while the common people not able to sound these subtilties supposing that being aright conceived and observed they could free from idolatry are taught to practise and encouraged to commit grosse idolatry without fear as they cannot but know who thus mince out the matter in their scholasticall or rather sophisticall disputes In like manner here suppose we that by such reserved qualifications as these men are sometime enforced unto when the points in controversie are pressed upon them these assertions some of them could in some sense be maintained as free from those horrid and even blasphemous tinctures that they carry with them in the forehead yet being thus crudely and rudely propounded to many shallow headed people either not at all acquainted with their nice distinctions or not well able to understand them they are by them swallowed without more ado unto the poysoning of their souls being the rather prone to entertain them because tending to that which the bent of mans nature is of it self over-strongly enclined unto Lastly I desire that it may be advisedly weighed what a wide gap may be broken up for the venting and spreading of all manner of strange fancies and impious assertions to the poysoning and destroying of the souls of silly people or such as are of themselves forward to imbrace new upstart opinions and uncouth paradoxes such as have not been formerly received or heard when tho they sound pure blasphemy as they are delivered yet they shall go for sound and orthodox because by the help of some concealed nice subtilty they may be wrung and wrought into some such sense as is agreeable unto truth For example A
repugnant to Gods word yea no lesse then horrid blasphemy for any man to averre then are we not onely acquited from those hideous imputations that these men would fasten upon us for affirming no more of the faithfull and justified ones that now live then themselves by evidence of truth agreeably to Gods word are enforced to confesse and acknowledge concerning those faithfull and justified ones that lived in times past before Christs appearing in the flesh but the crime of blasphemy may also not unjustly be retorted upon them whose positions do necessarily inferre all that hath been said concerning those blessed Saints and faithful servants of God who then beleeved in Christ as well as we now do were justified by the same faith that we now are and saved by the same grace that we partake in with them The result of all that hath hitherto been said then is this 1. That we wrong them not in that which we charge them to maintain to wit that God doth not now see or take notice of any sinne in any justified person nor is at all displeased with him much lesse doth at any time chastise him for the sâ—me albeit that in his best Saints and children in times past he so did And 2. that they wrong us in charging us with blasphemy and such horrid crimes as following necessarily from that which we maintain contrary to this their assertion when as the same may as justly be charged upon that which themselves hold concerning the faithfull of former times and on the Scriptures that hold out the same Now because it may be said that this was indeed the opinion of Mr. Eaton while he lived but that that opinon of his died with him It were to be wished indeed that it had so done but as by the late publishing of his discourse concerning it the contrary appeareth so for further satisfaction herein I shall entreat the Reader to consider and take notice of these ensuing Positions which with others of the like nature at a publike hearing before a Committee of the Honourable House of Commons in the Star-chamber were by sufficient witnesses proved to have been delivered by three of the chief leaders of this faction among them some in publike some in private some of them in the Pulpit and some by the Presse 1. That the morall Law iâ— of no use at all to a beleever no rule for him to walk nor to examine his life by and that Christians are free from the mandatory power of it Whence it may well be proceeded those exclamations of one of them in the Pulpit Away with the Law away with the Law and that horrid speech of his The Law cuts off a mans legs and then bids him walk 2. That it is as possible for Christ himself to sin as for a child of God to sin 3. That a child of God need not nay ought not to ask pardon for sin and that it is no lesse then blasphemy for him so to do 4. That God doth not chastise any of his children for sin nor is it for the sins of Gods people that the Land is punished 5. That if a man by the Spirit know himself to be in the state of grace tho he be drunk or commit murther God sees no sin in him 6. That when Abraham denied his wife and in outward appearance seemed to lie in his distrust lying dissembling and equivocating that his wife was his sister even then truly all his thoughts words and deeds were perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely To which may be added that wholsome exhortation then also averred to have been delivered by one of them likewise in the pulpit which might well passe for an use of the point Let believers sinne as fast as they will there is a fountain open for them to wash in By these their assertions then it is evident enough that as Mr. Eatons book is in great request and high esteem with them so his doctrine is still constantly held and maintained by them As for Abrahams example which to that purpose they abuse being taken out of Mr. Eatons book where it is verbatim so found and he endevoureth by this observation to adde strength unto to wit that tho men did reprove him yet we read not that God took notice of any sin in him nor did once rebuke him all his life after his calling for any one sin 1. I should demand whether this be a good argument to prove that God approved or did not mislike or take notice of or was displeased with any sinfull act in any person because he is not read to have reproved the party so offending for the same For if so we may consequently conclude the same of Noahs being drunk of Lots daughters making their father drunk to make way for their incest and of their incestuous companying with him of Iacobs deluding his father Isaac with a lie of Rebekkah his mothers putting him upon it of Iudahâ— lying tho upon a mistake with his daughter in law Thamar and of her disguising of her self to enduce him therunto of Rubens defiling of his fathers bed of Bathshebaes yeelding to Davids adulterous desire of Joabs murther first of Abner and after of Amasa c. all which tho sinfull acts and excesses God is no where recorded to have rebuked them for or to have reproved in them 2. I demand which of the three periods of time before-mentioned Abrahams life is by these men referred unto For if they will say that he lived before the Law and that therefore it was then with him as it is now with us 1. Moses his example will herein control them who lived also before the Law given in mount Sinai and yet did God so far forth see and take notice of sin in him as that upon his hanging back when he called him to go on his message to Pharao he was very angry with him and for the neglect of his childs circumcision he was like to have slain him 2. It will overthrow the main ground of their assertion to wit that this priviledge tooke not place untill Christ had groaned out his blood and life on the crosse Or if they shall grant that by vertue of his blood then shed it was formerly enjoyed they shall by that grant again overthrow their own assertion concerning those that lived after the delivery of the Law unlesse they will affirm that the Law was given to abbridge the vertue and impeach the efficasy of Christs bloud 3. Let it be observed to what intent and purpose this of Abraham and that also with so many down-right tearms of deep aggrevation is produced namely to prove that tho a man now do as they say he then did dissemble ly and equivocate yea more then that cheat and cousen those he deales with swear and forswear or worse then all this yet if he be a believer as every one almost is over-prone to believe himself to be
so judge us we are chastened by him in the world that we may not with the wicked world be condemned hereafter In which words the blessed Apostle plainly implyeth that those he spake of were such as God chastised for their amendment here that they might not perish hereafter and withall also that God doth usually meet in judgement with his for not keeping a stricter course in the due examination and carefull sifting of themselves And it was no small presumption therefore for that chief ringleader of the Antinomian faction among us so confidently and peremptorily in the publique hearing of so many hundreds to avow that he did not beleeve that any sinne of his or of any beleever had any hand in the procuring of the present judgements of God that lie so heavy upon our land Nor doth it any way derogate either from the free grace of God or from the merit of Christs death to affirm that God chastiseth his children as well now as formerly for their sins because it is said by the Prophet in a passage of Scripture by these men much abused that the chastisemeÌ„t of our peace was upon him as if God could not chastise in these times for sinne because he chastised him before for us and so chastised us in him and it is not consonant either to equity or to Gods free grace to chastise us for that which Christ our surety hath been chastised for already For first that which we touched also in part before as well they that lived before Christs coming were saved by the grace yea the free grace of God in Christ Iesus as Iames avoweth it as well as we now are and had as deep a share in the death of Christ and in the merit of his sacrifice which to that purpose was as effectuall even before it was effected as any have that now live Jesus Christ in regard of the benefit of his passion being yesterday and to day and for ever the same 2. Nor again was it the end of Christs suffring for us to free us from Gods chastising hand that we might thenceforth sinne the more freely without fear of check or controll of curb to restrain or scourge to reclaim no more then to free us from temporall death but to take away the sting both of the one and the other that neither of them might impeach us in our spirituall estate Christ was indeed as the Apostle tearmeth him a surety intervening between God and us of Gods gratious covenant made with us Gods surety to us for the performance of his promises For in him are all the promises of God yea and amen and our surety to God for the discharge of our debt For as the Prophet saith when it was exacted he answered he undertook it and discharged it and God made the iniquity of us all to meet in him and light on him In regard whereof it is truly said that the chastisement of our peace was upon him because the guilt of our sinne whereby we were severed from God and stood liable to his eternall wrath and curse being wholly abolished by his suffrings called sometime a sinne-sacrifice or trespasse-offring and sometime a chastisement both in reference to our sinnes for which he suffred the enmity between God and us is removed and we are now reconciled to him and at peace with him with whom we stood at a distance and were at eâ—â—ity before Thus then by Christs suffrings there being full satisfaction made to Gods justice for our sinnes we are freed indeed from the condemning power of sinne and of the Law for sinne and from Gods revenging wrath but yet not from Gods paternall indignation or the fruits and effects of it which are exercised on us for our good Howsoever therefore it is true as hath formely also been acknowledged and avowed that God for other ends and purposes hath and doth at sundry times chastise those that be his reconciled unto him in his Christ yet it is no lesse true as hath also been evidently shewed that ordinarily and usually he doth it for sinne and that therefore considering his tender affection and affectionate disposition we should thereby be led when his hand is upon us to seek the procuring cause of it in our selves every one of us in his own bosome in his brest endevour as Salomon speaks to take notice of the cause of the stroke in his heart and so take to heart the stroke it self It is the Prophets own inference in the place above mentioned where having laid down these two grounds that God punisheth not from his heart and that men procure eâ—ils to themselves by their sinnes he subjoyneth Let us search and enquire into our wayes let us make a privy search each one of us into his own heart and his life ransack every corner of either that whatsoever evill lieth lurking either in the one or in the other being discovered and brought to light it may by sincere repentance and serious reformation be removed so the fewell being withdrawn that at first kindled and still feedeth the fire of Gods wrath we may well hope that it will speedily go out of it self And this leadeth us to a second use and that is for encouragement to encourage Gods people when they lie under such pressures exposed to the rage and cruelty of their malicious opposites to repair unto their God with hope of relief and redresse he having professed his affection and disposition towards his to be such as hath been shewed It is a shrewd discouragement to a poor suppliant in case of danger or distresse if he know or hear that the party whom he is to make suit to is one void of bowels an hard-hearted man for to seek and sue for favour and mercy to such is as if the ship should in a storâ—â— repair for safety to the rock a man many times doth but the more enrage them and either aggravate his own misery or hasten his ruine by addressing himself tho in the humblest manner that may be to such But it is not so here we go not to a God in whom ought is found that gives in this regard any ground or occasion of discouragement unto any to any especially of his own toward whom he is so tenderly affected that he cannot endure to see any evill befal them but it goeth to the very heart with him It was that that encouraged Benhadad to seek unto Ahab notwithstanding that he had but a little before so insolently insulted over him and most despitefully abused him by his imperious and tyrannicall demands which he had also twice attempted to put in execution and had as oft been repulsed and compelled by shamefull flight to save himself with hope yet to prevail for a renewed reconceilement and a buriall of his former contumelious carriages towards him in oblivion We have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings But much better encouragement have we to repair and have recourse unto our God in
the like case then Aram had to seek to Ahab with hope that altho we have carried our selves wickedly and wretchedly ungratiously and unworthily toward our good God far otherwise then was meet either for us to do or for him to endure yet he will upon our sincere repentance and serious humiliation be pacified towaâ—d us and reconciled again unto us We have heard say they that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings but we know that the God of Israel is a mercifull God they built upon the bare hearsays concerning the Kings of Israel of such as might easily be mistaken in them upon reports which being many times raised from or taken up rather upon meer shewes and semblances of what in truth is not do consequently fail and fall short when it cometh to the triall and so frustrate the expectation of those that rely on them Whereas we have a surer ground whereon to build our hopes even the word of that God who is truth it self and therefore cannot lie concerning himself whom none knowes so well as himself yea none knowes indeed perfectly but himself none in any part but from himself and who therefore cannot be mistaken in himself as men even in themselves and in others much more oft-times are He hath published and proclaimed himself to be a God mercifull and gratious of long sufferance and abounding in goodnesse or kindnesse and truth He hath assured us and with an oath confirmed it that he delighteth not in the death and destruction of sinners his own people especially but would rather have them repent and return then to die in and so perish by their sinnes he hath professed and protested it that tho a man will not receive a wife again that hath gone from him and joyned her self to another nor did his own law allow any man so to do yet notwithstanding our reâ—olt from him and disloyall dealings with him he will dispense with his own law he will upon our taking notice of and acknowledgement of our sins revoke his wrath because he is mercifull and upon our hearty retuâ—n to him return unto us and receive us into grace and favour again And as upon this ground Moses assureth his people that tho God for their sinnes should at any time dispossesse them of their land wherein he had seated them and disperse them into forain parts yet if out of those places whereunto they were dispersed they should seek sincerely to him and return to obey him God would not so leave them nor destroy them but would turn their captivity or reduce their captives and have compassion upon them and gather them out of those nations whither they were scattered and bring them home to their own land again for the Lord thy God saith he is a mercifull God So the people of God themselves when they were so dispossest of their land and removed into forain parts do upon the very same grounds conceive and nourish hopes that howsoever they had trespassed and rebelled and God had not spared them but had overspred them with his wrath and the dismall effects of it had pursued them and slain them and that as might seem without pity the enemy into whose hands he had given them shewing no pity or compassion at all on them yea tho he seemed to have wrapped himself in a thick cloud that their prayers might not pierce or find passage to have accesse to him and appear in his presence yet that he would not utterly cast them off nor retain his wrath for ever but that he would return and repent and have compassion again upon them according to the multitude of his mercies considering that he did not punish with his heart it was against his own disposition to deal with them as he did and would not so have done had not they by their sins provoked and enforced him thereunto It was inducement sufficient to the King of Nineveh notwithstanding that peremptory sentence past upon him and his people yet to conceive some good hope that upon their seeking to God the doom might be reversed Who can tell but that God may return and repent or repent him again and turn from his fierce wrath that we perish not But there was more in it then so that made Ionâ—â— so jealous of the issue of his prophecie I knew saith he that thou art a gratious and mercifull God slow to anger and of great goodnesse and one that repentest thee of the evils that thou denouncest against persons and people upon the repentance of those against whom they are denounced he had certain knowledge of that by God whereof they had onely some uncertain surmises and the same grounds that Jonas had to build on are not wanting to us they are left upon record for our comfort and encouragement Onely let us remember to take the same course that the people of God before-mentioned propound and that the Ninevites before them practised let us search out our sinnes first and turn from them and then let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God and cry mightily to him for mercy for when God saw that they turned from their evill wayes then it is said that God repented of the evill that he had said he would do and did it not This is it that God listeneth after this is that that he waits for that he would hear of from us and see with us that he may shew mercy on us which he even travelleth of and is in pain with untill he be delivered of it in such a season and in such a manner as may make most for our good But till this be let us assure our selves that we may cry long enough and loud enough but in vain and to no purpose like the Patient that calls upon the Physitian for the cure of his disease but will not admit the means that should remove the cause of it or cries to the Surgion for ease of his pain but will not suffer the splinter or sâ—ing to be drawn out of his flesh which sticking there procures the pain A third use may be for caution Is the Lord so affectionate a God to his people so tender of them that he cannot endure to see ought done to them that may vex and grieve them this should be a very forcible motive unto them that they be exceeding careful to shun and eschew the doing of ought that may vex and grieve him that they be tender of wronging him in ought who is so tender of seeing wrong done unto them Gods goodnesse and patience saith the Apostle should lead men to repentaÌ„ce the consideration of it should cause men to be grieved for this that by their sinfull courses they have grieved him who hath been so gratious and good to them Nor should the consideration of this tender affection in God towards us prevail lesse with us for a preventing care of such cariage that it be not committed then for the working of us to repentance after