make holiness needless Under pardon this is neither better nor worse than an old Popish calumny such as hath been cast into the face of Protestants over and over Chemnitius asserting justification by imputed Righteousness tells us Exam. Conc. Trid. de Justif Inde verò Pontificii texunt calumniam omnia decreta Tridentina ita condita sunt de justificatione ut obliquè nos insimulent quasi doceamus credentes non renovari quasi charitatem obedientiam ita excludamus ut nec adsit nec sequatur in reconciliatis And what return doth that learned man make thereunto Sed tantùm Syeophanticae impudentes calumniae sunt quibus strepitum excitant The learned Chamier brings in Sapeins Cham. de Sanctif cap. 2. charging the Protestants thus Non esse nos justos nist solû imputatione justitiae Christi non autem ullâ inhaerente qualitate And Costerus thus Christus est nostra justitia nulla est ergo alia justitia in nobis And Bozius thus Vt salutem consequaris sis sanctus aiunt omnes Protestantes nihil est necesse boni aliquid velis moliaris aut facias Christo fidas impunè quidvis audeas ad exitum perducas and then expresses himself thus Immanem ita me Deus amet calumniam The excellent Davenant De Hâ—tuali cap. â— ushering in Bellarmine and Campian and Becanus as casting the same dirt into the face of Protestants saith plainly to the two first quot verba tot serè mendacia and to the third calumnia est apertè falsa The Papists you see have cast out these calumnies but should a Protestant do so No surely the Author I confess hath done a great honour to these few Nonconformists in casting upon them that reproach of Christ for so as a Protestant I must call it which many a son of the Church of England would willingly bear hoping to have the spirit of Glory rest upon him but I suppose he hath done no great right to the Protestant cause therein How vain this calumny is doth assoon appear as we can open our eyes upon the common distinction between Justification and Sanctification Justification is an Action of God without us Sanctification an Action of the Spirit within us the one is by the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed the other by the holy Graces of the Spirit infused and inherent in us In the one we are freed from the Guilt of Sin in the other from the Corruption and Pollution of it By the one we have a Title to God's Kingdom by the other a Meetness for it it being such as no unclean thing can enter into the same And what colour of Repugnancy is there between these two and how doth the one make the other useless Both are useful to the Believer and both in Harmony between themselves Obedience is so far from being needless that it is a necessary consequent upon Justification by Christ's Righteousness St. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans first treats of Justification and then of Sanctification as a consequent thereupon Good works as our Church tells us in the 12th Article are the Fruits of Faith and follow after Justification To me it is unimaginable that the holy Spirit which is procured by Christ's Righteousness and before whose inspiration as our Church tells us in the 13th Article works done are not pleasant unto God should inspire unjustified persons to Obedience nay had it not been for Christ's Righteousness the holy Spirit I verily believe would no more have touched in the least holy motion upon Men than upon Devils I shall close this Point with the Authors own words Christ's Satisfaction was for sins of Omission and Commission and by it we are reputed by God as having done nothing amiss and as perfectly righteous to have done all to have kept the whole Law pag. 60. and yet I hope the Author doth not esteem Holiness needless though I cannot tell how Christ's imputed Righteousness whereof his Satisfaction is a part should make any man more than perfectly righteous However Holiness is necessary with respect to Sanctification Mr. Sherlock We have in us a New Creature which is fed cherish'd nourish'd kept alive by the fruits of Holiness God hath not given us new Hearts to kill them in the womb or to give them to the Old Man to be devoured as Dr. Owen hath it The phrase of this is admirable and the reasoning unanswerable if men be new Creatures they will certainly live new Lives And this makes Holiness necessary by the same reason that every thing necessarily is what it is when it is The new Creature is fed with fruits of of Holiness Answer so Dr. Owen Upon which the Author tells us in sport that the phrase is admirable I suppose it is so Hear our Church As Men that be very Men indeed 1. Hom. of good works quoting St. Chrysost for it first have life and after be nourished so must our Faith in Christ go before and after be nourished with good works But for the reason I think it cannot be answered Exercise is necessary for the Body and is it not necessary for the Body and is it not necessary for the Soul It is necessary for the Soul in meer Moral Virtues and is it not necessary for it in spiriritual Graces too Reason though a natural Talent only necessarily obliges us to walk sutably to it and how much more do Divine Graces which are altogether supernatural bind us to live in a Decorum thereunto These things to me are very cogent Well! Mr. Sherlock but holiness is necessary as the means to the end but how Though it neither be the Cause Matter nor Condition of our Justification yet it is the Way appointed by God for us to walk in for the obtaining Salvation he that hopeth purifieth himself none shall come to the End who walk not in the Way without Holiness it is impossible to see God This is all pertinent and home to the purpose but it hath two little faults in it that it contradicts it self and overthrows their darling Opinions which I can pardon if he can What the necessary way to eternal Life and yet neither Cause Matter nor Condition At least it might be the Causa sine qua non and that will make it a Condition But not to dispute about words I am content it should be only a way to life but what becomes of Christ then who is the only way Cannot Christ's Righteousness save us without our own Doth Christ's Righteousness free us from guilt and entitle us to Glory and yet can we not be saved without Holiness What becomes of free Grace then Is not this to eek out the Righteousness of Christ with our own To make Christ our Justifier and our Works our Saviour This is all pertinent Answer It seems the former Arguments drawn from the sovereign Will of God from the End of the Love of the blessed Trinity from the
united to Christ or true and reall which imports the truth and sincerity of our Obedience and Subjection to our Lord and Master Hypocrites may seem Answer but are not members of Christ or united to him non potest Christus habere damnata membra omnia ista membra absit omninò Contr. Cresc l. 2. cap. 21. ut in membris illius columbae unicae computentur saith St. Austin and in another place Si amas amplecteris peccata tua contrarius es Christo Expos in Epist Jo hannis intus sis foris sis Antichristus es intus sis foris sis palea es sed quare foris non es Quia occasionem venti non invenisti Our Obedience to Christ our Lord is not the very mystical union it self but a Divine fruit of it The Spiritual Kingdom of Christ requires the homage of the Soul Mr. Sherlock the Government of our thoughts and passions the renovation of our minds and Spirits we must be born again of water and of the Spirit if we would enter into Gods Kingdom that is before we can be the Disciples and Subjects of Christ we must be born of water make a publick profession of our faith in Christ and obedience to him in our Baptism we must be born of the Spirit too that is our minds and Spirits must become subject to Christ our faith in Christ and subjection to him must be sincere and hearty governing all the motions of our Souls and making usually such as we pretend to be which is called being born of the Spirit because all Christians Graces are in Scripture attributed to the Spirit as the Author of them Here are two things Answer Baptism and Regeneration both are not of a like necessity to make us Disciples of Christ Regeneration is simply necessary but so is not Baptism unbaptized persons may be reall believers and if they die before Baptism as Valentinian did they enter into Bliss Contr. Don. l. 1.4 cap. 22. Impletur invisibiliter cum mysterium Baptismi non contemptus religionis sed articulus necessitatis excludit saith St. Austin Baptism may be administred by man but Regeneration is the sole work of the holy Spirit which breaths where it lists and forms all those Graces which make up the new creature hence we are said to be born of the Spirit and all the Graces in the new man are called the fruits of the spirit Hence Fulgentius saith ex eodem Spiritu renati sumus ex quo natus est Christus De Jucava cap. 20. The very same Spirit which formed Christ in the womb forms him in the heart And S. Ambrose speaking of the Gracious Image of God in us saith Pictus es ô homo Hexaem l. 6. cap. 8. à Domino Deo tuo bonum habes artificem atque pictorem No other hand but that of the holy spirit only is able to draw such a picture of God as is in the new creature we who naturally lye in a Mass and Chaos of corruption are not capable of doing any thing in it As a visible profession is the foundation of an external Political union between Christ and his Church Mr. Sherlock so this new nature is the foundation of a real and spiritual union And this the Scripture represents under several notions First by the Subjection of our minds and Spirits to Christ as our spiritual King when we put our Souls as well as our Bodies under his Government Hence Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3.17 That is to have the sole command and Empire of our wills and affections to govern our hearts as a man does the house in which he dwells Secondly by a participation of the same nature which is the necessary effect of the Subjection of our minds to him for the Gospel of our Saviour is the truest image of his mind he transcribed his own nature into his Laws and therefore a sincere Obedience to his Laws is a conformity to his nature Hence is that exhortation That the same mind may be in us as was in Christ Phil. 2.5 And to be his Disciples is to learn of him Matth. 11.29 Hence our union to Christ is described by having the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his that is unless he have that same temper of mind which Christ had which is called having the Spirit by an ordinary figure of the cause for the effect for all those Virtues and Graces wherein our conformity to Christ consists are called the fruits of the Spirit and therefore what the Apostle calls having the Spirit in the next verse he expresses by If Christ be in you that is if you be possest with the same love of virtue and goodness which appeared so eminently in him which is much to the same sence with that expression of Christ being formed in you Gal. 4.19 Hence in 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Herein consists our union to Christ that we have the same temper Souls are united by an harmony of wills this makes two one Spirit After a long discourse touching external communion with the Church Answer the Author is now come to own a spiritual union with Christ and this saith the Author the Scripture represents to us first by the subjection of our minds to Christ as our King Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. that is he commands there But I take that place of the Apostle to be an eminent proof of the mystical union it is not said Christ commands though that be very true but he dwells in our hearts not by a piece of faith such as accepts Christ as our Lord but by an entire one such as receives him in all his offices We have in those words faith expressed which is a bond of that mystical union and where faith is there is that other bond the holy Spirit which flows as rivers of living water in the believers heart and just before those words of Christs dwelling in our hearts by faith the Apostle speaks of the holy Spirit in the inner man Verse 16. which is the principal bond of that mystical Union And St. Chrysostom on the words saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the holy spirit in the inner man Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith But saith the Author Secondly this is represented in Scripture by a participation of the same nature which is the necessary effect of the subjection of our minds to Christ To which I answer If by that subjection be meant a receiving Christ as our Lord it is but a part of that faith which with its Sister Graces make up the new creature all Graces are found in the new creature and among others Faith which receives Christ in all his offices and among other in his Kingly but if by that subjection be meant Obedience to his
their spiritual Guides and Rulers and in concord and unity among themselves For if our union to Christ consist in our subjection to him as our Lord and this authority is not immediately exercised by Christ but by Bishops and Pastors it follows that we cannot be united to Christ till we unite our selves to the publick societies of Christians and submit to the publick instructions Authority and Discipline of the Church Christ hath left the visible and external conduct of his Church to Bishops and Pastors Very well Answer But the internal Scepter and Rule over hearts is in his own hand only and therefore the Papists who make the Bishop of Rome Head of the Church secundum exteriorem gubernationem are yet so modest as to leave Christ to be the only Head secundum interiorem insluxum Our union to Christ is an internal spiritual one made by the Spirit and Faith such as cannot consist in any thing external such as subjection to Ecclesiastical Governours who have the visible conduct is Hence the Reverend Vsher tells us Without that quickning Spirit Serm. before the Commons 1620. no external communion with Christ or his Church can make a man a true member of his mystical body this being a most sure principle that he which hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 A wicked man may be subject to Ecclesiastical Government yet while such is not cannot be a member of Christ or his mystical body Bellarmine himself was so struck with the evidence of this truth that he confessed That wicked men are but membra mortua arida quae solum adhaerent reliquis externâ conjunctione non de Eeclesiâ nisi secundum apparentiam exteriorem putativè non verè that is they are no members at all which makes it clear that our union to Christ stands not in subjection to Ecclesiastical Governours and what for such a thing is possible if the Ecclesiastical Governour be a wicked man himself Is it imaginable that the union of one wicked man to another should produce an union to Christ Or what if such a case should fall out as once did when under the Emperour Basiliscus Evag. Hist L. 3. no less than five hundred Bishops condemned the Council of Chalcedon It would be very hard in such a dismal lapse to say that all the Christians under them had without any default in themselves lost their union with Christ and yet we must say so unless we allow that union to be made and supported by the internal bonds of the Spirit and Faith Schismaticks are in the Church Mr. Sherlock just as Rebels are in a Kingdom not as parts of it but enemies The Apostle tells us wherein the unity of the Church consists In Eph. 4.16 Christ is the Head from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part making increase of the body to the edifying it self in love That is The supreme power is invested in Christ as Head to whom the Church is obedient and subject but to make this union firm and lasting there must be a regular subordination of the several members and a mutual discharge of Christian offices which advances their growth in Grace and especially in love this supposes a visible society of Christians professing the Faith and living in communion with each other if there be no such visible Society as in persecution or degeneracy of the Church Our union to Christ consists in an acknowledgment of his Authority and Subjection to his Laws which makes us members of the universal Church but when there is a visible Church we are under an obligation of communion because herein our Subjection to the Authority of Christ and our Vnion to him consists Schism is the concern of visible Churches Answer but that place Eph. 4. speaks not of visible Churches which are made up of believers and unbelievers but of the Church Catholick made up of Believers and Saints only This is plain the Church Catholick is that whole body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly joined together all being Saints in it but in the visible Church there are believers and unbelievers who can no more stand in harmony than light and darkness Christ and Belial the Temple of God and Idols In the Church Catholick there is an effectual working in every part but in the Church visible there is no such energy in the wicked And so in that parallel place Eph. 2.20 The Church Catholick is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That whole Building fitly framed together which groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord But in the Church visible the wicked grow not into a Temple nay there is not a stone of the spiritual Building laid in them And Eph. 1.23 The Church Catholick is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the body but fulness of Christ Every member of it helps as it were to fill up the mystical body but in the Church visible the wicked do not complete the body but corrupt it they do not adorn but deform it I have before shewed that our union to Christ stands not in communion with a visible Church or its Rulers It is made by internal and spiritual ligatures and is invariably one and the same whether there be a Church visible or not But saith the Author We are under an obligation of Communion with a Church visible when there is one But it is one thing what our Duty is and another what constitutes our union with Christ it is our duty to be subject to civil Magistrates but I suppose our union to Christ consists not in it it is our duty to hear the Ministers of Christ Luke 10.16 But our union to Christ doth not consist in it indeed it is a sacred Ordinance which God is pleased to use to bring us to Christ but the only proper immediate bands of that union are the Spirit and Faith If any particular Church apostatize from the Faith of Christ Mr. Sherlock we are then under the same necessity of deserting their communion as we are of obeying the Laws and submitting to the Authority of our Lord and Master We must indeed desert an apostate Church Answer but if as our Author holds our union to Christ consists in communion with a visible Church then upon our departure from it though never so just our union to Christ must fail Which yet I think can never be the lot of a true believer he is part of that Church built on the Rock against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail Matth. 16.18 Part of that building which is an holy Temple an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.21.22 and that Spirit makes and maintains that union This Political Vnion betwixt Christ and his Church Mr. Sherlock may be either only external and visible and so hypocritical Professors may be said to be
the power of sin and that by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Thus the Author to which I answer God sent his Son indeed into the world that we might be sanctified by his Spirit but that was not all he sent him that we might be justified by his Blood and Righteousness to which purpose it will be worth while to consider that place Rom. 8. The Apostle in the first verse sets forth believers men in Christ by two excellent things first by Justification There is no condemnation to them no though there be reliques of corruption in them as is imported in the seventh Chapter there is none and then by Sanctification which is in conjunction with the other they walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit And in the other verses he confirms both but inverso ordine first he confirms their Sanctification from the great Origen of it the holy Spirit The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death vers 2. The power of the holy Spirit hath subdued the power of sin and then he confirms their Justification from the sufferings of Christ with which his active obedience is to be taken in conjunction What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh vers 3. Their sins were condemned in the flesh of Christ there was an atonement made for them which certainly must relate to Justification from these sufferings of Christ with which his active obedience must be taken in conjunction the Apostle inferrs That the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us vers 4. The Law was not able to justifie us for want of a perfect obedience in us but God translated the impletion of the Law upon Christ Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us Christ bore the wrath of God for us and these things being imputed unto us the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us But then the Apostle returns again to Sanctification and subjoyns Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit assuring us that those who are justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ are also Sanctified and led by his holy Spirit This I take to be the meaning of the place But let us hear our Church treating upon this place in conjunction with other Scriptures r. Hom. of Salvation St. Paul saith Rom. 3. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ And Rom. 10. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth And Rom. 8. That which was impossible by the Law in as much as it was weak by the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh by sin damned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit In these places the Apostle toucheth three things which must go together in our Justification upon Gods part his great mercy and grace upon Christ's parts justice that is the satisfaction of God's justice or the price of our redemption by the offering of his body and shedding of his Blood with fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly and upon our part true and lively Faith in the merits of Jesus Christ which yet is not ours but by Gods working in us So that in our Justification is not only Gods Mercy and Grace but also his Justice which the Apostle calleth the Justice of God and it consisteth in paying our ransom and fulfilling of the Law And so the Grace of God doth not shut out the Justice of God in our Justification but only shutteth out the justice of man that is to say the justice of our works as to be merits of deserving our justification And therefore St. Paul declareth here nothing upon the behalf of man concerning his justification but only a true lively Faith which nevertheless is the gift of God and not man's only work without God and yet that Faith doth not shut out Repentance Hope Love Dread and the fear of God to be joyned with Faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying so that although they be all present in him that is justified yet they justifie not all together These are the excellent words of our Church worthy without flattery be it spoken to be written in Letters of Gold but much more in the hearts of all true Christians We see here that there is in justification nothing on the behalf of man but Faith only no internal Holiness Repentance Hope Love Fear of God are in the justified but shut out from the office of justifying God's Grace and Christ's Righteousness are the great causes of justification But saith the Author Is there here any mention of Christ's Righteousness or the imputation thereof I answer Our Church surely thought so and we have his passive Righteousness expressed vers 3. and where that is expressed the active is implied This is clear when the Scripture saith That we are made righteous by Christ's obedience Rom. 5.19 It doth include his blood also and when he saith That we are justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 It doth include his active obedience also so that the Scripture because it expresses justification by both and because it must be consistent with it self in expressing the one includes the other When therefore Rom. 8.3 his sufferings are expressed his active obedience is also included both therefore are intended and withall an imputation without which they cannot be profitable to us But saith the Author The Law could not do it that is the Law could not deliver from the power of sin I answer The Law could not do it of it self and without the Spirit of Christ but if that divine Spirit take the Law into its hand and write it in the heart I suppose there will be a New Creature But the Author saith That the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit vers 4. How can imputation come in here What pretty sence will this make of the Apostles argument I answer The sence is very clear the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us by Christ's Righteousness imputed to us and withall we to whom that is imputed walk after the Spirit the one is our Justification the other our Sanctification Both the Apostle proves to be in Believers and both consist very well together as appears from the first verse There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The No condemnation appertains to Justification and the walking after the Spirit to Sanctification and both stand very well together As to what the Author saith afterwards That there was no reason to abrogate Moses ' s
good men Very true he doth not a Saint of God may walk in darkness The face of God may be hid from him And that saith Mr. Shephard because there is in many an one an heart desirous of his Love and this would quiet them if they were sure of it The Author thinks this hard measure But Mr. Shephard goes on they never came to be quieted with Gods will in case they think they shall never partake of Gods love but are above that opposite resist quarrel with that the Lord therefore intending his favour for humbled sinners hides his face till they lye low And now I suppose the measure is fair it is very fit we should know our selves to be but receivers and withall unworthy of the Mercies we receive But how do we know that it is the testimony of the Spirit indeed and not a cheat or imposture To satisfie this we are directed to marks Thus this infallible testimony of the Spirit must in its lastiresolve be founded upon moral evidence So the Author To which I answer When the Spirit witnesseth with our spirit when Gods Spirit and Mans concurr and so heaven and earth agree in it one would think it might pass without further examination The Testimony of the Spirit is such that he to whom it made certainly knows that it is the Spirit of Truth it self which bears the Testimony otherwise the Spirit it self testifies and would not be believed by him to whom the Testimony is made that is he testifies and doth not testifie if he do not make a man sure who it is that testifies The Testimony is to make us sure that we are the children of God it is to make us with confidence cry out Abba Father It is to be an earnest and seal of our Salvation and how can this be if we know not who testifies Hence St. Chrystom upon the place saith The Spirit beareth witness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doubt can remain Hence reverend Dr. Ward saith Parum abest à blasphemiâ dicere De certitud Grat. 221. non esse certum illum cui testimonium perhibet Spiritus Sanctus utrum testimonium illud a Spiritu Sancto sit an à diabolo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this it appears that the Testimony of the Spirit is not such as gives only a conjectural certainty but an infallible one But to proceed What are the marks of our being in Christ Have you the Spirit of Christ This saith the Author is just as easie to know as whether you be in Christ Yet this is a mark in the Apostle If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Is your faith of the right stamp wrought by the Almighty Power of God This saith the Author is as easie to know as the former Yet the Apostle would have us examine our selves whether we be in the Faith that is whether we have a true genuine Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 True Faith where ever it is makes Christ to belong to him that hath it Doth Faith purifie the heart overcome the world work by love bring forth holy fruit These are as the Author confesses true marks but these men do but complement Holiness And now we must hear his reasons for it For first Holiness is not necessary to our Vnion to Christ Mr Sherlock and therefore can be no necâ—ssary sign of it We are united to Christ 〈◊〉 we are holy an unholy man may be united to Christ and how can Holiness be the only sure mark of our Vnion to Christ They tell us That Holiness doth necessarily follow Union But no man knows how long it may be before it follows yet all this while such a person is united to Christ at least this gives evidence but to one part of the question an holy life is an evidence of a man in Christ but the want of it is no evidence that a man is not in him This mark may be rejected by any one who hath no mind to it Nay secondly according to these mens principles we cannot tell whether we be holy or not till we know whether we be in Christ or not our Vnion to Christ must be an evidence of our Holiness not our Holiness an evidence of our Vnion till we are united to Christ we can do nothing to please God The best actions of christless men are but Splendida peccata glittering impieties appearing fair but odious to God because the person who does them is out of Christ Our persons must be first accepted in Christ and then our services we cannot judge of Holiness by the external performance of any duties nor by the inward sense of our minds but must first know whether we be in Christ whether our persons be accepted in him before we can tell whether any thing we do be good And this is a plain demonstration that Holiness cannot be an evidence of our Vnion to Christ because we must first know our Vnion before we can know that we are holy So much Holiness Mr. Sherlock as is included in true Faith is necessary to our Union to Christ an unholy man that is a wicked man cannot be united to Christ believers are not such but an unholy man that is one who yet hath not lead an holy life may be united to Christ and his after holy life is a sure mark of that Union because a necessary essect thereof But when doth the holy life follow that Vnion I answer immediately Thus our Church tells us in the twelfth Article That good works do spring necessarily out of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit The want of an holy life in the very instant of believing is not an evidence that a man is not is Christ but soon after the want of it will tell him that his Faith was but a fancy and his being in Christ but a dream The best actions of christless men are I confess as our Church tells us in the thirteenth Article not pleasant to God nay they have the nature of sin without Faith it is impossible to please God in our persons or actions our persons must first be accepted in Christ and then our services the best actions of a man not in Christ are not acceptable to God Those actions cannot be acceptable to him whose defects are unpardoned and the defects of those actions are unpardoned whilst their Agent is so But the Author from hence concludes That Holiness cannot be an evidence of our Vnion to Christ because we must first know our Vnion before we can know that we are holy To which I answer Our Union to Christ cannot be known to be so without a knowledge of Faith nor an holy life cannot be known to be so without a knowledge of Faith because without Faith neither can be in reality when we see our Faith flowing out in an holy life we see
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