to be instructed and ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God but no unconverted man can bee said so to doe except Antinomians be grosse Pelagians But I think Antinomians with Mr. Crispe think the person under the Law in all this chapter to bee the beleever personating or acting the person of a scrupulous beleever under a temptation of doubting but cleare it is Paul speaks of a man under the Law in the flesh and in opposition to him of one under grace of one married to the Law and of one married to Christ in the first part of the chapter of one in the flesh and so unrenewed vers 5. For when wee was in the flesh c. and of one that is dead to the Law married to Christ and serves the Lord spiritually and its clear that the Apostle counteth it a part of deliverance from the Law and a fruit of our marriage to God that vers 4 weâ— bring forth fruits to God and walk holily 2. That the motions of sinnes bring forth wicked works as children to the second death vers 5. 3 that wee serve the Lord vers 6. in newnesse of Spirit and walk in Christ. Now Mr. Towne as setting himselfe to contradict Paul saith pag. 6. This is an addition and mixture of works and faith and cannot stand with a covenant of meere grace Towne pag. 8. How can Christ redâ—eme us fâ—om the Law being under the Law for us except beleevers be redeemed from the Law in that same very sence and extent that Christ was under it as a mediator But was not Christ under the Rule and obedience also as well as under the Raigne to death seeing he came to doe the will of his father and fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3.15 Answ. 1. Wee cannot every way be said to be redeemed from the Law in that same sence that Christ was under it For Christ was under the Law of Ceremonies to free the Iewes from observing that Law I hope we Gentiles are not that way freed from the Law of Ceremonies for that Law did never oblige the Gentiles except the Gentiles had adjoyned themselves in some profession to the then visible Church 2. If Christ was under the Law as the rule to free us from the Law as the rule then why did Christ command us to imitate him in doing his fathers will and submitting to that same Ruâ—e that hee submitted to as is clear Matth. 11.29 learne of mee that am meek Ioh. 15.10 If yee keepe my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love Ioh. 14.15 If yee love me keep my commandments Ioh. 13.15 For I have given you example that yee should doe as I have done unto you Ephes. 5.1.2 Rev. 3.21 Heb. 12.1 1 Pet. 2.21.22 Ioh. 15.23 but Antinomians say that these that be in Christ are not under the Law or commands of the word even of the letter of the Gospel as the rule of life and that Christians are not bound to conforme themselves in their life to the directions of the word contrary to Psal. 119.9 Esai 8.20 and contrary to all the gospel-exhortations given in the New Testament by Christ and his Apostles and they say that the example of Christs life even in subjecting himselfe to the law as a rule of righteousnesse is not a paterne according to which we are to act and live In a word they will have the Spirit separated from the word and from the example of Christ and all the cloud of witnesses to be no rule to us to which I oppose that one precious word of the beloved disciple 1 Ioh. 2.26 He that saith he abideth in him ought so to walke even as he hath walked But observe 1. All means that doe not efficaciously bow the will to obedience to God and convert the soule are rejected by them as not obliging the conscience such as are the Law the letter of the Gospel all the promises exhorâ—â—tions and precepts of the Gospel the example of the Lord who commandeth us 1 Pet. 1. to be holy as he is holy the example of Christ of all the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Saints because all these are some other thing then grace and may prove ineffectuall hence 1. The Gospel as contradistinguished from the Law is not the Gospel written or preached but the grace that resideth no where but in God and in Iesus Christ is the Gospel so say they The faith that justifieth us is in Iesus Christ and never had any actuall beeing out of Christ. 2. There iâ— no habituall grace inherent in beleevers all such must bee a created thing Grace is an uncreated favour only in God for all that which is called habituall grace in us is in effectuall to act graciously and cannot produce supernaturall acts except the holy Ghost act and move it Hence they say that the new creature or the man or the new heart or new Spirit the circumcised the opened heart the Law in the inward parts the one heart the renewed minde the inner man the Law of the mind Christ dwelling in the heart by faith mentioned in the Gospel is not meant of Grace but of Christ and therefore we must not pray for gifts and graces but only for Christ and so a man may have all graces and poverty of Spirit and yet want Christ. 2. We are patients in justification Sanctification beleeving in Christ and we are blocks all the way to heaven minde will affection memory love desirâ— joy feare and all in us act nothing in supernaturall acts there is not such a thing as grace in any of the Saints but Grace is nothing but Christ without us drawing us as blocks as dead stones in the way to heaven having no activitie but to sin even after we beleeve in Christ and Christ works in the regenerate as in deadmen 3. Omissions of duties commanded in the Gospel are no sins for none are to be exhorted to beleeve but such whom we know to be the elect of God or to have his Spirit in them effectually and a man may not bee exhorted to any dutie because he hath no power to do it then Law Gospel exhortations commands promises threatningâ— are to no purpose these that want grace to obey are not lyable to obey nor guilty nor under wrath because they beleeve not in the Son of God and these that are under grace are under obligation to no commands at all and farewell all Scripture from henceforth Yea Mr. Town is frequent in this we are not under the Law as our rule Why because saith he it cannot effectually work obedience in us but so all the word of God the Gospel without the Spirit must be no rule of obedience at all because the Scripture the Gospel and all the promises without the Spirit are just alike and uneffectuall to work us to obedience But not
upon Act of atonement and free redemption in Christ standeth uncancelled and firme being once received by faith the justified soule ought not so to be troubled for sin as to mis-judge the Lords by-past work of saving Grace 1. Because the beleever once justified is to beleeve remission of sins and a payed ransome If now hee should beleeve the Writs once signed were cancelled again hee were obliged to beleeve things contradictory 2. To beleeve that the Lord is changed and off and on in his free love and eternall purposes is a great slandering of the Almighty 3. The Church Psal. 77. acknowledgeth such mis-judging of God to be the soules infirmity Psal. 77.10 I said This is my infirmity Asser. 2. Yet de facto David a man according to Gods heart 1 Sam. 12.12 13. fell in an old feaver a fit of the disease of the Spirit of bondage Psal. 32.3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long V. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer So the Church in Asaph's words Psal. 77.2 My sore ran in the night and ceased not either his hand was bedewed with teares in the night as the Hebrew beareth or a boyl of unbeleefe broke upon me in the night and slacked not Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever will hee be mercifull no more Then faith and doubting both may as well be in the soule with the life of God as health and sicknesse in one body at sundry times and it is no argument at all of no spirituall assurance and of a soule under the Law or covenant of works to doubt as sicknesse argueth life no dead corpse is capable of sicknesse or blindnesse these are infirmities that neighbour with life so doubting with sorrow because the poore soul cannot in that exigence beleeve is of kin to the life of God the life of Jesus hath infirmities kindly to it as some diseases are hereditary to such a family 2. The habit or state of unbeleefe is one thing and doubtings and love-jealousies is another thing Our love to Christ is sickly crazie and full of jealousies and suspitions Temptations make false reports of Christ and wee easily beleeve them Jealousies argue love and the strongest of loves even marriage-love 3. By this all acts of unbeleefe in soules once justified and sanctified should be unpossible Why then the Lords Disciples had no faith when Christ said to them Why doubt yee O yee of little faith It happily may be answered that the Disciples Mat. 8. doubted not of their son-ship but of the Lords particular care in bringing them to shore in a great sea-storme To which I answer It s most true they then feared bodily not directly soule-ship-wrack but if it was sinfull doubting of Christs care of them Master carest thou not for us the point is concluded That doubting of Christs care and love may well inferre a soule is not utterly void of faith that is in a doubting condition 4. The morning dawning of light is light the first springing of the child in the belly is a motion of life the least warmings of Christs breathings is the heat of life When the pulse of Christ new framed in the soule moveth most weakly the new birth is not dead the very swonings of the love of Christ cannot be incident to a buried man 5. When Christ rebuketh little faith and doubting hee supposeth faith hee who is but a sinking and cryeth to Christ is not drowned as yet 6. The Disciples prayer Lord increase our faith Christs praying that the faith of the Saints when they are winnowed may not faile the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might prove the Saints faith may be at a stand and may stagger and slide 7. The various condition of the Saints now it s full moon againe no moon light at all but a dark ecclipse evidenceth this truth The beleever hath flowings of strong acts of faith joy love supernaturall pâ—ssions of Grace arising to an high spring-tide above the banks and ordinary coasts and â—gain a low-ground ebbe The condition in ebbings and flowings in full manifestations and divine raptures of another world when the wind bloweth right from heaven and the breath of Jesus Christs mouth and of sad absence runneth through the Song of Solomon the book of the Psalmes the book of Job as threeds through a web of silke and veines that are the strings and spouts carrying bloud through all the body lesse or more Asser. 3. The justified soule once pardoned receiveth never the Spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 to feare againe eternall wrath that is This Spirit in the intension of the habit such as was at the first conversion when there was not a graine of faith doth never returne nor is it consistent with the Spirit of Adoption Yet happily it may be a question if a convert brought in with much sweetnesse and quietnesse of Spirit shall fall in some hainous sinne like the adultery and murther of Dâ—vid have not greater vexation of Spirit then at his first conversion but more supernaturall But yet this must stand as a condemned error which Libertines doe hold That frequency or length of holy duties or trouble of Conscience for neglect thereof are all signes of one under a Covenant of Works And that which another of that way saith in a dangerous medicine for wounded soules Where there is no Law as there is none in or over the justified soule there is no transgression and where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sinne all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law which demandeth a satisfaction of the soule for the breach of it and such satisfaction as the soule knowes it cannot give and thereby remaines unquiet like a debtor that hath nothing to pay and the Law too being naturally in the soule as the Apostle saith The Conscience accusing or else excusing It is no marvell that such soules should be troubled for sinne and unpacified the Law having such a party and ingagement already within them which holding an agreement with the Law in Tables and Letters of stone must needs worke strongly upon the spirits of such as are but faintly and weakely inlightned and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments the convictions the terrors the curses which the Law brings And a third And indeed Gods people saith he need more joyes after sinnes then after afflictions because they are more cast downe by them and therefore God useth sinnes as meanes by which he leades in his joyes into them in this world and alâ—o in the world to come their sinnes yeeld them great joyes Indeed in some respects they shall joy-most at the last day who have sinned least But in other respects they have most joy who have sinned most for sinne they little or much they all
though darkened to shine as day-light if men would open their eyes and see Psal. â—7 5 Roll over thy way upon the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe But flesh and bloud saith Innocencie lieth in the dark and weepeth in sack-cloth in the dungeon and is not seen The Lord answereth Vers. 6. And hee shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noon-day It is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to goe from one place to another it s here applied to the sun and elsewhere to things that grow out of the earth Judg. 13.14 The sun in the night seems dead and lost as if there were no such thing yet the morning is a new life to the day and the sunne The grape of the wine tree sowne in the earth is a dead thing yet it springeth in some dayes and cometh to be a fruitfull tree Christ was crucified and buried yet the Wine-tree grew againe and Rom. 1.4 Hee was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead The Gospel and a good cause seems buried and weeps in a dungeon Joseph in the prison and a sold stranger yet in the eyes of his brethren hee is exalted The Lord cleared Daniels cause Psal. 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart The light and joy of the Saints are often under the clods of the earth 1. The Reformation of Religion goes vailed under the mask of Rebellion and of subverting Fundamentall Lawes but God must give to this work that is now on the wheels in Britain the right name and call it The building of the old waste places The rearing up of the Tabernacle of David and cause it come above the earth 2. The crosse is that great stumbling block for which many are offended at Christ and the Gospel It is a sad and offensive Providence to see joy weep glory shamed this is the gall the worm-wood the salt of the crosse that the Lord of life should suffer in his owne person yet here is heaven and the Father speaking and returning a comfortable answer to Christ in that which hee most feared The crosse maketh an ill report of the Gospel and Christ for this the Apostles are made a theatre a gasing-stock to Men and Angels a worlds wonder and Paul would take this away Ephes. 3.13 Wherefore I desire that yee faint not at my tribulation Then Saints may fall a swooning at the very sight of the crosse in others And Peter 1 Pet. 4.12 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not stricken with wonders or astonished as at new things and miracles Acts 17.20 when yee are put to a fiery triall The comforts of the crosse are the sweet of it and the honey-combs of Christ that drop upon that soure tree 3. That the Father saith from heaven There shall grow the fairest and most beautifull Rose that ever higher or lower Paradise yeelded out of this crabbed thorne was much consolation to Christ. Here growes out of the side and banks of the lake of that river of fire and wrath that Christ was plunged in many sweet flowers as 1. A victorious Redeemer who overcame hell sinne devils death the world 2. A faire and spotlesse righteousnesse 3. A redeemed a washed and sanctified Spouse to the Lamb. 4. A new heaven and a new earth behold Hee hath made all things new and hath cast heaven and earth in a new mould 5. A new Kingdom a new Crown to the Saints a choiser Paradice then the first that Adam lost 6. Riches of Free-grace unsearchable treasures of mercie and love all these blossome out of the Crosse. 4. The Crosse is bought by and in its nature much altered to the Saints It s true it s become a necessâ—ry in-let and an inevitable passage and a bridge to heaven but the Lord Jesus not Satan keeps the passe and commandeth the bridge and letteth in and leteth out Passengers at his pleasure But 1. Christ hath strawed the way to heaven with bloud and warres and forbids us to censure his sad Patrimony in that the servants are no worse then the Lord and floure of all the Martyrs though bloud hath been and must be the Rent and In-come of the Crowne of the noble King of Kings and the consecrated Captaine of our salvation Yet it is short and for a moment and Christ hath a way of out-gate that none of his shall be buried under the Crosse Revel 7.14 Psal. 4.19 2. Christ hath broken the iron chaines of the Crosse and the gates of brasse that the Crosse hath but a number of free Prisoners who have faire quarters and must goe out with flying colours and be ransomed from the grave John 16.33 Hos. 13.14 3. When you are in glory and in a place above death there shall be neither marke nor print no ceatrix of the sad crosse on backe or shoulder but the very furrow of teares wiped away and perfectly washen off the face with the water of life For the former things shall be away Revel 21.4 Yea the saddest of Crosses the utmost and last blow that the Crosse can inflict is death I should thinke that Christ is the Saints factor in the land of death He was there himselfe and though hee will not adjourne death yet hath our Factor made it cheap and at an easie rate all tole and custome is removed and he hath put a negation upon death Joh. 11.26 He that beleeveth shall not die John 14.19 Much dependeth on our wise husbanding of the rod of God yet if Christ did not manage order and oversee our furnace it could not be well with us I have both glorified it and will glorifie it againe This is the fourth considerable point the matter of the Answer Here is a Lord-Speaker from heaven testifying that the Lords name shall be and was glorified As 1. In Christs person and incarnation Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory So the Angels did sing at his birth Luke 2.14 Glory to God on the highest Christs laying aside of his glory and his emptying of himself for us was the glory of rich mercy 2. His Miracles glorified God Joh. 2.11 This first miracle did Jesus to manifest his glorie When he cured the Paralytick man Luk. 2.12 they were amazed and glorified God When hee raised Jairus his daughter Luke 7.16 There came a feare on all and they glorified God 3. In all his life he went about doing good and sought Iohn 8.49 to glorifie his Father 4. In his death God was in singular maner glorified When the Centurion Luk. 23.49 saw what was done he glorified God The repenting Theife preached him on the Crosse to be a King and this was a glorifying of Christ in his greatest abusement and shame Yea his glory was preached by the Sunne when it
bring forth a man child to God And 2. as Satan is the mysticall head and Prince of that condemned body hee is cast out and hee hath a power in regard of the guilt and dominion of sin both over the elect and the reprobate Christs death hath broken hells barres and condemned sinne in the flesh Rom. 8.3 and dissolved the works of the devill and taken his Forts and Castles and 1 Joh. 3.8 taken many of Satans Souldiers captives Death was the Devills Fort-royall Hell is his great Prison-house and principall Jayle these hee hath taken 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Hos. 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeeme them from the power of death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction And these captives can never be ransomed out of Christs hand again for saith hee repentance shall be hid from mine eyes When Christ spoyles hee will never restore the prey againe Hee hath overcome the world Joh. 16.33 and that was a strong Fort and hee hath delivered the Saints from the dominion of sin because they are under a new Husband Rom. 6.6 7 8 9 10. Rom. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6. All crosses have lost their salt and their sting even as when a City is taken by storming all the Commanders and Souldiers are dis-armed and when a Court is cryed down by Law all the members and Officers of the Court Judge and Scribe and Advocates that can plead Pursevants Jayles are cryed down they cannot sit nor lead a Processe nor summon a Subject So when Christ cryed down Satans Judicature and triumphed over principalities and powers and annulled all Decrees Lawes hand-writings of Ordinances that Satan could have against the Saints Col. 2.14 15. all the Officers of hell are laid aside the Devill is out of office by Law jure the Jayles and pits are broken Esay 49.9 That thou maist say to the prisoners Goe forth to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves Zech. 9.11 When a righteous King cometh to the crown hee putteth down all unjust Vsurpers If Satan be cast out wee are not debtors to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 8.12 Sin hath no law over us There is a law of sinne a dictate of mad reason by which the sinner thinks hee is under the Oath of Allegiance to Satan and his crown scepter and honour hee must defend but there is no reason no law in hell and in the works of hell And if hee be once cast out who is this usurping lawlesse lord if you sweep the house to him and take him in againe to a new lodging one devill will be eight devills for Satan thus cast out will returne with seven devills worse then himselfe Remember Lot's wife if yee be escaped out of Sodome Looke not over your shoulder with a wanton and lustfull eye to old forsaken lovers let repentance and mortification be constant Now is the Prince of this world cast out But yet to consider more particularly Satans Princedome and Satans Power I adde yet more of these two heads 1. The Power of Satan 2. The Punishment of Satan His Power is held forth in that hee is a Prince 1. In his might and power naturall 2. In his power acquired 3. In his power sinfull and judicially inflicted The Devil's Power hee was created in both in the mind and will and executive faculty by no Scripture or Reason can be imagined to be lesse before the fall of these miserable Spirits then the power of their fellow-Angels 1. The Angels being all created holy and according to Gods image they must have been created with their face to God and in their proper place and sphere and so with power to stand in their place Now what station can these immortall Spirits be created in rather then in a state of seeing God 2. Satan abode not in the truth saith the Lord Jesus Joh. 8.44 and the bad Angels left saith Jude vers 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper dwelling These two places compared together seemeth to hold forth that truth and the first truth God seene and knowne though not immutably was the first element native countrey of the Angels They must then see God and his face It is a bold and groundlesse conjecture of some rotten Schoolmen to say That truth from which the Angels are said to fall was the Gospel-truth and that They envied that man was in Christ to be advanced above the Angelike nature 1. It s a dreame that the Gospel was revealed to the Devils before their fall for then their owne fall and future misery that they were to be kept eternally in chaines of darknesse on the same ground must be revealed to them What horror and sadnesse must fill Adams mind and the Angels spirit if hell and the necessity of God manifested in the flesh was revealed to them in the state of happinesse 2. The mystery of the riches of the glorious Gospel was hid from the beginning of the world and the glorious elect Angels come in time Ephes. 3.8 9 10. to learn that manifold wisdome of God and delight in Peters time to looke into it as to a great secret of God 1 Pet. 1.12 Wee have not then reason to think this secret was whispered in the eares of the Devils before they fell 2. It s true Mat. 18. The elect Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes now behold the face of Christs Father for now they are confirmed that they cannot look awry and turne their eyes off Gods face even when they come downe as servants to the heires of glory on earth they carry about with them their heaven and the pleasures of the Court they enjoy no reason their posting among sinners should decourt them or deprive them of the actuall vision of God But it followeth not therefore the falne Angels never saw the face of Christs Father it followes onely they saw it not immutably and in a confirmed way of grace and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes as now the elect Angels doe ◠It s no Princedome in Satan to know the thoughts of the heart this is proper to God onely 1 King 8.39 Jer. 17.10 Psal. 44.21 Nor hath hee or the good Angels any immediate Princedome over the will to know what are my thoughts or to know one anothers thoughts or to act immediatly upon free will not because the thoughts of the heart are objects of themselves so abstruse and high that they are not intelligible for a mans owne spirit knowes the things in himselfe 1 Cor. 2.11 Yea 2. then they could not be known by revelation for God cannot by revelation cause a finite understanding comprehend an infinite object because the object exceedeth the faculty in proportion infinitely The thoughts of a mans heart cannot so exceed the understanding faculty of a man farre lesse of an Angel Therefore God in the depth of his wisdome by an act
bellowes and brought forth the flame 2. Because wee willingly joyne and love to have it so 3. Because the act of sinning commeth formally from free-will which cannot be forced but may keep out the siedge without violence but yet basely rendreth If Satan be the Prince of the aire and can raise mighty stormes and winds that can smite the foure corners of an house which is not like an ordinary wind that bloweth from East or West or North or South but rather right down Job 1.19 If hee have power of flouds and seas and be a roaring Lyon and by reason of his sagacity and skill in the secrets of nature can doe wonders though no miracles as to raise the dead by applying actives and passives together no question the Lord letting loose some links of the chaine hee is fettered withall hee can work curiously and strongly on the walls of bodily organs on the shop that the understanding soule lodgeth in and on the necessary tooles organs and powers of fancie imagination memory humours senses spirits bloud so nearely joyned with the soule as will understanding conscience and affections sit in dangerous neighboured with such malignant Spirits It is no question hard enough to give an exact delineation of the length and breadth of the borders of the Princedome of Satan nor is it necessary for our edification to know all the secrets and mysteries of the Devils Power how hee assumeth a body what hee can doe in the sphere of nature how he acts upon men Sure hee hath some in his snare as poore birds who are taken captives by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 and that hee sitteth at the helme as it were of some and acts and stirreth them so the wind and tyde of their lusts complying with him that they cannot chuse but saile and walk according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2.2 And that hee can borrow tyde and faire wind at his nod and woe the soule by the shop and office-house the body the flesh the senses and reciprocally act indirectly by forraigne Embassies and missive Letters on the will and understanding and the lusts that are domestick friends within to draw in the senses and the fancies and imagination to joyn with him as is cleare in his first dealing with Evah It is not his way to deale with the senses onely or with reason onely or to keep such a method as peremptorily to begin at one before another but in Satans first temptation of Evah hee acteth collaterally and reciprocally hee acteth on the eare by speaking and on the mind by speaking reason Hath God said yee shall not eat of every tree Doth hee so strictly tye you Is that reason and justice to put a Law on an Apple Then you may not eat of every tree which God hath made for eating And Satan worketh on the sense by reason Gen. 3.5 For God doth know that in the day yee eat then your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as gods knowing good and evill And this wrought upon the sense for it s added Vers. 6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food And againe by the sense of seeing Satan wrought on the will to bring out the consent Vers. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise shee tooke of the fruit thereof and did eat So Satan can make the body a tempter to the soule and the soule and reason a tempter to the body As when the husband is leprous and the wife infected with the pestilence hee rendereth her a leper and shee rendereth him sick with a running botch When the body is pampered and the vessels full it draweth the soules consent to fleshly lust and the soule findeth reason but corrupt reason why the body should be a member of an harlot And there is mutuall help between concupiscence and conscience the one tempting with strong acts of lusting the other tempting with lustfull reason shewing it should be so and may be so As in a waâ—er-work drawing water from such a place twenty empty buckets come downe and twenty full buckets come up and every one serveth another for one common work Nor is it a wondâ—r that one Devill doth kisse and embrace another Cast out world 's casting out leadeth us to a further consideration of Satan's punishment As there is a double sin in Satan so a double punishing and casting out The ill Angels first sinne I determine not They abode not in the truth They kept not their first and proper station God made all things good and placed them all in due and fit houses and stations and God was the station and house of the Angels the Devils first I 〈◊〉 God and left their owne house its like they would have been highâ—r and affâ—cted a God-head They would not sit contentedly in the place God set them in Shifting Spirits climbing men that would be higher then God hath placed them and would be without their owne skin and above their owne element and proper sphere have this as a graine of the ill seed that the old Serpent spewed in Evah The Devill knew how to goe out of his owne house and to climbe above his own proper station and hee would lead Evah up the staires whither he did climbe himselfe to seek to be like God knowing good and evill Gen. 3.5 The whole Creation was like a well-ordered Army at the beginning all kept rank and martched in order the Devils were the first Souldiers in the Army that spilt the comely rank and marred the first order the Prince of darknesse that great Lord of confusion made the first jarring and Sampler and prime discord in the sweet musick and song of the praises of the Creator that all creatures did sing Therefore God the Creator in his justice spared not him and his fellow-mutiners but cast them down to hell and delivered them unto chaines of darknesse to be reserved unto judgement 2 Pet. 2.4 Christ as Medâ—ator did not inflict this punishment on the falne Angels Now there is a second sinne of the Devils and that is not onely the casting down of man but the continuing without retreiting in the first sin 1 Joh. 3.8 Hee that committeth sin is of the devill for the devill sinneth from the beginning Joh. 8.44 Satan was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him What is not Satans first sin a transient act gone and past Is Satan this day in the very act of murthering all mankind and of murthering Adam and Evah who many thousand yeares agoe are dead It s true the act physically considered is gone but morally Satan is yet on that same sin 1. Because hee
the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednes yea I sweare unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine c. Christs passing by is as a traveller on his journey who findeth a child without Father or Mother in the open field dying and naked wallowing in bloud and then casting a covering of freelove and love hath broad skirts over his people and its an expression of much tendernesse and warmenesse of love Many articles in that place extoll free grace 1. Christ is brought in as a passing by-passenger to whom this fondling was no bloud-friend but a meere stranger so if humanity and man-kindnesse had not wrought on his heart he might have passed by us we are to Christ nothing of kinred or bloud by our first birth but strangers from the wombe to God going a whoring as soone as we are borne 2. Christ looked on forlorne sinners and there is love in his two eyes it may be that bowels of iron in which lodgeth nothing of a man or of naturall compassion would move a traveller to see and not see a young child dying in his bloud but saith he I saw thee my heart my bowels had eyes of love toward thee there was tender compassion in my very looke my bowels within me turned and swonned at the cast of mine eye when I saw thy misery 3. Behold and behold he would owne his owne mercy and love let Angels and Men wonder at it that the great and infinite Majestie of God should condescend to looke on such base sinners so farre below the free love and Majestie of God There is a behold a signe put upon this doore come hither Angels and Men and wonder at the condiscension 2. Tendernesse 3. Strength of heate and warmenesse 4. Freedome and unhired motions 5. Riches and aboundance 6. Efficacie and vertue 7. The bounty and reality of the free love of Christ. 4. Thy time was a time of loving What of loving it was a time of loathing a time of love when sinners were so base so poore wretched so sinfully despicable such enemies to God in their minde by wicked works Col. 1.21 Dead in sins and trespasses walking according to the course of this world â—n ill Compasse to stirre by according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Was this a time of love Yea Christs love cannot be bowed or budded with any thing without Christ It s as strong as Christ himselfe and sinne and hell can neither breake nor counter-worke the love of Christ your hatred cannot countermand his imperious love 5. It was not a time of single love but it was a time of loves Thy time Christ hath a time and sinners have a time when they are ripe for mercy it was a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of loves of much loves of much love He loved us and shewed mercie on us Eph. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his great and manifold love Can. 7.12 there I wil give thee my loves Cant. 6.2 Thy loves are better then wine V. 4. We will remember thy loves more then wine It s a bundle a wood of many loves that is in Christ. Then V. 5. I spred my skirt over thee He is a warm-hearted passenger who in a cold day will take off his own garment to cloth a naked fondling that he finds in the way I saith Christ laid on thee a naked sinner the skirt of that love wherewith the Father loved me O what a strange word is that Joh. 17.26 I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them It s true Christ could not bee stript naked of the love wherewith his Father loved him and that love being essentiall to God cannot be formally communicated to us yet the fruit of it is ours and the Lord Jesus spreds over his redeemed ones a lap of the same love and bowels in regard of the fruits of free love which the Father did from eternity spread over himselfe 6. I covered saith Christ thy nakednesse O what a garment of Glory is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ Bring foorth the best robe and put on him This is the white raiment that cloatheth the shame of our nakednesse 7. Yea I sware unto thee and entred in covenant with thee Equals doe much if they swear and enter in covenant with equals But O humble Majestie of an infinite God who would enter in covenant with sinners wretched sinners at our worst condition and would quiet our very unbeleeving thoughts of sinfull jealousie with an oath of the most high who hath no greater to sweare by then himselfe 8. And thou becammest mine Hebr. thou wast for mee set a part for me Heere stouping and low condescending love to owne sinners and a claime and propriety on wretched and farre off strangers to name dying bleeding sinning and God-hating dust and guilty-perishing clay his owne proper goods 9. Vers. 9. Then washed I thee with water That Christs so faire hands should stoupe to wash such blacke-skinned and defiled sinners in either free justification or in purging away the rotten bloud and filth of the daughter of Sion in regeneration maketh Good that to the free love of Christ that which is blacke is faire and beautifull 10. And I annointed thee with oyle free grace and Christ dwelling by Faith Ephes. 3.17 in Saints that are the floure gold and marrow of the Church is a high expression of free love Sinners are worse then withered and dry clay without saving grace 11. And to all these Christ clothed his naked Church with broidered worke fine linnen and silke hee putteth bracelets on her hands a chaine of gold of grace about her necke a Jewel on her forehead eare-rings on her eares and a beautfull crown on her head the grace to professe Christ and carry on the forehead the name of the Father of the Lambe and of the new Jerusalem the bride the Lambs wife before Men and Angels is a faire ornament 12. Beside a name and the perfume of a sweet and precious report in the World addeth a luster to the Saints who are by nature the children of wrath as well as others Ezech. 16.10 11 12 13 14. Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4 5. Pos. 4. It s an abasement of Christ that he who gives such a ransome to justice for free grace should wait for a penny from sinners that sinners must bid and buy and ingage him to give and Christ say You must give me more I must sell not give grace for nothing Your penny worthes cannot roll about that everlasting wheele of free grace the decree of election or bow or breake Christs free heart to save you rather then another 2. There is no more proportion betweene wages and saving grace then between wages and eternall
with the blood of Buls and Goats which was offered for the reconciling of men to God not of God to men 2. Because that blood is said to sanctifie and purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God which cannot be said of God but clearly holdeth forth that Christ having offered himselfe without spot to God through the eternal Spirit those for whom he offereth himself cannot eternally perish as M. Moor saith p. 5. but that their consciences by this blood are purged from dead works to serve the living God And the place 1 Pet. 2.24 doth not prove that Christ bare the sinnes of many on the tree who are not actually saved by his death 1. The place saith the contrary and no such thing as that the Lord layd on Christ the iniquities of all and every one of mankinde 1 Peter restraines it to beleevers elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit begotten again unto a lively hope who are kept through the power of God by faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4 5. And there is no colour that Peter speaketh of all Adams sonnes of all the heathen because hee saith Christ bare our sinnes Which bee these The sins of these that be called to patient suffering for well doing who are to follow Christ who left us an example of patient suffering who when he was vers 23. reviled reviled not again Now what is this the Indians and Tartarians patient suffering after Christs example to whose eares the name of Christ and his suffering never came by a dream or imagination 2. The sinnes of these which Christ bare on his own bodie on the tree are these that are healed with Christs strips and these that are returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of their soules and are to live to righteousnesse being dead to sin by the death of Christ who bare their sins v. 24 25. now these are the All that Isai speaketh of c. 53. when he saith 53.6 The Lord layd on him tâ—e iniquities of us all That is if we beleeve Arminians of all Moab Ammon Egypt Philistims Caldeans Ethiopians and all Adams Children who never heard of Christ for the thousand part of Adams Sons never heard of Christ then are they not obliged to beleeve in him of whom they never heard nor is it their sinne that they beleeve not Rom. 10.14 Ioh. 15.22 Ergo they are not obliged to live to righteousnesse being dead to sinne through Christs death because they never heard of Christs death Far lesse are all Adams sonnes healed with Christs stripes and returned to the shepherd and Bishop of soules nor was the chastisement of all the heathens peace upon Christ. And Esaiah expoundeth who be these all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose iniquities were laid upon Christ v. 8. for the transgressions of my people was he stricken and v. 12. he bare the sins of many as Matth. 20.28 and 26.28 The blood which is shed for many and he made intercession for sinners What doth he beare stripes for all the heathen and is he entred as High Priest for all Adams sons into the Holy of Holiest to plead and Advocate for such as Cicero Regulus Scipio Cato such as Pharoah Cain Judas Julian If he bare their iniquities he must beare their apostacie and finall infidelity or doth hee intercede for all and every one of mankinde 1 Ioh. 1.2 compared with 1 Ioh. 1.6 7 8 9 10. and Hebrew 9. He appeareth for us ver 24. for those that are sprinkled 13 14 15 16 17. and looke for him the second time vers 28. He maketh intercession for them that come to God through him Heb. 7.25 Who have a High Priest over the house of God Heb. 10.20 21 22. All these and many other places sheweth the contrary And the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3.24 is not a Redemption which might have been confined within Christ to reconcile God to himselfe and which might consist with the finall totall and utter perishing of all mankind 1. We are justified through this redemption and not by the works of the law 2. V. 25. God set forth Christ this redeemer to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 3. That Christ might appeare the justifier of the ungodly vers 26. and exclude boasting by the law of faith ver 27. and bee the God of Iews and Gentiles ver 30.31 so that it was never Gods minde to imprison a reconciliation within the Father and the Sonne and leave our heaven at such a dead and cold venture as the discretion of indifferent free will so as it might fall out if men pleased that the suretie Christ should die and all his poore broken friends die eternally and suffer the second death also Arminians turne the Gospel in the sadest and bloodiest bargaine that ever was and yet the new English Arminians worse then their fathers say they preach not the Gospel of grace nor Christ who preach not their universall attonement in a grosser way then ever Arminians did for 1. Arminians durst not say Christ died vice loco omnium singulorum sed tantum in bonum eorum he died not in the person place and roome of all mankinde but onely for their good as Socinus taught them But Master Moore saith this right downe pag. 3. 2. Arminians durst not say Christ died and rose again and pleadeth as high Priest and Advocate for all but onely for beleevers Mr. Moore saith that for all he rose and acquiteth us of all our sins pag. 4. The place 2 Cor. 5.14.15 doth not prove a Reconciliation of all within God as Mr. Moore dreameth 1. The All that Christ died for if one died for all then were all dead by no reason must bee in number equivalent to all that died in the first Adam Nor is there any reason in the text to make all those that are actually made alive in Christ and live not to themselves but to Christ equall in number to all that died in Adam 1. God gave not Christ to die for heathen who were never to hear of Christ that they might live to Christ. 2. These words hence forth know we no man not Christ after the flesh nor for the outward priviledge of Jewish dignitie circumcision or a temporall kindgome which fleshlie dignity the Apostles sometime knew Christ for and expected in him but now this is taken away and Christ hath died for all that is for Iews and Gentiles without respect of any such differencie for Christ gave his life for the Gentiles as well as for the Iews 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for All is a word of efficacie and holds forth the Lords effectuall intention but if Mr. Moores glosse stand there is no effectuall intention in Christ to save all and every one Nor doth the place 1 Tim. 2.4.6 signifie any reconciliation not applyed to persons for his being given a ransome for all noteth clearely an
Sion Esai 51.10 11. They shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flie away And Hos. 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 They are ransomed from the grave Let them find in all the Old or New Testament any ransomed of the Lord and ransomed from the grave cast in outer darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth they are redeemed from all iniquity purified as a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.18 Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. 2.24 9. This ransome is to be testified in due time or as 1 Pet. 1.20 21. was manifest in these last last times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For you the elect of God that beleeve by him Rule 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is undeniably expounded of all that are saved only and is restrictive such a Physitian cured all the Citie that is no man is cured but by him Ex. 28. â—4 Jethro saith to Moses What is this that thou doest thou sittest alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all the people stand by thee from morning till evening for judgement the scope of Jethro is to condemne Moses in wearing out his Spirit and taking the burthen of judging all the people himself alone Num 11.13 and his words beare not that all the people without exception came for judgement that had beene unpossible but because there was then no other Judge but Moses the sense is cleare all that were to be judged they were to be judged by no other but by Moses onely Revel 13.8 And all that dwell in the earth worshipped the beast that is all seduced to Popish Idolatry were seduced by the beastly Vicar of Christ and his limbes Joh. 11.48 If we let him alone all will beleeve in him that is none will beleeve in us nor follow us and all seduced men shall be seduced by him Joh. 3.26 Johns disciples a little emulous that Christ drew all the water from their Masters Mill say Behold he baptizeth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all men come to him that is there be now no comers nor followers of men but such as follow this Jesus That Christ in this sense should be the Saviour of all men that he should have a negative voice in the salvation of all that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands is no other thing then Peter saith Act. 4.11 That there is no other Name under heaven by which men may be saved and none comes to the Father but by him Joh. 14.6 then all that come to God come by him only Christ is the heire of blessings and in him all the kindreds of the earth are blessed Act. 3.25 but it follows as well all and every mortal man are glorified as redeemed by this Logick Out of his fulnesse we All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that receive doe receive from him Joh. 1.16 Upon this is grounded the common nature of all that Christ assumed that no man should be saved but by a man Hence say Arminians Looke how far the nature of man extendes the ransome extendeth as farre But saith Master Moore the nature is common to Adams Sonnes all and every one as Men contra-distinguished from Angels Hebr. 29 16. But there is a wide difference between the fitnesse and aptitude that man should dye for man not an Angel for a man and the intention and good will of God that Christ should either take on him the nature of man to die for mankind rather then for Angel-kind Heb. 2.16 And why he should dye for this man Peter or John not that man Pharaoh or Judas the reason of the former was the infinite wisdome of God seeing a congâ—uity of justice in it that the nature that sinnes should suffer for sinne Whether Christ having a soule of a spirituall nature as Angels might have fitly beene a suffering Saviour for them which may be thought possible is another question But the reason of the other is onely the grace of God who could give a hire or a price to Christ to move him to die for you and effectually and savingly by gifting you with faith and not for another All the Jesuits Arminians Papists Socinians for their selves selves if provoked shall not answer except there bee a Fountaine-will that solveth all touching Men and Angels Hee hath mercy on whom he will and hardens whom he will and who hath givâ—n to him first and it shall be recompenced And with as good reason Because Christ is glorifyed at the right hand of God in mans nature common to all Adams sons may they inferre that all and every man is risen againe from the dead with Christ. As Col. 3.1 2. and all and every man is set with Christ in heavenly places Ephes. 2.6 and so all and every man must be glorified with Christ. For as Christ dyed in a nature common to all men so in a nature common to all he rose againe ascended to heaven is glorified at the right hand of God But the truth is Christ assumed that nature that is common to all men but not as common to all men but as the seed of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 as the flesh and bloud of the children vers 14. of his brethren not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit that are or were to be borne againe And it is true Jesus Hebr. 2.9 is made a little lower then the Angels I hope the comparison is not with all and every one of the Angels he was never made a little lower then all Angels even evill Angels Nor â— hath hee tasted of death for every man that is for all and every sonne of Adam 1. We know no grace as common to all and every one of Adams sons as nature 2. Because the Scripture makes nature wrath sin death common to all Rom. 5.14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Rom. 3.9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Job 14.4 Psal. 51.5 Ephes 2.1 2 3. Hebr. 9.27 But for grace the word of the covenant a covenant of grace Reconciliation into grace and favour with God justification we know no such things common to all and every one of Adams sonnes for then all must be borne the covenanted justified reconciled beloved with the greatest love that is Joh. 15.13 ransomed redeemed in Christs bloud a people neere in the beloved chosen as peculiar to God as well as heires of wrath 2 That some sinnes against the first covenant are taken away in Christ and not all as 1 Joh. 1.8 or some halfe-redeemed in Christs bloud not wholly we know not 3 That Christ should taste death for all it being as good as if all in person had not onely sipped but drunken death out to the bottome and yet that the greatest part must drinke death to the bottome againe is no Gospel-truth 4 Nor is the Apostles argument of weight to exalt Christ as he entendeth Hebr. 2. to say Christ so tasted death for all as all and every one notwithstanding many never have either saving
of his essence which is as David saith every where Ps. 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit but so he is in Heaven in Hell in the Sea 2. But he dwelleth in the Saints in regard of the works operations gifts and graces of the holy Ghost 1. Because the holy Spirit is in them in that they have in them the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 such as love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith now these are not the holy Ghost who is eternall and God uncreated but are created in time out of meer nothing not out of the potency of the subject but ere God produce grace so knotty and so rocky are we and so contrary to grace that he must fall upon a new and second creation Ephes. 2.10 Col. 2.10 Psal. 51.10 the same word that is used for creating heaven and earth Gen. 1. â— is here used it is not like the repairing of a fallen house where the same timber and stones may doe the work or the repairing of decayed nature when a healthy body recovereth out of a feaver Grace is a rare and curious workmanship 2. We are said to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 and by grace to increase to the edifying of the body in love Ephes. 4.16 and to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ 13. and to add grace to grace 2 Pet. 1.5.6.7 and to goe on to perfection Heb. 6.1 Phil. 3.12 But the person of the holy Ghost is noâ— capable of growing or addition nor like the morning light or the New Moone that can grow and advance in perfection being God blessed for ever 3. If there be an union of the person of the Holy Ghost with the soule and not an in-dwelling by graces the beleever as a beleever must live by the uncreated and eternall life of the Holy Ghost or a created life Creatum vel increatum dividunt omne ens immediatè sicut finitum infinitum Not the former neither any man nor the man Christ can in any capacity be elevated so above it selfe as to partake of the infinite life of God how the manhood of Christ partaketh of the personall subsistence of the Godhead is incomprehensible to me except that it is not by such a union as my singular nature standeth under personality created and is by assumption rather then union how ever if there be an union of the person of the Holy Ghoâ—â— to our soules it cannot be conceived nor doth Scripture speak of it if the Saints live the life of God it must be by created Graces and this is that we conceive 4 The person of the Holy Ghost immediatly acting in the Saints without them or any active and vitall influence of the naturall faculties cannot be guilty of sinne because David and Christ are absolved of sinne in this They lâ—yd to my charge things that I knew not that is things I never acted crimes in which I had no action or hand but we are blamed in the word for all the omissions of holy duties and the Holy Ghost cannot be blamed for he bloweth when and where he listeth and is under no Law in his motions of free grace then he who cannot be blamed in not acting cannot bee united as one spirit person with person with him who is justly to bee blamed in not acting Asser. 4 It must evidently follow that there is in the Saints a grace created that is neither Christ nor the Holy Ghost in person for what reason any hath to phancy an union of the person of Christ or the Holy Ghost in the Saints the same reason have they to say that all the three are united to the person of the beleever in all supernaturall actions for the Father is said to draw men to the Sonne Iohn 6.44 and Christ to reveal the Father and to draw men Iohn 1.18 Iohn 12.32 and the Holy Ghost to reveal the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 11. now all the three in person doe these but all the three persons are not united to beleevers in person this were a mystery greater then God manisted in the flesh and unknown to Scripture 2. If Christ be all the grace of beleevers faith in Christ and the love of Christ should be Christ. 3. Then should a beleever having a new heart and a new Spirit be Christed or Godded and God should bee incaâ—nate in every beleever and how many Christs should there be and the new heart in one Saint and the grace given to Paul should be the new heart given to Peter whereas God hath gâ—ven grace to every man according to his measure and there are diversity of gifts but one Spirit 2 Pet. 3.15 Phil. 1.9 Eph. 3.3.4.5 â— Cor. 12.3 â— 5.6 Eph. 4.16 Asser. 5. The Grace of God and our free will in a four-fold sense may be said to concurre in the same works of Grace 1. When free-will receiveth no more from Grace and the Lords drawing but only literall instruction and if by our industry an habite of the knowledge of the letter of the word be acquired its necessary only to the easier believing as Pelagius said I may believe without Preaching the Gospel by Reading but more easily by faire and powerfull preaching and by grace helping and assisting preaching but yet without grace but with greater difficulty as I may goe a journey on foot but more easily on horse-back then a horse is not simply necessary for the journey and a ship may sail more easily and expeditely with sailes yet also without sailes with the help of Oars though with more difficulty thus Christ and his Grace may be spared we may sail to heaven by natures sweating and free-wils industry though the sails of grace could more expeditely promove our journey Now we think not that Christ draweth when men speak but the bare letter of the Gospel and softly requests the dead with only sound of words and syllabls to live and Orators with golden words doe pray and perswade the blind to see and the creeples to walk but it s long erre words fetch a soule to dry bones that they may live or tye the broken eye-strings or adde vitall power and life to eyes and ankle-bones 2. Grace and free-will as Bellarmaine and the rest of the Iesuites with Arminians teach may be thought to be two joynt causes the one not depending on the other as two carrying one stone or burthen neither he helpeth him nor he him but both joyn their independent strength to one common effect Bellarmine and Grevinchovius with the like comparisons do prove that we may storm heaven by the strength of free-wâ—ll without dependence on Christ for three untruths are here taught 1. That Grace determineth not free-will a saying destructive to providence if God determine not all second causes he is not Master of all events nor hath he a dominion of providence in all things that fall out good and evill 2. Grace doth not begin
predeterminating grace did keep the Saints and stirre them to every act 3. Who is the Author and finisher of our faith Christ and who perfecteth the good work once begun but Christ and who but he bringeth many children to glory Not we when the soule is distempered under desertion the soule is so tender and excellent a piece love so curious and rare a work of Christ that let all the Angels in heaven Seraphims and Dominions and Thrones set their shoulders and strength together they cannot with Angell-tongues let them speak heaven and Christ and glory calme a soul-feaver and words of silk and oyle dropped from the clouds cannot command the love-sicknesse of a sad soule Will ye look to heaven while your sight faile and weep out two eys while Christs time come you cannot find ease for a broken spirit when Christ breaketh can Angels make whole The conscience is a hell-feaver the comforter is gone can you wiâ—h a nodde bring the physitian back againe can golden words charme and calme a feaver of hell can you with all the love-waters on earth quench a coale of fire that came from heaven Send up to heaven a Mandate against the decree and dispensation of God if you can if the gates of death can open to thee or if thou hast seâ—ne the doores of the shaddow of death or can doe such great works of creation as to lay the corner-stone of the earth or hang the world on nothing which Iob could not doe chap. 37. chap. 38. But who can command soule-furies onely onely Christ. The soule is downe amongst the dead wandering from one grave to another Can you make a dead Spirit a Gospel-harp to play on of the springs of Zion the songs of the holy Ghost Christ can doe it Can you cry and finde obedience to your call O North O South winde blow upon the Garden Christ hath his owne winde at command hee is master of his owne mercies Can you prophecie to the winde to come and breathe on dead bones Christ onely can Can you breathe life soule and five senses on a coffin could you make way for breathing in the narrow and deep grave when clods of clay closeth the passage of the nostrils Christ can Isai. 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my body they shall arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Can you draw the virgins after the strong and delitioâ—s smell of the ointments of Christ but if he draw the virgings â—unne after his love Cant. 1.3 Christ indictes warre are you a creator to make peace he cryes Hell and wrath can you speak joy and consolation are you an anti-creator to undoe what Christ does Christ commandeth fury against a people or person can men can angels can heaven countermand Position 3. The Lords suspending of his grace cometh under a twofold consideration 1. As the Lord denyeth it to his own children 2. As to wicked men also As he witholdeth grace especially actuall and predeterminating It falleth under a threefold respect 1. As it is a work of the free and good pleasure and Soveraignty of God 2. As it is a punishment of former sinnes 3. As from it resulteth our sinne even as the night hath its being from the absence of the Sunne Death from the removall of life 4. The Lords denyall of Grace is seene most eminently in two cases 1. In the parting asunder of the two decrees of election and reprobation 2. In Gods with drawing of himselfe and his assistance in the case of â—â—ying the Saints In the former the Lord has put forth his soveraigntie in his two excellentest creatures Angels and men if wee make any cause in the free-will of Angels I speak of a separating and discriminating cause whâ— some Angels did stand and never sinne some fall and become divels wee must deny freedom of Gods grace in the predestination of Angels now the Scripture calleth them Elect Angels how then came it that they fell not from fre-will No Angels are made of God and for God and to God then by the Apostles reason they could not give first to God to ingage the Almighty to a recompence they could not first set their free-will to work their owne standing in Court before God did with his grace separate them from Angels that fell Rom. 11.36 Esai 40.13 2. Make an election of Angels as the Scripture doth when some are called Elect Angels and some not then it must bee an Election of grace an election of works it cannot be because Angels must glory in the Lord that they stand when others fell Rom 4.2 as men do Proverb 16.4 Ier. 9.23.24 2 Cor. 10.17 Rom. 11. â—6 for no creature Angels or Men can glory in his sight for Angels are for him and of him as their last end and first Authour Rom. 11.36 then they gave not first to God to ingage the Lord in their debt vesr. 35. for if so then glory should be to the Angels but now upon this ground that none can ingage the Lord in their debt Paul vesr. 36 saith to him be glory for ever because none can give to him first and all are for him and of him then so are Angels 3. Angels are associated in the Element and orbe of free grace to move as men with graces wings to fly over the Lake prepared for the divel and his Angels whereas others fell in otherwise Christ the Lord Treasurer of free grace cannot bee the head of Angels Col. 2.9 as of men Col. 1.8 Ephes. 1.20.21.22 23. for as art not nature can prevent a dangerous feaver by drawing blood or some other way even as the same art can recover a sick man out of a feaver whereas another sick of that same disease yet wanting the helpe of art dieth So the same free grace in nature speece and kinde not free will hindeâ—â—â— the elected Angels to fall where as by constitution of naâ—uâ—e and mutabilitie being discended of that first common poâ—r 〈◊〉 â—ase house the first spring of all the creation of God meere and simple Nothing the mother of change and of all defects naturall and morall in every the most excellent creature thâ—y were as an humorous grosse body in which the vessells are full and in a neerest propension to the same feaver that devils fell into even to the ill of the second death if the grace of God had not prevented them 2. In men God has declared the deep Soveraignty and dominion of free grace in calling effectually one man Iaakob not Esau Peter not Iudas in having mercy in time on whom hee will and hardening whom hee will I humbly provoke all Arminians all Libertines who dash themselves the contrary way against the same stone to show a reason why one obeyeth and actively joyneth with the draught and pull of the right arme of Iesus Christ Ioh. 12.32 and his father
is being planted together in Christs death in our union with Christ. So as a believer is to consider himselfe dead to sinne only in the fellowship of Christs death mystically and to consider himself only dying to sinne in his own nature spiâ—itually so as in Christ he is only compleat and in himselfe imperfect at the best I finde saith Saltmarsh no promise made against the never committing such a particular act or sinne which a man lived in in his unregenerated condition there are differences made but it puzzles both Dâ—vines and the godliest to finde a difference between sinnes committed before and after regeneration for take a man in the strength of naturall or common light lâ—ving under a powerfull word or preacher by which his candle is better lighted then it was such a man shall sinne against as seeming strong conviction as the other if not more This to me is that which the Libeâ—tines of New-England say That there is no differencs between the graces of hypocrites and believers in their kind And now in the Covenant of works a legalist may attaine the same righteousnesse for truth which Adam had in innocency before the fall And a living faith that hath living fruits may grow from the living law I see not but all these must follow if a regenerate David or Peter may commit the same act of relapse and falling in the same sinne of adultery and murther after conversion which he committed before conversion then he must commit the same sin with the like intension hight of bensill of wil after as before conversion he muâ—t now after he is converted fall again in the same act of murther denyall of Christ being now converted which he committed before conversion that is as the unconverted man with the rankest and highest strength of lust unrenewed will in its fervor of strength and rebellion did murther dâ—ny Christ without any reluctancy and prâ—testation on the contrary from the renewed will or the Spirit he may being converted fall in the same sinne yea with a higher hand and without any reluctancy from the regenerate part this to me must inferre necessarily the Apostacy of the Saints as that believers may fall againe in these same sinnes with as high and up-lifted hand against God with as strong full and high bended acts of the will after as bâ—fore conversion so as the battell of the Spirit against the â—lesh in this wicked relapse does utterly cease for Perkins who denyeth a man can fall in the same sinne of which he once syncâ—rly repented and whom Saltmarsh judgeth a Legalist and Anti-Christian in this point denyeth that a Convert may fall in the same sinne that he committed in his unregenerated state or that a Convert can fall in the same sinne every way the same with the like strength of corruption that this Convert before acted in his unregenerated condition yea or regenerate he having a further growth of habituall renovation in the second fall and so a higher habituall reluctancy of the renewed part then when he formerly fell in thâ— same sinne and so it cannot be the same sinne but a lesser otherwise he never sincerly repented of the former sinne if this bee more grievous and committed with a higher hand Now Saltmarsh his ground is different fâ—om all Proâ—estant Divines to wit That the wound pricking or sorrow for sinne in an enlightned soule leaveth no such habituall impression of remorse as the man dare never adventure to commit the like again for saith he thâ— gales and breathings of the Spirit of sorrow for sinne are like the winde that makes a thing move or tremble while the power of the aire is upon it but as that slackens or breaths so doth it But this is to say right down that the Spirit of Grace that causeth sorrow according to God and repentance which is never to be repented of is but an evanishing and transient act like the blowing of the wind on a tree the Scripture maketh the spirit that produceth mourning and remorse for sin when the sinner sees him whom he has pierced an habituall in-dwelling Spirit and calls him Zach. 12.10 The Spirit of grace and supplication if then the Spirit of Adoption be no transient but an habituall and inbiding grace as is evident Rom. 8.23 24 25 26. It is a received spirit abiding in us helping our infirmities teaching us what to pray it is Esa. 44. â— 4 5 6. Water poured on the thirsty making us confesse and subscribe the Covenant if it be as it is the New heart Ezech. 36.26 27. The Law in the inner parts Ier. 31.33 the seed of God 1 Ioh. 3.9 the annointing abiding in us 1 Ioh. 3.27 A well of water of an everlasting spring within us Ioh. 4.14 I seâ— not how a Spirit groaning in us when we pray Rom. 8.26 sighing sorrowing for the in-dwelling body of sin Rom 7.14 23 27. can be but a passing away motion like a blast of ayre but this is the mystery of Libertines that theâ—e is no inherenâ— grace in-biding in the Saints no spring of sanctification all grace is in Christ and his imputed righteousnesse and so they destroy sanctification 2. The ayme of Sal. is here that if we sorrow once and scarce that at the beginning of conversion wee are never more to confesse or sorrow for sinne when that transient motion like a fire-flaught in the ayre is gone But for mortification against all contrary blasphemies we say Asser. 1. Mortification is not as Mr Denne saith An apprehension of sin slâ—in by the body of Christ 1. Because this apprehension is an act of faith in the understanding faculty believing that Christ has mortified sin for me and so Mr Denne saith vivification is to live by faith that is to believe that I am justified and have life and righteousnes freely in Christ. Now mortification is not formally any such apprehension it doth flow from faith as the effect from the cause but mortification denominates the man mortified not in his apprehending and knowing that Christ waâ— mortified and dyed for him but in that he really himself is dead when it is said â—ol 3.3 for you are dead Gal. 6.14 by Christ I am crucified to the world and the world crucified to me by this fancy the world and the sinfull pleasures crucified must be the faith and apprehension that is in the fleshly pleasures and lawlesse-lusts by which these lusts apprehend and know that Christ dyed for them for Paul saith as well that the world is crucified to him as he unto the world 2. Mortification is a deadnesse in will and affections and the abaiting halfe death the languor and dying of the power of our lusts to sinne as a believer is dead to vaine-glory when contentedly he can be despised have his name trampled on be called a Deceiver a Samaritan and when the Apostles went out from the Councell Act. 5.41 Rejoycing
Spirit is not so grosse and carnall as the Divinity of former times it being hard to trace and find the impressions of the Spirit therefore we are not to take experience so low and carnally by the feelings of flesh and blood and signs not infallible as to write of Regeneration as Philosophers do of morall vertues Answ. 1. Regeneration is above nature every way but in this its most sutable to nature That as a man come to age doth not at all times even when he is sick in a swon in a deep sleep know that he liveth yet ordinarily life hath reflect acts on it self so as a living man may know that he lives by many signes of life so a regenerate man except hee be deserted may know that he lives the life of God 2 If Antinomians find out new Divinity lesse cernall more spirituall then in former times how is it that Christians are to live from under all rule of life and not to pray forgive us our sinnes when they pray for daily bread and that none justified are to confesse their sins and to sorrow for them that new obedience mortification repentance is to believe that Christ has done these for us that we are not to pray continually but only when the Spirit stirreth us an hundreth of these false wayes may be shown is this more spirituall Divinity then in former ages is it not the most carnall divinity that we read of for when D. Taylor objecteth to Antinomians as a limbe of their fleshly divinity No action of the Believer after justification is sinne Mr Town answereth nothing at all but of the way no action is sin the disorder and ataxie of the action is the sin But D. Taylor meaned that there is no disorder in the actions of a justified man by their way to this Mr Town replyeth not one word but saith unto faith there is no sin because there is not one spot in a justified person and he citeth Rev. 1.5 Eph. 5.26 Cant. 4.7 and 6.9 1 Cor. 6.11 because Christ hath washed Rev. 1.5 purged Heb. 1.3 abolished Heb. â— 26 all our sinnes and hath made us holy and unblamable and unrebukable in the sight of God we are like Christ voyd of sin which is not the removall of sinne but of the guilt that is of the obligation to eternall wrath and the curse of the Law for if we say we even though justified as Iohn the Apostle was have no sin we are lyars can this be any but a divinity of the flesh that Antinomians teach 3. Sanctification is a farre other thing then morall vertues 1. A moralist that is â—emperate chast is never so over-clouded in his faith as to doubt whither he be a temperate man or not a sanctified soule will often doubt if â—e have any sanctification at all 2. A sanctified man must â—â—ve the use of the light of the Spirit to know his â—tare and these things that are freely given him of God 1 Cor. 2.12 A Moâ—â—liâ—â— knoweth with the light of his own sparks what he is does Saltmarsh know of any desertions or overcloudings of the Spirit in a morall Seneca Aristides Plato 3. The Moralist dreames of justification by his vertues 4 He needs only naturall reason not the breathings and stirring of the Spirit to act according to his morall habits 5. Nor are his habits infused from heaven but his own conquest 6. Nor knowes he an absence or a presence of the Spirit all which are peculiar to sanctified and justâ—fied persons We are not compleatly saith Saltmarsh or perfectly mortified to sin by our being planted into Christ and the fellowship of his death Answ. But if mortification bee the faith and apprehension that Christ mortified sinne for us then as we are perfectly justified so are wee perfectly mortified now Antinomians teach the former Let not saith he mortification of sin in Christ tempt any to a neglect of mortification of sinne in the body no more then the free-grace of God in forgivenesse of sinne ought to tempt any to take liberty to sinne Answ. 1. Surely as to adde an thing to justification so to advance in mortification must be as wicked and blasphemous according to the way of Antinomians for if mortification be the believing that Christ has slaine the body of sin as Mr Den saith and Saltmarsh seconds him as a brother â—hen our neglecting of mortification is no sinne for we are to believe that Christ has removed all neglects of mortification if mortification bee faith and beliefe that Christ mortified sinne for us 2. I cannot neglect justification or apprehension that Christ mortified sinne for me any otherwise but by a remisse act of believing or neglect of a higher measure and a more intense and strong act of faith and not by an abstinence from fleshly lusts such an abstinence is no faith or apprehension that Christ has slaine and mortâ—fied the body of sinne for me for non-sinning cannot formally bee believing that were non-sense 3. If the meaning be that we are not to abstaine from fleshly lusts that is from sinnes that the flesh or the body of sinne acteth in us this is neither mortification nor any part thereof to Antinomians But I desiâ—e and provoke Antinomians to satisfie us in these if Salmarsh one of their Patrons can 1. Whither or no sins of the body or in the body as Saltmarsh calleth them here or sins of conversation as Mr Den saith or sinnes as Mr Town speaketh arising out of these earthly members of our flesh he sinnes agaiâ—st the Law of God if so they involve tâ—e justified under a curse and so tâ—ey aâ—e sins formally and the justified either cannot sin aâ— all which I feare is the fleshly way of Libertines a way that my soul abhorreâ— if I be not deceived or then the sinnes the adultery oâ— a justâ—fied man the mâ—rther the denyall of Christ in Peter is no lesse a breach of the Law of God then the denyall of Christ in Iudas it may be the one with a greater bensill of will denyes Christ then the oâ—her sed magis minus non variant speciim and so the jusâ—ified doe as truly and essentially sin against the Law as the unregenerate doth then they are not as clean from sin as Christ the surety is 2. If murthers adulteries committed by the justified bee sinnes of their flesh and body that is such sinnes as they are not by any Prophet or Nathan to be rebuked for because the Spirit that is not in their power in his actions and motions did assist not them to abstaine and they are under no other Law but the only irresistible action of the Spirit to hinder them physically in all sinnes to abstain from any sin this must be Antinomians spirituall divinity to make no Rule no Law of ordering the life and conversation of an justified man but only the motions of a Spirit separated from the world 3. Whither or not when Paul
under the Law as a rule of rightenesse and to walk holily as being obliged from the conscience of any command either of Law or Gospel is legall bondage from which Christ has set us free as to be circumcised is a part of the Law-yoke so they teach then to be inherently holy is unlawfull to Antinomians Mr Town Pag. 6. Yet I wish that I be not mis-taken for I never deny the Law to be an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse But yet affirm that its the grace of the Gospel which effectually and truly conformeth us therunto Answ. 1. I wish Mr Towne doe mistake for hee that teacheth that believers are freed from the Law as a rule teaching directing and from the Law with all its offices and authority he denyeth the Law to believers to be an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse or then he must speak contradictions to wit that the believer is not under the Law as a rule of righteousnesse for so saith Towne he should not be under grace which is contrary to the Apostle Rom. 6.14 and yet he is under the Law as an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse for I ask to whom is the Law an eternall and inviolable rule of justice to the believer or no If to the believer then he must be under it but Antinomians say that is Pharisaicall and Popish that is to put Christs free-man saith Twone under his old keeper the Law as if he were a malefactor if the Law be no eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse why doth Mr Towne say so 2. That rule to the which the grace of the Gospel doth conforme us that rule we must be under but Mr Towne saith The grace of the Gospel truly conformeth us to the eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse Ergo c. 3. An inviolable rule of justice cannot be violated and contravened by these to whom it is a rule without sinne else it s not an unviolable rule then if believers cannot violate the Law and murther and commit adultery but they must sinne by violating the rule then as believers are obliged not to murther not to commit adultery so must they be under the inviolable rule of righteousnesse contrary to which Antinomians teach All that Mr Towne can say against us in this argument is a calumny that we make the Law not the Gospel to give power to subdue sinne but the truth is neither Law nor Gospel giveth grace but the God of grace hath promised in the Gospel grace and a new heart and a new spirit to the Elect and grace goeth not along with the Gospel as a favour of equall extension with the preached Gospel but millions heare the Gospel who remaine voide of grace and have no right to any promise or grace the Law leaveth not off to be the rule of tighreousnesse though it cannot effectually make its disciples holy and conforme to the rule no more then the Gospel should not be the Law and rule of faith because without the influence of the Spirit of grace it can make no Disciples conforme to Iesus Christ and his image for many Elect for a long time heare the Gospel and have no grace to obey while the time of conversion come and many are more blinded and hardned that the Gospel is preached to them and it were better they had never heard nor known the way of truth Towne pag. 6.7 Rom. 7.6 The meaning is through faith is bred assured confidence lively hope pure love toward God invocation of his name without all wavering or doubting or questioning his good-will audience and acceptance which could never be attained by all the zeal and conscience towards God according to the Law of workes and the knowledge of the glory of God is given according to a covenant of meere grace without addition or mixture of works and the opposition is plaine to be not so much bâ—tweene the grosse hypocrite who is only brought to outward subjection and correspondency to the Law as betweene him that in good earnest and in downe uprightnesse of heart giveth over himself wholly to the Law of God Rom. 10.2 as the wife to the husband and guid of her youth to be ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God therein according to his legal conscience which is never pacified with works and the man who knoweth and worshippeth God alone according to the Gospel of Grace Answ. This is a close perverting of the word of truth 1. The Antinomian faith may here be smelled that by faith is bred assured confidence without all wavering feare or doubting c. Then whoever once doubt or waver are yet under the Law of works a doctrine of dispaire to broken reeds who are not undâ—r the â—aw but married to a new husband Christ and yet cry Lord I beleeve help my unbelief Why feare yee O yee of little faith is there not doubting here and a broken faith which Christ softly bindeth up 2. The Covenant of Grace and Gospel commandeth faith and also good works as witnesses of our faith but Towne will have good works in any notion of an evangelick command to stand at defiance with a covenant of meere grace when Grace is the fountaine and cause of our walking in Christ 2 Cor. 1.10 by the grace of God wee had our conversation in tht world in simplicitie and godly sincerity 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that is in mee It s true Holy walking by the grace of God and Christs righteousnesse in justification is a wicked mixture which we detest 3. The opposition Rom. 7. is betweene any unconverted man under the Law be he hypocrite or a civill devill or be he any other man on the one part and a beleever married to Christ and dead to the Law on the other for that which is common not to grosse hypoâ—rites only but to all naturall men out of Christ is ascribed to the man that is under the Law by the Apostle as 1. He is under the Lawes dominion and condemnation vers 1. 2. The Law has power over him as the living husband over the wife vers 2.3 The poor man cannot look to Iesus to another lover and husband the Law as a hard husband leads him and cries obey perfectly or be eternally damned 3 He is a man in the flesh in whose members concupiscence and lust rageth as a young vigorus mother bringeth forth children lusts of the flesh to death as married to hell and the second death vers 5. 4 He serves God according to the oldnesse of the letter that is carnally hypocritically like an out-side of a rotten Pharisee and not according to the newnesse of the Spirit that is in a Spirituall maner Yet Mr. Towne extolls him as one that in good earnest and downe-rightnesse of heart yeeldeth and giveth over himselfe to the Law of God as the wife to the husband
one word of old or new Testament frees us fâ—om the Law as our rule of righteousnesse and all the scriptures that speake of our freedome from the Law doe directly speak of our freedome from the curse and condemnation of it because we cannot be justified thereby as Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the work of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them this must be to doe them in a legall way 1. Hee must doe them all in thought inclinations motions of the heart and all the strength of the soule in all his actions in all his words and in a spirituall manner as the law charges otherwise hee is cursed then all mankinde both such as are in Christ or out of Christ are cursed now if the simple doing of the things of the law as its a rule of our life did involve us in a curse then to honour Father and mother which Paul certainly commandeth as a Gospel-dutie Ephes. 6.1.2 and the loving of our brother to which Iohn 1. Epist. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. exhorteth us unto should involve us in a curse which is absurd 2. He must continue to the end in doing all the Law if ever he fail he is under a curse Now thus it is cleaâ— Paul saith wee are freed in Christ from a necessitie of justification by the works of the law For Paul addeth in the next words vers 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith if the living by faith did exclude workâ— and keeping of the law in anâ— respect at all as the keeping of the law is a witnesse of the life of faith then to doe the things of the law as its an eternall rule of righteousnesse should also involve us in the curse and argue that we seeke to be justified by the law and so that we are fallen from Christ even as to be circumcised doth involve a man to bee a debtor to the whole law and argueth a falling from Christ and the grace of the Gospel for Antinomians contend that we are the same way freed from the morall law as it is a rule of Righteousnesse that we are freed from the Ceremoniall law But wee are freed under the paine of a curse and of falling from Chriâ—t and the grâ—ce of the Gospel from the literall observing of circumcision Act. 15. Gal. â— 1 2 â— 4. as the Ceremoniall Law is a rule of righteousnesse and if any should pretend the impulsion and leading of the Spirit not any letter of the Law and thereupon be circumcised and should renounce the law of â—eremonies as a rule of righteous walking as Antinomians professe they obey father and mother and love their brother and abstaine from Idolatry not because the Law is their rule or the letter of the Law swayeth their conscience but because the Spirit of Christ leadeth them if I say any upon this Spirit would be circumcised and eat the passeover and sacrifice Lambs and blood to God now this Spirit is no Gospel Sâ—irit but the spirit of Sathan leading such from Christ If then we are not to obey the Morall Law as a rule of life and righteousnesse but are fâ—â—ed from it the same way that we are freed from the Ceremoniall Law then to love God and our brethren in any notion should bee sinne as to be câ—rcumcised in any notion is to fall from Christ Act. 15. Gal. 5. Mr Towne has a strange evasion for this Page 138. The Spirit is free why will yee controule and rule it by the Law whereas the nature of the Spirit is freely to conforme the heart and life to the outward rule of the Law without the help of the Law as a crooked thing is made straight according to the line and square and not by thâ—m and thus while a believer serveth in newnesse of the Spirit the Spirit freely and cheerefully moving him and inclining him to keep the Law which is meerely passive herein they doe wickedly who hence take liberty to sinne Answ. 1. To doe the will of God meerely as commanded from the power of an outward commandement or precept in the word is but legall and brings forth but mixt obedience or finer hypocâ—isie saith Saltmarsh and Mr Town saith that it is to controule the free Spirit and to rule it by a Law and Familists of new England as the old Libertines say all verball Covenants or covenants expressed in words are covenants of works and such as strike men off from Christ and the whole letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works and its dangerous to close with Christ in a promise of the Gospel because the promise is an externall created letter and the Spirit is all this is to make a battell and contrariety between the Word of God and the Gospel as written or preached and the Spirit whereas 1. that which the Scripture saith the Spirit of God saith the command and Gospel promise is the sense and minde of the holy Spirit for that the Scripture is qâ—ickned by the Spirit 2 Tim. 3.16 and the Word is the seed of God and of the new birth 1 Pet. 1.23 and mighty in operation and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword Hebr. 8.12 nor is it possible that any can believe the report of the Gospel because it is the Gospel-report but the arme of the Lord and the power of God in the Gospel must be revealed to them Esai 53.1 Ioh. 12.37.38.39 For Iohn saith the not receiving the report of the Gospel is judiciall blindnesse and unbeliefe when Ioseph dare not oppresse his brethren and Iob dare not lift his arme against the Fatherlesse because the sixth command saith thou shalt not murther this is but finer hypocrisie in Ioseph and Iob and a controuling of the free Spirit better believe David Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have a respect to all thy Commandements no doubt the Lord concurred freely with Adam in the act of obeying God in abstaining from the fruit of the forbidden tree if therefore Adam should obey God out of conscience to Gods command eat not he should either controule the free Lord in his working which none in conscience can say or then Adam must have been loosed from obedience to that command if yee eat yee shall die as we are now loosed from the Law and the second death though we break the Law according to the Antinomian way yea it s unconceivable how these that are under grace doe obey the Gospel enjoyning faith because the Lord â—esus commandeth them but they must sin in so doing because they controule the free Spirit of God in not obeying for the free impulsion of the Spirit but for the literall command of God for sure to controule
this end ver 4. that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Henâ—e I argue these that ought to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law by walking after the Spirit and mortifying the deeds of the flesh are not freed from the Law as a rule of rightâ—ousnesse but are obliged by vertue of command to this rule for Paul proveth that there is a commanding power enjoyning rightous walking above us even when we are led by the Spirit 1. Because wee are obliged to minde the things of the Spirit not of the flesh ver 5. 2. To be spiritually minded is life as to be carnally minded is death eternall ver 6. 3. We are to be subject to the Law then we must be spiritually not carnally minded for the carnall minde cannot come under such subjection ver 7. 4. We are to please God in our walking then wee cannot walk in the flesh ver 8. 5. Because we are dead to sinne v. 9.10 We are not debters nor owe we to the flesh any service v. 10. But sure by a commandement we owe service to Christ againe the Apostle Gal. 5. treating of that common place of Christian liberty especially moveth the Antinomian doubt and saith ver 13. Christian liberty is not licentiousnesse nor an occasion to the flesh and commandeth that we serve on another in love ver 13. Now here was a fit place if Paul had been an Antinomian to say but ye are freed from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse and if I command you to love one another I bring you back to bondage againe I clap you up in goale againe and deliver you to your old keeper no saith he But 1. this is Liberty to serve one anotâ—er in love and it s an Evangelâ—ck fulfilling of the law for all the Law saith he ver 14. is fulfilled in this one word thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and ver 16. There is an expresse command walk in the Spirit and ver 18. It might be said then we may live as we list we are free from all Lords its true saith the Apostle ver 18. yee are not under the Law to condemne you but yet yee are not lawlesse yee must be led by the Spirit and ver 19. flie the woâ—ks of the flesh ver 19. such as adultery fornication c. now the law expresly forbiddeth the works of the flesh And Rom. 7. the very Antinomian doctrine is obviated for ver 6. But now we are delivered from the Law O then might some say then we are free men he answers not so we are delivered from the Law that wee should serve God in a Spirituall manner But againe ver 7. Paul proponeth the speciall objection of the Carnall Libertine if we be freed from the Law what shall we say then is the Law sinne this doubt ariseth both from ver 5. ver 6. ver 5. he said the motions of sinne that were by the Law did work in our members sinfull motions he inferres then it may appeare to some that the Law is a factor and agâ—nt for sinne is the Law sinne bâ— way of solliciâ—ation ver 6. Wee are not under the Law then it would appeare that the remâ—ved Law is not a dispensâ—tion to sinne and so the law is sinne if we be freed from it we may sinne Paul saith the Law is not so removed and dead but tâ—ere is a good and holy â—se of the law it remaineth as a rule of righteousnesse touching what we should flie and what we should follow thus the law is neither a factor for sinne nor a dispensation to sinne because it discovereth and forbiddeth sinne for saith he I had not known lust to be sinne but by the Law and this the Antinomiâ—n now moveth we are freed from the law being once justified what ever we doe it is not against a law nor a rule for we are under no law as a rule and what we doe though to our sense and feeling it be adultery and a debt agâ—inst the seventh command yet truly in the sight of God it is no more sinne then any thing Christ doth is sinne we are as cleane of it ere we commit it as Christ or the glorified Spirits in heaven and therefore the law gives us a dispensation to doe these things being justified which the unjustified cannot doe but they must in doing it sinne because the unjustified man is under the law as a rule of justice which we are not under and so we have a dispensation and an anâ—idated one to sinne before hand but because we are under no rule of righteousnesse it is to us no sinne Take two servants the master commandeth one of them eat all fruit of the garden but I forbid you the fellow servant under a paine eat not of this tree in the east end of the garden to the other he giveth no such charge or command the former servant eating of the tree in the east transgresseth not his masters command because he is under no law forbidding the other cating of that same tree is a transgressor because he is under a forbidding command so here if the justified be not under the tenne Commandements as a rule of life though they swerve from all the tenne yet they sinne not for Saltmarsh saith where there is no law there is no sinne Mr Towne saith Although the Spirit bring forth in the Saints the fruits of holinesse according to the law Gal. 5.22 Ephes. 5.9 Yet without Christ we can doe nothing unlesse as the imp or branch we suck and derive life and sap from him which is the Spirit of faith what if it be affirmed even in true sanctification the law of works is a meere passive thing as the Kings high way which a Christian freely walketh in you have not a face to deny it Psal. 119.31 Answ. If the Spirit of Grace bring forth in the Saints fruits of holinesse according to the law then is the law to the Saints a rule of their walking which the Antinomians deny It s true It may be the law to the holy Spirit in his person acting immediately in the Saints is passive for the law cannot work on the holy Spirit but that the â—aints are meere patients and blocks in all their holy walking is grosse Libâ—rtinisâ—e and maketh God the Author of sin as before is said and this way also the Saints are freed from the Gospel and the command of faith and all the promises no lesse then from the law because neither law nor Gospel can be a rule to the person of the holy Ghost in his immediate actions the Spirit is free in his operations and subjecteth both law and Gospel to his gracious breathings but is subject to none 2. Mr. Towne and Antinomians would lay upon Protestant Divines that they teach the Saints may walk in holines without the grace of Christ because they will have the Saints under