to say that which he cannot know and that against his own Soul and eternal Salvation Is there any such reprobation in Scripture as barrs out of Heaven such as by Faith venture upon Christ No surely Christ hath so far dyed for all men as to found for them that general promise whosoever believeth shall be saved This is a plain sure foundation for men to venture upon none that by Faith venture upon Christ shall be barred out of Heaven by any Decree of God because his Decree cannot clash with his Promise It is very irregular arguing to say I know not Gods Decree therefore I 'll neglect my duty St. Paul exhorts the Philippians to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Might the Philippians have said how do we know what Gods pleasure is or what he will work in us Why should we work at such a venture or at the pleasure of another No the fear and trembling in the Text was enough to keep them back from arguing at that rate Suppose now that there were no such thing as Election will there not be a paucity and an hard venture still Our Saviour tells us that few find the way to life Matth. 7.14 And God whose prescience is immutable eternally foresaw that it would be so and what must we do now May we deny the truth of Christs words or of Gods prescience Surely we ought not or may we argue thus Few enter into life why should I venture It s an hard venture and great odds against me May I now cry out Good God what Merchant adventurers are poor sinners Surely it doth not at all become me I must look upon the Rule in the Word and endeavour to do my duty Duties belong to us and issues to God But to pass on according to Mr. Shephard it seems assurance it self cannot secure us to which the bare recital of Mr. Shephards words will be answer enough they are these The Call of Christ is the ground by which we first believe It is a constant ground of Faith For if you come to Christ because you have assurance or because you feel such and such Graces and heavenly Impressions of Gods Spirit in you you may then many a day and year keep at a distance from Christ and lye without Christ for the feeling of Graces and assurance of favour are not constant His meaning is very plain the Call of Christ is the ground of our first believing and it is a constant ground if by after renewed acts of Faith we come to Christ because we have assurance we may many a day live without Christ for assurance is no constant thing as the Call is The Author I suppose took out a little out of Mr. Shephard not to interpret him but to sport with him Afterwards we have the Author concluding from Mr. Shephards particular Call That the general Call signifies nothing that there is no foundation for our Faith in Christ but this particular Call To which I answer The general promises of the Gospel signifie Gods will to save Believers and therefore are a sufficient foundation for a man to believe in Christ for Salvation a greater warrant we cannot have for it then Gods own Charter sealed with the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ But that which works this Faith in us is a special Call or internal Grace which shines into the heart and calls forth Faith into being But though we know not how to get into Christ Mr. Sherlock it would be some comfort to know that we are in him But this is as impossible as the other As the only foundation of our Faith in coming to Christ aocording to these mens notions is a special call of the Spirit So the only infallible assurance that we are in Christ is the testimony of the Spirit The spirit of adoption which teaches us to cry Abba Father And yet God doth not afford this Testimony to all but suffers many good Christians to walk in darkness and hides his face from them for no other reason but because they are desirous of it and would be quiet if they should know it this is somewhat hard measure But suppose you have or think you have this testimony of the Spirit how can you be sure that it is not a cheat and delusion the imposture of the Devil or of your own self-flattering imagination to satisfie this we are directed to marks Thus this infallible assurance from the testimony of the Spirit must in its last resolve be founded upon some Moral evidence As it is with the Church of Rome who after a great noise and cry of infallibility are at last forc'd to resolve their Faith into some Motives of credibility or to dance round in an endless circle Well what are the marks of our being in Christ You must enquire whether you have the Spirit of Christ And it is just as easie to know this as whether you be in Christ But are you true Believers Is your Faith of the right stamp is it wrought by the Almighty Power of God Or is it such an easie common presumptuous false faith as that which is in the generality of men This is as easie to know as any of the former For if there be such a false presumptuous faith as takes Christ when he does not belong to us and rests and relies on Christ only for pardon and salvation and yet shall never have Christ How shall we know whether our Faith be true and genuine such as will make Christ ours and the answer to this brings us to that great mark of Sanctification You must consider the effects of Faith Dr. Jacomb pag. 65. doth it purifie the Heart overcome the World work by Love are you new Creatures Is the state of your person changed from a Child of wrath to an Heir of Grace which is the thing to be proved Or is your nature changed Do you walk in newness of life Have you crucified the flesh with its lusts Do you bring forth fruit That is you must prove your justification by your sanctification your Faith by your Works I am glad it is no worse that good works and an holy life may at least put in for marks and evidences of a justified state though the truth is this is a meer complement to Holiness and as they order the matter an holy life can no more be a sign of a justified state than it can justifie us It would be some comfort to know Answer that we are in Christ But this is impossible Thus the Author Impossible Nothing plainer in Scripture we read of the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.12 The sealing of the holy Spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 The witness of the Spirit with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 But God doth not afford this testimony of the Spirit to all
he be a Christian whether he heartily believe and obey the Gospel and herein consists our Vnion to Christ and fellowship with him let us then leave those other dim notions to men who can believe what no man can understand who despise every thing that can be understood as if it were no better than carnal reason The Author Answer who hitherto hath highly though without cause charged his opposites with violating the evidences of Christians doth now himself blast the highest of all evidences the Testimony of the holy Spirit which is so clealy asserted by the holy Apostle that the Jesuits themselves though hotly disputing against assurance never yet attempted totally to deny it The Testimony of the Spirit saith the Author concerns the general adoption of Christians not to testifie to any particular man It is not a private but a publick Testimony given to the whole Church But let us consider the Text it self in the Apostle The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit the Apostle speaks not of the Spirit as shewing forth it self in Miracles and Tongues but as sanctifying and sealing Believers he speaks of the spirit dwelling in them vers 9. Mortifying the deeds of the body in them vers 13. Leading of them vers 14. Making them cry Abba Father vers 15. And then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the self same spirit beareth witness Here is not one jot or tittle of Miracles or Tongues the testimony of the Spirit in Miracles or Tongues is an external one which runs into the senses But the Testimony of the Spirit in the Text is internal it beareth witness not to our senses but to our Spirits It is said to be sent forth into our hearts Gal. 4.6 The Testimony is not without in Miracles or Tongues but within in the heart The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit the Apostle saith not it beareth witness with the Spirit of the Church for there is one body and one spirit the Spirit of the Church Catholick is the holy Spirit which quickens the whole Mystical Body of Christ And these words The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit cannot be translated thus The Spirit beareth witness with it self but the plain meaning is It beareth witness with our spirit that is with the spirits and consciences of particular Believers And what doth it testifie The Apostle tells us That we are the children of God We particular Believers are so Thus in another place ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1.13 Ye particular Believers were so And again He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath dealt so with us in particular The Testimony of the Spirit in the Gospel is that all Believers are the Sons of God But the Testimony of the Spirit in our spirits is that we are Believers and so the Sons of God in particular This Testimony of the Spirit though so fully asserted in Scripture Nay and I will add though so sweetly experimented by the dear Saints of God that they have thought themselves in the very borders of Heaven in respect of it is yet with the Author no better than a dim unintilligible notion and as he speaks a little before a private Enthusiasm But why unintelligible cannot the holy Spirit so illustrate and irradiate the heart that the truth of Grace may appear to the Believer that he may certainly see in his own heart that this is precious Faith and that is love in incorruption and so of other Graces there Or what if it were unintelligible Shall we cast off the Divine Revelation because above our narrow reason What then must become of those Mysteries of the Trinity and hypostatical Union What of that peace of God which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passing or transcending all understanding Phil. 4.7 Surely in such things reason must vail and do homage to Revelations Ephraem Syrus discerning an heretical propensity in his Disciple Paulinus gave him that excellent advice Vide Pauline ne te submittas tuis cogitationibus sed cum te perfecte comprehendisse Deum putaveris crede nec intellexisse We must not commit Divine Mysteries to the measures of Humane Reason but take them as they are in Scripture But this Testimony of the Spirit is but a private Enthusiasm saith the Author To which I answer We are now more afraid of Enthusiasm than they were of old Dyonisius would have the Hierarch to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Eccles Hierarch to be a divine man and a kind of Euthusiast Ignatius in the Epistle to the Romans saith That he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum arbitrium Dei as if he had wrote by impulse and Inspiration And as Dr. Arrowsmith hath it in Suidas and Hesykius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enthusiasm is when the whole soul is irradiated by God And in this sence I wish with him Vtinam essemus omnes Enthusiastae Would we were all Enthusiasts It s true there is not now an Enthusiasm of gifts in an extraordinary way but sure there must be still in the use of the means an Enthusiasm of Graces in Regeneration and an Enthusiasm of comforts in the Testimony of the Spirit or else which is quite contrary to Scripture there must be no new Creatures but what are of Mans own making nor no Divine comforts for them but what are of Mans own gathering The Just need no longer live by Faith or in dependence upon the Divine Spirit but may have his being and well-being his graces and comforts all from himself CHAP. V. Sect. 1. CHrist hath reveiled the whole mind and will of God Mr. Sherlock in such a plain and familiar manner that every one may understand it who will but exercise the same reason in it that he doth to understand the Laws of his Prince Before the Author took away the witnessing Spirit now the illuminating one Answer A Man may according to him understand the things of God by the exercise of his reason Thus Episcopius Men may by meer natural perception without any supernatural superinfused light understand the Will of God After the same manner speak the Socinians The darkness for such are all the unregenerate Men may it seems comprehend the Evangelical light But the Apostle tells us That the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 That flesh and blood doth not reveil these things but our Father in Heaven Matth. 16.17 Hence the Apostle prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians Ephes 1.17 Hence our Church tells us 2. Hom. of Scripture That the Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of Scripture into us In truth we cannot without him attain true saving knowledge According to these Men Mr. Sherlock the love of Christ is a love to the person of a Believer without considering any
as the Apostle mentions That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Phil. 3.10 And whence had they this Learning they heard him and were taught by or in him not from the personal Preaching of Christ in the flesh but in and by his Ministers and holy Spirit I add his holy Spirit because the Gospel alone cannot do it which made St. Austin say De Praed Sanct. cap. 8. Cùm Evangelium praedicatur quidam credunt quidam non credunt sed qui credunt praedicatore forinsecùs sonante intùs à Patre audiunt atque discunt qui autem non credunt foris audiunt intùs non audiunt neque discunt that such is the Learning meant here appears from the after words As the truth is in Jesus Truth is in the Gospel notionally but in Christ practically all Graces being exemplified in him and the true learners are conformed to his Image and as the Apostle hath it in the next Verses they put off the old man and put on the new and so are assimilated to his Death and Resurrection It is acknowledged by all Mr. Sherlock that Christ sometimes signifies the Church which is his Body Thus we must understand those Phrases of being in Christ engrafted into Christ and united to Christ It is acknowledged by all Answer that Christ sometimes signifies the Church how then can he charge those whom he opposes that where-ever they meet with the word Christ in Scripture they always understand by it the Person of Christ pag. 4 As for the Phrases of being in Christ c. I shall reserve them till I come to the Mystical Union To what the Author infers from the various significations of the Name Christ That such mistakes have been occasioned thereby that some are very zealous to advance Christ's Person to the prejudice and reproach of his Religion I shall only say It is not so Instead of the substantial Duties of the Love of God and Men Mr. Sherlock and an universal Holiness of Life they have introduced a fanciful Application of Christ to our selves and Vnion to him set off with those choice Phrases of closing with Christ and embracing Christ and getting an interest in Christ and trusting and relying and rolling our selves on Christ Fanciful Answer alas that a Christian a Divine should let drop such a reproachful word on so sacred a thing as the Application of Christ Without this the excellent Scripture must I fear labour under very odd Glosses such as these A Believer may be in Christ and out of him he may put him on and off at the same time he may have Communion with him without Union and feed on him without so much as reception Christ may dwell in the Believer at a Distance and abide in him without the least approach Which are such kind of Absurdities as a man would hardly name for fear of grating pious Ears and Hearts But this is not all Without this true Faith which as Learned Dr Ward observes is uppropriativa Christi must forfeit its Nature unless it can appropriate without Application and Christ its precious Object must lose the Vertue of his Blood and Merits unless they can heal at a distance For what shall we say May an unapplied Christ be in us the hope of Glory or may his unapplied Obedience make us righteous or his unapplied Blood justifie us or his unapplied Death reconcile us to God It is not for ordinary Capacities to apprehend it However if Application fail may the Universal Holiness of Life which the Author speaks of consist Our Saviour tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate from me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 In which words the Melevitan Fathers observe a great Emphasis Non dicitur sine me difficiliùs potestis facere sed sine me nihil potestis facere And how any man should either not be separate from an unapplied Christ or lead a Life of Universal Holiness in such a statu separato I cannot imagine But what speak I of Universal Holiness Never any man off from that divine Root of Grace hath since the Fall bore so much as a Blossom of true Sanctity Instead of Obedience to the Gospel and Laws of Christ Mr. Sherlock they have advanced a kind of Amorous and Enthusiastick Devotion which consists in a passionate love to the Person of Christ in admiring his personal Excellencies Fulness Beauty Loveliness Riches c. the foundation of all which Riddles and Mysteries is that they may make the Person of Christ almost the sole Object of the Christian Religion To slight the Fulness Answer Beauty Loveliness Riches of Christ is very hardly tolerable among Christians and to question why they so passionately love such an one is as the Philosopher told him who asked why men were so taken with outward Beauty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blind man's question none but the spiritually blind can wonder at the loving of one altogether lovely But these men are for an Amorous and Enthusiastick Love Amorous all Love is so but what in a gross and carnal way No it is far from those Men who are not at all a kin to Castalio who as is said called the Song of Solomon an obscene Ballad not relishing that divine Love between Christ and the Church which all along is pourtraied therein in Allegories and beautiful colours Enthusiastick why so possibly because it is a thing inspired from the Spirit it is so Scriptures and Fathers will own such a blessed Enthusiasm Ipse nobis fidem amorem sui inspirat saith the Arausican Council But which is the fundamental mistake they make the Person of Christ almost the sole Object of the Christian Religion I confess and it is no shame to say so they esteem themselves compleat only in Christ they trust in him they love and obey him their acceptance is in his Merits therir assistance from his Spirit their Graces hang on him as Beams on the Sun their good Works are perfumed with his sweet-smelling Sacrifice they look on him as their great All and do all they do in him and for him Quicquid oratur docetur vivitur extrà Christum est Idololatria coram Deo peccatum said Luther CHAP. II. THose men who talk so much of the Person of Christ Mr. Sherlock frequently without any Sense and Generally without any just Ground from Reason or Scripture are very clamorous and alarm the world with strange jealousies and fears as if there were a Party of men started up who design to make Christ useless What! without Sense Reason Answer and Scripture too Alas poor inconsiderable Creatures What need such strong impetuous opposition be made against them or how are such men likely to alarm the World with fears But for the thing it self I hope the Author designs not to make Christ useless but what he doth towards it in denying
Glory of them all from our Likeness to God from the Peace of Conscience from the Conviction and Conversion of others from the aversion of Judgments from the State of justified Persons from the Work of Sanctification are but poor insignificant things with the Author which yet with me are of great Moment This is all pertinent saith the Author but it contradicts it self and overthrows their Darling-opinion What the necessary way to eternal Life and yet neither Cause Matter nor Condition At least it might be Causa sine qua non and so a Condition But the Author might have observed that the Doctor did not speak ad idem to one and the same thing his words are Holiness is neither the Cause Matter nor Condition of Justification yet it is the way to Salvation both stand well together without any shadow of Contradiction Obedience is subsequent to Justification and so neither Cause Matter nor Condition of it but it is antecedent to Salvation and the way thereunto Well the Author is content that it only be a necessary way to eternal Life but what then becomes of Christ the only way What of Christ's Righteousness and of free Grace I hope there is no matter of fear our Holiness unless it be lifted up above it self into the room and Throne of Christ very well comports with Christ and Grace it is a way but not as Christ an Expiatory Meritorious one it stands as necessary in Sanctification but eeks not out Christ's Righteousness in Justification It flows from free Grace and doth not overturn but magnifie its Fountain Afterwards our Author draws up a long Charge against these men That they prepossess their Fancies with arbitrary Notions pervert the Scriptures to justifie their Darling-opinions and that sometimes with so ill success as to break some stubborn Truths into palpable absurdities and contradictions their Fancies and Scripture agree no better than the Church of Rome and Scripture do They add such limitations distinctions glosses to Scripture as are necessary to make them orthodox Their Acquaintance with Christs Person is only a work of Fancy teaches men Hypocrisie undermines the Design of the Gospel makes men incurably ignorant yet conceited of knowledge impertinent talkers and censurers of Mankind despisers of their Teachers as if ignorant and meer Moral Preachers Their Acquaintance with Christ's Person warms their Fancies moves their Passions sometimes they find breakings of heart and feel the horrors of damned Spirits sometimes they are ravish'd with his love and Beauty refresh'd with the sweet caresses of his love All which may be no more than the working of a warm Enthusiastick Fancy the transportation of frantick Raptures and Extasies of Love Unto all which I say two things only the one is this In general Charges which may be drawn up against the most innocent Souls under Heaven the intelligent Reader must measure the truth of them only by the Instances which before have been examined The other is this that the Author tells us That their breakings for sin and ravishments in Christ may be but the working of a warm Enthusiastick fancy In which Censure I suppose there is no over-measure of Charity There are yet Two things behind which because interwoven with the general Charge I have hitherto omitted but shall now recite them the one is this Prepossessed Fancies force men saith the Author to pervert the Scriptures to make them speak the Orthodox Language to this we owe all those nice and subtil Distinctions which constitute the Body of Systematical Divinity which commonly have no other design than to evade the force of Scripture or to bribe it to speak on their side I will now wonder no longer that the Author treats a few Nonconformists with such rough hands Behold an universal blast put on those excellent Divines which have stood in the Protestant World like burning and shining Lights and have set forth so many learned and worthy Systems of Divinity for the Churches use But this is All-a-mode with the Remonstrants who as Vedelius tells us De Arcan Armind have poured forth convitia atrocissima in Formulas not being afraid to say Ista ars est Sathanae calling them humanam tyrannidem and proceeding so far as to say That that Preface in Athanasius his Creed Qui vult salvus esse ante omnia credat c. was a proud one Systems of Divinity are to them as Bonds and Fetters which they would willingly break off that they might have the better Scope to introduce their unsound and novel Opinions The other is this It is not saith the Authour the Person but the Gospel of Christ which is the way the truth and the life It seems the new and living Way through his Flesh may be stop'd up the great Prophet may want the Title of Truth the vital Influences of Grace from Christ may be intercepted and all this after Christ himself hath told us expresly I am the Way the Truth and the Life These things I suppose will hardly be passable with Christian Ears or Hearts If he be not the Way there is no approach for us to the Father if not the Truth we are not bound to believe him or his Gospel if not the Life to quicken our dead and unbelieving Hearts we should never believe in him though he were both the former CHAP. IV. Sect. I. NExt to the Knowledge of Christ Mr. Sherlock there is not a greater Mystery than our Vnion to him and Communion with him on which as these men represent it are built all those wild and fanciful Conclusions which directly oppose the Doctrine and Practice of Christianity Therefore it is of great concernment to state this matter and to examine what is meant in Scripture by Vnion to Christ and Communion with him for the Scripture mentioneth such a Relation between Christ and Christians as may be expressed by an Vnion and the phrases of being in Christ abiding in Christ can signifie no less The Author owns some kind of Union Answer but our enquiry is after a spiritual mystical union between Christ and believers who are knit together by the Divine Ligatures of the holy Spirit and Faith The quickning Spirit as the right Reverend Vsher hath it descending downward from the Head Serm. before the Commons 1620. to be in us a Fountain of supernatural Life and a lively Faith wrought by the same Spirit ascending from us upward to lay fast hold upon him This Union is fully set forth in Scripture We are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Communion cannot but import Union We are said to have the Son and to have life by him 1 Joh. 5.12 To eat his flesh and drink his blood so as to live by him Joh. 6.56 57. And unless we dream of an oral Manducation what can this be but a Mystical
answerable to the inhabitation of the Godhead in him contain a true and perfect declaration of God's will in opposition to the impersect rudiments and types of the Law so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bodily is opposed to figurative and typical and this is a plain demonsiration of the persection of the Gospel-revelation that the fulness of the Deity dwelt substantially in Christ his Religion answers the greatness of his Person the Godhead dwelt in him bodily and his Religion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too all truth and substance The Law was but a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Verse 17. His Religion is body truth and substance this place is exactly parallel with Joh. 1.14 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tabernacled among us Herein the Figure of the Tabernacle was fulfilled that God dwelt in our flesh and the Revelations he made of Gods Will did agree with the manner of his appearance were full of Grace and Truth not typical but a plain and perfect declaration of God's Will and as the Evangelist tells us That of his fulness we have all received that we are perfectly instructed by him So our Apostle adds here And yè are complete in him filled in him you need no Instructor but Christ so that this fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Christ does ultimately resolve it self into the perfection of the Gospel-revelation For since the fulness of the Deity did inhabit in Christ's Person he was able to acquaint us with the whole Will of God the force of this reason our Saviour takes notice of John 3.34 35. He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God that is declareth his whole will to us for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him it is not with him as it was with the meaner Prophets who bad only particular Revelations The fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand That place Col. 2.9 Answer In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily speaks not of the Gospel but of the Person of Christ it being a most pregnant invincible proof of his Deity The Socinians would fain wrest away this Scripture Here Bishop Wren against the Racovian Catechism first setting down their odd interpretation and then passing his worthy censure on it In Christo id est in Evangelic habitat id est patefacta est omnis plenitudo idest tota voluntas Deitatis id est Dei corporalitèr id est integrè reipsâ Vt placet verò Quid malum Naso suspenditis has glossas satisque ridiculè coactas esse clamatis Erratis profectò Juvenes neque satis rem adsecuti estis praetèr enim quod gratis dictae sunt sunt etià m insanùm violentae seriò execrandae Thus he The interpretation was execrable in his eyes and well it might be so contrary to all just rules of interpreting Scripture without any necessity at all urging thereunto they decline from the native proper sence of the words and run into Tropes and Figures Christ is taken for Doctrine Dwelling for Manifestation the fulness of the Godhead for the Will of God and Bodily for Clearly and Perfectly all is a meer force and violence upon the Text Was it ever heard or read that the All-fulness of the Godhead should signifie the Will of God or the knowledge thereof This is such a Catachresis saith Mr. Jeans for which they can bring no Precedent or Parallel it sounded so harsh in the ears of their own Eujedinus as that it drave him to affirm That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was by the carelesness of transcribers crept into the Original instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the thing is clear by the after-words In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily saith the ninth Verse What is this In him In him who is the Head of all Principality and Power Verse 10. In him in whom we are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands Verse 11. In him with whom we are buried in Baptism In him with whom we are risen through Faith In him who was raised from the dead Verse 12. In him who nailed the hand-writing of Ordinances to his Cross Verse 14. In him who spoiled and triumphed over Principalities and Powers Verse 15. All which are proper not to the Gospel but to the person of Christ In him therefore dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily not in the Gospel but in the Person of Christ But saith the Author The expression is allusive and metaphorieal for God who is a Spirit cannot in a proper sence dwell bodily in any thing I answer God is a Spirit but I take it that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily is the same with personally For as Bishop Davenant observes among the Hebrews Souls are put for Persons Gen. 14.21 And among the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Person and so it is used in the vulgar Epigramm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily that is by the hypostatical Union the eternal Word assuming and the humane Nature assumed becoming one Person The Apostle's design in this Chapter saith the Author is to perswade the Colossians to adhere to the Gospel and that because of the perfection of the Gospel in Christ that is in the Gospel are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge or there are the hidden treasures But I answer the Apostle exhorts them to adhere to Christ the Person of Christ In whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Verse 3. In whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily Verse 9. is opposed to the persons of the Seducers with all their Philosophy and vain deceit Thus Bishop Wren saith Christum ipsum iis opponi quia ipsa Deitas in Christo inhabitat Neither Verse 3. nor Verse 9. speak of the Gospel but of the Person of Christ The Godhead saith the Author dwelt in Christ bodily not by Types and Figures and his Religion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too all truth and substance but we must remember that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance of the Christian Religion was under the Law though the face of it did not shine with such a Lustre and Glory as after the incarnation but the Author goes on Ye are complete in him Verse 10. You need no Instructer but Christ who hath revealed God's will to us so that this Fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Christ does ultimately resolve it self into the perfection of the Gospel-revelation To which I answer We are complete in him but is instruction a Christians completure Oh! no besides knowledge there must be justifying and sanctifying Grace Christ's Righteousness and the Holy Spirit with all its Divine Furniture to make a Christian complete and in whom or in what is he complete
only Name Jesus is not named the holy Spirit the Fountain of all Grace is not heard of the holy Ordinances the Chariot of the Spirit are wanting and how can we think of the Influences of Grace there The Fathers in the fourth Council of Carthage would have every Bishop believe Crab. Concil Tom 1. that Extra Ecclesiam Catholicam nullus salvetur I therefore conclude with Camero Vult Apostolus omnem plenitudinem esse à Christo non vult omnes participes esse hujus plenitudinis Thus saith the Author the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 signifies the fulness of the Church the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is the explication of the perfect man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the age and stature of a man the fulness is to be understood of the Christian Church I confess this Text may well be construed as Eph. 1.23 ought to be of the Church only whereas there the Apostle speaks of the Churches being the Body of Christ here he speaks of its growing to ripeness and full perfection which is chiefly accomplished above in Glory But we must still remember that the Churches being Christ's Fulness doth not deny but suppose a personal fontal Fulness in Christ who silleth all in all Let us now consider in what sence Christ is called our Life Mr Sherlock he is called Life with respect to his Doctrine he preached the Word of Life and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel In him was life and the life was the light of men Joh. 14.6 that is he preached the Word of Life which enlightneth the dark Minds of men it is not imaginable how Life should be Light in any other sence Christ tells his Disciples I am the way the truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 that is I declare the true way to Life Thus he calls himself the bread of life Joh. 6. with respect to the Doctrine he preached ver 33. and with respect to that Sacrifice he offered for the Life of the World The bread I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world ver 51. Christ is also our Life because he hath power to bestow immortal Life upon all his sincere followers Joh. 11.25 I am the Refurrection and the Life Joh. 5.25 The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live He first raises those who are dead in sin to a new spiritual Life by the power of his Doctrine and then hath Authority to raise them to an immortal life Thus Col. 3.3 4. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory That is you profess your selves dead to the world in conformity to Christ's Death and though that immortal Life which you expect to enjoy with Christ who is now risen again from the dead be at present concealed from your view yet when Christ who is the Author of Eternal Life and hath power to raise us up from the dead shall appear the second time to judge the world then shall ye appear with him in glory We must not dream of fetching Life from the Person of Christ as we draw water out of a Fountain but we must stedfastly believe and obey his Gospel which is a Principle of divine Life in us and then we may expect a Resurrection and immortal Life Christ preached the Word of Life Answer he brought Life and Immortality to light that is in a more illustrious manifestation of it Immortality which did but dawn and glimmer under the Law breaks forth in Lustre and Glory under the Gospel That Joh. 1.4 The life was the light of men speaks not of Christ's Doctrinal Word but of his Creative which lighted up an excellent Reason in Man This is clear from the Series of the Evangelist's speech which in this place makes its progress from a state of Creation unto Darkness or the amission of Light and from thence to the instauration of it Christ is the life Joh. 14.6 not only declaring the Way to Life but inspiring that Spiritual Life which is a Seed of Eternal He is our Life with respect to his Sacrifice Joh. 6. but then that Sacrifice must be applied to us by the quickening Spirit which unites to Christ and by Faith which feeds on him He raises up those that are dead in sins to a new spiritual Life Joh. 5.25 Not by his Doctrine only but by his Regenerating Spirit and when he hath raised them up he is their Life still by the supplies of the Spirit and influences of Grace Hence St. Austin upon the 26. Verse As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself observes That Christ hath Life in himself but the Believer hath not Life in himself but in Christ living but as a part or piece of Christ and ever in dependence on him Christ is called our life Col. 3.4 that is he is the Fountain of the glorious Life in Heaven and withal of those Graces which are the first-fruits and buddings of it After all this the Author concludes thus We must not dream of fetching Life from the Person of Christ as we draw water out of a fountain This is durus sermo indeed we must not fetch Life from Christ he calls us to come to him nay charges the unbelieving Jews for not coming to him for Life Joh. 5.40 yet we must not fetch life from him St. Paul did all things through Christ strengthening him Phil. 4. 13. and did not live himself but Christ lived in him Gal. 2.20 yet we must not Christ is in Scripture an Head who gives all vital Influences to his Members 2. Hom. of Mans misery and in our Church-Homily a flowing and most plenteous Fountain of whose fulness we all receive yet we must not And what then must we do We must believe and obey the Gospel which is a Principle of divine Life in us so the Author But is Christ and his Gospel at odds indeed If we fetch Life from Christ may we not believe and obey the Gospel Or if we believe and obey the Gospel may we not fetch Life from Christ What strange inconsistencies are these The Ephesians tusted in Christ and yet heard the Gospel of Salvation Eph. 1.13 they were for the great Purchaser and Fountain of Life and yet cast not away the Charter The Jews searched the Scriptures and yet should have gone to Christ for Life they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures and which was their folly they thought they had it there in a way separate from Christ but he told them that the Scriptures if they had digged deep enough in them would have testified of him unto them and so have pointed out unto them the Fountain of Life in Christ Joh. 5.39 40.
so we are made righteous by his obedience ver 9. His Third Reason to prove Answer that Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us is from the absolute necessity of it For this is the Term of the Covenant Do this and live Life is not to be obtained unless all be done that the Law requires we being unable to do this it is necessary that Christ our Mediator and Surety should fulfil the Law for us This Argument is to prove that it ought to be so not that it is so but we must not prescribe methods to God The sum of the Argument is that there never was nor never can be a Covenant of Grace that God still exacts the rigorous perfection of the Law from us that we must not appear before him without a complete and perfect Righteousness of our own or of another Now this is the thing in question Whether we must be made righteous with the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to us or whether God will for the sake of Christ dispense with the rigor of the Law and accept of a sincere and Evangelical Obedience in stead of a perfect and unsinning Righteousness so that he only confidently affirms what was in dispute and this goes for an Argument We must not prescribe methods to God Answer Nor may we deny those he hath set down and reveiled to us The Scripture tells us that Justification under the Gospel is in a way completive and perfective of the Law so that the Law is established Rom. 3.31 and hath its end or complement Rom. 10.4 and this cannot be without a perfect Righteousness And withal the Scripture tells us where that Righteousness is Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to us Rom. 10.4 and We are made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 The Righteousness of Christ is made ours by Imputation that answers the Law in every point But then saith the Author there can be no covenant of Grace If the perfect Righteousness were to be done by us in our own persons there could be none indeed but may there be none if that Righteousness be fulfilled by Christ and imputed to us The Papists use to blast imputed Righteousness with many ugly names as if it were putative an imaginary Fiction a Spectrum of Luther's Brain and the like but I never before heard that the Righteousness of Christ made ours by Imputation did overthrow the Covenant of Grace Sure the Passive Righteousness of Christ doth not overthrow it and if the Active be joyned with that as it ought no evil can ensue but we may in the conjunction of both as in a Glass see the admirable Wisdom of God which hath framed the Covenant of Grace in such a manner that we who have no perfect Righteousness of our own are yet justified by the complete Righteousness of Christ our Surety so that the Law though not fulfilled by us hath its perfect completion It 's true that God accepts of our sincere Obedience but not in Justification not in the room of Christ's perfect Righteousness but in its own proper place having its defects covered with Christ's Righteousness The Doctor makes a great flourish with some Scripture-phrases Mr. Sherlock that there is almost nothing that Christ hath done but we are said to do it with him We are crucified with him dead with him buried with him quickned with him c. But he is quite out in the reason of these expressions which is not that we are accounted to do the same things which Christ did but because we do some things like them Our dying to sin is a conformity to the death of Christ and our walking in newness of life a conformity to his Resurrection I know no Divine who interprets those Phrases of being crucified Answer dead buried quickned with Christ of imputed Righteousness neither do I suppose that the Doctor ever intended any such thing those Phrases belong to Sanctification Then we are crucified with Christ when we feel the power of his Cross in our Mortification then we are risen with Christ when we feel the power of his Resurrection raising of us up to the divine Life and Likeness The Doctor cites that Text Mr. Sherlock Gal. 4. 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law and here he stops but I shall take confidence to add That we might receive the adoption of Sons Now by being made under the Law he tells us is meant being disposed of in such a condition that he must yield subjection and obedience to the Law well suppose this and this was all to redeem us and therefore our redemption is by the obedience of Christ imputed to us Fairly argued but can his obedience to the Law contribute no otherways to our redemption but by being reckoned as done by us But the truth is this us is not in the text it is not to redeem us but to redeem them that were under the Law that is the Jews who were in bondage under the Mosaical Law from which Christ redeemed them by abrogating that Law and introducing a better covenant the adoption of sons For in this Epistle nay in this chapter the Law is called a state of servants and of an heir under age but the Gospel is the adoption of sons puts us into such a free and manly state as that of an heir at age and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 So that the meaning of this Text is this that God hath put an end to the dispensation of the Law which is called redeeming them that are under the Law in a state of servitude and bondage and hath established a better Covenant in the room of it which as much exceeds the Law as the adoption of Sons doth the state of Servants and this God brought to pass by sending his Son made of a woman made under the Law For the understanding of which words we must consider what influence Christ's appearing in the world had on the abrogation of the Law and that was that he accomplished all the Types and Figures of the Law in his own Person and when all those Types were fulfilled they grew out of date So that his being made under the Law most probably signifies his being made such a Person as should exactly answer all the Types and Figures of the Law and so to put an end to it as of no further use Thus the Temple was God's House but now the Shechinah or divine Glory rested on Christ When Christ the great High-Priest came and offered himself all legal Priests and Sacrifices were of no use Thus by his being under the Law and accomplishing all the Types of it he put an end to all those beggarly rudiments and delivered the Jews from the bondage of the Law for though the Gentiles too are redeemed by Christ yet they were not redeemed from the Law of
Moses under which they never were God sent forth his Son made of a woman Answer made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons Thus the Apostle Gal. 4. 4 5. The Son of God was made of a woman in his Incarnation made under the Law under the rule of it in his active obedience under the curse of it in his passive and the end of all was that he might redeem us that we who were captives under the wrath of God might be redeemed ones And further that we might receive the adoption of sons that we who were children of wrath might be sons of God and so heirs of eternal life and that it may be thus indeed that Christ's being under the Law his active and passive obedience may procure such a redemption and adoption such an exemption from wrath and title to heaven for us His obedience must be applyed to us and become ours which cannot be but by imputation But saith the Author This us is not in the Text it is not to redeem us but to redeem them that were under the Law that is the Jews But was not Christ a Redeemer of the Gentiles also Or is he not their Redeemer within this Text Yes surely observe the words of the Apostle To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons The Apostle alters his phrase and turns them into we which takes in the Galatians into the adoption and by consequence into the redemption too and to make it more clear he alters his phrase again and turns we into ye in the next verse which hangs upon the former And because ye are sons vers 6. ye Galatians ye Gentiles are sons and ye Galatians ye Gentiles are redeemed ones within the Text Otherwise which is very strange the Apostle should argue from the Redemption of the Jews only to the Adoption of the Gentiles But to go on Christ saith the Author redeemed the Jews from the bondage of the Mosaical Law that is I suppose the Ceremonial Law and introduced a better Covenant the adoption of sons To which I answer Christ did indeed redeem from the bondage of Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies But is this all the Redemption within the Text If we stop here we fall in with the gloss of Socinus who understands only a freedom A jugo legis De servat part 2. cap. 24. ut Spiritûs servilis loeo filialem spiritum adipiscerentur The Redemption here is not to be restrained to a freedom from Mosaical Ceremonies only Christ was made under the whole Law and the Redemption which must be parallel to his being under the Law must not only be a Redemption from the Bondage of the Ceremonial Law but a Redemption from the curse of the Moral of which the Apostle had discoursed but a little before Gal. 3.13 Our Saviour was never made under the whole Law to redeem from a part of it only Again Redemption from the Ceremonial Law was peculiar to the Jews But the Redemption here spoken of reaches as far as the Gentiles also who as I before noted have a share in the Adoption of Sons as well as the Jews The Redemption here spoken of is not a part or piece of Redemption but Redemption in its fulness and excellency Christ by coming into the flesh introduceth a better Covenant that is the beams of Evangelical Light were purer and the effusions of the holy Spirit larger than before But still we must remember that the Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same under both Testaments Under the Old Testament true Believers had the Law in their heart the Adoption of Sons the free Spirit and a true title to eternal Life And on the other hand under the New Testament unbelievers have the Law and Gospel too but in the Letter their bondage is far greater than that of beggarly Elements The unclean spirit dwells and works in them and the dreadful wrath of God abideth on them Christ's being under the Law saith the Author is his being such a person as should exactly answer all the Types and Figures of the Law Unto which I add His being under the Law is his being such a person as should exactly answer all the demands of the Moral Law in its mandatory and minatory parts I shall now examine what influence the Sacrifice of Christ's Death Mr. Sherlock and the Righteousness of his life have upon our acceptance with God And all that I can find in Scripture about this is that to this we owe the Covenant of Grace that God being well pleased with the obedience of Christ's Life and the sacrifice of his Death for his sake entred into a new Covenant with mankind wherein he promses pardon of sin and eternal life to those who believe and obey the Gospel This is very plain with reference to Christ's death Hence the Blood of Christ is called the blood of the covenant Heb. 10.29 And Christ is called the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls through the blood of the everlasting covenant Heb. 13.20 And the Blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling which speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 which is an allusion to Moses his sprinkling the blood of the Sacrifice whereby he confirmed the Covenant between God and the children of Israel Heb. 9.19 20 21. For when Moses had spoken every Precept to all the people according to the Law when he had declared the terms of this Covenant to them he took the Blood of Calves and Goats with Water and scarlet Wool and Hysop and sprinkled both the Book and all the People saying This is the blood of the testament which God hath ordained to you Thus the Blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling Because by his Blood God did seal and confirm the Covenant of Grace as the sprinkling of the blood of beasts did confirm the Mosaical Covenant Hence we are said to be justified by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.9 that is by the Gospel-Covenant which was confirmed with his Blood Christ is called a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 that is by a belief of his Gospel Hence the Scripture uses these phrases promiscuously To be justified by Faith and to be justified by the faith of Christ and to be justified by Christ and to be justified through Faith in his blood to be justified and saved by grace Nay by believing that Christ is the Son of God Joh. 20.31 And that God raised him from the dead Rom. 10.9 All which signifie the same thing that we are justified by believing and obeying the Gospel for faith or faith in Christ signifies such a firm belief of the Gospel as brings forth all fruits of obedience and the Grace of God is the Gospel of Christ expresly so called Tit. 2.11 As being the effect of Gods Grace and Faith in the Blood of Christ
is a belief of the Gospel which was confirmed by his death and believing that Christ is the Son of God the Messiah and Prophet whom God sent to reveil his will includes a general belief of the Gospel which he preached and believing that God raised him from the dead doth the same because his Resurrection was the last and great confirmation of the truth of the Gospel Hence the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper immediate office of the Gospel-Covenant because the Blood of Christ is the Blood of the Covenant and therefore all the blessings of the Gospel are owing to it because the Gospel-Covenant was procured and confirmed by it Thus the Gentiles who were a far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ and the Gentiles and Jews were reconciled unto God in one body by the cross Eph. 2.14 15 16. That is the Gentiles were received into the fellowship of God's Church and the Jews and Gentiles united in one body Now this union of Jews and Gentiles is owing to the Gospel which takes away all marks of distinction and separation and gives them both an equal right to the blessing of the New Covenant This New Covenant belongs to all mankind there is now no distinction of persons Neither Jew nor Greek Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all No man is acceptable to God because he is a Jew or Greek but the only thing of any value is Faith in Christ or a belief of the Gospel which is indifferently offered to all Now this is attributed to the Blood of Christ and to his death because thereby Christ put an end to the Mosaical Covenant and sealed this New Covenant of Grace with Mankind as the Apostle explains himself in the following verses 17.18 c. That Christ having abolished the Law of Commandments by his death he came and preached peace that is the Gospel of peace to them who were a far off to the Gentiles and to them who were nigh to the Jews he abrogated the Mosaical Law That Law of Commandments contained in ordinances which was peculiar to the Jews and separated them from the rest of the World And he broke down the middle wall of partition which kept the uncircumcised Gentiles though Proselites at a distance from God as confining their worship to the outward court of the Temple which the Apostle seems to refer to in that phrase Them that were a far off And now by the Gospel he admits the Gentiles to as near an approach to God as the Jews As he adds For through him we have an access by one Spirit to the Father vers 18. The Author enquiring Answer what influence the obedience and death of Christ have upon our acceptance with God resolves it thus All that I can find in Scripture is that to this we owe the Covenant of Grace Christ's Blood is called the Blood of the Covenant because it did seal and confirm the Covenant I answer Christ's Blood did indeed seal and confirm the Covenant But is this the all of it Socinus will own as much as this comes to Sicuti alicujus animantis sanguine fuso foedera antiquitùs sanciebantur De servat l. 1. cap. 3. confirmabantur ita Christi silii sui sanguine foedus suum novum atque aeternum quod nobiscum per ipsum Christum pepigerat sancivit confirmavit Deus Thus he telling us too that it is therefore called Sanguis aeterni foederis To the same purpose speaks the Racovian Catechist with others of the same Tribe But the Scripture tells us more of the Blood of Christ That we are justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 But saith the Author we are said to be justified by his Blood that is by the Gospel-Covenant which was confirmed with his Blood This is a strange way of interpreting Scripture We are justified by his blood that is by the Gospel We may as well go on to verse 18. and say justification of life is by the righteousness of one that is by the Gospel And to verse 19. and say We are made righteous by the obedience of one that is by the Gospel And from thence we may go on at the same rate with other Scriptures as He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Revel 1.5 that is in his own Gospel The blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God shall purge your consciences from dead works Heb. 9.14 that is the Gospel shall do it This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 that is this is my New Testament of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of fins Rather than make such work with Scripture we were as good let the Blood of our dear Lord stand there as it ought in its justifying Glory We are justified by Christ's blood that is by the Gospel And is Christ's Blood the Gospel Or where in all the Scripture is the Blood of Christ so taken The Scripture rarely if ever speaks of being justified by the Gospel but it speaks much and often of being justified by Christ's Blood It cleanses us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 It purges the conscience Heb. 9.19 It was shed for the remission of sins Eph. 1.7 It washes us from our sins Rev. 1.5 And yet all this contrary to the express words and genius of Scripture must be understood not of the Blood of Christ but of the Gospel and why of the Gospel Because his Blood confirmed the Gospel And is justifying and confirming the Gospel all one Christ's Blood according to the Author confirmed the Covenant with all Mankind but all men are not justified When the Scripture speaks of Christs Blood and Death as confirmative of the Covenant or Gospel it speaks sometimes in general of all men Thus he died for all men 2 Cor. 5.15 Hee gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.6 with many other places to the same purpose But when the Scripture speaks of Christ's Blood as justifying it speaks not in general of all but in particular of Believers only and yet if justify and confirming the Gospel were all one it might be as truly said that Christ justifies all as that he died for all The Gospel is the Charter of Justification but besides the Charter their must be a Righteousness to be the Matter of our Justification God never justifies any man without a Righteousness and what is it Is it the very Act of Faith Thus Socinus would have it De servat part 4. cap. 4. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere is loco justitiae in the room of all Righteousness But I have before proved that Faith as an Act and absolutely in it self considered canot justifie us Or is it our inherent Graces This is the express Tenet of the Papists Thus Bellarmine would have
never so much yet as long as he is in his old Sphere in corrupt unregenerate nature he lives in some one sin or other in an unregenerate heart while such Gods throne is not cannot be and therefore sins must be there Such an heart as yet not elevated by Grace to the true and immense goodness which is above hunts after an happiness in the lower Sphere of its self and the world embracing some vain Image or Shadow instead of a Deity The young man in the Gospel for all his smooth innocent life had yet a regnant World within Trajan and Antoninus the Philosopher as fair Moralists as they were were yet enemies to Christianity But a regenerate man however he groan under the indwelling sin doth not indulge his lusts his heart having found out God the true center of Blessedness rests no where else But saith Mr. Shephard an unregenerate man cannot be poor in spirit and so carried out of all duties to Christ Upon which saith the Author if an unregenerate man do good he is conscious to himself that he doth it if he have a good heart he feels it And is it so indeed If an unregenerate man may have a good heart and do that which is truly spiritually good Regeneration is altogether useless internal and supernatural principles of Grace are to no purpose Nature though lame and lapsed may do its own work But I suppose rather that all this in the unregenerate is but pride and presumption his feeling a good heart in himself but a lye and imposture But saith the Author the regenerate man is either to have no good in himself or to think he hath none either of which is an odd sign of Grace To which I answer To be a regenerate Man and to have no good in himself is not possible to think he hath none if he know he hath some is as little possible as the other The regenerated man hath a Divine Life and Principle in him yet by reason of inherent corruptneâ—s sees little or nothing in himself and is ever in dependance upon the treasures of Grace in Christ An unregenerate man may come to Christ in Profession or Ordinances but not in believing He takes not up his rest in Christ He would saith Mr. Shephard like Judas have Christ and the bag too Or as the young man have Christ and the world too He would live in his Lusts and if at last Christ would save him from Hell it would be enough But the regenerate are in love with Christ himself Epist ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Love Christ was crucified and with him my love to all other things sait Ignatius and the Reverend Vsher as Mr. Baxter relates was of opinion That by the first act of Faith we receive Christs person and by a second his benefits Mr. Shephard Jaith Mr. Sherlock That men tyred and weary in themselves go to Christ to remove their sins If they get these sins subdued and removed if they find power to do better they hope to be saved here is the evidence of Sanctification whereas thou mayst be damned and go to the Devil at last though thou dost escape all the pollutions of the World and that not from thy self and thine own strength but from the knowledge of Christ Woe to you if you dye in this state with your sins mortified and subdued by Christ and the reason is because this is to come to Christ to suck juyce from him to maintain his own Berries his own stock of Graces Alas he is but the Ivy he is no Member nor Branch in this Tree And hence he never grows to be one with Christ So that Holiness and Obedience is no evidence of our Vnion to Christ though we fetch strength from Christ to do his will we may only grasp about Christ all this while as the Ivy about the Oak but never be united to him and become one with him Mr. Shephard's plain scope is no more but this Answer that poor sinners tyred with their sins should not rest in any thing no not in some power to subdue sin and do better without Union to Christ And the Scripture-Method calls for this that we should have our being in Christ put on Christ and receive Christ that we may have all benefits from him 1. Hom. of the Sacrament Hence our Church tells us That we must make Christ our own and apply his merits to our selves Thus the Learned Zanchy Tota verae justitiae De verâ dispensat vitae salutis participatio ex hâc pernecessariâ cum Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pendet The whole participation of Righteousness Life Salvation depends on our Vnion with Christ which is most necessary A man through the knowledge of Christ may escape the pollutions of the World that is gross sins he may learn to do better in his life but true mrtification of sins flows from our Union to Christ and is effected by the holy Spirit in Believers Holiness and Obedience such as indeed is true and spiritual doth not go before Faith and Union to Christ but follow after it and so evidence it as the Fruit doth the Root As for the Authors subjoyned exclamation Good God! into what mazes and labyrinths do these men lead poor distressed souls I must leave it to the Reader to determine whether there be any just cause for it or not The testimony of the Spirit concerns the general adoption of Christians for the sons of God Mr. Sherlock not to testifie to any particular man that he is a good Christian or in the estate of Grace It is not a private but a publick testimony given to the whole Christian Church That holy Spirit which God bestowed upon the Apostles and Primitive Christians which enabled them to work Miracles speak Languages and Prophesie was a plain argument to all the World that God now owned the Christians not the Jews for his chosen and elect people for his sons and children For this was the great dispute of those days whether Jews or Christians were the sons of God whether God now owned the Jewish or Christian Religion and the Apostles decide this Controversie by the Testimony of the Spirit for God could not give a greater Testimony to the Christian Church than the gift of the holy Spirit for it was a plain argument that he owned them for his sons when he bestowed the Spirit of his Son on them as the Apostle argues Galat. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith that is did God bestow his Spirit on you while you were Jews or upon your conversion to Christianity For if God bestowed his spirit on Christians This is a sufficient seal to the Christian Religion This is plain and intelligible the Testimony of the Spirit assures us that all Christians are the Sons of God and Heirs of the Promises and every mans conscience will tell him whether