Three that bear Record in Heaven are not three separate Persons howbeit we are not bound to believe the determinations of Fathers and Councils any farther than they accord with the pure Language of Scripture And whereas T.V. and his Brethren supposing that they have detected the weakness and absurdity of W. P thereupon go to Caution People Not to follow the guidance of the Light which W. P. truly saith is communicated unto all and forsake the true Light of the Word and Spirit which alone can guide men into all truth This is a groundless Caution and false as it reflects upon the Light for suppose W.P. were in Weakness as they say yet the Light is not the cause thereof however his Weakness as they call it hath brought forth much of their Folly for the Light which is communicated unto all which People should follow the Guidance of is the Light of Christ which inlightens every man coming into the World and therefore to render weakness absurdity falshood and folly as the Products of it is both grosse Ignorance and Blasphemy for the Light never changeth however the Creature may neither is this Light contrary to the Word Spirit or Scripture And as for their so much Railing against the Socinians and Arians and malitiously comparing any of us with them it is no reasonable way to Convince either us or them if we were as ill as they render us for they have gone the way to animate and encourage both Socinians and others against them and their absurdities and ridged inveterate Spirits and Railing against many that are of better Spirits as men at least than themselves As for the Socinians they have given ground to some to think the better of them because they have shewn so much hatred and reviling against them howbeit Socinians if there be any that own themselves by that Name may answer to their Accusations it is not my work to maintain anothers Quarrel nor yet to reflect upon their Persons nor either to accuse or excuse them to gratifie such incompetent Judges as these our Revilers I am not going about to gratifie Parties or private Opinions or man's Wisdom on any hand but to vindicate the naked Truth yet it 's true I have heard of some beyond the Sea that went under that Name Socinians who were accused with denying the Divinity of Christ but I know of none here that either deny the Divinity of Christ or Him to be of one Substance with the Father if our Opposers do know of any such they may tell them of it and not accuse the Innocent with the Guilty as they have done to us However it is but a mean way of Arguing to accuse or miscall any for owning any Truth that any sort if they do Err in some things do hold for by that way I may as well be reckoned a Papist a Jew or a Turk Episcopal or Presbyterian or what not because some Truths are held by them all in words But we had not our Principles either from Arius or Socinias neither did we ever deny the Divinity of Christ or his being of the same Substance with the Father as Arius Socinias and others are accused so that therein we are very unjustly compared and mis-represented for which I can say The Lord forgive these our prejudiced Opposers But it is no strange thing for us to be called by nick-Names one after another by these and such false Accusers and incompetent Judges for one while they were wont to Revile us for wanting Learning being Illiterate Lay-men Preachers c. Another while they Railed against us and falsely accused us for Papists and Jesuits Another while they accused us falsely with being Free-Willers Arminians c. because we plead for the Free Grace of God to all men And now we are falsely reckoned Socinians and most injuriously accused with denying the Divinity of Christ the Son of God which we are ever alwayes clear of still Confessing him according to the Scriptures both in his Sufferings Dominion and Glory who is the same yesterday to day and for ever CHAP. IV. Touching the Love of God in Christ the One Offering and how his being a Sacrifice for Sin is owned by us according to the Scripture and for what end construed or applyed by these our Opposers and their corrupt Doctrines and Inferences to cover and maintain Sin and Imperfection tearm of Life under the notion of Satisfaction and Imputation c. SOme Presbyterian Priests and Professors of other sorts also affirming That man having transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so exposed to the Penalty of Eternal Wrath It 's altogether impossible for God to remit forgive or save men without a plenary Satisfaction both by full Payment and Punishment laid on Christ the same that sin and sinners deserved which they reckon extends for sins past present and to come So that though People live in sin all their dayes as Priests plead yet they sooth up themselves in sin under this opinion that all 's done for them at once But whether it be for all men or but for some T. Vincent hath not discovered nor ingeniously opened the extent of their Belief and Principle in this matter but has catched and snatched here and there and then gone to his wonted course of grinning and snarling by Reviling and Railing having not Asserted nor yet minded the End and Intent of his Opposer's Reasons from Scripture and Cautions in this matter on the behalf of God's infinite Love Mercy and Grace towards lost man which is judged and not without cause these Priests Doctrine doth eclipse and lesson which we do not concerning the Sacrifice of Christ as T.V. falsely thinks as their laying an Impossibility on God in the case against which many Scriptures were urged as Exod. 34.6 7. 2 Chron. 30.9 Isa. 55.7 Isa. 31.31 Mica 7.18 Matt. 6.12 Joh. 3.16 Act. 10.34 Rom. 8.31 32 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Eph. 1.7 1 Pet. 5.10 1 Joh. 4.9 whereby with many others is proved 1. The Lord God to be Merciful Gracious to forgive Sin and Iniquity and to pardon Transgression upon man return and forsaking of his evil way and that he retaineth not his anger for ever 2dly That it was Gods free Love and Grace to the World to give his only begotten Son that none should perish but have everlasting Life who believed in him 3dly That it was God's Work to Reconcile the World unto himself in Christ Jesus 4thly That the Benefits and Effects of Free Grace and Love in Christ Jesus as Pardon Remission Reconciliation Redemption through his Blood c. are of the nature and riches of this Grace to all that truly receive it 5thly That this Free Grace of God with its blessed Effects in the true Receivers are not of Debt Purchase or Merit on the Creatures part but Free according to the nature of Free Grace 6thly That the Love Kindness and Goodness of God is perfect and infinite in him and so in its
until the Law Sin was in the World but Sin is not imputed where there is no Law verse 13. But now mark there is a Law transgressed whereby Sin and Transgression is imputed to them that are guilty of transgression as all in Adam in the earthly state and nature are and therefore on the other hand righteousness is not imputed to persons out of Christ or to such that are not partakers of his righteousness Pag. 45. Arg. 4. Quaker A man cannot be said to be actually sinfull and imputatively righteous he may as well be said to be actually damned and imputatively saved To which T. D. answereth Why not as well as to say a man is actually poor and not worth a groat but imputatively rich as having by Surety paid his debt of thousands Reply Here he hath plainly discovered their notion of Imputation and the falseness of it viz. that a man is imputatively righteous when actually sinfull or actually damned and yet imputatively saved what gross Corruption and Ignorance is this and what an improper Comparison doth he bring to back it let the wise judge and we do not admit of it in this case as that a man should be actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent but that such to whom righteousness and true riches are reckoned as being theirs have right therein and are partakers thereof and what he asserts herein by his simile is but a beging the question and taking that for granted which is still opposed as both unscriptural and unreasonable viz. men being actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and imputatively innocent by the same reason he might as well say persons really Theeves are innocent or persons really and actual trecherous and rebellious are true and good Subjects or actually Devils and imputatively Saints But Christ being or becoming our Suerty was not to impute righteousness to men in transgression but to bring them into Covenant and Peace with God which stands in everlasting righteousness and not in sin for he was also a perfect example to be followed as well as profest and he is the Surety of the new Testament and Covenant which is spiritual and is manifested and enjoyed in his people And T. D's instance that nine men throughout a mutinous Army are actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent when the tenth man is admited to sustain the punishment due to the rest is as sottish and impertinent as the rest before for neither is a mutinous Army innocent nor is Christ any of the mutinous or guilty Persons And where proves T.D. that Imputation is an Act of Law and makes a Relative and not a real change I ask what Law it is an act of is it real or true or no if it be of God it must be true if not then false and it is a false imputation which is not real and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who knew that Abraham's Faith was imputed or reckoned to him for righteousness and to that state to which there was no condemnation but justification which was a state of being walking in Christ and not a walking after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this they that experience and witness know a real change from death to life from condemnation to justification from sin to righteousness from the wayes of death and darkness to the wayes of Life Light and Peace Pag. 45. T. D. saith There is no need of inherent Righteousness for Justification buâ— yet there is need of it for other ends as to make us meet for Heaven Col. 1.12 Answ. It appears that he means by this inherent righteousness that of Sanctification or the work of Gods Spirit within which he afterwards calls personal righteousness and is there no need of this for Justification what darkness is here as if men were justified while in the unsanctified state this is like the rest of his sottish stuff quite contrary to the Apostles Doctrine which is But ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 And also what contradiction hath T. D. brought to himself herein whilst he hath confessed that the word Justifie signifieth to make Just as also he hath confessed that inherent Righteousness as he call it gives a fitness of enjoying the Heavenly Inheritance it lying in Communion with God pag. 46. then it follows that it gives a fitness for Justification whilst Justification and Sanctification are unseparable Companions and God loves his Image in his People freely saith his Brother T. V. Thus without Washing Clensing and Sanctification men are not Justified seeing the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and they that live in unrighteousness cannot be accepted of him It being not the Hearers of the Law but the Doers that shall be Justified Pag. 46. And now concerning good works that are acceptable to God which T. D. accuseth us with placing Merit for Justification or as a deserved cause thereof c. Concerning this particular that faithfull Servant of the Lord S. Fisher hath very fully answered T. D. and his Brethren and it hath been manifest how he did wrong and abuse S. Fisher about this point and how contrary to his intent he construed good works as being ours relating to self works or imperfect obedience which S. Fisher never intended but with Relation to those works which are perfect which Christ is the Author of which if Christs Works be not deserving whose are and to those which God hath wrought in us who having ordained Peace for us hath wrought all our works in us Isa. 26. now we never placed a merit upon self-acting nor upon mans best works in the faln sinfull and corrupt state so that there is not a correspondency betwixt us and the Papists in this particular as falsly we have been accused see S. Fisher's Rusticus ad Accademicos where the point is fully explained which you Presbyterians and Independants are never able to answer Where did we ever profess or hold forth that we were able or could fulfil the Law our selves or merit or deserve Salvation by any thing that we could do but we do profess and witness that through the Power of Christ we are enabled to faithfull and sincere obedience not of our selves knowing that good works how ever rejected and undervalued are ordained of God and without them your faith is dead as a body without a Spirit is And it is true enough as T. D. saith That you are averse to obedience through corruptions who plead for sin term of life and yet would cover over all your filthy raggs with a pretence of Christ's Righteousness Satisfaction Imputation Justification and Merit whilst you are yet in your sins and corruptions and in the weakness of your flesh but as under the Law of works wherein you are in no perfect obedience Pag. 47. Seeing the Law of Faith is acknowledged I ask how far it
Freedom from sin or transgression of the Law whilst here and then judge whether Imperfection and Sin be Evangelical Surely all who have any true spiritual knowledge of the Law Gospel and new Birth may easily see beyond this man and also see his Ignorance and Contradiction to himself for the state of the Gospel is so far from being inferiour to that under the Law that it exceeds for God finding fault with his People under the first Covenant saw it needful to establish a second in which forgiveness of sin destroying sin and the Devil's works taking it away and making an end of it and remembring sin no more and so Perfection are to be known by the enjoyers and subjects of this Covenant as also the Gospel is not short of the Law nor the Righteousness of it for Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fullfil it and the Righteousness of Faith is so far from coming short of the Righteousness of the Law that true Believers do not make void the Law through Faith but establish it and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ makes free from the Law of Sin and Death So that the Righteousness and Obedience brought forth in the true and living Faith which stands in the Power of God doth answer the righteous Law of God in the heart and exceeds and surpasses all self-righteousness and all mens outward immitations of the Law in the letter of it but this none knows but those who comes to own the Light and Spirit of Faith inward and the Law of it It is not known to such as these men who count the Light within an Idol and reckon that it guides contrary to the Light of the Word and Spirit as in their pages 15. 53. But as to his Perfection of parts but not of degrees this is strange Doctrine for if it be a Perfection of parts but not of degrees what parts are they and wherein consists their Perfection not of degrees but if he had said there is a Perfection of kind but not in the full height or highest degree of it then he had said something though to his own contradiction But where he adds That in this sense the work of Grace though the work of God was not perfect in regard of our selves but by degrees was carried on unto further Perfection Now in contradiction to himself he hath confest the Work of God by degrees carried on unto further Perfection which if so here is both Perfection in its degrees which vary not the property or kind as also the work of Grace in its carrying on unto further Perfection so then there is a time of perfecting or working the work of Grace in order to Perfection and a time wherein it comes to be wrought and perfected And now the kind and nature of that Perfection which we believe and plead for is that which God requires and Christ worketh who doth the Father's Will therein in all that truly believe the which consists in Righteousness and true Holiness not in any imagined conceited or self-righteousness brought forth in man's will which is not real nor perfect either in man's will-worshipping self-performing or applications which are neither from living Motions of true Faith nor Evidence of the Spirit of God within but from men's self-will imaginations and traditions And whereas T. V. tells of some that were established in the wayes of Truth intending by his Ministry Herein again he hath contradicted himself for Establishment in the wayes of Truth is a high state of Perfection and such admits not of his Preaching up sin nor of moving from any of Truth 's wayes which his Doctrine for Sin and Imperfection term of Life doth not at all tend too but rather to keep People in thraldom and captivity and in a wavering tossed estate in the wayes of sin which are all contrary to the wayes of Truth for the wayes of Truth do not admit of a continuance in the wayes of Errour either in Principle or Practice And whereas T. V. complains so sadly That two of his Friends Mother and Daughter that went off to the Quakers in his fortnights absence It appears that they were not Established by him as also that he hath led his Hearers to depend more upon himself than upon the Teachings of God or his Light within which is the cause of many's wavering and uncertainty who have followed him so that if their Teacher or Shepherd T. V. remove into a corner or if upon Persecution he should flee or hide himself for fear as many of them have done then his flock or at least many of them would be lyable to be scattered but who comes to wait upon God in his Light and Spirit to know him their Shepherd and Leader their Teacher will not be removed into a corner nor their Shepherd flee from them And whereas T. V. further adds in an angry reviling manner against the Mother and Daughter That the Mother should so much indulge a perverse Will in her unbefitting a Parent that it 's like to prove the destruction of Mother and Child c. His thus openly reviling of them in Print may tend to set them further against him then ever and now they may see more of his Spirit than before and if they abide in the Light to which their minds have been directed and by which their understandings have been opened since they came amongst us they will further feel and see cause for ever to bless the Lord for bringing them out from amongst such false Teachers and Ministers of Sin and Imperfection as T.V. and his Brethren have manifested themselves to be as also seeing what follows from his corrupt Heart and unclean Spirit it may set all sober minds and modest Persons against him and his Doctrine more than ever as they take a view thereof which most sordid reviling of his was the chief cause and occasion of these Controversies between us T. V. I acknowledge I did say it was worse to go to the Quakers Meettings than to a Bawdy-house because the defilement of the Soul with their damnable Errors was more deep and more hard to be washed off than the defilement of Whoredom or Adultry Answ. To which I say let all sober-minded Readers but mark the wickedness and grosseness of this man's Doctrine thus to set an esteem of Bawdy-houses above our Meetings What but Impudence and Wickedness could have vented such Doctrine publickly It is no marvel that he can so plead and contend for Sin and Imperfection whilst he deems it worse to go to our Meetings where Sin Wickedness and Uncleanness is openly Preached against than to go to a Bawdy-house where it 's committed What abominable Doctrine is this and Infamy and a ground of suspition against himself hath he given hereby and how contrary to the Spirit and Doctrine of the true Ministers this of his is for they were so far from such Doctrine that they reckoned such things not meet to be
self not be added to or diminished from 7thly That the Goodness of God where it takes impression or is received in man in the free tenders of it in Christ Jesus it is the principal inducement or cause of Repentance and forsaking of Sin 8thly And the Tenders of Grace and Salvation in Christ are free to all so that man's rejecting and slighting of it and of God's Kindness therein is the cause of his being rejected of God O man thy destruction is of thy self but thy help is in me saith the Lord. 9thly Seeing that many of their own Brethren have confessed God to be infinite in his Power and in all Perfections and to his Divine Attributes as their term is and that he is free in them and so his Love Goodness and Mercy which attend his Judgment being felt in the way thereof by them that wait therein upon him Why should any Doctrine or Supposition be brought forth that doth at least seem to diminish his Love and Good Will by either mis-representing it in its self or render it partially in its extent as only design'd or but free for a few that upon full payment and also the same full punishment and wrath that sinners deserved by a Person distinct and separate from himself as Jesus Christ hath been mis-represented He being One with the Father who said Hitherto the Father worketh and I work and the Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do that he doth 10thly Christ being the Brightness of the Glory of God and the express Image of his Divine Substance as also truly called the Son of his Love by him is exprest and clearly signified God's Free Love Goodness and Mercy towards Mankind both in his Life Ministry and Sufferings in the dayes of his Flesh. 11thly It being the Love Patience Long-suffering of God and Riches of his Grace that leads to Repentance Rom. 2. all which were truly expressed signified and bore Testimony unto by Christ Jesus both in his Ministery Suffering and Death on the Cross as also by his Resurrection and most Glorious Ascention The Almighty Power of God which is unto Salvation to the true Believers was shewed forth and born witness unto and blessed are they that receive the true sense thereof in its operation and effects 12thly I also know and confess That it was in God's Infinite and Free Love that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified of in due time And that in the same Love he hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5. and therefore God is to be followed and Christ obeyed by all that receive his Love But now to T. V. his Terms and Assertion seeing he has not been plain nor given any ingenious nor satisfactory Answer I ask and Query 1st WHere doth the Scripture say That it is impossible for God to pardon or forgive without a plenary Satisfaction as an act of Law made to his offended or vindictive Justice by another 2dly And if this Satisfaction depend upon a second Person or God equal with the Father as T.V. saith Christ is proved to be and not upon any finite Creature Is not this all one as to say that God satisfied God and then what non-scence is it to lay it upon a second Person distinct from him and yet coequal with him where doth he prove these words in Scripture Doth not this like the former Doctrine either render them two distinct Gods differing between themselves the one abounding in Judgement the other in Mercy or else God to differ from himself and so to give Christ for his own Pacification and not Man's real Reformation whilst the Notion of plenary satisfaction is made a cover or pretence for Peoples continuing in an imperfect sinful polluted state which the Priests Plead for the continuance of in all term of Life And does not this their Doctrine lead People to trample the Blood of the New Covenant under foot and this is to deny the one Offering 3dly And was that the end of Christ giving himself a Ransom being an Offering and Dying for All that men might live in sin all their time and say they are Pardoned and Redeemed whilst they are still in Bondage 4thly Is God fully satisfied that any should live in sin or is his infinite Justice satisfied so as not to lay hold on them in the sinful state 5thly If the Wrath of God be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and every disobedience shall have a just Recompence of Reward How then is Divine Justice fully satisfied and answered for All in that state without their coming under the sence of it in themselves For if so then nothing is to be done within them and then how did the Believers know the terrors of the Lord the sentence of Death in themselves the Law that Ministers Wrath the Ministration of Condemnation which in his time was Glorious and the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them by Christ Jesus who came to condemn sin in the Flesh for that end wherein still we confess to the one Offering and the blessed effects thereof 6thly And if All must live in sin all their time does not this tend to settle People upon their Lees and set them at ease in a false security in Sin and Transgression and so to deny the one Offering and Sacrifice that puts away sin 7thly And if such a plenary Satisfaction as it is called be made for some in that sinful state why not for all Do ye not here render God partial whereas Christ died for All tasted Death for Every man gave himself a Ransom for All which you Presbyterians to wit T. D. and others have denyed and so you make Sects and therein have opposed Scriptures and the Extent of God's Love and Good Will to all men but we Testifie to it and own Christ's Death and Sufferings and Effect of his Righteousness to be manifest within by the Spirit to every one that believeth 8thly Why doth T. V. so vilifie a man for Confessing according to Scripiture to the infinite Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind and his reasoning for it from Scripture seeing that he himself confesseth the impossibility of any finite Creature to make any plenary satisfaction to his offended Justice And many of his Brethren have confessed the Divine Attributes to be in God and he free in them as infinite Love Goodness Mercy as well as Justice As also he may find in the Common Prayer Book That the Graciousness and Mercifulness of God is confessed unto more then he has done And whereas T. V. accuseth W.P. with seeming to insinuate that he denys only the impossibility of Gods pardoning sin without satisfaction but that his Arguments are against Satisfaction it self he saith Whereas W. P's own Testimony stands against him in this matter in Pag. 32. which T. V. to his own Contradiction is also made to
confess that W. P. confesseth That Christ offered unto God a satisfactory Sacrifice c. yea a most satisfactory Sacrifice but not to help God as being otherwise unable to save men However it is evident that W. P. has according to Scriptures confessed to God's Power Omnipotency Infiniteness and also That Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Fathers Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice so that he hath been wrongfully accused concerning this matter And whereas T. V. saith That God's Righteousness and Truth obliegeth him to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law and his will to punish sin and sinners according to their desert his Justice doth ingage him c. Answ. How then is God free in his Attributes as they confess and his Good Will shewed by Christ unto men for their good in order to Salvation or hath God two contrary Wills the one obliging him to take Vengeance or execute Judgement to the uttermost upon All and the other to Exercise Patience Forbearance and shew Mercy and so not to Will the Death of Sinners but rather their Return that they may Live Is there any variableness or shaddow of Change in God or rather is not the Love and Good Will of God held forth in Christ to all men in the first place and that then when he Chasteneth Corrects Reproves any for sin it is not in Vengeance or Fury but in Love and Good Will for his Vengeance is to fall upon his Adversaries that have rejected and turned against him and the free proffers of his Love in Christ Jesus and who have Crucified Christ unto themselves a-fresh and trampled upon the Blood of the Covenant and so despised the one Offering which was offered up once for all as a real Witness of God's Good Will Patience Forbearance Long-suffering towards all And now to T. V. his saying That Sinners must have Divine help to inable them to their duty or in doing good and when they have done their duty their works are but imperfect and they unprofitable servants and for it brings Luke 17.10 When you have done all the things commanded say we are unprofitable servants our Righteousness is as filthy raggs Isa. 64.6 Answ. If you Presbyterians and Professors were come to know a Divine help in what you do and to do all the things Commanded you would give us a better account of those Works and Performances brought forth by Divine help than to compare them to filthy Raggs Divine help would cloath you with better Garments than filthy Raggs What sad Doctrine is this to say the Good that is done by Divine help and that doing all things Commanded of God are but as filthy Raggs What darkness is this not to distinguish between self-Righteousness which are but as filthy Raggs and the good that 's done by Divine help that hath a beauty and splendour of God's Righteousness with it Is this the construction you make of Christ's Satisfaction or being a Sacrifice to God that you must be cloathed upon all your Life time with your own filthy Raggs of self-Righteousness And then to cover over all these your Babylonish Brats with a pretence of Christ's Satisfaction paying your Debt for you imputation of his Righteousness deceitfully and feignedly applyed by you to your selves in your filthy Raggs whilst you have no share in it nor feel in you the Effect of his sufferings as if you were only to believe and apply and sin all your time you are far from the state of the unprofitable Servant that did all that he was Commanded You are daily breaking the Commands of God and Plead for it much more farther from the state of those whom Christ called no more Servants but Friends T. V. That God never doth nor will nor can pardon any sinner without satisfaction made to his offended Justice for their sins Reply But then in Contradiction to himself he saith I shall not concern my self to inquire what God could or might do if he pleased Why then doth he say he never will nor can and seem to lay such an Impossibility upon God in the case as if he could not freely Pardon whereas he could do whatsoever he pleased and certainly he could both please and satisfie himself And then I Query How is this Satisfaction made by Christ T. V. It depends upon him as the second Person in the Trinity pag. 54. Query Does it depend upon him as Man or as God and Man T. V. It was necessary that the Person that should make Satisfaction should be Man because none but a Creature could suffer But then he adds It were necessary he should be God othewise the sufferings and satisfaction would have been but finite Query What then were the Sufferings Infinite that the Wicked inflicted upon the Body of Christ seeing nothing but a Creature could suffer he saith and yet as a Creature could give no proportionable Satisfaction to Infinite Justice What Confusion is here For as God he could not Suffer nor Die as is confessed but God did strengthen the Manhood to bear up under such opressure of Wrath But where doth the Scripture say That Christ the second Person in the Trinity did suffer under infinite Wrath either as God or Man or both He should have produced his plain Scripture for Scripture we own and Christ's Satisfaction as rightly stated and what a most acceptable Sacrifice he was to the Father for All yea his Suffering as Man or in the Flesh without the Gates at Jerusalem was all acceptible to God his Soul was also made an Offering for sin and that he was a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World the Mystery Virtue and Effects of his Sufferings none knows but they that believe in his Name and receive the Righteousness of Faith But indeed the manner of T. V's stating the business I do not see that sense can be made of it whilst he makes it a Payment of a second Person distinct from God and yet not as a Creature for as such the Sufferings were finite as he faith that could not bear a proportionable Satisfaction to infinite Justice and then it being as God united that did bear up and strengthen the man under opressure of Wrath that made this Satisfaction as he hath stated it c. Obs. What amounts this to that God made a satisfaction to and paid himself either by inflicting infinite Wrath upon Christ as God which cannot be or else that he satisfied himself by the finite Suffering of Christ as man when as that which was finite could not satisfie infiniteness they say And as God-man can they say he was the subject of Wrath or vindictive Justice as their term is How these things should be reconciled I leave to the ingenious Readers to judge Answ. Yes still we know that God was ever satisfied and well-pleased in Christ Jesus and in all his Works and it was God that was in him reconciling the World
Righteous whilst such as if God's Righteousness or Workmanship were impure This Doctrine has led many in the way to Hell and Destruction But T.V. in 2 Cor. 5. should have read vers 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Which is a real change in that man that is in Christ from sin and transgression and not a Justification therein for the Spirit of God both discovers to man his sin and reproves him as a transgressor and one Guilty whilst therein and surely God does not accept of men as his own Righteousness and in Christ whilst his Spirit in them judges them to be both unrighteous and out of Christ for if he did that were to make God contradict himself and to speak quite contrary to his own Spirit which were very absurd and blasphemous to assert But had T.V. rightly minded and understood that of Rom. 8.1 2 3 4 he might have seen how contrary it is to his Doctrine before and himself therein confuted For 1st They that are in Christ Jesus walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and it s to such only to whom there is no Condemnation therefore Justification and this is not a sinful imperfect or guilty state 2dly The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made such free from the Law of Sin and Death 3dly God sending his Son to condemn sin in the Flesh was not to look upon man Justified in the sinful state or whilst he walks after the Flesh. But 4thly That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in such who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this doth absolutely confute T.V. and his Brethren And whereas for the proof of his Doctrine of Guilty Persons being the Righteousness of God he citeth Rom. 4.6 7. where it is said David described the blessedness of that man to whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works to which I say not without the Works of the True and Living Faith in Jesus nor yet without a subjection to the Law of Faith but without that the Works or Deeds of the Law of Works chap. 3.19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28. the Apostle did not exclude the Works Obedience or Righteousness of the true Faith from a justified state for if Paul had so done it had been contrary to James his Testimony who said Was not our Father Abraham justified by Works when he had offered up Isaac See Jam. 2. And Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness We say That Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 9. which Faith was not without its own Works although it be not the Works of the Law as Circumcision and others that were Types or Signs wherein the Righteousness of Faith doth not consist which they that are in the uncircumcision as the Gentiles that were the ungodly spoken of Rom. 4.5 11. chap. 3.29 do receive through Faith in Christ and become really partakers thereof being Justified from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And so such are Justified or made Just or truly so Accepted of God not in sin or ungodliness but as Redeemed out of it and Sanctified from it See 1 Cor. 6.11 And blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin This is no Proof for T. V. his sinful Doctrine for them whom the Lord doth bless and imputeth not Iniquity to are in the way of God and partakes of his Righteousness through Faith cannot feed upon an imagined Imputation or Justification in sin for in Psal. 32.2 David describeth the blessedness of such in these words Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile These words in whose Spirit there is no guile the Priests use to leave out in their talk of Imputation but as their Faith without Works or a real Obedience on the Creatures part is but a dead empty and feigned Faith So their laying a claim to and pretending a Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Christ whilst they are sinners and polluted pleading for Imperfection whilst here 't is but a false imagination of their own for though we confess that Justification is in the Righteousness of Christ by Faith in him and that this True and Living Faith and the Righteousness of it is reckoned to the true Believer yet we do not therefore grant that Sinners or Polluted Persons in that state are cloathed with this Righteousness nor that 't is imputed to them as theirs whilst they are out of it for they that have put on Christ are translated from sin and unrighteousness and so are made partakers of the Righteousness of Faith which T.V. saith is without us and so puts it a far off and yet cites Phil. 3.9 which plainly Contradicts his Doctrine for Paul having confessed Christ Jesus to be his Lord and suffered the loss of all things that he might win Christ it was that he might be found in him not having his own Righteousness but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith that said he I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Suffering being made conformable to his Death vers 9 10. Mark his winning Christ being found in him his not having his own Righteousness but that of Faith extends to a real injoyment of Christ and his being in him and not to an imagined Imputation in sin but to his knowing Christ and the Power of his Resurrection Fellowship of his Suffering and Conformity to his Death this was a blessed estate which all you that plead for Sin and Imperfection and a Justification whilst you are out of Christ or strangers to him being both unacquainted with his Power and Fellowship of Suffering and never came ye so to be conformable to his Death you being yet alive in your sins And as to T. V. his Argument or Syllogism it proves nothing of his Doctrine of impure or guilty Persons being Justified by Imputation for Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ and his Righteousness we never denied but this Faith is not a dead Faith nor without its own Works for it purifieth the heart but so does not your Faith who plead for sin by which you apply Christ's Righteousness whilst you are out of it and it without you as T.V. confesseth pag. 17. How hath he and the rest of you that own this his Doctrine soothed and daubed People up in their sins flattering them with a Pretence of Imputation and Justification therein when your Faith is but dead and empty as a body without a Spirit is dead That we are Justified by Faith without Works By what Faith and without what Works is mentioned and manifest according to Scripture both
in that to the Romans as also in that to the Galatians See Rom. 3 4. chap. and Gal. 2 3 4 5. chap. that they were the Works of the Law and not the Works of Faith without which they were Justified And as of his telling of the Deficiency of Righteousness inherent I say that Christ's Righteousness within is not Deficient who works both perfect Sanctification and Righteousness in true Believers and what is the end of seeking for a Righteousness without as T.V. saith if they must not really injoy Christ's Righteousness within And where do the Scripture say That they may seek for Christ's Righteousness Imputed without themselves How proves he this by Scripture c. his saying they can be Justified only by Faith whilst he excludes its Works it 's contrary to the Apostles Doctrine Jam. 2. Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone and ye see how that by Works man is Justified and not by Faith only vers 17.24 T. V. Which Faith he putteth in opposition to all Works not only of the Ceremonial and Moral Law but also to all Works wrought in Faith which are works still such as Abraham's Works and David's Works were pag. 70 71. Reply The Justifying Faith which is Living and Real was never put in opposition to its own Work by either Christ his Apostles or Ministers nor to all or any Works wrought in it self by any but Antichrist and his Ministers such as T. V. and his Brethren have manifestly shewn themselves to be in this and other particulars For the Apostle Paul was so far from putting Faith in opposition to all Works wrought in it that he saith Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we Establish the Law Rom. 3.31 And if while we seek to be Justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sin God forbid and I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God Gal. 2.17 Now this Living unto God being Crucified with Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God which Living unto God was in the Righteousness of Faith and not in sin for Christ is not the Minister of sin so that he doth not set Faith in opposition to its own Works as most falsly is affirmed but to those Works whether of the Law or other self-Works or Righteousness that were out of the True Faith which purifies the heart gives Victory Sanctifies and Justifies and the Saints knew the puting off the body of the sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ so that they did not carry a body of sin all their time about with them and a being buried with him in Baptism wherein also they they are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who haith Raised him up from the dead Col. 2.11 12. And that God would fulfil the Work of Faith with Power 2 Thes. 1.11 This Paul prayed for so he did not set Faith in opposition to its own Work As also Heb. 11. how amply is the true Faith without which it's impossible to please God demonstrated by the many Works and blessed Effects of it which did attend it in God's People in their acceptable obedience and subjection to him both in Doing and Suffering concerning which both Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Sarah Isaac Joseph Moses and many others are instanced for their faithful obedience and subjection As also the Apostle James chap. 2.20 21 22. plainly Contradicteth T.V. his putting Faith in opposition to its own Works wherein he might as well have put it in opposition to it self Who farther adds from Rom. 4.2 5. touching God's Justifying the ungodly That no Persons being the subjects of the Gospel Justification but as ungodly Reply Herein again he has wrested Scripture for the Apostle doth not say he Justifies them AS ungodly but he that believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly it 's not as ungodly which were the believing Gentiles that were so ungodly there intended before they came into the Work of Faith and to partake of its Righteousness within for they were not Justified in ungodliness but from it Justifieth is not Justified the one being the Work a doing the other done which where it is so Effected by Faith that purifieth the heart therein the real Subjects of Gospel Justification are manifest not as ungodly but as Righteous being Washed Sanctified and Justified by the Spirit of our God and that in the Name and Power of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Moreover T.V. hath Confessed That God doth not leave them ungodly where he removeth the guilt of sin he removeth also the filth of sin Justification and Sanctification being inseparable companions and that Justification is never without Sanctification pag. 70. Reply It 's well he has somewhat inclined to Confess to Truth though to the manifest break-neck and overthrow of his own Cause For now What 's become of his Justification of the ungodly of the Guilty as ungodly c. by the imputed Righteousness of Christ as his words are And when was that performed or wrought Now not till Sanctification be known that the filth of sin is removed Justification and Sanctification being inseparable companions and the one never without the other And surely people are not the subjects of Sanctification or Sanctified as ungodly or as in the filth or pollution of sin let the Readers but mark here how flatly this T. Vincent hath overthrown and contradicted himself and his corrupt Doctrine for an Imputation of Righteousness to the Unrighteous and a Justification in Sin and Transgression as ungodly c. whereas he that Justifieth the Wicked and he that Condemneth the Just they both are abomination unto God Prov. 17.15 And of this our Adversary is greatly guilty And as for Tho. Danson's Synopsis which he so highly commends as that the use of it may be great for the Establishing of Christians in the Truths c. By this he does but shew his own shallowness and weakness to Commend thus highly of such a silly confussed piece which hath also many Lyes and Falshoods in it as that sorry Pamphlet of T. D's as it will further be manifest and how apparently both T. V. and T.D. have Contradicted themselves and each other even in their principal Points And as for his putting off S. E. his Challenge to Fast and Watch as a Tempting of God and a God provoking sin to endanger self-murther And judges him as being Mad and numbred amongst distracted People Indeed this is as smooth a put off and excuse as he could readily have imagined to excuse himself from Fasting c. so that his Accusing S.E. as being Mad Distracted c. does neither prove him to be so nor does it destroy either S.E. his Confidence or Motion in the matter but sets it the more over T. V. and his Brethrens heads who are afraid their God should fail them and to enter upon this
make man righteous as his condemning Sin in the Flesh was that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which righteousness fulfilled in us T. D. formerly said was to be meant in Christ's Person and not in ours by which likewise he hath both excluded man from the real enjoyment of Christ and his Righteousness and from that obedience and sanctity which he requires and answers the end of his coming and manifestation and by this means the Professors have made the Law and Commands and Teachings of God ineffectual as to the Creature whilst Christ only is made the subject of them and not man and this gives a liberty to people to live in sin all their time and to pervert Gods Laws and neglect the teachings of his Grace and vainly to excuse themselves in their disobedience like as T. D. hath done as where the Grace of God and his pure Law requires perfect obedience from us and that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present world now if any man should say that this was not intended to us but to Christ as if God did require him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to forsake all sin and live righteously when he never did nor could sin nor had the Prince of the world any thing in him this would be a strange put off and gross perversion of the Law of God to lay it all upon Christ and put it from themselves whereas Christ's Example is perfectly to be followed and where he is manifest and his Life brought forth in man there is a conformity to his Heavenly Image and not a living in sin nor to the lusts of the world but to the Will of God Pag. 42. But as to T. D's confessing to the Creditors cancelling the Bâ—nd letting the Debtor out of Prison giving a legal Discharge upon the Sureties payment of the Debt as he could have done upon his personal payment First Hereupon I do enquire if man that hath been in Prison and bondage under sin and corruption be let out of that Prison upon Christ's Obedience if he be then he must not remain in personal bondage all his life time from partaking of Christs Righteousness and Obedience for if he be released from the servitude of sin and be let out of that bondage then he is made free from it by the Law of the Spirit of Life to serve obey and walk in the Law of Righteousness by Faith and this is not an imagined fixion or conceit of Freedom or Justification whilst people are in real bondage which your Doctrine tends to keep people in Though it be true as amongst men that the Act of one Person may by contract or Act of Law become the Act of another as the Sureties payment of the Debt is accepted for the Debtor yet in this case it doth not reach the real and full intent of Christ's Coming Obedience and Righteousness which is to bring man into his Image and to fulfil the righteousness of the Law in man that he may follow his Steps and have the same Mind Spirit and Righteousness in him that was in Christ that he may walk after his Example in all purity and holiness of conversation Yet so far as releasement out of Prison is imported in the comparison or any thing tending to a real Deliverance of the Creature out of Sin and Corruption and so from Condemnation it may be admitted of so for then it contradicts their pleading for sin and imperfection term of life and surely God doth not legally declare any to be righteous whilst his Spirit and Law within reproves them for sin and declares them unrighteous for God and his Spirit do not contradict one another neither doth God declare people to be out of Prison whilst they are really in bondage to their sins lusts and vanities as the carnal Priests and Professors have falsly done but the Liberty which Christ proclaims to the Captives is really to be injoyed and received by every one that believes and receives him his Message and Testimony And this is not a false Imputation or an imagined Application of Righteousness and Freedom to People in their personal bondage of Sin and Corruption such as T. D. and such false Guides have led people into And that of Ezek. 18.20 the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father T.D. saith Imports Gods gracious recession from his right because of their more then ordinary Audacity in charging his Ways with inequality This is his false construction For God sheweth his Way to be equal vers 25 26 27. which is no recession from his right as his condemning such as turn from righteousness and Justifying and giving Life to such as turn from wickedness for both Graciousness Mercy and Judgement are his right and he rewardeth every man in Righteousness according to the Equality of his Wayes T. D. Nor doth God Justifie what is opposite to his pure Nature in Justifying a person who in himself is impure upon the righteousness of another imputed to him Reply Is not a person that is in himself impure opposite to God's pure Nature Surely purity and impurity are opposite and whilst the impure Person is rendred the subject of Justification upon another's righteousness imputed he then it seems is accounted pure by T. D. and not opposite to God's pure Nature though he be personally impure but surely God doth not then account him pure whilst in impurity for God cannot lye nor account as the Wicked and Hypocrites do who are pure in their own eyes though not washed from their filthiness and here we may see T. D. and his Brethrens false notion and conception of Imputation and Justification and how contrary it is to Justum facere which the word Justifie signifieth as by him before confest viz. to make Just when now he falsly renders an impure person not opposite to the pure Nature of God from his notion of Imputation and Justification in that state Pag. 44. Arg. 3. Sin came not by Imputation but by actual Transgression This is laid down as the Quakers To which T. D. Answers The sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation Rom. 5.12 14. Adam was a common Root of Mankind by nature Reply Herein hath he perverted the Scripture which doth not say that the Sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation neither doth he hereby prove his notion of Imputation of Righteousness to impure persons for sure he cannot prove that all Adam's Posterity were pure and sin not actually theirs but only imputed to them whilst not partakers of it this is contradictory and as false as their Imputation of Righteousness and Justification to men whilst unjust but the Scripture he mentions Rom. 5.12 saith As by one man Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin so Death past upon all men for that all have sinned mark that for
extends whether to enjoyn to the perfect obedience of Faith yea or nay seeing sin and corruption is so prevalent amongst you and so contended for surely where the excercise of the true and living Faith is experienced there is obedience to the Law of it or else what doth it signifie whilst persons remain in disobedience Further T. D. confesseth that we have an immediate dependancy upon God in our operations John 15.5 without me ye can do nothing Siorsima me separate or apart from me It s well he hath at some time assented to the Truth but how doth this contradict the greatest part of his own and his Brethrens work elsewhere in their pleading for imperfect obedience and their imagined imputation of Righteousness and Justification to the unrighteous and unjust for those operations which have a relation to an immediate dependence upon God which he that is in Christ doth experience and bring forth do accord with the mind and will of God which is the Sanctification of those that believe and with that most holy Faith which purifies the heart and these are not imperfect nor to be slighted as undeserving according to the vain notions of Priests concerning Faith its works and inherent Righteousness as they term it Pag. 47. T. D.. Their dependancy upon Christ in all the good they do is as near and intimate as the Branches upon the Vine by vertue of their natural union in bearing Fruit. Answ. This is also a Truth that grants a perfect obedience in them that have such a near intimate dependency upon Christ as the Branch hath that grows upon the Vine by vertue of the natural Union thereof this also contradicts their pleading for imperfection and sin in all obedience and works which also shews that they do not flow nor spring from Christ the true Vine as also that they have not union with him nor are Branches of him and indeed how they have not immediate dependency upon God in Christ whilst they deny Immediate Teaching Revelation and Divine Inspiration to be attainable in those dayes But seeing without or apart or separate from Christ men can do nothing how then can they be any thing without him as righteous or acceptable or justified For men must be something in that Relation before they can do any thing acceptable and it is the Spirit and Power of Christ which sanctifieth and maketh just and bringeth into the true Obedience Works and Righteousness of Faith and to live by Faith as the Just doth Pag. 48. But Faith as a work is not opposed to nor excludes it self as T. D. saith because in one sence it is opposed to the deeds of the Law for true Faith as a Work is the Work of God which is not opposed to it self besides it being the work of God to believe in Christ this hath not relation to those deeds of the Law that the Jews wrought out of him and out of or besides that Faith wherein they fell short of the Righteousness of the true and living Faith and of the perfect Obedience or Righteousness of the Law Now seeing he confesseth pag. 49. to a righteousness bestowed upon men by Faith I ask if that man is not a partaker and enjoyer of that righteousness by Faith Surely Faith and its Righteousness are not separate nor divided Also he confesseth Faith in God through the Messias is called a walking humbly with God Micah 6.8 To this I say whilst he thus considereth Faith as such a walking were it not very gross nonsence and contradiction to say that it excludes it self as before or that those works or effects of Faith viz. Walking humbly with God were opposed to the Faith it self which is the Root thereof But this is even like T. Vincent's affirming Faith to be opposite not only to the works of the Law but to its own Works Pag. 51. I find T. D. upon James 2.24 doth not distinguish betwixt the Works of Faith and the Works of the Law and so talks like an ignorant blind Guide with his vain babling and perverting of the Scripture to exclude perfect Obedience and Perfection from the Believers And seeing he granteth that Justification imports the Absolution of Sinners and the Approbation of a Believer which he distinguisheth betwixt Then it is to be minded that a Believer that is approved of is absolved being Justified and what from if not from Sin and Transgression Otherwise Faith that stands but in a bare profession without a living work of purifying the heart overcoming the World c. is but a dead Faith as T. D. in fine confesseth And we are Justified by works as our Faith is made perfect by works James 2.22 but these are not the works of the Law but the Works of the Living Faith which manifesteth Fruit to God and demonstrates the nature of the Living Faith But his telling of a Sinner being Justified in the sight of God where doth the Scripture say so he quotes Rom 3.23 to prove it but it doth not but only that a man by Faith is Justified without the deeds of the Law which deeds of the Law a man may be Justified without and yet not a Sinner nor without the Obedience Works or Righteousness of the True and Living Faith which Purifieth the heart and Justifieth from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And as to his saying That we are made free meritoriously by the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death The word meritoriously he addeth But the freedom of the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death we do confess and that it is the same Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ and the Saints according to the Apostles Doctrine the Freedom of which we testifie is of Everlasting worth for that it is not wrought by our selves but by Christ and his Law and Spirit Pag. 52. T. D. saith That we observe that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints Indeed we do observe it believe it and experience it and do not wholy put it off from us to be fulfilled in the Person of Christ as T. D. and some of his Brethren have corruptly done though we do confess that the Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in Christ's Person but not therefore to exclude it out of us since that he was a faithfull Example to be followed as well as a Captain and Leader to guide in all the Wayes of Peace and true Holiness Pag. 52. And as we do observe that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints contrary to T. D. and his Brethrens observation and thereupon not only suppose but really assert a state of Freedom from Sin attainable in this life we do not place the Merit of Justification upon the Creatures imperfect obedience or works but origionally on the Spirit of Truth and its perfect work in which
Spirit Christ perfectly obeyed offered up himself a Lamb without spot to God and we know that it is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ that makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death Romans 8. which Freedom is effected with in Pag. 53. If there be a connexion between Justification and Sanctification and that the same Christ Jesus that Justifieth by his Blood Sanctifieth by his Spirit as is confest from Calvin c. in Loc. 2. then men are not Justified whilst in an unsanctified state seeing that it is also evidenced by a holy life but then herein T. D. seem doubtfull as rather enclining to lay it upon the active obedience of Christ but then is not he that is Sanctified and Justified being in an holy life a partaker of Christ's Righteousness Obedience and Subjection in the Spirit of Life and the pure Law of it seeing that makes free from the Law of Sin and Death But then he wavers again to the understanding of some who suppose the end of Christ's coming into the World is that God's Righteous Laws might not be absolutely contemned but might be observed though imperfectly by Believers others saith he of the Imputation of Christ's Surety Righteousness c. This imperfect observation of God's Righteous Laws is that he would fain center in and which indeed the tenor of most of his discourse amounts to though it be not the end of Christ's sending into the World nor yet the work of the Spirit and Law of Life within for the end thereof was to destroy sin and to work mans perfect freedom from it which they that experience are only the true and real subjects of Christ's Righteousness and know the true imputation thereof and effect and real benefit of his being a Surety of the new Testament wherein the Promises of God are fulfilled to and in man and man brought under the obligation of that Law and Covenant which tends to the exaltation of Truth and Righteousness in the Earth and the bringing the Creature into a perfect and peaceable subjection unto its Maker So Christ's being both our Surety Advocate Intercessor and Mediator betwixt God and man is to make both Unity Reconciliation and Peace betwixt them a Mediator being not a Mediator of one but betwixt two c. to bring into mutual agreement T. D. Our good and our evil works are not perfectly contrary for our evil works are perfectly evil for malum fit ex quilibet defectu any one defect make our works evil but our good works are but imperfestly good Answ. If good works and evil works be not perfectly contrary where and what then are the good works whilst defect and imperfection is pleaded for which makes them evil Surely good and evil are perfectly contrary but by this man's consequence there is no good works whilst defects and imperfections remain in them and then why doth he call them good works It appears he gives them that name which is improper to them but if good works be really acknowledged as we know they are in Scripture and that they that are truly so are wrought in the Light and so in God these are perfectly contrary to evil but such T. D. his Brethren with their sins and imperfections are strangers to whilst they shew themselves to be out of the Light wherein the good works are wrought and as to the condignity he speaks of or worth as with relation to the infinite reward we do as before place it in that Heavenly Image Spirit and Life which brings forth the good works which were ordained of God and it is that Spirit which leads its Followers to the infinite reward of Life and Salvation Arg. 4. Rom. 2.13 Not the Hearers of the Law are Justified before God but the Doers of the Law shall be Justified to this T. D. saith The words give a reason of the Jews perishing who had the Law viz. the old Covenant Reply The reason of their perishing was their Disobedience unto the Law but this of the Doers of the Law wherein both the Just and Justified state is intimated according to the Gospel verse 14 15 16. relates to those Gentiles which had not the Law outwardly and yet did by nature the things contained in the Law which the Apostle renders as a reason and proof of their Justification who shewed the Work of the Law written in their hearts which Law was pure and Spiritual converting the Souls and here it is also evident that the matter or things contained in the Law they had both in Power and Operation who had it not in the Letter of it but the extent of this is and hath been much opposed by T. D. and such as he who have grosly perverted the Scriptures for their own sinfull and corrupt ends to their own and others destruction And now that a state of Freedom from sin is attainable in this life this T. D. erroneously sets down as an Error and argues against it as followeth Arg. 1. If no meer man ever attained to any such state then it is not attainable but no meer man ever did c. Answ. His term meer man is his own and not ours what he means by meer man is a question for it may be taken variously as first he may be deemed a meer man that is without God Christ or the guidance of his Spirit who lives to himself in which state we never said that freedom from sin was attainable by any meer man for without Christ we can do nothing Secondly if meer man be taken singly as purus homo or man purely or intirely without mixture of those things which are either contrary to him as Man or not proper to his being Man as sin and transgression were improper to him for so he was in his first Creation in Innocency and primitive Purity as so considered to deny him Perfection or Freedom from sin were to deny him that which God did invest him with whilst he was in his Maker's Image which was proper to him and to which Christ comes to restore man again out of the Fall But then T. D. explains what he means by meer man viz. such as the eminently holy Persons in the Scriptures whom he denies to have ever attained a state of Perfection by which he has accused all the holy Men of God at once as but meer men in the worst sence and such were they that were carnal and walked as men 1 Cor 3.3 and he hath therein both opposed God's Commands Promises and Works as also the end of Christ's manifestation which was perfectly to restore man out of sin and unrighteousness unto God see Gen. 3.15 Rom. 16.20 Deut. 6.5 and 10.12 and 11.1 and 13.18 and 19.9 Matth. 22.37 Mark 12.30 Gen. 17.1 Deut. 18.13 2 Sam. 22.33 Psal. 18.32 and 37.37 and 119.1 2 3 4. Isa. 1.16 John 13.8 Isa. 4.4 and 60.21 Ezek. 36.25 26 27 33. Jer. 33.8 Hebr. 8. and chap. 10.13 14 15 16 17. Zeph.
3.13 Hosea 14.3 Joh. 17.11 Tit. 2.24 Ephes. 5.25 26 27. 1 John 3. 1 Cor. 2.6 Col. 1.28 29. ch 4.12 2 Tim. 3.17 James 1.4 But what sin or sins he can charge upon either the holy Patriarchs Prophets or Apostles that they were not freed from perfectly before their decease this he hath yet to shew and evince to us concerning all them that died in the Faith who finished their Testimony with Joy and Peace T. D. Arg. 2. That there is a continual need and use of Faith and Repentance in thâ—s life therefore c. Answ. That there is a continual need of Repentance this I deny for true Repentance where it is wrought and the fruits of it brought forth this is unto Salvation never to be repented of and is attended with a real forsaking of sin and transgression this is beyond your fained repentance humility which is still to be repented of as the sins of your best performances are also True and Living Faith purifies the heart and is the Saints Victory and the exercise of it through that Divine Power and Love by which it works against temptations and the fiery darts of the Devil after the mind and heart is cleared from sin and pollution it being one thing for man to sin and another Only to be tempted to sin so that it is a falsehood to say that there is a like reason for a continual need of Repentance in this life as there is for the use of Faith neither doth that 1 Cor. 13. ult prove that Repentance abideth with Faith Hope and Charity as falsly T. D. reasons might he not as well say there is the same reason for repentance to abide that there is for Charity to abide seeing that Faith Hope and Charity abide whereas Charity is the Bond of Perfection Col. 3.14 and Love is the fulfilling of the Law and the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart which positively opposeth T. D's sinfull Doctrine for sin and imperfection which tends greatly to pervert people and to keep his Hearers in unbelief whilst he doth not only deny that ever any attained to perfection but affirms Freedom from Sin not attainable in this life which is his gross ignorance and unbelief of Christ and his Power which is greater and stronger then the Devil and all his attempts and is able to overcome him and to destroy his works and in this Power of Christ the Faith of the Righteous stands and this we contend for against the Devil and all his sinful Agents who thus mannage and maintain his work And how falsly is it for T. D. pag. 56. to say that Charity or Love suits our present imperfect state as he also saith Faith and Hope doth whereas Charity or Love which is the Bond of Perfectness and is known in the pure heart suits that State which is of its own nature as Perfection and Purity is which is also effected through the true Faith that purifies the heart and that hope which he that hath purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3. which admits not of sin and imperfection term of life for he that abideth in Christ sinneth not And as to that of Phil. 3. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect to which T. D. saith He denies in one verse what he affirms in another if the word perfect be in both places understood in the same sence verse 12.15 To vers 12. I say that Paul did not say that Perfection was not attainable in this life neither doth it appear to be his judgment for then why should he follow after reach forth or press forward unto those things before and plainly say Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an Example vers 15 16 17. Surely he was not an Example of sin and imperfection but of purity and holiness yet notwithstanding he then both expected and believed a growth in the Spiritual and Divine Understanding and Apprehension of that for which he was apprehended of Christ so the Perfection he had not already then attained relating to such an apprehension as he speaks of doth not exclude that state of Perfection and integrity that he was then brought and apprehended into of Christ Jesus as to the Purity and Righteousness which he was a partaker of in Christ for the Child of God its growth in Strength Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding doth not render it sinfull or impure in the nature and properties of it but rather shews its Purity and Innocency the more in that its truly capable of such a growth Page 56 57. But then when is this freedom from Sin or state of Holiness which T. D. saith will be in a proper sence perfect attainable if not in this life T. D. The Saints shall be invested with it at the Resurrection called The Resurrection of the Dead Metonimically in the Life to come indeed we shall be like God Reply By this we may understand that he has put off Freedom from sin from all Gods People till the life to come and not only so but till this Metonimical Resurrection according to his terms which he may understand is not as yet to any of the deceased though the Life to come that 's Everlasting as intended is by the Righteous enjoyed after this life I do not intend here to dispute his terms of the Resurrection but admitting it in his sence my end is to shew how he has excluded all the Saints both deceased and yet remaining from a state of freedom from sin as not being yet attained to it if this Resurrection he intends be yet to come and then where are they in the mean time where are their Souls where are their sins and pollutions and imperfections if all be yet uncleansed and not freed from sin will not T. D's Doctrine herein meer and be one with the Popes touching a Purgatory for if none be perfectly cleansed here and yet none come to God or into his Kingdom unclean they must be clensed somewhere he should have told us the Place of Purging which is not in the Grave not in Hell not in the Pit and it must be before Heaven be entred into what place then between both if T. D's Doctrine must be owned for Catholick on Authentick but who is it that are not meer Papist or that have nor drunk up his corrupt Doctrines that cannot see him his Popery Ignorance Confusion and Error herein And what Popery he hath at unawares run himself into is now obvious And Matth. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect to this T. D. saith Such Commands are the Measure of our Duty not of our Attainments in this Life Reply Thus he perverts and diminisheth the righteous Commands of God as if God had
Presbyterian Teachers give such occasion by their light and vain contests confusions and contradictions to stir up the minds of people into such disputations about things which both they themselves are yet to seek in and by which they do the more darken the Enquirers J.O. should seriously review and examine his Bro. Vincent and T. Danson their contests in their late Pamphlets and see how lightly and sorrily they have contended and how they have contradicted themselves and whether such as they be fit Champions in the management of their Cause it concerns them to pause upon their work and examine it and compare their Books together for they have very palpably contradicted one another in divers passages of principle concernment and if several of them write Pamphlets again against the Quakers they had need to compare them very diligently for otherwise in all probability they will contradict one another as they have done as is the nature of Babel's Builders so to do Pag. 150. J. O. For the term of Satisfaction the right understanding of the word it self defends on some notions of Law that as yet we need not take into consideration Answ. It appears J. O. and his Brethren's understanding of their Doctrine herein depends on notions of Law not yet taken into consideration and not on any living experience of the Gospel of Gods Divine Power wherein the Righteousness of Faith is revealed and the living and blessed effect of Christ's suffering and death and here they bring us their notions instead of Gospel so that what they tell us in this matter it is not from a saving knowledge or sence of the work of God in themselves but notions received by tradition from one another though they intermix many Scriptures among their notions and therefore would have all go for Gospel that they divulge but who knows the Power of God within and the fellowship of Christ's Sufferings will own the Scriptures of Truth as we do and not relie upon their uncertain notions about which so much of their confusion and contradiction amongst themselves doth appear that little of their work can certainly be laid hold on as with any confidence of their stability howbeit J. O. has in several things consented to the Truth in words which we do own though we do not believe that he or his Brethren do experience the Life and Power of what they profess as where J. O. Confesseth That God out of his infinite Goodness Grace and Love to mankind sent his only Son to save and deliver them viz. from their sins and that this Love was the same in the Father and Son and that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2.6 And gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Titus 2.14 And to finish Transgression and to make an end of Sin to make Reconciliation to bring in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 And that God had provided himself a Lamb for a Sacrifice And God doth not pardons Sins freely without requiring Faith Repentance and Obedience in them that are pardoned and it is certain that the prescribing of Faith and Repentance in and unto Sinners antecedently to their participation of it c. We are to be discharged upon Gods terms and under a new obligation unto his Love c. Thus far J.O. Observ. In all which observe that J. O. has confessed unto the Truth much more then some of his Brethren For first to the infinite Goodness of God and his Love the same in Father and Son which declares the freeness of both towards man kind and their union therein for mans deliverance from Sin Death and the Curse Secondly That God sending his Son was to save and deliver from Sin to redeem us from all Iniquity It s well if J. O. truly believes what he sayes herein for his Brethren T. V. and T. D. have pleaded the contrary in their contending for Sin and Imperfection in all Believers term of Life Thirdly Christ giving himself a ransom for all to be testified of in due time instead of For All Presbyterians and Independants were wont to say it was but for a few that he died only for a certain select number wherein they have denied the universal Love and Grace of God in Christ to mankind Fourthly His coming to finish Transgression to make an end of Sins and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness is both beyond and contradicts their sinfull Doctrine for sin and imperfection and their notion of imputation of Christ's Righteousness to sinfull persons whilst they are not at all really partakers of Christ's Righteousness Holiness or Purity in them no more then Christ was guilty of sin when he knew no sin according to T. D's instance and erroneous Argument for a proportion in that case Fifthly And seeing that without Faith Repentance and Obedience on the Creature 's part God doth not pardon sins freely it appears it is not peoples bare application and belief of what Christ hath done and suffered for them that will free and acquit them without the knowledge and sence of his Power which works living Faith and Repentance and makes willing to obey the pure Law of God in the heart and the new Covenant in the inward parts for as J. O. confesseth it would altogether unbecome the holy God to pardon Sinners that continue so to live and die in their sins pag. 179. this is a truth which he and his Brethren had need to look to that they be not found guilty both in Principle and in Practice as namely both contending and preaching up a continuance in sin and imperfection all their dayes as T. D. and T. V. hath done and as it s said by many some of the Presbyterian Teachers do more of late revile the Quakers for holding Perfection and Freedom from Sin attainable in this life and to perswade people against the belief of such a state more then they have done heretofore wherein they work as if they would hasten people to Hell and Destruction and do but strengthen the hands of the Evil-Doers that they may not forsake their sins by promising them life as the false Prophets did and promising them pardon and peace on the account of all being fully paid and satisfied for them they living and dying in sin or telling them that perfection is not attainable till after death as namely till the Resurrection as T. D. and others of them have affirmed but they had little need to preach up such Doctrine for their Hearers and Followers are prone and apt enough to run on in sin and transgression without their Leaders tutering them in it they had not need to drive them on to Hell and Destruction the Devil can lead them fast enough thither who continue Sinners to live and die in their sins wherein it does not become the holy God to pardon them as is confessed And now touching your Explication Declaration and Confession
without any just cause both then and when we were afterward at their Meeting to clear our selves from T. V's and W. M. their malicious and slanderous accusation of Blasphemy yea even in the time when I sate silent amongst them some of their Hearers both Men and Women would be railing and clamouring against me when I gave them no seeming much less real occasion at all I being silent So that of all the Assemblies I have been in I never met with any that shewed less Christianity Civility or good Education And whereas T. V. is neither so honest nor yet so ingenious as to acknowledge his apparent and palpable Contradictions in his Sermon set down and observed by W. P. but rather would out-face us and the Readers as though they were no Contradictions Let the Reader therefore take a short review of them as first That a Person that is born of God overcomes the World and yet the Victory in this Life incompleat Is not here an evident inconsistency and contradiction is his Doctrine and ignorance of the Child of God and the Saints Victory which was their Faith 1 Joh. 5.4 For if he have alwayes enemies or sins unsubdued in this Life how are they overcome and victory obtained Or is there a Victory over Enemies and they not overcome What false glosses would he set upon his Contradictions And his instance of the Canaanites among the Children of Israel being like Thorns doing them mischief This was when they did not as God commanded drive them out before them which is no proof in this case to him that is born of God for the wicked one cannot touch him much less mischief him And T. V. his saying That such as are in Christ and cast off the old Man and known a change altogether New and yet worldly Lusts cannot be extirpated out of God's People in this World Do but mark his plain Contradiction again here and how doth he clear himself by questions May not Have not Worldly Lusts a being and some power to oppose in God's People where they have lost their rule But how then are they in Christ and have cast off the old man and known a change altogether new what must the old worldly Lusts still remain unextirpated in this Life in Christ Where then is the newness of Life altogether or the Grace of God in its teaching to deny those things obeyed And how then are such as be in Christ new Creatures Or how have they that are his crucified the flesh with the Affections and Lusts Which to accuse all God's People of worldly Lusts all their life time what an abuse is it to them Did not Paul see and attain a state beyond that wherein he had seen a Law in his members warring and leading him captive c. Did not he see the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ to make him free from the Law of Sin Death when through Christ he became more than a conqueror And could he be in all those states he mentioned to the Romans then at one and the same time to wit carnal sold under sin led captive having a will to do that which was good but knew not how and also to be freed from the Law of Sin and Death by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus one dead to sin that could not live any longer therein and more than a conqueror c. could these states be consistent or all his at one and the same time viz. To be Carnal Wretched a Captive ignorant of his Duty and yet a Delivered Freed Spiritual man more than a Conqueror and an Apostle that then knew how to write that Epistle Instruct others and Preach to them in the Fulness of the Gospel Were not these Latter his Attainments at that time wherein he shews his deliverance from the former Bondage Servitude and Thraldom under the power of Sin and the Law and Body of it which is not to remain alwayes but to be ended abollished and destroyed by the Power and Operation of Jesus Christ in them that believe For if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness And where the old man is crucified with him it is to the destruction of the body of sin that henceforth sin should not be served Rom. 6.6 chap. 8.10 And Paul speaking to the Romans after the manner of men because of the infirmity of their flesh ch 6.19 And his so condescending to speak of several states that he had passed through was not to encourage any to plead or contend for sin term of life as most injuriously his Intention is perverted by these Ministers of Sin and Antichrist whilst that he also shews his Deliverance and Conquest but rather that men should believe as he had done in order to their obtaining perfect Victory and Conquest by the same Power and Spirit of Christ in which true Believers confide and trust against all the powers of Darkness Temptations and evil Motions knowing that Christ's Power is stronger than the Devil's power And it 's for Christ's Power and Work that we contend both against the Devil his Work and Messengers who dispute and contend for sin term of life which is their great injury both against Christ his Work and People and that which hath greatly strengthened the hands of evil-doers And T.V. his telling That Sin may tyrannize over Believers and yet not have Dominion but be in Captivity in Chains Who is so blind that cannot see his Contradiction herein and his silly come off in instancing that a Slave in Chains may sometimes break loose and Tyrannize what then is this Captivity and these Chains under which the sin is held and how doth it tyrannize and yet not have dominion what silly work is this But his saying You must kill or be killed either you must overcome the world or the world you What must they kill but sin and worldly lusts Surely this is further than an incompleat Victory and further than an Enemy breaking loose if he be killed for if he be slain he hath neither power to break loose lead captive and much less to tyrannize over Believers It is strange how T.V. can so far shut his eyes or endeavour to blind others as to seek to gloss over these notorious Contradictions as if they were in unity and then lightly to say Can you forbear smiling at the man he calleth these Contradictions How shallow and ridiculous hath he rendered himself herein CHAP. II. In Answer to W. Madox together with several Contradictions between him and his Brother T. Vincent and their Absurdities manifested and detected which shews also their ignorance of the True and Living God c. THese men having prostituted themselves to an Idol of their own brains The Light within which is their Christ Saviour count the Doctrine of the true God a strange Doctrine Answ. The Light within which we do own witness
unto himself and Christ is the Son of his Love and it was out of his Free Love that he sent him into the World His sending Christ surely was his own Free Grace and no man's Purchasing and then his Love was openly testified of when Christ was come who came in that Free Love of God which was testified and held forth in Christ Jesus to man and he gave himself a Ransom to Redeem and Purchase man out of Transgression and not to let him lye in sin and imperfection all his life time the Good Will of God in sending Christ in delivering him up for man and giving him for a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World and his tenders of Free Pardon Remission and Redemption in him was that man might receive Christ and come into the Living Faith and be partaker in himself of those precious benefits Heavenly Priviledges tendred in Christ not that man should live in sin all his time for an Act of Free Pardon is not granted that men may take liberty to live in Sedition and Treason all their life but for those Offences past Nor that men should Plead that all Offences past present and to come are Pardoned therefore they cannot be free from Rebellion Sedition and Treason all their Life time this were a sad Consequence and not to be born then you that plead a Satisfaction made to God extending thus far your sin and imperfection term of Life being in you the ground of this Plea and also that which you cover and maintain by it and then when God and Christ require true Repentance perfect Obedience Righteousness c. you tell God the Debt is paid and all satisfied by another without you How then do you Answer the pure Law and requirings of God within Priests and Professors their Answer viz. We indeavor and strive and press after perfection as much as we can but we don't believe it is attainable here Reply Then your indeavouring and striving is all in the unbelief How do you indeavour and strive Priests We Pray and seek God in Ordinances and perform Duties Query But what doth all your performances amount to while Perfection is denied and Sin contended so much for by you Pr. All our best performances are sinful we had need to ask forgiveness for the sins of our best Duties of our Prayers and all other Performances See our Directory Catechism c. So that all our Righteousness in our best state are but polluted and filthy Raggs Dross Dung c. Query How now Professors Do you thus requite God for his Love and is this the use you make of your Plea for a full Satisfaction and Debt paid for you do you thus requite the Lord and answer his requirings will he accept of these things at your hands Pr. God looks not upon us as we are in our selves but upon Christ's Righteousness in his Active and Passive Obedience whereby he fully satisfied for us Query What then Do you think that God will be satisfied on your parts with your filthy Raggs rotten Clouts Dross and Dung which you offer to him or will he not rather take it as a mockery or wrong at your hands thus meanly to requite him what do you signifie for him Was this the end of Christs suffering for Man and his being a Sacrifice well-pleasing to God and a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World did he appease Wrath fulfil Righteousness bear the Sins or the burthen of them in his own Body that men might take this liberty to Sin Pollution Rebellion term of Life and so live all their time in Disloyalty and without subjection to him and then when he requires Obedience of you and to answer his pure Law in the heart you go and offer a few rotten Clouts filthy Raggs Dross and Dung and such nauceous stuffe to him will not he return it upon your own faces as a mockery and contempt done to him Behold I will spread Dung upon your faces even the Dung of your solemn Feasts Mal. 2. So it may be justly said Even the Dung of all your best Performances feigned Humility feigned Confessions feigned Prayers feigned Pretences feigned Applications feigned claiming an Interest in the Satisfaction and Imputation of the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ whilst you are out of it cloathed with your own rotten Clouts and filthy Raggs And if a People should deal thus with their Prince after he has granted and given an Act of Free Pardon and Indempnity that they should both take liberty to Rebellion and Treason and not only so but Plead for it as you do for sin term of Life and tell People they must lay hold and apply this Pardon but they must not expect to be free from actual Rebellion against their Prince while they live How would this be taken and what ungratefulness and unworthiness would this import on their parts How would they be acquitted before him Nay if they should go to requite their Prince by spreading a deal of rotten Clouts before him and a deal of Dross and Dung under his Nostrils every day upon his Table and not only so but publickly in the sight of the People once or twice a Week at least as you do your sinful Prayers and Performances would not this be taken as an high Affront and Indignity put upon a Merciful Prince Judge what would be the effect hereof Nay if you should present an Oblation before him mixt with Poyson and Infection and he know it to be so what would be your recompence And do you not present your sinful Prayers and Performances before the Lord from your sinful polluted hearts which are deceitful and desperate wicked above all things and therefore full of deadly Corruption and Poyson will your feigned Humility feigned Applications stand you in any stead herein Bring no more vain Oblations before the Lord go offer it to thy Prince and see if he will accept thy Person Mal. 1. That the Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many and that he is the Propitiation through Faith in his Blood and that in due time he died for the ungodly bare our sins in his own Body upon the Tree that he was wounded for the Transgressions of the People that he hath loved us and given himself for us an Offering and Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour See Matth 20.28 Rom. 5.6 1 Pet. 2.24 Isa. 53.5 Rom. 3.25 yea we own and confess to Christ in his Suffering being an Offering dying for the ungodly more than you Presbyterians do First as to the Universal Love of God shewed forth therein Secondly As to the Vertue Power and Effects of his Death Sacrifice Blood c. First In that he Died for All men for the Ungodly in general tasted Death for every man gave himself a Ransom for All to be testified of in due time that he is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World which you say is
but for a few only for a select number the World of Believers c. as both T. D. and other Professors both Presbyterians and Independants both in Words and Writings and T.V. brings 1 Tim. 2.6 and mentions only gave himself a Ransom and leaves out the words for All pag. 56. And thus minces as if he had no mind to hear that Grace is free for All as well as himself but only for a few perhaps Presbyterians and such-like whom there is no reason or equallity for God to take such special notice and regard of more than others for their Spirits and Hearts are as perverse and corrupt as others if not more ridged and envious and their Garments of Self-Righteousness are as polluted ragged and filthy as others or worse Thus much they will acknowledge in their Prayers but perhaps they 'l take it ill that another should tell them of it Then Secondly The Power of Christ and his blessed Effects in his Death acceptable Sacrifice c. we own more than they for he gave himself to Redeem Man from Sin and Transgression and the servitude of it and his Blood purgeth the Conscience cleanseth from all sin his Flesh is given for the Life of the World that Man may come to rise out of sin and live again to God in perfect Righteousness God hath set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 He doth not say for sins past present and to come and that all must be sinful and imperfect all their dayes and yet all forgiven God being satisfied in Christ for all whilst he is not satisfied in them but his Spirit daily grieved where as Christs Appearance was to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and if it was to put sin away to cleanse man from it and not that he should say that only the Guilt is done away but not the Act and Pollution of Sin which is the gross corruption and false construction of Presbyterians and others And as to T.V. his wonder at W.P. his challenging any Person to give him one Scripture phrase which doth approach the Doctrine of Satisfaction But T.V. has deceitfully left out his following words viz. Considering to what degree it is stretched the degree whereto it is stretched by these Priests is mentioned before not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Father's Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice but not to pay God as otherwise being unable to save men he saith And further adds And for a Justification by an imputative Righteousness whilst not real it 's meerly an Imagination not a reality and therefore rejected otherwise that which is real which is the Righteousness of Faith really received and injoyed in the true and Living Faith is confessed and known to be justifying before God because there is no abiding in Christ's Love without keeping his Commandements I therefore saith he Caution thee in Love not longer to deceive thy self by the over-fond imbraces of Humane Apprehensions for Divine Mysteries but rather be informed that God hath bestowed a measure of his Grace on thee and me to shew us what is good that we may obey and do it which if thou diligently wilt observe thou shalt be led out of all unrighteousness and in thy obedience shalt thou receive Power to become a Son of God in which happy estate God only can be known by Men and they know themselves to be justified before him whom experimentally to know by Jesus Christ is Life Eternal So that the infinite God in his infinite Love Good Will Kindness Patience Forbearance Long-Suffering fully expressed declared and signified by Christ Jesus the Son of his Love and express Image of his Divine Substance not a separate Person from him and Gods good Pleasure and real Satisfaction in him and all for the regaining restoring redeeming and saving of lost man to himself out of the fallen estate out of sin and corruption and from Wrath to come this we know really own and confess in the Light and Life of the Son of God bestowed upon us which is that alone that can give the true knowledge of the blessed Effects of Gods Love in Christ and of the Righteousness of the true and Living Faith in his Name and Power as also of their true Peace and Satisfaction receiving the Attonement Reconciliation and union with God in Jesus Christ who is the Way Truth and Life to all that truly believe in him T. V. In the Scriptures he alleadgeth against Christ's Satisfaction W. P. Not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Fathers Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice Obs. This clears him from alleadging Scripture against Christ or what was really his satisfaction as he is falsely accused T.V. God proclaims himself to be gracious and merciful whereby be declares what he is in his Son whom he had before promised to give and in whom alone all Nations of the Earth that ever should obtain his favour were to be blessed Reply His giving his Son and his Favour and Blessedness in him proceeds from the Graciousness and Mercifulness of God How then does this agree with that of Impossibility freely to Pardon and with that of his being oblieged to take Vengeance upon all and yet ready to forgive and that he hath ingaged himself to do it pag. 60. Can this be deemed to be of the Nature of Debt full Payment c. by the rigour and punishment of Law Secondly If that it be in the Son of God alone in whom God declares what he is and in whom alone his Favour and Blessing is obtained then in him is the knowledge both of his Judgment and Mercy and if blessed in Christ it is not blessed out of Christ nor meerly for what he hath Suffered in the Flesh without being in him for we are accepted only in the Beloved as is confessed and God is well pleased with us only in Christ then not with us in sin And if so be God proclaims himself to be Gracious and Merciful in his Son how was God's infinite Wrath that sinners deserved inflicted upon him as a Person distinct from him Where does the Scripture say so Or were it good Doctrine to say that God so loved the World that he hated his only Son How then was he the Son of his Love who freely gave himself to bear the sins sorrow and burthen of all T.V. Pag. 62 63. I grant that God's Love of Benevolence or Electing Love is not the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction from whence it was that he sent his Son into the World for our Salvation but his Love of Complacency was the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction Matth. 3.17 Reply Where doth the Scriptures use these Expressions or this distinction of an Electing Love and
Heavens and is thereby become a most compleat Captain and perfect Example Obs. Here Christ is confest to as the Gift of God's Eternal Love for the Life and Salvation of men that come to receive him and his Appearance to destroy the works of the Devil which his own Light and Grace maketh manifest as it is believed and waited in and so Christ is the Leader and Captain of such and is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And I ask who are those T.V. saith That the Lord extendeth his special Mercies to And whether is Mercy extended to All in sending his Son into the World and what more special Mercies can there be than the only begotten Son of God who is given for a Light for a Leader for a Covenant for Life and Salvation that whosoever receives and believes in him might receive the blessed End and Priviledge of his Coming and Manifestation to wit Life and Salvation in him from Sin Death and Destruction And whereas T.V. in pag. 65. brings an Instance That the Soul cannot see without the Body for want of an Organ and that therefore tho God separately cannot satisfie because he cannot suffer and man separately cannot satisfie because the satisfaction would not be of infinite value yet as God-Man he satisfied c. Reply Do but mark what an Instance and Comparison he has here brought in Competition with the Infinite Omnipotent God to shew us that God separately cannot satisfie any more then the Soul can see without an Organ And who is it that God cannot satisfie Is it himself Can he not satisfie or please himself Is he ever divided or displeased with himself What gross darkness appears in this Comparison Instance and Assertion to say God cannot satisfie c. and thus to bring the Infinite God and his Infinite Power under the Limitations of finite Creatures Is this any less then Blasphemy let but the indifferent judge in this case Have not these our Oppossers been ready to call us Blasphemers but for bringing an Instance to shew the absurdity of their Doctrine whereas this is an Instance from a finite to an infinite tending to lessen the infinite Power of God And as to his telling That the Soul cannot see without an Organ in one sense that 's not true though he meant outwardly yet it hath a spiritual sight As to his saying That God cannot suffer is in one sense not true though he intended as to Death yet the Spirit of God hath suffered and hath been grieved by man's Transgressions The Rebellious Jews grieved and vexed his Holy Spirit until he became their Enemy and fought against them Isa. 63.10 And did not the Lord say Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2.13 So did not he suffer in being pressed by them then and did not he say My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One in the midst of thee Hos. 11.8 9. Did not herein his Suffering and Forbearance declare him to be God the Holy One and not man rather then the Execution of the fierceness of his Anger And was not God's being grieved by the rebellious Jews a Suffering when they hardened their hearts and provoked him in the Wilderness for he said Forty years long was I grieved with this generation Psal. 95. therefore to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart And did not God suffer long by the old World before he destroyed them seeing when he saw their wickedness it grieved him at his heart Gen. 6.6 Also he said His Spirit should not alwayes strive with them vers 3. So that his Spirit did suffer and was grieved by them before they were destroyed Again How oft did they provoke him and grieve him in the Desart Psal. 78.40 And did not he Complain against the People when they were Rebellious and Polluted saying Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them Was not this trouble and being weary with them matter of Suffering and was not this his Suffering for some time before he did ease himself of his Adversaries and avenge him of his Enemies See Isa. 1. And also it 's said Chap. 7.13 Hear ye now ye House of David is it a small thing to weary men but will ye weary my God also And Chap. 43.24 25. Neither hast thou filled me with the Fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Mark for my own sake So then surely God could satisfie himself seeing it was for his own sake that he blotted out Transgressions and here the infinite Value Ransom and Satisfaction was in himself and what Patience Forbearance Long-Suffering and Forgiveness as was signified by Christ and testified of by his outward Suffering and Death was really in being in God before and in the fullness of time a signal testimony thereof given to man 〈◊〉 induce him to receive the free Love and Grace of God and Life and Salvation in the Son of his Love T.V. Who do ascribe more Grace and Mercy to God than we who do apprehend it in his Son pag. 65. Reply Indeed your apprehensions in that matter are sufficiently manifest before had T.V. added Who do apprehend more Grace and Mercy in God then we that say he cannot Satisfie himself and Christ as man could not satisfie him by finite Suffering and the Grace we ascribe we apprehend it only to extend to a few a select number c. Had T.V. spoke this plainly together People might the more easily have judged whether he has truly ascribed or apprehended concerning the Grace of God and whether many thousands do not ascribe more Grace and Mercy to God that own it in the free and general Extent of it to all men than he hath done Again his confessing That God doth execute his Justice freely as he doth love his Image in his People freely yet both are necessary because Natural and neither forced nor compelled by any External Agent Reply So here 's a better Confession then much of his Work before and it contradict much of it For 1st If his Love be as free as his Justice and neither compelled neither fotced by any External Agent how then is he obliged to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed when upon Repentance he readily pardoneth and passeth by former offences and how then is it impossible for God freely to Pardon 2dly What is that Image in his People he loves freely is it perfect or imperfect if perfect then how do they deny the perfection of any thing within or that 's inherent in the
Believers and if he loves his Image in his People freely then he is satisfied in his own Image and that which brings to know and injoy this Image and the renewing of it within is that which brings into Love and Union with God which is his Divine Spirit and Power that renews man into the Heavenly Image and Righteousness of the Everlasting God which they that injoy have the acceptable Sacrifice and from thence can present Living Sacrifices unto God to his Eternal Praise And to T. V's saying That if Christ were not punished for us to satisfie God's Justice it would follow from W. P 's words that Christ should be a sinner and that he was punished for his own sins Reply That 's a blasphemous Consequence indeed but not truly charged upon W. P. for he never intended by his words to render Christ a sinner nor that he was punished for his own sins for he never sinned but he was Punished and Suffered by sinners who by wicked hands and so by their injustice put him to Death and under the buden and weight of their Transgressions he Suffered as also his tender Spirit that made Intercession and suffered for Transgressors from a fore-sight of the Wrath that should come upon the Rebellious and was not the Wicked the Instruments that wounded bruised and afflicted him and that oppressed his Righteous Soul And did not his Innocent Life and Righteous Soul suffer under a great oppression and weight of man's Transgression when he was in his Agony and sweat drops of Blood before his being Crucified And so was not his Suffering two-fold both Inward and Outward And then if so that the pure Life and holy Spirit suffered as bearing the burthen of their sins and if the God-Head being in Christ so nearly united as to bear up the Manhood under the Suffering as is confessed How then can it be deemed that God inflicted the punishment of Eternal Wrath or Vengeance on his Son Surely his permitting wicked men by their wicked hands to punish him with a Temporal Suffering and Death could not be his Eternal Wrath or Vengeance which is supposed to Answer and Satisfie Divine Justice for man and so to acquit man Living and Dying in sin a great Error from Eternal Wrath whereas Christ Jesus was the Son of his Love were it not inconsistent to say That God's Justice did punish or execute Wrath upon his Love Seeing that it 's confest That Grace and Justice are very well consistent and that there is a free Exercise both of Justice and Love without force or compulsion How does T.V. his matter hang together let the moderate judge But had he stated it in the Language and sense of the Scriptures of Truth there had not appeared this Contrariety nor Opposition either between us or with himself For Scripture-accounts concerning Christ and his Sufferings for sinners both inward and outward I do own and Confess to and have a reverend Esteem of all his Sufferings and the worth thereof and do greatly prize his Meekness and Humility who hath freely condescended according to the Good Will and Pleasure of God not from Wrath nor Compulsion to offer himself a Lamb without spot to God to bear our griefs and sorrows yet saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 53 we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed he was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter he made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his Death because he had not done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the Pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This is he that hath been despised and rejected of men This is he who hath been as a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World This is he men have evilly entreated and evilly requited for his kindness and good Will that he hath shewed forth towards them This is he whom they have caused to suffer by their iniquities and so thereby have shewed great unworthiness and ingratitude towards him and his Father whose Pleasure and Good Will he came to perform both in his being delivered up to undergo Afflictions and Bruises and many hard Sufferings for Mankind and surely God was in him Reconciling the World even in and through that low and suffering state which the Righteous Seed and renowned Plant of the Lord hath undergone but now what effect hath all this Love Tenderness and Compassion of God in and through Christ upon and in man whilst Sin Transgression and Imperfection term of Life is pleaded for by the Priests Surely they herein do not make a right use of Christ's Suffering but both reject him and the End thereof and this was not the use that the true Ministers did make thereof for they witnessed that he died for all that as many as lived should not live unto themselves but unto him that died and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 and his own self bare our sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live to Righteousness this was not a living to sin nor pleading for Imperfectiom as T. V hath done who farther adds viz. The 7 th Consequence is childish and a shame that a man that pretendeth to any brains should mention it That though Christ hath satisfied for us the Debt remaineth still to Christ pag. 66. Reply Is this such a childish shameful or brainless Consequence that the Debt remains still to Christ Has not T.V. herein shewed his Ignorance of Scripture for ought nor Christ to be obeyed who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. and we are not under the Law to God but under the Law to Christ and to what end is his spiritual Law written in the Heart and his Spirit in the inward Parts but to be obeyed and we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh Rom. 8.12 to what then but to live after the Spirit and through it to mortifie the Deeds of the Body vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Apostle was far from pleading for sin and Imperfection as Priests do for which God will judge them by Jesus Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who hath Power to proclaim the Day of Vengeance as well as the acceptable year of the Lord. The truth of it is T.V. has Confessed to what W. P. has writ in many places but to his own Contradiction but here he falls a Railing and vilifying him with such terms as Abominable Worm c. He has not at all dealt fairly or honestly
by him having left out and not stated his Arguments and then rails against his Consequences whereas he and his Brethren would not be so dealt by T. V· Take away Satisfaction then the Word and Spirit and we are false Witnesses then is our Preaching vain and you are all yet in your sins then you must all of you of necessity be damned and punished Eternally Reply Truly so they are like to be for all the help they are like to have from your Preaching especially if their being yet in their sins be a sign of it and that you are false Witnesses and your Preaching vain for so they are like to be in their sins all their Life time if they believe and drink-in your sinful Doctrine for sin and Imperfections remaining in all term of Life And as for T. V's bitter storm he brings forth of accusing and charging W.P. in the same words that Peter said to Simon Magus the Sorcerer or Witch Acts 8.9 21 22 23. and as having no part in Christ's Satisfaction and his heart not being right in the sight of God and to be in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity And further adds these words to render him worse viz. Wicked Blasphemies and Abominable and Heretical Assertions I hope W.P. will easily bear such vilifying without reviling again there being no matter of Argument nor Proof in them either to Convince or terrifie him and for the matter of Judgment against him he can Appeal to more Competent and Moderate Persons to judg in the case than T.V. hath shewen himself T.V. Pag. 67. God hath engaged to keep Believers out of a Course of Disobedience and if they do transgress in some particulars he hath threatned to chastize them which is not inconsistent with Christ's satisfying his Justice for their sins since chastizing is not an Act of Vindicative Justice but Fatherly Love Reply Here observe 1st That Chastizement and Revenge are two things 2dly If they be to be Chastized for Transgression it is to bring them into more subjection to God and conformity to Christ and not to leave them in sin and Imperfection term of Life under a Plea of the Debt being fully paid and full Satisfaction being made for them by Christ's under-going Wrath and Vindictive Justice which how do these stand with Free Grace Goodness Pardon Remission c. upon Repentance 3dly How does T.V. suppose Vindictive Justice or Eternal Wrath incurred by mans Offences to be laid on Christ which is not Chastizement as confessed and so he makes full Satisfaction the Effect of God's full Revenge on his Innocent Son as if one should say That God could not command Wrath but were bound thereby till he had Executed the Extremities of it upon Christ for so it hath been deserved by sin and sinners as if he had not absolute Power to shew his Love Good Will and Satisfaction therein for his own Names sake And is not this to render God more cruel than man or his Prerogative below that of Earthly Princes which is best known in shewing Mercy and forgiveness God can do whatsoever he will and his Will is chiefly to that which he most delighteth in to wit Goodness Mercy and Forgiveness that he may shew himself Gracious for to restore man to himself And he saith I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the Spirits should fail before me and the Souls that I have made Isa. 57.16 And T. V. stating it as God's Revenge or Vindictive Justice on Christ and the Chastizement only on the Transgressors is not Scripture Is. 53.5 for it saith He was bruised for our Iniquities and the Chastizement of our peace was upon him Mark He was bruised and the Chastizement of our peace was upon him It is not said Vindicative or rather Vindictive Justice or the Revenge of our Peace was upon him for T.V. has Confessed a difference and Chastizement comes in Fatherly Love and not Revenge O Lord correct me but with Judgment not in thy Anger least thou bring me to nothing Jer. 10.24 And now this Correction or Chastizement from the Lord is known by his People in the time of their spiritual Travel and Warfare that they may be partakers of his Holiness and perfect Righteousness as they have partaken of Christ's Sufferings and known the Fellowship thereof But and if men continue in Rebellion against Christ rejecting his Love and Grace his Sufferings and Satisfaction will not free them from the severity of God nor from the Execution of his Judgement which is given to Christ to do who hath also Power and Authority to Execute Judgement because he is the Son of man that hath suffered and is that man by whom God will Judge the World in Righteousness Joh. 5.22.27 Acts 17.31 and by whom the secrets of men shall be judged according to the Gospel which he and his Ministers have proclaimed which is the acceptable year of the Lord to them that receive it who have thirsted after it and the Day of Vengeance of our God to them that reject the Love of the Truth and hate to be Reformed how highly soever they may boast of Satisfaction and Imputation c. CHAP. V. Touching the Presbyterian Priests and Professors Doctrine of the Justification of the Ungodly by an imputed Righteousness and T. V. his Plea and Proofs for it Examined FIrst he brings 2 Cor. 5.21 for his Proof viz. He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him to which he adds as Christ was made sin for us though Innocent by the imputation of our sin to him for which he was condemned and punished so we are made the Righteousness of God in him though guilty by the imputation of his Righteousness unto us whereby we are Justified Reply Here T.V. has given us their sense of Imputation viz. That Guilty Persons are made the Righteousness of God in Christ and so Justified whilst in their sins by the Imputation of his Righteousness as much as to say when they are really unrighteous and actively sinners yet imputedly Justified and made the Righteousness of God in Christ which is a false and corrupt meaning put upon the Apostles words for there 's no Unrighteousness no Guilt nor Impurity in Christ for in him is no sin and he that abides in him sins not besides as Christ was made a Curse or Sin for us the Scripture doth not say So we are made the Righteousness of God in him For if these words As he So we which are added were true the Consequence would be As he was made to be sin for us who knew no sin nor ever could sin So we are made the Righteousness of God in him who never knew Righteousness nor ever can be Righteous What a gross corruption and perverting of Scripture is this and how contrary to the Righteousness of God to suppose guilty and sinful Persons to be
plenty of Scripture Phrases for pardon forgiveness remissions upon a true Repentance And I query what Scripture he hath for his explanation of Satisfaction viz. a compensation made to God for our sin by Christ doing or suffering or both Justice that is Vindictive p. 19. What Scripture hath he for these words and this Doctrine Is not this a confirmation to what is queried before concerning this he calls Vindictive Justice the same that God punisheth the reprobate Angels or Devils with the same he reckons Christ to have suffered and so hath numbred Christ among reprobate Angels and Devils but yet another while Christ's being under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. T. D. construes as not lying barely in the smart of sence but in the brand of infamy thereby set upon us pag. 20. But then how was it the same revenge or punishment that reprobate Angels and Devils undergo and Sinners deserved which surely is more then the brand of infamy is not here manifest contradiction and did the brand of infamy proceed as revengefull Justice from God or rather from the envy and injustice of the wicked against him Again he was not ashamed to call us Brethren Hebr. 2.11 that is saith T. D. Fellow Subjects for being one in nature with us he becomes one with us in an obligation to the same Law to which I say if we are fellow Subjects and one in nature with Christ and he one with us in obligation c. and that the brand of infamy he underwent be set upon us then it is to be minded first that such as be Christ's Brethren one in nature and fellow Subjects with him are Sanctified and not remaining in a polluted nature nor yet in a sinfull imperfect state all their life time seeing both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Hebr. 2.11 Secondly Fellow Subjects with Christ that are bound with him and partake of his Sufferings are not rebellious nor disobedient to him or his Law but faithfull followers of him by whose Power Aid and Assistance they are incouraged in their obedience and faithfulness to him and this is the effect both of Christ's Manfestation Obedience and Righteousness to and in every one that believes Thirdly If Christ's condescension and union with his Followers and their being Fellow-Subjects with him be the thing that Christ tenders to God for Satisfaction as T. D. in his Answer intimates then if he had held to this we should not much have differed but how this agrees with their Doctrine for the continuance of Imperfection and Sin in all covered over with a pretence of full satisfaction being made for them which still leaves all in sin I do not yet understand nor doth it appear how he and his Brethren can be reconciled herein But whereas T. D. confesseth that Christ both by doing and suffering did satisfie and that the satisfaction may be made as well Agendo as Patiendo therein hath he contradicted many of his Brethren who lay it upon his Suffering and Death onely another while upon his under-going Vindictive Justice as they call it the same that is laid upon Devils But then if his Satisfaction be as well agendo as patiendo whether or no he did do all in the dayes of his Flesh in his own person that was to be done for man or whether his work is not experimentally to be known and wrought in every man for the destruction or ending of Sin and Trangression before full satisfaction and peace be enjoyed with God seeing his coming in the likeness of sinfull flesh was to Condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and is not this Law Spiritual which we are bound to obey for can it be supposed that all mankind or the Nation of the Gentiles were bound under the Law that was given to the Jews outwardly And then would it be good Doctrine to say that we or all Nations were Fellow-Subjects with Christ bound under the Law of the Jews which had the Shaddows of good things to come or is it not more meet to say that all ought to be subject unto the Law of Christ the Law of Faith the Law of he Spirit of Life in him and that he was made a surety Hebr. 7.22 therein of a better Testament which is Spiritual and the Righteousness of the Law which he fulfils within is also spiritual and inwardly known its judgment sentence and condemnation known inwardly where sin is condemned in the Flesh seeing that the Commandment that was ordained to Life the Apostle found to be unto death in him as it is in all that come to Life and is not this the effect of Christ's Coming Obedience Sufferings c and how can these things be experienced but by waiting in his Light and Spirit within and if Satisfaction consists as well Agendo as Patiendo are not Christ's inward and spiritual operations included in his doing or works for mans Salvation how then can man exclude them and think himself wholy acquitted and yet in his sins by the Suffering and Death of Christ without as a full compensation and satisfaction in his stead And for whom was Christ a Propitiation for the appeasement of wrath relaxation of the Law purchase of freedom from punishment pag. 23. If it consist in his Personal Obedience and Suffering onely without the knowledge of his work within then are not all men so free and acquitted for whom he did suffer and doth not this extend to all that were dead for he is a propitiation for the Sins of the whole world but this Presbyterians deny what effect then do they put upon Christ's Sufferings viz. that he suffered any otherwise then for a small select number accordding to their Doctrine whereas his Suffering was for all men both Jews and Gentiles who were dead in sin in regard of his confirmation of that Spiritual and Living Dispensation and Testament which extends both the Jews and Gentiles which was promised to Abraham which is to be believed and obeyed But to T. D's matter for these things are out of the reach of his carnal conceptions As concerning the precious Blood which he confesseth to be the real Price that hath made a Purchase 1 Pet. 18 19. I ask if the effects of that Blood are not known within in its purging the Conscience and cleansing from all sin c And seeing he confesseth it to be the Blood of God pag. 26. What Scripture hath he then to call it humane and doth the Satisfaction consist in humane Blood how then doth it satisfie Infinite Justice Is not humane Finite according to T. D. and T. V. their Doctrine But if this Blood of God which was shed for all men have an inward effect in the Conscience in order to the answering of Gods will and his pure Law within and
thereby being to his satisfaction how can men continuing in their sins truly plead they are fully acquitted at once without them and they onely in the implicite belief thereof received from the ridged Presbyters rest satisfied in their sins all their life time And where doth T. D. prove his Doctrine of Christ's being holy by a true inherent righteousness of the humane Nature pag. 25. what Scripture hath he for this or these Expressions was not his Righteousness from the Divine Nature and was it not Everlasting but is not that which is humane Finite And T. D. saying that the Socinians vomit the Quakers have now lickt up pag. 27. herein hath he spoken scornfully and falsly against us which will not at all tend to convince Socinians if they were as bad as rendred but to that they can answer him And his saying the Elect whilst Sinners in state where proves he this that the Elect are Sinners in state seeing the state of the Elect is a sanctified and chosen state out of the World and its wayes chosen in Christ through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 the impossibility of deceiving the Elect is signified Matth. 24.24 where the Calling and Election is made sure they shall never fall 2 Pet. 1.10 And that Christ was made surety of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 And came to do his Fathers Will Hebr. 10.7 And that his being a Surety is an Act of Grace pag. 28. This we confess and own more then you that contend for Sin for the Will of God is our Sanctification and the better Testament and Covenant which Christ is the Surety Mediator and Establisher of is that of Righteousness Life and Peace wherein Sins and Transgressions are done away and wherein true Believers live to God And as for T. D. his so often comparing God to a Creditor Christ to the Surety and Sinners as the Debtors telling of God being considered as a Creditor and as a private Person pag. 32. But where doth the Scripture so call him Reply He does not speak from a true sence of God or Christ or of Gods Covenant but a Notion he hath learned by Tradition and as to Sinners their case is worse then meerly Debtors they not onely owing obedience to God and Christ but are disobedient and rebellious as the case of Fellons Traytors and other Malefactors is worse then that of Debtors yet Christ is our Surety Mediator and Intercessor to make agreement between God and man and to deliver man from the Punishment and Wrath to come by delivering from Sin the cause of it and destroying the Devil the Author of Sin not for us still to live in Sin and daily both contract more Debt and incur tribulation and anguish upon our Souls Howbeit the Wayes of God extend beyond T. D's comparison his Wayes are not as man wayes nor his Thoughts as mans thoughts for as the Heaven is higher then the Earth so are my Thoughts higher then your thoughts saith the Lord whose graciousness also to poor deceived lost man for his restoration is infinitely beyond mans legality and exactions as the Lord said I will not execute the fierceness of mine Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One in the midst of thee Hosea 11.9 But is there not perfect obedience now for men to perform must they all live in Sin and Imperfection tearm of life and say all our Debts is paid and if all their Debts be paid why are they not out of Prison Are not all that are in Sin and Bondage of Corruption in Prison and would it be glad Tydings to tell them that though Christ has paid all their Debts and procured their release and ransomed them that they must not expect personal freedom out of Prison nor out of their Chains and Fetters so long as they lived here or if one should tell the Slaves in Turkey that they are ransomed and yet they must not expect personal freedom from their Vassalry and Slavery so long as they live here would this be glad tydings no sure but rather sad news and is just like these Presbyterians and Independants preaching to people and the tendence of their Gospel and pretence of Satisfaction Redemption Ransom c. whilst they hold none of them in Truth nor Righteousness nor in the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures of Truth and Testimonies of Christ or his Apostles T. D. pag. 29. He is satisfied and the debt paid too by his Intercession which being grounded upon his Satisfaction supposes it to be what it pretends full and compleat Observ. Here it is to be observed that notwithstanding this his Assertion of the Satisfaction both by payment and punishment being compleatly made and the debt fully paid yet he confesseth to Christ's Intercession but what does he ever live to make Intercession for if all be fully done paid satisfied at once by Christ's personal subjection and obedience must there ever be an intercession for that which is already so fully and dearly paid for as they reckon Christ hath done and God hath granted how will this hold consistent But then it appears it supposes it to be what it pretends full and compleat saith T. D. pag. 30. So here is now supposition and pretence put upon Christ's Intercession and Satisfaction what sorry shallow work is this but it appears But to proceed from one that hath followed his own conceptions notions weak judgement and humane understanding as also one that by his Logick and Traditional borrowed Notions and Doctrines goes about to make People to believe that from him that he hath no Scripture phrase for as that of God being a private person and other things And therefore like a Lawyer is fain to patch up his work as well as he can though in many things it be very inconsistant and repugnant to it self And whereas our confessing Christ both in Life and Suffering to be a perfect and real Example is so much struck at by these Priests and Professors we still withal confessing both to his Power and Living Effects through all and of all his Sufferings Afflictions Death and Life which we reverently esteem touching which I testifie in the Lord that if Christ be not really owned and confessed as he was a real Example both in Life Conversation and in Patient Suffering neither the Fellowship of his Suffering nor the Power thereof is truly known or experienced for they who would partake of the Benefit and blessed Effects of Christ's Death and Sufferings and yet will not own him for their Example shall never enjoy him therein seeing that Christ also hath suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps who did not sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Again Forasmuch then as Christ hath Suffered for us in the Flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath sufferred
in the Flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the lusts of men but to the Will of God Chap. 4.1 2. Now the ceasing from Sin and following of Christ's steps in the harmless sinless state is the right use and end of his Suffering for man and his Example to man But then mark T. D's Doctrine as followeth what an example and subject of Wrath and Vindictive Justice so tearmed he renders Christ viz. T. D. pag. 36.4 Christ when he suffered was not innocent and when God required satisfaction of him it was due from him Christ was guilty of our sin when he suffered for it for guilt is but obligatio ad paenam an obligation to undergo punishment which Christ was under by contract Hebr. 7.22 Answ. It s no wonder that these Presbyterians and those of their affinity accuse all Christ's Followers of being Sinners and imperperfect all their life time since that T. D. one of their Leaders or Chieftains hath accused Christ not to be innocent when he suffered saying also Christ was guilty of our Sin when he suffered for it which how false and blasphemous this charge is against Christ I appeal to all sober and moderate Professors of Christianity who have any real esteem and reverence to the Name of Christ and his Glory and how contrary to plain Scripture-testimonies plentifully given of him as being a Lamb yea the Lamb of God which declared his innocency and purity being without sin or guile who offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without spot to God 1 Pet. 1.19 chap. 2.22 Hebr. 9.14 Isa. 53.7 Acts 8.32 Now his being a Lamb without spot and without blemish manifests him to be a perfect Offering and Sacrifice for Sin as also how guilt is more then barely an obligation to undergo punishment being always imputed to the Transgressors and disobedient for sin and not to Christ Rom. 3.19 Jam. 2.10 1 Cor. 11.27 Deut. 19.13 and 21.9 Exod. 34.7 Although t is true those chief Priests false Witnesses and Persecutors of Christ among the Jews and such as accused him for a Blaspemer they said also that he was guilty of death Mat. 26.65 66. Mark 14.64 whose example T. D. hath followed in accusing Christ of being guilty and not innocent But if T. D. should say he meant not that Christ was really or inherently or personally guilty of sin but by imputation and so not innocent but guilty of our sins by this we may perceive then what he means by imputation that on the one hand an innocent person is made guilty and is not innocent whilst he hath no sin nor guile or evil in him and so on the other hand by their own rule of contraries contraria contrariorum ratio persons are to be reckoned imputatively righteous and innocent in God's sight whilst there is neither righteousness nor innocency really in them which is both unreasonable unscriptural and apparently false It was a false imputation of the persecuting Jews and Tho. Danson to impute guilt of sin to Christ and to accuse him with not being innocent when no sin evil nor guilt was in him and it is as false an imputation of theirs to impute Christ's Righteousness to sinfull persons who are not in it nor partakes of it in them so it s neither God's imputation nor Christ's for had Abraham no righteousness really in him when his Faith was reckoned to him for righteousness where then was his Faith and the righteousness and obedience of it if in reallity he was not a partaker and an enjoyer thereof within from whence did his acts or works of real obedience proceed and flow if not from his living Faith and its righteousness within Surely they are of very mean capacities that cannot see T. D's absurdities ignorance in these matters And his vain imaginations and conceits about imputation further will appear and that the stress and drift of all his and his Brethrens work in these invented Doctrines â—s to keep people in their sins and imperfections all their dayes and so their work in rendring Christ the subject of guilt and so of vengeance that belongs to Devils and their rendring people the subjects of his Righteousness and Justification by imputation whilst unjust and sinful in themselves it all centers in their sinfull Doctrine for sin and imperfection term of life Pag. 37. As to T. D's telling of the Son of God's Incarnation the creation of his Body and Soul the parts of that nature he subsisted in c. To this I say if the Body and Soul of the Son of God were both Created doth not this render him a Fourth Person for Creation was in time which contradicts their Doctrine of Three distinct Increated Co-eternal Co-essential Persons in the Deity seeing that which was created was not so but herein whether doth not his and their ignorance of the only begotten of the Father and their denial of Christs Divinity plainly appear yea or nay where doth the Scripture say that his Soul was created for was not he the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Divine Substance But supposing the Soul of Christ was with the Body created in time I ask if from Eternity he was a Person distinct from God and his holy Spirit without either Soul or Body and where doth the Scripture speak of any Person without either Soul or Body le ts have plain Scripture Pag. 38. Whilst T. D. grants our actual freedom from sin and wrath depends on what Christ did and suffered as on and upon its means what becomes of his Doctrine and Pleas for sin and imperfection which they that continues in term of life cannot be truly said to be Actually freed from sin nor yet imputatively righteous in Gods sight whilst actually and really sinfull And if Christ's obedience was not intended to exempt us from a personal obedience to the Law as is confest in pag. 38. then it s contrary to the end of his Obedience to live in sin and disobedience term of life and for any to be reckoned imputatively righteous when actually disobedient Secondly And if we be only so far made righteous by Christs Obedience as unrighteous by our own disobedience how far is that have we not been actually unrighteous and shall we so far be made righteous by Christ's Righteousness Is not this more then your Doctrine of Imputation whilst personally sinfull amount to but your flat contradictions in these matters are evident Pag. 39. And though Christ is our Surety this doth not exempt us either from following him or walking in the Way of God but the more ingage us therein and herein we know acceptance in the Beloved of God in that holy conversation which his pure Law within enjoyns without obedience to which God is not well pleased nor satisfied on man's part though he was even well pleased and satisfied in his own Son both in his doing and suffering
demonstration then clear Scripture surely whilst they cannot clear it and their distinctions to themselves they are not like to clear them unto others but instead of Scripture proof and demonstration we must either aquiesce with what their humane understandings can produce from Aquinas Wotton and Aristotle c. or else we are like to be most bitterly railed against by these our Opposers T.V. The three Holies Isa. 6.1 signifie the three persons Contradiction the Lord of Hosts the One God pag. 33. Contr. J. O. Contradicts T. V. pag. 45. where he saith That of Isa. 6.1 2. three Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory applyed unto the Son Joh. 12.41 42. Obs. How palpably one Contradicts another one saying the three Holyes signifies three Persons the other viz. J.O. saith They are applied to the Son who is but One. This Doctor Owen should correct his Brother Vincent T.V. The Son being Eternal this Generation must be Eternal the personal property of the Son is to be begotten pag. 36. Contr. T. V. They are three distinct persons from their distinct personal Acts Contradiction again Infiniteness is not applicable to the three distinct personallities pag. 45. The Son of God is God is infinite in Power in Wisdom and Goodness and Eternal pag. 30. Obs. Here manifest Contradiction to himself shews it self as much as to say That either the Son of God is eternal and yet not infinite or else That the Son of God being eternal is not a person distinct from God if a Person be not infinite but yet the Son of God is infinite in Power Wisdom Goodness c. How ever these can be reconciled I leave to the ingenious to judge T. V. The Father Word and Holy Ghost are three subsistences pag. 13.43 not three substances pag. 13. They are three distinct subsistents pag. 27. A person is one individual subsistent rather T.D. pag. 2. Obs. Here they are now put to it what to call them being not three substances as T. V. saith they call them three subsistences But now it must be subsistents rather But then in Contradiction to both Doctor Owen saith The Holy Ghost is a substance a personal subsistence What differs now between substance and subsistence T. D. What the Scripture hath revealed to us concerning that distinction in the God-head cannot be apprehended under any other Notion or Resemblance which therefore we attribute to God pag. 3. We know not what to call those three but persons Contr. T.D. Of the Father Word and Spirit c. from 1 Joh. 1.7 Now all Witnesses properly so called are persons pag. 5. Then these Witnesses must needs be distinct pag. 7. Obs. Why is not that Scripture produced all this while if there be such as reveal your distinctions and notion of persons in God And why do you not know what to call those three in Heaven but Persons when T.D. knows how to call them Witnesses What ignorance and Contradictions are here T. V. From Matth. 3.16 17. Herein is a distinction of all the three persons The Son cloathed in Flesh The Spirit in the shape of a Dove The Father in the Voice c. pag. 34. Contr. W.M. The Father Son and Holy Ghost being of an infinite Nature are three Persons Co-essential Co-equal Co-eternal pag. 29. Contr. T.V. The Son being Eternal his Generation must be Eternal the personal property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son pag. 36. Obs. Quest. But was Christ being cloathed with Flesh or the Spirits appearing in the shape of a Dove or being sent from Eternity are these pertinent proofs of their distinct personalities which are reckoned Co-eternal c. And whether or to whom was the Spirit sent from Eternity T.V. The Holy Ghost is God which W.P. doth deny pag. 32. his denyal of the Divinity of Christ is plain pag. 28. Contr. T.V. The Unity of the God-head is not denyed by the Adversaries I have to do withal pag. 28. Obs. So here the same person that is accused for denying the Divinity of Christ is in these latter words cleared as not denying that Unity of the God-head and to be sure he doth confess the Father the Word and the Spirit to be One being one Divine Substance and so One God T. V. The Son is God co-essential co-equal co-eternal with the Father Christ is infinite in power wisdom and goodness eternal pag. 29 30. T. V. In regard of his humane Nature the Jewes speak truth Joh. 8.57 Thou art not yet fifty years old as he was a Son of Abraham and born many generations after him pag. 31. Obs. Quest. And was not he a Person as he was a Son of Abraham not fifty years old if he was as I never heard any yet deny and your Doctrine supposes a Trinity of distinct Persons as being co-eternal co-equal c. doth not this then render Christ as a Son of Abraham to be a fourth person 2. Touching Pardon and Satisfaction T. V. That God never doth nor will nor can pardon any sinner without Satisfaction made to his offended Justice for their sins because his Holiness Righteousness and Truth obligeth him to take Vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law pag. 54. T. V. Christ the eternal Son of God the second person of this glorious Trinity the Doctrine of Satisfaction depending upon this person The Lord Jesus Christ proved to be God equal with the Father pag. 54. Contrad T. D. Many of us do not affirm any impossibility of forgiveness without Satisfaction and for my part though I know some worthy Persons do deny W. P 's affirmative yet I cannot joyn with them therein for to me it is evident that God is free in his Determinations what Attribute he will manifest pag. 17 18. Contrad T. V. God proclaims himself to be gracious and merciful pag. 60. He is exalted upon the Throne of his Mercy ready to forgive sinners pag. 60 61. God was at the Charges of his own Satisfaction Job 33.24 pag. 62. Obs. Then it appears That God had Power to shew himself Gracious he willeth not the Death of sinners but rather their return and Merciful ready to forgive sinners upon Repentance he being at the Charges of his own Satisfaction as is said in giving his Eternal Son who is confessed to be God equal with the Father all which in the best sense amounts to this That God satisfied himself with his own Gift and without performing his own Will he could not be satisfied And who ever doubted or made question or Controversie of that if it were so taken but this proves not their unscriptural terms phrases and notions of Law supposed in the case nor yet that God took vengeance on Christ instead of all Transgressors and they to go free and yet still sin T. V. It was necessary that the Person that should make Satisfaction should be a Man because none but a Creature
could suffer pag. 55. Contrad T. V. It being impossible for any finite Creature to make plenary Satisfation to the infinite Justice of God which requireth an infinite Satisfaction pag. 54 55. If Christ had not been God as well as Man the Sufferings and Satisfaction would have been but finite Obs. First This Person that should make satisfaction by suffering and death it seems now is counted a Creature which yet as such could not satisfie infinite Justice as Contradictorily is confessed But as before it 's said He was the Eternal Son of God proved to be God equal with the Father but now in Contradiction again it was as God and Man that he satisfied whereas it was not as God that he suffered and died but we confess that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself T.V. Christ did bear the punishment of our sins viz. the curse and punishment our sins deserved that he might give Satisfaction unto God's Justice pag. 57 58. Obs. Query But did God undergo that punishment surely nay Or did Christ as man undergo that eternal Punishment Death and Curse due to sinners Could Christ's Death or Temporal Sufferings be Eternal Yet still we confess That God both had and hath still full satisfaction and pleasure in his Son Christ the Anointed the Lamb that was offered without spot to God a Sacrifice for sin though your abuse of Christ confusion and darkness in stating your Matter we cannot own as proceeding from any sence or savour of Christ either as a Sacrifice or Saviour T.V. His Righteousness obligeth him to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law pag. 54. Our righteousness are as filthy Raggs Contrad T. V. He doth Exercise his Justice freely as he doth love his Image in his people freely pag. 65. Obs. Then your filthy Raggs cannot cover you from his vengeance for therein you are not in his Image which he loves freely in his People and yet you would be accounted his People where you are it 's high time for you to Repent and no longer cover your selves with such Raggs polluted Garments For God will lay you bare and naked 3. Of Justification T.D. There is no need of inherent Righteousness for Justification Contradiction But yet there is need of it to make us meet for Heaven Col. 1.12 pag. 45. Contrad Inherent gives us a fitness for the injoying of it it lying in Communion with God without likeness of disposition there can be no liking of each other pag. 46. Obs. What then are persons in a Justified state while they are neither meet for Heaven not fit to enjoy it nor yet partakers of that which makes like to God and brings into Communion with him Which is this inherent Righteousness of Christ as it is called which T.D. hath shut out as not needful for Justification contrary to plain Scripture 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 2.13 Jam. 2.21 Heb. 12.14 T.D. Satisfaction is a compensation or recompence made to God for injury done him by sin which may be both by doing and suffering Vindictive Justice Contrad T. V. Godliness is enjoyned upon all pag. 67. Obs. How then did Christ undergo infinite Wrath from offended infinite Justice that sinners and sin deserved when he never sinned For here every one is to obey and answer the pure Law of God viz. by Godliness and if Godliness be enjoyned upon all I ask must all remain in a sinful ungodly state and Commands to Perfection be construed but as the measure of our duty according as T. D. saith pag. 57. who formerly affirmed also That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us was meant in Christ and not in our persons so then must we look on Christ as his being Godly Righteous Obedient to Death for men fully to satisfie and take off the Righteous Injunction laid upon them to Godliness perfect Obedience c. That it is to be meant Christ must be perfect for us he is to be only the subject of all those Commands enjoyning perfect Obedience Righteousness and Holiness and not we which is as absurd and all one as to say That when God Commands us by his Grace not to sin but to be perfect or perfectly to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly soberly c. That he all this while intends his Son Jesus Christ as the subject of these Commands And whereas he never said Son Jesus Christ Do not thou sin be not thou ungodly do thou deny worldly lusts live thou godly soberly be thou perfect for all and it shall satisfie me fully instead of Perfection or Righteousness in men seeing none can be perfect or free from sin in this life c. But this absurd Course is the current tenour and intent of our Opposers Doctrine And yet they must confess That Christ never sinned nor could sin neither was there guile found in his mouth so their presenting him only as the subject of perfect Obedience and not Men or Believers is all one as to say That all those Commands directed to us for that end was only intended to Christ for T.D. construes his Satisfaction and Payment in men's stead to consist in both Doing and Suffering viz. Both in Christ's Obedience and Subjection to the Law and God's Precepts as also to its Penalties and Curses pag. 19 20. But T. V. layeth it upon his Death in their room and thus they manifestly Contradict themselves whereas God was alwayes well pleased or satisfied in Christ both in his active obedience and also in his passive subjection to suffering death as man even in all his whole Conversation Ministry Life and Death for Mankind he being a perfect Sacrifice for sin but God is not therefore satisfied with man out of Christ or out of obedience to the Law of his Spirit but as he comes to be found in Christ having and possessing his Righteousness within and the Life and Effects thereof which doth not admit of sin and imperfection term of life seeing as is Confessed by T.D. and T.V. That God loves his Image in his People freely and without likeness of disposition there can be no likeing of each other And surely the Image likeness and disposition of God in his People is pure and perfect which sin and imperfection bears no resemblance of T.V. No persons being the subjects of Gospel Justification but as ungodly that is as having sinned Contrad T. V. Where he removeth the guilt of sin he also removeth the filth of sin Justification and Sanctification being unseparable Companions Justification is never without Sanctification Obs. See the apparent Contradiction here in this latter to the former for here note then That no Persons are the subjects of Gospel Justification as ungodly or as in their sins but as being sanctified and the filth of sin removed so then justified not in sin but in the Truth and Righteousness of Christ they being washed cleansed and sanctified and only such are they that are Justified in the Name
of it in the Unregenerate state not come to know the Image of God renewed in them for men are not imputedly Righteous when actually sinners as impiously hath been Asserted nor imputedly saved when actually damned no more then imputatively Saints while actually Devils Seventhly Neither doth God account men Justified or reckon them Righteous whilst they are really unjust being reproved and judged as Unrighteous by his Light and Spirit in them for God's accompts and reckonings are true and Righteous and he Just and True in all his wayes and his Judgments are Right and he can no more therein Contradict his own Light in Man or it's Judgment and Testimony than he can oppose or deny himself Eighthly The Unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men they that are or continue actually sinful and polluted are neither acquitted nor Righteous in God's account but must bear their Iniquity which will be their ruine unless they Return and be reconciled in their minds to the Light of Christ within which reproves them of sin and evil and so except men Repent and forsake their sins they shall surely perish they that neglect the great Salvation cannot escape Condemnation If I sin against thee then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine Iniquity Job 10.14 Psal. 32. God imputes sin to none but them in whom it is in being so he imputes nor Righteousness to any but them in whom it is as the blessed man to whom God imputeth not sin c. in his Spirit there is no guile Finally All that profess to be Ministers of the Gospel and Teachers of others ought to Preach or Teach nothing but what may make or tend to the Glory of God and Honour of Christ Jesus in the Exaltation of Truth and Righteousness in the Earth and all the Contrary as all sin and sinful Doctrines with all sin-pleasing and sinners-soothing Principles to be abhorred rejected and opposed by all professing Christianity that tender the Honour of Christ and desire the Exaltation of his Kingdom which stands in Righteousness T.V. his Contradictions W. Madox * Christ's Divinity owned * The Vnity of the Deity and Divinity of Christ Asserted * A poor Tryal * The Father the Word and the Spirit truly confessed by us according to the Scriptures but these Priests mis-calling them denyed * See our Opposers blasphemous Distinctions and Contradictions * W. M's Rayling * Presbyters vain prophane babling confusion and blaspphemous work * Contradictions * The Pit they have digged for others they are fallen into themselves Here you may see T.V. his invented un-scriptural riddle * Yet in Contradiction they other whiles state it as an Act of Law and Contract between Creditor and Surety depending on Christ as a second Person but in Contradiction again 't is as God-Man as their words are * Where then is his absolute Power and soveraignity so much profest Confusion and Distractions * For a life in sin is not God's terms * But J. Owen confesseth otherwise That God requireth Faith and Repentance in Sinners antecedently to their Participation of Pardon * This being God's Pleasure in both where do the Scripture call it his Vindicative Justice upon him as T. V 's words are which J. O. and T. D. call Vindictive Justice but by what Scripture we know not for the Scripture calls it the Chastizement of our Peace that was on him * The Souls that he hath made his Justice doth not with-hold pity from them to gain upon them Heb. 12.9 10 11. * It was Christ's Persecutors that charged or imputed Sin Guilt and Blasphemy to him and so such they are that impute Righteousness to wicked or sinful Persons T.V. ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three Witnesses Page 14. Page 16. ‖ Here they deny the full satisfaction or plenary as they call it ‖ Here T. D. hath shot at us in the Devil's Bow as formerly he confessed he did ‖ But man in the faln state is worse then meerly a Debtor for he is a Malefactor guilty of high Offences and Crimes against the pure Law of God for which he must feel Justice in the Ministration of the Law and Sentence of death inwardly upon the Transgressor before he receive and enjoy the attonement ransom and peace with God ‖ Though God was alwayes well pleased and satisfied in Christ in his doing and Suffering and as he was a Sacrifice for Sin yet this is not enough for us to profess and believe without knowing the Work of Christ and Effect of his Sufferings and Righteousness within and his Spirit to make intercession c. Rom. 8. Phil. 3.9.10 Of Justication To Justifie what it is Of Perfection Of the Light within Of the Scriptures Of Baptism and the Lords Supper ‖ Rather Hireling at Sandwich Galat. 3.4 Chapters Of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.35 36 37 38. Pag. 156 157 and 160. Pag. 163. and 176. Pag. 178. and 180. ‖ But what a strange instance is that of J. O. that God cannot lye he cannot deny himself c. to prove that he cannot freely pardon sin c. pag. 178. as if the one were as much contrary to his nature as the other and yet upon Faith and Repentance which are his gifts he doth pardon his Creature man Note also that J. O. to the Reader saith of his Authors that many of them do expressly blame some of the School-men as Aquinus Durandus Biel Tartaretus for granting a possibility of pardon without satisfaction as opening a way to the Socinian error See here J. O's Authors great able learned defenders how they censure and contradict one another yet he would have men be wary how they censure them notwithstanding ‖ Who with his Brethren were fully manifested and confuted by Sam. Fisher in his Book stiled Rusticus c. never yet answered by them nor like to be ‖ For it was committed into the hands of the Father and was that day in Paradice ‖ Whether his Soul's travel and suffering under the burthen of Mans Transgression also even till he was in an Agony or his Body suffering under the violence of the wicked hands to death and the shedding of his Blood c. And why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 implies a deep suffering for Sinners under a cloud of Affliction yet not the Infinite Wrath or Eternal Death that 's due to the Wicked who reject God's Love and good will that 's tendred in Chirst we desire all may have as good an esteem of Christ in his Sufferings as may be but methinks you Professors do ascribe very mean honor to Christ and his Sufferings who therein reckon him not innocent but guilty of your sins and therefore that he suffered the same Vengeance or Vindictive Justice due to Reprobate Angels and Devils is this the Dignity you confer upon Christ Oh Miserable ‖ For if but a
little Storm or Persecution comes to try you its probable the Back-doors Back-wayes Closets Cole-holes Garrets or Cock-lofts with the Back-leads c. may stand you Professors in some stead as they have done many of you otherwise if there be no such By-wayes to make an escape and run away the Table spread with Victuals or Beer and Tobaco may stand for a colour and pretence in your Meetings as they have in some of them to delude those that shall oppose you and make them believe a lie and discover what spirit and religion Independants and Presbyterians are of W. M. * See his shuffle here for neither Nature nor Man simply can be called Three distinct separate Persons as Peter James and John were and as they say the Father Word and Spirit are Contradict * That was not Christ. * Where then is the Impossibility in him for it see Matth. 19.26 Luk. 1.37 Contr. to the former * Not upon his beloved Son Christ. All which Contradict their Doctrine of Imperfection and prove our Principle and then their filthy Raggs of self-Righteousness and best Performances which are sinful are shut out of both Union and Intimacy with Christ as not proceeding from any true dependance upon him or that Spirit and Truth wherein the True and Living God is Worshipped by all such as are of the true Circumcision In the Margent are J. Owen and T. Danson 's Doctrines [a] Jo. Owen For the term of Satisfaction the right understanding of the word it self depends on some Notions of Law that as yet we need not take into Consideration pag. 150. [b] J. O. He Christ bare our sins or the punishment due unto them pag. 160. He answered the Law and the penalty of it pag. 161. T.D. The deliverer undergoes the evil in kind which he that is delivered should have undergone pag. 24. Obs. Here is as much opposition between these men and Dr. Still as if J. O. should say It was the very same punishment c. but E. S. Nay It was not the very same c. [c] T. D. Christ when he suffered was not Innocent and when God required satisfaction of him it was due from him c. [d] J.O. God as supream Ruler dispenseth not with the Act of Law but the immediate object and substitutes another Sufferer in the room of them who are principally lyable unto the sentence c. [e] J. O. The Son of God was upon the account of the Dignity of his Person able to Answer the Penalty which all others had incurred [f] J.O. That God did so lay our sins in and by the sentence of the Law upon him c. pag. 166. [g] T. D. God admits of what Christ did on our behalf as if it had been our personal Act as the Creditor Cancels the Bond le ts the Debtor out of Prison and gives him as Legal a Discharge upon the Sureties payment c. Observe T. D's words below whereupon 1. I ask if refusable Payment how then is God bound to take Vengeance in T. V. his sense 2. If another thing be paid How agrees this with J. O? For [h] T. D. Supposes That Satisfaction to be Solutio recusabilis Refusable payment dum alius solvit aliud solvitur When another Person then what was obliged makes payment another thing is paid then what the Law required * As J. O. T. D. T. V. they being the Mistakers [h] T.D. That Christ made a Compensation to God for the Injury done him by our sin which may be both by doing and suffering Justice that is Vindictive * For which see their railing Language as Black-mouthed Blasphemers hiddeous Blasphemers with Socinian and damnably Heretical Opinions c. used by T. V. They may receive a Check from Dr. Stillingfleet to the Reader viz. It may be some will be dissatisfied that I give our Adversaries no harder Names but I never found any men convinced by ill Language and those we have to deal withal are too subtile not to distinguish between loud Clamours and Demonstrations I leave that Method of Confuting them to those who have greater Abilities in that way I think it very Incongruous for us while we Magnifie the Patience and Meekness of Christ in his Sufferings to discover our Passion in Disputing about them [a] T. Danson Christ when he Suffered was not Innocent and when God required Satisfaction of him it was due from him Christ was guilty of our sin when he Suffered for it Synopsis pag. 36. Christ was made sin by Imputation therefore so are we made Righteous pag. 40. [b] T.D. A state of freedom from sin is not attainable in this life No man ever did attain a state of Perfection viz. none of the eminently Holy Persons in the Scripture pag. 55. Yet Perfection is commanded Be ye therefore perfect as your Heavenly Father c. Mat. 5.48 Such Commands are the measure of our Duty not of our Attainments pag. 57. [b] T.D. A state of freedom from sin is not attainable in this life No man ever did attain a state of Perfection viz. none of the eminently Holy Persons in the Scripture pag. 55. Yet Perfection is commanded Be ye therefore perfect as your Heavenly Father c. Mat. 5.48 Such Commands are the measure of our Duty not of our Attainments pag. 57. [b] T.D. A state of freedom from sin is not attainable in this life No man ever did attain a state of Perfection viz. none of the eminently Holy Persons in the Scripture pag. 55. Yet Perfection is commanded Be ye therefore perfect as your Heavenly Father c. Mat. 5.48 Such Commands are the measure of our Duty not of our Attainments pag. 57. * His tasting Death was not the Revenge that the Wicked have incurred neither is Grace Revenge
with the full bent of his will as do the wicked because he is born of God Doth not this reflect upon that pure Relation he hath with the Father and so upon the Nature of God for begetting and bringing forth such an impure birth And is not this to frustrate the end of the Son of God in being made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil whereas he that abides in Christ sinneth not see further 1 Joh. 3.5 6 7 8 9 10 verses 2. Whereas T. V. his contrary meaning to plain Scripture accuseth the Apostle John and others that were born again with committing sin from that chap. 1. vers 8. that doth not prove it against John and such as he hath so accused whereby he hath rendred John to be of the Devil for he that commits sin is so 1 Joh. 3.8 no more then James his saying With the same Tongue bless we God and curse we men doth prove himself to be one that so cursed which he said ought not to be for John writes to divers states and degrees of growth as to them that had sin to be cleansed from that they might walk in the Light to know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin vers 7. As also he said If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness vers 9. Surely John was come further then a Confession of sin at that time besides having sin may relate either to a former state or to its besetting the Creature in the temptations when it is warred against and in the Faith withstood in its motions in order to a Conquest when the Creature doth not commit sin but withstands it as Paul said It s not I that sinneth so that having some sin and committing sin are two things for it doth not appear that the beloved Disciple or Apostle John was a committer of sin in that state when he wrote that Epistle for he saith vers 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us which relates to a state that was past If we say we have not sinned is not all one as to say if we say we do not commit sin c. Yet he saith chap. 2.1 My little Children these things I write unto you that ye sin not Now had John been of T. V's perswasion that such a state of Perfection or not Sinning is not here attainable why should he exhort them not to sin and so plainly shew the difference between him that is born of God and him that is of the Devil See 1 Joh. 3. throughout And then as to T. V. his supposed Consequence from our Doctrine of Perfection That whoever found any sin in them were not born of God which I say that its neither our Assertion nor the Consequence of our saying That he that 's born of God doth not commit sin for having sin when it is withstood and warred against by that which is born of God and committing sin are two things yet we know that that which is born of God overcomes the World and this is the Victory even our Faith and the end of Christ's manifestation is to destroy sin that it may not have a being so long as we live in us And T.V. further adds That if they should die with any sin remaining they would certainly go to Hell and so none there yea none in the World would be saved he saith Hereby he still takes it for granted That there 's no such Perfection here as a freedom from all sin but that all God's Children die with sin remaining in them I then ask How long after death shall sin remain and when and where is the time and place of being fully cleansed after death is it in the Grave or is it in some Purgatory For if God's Children must be cleansed after death they must be cleansed somewhere and then in the mean time betwixt death and this supposed time and place of cleansing and purging where lyes the sin and pollution and the stain of it is it in the Soul or in the Body Surely not in the Body when dead neither can the Soul go to God with sin or pollution in it for no unclean thing can enter into his Kingdom or dwell with him so then the Question still remains where the Soul is after death and where is the place of its purging and fully cleansing If T. V. and his Brethren are not Papists let them answer and clear themselves and Principle from the Popes Purgatory T. V. his reviling and calling us Audacious Quakers who have not the least degree of true Grace because of damnable Opinions This his harsh language and railing signifies little to us for any proof against us or what we hold but only shewes his own peevishness and implacable enmity as one vexed and fretted in his mind and so not fit to intermeddle with things of so high concernment as he hath presumptiously attempted to stir in as about Perfection and the Deity and Satisfaction of Christ Justification Righteousness c. nor yet to call and exhort others whilst he himself had need to be called and exhorted to repent of his hard and uncharitable speeches and censours and to come to meekness and moderation which would better become his Profession And his confidence that we have not the least degree of true grace is both a false and uncharitable confidence and charge against us as also his flaunting and jearing W. P. as having but some smattering of Learning and being but little of a Scholar never to have read nor understood Logick or to have forgot or laid it aside Herein hath he manifested himself both scornful and ridiculous to make so much use of his own pretended Learning Arguments Logick Demonstration c. to such as he reckons hath neither true grace nor Learning it appears T.V. had a mind to shew himself in a vain flourish and boasting over such whom he hath endeavoured to render contemptible mean and ignorant as he hath done us all which doth but the more manifest the pride of his heart vain-glorying c. And then he adds I told them that all true Believers were perfect in a sense they were Evangellically perfect but not legally not absolutly perfect they had perfection of parts but not of degrees I Answer What confusion is here and what contradiction to his former Doctrine of Imperfection and Sin in this Life for first an Evangelical Perfection he grants but not a Legal as if either the Law or the state under it were above the Gospel or else that the state of the Gospel is not a state of Perfection exceeding that under the Law but rather inferiour both which are false and absurd For this Doctrine doth not only charge Imperfection upon the Creature under the Gospel but upon the Gospel it self whilst Evangelical Perfection is deemed either Imperfection or not a