to know the Things which are freely given him of God he may without Extraordinary Revelation in the Right use of ordinary Means attain thereunto And therefore it is the Duty of every one to give all Diligence to make his Calling and Election sure which as in § 1 2. cannot be but by Endeavouring to Walk in all Good Conscience before the Lord Jesus For This Certainty is not a bare Conjectural and Probable Perswasion grounded upon a Fallible Hope but an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded on the Blood and Righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel and also upon the Inward Evidence of those Graces unto which Promises are made and on the Immediate Witness of the Spirit Testifying our Adoption and as a Fruit thereof leaving the Heart more Humble and Holy And in cap. 6.2 Good Works done in Obedience to God's Commandments are the Fruits and Evidences of a True and Lively Faith and by them Believers strengthen their Assurance The Ninth Errour 9. That Gospel Ministers are not to Preach the Law in its Commands and Curses to convince Men of their need of Christ nor are Believers obliged to regard the Law as delivered by Moses nor as Externally propounded nor are they Bound when they commit Sin to look to the Law for further Discoveries and Convictions of the remaining Corruptions that are in them because by the Gospel its Obligations are Dissolved Our Opposition We hold 1. That the Law delivered by Moses continues in its Commands and Curses Vndissolv'd 2. That it 's still of use to convince of Sin that we may see a need of Christ and therefore is to be Preached and Externally propounded and we are to look unto it To the First 'T is very expresly declared in our Confession cap. 19. § 2. That the Law written in the Heart continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness after the Fall of Man and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in Two Tables commonly called the Moral-Law § 3. And in § 5. The Moral-Law doth for ever Bind all as well Justified Persons as others to the Obedience thereof and that not only in regard to the Matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it Neither did Christ in the Gospel any way Dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation To the Second In this Chap. § 6. Altho True Believers be not under this Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby Justified or Condemned yet it is of Great Vse to them as well as to Others in that as a Rule of Life Informing them of the Will of God and their Duty it Directs and Binds them to Walk accordingly discovering also the Sinful Pollutions of their Nature Hearts and Lives so as Examining themselves thereby they may come to further Conviction of Humiliation for and Hatred against Sin together with a Clearer Sight of the Need they have of Christ and the Perfection of his Obedience It is likewise of use to the Regenerate to Restrain their Corruptions in that it forbids Sin and the Threatnings of it serve to show what even their Sins deserve c. To what is here declared let us add what is in cap. 15. § 5. and 't will appear that it must be Understood of Preaching for it 's there said That altho there is no Sin so small but it deserves Damnation yet there is no Sin so great that it shall bring Damnation to them that truly Repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary for there can be no Preaching Repentance as described in this cap. § 3. but by Preaching the Law as 't is useful to Convince of Sin for Humiliation c. Before we proceed to the Tenth Errour we must if we will Impartially deliver the Truth about the standing Obligation of the Law declare with the Learned Dr. Owen in his Treatise of Justification p. 201. That that is an Antinomianism of the worst sort and most derogatory to the Law of God which Affirms it to be divested of its Power to Oblige unto Perfect Obedience so as that what is not so shall as it were in despight of the Law be Accepted as if it were so unto the End for which the Law Requires it There is no Medium but that either the Law is utterly Abolished and so there is no Sin for where there is no Law there is no Transgression or it must be Allowed to require the same Obedience that it did at its first Institution and unto the same degree Thus much we thought needful to mention that whilst we are declaring our selves against those Errours which are commonly called Antinomian the worst Part of Real Antinomianism might not escape the mention of our Abhorring it which yet some of our Accusers are for The Tenth Errour 10. That Ministers of the Gospel ought not to propound the Offers of Salvation unto all those to whom God calls them to Preach seriously Inviting them to Improve the Means of Grace that they may be Saved and assuring them in the way of their Ministerial Duty of the Salvation of all such as believe in Christ because they want Ability to close with the Offer and all shall not be saved Our Opposition That tho Men want Ability to Believe Savingly yet it 's the Duty of Gospel Ministers to make the Offer and Testifie unto them That whoever Believes and Repents shall be Saved and that it 's the Peoples Duty to make use of their Natural Faculties with such External Means and Workings of the Spirit as God Affords them that they may Believe Repent and be Saved Dr. Goodwin in Vol. 4. Part 2. Lib. 3. Cap. 1. is very positive That tho Faith be a Difficult Work yet we ought to use our Endeavours to Believe As 1 To cleanse our Hands and Hearts taking heed of Hinderances and Impediments which may hinder God's working it or Provoke him to leave off the Work To Refrain all ill Company and all Sins of what kind soever which grieve the Spirit Thus the Apostle Heb. 12.1 2. Men may Endeavour to be Humbled for their Sins and take such Considerations into their Hearts as may serve to Humble them which tho it is not Faith nor Works Faith yet leads to it James 4.3 3. There are Duties and Ordinances God hath appointed in which to bring our Hearts before him James 4.8 And this also Men may do they may come unto God and Present their Souls before him by Prayer by Hearing the Word by good Conference by Reading c. But 5. Further Souls humbled are to attempt the Exercise of the very Act of Believing That is they are to take Promises into their Thoughts and to bring their Hearts to them to look up to Christ and consider his Fulness and attempt to lay hold upon him We have an express place for this Heb. 4.11 v. 16. The Apostle bids them come to the Throne of Grace that they may obtain
Justification from Eternity and in Christ saith We are in our own Persons made True Owners and Injoyers of Justification at that Instant when we first Believe which Act is the Completion and Accomplishment of the former and is that Great and Famous Justification by Faith which the Scripture so much Inculcates and almost only mentioneth yea and so speaks of it as if we were not Justified at all till then So 1 Cor. 6.9 Such were some of you but now ye are Sanctified now ye are Justified which before they were not And therefore before Faith the Scripture Pronounceth the very Elect even those whom Christ Died for Children of Wrath as well as others till they Believe Ephes 2.3 So as when we were said to be Justified by Faith it is not only because then Faith Apprehends that Justification which was in God's Breast before and that then we are Justified merely in Ford Conscientiae tho we were in Foro Dei as much as ever as some express it But further it must be said that even in Foro Dei in God's Court and according to the Judgment of that Open Court which God hath set up in his Word and according to the Proceedings of his Word which is the Rule he professeth to Judge Men by and therein he keeps to the Rule of his Word as Christ saith I Judge no Man but the Word which I speak shall Judge you John 12.47 48. God doth Judge and Pronounce his Elect Vngodly and Vnjustified till they Believe yea and by the Spirit of Bondage he Testifieth to their Consciences that before Faith they are Vngodly and Vnjustified and Children of Wrath If it were not a Real Truth the Spirit of God would not evidence this to them 2. What Dr. Goodwin here affirms is consonant to what 't is declared in the Savoy Confession For in Cap. 11. § 4. it is thus God did from all Eternity Decree to Justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of Time Die for their Sins and rise again for their Justification Nevertheless they are not Iustified Personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually Apply Christ unto them And as in Cap. 3. § 6. They having fall'n in Adam are by their Original and Actual Sins Bound over to the Wrath of God and Curse of the Law and are made subject to Death with all Miseries Spiritual Temporal and Eternal So Cap. 6. § 6. Thus they continue till they are Effectually called as in Cap. 10. § 1. All those whom God hath Predestinated unto Life and only those he is pleased in his Appointed time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that State of Sin and Death in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ. Besides as it is expresly said Cap. 1. § 4. That they are not Personally Justified till Christ be Actually Applied unto them So in the same Chap. § 1. 't is declared That those whom God effectually calleth he also Freely Justifieth by Imputing Christ's Active Obedience unto the whole Law and Passive Obedience in his Death for their whole and sole Righteousness they Receiving and Resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith And in the very next Section Faith thus Receiving and Resting on Christ and his Righteousness is the alone Instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the Person Justified but is ever accompanied with all other Saving Graces and is no Dead Faith but worketh by Love The Third and Fourth Errours 3. That Pardoned Sin is no Sin and therefore God can't see Sin in his People to be Displeased with them for their Sins nor doth God express his Fatherly Displeasure against them by any Afflictions laid upon them 4. That Believers are not bound to Confess or Mourn over Sin as committed by them or Pray for Pardon of Sin in making a Daily Acknowledgment of a Need of it because 't was Pardoned before committed and Pardoned Sin is no Sin Our Opposition We have always held 1. That Pardoned yea Mortified Sins are truly and properly Sins 2. That God seeth the Sins of his own People and is Displeased with them for their Sins 3. That when Believers do sin it is their Duty to humble themselves Confess their Sins and pray for Pardon The Declaration of our Faith at the Savoy is so distinct and full against these Errours that whoever will consult the following Passages taken out of it cannot but think himself bound in Conscience to own our Orthodoxy For in Cap. 6. § 4. we affirm That the Corruption of Nature during this Life doth remain in those that are Regenerated and altho it be through Christ Pardoned and Mortified yet both it self and all the Motions thereof are Truly and Properly Sin In Cap. 11. § 5. God doth continue to Forgive the Sins of those that are Justified and altho they can never fall from the State of Justification yet they may by their Sins fall under God's Fatherly Displeasure and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Countenance Restored unto them until they humble themselves Confess their Sins Beg Pardon and Renew their Faith and Repentance In Cap. 15. § 2 3. Whereas there is none that doth Good and Sinneth not and the best of Men may through the Power and Deceitfulness of their Corruptions dwelling in them with the Prevalency of Temptation fall into Great Sins and Provocations God hath in the Covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so Sinning and Falling be Renewed through Repentance unto Salvation That this Saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a Person being by the Holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold Evils of his Sin doth by Faith in Christ Humble himself for it with Godly Sorrow Detestation of it and Self Abhorrency Praying for Pardon and Strength of Grace c. The Fifth Errour 5. That Believers ought not to be afaid of committing Sin because their Sins can do them no hurt Our Opposition If the Sins of Believers do Impair their Graces and Comforts harden their Hearts wound their Consciences hurt and scandalize others Grieve God's Holy Spirit Expose to his Fatherly Displeasure and bring Temporal Judgments too upon them then surely their Sins hurt them and they should be Afraid to commit them and if we have declared thus much in our Confession 't is sufficient to clear us from this Imputation And that we have freely and readily owned thus much is plain from what is in Cap. 5. § 5. The Most Wise and Gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a Season his own Children to Manifold Temptations and the Corruptions of their own Hearts to Chastise them for their former Sins or to Discover to them the hidden strength of Corruption and Deceitfulness of their Hearts that they may be Humbled and to make them more Watchful against all Future Occasions of Sin In Cap. 17. § 3. And tho they may fall into Grievous Sins and for a time continue therein
whereby they Incur God's Displeasure and Grieve his Holy Spirit come to have their Graces and Comforts Impaired have their Hearts Hardned and their Consciences Wounded Hurt and Scandalize others and bring Temporal Judgments upon them Selves yet they are and shall be kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation What can be more opposite unto this Errour The Sixth Errour 6. That they must do no Good Work or Duty for their own Benefit or with an Eye to their own Salvation Our Opposition That Believers must do good Works expecting Blessings in the performance thereof So in Chap. 19. § 6. Altho True Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works yet is it of great use to them as well as to others in that as a Rule of Life informing them of the Will of God and their Duty it Directs and Binds them to walk accordingly The Promises of it in like manner show them God's Approbation of Obedience and what Blessings they may Expect upon the Performance thereof altho not as Due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works so as a Man's Doing Good and Reforming from Evil because the Law Encourageth to the One and Deterreth from the other is no Evidence of his being under the Law and not under Grace And § 7. Neither are the forementioned Vses of the Law contrary to the Graces of the Gospel but do sweetly Comply with it the Spirit of Christ Subduing and Enabling the Will of Man to do that freely and chearfully which the Will of God Revealed in the Law Required to be done And in Cap. 16. § 6. The Persons of Believers being Accepted through Christ their Good Works also are Accepted in him God looking upon them in his Son is Pleased to Accept and Reward that which is Sincere altho accompanied with many Weaknesses and Imperfections The Seventh Errour 7. Believers not having in themselves an Ability to do Good Works are not bound to Perform any good Duty unless Excited thereunto by a special Motion of the Spirit Our Opposition We have fully Declared our selves against this Errour in Cap. 16. § 3. Their Ability to do Good Works is not at all in themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ yet are they not hereupon to grow Negligent as if they were not bound to Perform any Duty unless upon a Special Motion of the Spirit but they ought to be Diligent in Stirring up the Grace of God that is in them The Eighth Errour 8. That Sanctification evidenced by the Spirit of God to their Consciences is not a Sign Mark or Evidence of their Justification and that Marks and Signs for the Tryal of a Believer's Faith are of no use For Faith lying in a Full Perswasion and Assurance that their Persons were Actually Justified and Pardoned in Christ it is a Sin to Question Whether they do Savingly Believe or no Our Opposition It hath been our constant Judgment 1. That saving Faith lieth not in a Full Perswasion and Assurance that our Sins are Actually Pardoned 2. That Marks and Signs for the Tryals of our Spiritual Estate are Vseful and to be sought after 3. That Sanctification evidenced by the Spirit of God to our Consciences is a certain Sign and Mark of our Justification To the First the Judicious Dr. Goodwin hath in his Vol. 4. Part 2. Lib. 2. Cap. 1. delivered our True Sense when he saith That that Act of Faith which Justifieth a Sinner is Distinct from knowing he hath Eternal Life and may therefore be without it because it doth not necessarily contain Prevailing Assurance in it By Prevailing Assurance I mean such an Assurance as overpowreth Doubts and Sense to the contrary so as in the Believer's Knowledge he is able to say Christ is mine and my Sins are Forgiven such an Assurance whereby Man is a Conquerour as Paul speaks Rom. 8.37 Amongst the several Reasons he gives to prove that True Faith may be without such Assurance he presseth this viz. Wicked Men are not bound immediately to have Assurance and therefore it is not the Essential Act wherein Faith consists They are Condemned you know for not Believing Now if the First Act of Faith commanded were to believe that Christ is mine and that my Sins are Forgiven how could a Man in the State of Nature be Bound to it For such an Assurance of Christ's being his is not a Truth in the State wherein he stands but yet he is every Hour bound to come to Christ as the Fountain of Life and cast himself on him for his Pardon What the Doctor here delivereth is agreeable to what is in our Confession which hath two distinct Chapters the 14th about saving Faith and the 18th of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation giving distinct Definitions of each and clearing it that Assurance is not an Essential of Saving Faith and that Faith doth not in all grow up to the Attainment of a Full Assurance affirming That the principal Acts of saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by Vertue of the Covenant of Grace § 2. And chap. 18. § 3. This Infallible Assurance doth not belong to the Essence of Faith but that a True Believer may wait long and Conflict with many Difficulties before he be Partaker of it To the second and third Dr. Goodwin in the Place but now cited cap. 5. goeth on to consider What the Apostle John hath written that may help a Believer to this Assurance what Directions what Helps what Evidence he has described whereby he may come to be Assured it directs them to two Trinities of Witnesses where three are in Heaven and three on Earth For I take it that all these six Witnesses have their Evidence set to one Record both that Christ is the Fountain of Life and that God hath given to a Believer Eternal Life And a little after the Doctor insists on Sanctification as the second Witness on Earth The second Witness saith he is the Work and Workings of Sanctification Water the Believer finds that closing thus with Christ changeth him Renews him washeth him from the Power of Sin puts a new Spirit and Principle into him Every Grace is a stream in him and all his Graces do Testify also if they be observed Read this Epistle of John you will find he cuts this Water into many Rills and Signs in every of which as so many Signs Believers may see and have some Evidence of their Estates So far the Doctor who still keeps close unto our Confession in which particularly chap. 18. § 1. it 's said Altho Temporary Believers and other Unregenerate Men may vainly deceive themselves with false Hopes and Carnal Presumptions of being in the Favour of God and State of Salvation which Hope of theirs shall Perish Thus they shew what false Hopes and carnal Presumptions some Unregenerate Men may have To which they add § 3. That a Believer being enabled by the Spirit