covet That the Principles inclining hereunto are sins they are called sin dwelling in us To act no further then the Light that is in every man doth dictate is all one as to say I will not repent of the first motions of my heart to sin nor of any sinful principles in me I will not fly to Christs blood for pardon for them 3. This Light doth not dictate that Baptism by water is Gods will But God in Scripture commands Go Baptize In what sense Philip who could not be without the mind of Christ herein may assure our Consciences Acts 8 36 37. Look here is water But to go no further then the Light that is in every man doth dictate is as much as to say doest thou Lord command go Baptize I will not baptize nor be baptized 4. The Light that every man hath doth not dictate that we ought to celebrate the Lords Supper that is to meet to take bread signifying the body of Christ by institution and give thanks and break it and give and take and eat in remembrance of Christ to take Wine and having blessed give it signifying Christs blood by institution and take and drink to shew forth the Lords death But the Scriptures manifest this in all particulars clearly to be the mind and will of Christ and to the sanctified 1 Cor. 1.2 God in the Scripture commands 1 Cor. 11.24 25. Take eat do this To practice no further then what the Light that is in every man doth dictate is to say to a commanding God I will not take I will not eat And this in these four particulars is Rebellion Therefore that Person who having the Scriptures will practice no more then what the Light that is in every man doth dictate cannot be saved Have the commands of Christs no Authority over mens Consciences Or do his commands cease to be his commands for being written Doth not Christ say the word that I have spoken shall Judge you Jo. 12.48 And is not he resolved to take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1.7.8 Truly these words Repent Believe Baptize Do this Yea and now by reduction Remember the Sabbath are though written not only the words of Christ but they are Gospel also Woe Woe to those Persons at the day of Judgement that are then found to have lived and dyed in Rebellion against Christs commands by these words These words shall Judge them and for disobeying the Gospel Christ will take vengeance on them To conclude blame was laid on Israel that of a long time they had not kept the Passeover as it was written 2 Chron. 30.5 But in Nehemiahs time the People of God finding it written that they should keep the feast of Tabernacles on this motive obeyed Neh. 8.14 And t is said v. 17. There was great gladness They were assured they pleased God in so doing And the mother of our Lord was careful after the daies of her Purification to offer a sacrifice as it was written Knowing it was written she knew she was bound and heartily obeyed These instances are in things the Light in all men doth not dictate as it doth not dictate Justification by Christs Righteousness Repentance and Faith in Christs blood for pardon of sinful motions of the heart and sinful Principles the observation of the Christian Sabbath Baptism and the Supper The former things instanced the Scriptures declare abolished These the Scriptures no where reveal they are abolished The God of all grace then open your understanding to see your duty and obey fully and not by halves that following God fully with Caleb and Joshua you may be accepted of the Lord. Your Truly well-wisher in Christ Jesus St. Scandrett Thus it appears the words I delivered in the Dispute taken in a right sense are no way in themselves derogatory to the Truth of God I am willing to hear defective because I did not fully explain my words in the dispute But I cannot but complain of disingenuity and falseness when I see p 4. They have given out that I should say This Light within might through the blessing of God with a good improvement save them that have not the Scriptures By what I have written it is clearly otherwise Quest I desire to answer one Query more to give full satisfaction touching inward Light 'T is this Is not the immediate teaching of the Spirit the highest and safest Rule to heaven Is it not safer to walk by the immediate teachings of the Spirit in our hearts than by the teaching of the Spirit in the Scripture and to entertain the spirits teachings in the Scripture no further then they agree with these than to entertain these no further than they agree with the Spirits teachings in the Scripture This Query is weighty And indeed the whole Controversie stated anew I must be large in the solution of it First Therefore I shall open the Terms then lay down my Answers 1. Let us remember nothing is a Rule to heaven but it Reveals Law and Gospel our whole Duty 2. Let us understand the ways of the Spirits teaching 1. He teacheth us Physically by enlightning our minds Thus Gods Spirit so assures our hearts that Jesus is Christ that there is no need in the least we should enquire of men the truth of it 1 John 2.27 The Anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you John was confident Seducers should never be able to perswade them that Jesus was not the Christ Hence also Paul could curse an Angel that should preach any other Gospel than what he had delivered This Teaching is no Rule at all but an help to see the Rule 2. He teaches us Morally or Objectively propounding or setting before us Gods Mind or Will to embrace and walk by 1 John 14.26 The Comforter shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you These Teachings which take in the things taught are a Rule for we must walk according to them And of this way of the Spirits Teaching must we understand the Question 3. Let us be informed what is the immediate teaching of the Spirit There is a Mediate which is done by Means by the Scriptures as in the last mentioned The Spirit brings these to remembrance and thus we hear a word behind us saying this is the way walk in it when we turn to the right hand or to the left Isa 30.21 By the Ministry Thus the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets 1 Pet. 1.11 Testified to the Church beforehand the sufferings of Christ And by other means even by the works of Creation and the Light in every man propounding the Creation to be considered he helps us to conclude a God thence that he is to be worshipped c. I say Gods Spirit by these teacheth us for in him we live move and have our being without his help the world could not come into consideration without his
alwaies when it makes use of the word Job 1.1 Job was a perfect man yet not without sin for he cursed his day Phil. 3.15 As many of us as are perfect It signifies not free from all sin for in this sense saith he ver 12. I am not already perfect Hence it follows an Argument from the use of the word in Scripture as I spake wisdome among them that are perfect c. concludes not unless it be first proved that the sense of the word in that place be free from all sin In the First Dispute G. W. objected many things As 1. Christians to destroy the works of the Devil It was Answered So he will in his time He took Six dayes to create the world when he could have done it in a moment Thus he mortifies sin more and more in this Life and will remove its being in the next Quest But why will he not in this Life Answ It is his good pleasure Quest p. 22. Can he see good not to abolish it Can he see the Continuance of evill good Or that his Commands should not be kept Answ He sees good to suffer the ungodly to go on in sin for the eternal advancement of his Justice If it were not so how easily could he change them He sees good to suffer Corruptions in part mortified in his Saints to keep them humble exercise them drive them to his blood and Righteousness for shelter from wrath and to render the infinite perfection of his merits and of his Fathers pardoning grace to all eternity more resplendent and glorious Ob. 2. Then his pleasure and commands are contrary for he hids us be perfect Answ God commands to offer Isaac he purposeth Isaac shall not be offered This shews he doth not efficaciously will every thing he commands Yet though here is a seeming here is no real contrariety By commanding he made it Abrahams duty his pleasure was to make it Abrahams duty Yet was it his pleasure it should not indeed be performed What real contrariety is here If he had further Objected God commandeth us nothing but what he enables us in this life to perform Answ He commands us from the beginning of Life to the end of Life to continue in all things written in the Law to do them yet he enables none of us to obey this command because he will not save us without Covenant of Grace and the continued sinless obedience of Jesus Christ our surety Ob. 3. Either sin is perfectly remeved in this Life or after death If after death whether doth it remain one moment after death Answ It sufficeth me to be assured from Gods word it is not done away in this Life it shall in the next Let the Lord take his own time to effect it Because I see mention of Purgatory p. 20. I further adde that since no unclean thing shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven since Christ is to present us holy unblameable unreproveable in his sight a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle As part of what Christ hath merited touching this point is applyed from time to time to a Believer whereby he dyes unto sin by degrees so at his death the whole of Christs merit is applyed immediately whereby sin is for ever totally abolished and the soul prepared to see God to his unspeakable comfort face to face Ob. 4. But it is the end of the Ministry which is to continue till we come to a perfect man Eph. 4.13 It was Answered That perfect man is Christ with all his Members for he consists of many till we all come to a perfect man And he is thus to be a perfect man in the other world not this Quest Is the Ministry to continue in the other World It was Answered The Ministry is to continue to the last Trump and to the last Trump will sin be in the Saints but then in a Moment will the Saints be changed and perfected and in the same moment will the Ministry cease In the second dispute he urged ver 12. Christ gave Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints Here I asked how long was the Ministry to continue in perfecting of the Saints whether till death or no After a pause he answered not so long as death I gave him a Scripture to prove that the Ministry and Scriptures were perfecting the Saints as long as they live Deut. 17.19 The King shall read therein all the days of his Life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God If he is to learn to fear God all the dayes of his Life Hence thus I argue whilst the Ministry and Scriptures are perfecting the Saints they are not perfected As whilst a Carpenter is building an house the house is not builded whilst God was creating the world the world was not created In the very moment when the world was created in that very moment God did cease from creating But the Ministry and Scriptures are perfecting the Saints all the dayes of their Life therefore the Saints are not perfected all the dayes of their Life He answered the Jews are under another dispensation or Covenant I asked in regard the Scriptures were perfecting the Jews all the dayes of their Life whether he would grant that the Jews at least were not porfected all the dayes of their Life here he was gone for he knew not how to deny it being made so plain though he would not grant it I could get no answer from him Here we may see how false that Assertion of theirs is that there is no coming to heaven for any in the other world who are not first freed from all sin in this It is evident God brought the Jews to heaven yet was not one of them made free from sin in this Ob. Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled It was Answered 1. In point of Justification Believers are in Christ their head spotless clear as the Moon fair as the Sun 2. In point of Sanctification through renewing and assisting grace they do not allow themselves in any known sin but in Gods fear oppose all and this is their evangelical perfection or sincerity Ob. 6. Psal 119.3 They also do no iniquity To which may be added Divin of Christ p 3. He that abideth in Christ sinneth not doth not commit sin in whose spirit is no guile Answ 1. They allow themselves in no sin but sincerely strive to do their duty Answ 2. So far as regenerate and acting from the regenerate part they do no iniquity a Parallel place is Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Where Paul manifestly distinguisheth between his regenerate and unregenerate part nor is this Tautologie as G. W. insinuates Glory Christs Light p. 21. For to say a man acteth from his regenerate part speaks the springing of his actions from a right principle to say he doth no iniquity speaks the conformity of his Life to a right Rule It follows not hence the Saints are perfectly free
most free such a person with an intention to leave and never recover him out of his fallen state by renewing grace Thus God doth not make any a wicked creature as G. W. imagines we must say p. 46. Nor doth God consume any man meerly as his own workmanship but God endureth with much long-suffering unregenerate men and they fit themselves for destruction This he that is recovered will acknowledge 2 Tim. 1.9 Not according to our works but according to his purpose The reason of God saving us in time by the washing of regeneration is not to be fetcht from our works any thing that we have done but from Gods purpose of old who freely and of his good pleasure did decree it Eph. 1.5 Predestination unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ is according to the good pleasure of his will 2. Gods Election is unchangeable He will certainly bring in he will never finally reject that soul he hath taken liking to Christ must bring in his sheep and he hateth putting away nor shall it be possible to deceive the Elect. Psal 33.11 The Counsel of the Lord shall stand for ever the thoughts of his heart to all Generations Election is that product of Gods counsel the determination of infinite wisdom consulting Rom. 9.11 The Purpose of God according to Election must stand So that here is purpose upon purpose a purpose to save such a soul and a purpose not to alter that purpose but infallibly to bring it to pass Men change their purposes for want of fore-knowledge but nothing can fall out not sin it self causing God to alter his purpose he foresaw all and can give repentance From this Doctrine grace will not cause a Child to sin the more boldly but to loath himself the more for sin As in other things the Lord purposeth and none disanulleth it Isa 14.27 So in this Psa 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth and in the Sea and all deep places 3. From all Eternity did God Elect. In time doth God convert and cause to persevere but Acts 15.18 Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 According as God hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world 2 Thes 2.13 From the beginning hath God chosen you Rev. 17.8 Whose Names were not written in the book of Life from the foundation of the World Obj. p. 41. This puffs up Answ It works self-abasing admiration of Soveraign grace it gives great rest and engageth the heart of a sincere believer to an utter detestation of all sin Obj. If the everlasting state of persons is thus secured all Warnings are impertinent and vain Answ No God that decrees their salvation decrees by such warnings to work in them his fear and a holy caution to keep in his ways that they may be saved From this Doctrine of Election thus manifested thus vindicated by most evident consequence appears the Truth of the Doctrine of Reprobation viz. That God hath rejected or refused others from all Eternity or Decreed never to convert them by bestowing saving grace on them but for sin to damn them for the praise of the glory of his Justice For if God hath chosen some who can deny that he hath refused others And the Scripture if we will believe it will make it manifest in all the parts of it 1. That God hath refused some particular persons Jo. 10.26 You are not my sheep Rom. 11.7 The rest were blinded Rom. 9.18 Whom he will he hardeneth Peter deserved hardening as well as Judas that God hardeneth Judas not Peter proceeds from the meer pleasure of his Will He makes as the great Potter what Vessel he pleaseth to dishonour that is God makes him with an intention to suffer his fall and never recover him by renewing grace 2. That God hath from Eternity thus refused them Jude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this Condemnation Rev. 17.8 Whose Names were not written in the book of Life from the foundation of the World Add this Argument As there are Particular Angels whom God suffered to fall though he could as easily have preserved them from it as he did the rest so there are Particular Men and Women whom God never recovers by saving grace out of their fallen condition though he could as easily have recovered them as others if he had pleased but he endures them with much long suffering to fit themselves for destruction Therefore from all Eternity did God decree thus to do concerning them in particular for known to God are all his works from the foundation of the world 3. That God hath decreed to damn these persons for sin Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil He damneth particular persons for sin therefore of old did he decree to damn those particular men for sin 2 Pet. 2.12 As Beasts made to be taken and destroyed 4. That all this is for the praise of the glory of his Justice Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much Long-suffering Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And though God hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth considered barely as his Creature for he is willing to receive to mercy every returning Sinner yet if a person perseveres in wickedness as such God will laugh at his Calamity and mock when his fear cometh This Doctrine of Reprobation being the Truth of God according to Scripture from it I draw these Consectaries 1. That it cannot be inconsistent with his Prohibitions p. 42. Eat not His Conditional Promises If thou dost well shalt not thou be accepted If you seek the Lord be will be found of you Whosoever believeth shall not perish shall not abide in darkness His Conditional Threats If thy heart turn away thou shalt perish If you forsake him he will forsake you His sending his Son into the world not to condemn the world His giving his Spirit to instruct them in these things His setting Life and Death before them in the Promises and in the Threats Or his giving men up to their Lusts for sin For there can be no Repugnancy in Gods actions between themselves On the contrary all these are subservient to the Soveraign Design of Gods Decrees the magnifying his Mercy and Grace in the salvation of all the Elect who enabled by his special Grace to believe and obey are saved according to the Promises the magnifying his Justice or making known his wrath in the Reprobates who according to the Soveraign Dominion of God left to themselves reject Christ and increase in their Rebellion against God and so are justly given up and damned according to the Threats 2. That God is neither partial nor cruel in decreeing to deny saving Grace to some whilst he decrees to give it to others that he is