work of Regeneration is wrought in them they do not appear to be of God but of the Divel To the first part of this assertion I shall only oppose that of Rom. 9. 6 7 8. for they are not all Israel which are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God c. To the latter part wherein you do most falsely affirm that all shall be regenerated I shall only ask when Cain Judas or Julian were regenerated or when those that are in prison 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. which contemned the preaching of Noah were regenerated I did think to end concerning this Chapter but that looking back to the middle of this Chapter I finde such a kinde of judgement that was never heard of before You say I do not denie the comming of Christ to render vengeance to whom it belongs for vengeance is mine faith the Lord and I will repay therefore some hath it now and he is come and doth come and will come to take vengeance on all that know him not and is of the Divel in me you and every man else By which if you mean the conversion of a sinner as it seems you do by your instance of the example of St. Paul Acts 9. that cannot be rightly called a judgement but is indeed a great mercy that the Lord should convert such a sinner that was going to Antioch to persecute the church If you mean the judgement of an evil conscience which accuses men for sin I do confess it is a very great judgement a very Hell upon earth and though it be begun here in this life it doth not follow that it shall not continue hereafter for our Saviour tells us Their Worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mark 9. 46. which shall be fulfilled after the great and general day of judgment then they shall be cast into Heâ—l fire If you mean a temporal judgement such as was inflicted on Egypt Sodome or on the old world it makes not for you but against you for from those judgements St. Peter proves the great and general day of judgement as you may read 2 Pet. 2. Verse 4 5 6 7 8. But pray what shall we make of this expression and is of the Divel if we leave out the Parenthesis that Paragraph is abominable non-sense if it be taken in we must desire your own exposition for we can expound it no otherwise then literally as it lies that the Divel is in you and hath set you to work as all that read your Book may safely judge CHAP. XI in this Chapter you maintain that all both Jews and Gentiles shall be saved Contrary to the very words of Christ Luke 13. 23 24. Then said one unto him Lord are there few that shall be saved and he said unto them strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able c. to the 31. Verse wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat and strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7. 13 14. The number of fools is infinite but those that are truly wise are but a few a little flock Luke 12. 32. Christendome is the least part of the World and those that truly profess Christ are the least part of Christendome and of those many are called few chosen You may remember you are told in Scripture of the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman and of the continual enmitie between them from whence proceeds that war that is between the Dragon and his Angels and Michael and his Angels Rev. 12. 7. but for this you have invented a weak and contemptible shift saying or at least insinuating that by the seed of the Serpent is meant sin When it is as apparent as the sight at Noon-day that by the seed of the Serpent is meant Satan and the wicked for in what sense the seed of the Woman is understood in the same sence is understood the seed of the Serpent but the seed of the Woman is understood literally first and principally for Christ the head of the Church and then for all that are his * members and therefore the seed of the Serpent is understood literally First for the * Dragon and also for his Angels and Instruments as Persecutors Hereticks and all profane and ungodly persons that live in sin without Repentance who are therefore called the seed of the Divel Iohn 8. 44. You are of your father the Divel and the works of your father you will do Further to confirm this your errour as you would have your followers believe you alledge several places of Scripture to prove that the benefit of Christs death belongs to all as in your former Chapter the places are Rom. 11 32. 1 Tim. 2. 4. Io. 3. 17. But all this as I said before is under a condition of faith that men do believe and applie it unto themselves by the hand of a true and a lively faith to this purpose is that of Rom. 1. 16. Gal. 3. 22. Iohn 3. 16. Acts 10. 43 and surely there is a generalitie of them that believe as there is of the whole world and if they believe not they have not the benefit of Christs death He that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. and Iohn 3. 16. as those that were stung with the brazen Serpent and afterwards looked upon it were healed so those that looked not upon it died of their wounds Among those places of Scripture which you name to prove this errour you alledge Rom. 8. 33. but the words are falsified and the sense perverted by you You write the words thus And it is God that justifies sinners the words are Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies Here you leave out Gods elect whom the words only concern and put in sinners a word that is not in the place and whereas the Apostle speaks of Gods elect you extend it to sinners to all and so pervert the meaning of the spirit of God By what hath been already said it appeareth plainly that all shall not be saved but from generals we will come to particulars and first not all the Jews neither shall all the Gentiles Not all the Jews Though the number of Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a Remnant shall be saved Rom. 9. 27. which words are taken out of Isa. 10. 20 21. they were spoken of the destruction of Israel by Senacherib when Ierusalem only escaped of all the land or else of the destruction of the people by Nebuchadnezzar when most of the people were destroyed and a remnant carried away
therefore faith was imputed to him for righteousness And again in the â— to the Gala. Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for righteousness I see you do not understand what the Covenants are I shall briefly tell you therefore Gods Covenant is his contract with man concerning the obtaining of Eternal life upon a certain condition This Covenant consists of two parts Gods promise to man and mans promise to God The promise of God is that whereby he bindeth himself to man if he perform the Condition Mans promise to God is that whereby he voweth his Allegiance unto his Lord and to perform the condition between them Again there are two kinds of this Covenant First the covenant of works and the covenant of grace Jerem. 31. 31 32. The Covenant of works is Gods covenant made with condition of perfect obedience and is expressed in the Moral Law The Moral Law is that part of Gods Word which commandeth a perfect obedience from man as well in his nature as in his actions and forbiddeth the contrary Rom. 10. 5. and 1. Tim. 1. 5. The Covenant of grace is that part whereby God freely promising Christ and his benefits exacts again of man that he would by faith receive Christ and repent of his sins Hos. 2. 18 19. Eze. 36. 25 Mala. 3. 1. And this covenant though it be one in substance yet it is distinguished into the old and new Testament or covenant The old Testament or covenant is that which in Types and Shadows prefigures Christ to come and to be exhibited The new Testament or Covenant declareth Christ already come in the flesh as it is apparently shewed in the Gospel The Gospel is that part of Gods Word which contains a most worthy and welcome message namely that mankinde is fully redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God manifested in the flesh So that now for all those that repent and believe in Jesus Christ there is prepared a full remission of sins together with Salvation and life everlasting Iohn 3. 14 15. Acts 10. 43. Thus have I shewed you what the Covenant is and the difference which it seems plainly you your self did not understand though you taxed another for ignorance But now the Divels and damned are out of this Covenant they are under the curse they cannot repent they cannot truly believe they are hardned and therefore no hope of Salvation to them In the next place of your errours and abominable absurd shifts to maintain them you have found out a prettie distinction of everlasting You say when everlasting and the words for ever are mentioned singly they signifie a time which shall have an end but when they are ingeminated or repeated as from Everlasting to Everlasting or for ever and ever then they signifie Eternitie or a time without end or to this purpose page 18. Your own words shall confute your errour your tongue shall make you fall for if you read Apoc. 14. Verse 11. you shall finde that they that worship the beast are tormented with fire and brimstone And the smoak of their torments ascend for ever and ever habemus confitentem that the pains of Hell are perpetual because they are said to endure for ever and ever Your next answer contains such horrible Blasphemie that it deserves rather a reply from the hand of the Hangman then an answer from the Pen of any man You say and I tremble to repeat it that Hell fire not only is as eternal as God but that God himself is that consuming fire viz. of Hell A most damnable assertion which is all one as to say that Summum bonum is Summum malum that he who is the chiefest good and happiness it self is the chiefest evil And Hell fire it self which was made for the Divels and the damned Mat. 25. 41. For what can it be else let the exposition be what it will the Playster will be too narrow for the Sore God is sometimes compared in the Scripture unto a consuming fire to shew the greatness of his anger against sinners and that except they repent he will burn them up and consume them as a fire consumes the Wood the Chaffe the Stubble but I never heard before that God was said to be Hell fire and I hope shall never hear it again You said absurdly that David was in Hell even while he was upon the earth understanding Hell locally as I understand for why else should you urge it here which cannot be A body cannot be in two places at the same time Secondly you quote the 88. Psalm 6 7. 't is common in the Scriptures for the Spirit of God to use Hyperboles that is transcendent kinds of speaking as it is said that there were among the Canaanites Cities walled up to Heaven that is the Walls were very high So when the greatness of the miseries afflictions and troubles of Gods Children is set forth it is compared unto Hell Ion. 2. 1 2. Then Ionas yrayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cried I and thou heardest me You mention that place in the 1. Cor. 3. 10 11. nothing to the purpose for that fire there mentioned is to trie Doctrines that are built upon Iesus Christ the foundation the true corner stone whether they be Gold or Silver Hay or Stubble if they be of the first sort they shall abide if of the second they shall burn and vanish Now this fire is not the fire of Hell nor of Purgatory as the Papists hold but the fire of Gods Word or the spirit working by the Word which by the light thereof that is as clear as the day when once it ariseth in our hearts doth manifest and declare what is Silver what is dross If any mans work abide he shall receive a reward Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmanent and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever But if his Work burn he shall suffer loss Mat. 5. 19. He shall be accounted least in the Kingdome of Heaven yet if he have kept the foundation he shall be saved yet as by fire He doth not say by fire but as by fire that is by afflictions which are compared to fire 1. Pet. 4. 12 13. for by them God shall correct him and cause him to see his errour Before I was afflicted I went wrong saith David Psal. 119. 67. And in Iob 33. 14 15. God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not He openeth his eyes by correction that he may keep back his soul from the Pit And this I conceive is the meaning of the spirit of God in these expressions Thirdly you nrge that place of Hos. 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the Grave c. To which I answer First there is a civil
which you blasphemously and impudently stand to deny Your words are Therefore the Words of Christ are not to be understood carnally but spiritually And again you say concerning his comming to judgement I do believe he is come and comming daily and doth set up his Throne in the hearts of his people c. And thus by your foolish figures and spiritual as you pretend senceless sences you pervert the Scriptures meaning and to your power overthrow two Articles of our faith both necessarie to Salvation First therefore I will shew the veritie of Christs Ascension and that it is to be understood literally and not figuratively and then confute your cavils First for the truth of his Ascension we have the Testimonies of the Evangelists Mark 16. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken to them he was received up into Heaven and sat on the right hand of God Luke 24. 51. And it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven The Testimony of Angels Acts 1. 9. St. Luke sets downs the circumstances and the manner of his Ascension The time 40. dayes after his Resurrection Acts 1. 3. The place from whence Mount Olivet near Bethany Luke 24. 50. Acts 1. 12. The manner first He led them out as far as to Bethany and blessed them Luke 24. 50. He went apart from them Verse 51. Thirdly a cloud did over-shadow him Acts 1. 9. The Testimony of the whole Church of God who make it an Article of their faith And this was not another body but the same body which he had before as the Angels testifie Acts 1. 19. This same Jesus whom you have seen go into Heaven c. this same Jesus not another not a Phantastical body but his true body Iohn 20. 27. Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing Revelation 1. 7. They shall see him whom they have pierced Here you see is a whole cloud of witnesses the Testimony of the Apostles of Angels and the spirit of God How is your forehead steel'd that you dare out-face a truth as apparent as the Sun at Noon-day But you except against the Testimony of the Apostles and say they had not received the holy Ghost but were carnal before you Blasphemed Christ now the Apostles for there is a Blasphemie against man also Naboth was falsely charged to have blasphemed God and the King Did not our Saviour breath upon them saying unto them receive the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 22. though they had not recived him in that manner and measure as they did upon the day of Pentecost yet it doth not follow they had not received him before You say moreover that they were carnal If you mean totally carnal 't is as false as the other for our Saviour gives this Testimony of them that they had followed him in the Kingdome of Regeneration and should sit upon 12. Thrones c. when he should sit upon his Throne of glory Luke 22. 29 30. what can be more plain to prove that they had the Holy Ghost and were regenerated You told us you were a light you are rather a dark Lanthorn or such a light as those Doctors were which St. Paul speaks of 1. Tim. 1. 7. they took upon them to teach the Law not knowing what they taught nor whereof they affirm'd Again you object out of Luke 1. 35. and Ephes. 4. 5 9 10. He that ascended is the same that descended and we do not read of a body of flesh and bones that descended But Sir we read that the second Person in the Trinity descended so low as to take upon him our nature Gal. 4. 4. God sent forth his Son made of a Woman and Heb. 2. 14 16. for asmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood He also himself likewise took part of the same so he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Et quod semel assumsit nunquam amisit And he remains a Priest for ever Heb. 5. 6. Then when he had perfected the work of our Redemption he ascended up into Heaven sat down at the right hand of God to make intercession for us Now who doth this He that died or rather he that is risen from the dead and who was that Christ Christ is risen and what is Christ God and Man in one Person read Rom. 8. 34. Instance The second Person descended as he was God ascended God and Man therefore he that ascended was not the same that descended You erre not knowing the Scriptures For though the second Person descended and took our nature upon him yet it was without the confusion of natures or transfusion of essential properties though he was made that he was not God and Man in one Person yet he remained that he was before perfect God And therefore he that ascended was the same that descended The Apostle cryes out Great is the mysterie of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into glory Next follows the Blasphemous Inference if Christ be at Gods right hand in a body of flesh and bones why then this is to make God to be a body of flesh and bones also and such a one as your self confin'd to a local place Which doth not follow for the Godhead was united unto the Humane Nature without any confusion of natures or transfusion of essential properties The Word was made flesh not by turning the Word into flesh but by taking the Humanitie into the Deitie Which the Antients thus exprest Sum quod eram neceram quod sum nunc dicar utrumque And therefore for a man to say in concreto that Christ hath a body of flesh and bones is true but to say that God hath a body of flesh and bones in abstracto or that God is confined to a place is horrible Blasphemy for which you were seasonably taken off by Captain Harrison The next thing to be considered is the comming of Christ to judgement which Pillar of our faith you endeavour to pull down by turning all into an Allegorie and so overthrow the true sense of the Scriptures You say but I do believe he is come and comming dayly and likewise you say in the foregoing Page all this I know and see to be now he is upon his Throne and hath all nations before him and ever had First I will prove the veritie of this Article and then confute your errours The veritie of Christs comming to judgement is confirmed by these places of Scripture Rev. 20. 10. I beheld a white Throne and him that sat thereon from whose face Heaven and earth fled away I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Books were opened The
signes of his comming 1. The preaching of the Gospel through the whole World Mat. 24. 13. 2. The revealing of Antichrist 2. Thes. 2. 3. 3. A general departing of men from the faith 2. Thes. 2. 3 4. Corruption of manners Men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous boasters proud Blasphemers c. 2. Tim. 3. 2. 5. Great calamities Mat. 24. 6. 6. Deadness of heart Luke 21. 26. 7. The calling of the Jews Rom. 11. 25 26. 8. The sign of the Son of Man Mat. 24. 30. The manner of his comming with power and great glory Mat. 24. 30. with all his holy Angels Mat. 25. 31. With the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trumpet 1. Thes. 4. 16. Mat. 25. 31. He shews what he shall do He shall separate the Sheep from the Goats c. He shall say come yee blessed go ye cursed c. Then the consequent The Sheep shall go into everlasting life and the Goates into everlasting Torment Besides he commanded his Disciples to preach this doctrine Acts 10. 40 41 42. Now what can be set down more plain more punctually so that we may say boldly with the Apostles Now speakest thou plainly and speakest no Parable Iohn 16. 29. Let not therefore the scoffing Athiest say Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation Nor let any Apostata ask in derision what his Throne is made of or seek to know the particular time of his comming For our God shall come and will not keep silence devouring fire shall go before his face and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him Then shall be execute judgement apon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 15. Psal. 50. The next thing observable that I meet with is your quoting that in the 3. of the Colossians Verse 1. If you be risen with Christ seek the things which are above c. Of which words the sense may be first considered and then what force the consequence may be to the purpose The things above are primarily the joyes of Heaven 1 Cor. 2. 9. secondarily the gifts and graces of Gods spirit as faith love sanctitie according to that of Iames 1. 17. every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the father of lights c. which gifts do far exceed the things below and are the way to bring us to the Kingdome of Heaven Non est via ad Regnum sine primitiis Regni The Apostle gives several reasons to move us thus to seek The first is because we are risen with Christ sacramentally in Baptisme Col. 2. 13. being buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with him and really by the inward working of the spirit of God which had raised them up from the death of sin to the life of righteousness Titus 3. 5. Secondly because Christ sits at the right hand of God And therefore where our treasure is there should our hearts be also Mat. 6. 21. Thirdly because Christ should come to judgement When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 4. by life here is understood eternal life 1. Iohn 5. 11. also according to that in Heb. 5. 9. he is called our life because he is the Author of our everlasting life Fourthly because he bestows this life Luke 12. 32. But when may it be asked doth he bestow all this At his appearance Christ appears three wayes First corporally God was manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3. 16. Secondly spiritually when he makes himself manifest to the eyes of our souls by the preaching of his word Gal. 3. 1. Lastly when he manifesteth himself in glory and commeth to judge the World Phil. 3. 20 21. Let our conversation be in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. Not that we shall have other bodies but the same Iob sayes in my flesh shall I see God I shall see him for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another Iob 19. 26 27. But they shall have new qualities 1. Cor. 15. 52 53 54. And now how doth that text of Col. 3. 1. serve for your purpose The truth is you could not have brought any place that did more strongly confute your Heresie It seems plainly you do not understand the Scriptures I shall adde something before I proceed concerning the Allegories which indeed are not Allegories but fancies by which you overthrow as much as in you lies the true sense and meaning of the Scriptures the Articles of sound faith and the foundation of true Religion You say The Scriptures are an Allegorie and to prove it you quote Gal. 3. 24. meaning the 4. 24. Which words are These things are an Allegory that is Abraham having two sons one by a bond maid the other by a free-woman it pleased God to signifie by these two the two Covenants Now these being an Allegorie doth it prove that all the Scriptures are an Allegorie What is the History of the creation of the World The History of the Kings The History of the Acts of the Apostles And of our Redemption by Christ If you make such Allegories you will leave nothing sound in the Word of God The Holy Ghost doth not set down the principles of our Religion such as are Christs ascension and his comming to judgement Allegorically but plainly so that he that runs may read them and he that reads may understand them And I doubt not but that it will appear to all that are not wilfully blind that your Book is not truth triumphing against the enemies and aspersers thereof but falshood aspersing truth and the defenders of it which by Gods assistance I have wiped away and howsoever truth may for a time be clouded yet it will break through the thick mists of errour and Heresie for The truth is great and will prevail The end of the first two disputations CHAP. VII In this Chapter you go about to overthrow the Resurrection of the body Although you say I do grant the Resurrection of the body and do not denie it though you say I do And again you say there were some then as well as now that think the Apostle meant carnally the rising again of the same body of flesh and bones Also you say speaking of the Resurrection of the dead Page 34. line 21. this Resurrection is to be within you and you are to know it while you
live in this body and in page 35. Thus you say and unsay and indeed say you know not what your intention is so neer as I can gather to deny the Resurrection of the body out of the grave and to allow only of a Resurrection from the death of sin as may appear in your answer to the 7. Article at the end of your Book and to maintain or rather insinuate this you most wickedly abuse the Scriptures confound the sense of them and pervert the meaning of the Holy Ghost First therefore I will prove the veritie of the Resurrection of the body and then answer your absurd contradictions and cavils First I will prove the Resurrection of the body by the Resurrection of Christs body who is our head and then by the Resurrection of our own who are his members Christs Resurrection is confirmed by the Testimony of the four Evangelists Mat. 28. 7 9 10 12 14. Mark 16. 6 14. Luke 24. 6 7. Iohn 20. 9. And in 1. Cor. 15. 4 5 6. first he was seen of Cephas then of the twelve afterwards of 500 of the brethren at once The testimony of Angels Mat. 28. 6. nay of his enemies Verse 11 12 13. some of the watch came into the citie c. this now is so plain that it cannot be denied and I think you will not be so desperately-wicked as to say that this must be understood spiritually of a Resurrection from sin for Christ was never dead in sin but purified in the womb if you should your Master would confute you We know who thou art even the Holy one of Israel If Christ be risen how say some among you that there is no Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 12 13. If there be no Resurrection then is not Christ risen but Christ is risen therefore there is a Resurrection for Christ is a publick person in the place of all mankinde he rose not for himself but for us all And therefore the Apostle uses that expression as in Adam we all died so in Christ we shall all be made alive Again Christ is compared to the first-fruits which comparison is very significant the first-fruits were a sheaf of the first of the Harvest Levit. 23. 10 11. which was raised and lifted up before the Lord and then not only that was holy but the whole Crop Christ likewise was the first and best of the Crop he was first lifted up and then not only he but we all become living Sheafs Again the same Corn that is sown though it be corrupted in the ground springs up again so the same body that is sown shall arise the qualities thereof being changed as the Apostle says it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised again a spiritual body not a spirit but a spiritual body a body endowed with spiritual qualities and they are first charitie secondly impassibilitie thirdly agilitie The just shall shine as the Sun Mat. 13. 43. 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. Rev. 7. 17. Or if Christ be not risen then are we still in our sins but we are not still in our sins therefore Christ is risen This argument will clear the matter if we observe the force of it The Humanitie of Christ is united unto the God-head from whence it received spiritual life now we are united unto Christ by the spirit which createth faith in us We I say not our bodies only but our souls also And by vertue of this union our souls and bodies do rise again our souls from the death of sin and our bodies from the death in the grave If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies Rom. 8. 11. Lastly the Resurrection of the body may be proved by that place in Iob Chap. 19. 25 26 27. which is a plain prophesie of the Resurrection of the body observe the words I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold him and not another though my reines be consumed within me Job was then in the condition of a dying man his skin cleaved to his bones he was a meer skeleton and all wordly comfort failed him and therefore he comforts himself with this meditation of the Resurrection I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand upon the earth at the last day The word is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shall stand but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shall rise again upon the earth though he was not upon the earth by the malice of his enemies yet he should rise up again and stand and when should this be in the latter day 2. He argues from our Redeemer to himself because he shall rise again I shall rise again what is done in the head shall also be done in the members 3. He saith I shall see in my flesh with these eyes and not with anothers Lastly for himself for his benefit notwithstanding his â—eins were consumed though he were in that deplorable condition And what can be more plain to prove the Resurrection of the body so that if your eyes be not blinded that you cannot see you must of necessity confesse it You say here is a Mystery there is no Mystery except one of your own making and that is such a confused one as neither your self nor any man else knows what to make of it You say that the Redeemer was in Iob though he knew â—t not How could that be doth not his confession of his Redeemer of the Resurrection nay of his own Redeemer prove the contrary could any man make such an excellent confession of a thing and in such a manner as Iob doth and not know it can such fruits arise from ignorance Doth not Iob say plainly I know that my Redeemer lives You say that Iob was then in darknesse I say so too if you understand it of his civil estate for the Sun of his prosperity was set and therefore he comforts himself with a spiritual estate with the Resurrection a usual thing with the holy Prophets Isa. 26. 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for they dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead See Eze. 37. from the beginning to the ending where God signifies the deliverance of Israel out of captivity by the Resurrection of the dry bones To this purpose hath the Apostle Paul expressed himself in 2 Cor. 1. 8 9. For we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were pressed
faith because as the body from the head receives life and motion so do we from Christ who is our head and we his members You tell us that God the Father did appear as a Son Which is false it was God the Son that took our nature upon him In the fulness of time God sent his Son Gal. 4. 4. The Father never appeared or spake immediately but twise and that was at the Baptisme of Christ and in his Transfiguration Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 17. 5. You say now so long as man is without this manifestation of God which is Christ in him he is a Reprobate This is also false for Christ telleth us that he hath Sheep that are not called aswell as Sheep that are called Iohn 10. 16. other Sheep I have which are not called that is that have not this spiritual manifestation Now until men are called and converted we know they have not the manifestation of the spirit and we know also that there is a spiritual desertion sometimes for trial as in Iob sometimes for correction as in David and yet neither of these were Reprobates You say what is a Reprobate but not to have Christ in you Which is a most absurd definition of a Reprobate and to prove it you produce Rom. 1. 28. because they did not like or retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde When Reprobation is a part of Gods eternal decree whereby God hath purposed to pass by some that were in the state of corruption as well as to elect others unto eternal salvation Rom. 9. 11 12 13. c. Now how doth your definition suit unto this Nay how doth that of Rom. 1. 28. prove your definition which was a spiritual judgement inflicted upon the Heathen for not walking according to that natural light which God had imprinted in their minds which indeed was a fearful judgement whether it be taken actually or passively if actually as a mind approving things to be reproved and reproving things to be approved a mind judging good to be evil and evil to be good Iob 21. 14. Isa. 5. 20. Wo unto them that call good evil and evil good that put light for darkness and darkness for light Or else passively as a mind reprobated and rejected of God and such a mind was in Abab who sold himself c. in Iudas that sold his Master in Esau that sold his birth-right or blessing Something more is insinuated by you in the end of this Chapter for universal Redemption And to prove it you mention that of 1 Tim. 2. 4 5. Who will have all men to be saved c. which is understood of his revealed will which is if they repent and believe Iohn 3. 14 15 16. Mark 1. 15. Mat. 16. 15 16. Acts 20. 20 21. and many more places so that if they repent and believe they shall be saved if not for ought that God hath revealed unto us they are utterly lost But have all men power to repent and believe By nature they have not For we are dead in trespasses and sins Ephe. 2. 5. and God must quicken and put life into us before there can be any motion in us and this he doth put into his elect by his spirit the Word and Sacraments being instruments Ephes. 4. 20. which because God doth minister by men it is therefore attributed to the Ministers of the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. Let therefore men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. Trample not therefore Gods Ordinances under your feet lest you neglect your own Salvation CHAP. IX The subject of this Chapter is the sin against the Holy Ghost of the which I could wish you were as clear as you are ignorant but your ignorance must be your best Plea otherwise scarce any ventured farther to be guiltie of it then you have done First we will set down the nature of it so far forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures unto us It is called the sin against the Holy Ghost not because it is done only against the Deitie of the Holy Ghost for he that sins against the Deitie of the Holy Ghost sins also against the Deitie of the Father and the Son because the three Persons are all one God but because it is against the immediate action of the Holy Ghost that is against his immediate Illumination for albeit this be a work common to the three Persons in the Trinity yet because the Father and the Son do effect this by the holy Ghost it is therefore called the sin against the holy Ghost onely 1. The efficient cause of it is obstinate Malice against God and against Christ as in Julian the Apostate who when he was strucken with an arrow received the blood issuing out of his wound into his hands he threw it up despitefully into the Aire and cryed Vicisti Galilee 2 The object of this sin is God himself and the mediator Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 29 30. 3. The subject in which it is found is onely such as have been inlightned by the spirit of God and have tasted of the good gift of God Heb. 6. 5. So that the elect cannot commit this sin and therefore they that feel in themselves a sure testimony of their election need not despaire for they are kept by the power of God unto life everlasting This sin cannot be forgiven not because it is greater then the merit of Christ can satisfie for but because after a man hath once committed this sin it is impossible for him to repent for the gift of Repentance proceedeth from the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost remaineth in us through Christ apprehended by faith now no man doth apprehend Christ who doth maliciously despise and contemn him Out of this which hath been spoken we may thus define this sin The sin against the holy Ghost is a voluntary denyall of and blasphemie against the Son of God or of that truth which was before acknowledged concerning him and so consequently a Vniversal defection from God and his Church We have an Example of this in the devil who though he knew well enough that Iesus was the Christ yet he never ceased both wittingly and willingly to oppose the very sacred Majesty of God in him together with the kingdom of Iesus that as far forth as he could he might utterly supplant the same by the Pharisees Mat. 12. 32. Iohn 3. 2. Now Sir consider whether those men that have maintained the articles of that faith into which they have been baptized which articles have been and are professed by all the true Christian Churches in the world and are firmly g rounded upon the word of God which is the pillar of our faith have committed this sin or you that have first profest and afterwards fallen away from the faith and opposed the chief Articles or fundamental points of it as Christs conception in saying he
was conceived in original sin and so raze the very foundation of true Religion for if the root be impure all the Branches must be impure Christ then would have needed a Saviour himself and could not have saved others 2. His Resurrection his Ascension his session at the right hand of God I say examine your own conscience whether you can be clear or not who have done all this by your senselesse Alegories for my part I leave it to God to judge who searches the heart and knowes whether you have done his out of malice or ignorance Now it is fit your weak and absurd description of the sin against the Holy Ghost be examined You say to sin against the holy Ghost is to rebell to war to resist the spirit and to prove it you bring Chap. 5. to the Gal. v. 17. The words are these The flesh lusteth against the spirit c. and so by consequence you make the flesh lusting against the spirit to be the sin against the holy Ghost A sin which Gods best children are guilty of Read Rom. 7. 21 22 23. This deserves to be hiss'd at rather then answered and let me advise you to read more and write lesse For howsoever your purblinde seduced Followers may beleeve you yet all men of sound judgement will plainly see that it is not the spirit of God that hath inspired you but the spirit of blindnesse and ignorance that hath missed you I woulde here conclude this Chapter but that you confesse the sin against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come which is the truth grounded upon the words of Christ Matth. 12. 32. and therefore by your own confession such as commit thissi nne shall never be redeemed out of hell CHAP. 10. In this Chapter you endeavour to prove that man shall not be destroyed but onely the sin that is in man Your words are Therefore man shall not be destroyed but the work of the Devil in him Your first argument to prove this is because God made man therefore man shall not be destroyed and you may as well say Because God made all sensitive and vegetable creatures as Beasts and Plants therefore they shall not be destroyed Are not the Creatures made subject to vanity by reason of the sin of man if they be much more shall man that made them subject be subject himself What do you think of the old world were not they created by God yet you know they were destroyed You will say this was but a temporal destruction it is to be hoped that when the waters rose upon the earth many repented and so though their bodies perished yet their souls were saved but yet the most part perished both temporally and eternally as Peter testifies 1 Pet. 3. 19. Your 2. Argument is Christ came into the World to save Man the work of God but all mankinde is the work of God therefore Mankind who is the image of God shall not be destroyed is not here a goodly conclusion that hath more in it then the premises to answer it though man that is renewed restored to the image of God shall not be destroyed yet man that is not restored to the image of God shall be destroyed though he be his Creature for without holiness no man shall see God Depart from me I know you not ye workers of iniquity Thirdly your third argument is Christ came into the World to destroy the works of the Divel therefore man shall not be destroyed how doth this follow Your argument ought to be thus framed Christ came to destroy the works of the Divel in men therefore those men in whom the works of the Divel are destroyed shall not be destroyed but there are some that have not the works of the Divel destroyed in them Jo. 8. 44. therefore they shall be destroyed Your fourth argument is if man must die for his own sins and go to Hell with them in vain then did Christ die for mans sins pray where lies the fault in Christ or in the man that will not applie Christs death unto his soul for his Salvation Rom. 9. 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 1. 18. A Physitian composeth a medicine which is able to cure his patient and to save him fromdeath but the patient will not apply it for his remedie according to that in Jer. 51. 9. Balm was provided for her but she would not be cured and likewise the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against their own Salvation Luke 7. 30. Christ would have gathered Jerusalems Children together as a Hen doth gather her Brood under her wings and they would not Luke 13. 34. Something is here spoken of that place of Scripture 1 Iohn 3. 8. He that commits sin is of the Divel c. that is he that commits sin as the Divel doth or as did the Pharisees John 8. 44. ye are of your father the Divel and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him but to infer from this Text that he which commits sin although of infirmitie as Paul did Rom. 7. 14 15 16. is a most impudent perverting of Scripture Do not the best of Gods children sin In many things we sin all saith the Apostle James If there be any that saith he hath no sin he makes God a lyer and his word is not in him 1 Iohn 1. 10. Peter confesseth as much of himself when he saith Depart from me for I am a sinful man Luke 5. 8. But you urge Christ came to destroy the works of the Divel 't is true but not in your sense but in the sense which the Scriptures do allow that is Christ came to destroy the works of the Divel which he did by his death and Resurrection He did not only justifie us Rom. 6. 22. but also sanctifie us Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. c. Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. Ephe. 5. 25 26. yet so long as she is in this world the Jebusite will dwell in her coast with whom she must have a continual conflict which made Paul himself to say I am carnal sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. carnal but not totally as the unregenerate are but partly carnal and partly spiritual the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and therefore he cries out O wretch that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin mark what he saith me and therefore he speaks in the Person of a Regenerate man And this may serve to satisfie Captain Smiths question whether Paul spake in the person of a Regenerate or unregenerate man in that he saith who shall deliver me You say in the conclusion of the tenth Chapter it is manifest that all men were and are the people of God though untill this
saith the Lord God behold I judge between Cattel and Cattel between the Rams and the he-Goats which is point-blank against you unless you could prove the Reprobates to be the Sheep of Christ which doubtless you are ready enough to hold Jerem. 33. 6. Behold I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them and I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth To whom is this spoken to Babylon of the Caldeans or to spiritual Babylon the corps of the Reprobate Do not the words following shew that it is spoken to Judah and Jerusalem the Church of God observe the words I will cause the captivitie of Judah and of Israel to return and build them as at the first c. I see you are much necessitated when you bring those promises that God makes unto the house of David Verse 21. to prove the salvation of the reprobate Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of life Read the verse following For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous the purpose of the Apostle is to shew that as Adam by his disobedience destroyed all his Posteritie so Christ by his obedience saved all his seed that is all that were the seed of Abraham not according the flesh but according to the Spirit Rom. 9 7 8. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be blessed that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive What the Apostle brings here to prove the Resurrection of the body you urge to prove the Resurrection of the soul a goodly argument But suppose we grant it yet will not the Text help you at all for the genuine sense of it must be this as all that were in Adam died so all that are in Christ are made alive Luke 19. 10. For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost It is true but it is meant those that know and acknowledge themselves to be lost as the Prodigal did that say in themselves I will go to my father and say unto him father I have sinned c. Luke 15. Christ prayed for his enemies that had imbrued their hands in his blood because they did it out of ignorance Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do It is true he did and his prayers were heard for some of them were converted by St. Peters Sermon as appeareth out of Acts 2. but yet it doth not follow that he prayed for the Reprobate he teacheth us the contrary where he sayeth I pray not for the World but for them that thou hast given me out of the world 1 John 2. 1 2. If any sin we have an Advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World I answer as at the beginning that he is a propitiation sufficient for the sins of the whole World but not efficient because all do not believe 1. Tim. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Which must not be understood of his secret will but of his revealed according to which he would have them to be saved if they repent and believe the Gospel otherwiâ—e they cannot expect Salvation and this is agreeable to that doctrine which Christ commanded his Disciples to preach Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Others answer that the Apostle speaks not de singulis generum sed de generibus singulorum that is of all sorts and conditions of men as appears by the words going before But here I wonder to what purpose you bring in the History of the ten Lepers and that in such a fashion that if you did not help it with a lame exposition in the latter end of your book Article 21. a man would judge that you mean Christ was one of them I wonder I say to what purpose you will say to prove that all men shall be saved for this is the subject of the whole Chapter then the summe of the argument must be this ten Lepers were cured by Christ and but one of them returned to give thanks therefore all shall be saved a goodly conclusion But had you any ingenuity or love to truth you would have argued as any School-boy would have done thus ten Lepers were healed by Christ and but one of them returned to give thanks therefore but one of them shall be saved is not this the most probable of the two Seeing Christ himself hath taught us that few are they that shall be saved Mat. 7. 14. Lastly you say that this Doctrine of the love of God to all men is the only means to keep them from sin This is a way both disagreeable to the word and will of God and also to reason That it is to the word of God I have already sufficiently proved yet I will adde more Jude 22 23. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire Those that sin either out of weakness of judgement or want of strength are to be gently dealt with but those that sin out of wilfulness are sharply to be reproved Titus 1. 13. Thus Peter did Simon Magus Acts 8. 20. 21 22 23. or as Paul did Elymas the sorcerer Acts 13. 10 11. when wounds are corrupted and stink they ought first to be cleansed before we pour in Balm otherwise we shall heal them deceitfully like false Prophets such as your self is Jerem. 6. 14. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace It is also disagreeable to reason suppose a man to have two sons on which he hath a large Patrimony to bestow and being committed to the care of a Tutor one of them proves a Prodigal I mean not such a Prodigal as is returned from his evil wayes but an incorrigible one that is in the full career of Vice his Tutor intending as in duty bound to reclaim him tells him his father beareth a great deal of love towards him and notwithstanding his evil courses cannot will not disinherit him and much more to this purpose will any one think that this is the best and most rational course to reclaim him Surely no but rather a means to increase his licentiousness a good Tutor will rather with a severe and