first is the publication or preaching of the Gospell to all sortes and conditions of people whereby Christ is set forth to have taken our nature upon him and in our nature hath suffered death and payd the ransome for sin and is risen again assended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God in Majesty and Glory and shall come again at the end of this world to judge all men with many more excellent things which the Scriptures set forth Which generall truthes are beleived by thousands that never enjoy the speciall benefit which beleife is very fitly called by Divines Historicall Faith and they beleevers Secondly there is a more speciall preaching of the Gospell of Christ and that is to certaine persons distinguished from the generall sort of beleevers although they beleeve the same generall truths with the other by certaine quallifications which the Scriptures set forth unto us as the poore in spirit the morners the broken harted namely the repentant And to such only is Christ sent unto Esay 61.1.2.3 to heale comfort their poor souls and such Christ invites to come unto him and he invites to other but such as labour and are weary and heavy laden unto such only Christ hath promised rest Math. 11.28 and to such poor soules only is Christ sent and they and non but they can beleive in him and enjoy the speciall grace and favour of God through Christ And yet the free grace of God in Christ is not any way lessened but runnes out freely to poore sinners For I pray you consider who it is that workes these preparations or qualifications in the Elect. Is it not the Lords own worke to take away the stony heart to give a heart of flesh Is it not of his free goodnes that doth so prepare their hearts fit them to receive his speciall promise of grace and mercy in Christ The ground of the heart must be tilled before that pretious seed be sowne in it ye must not sow among thornes but in the ground fitted and prepared It is not in mans power to prepare his heart by any naturall power left in him no more then a dead man can raise himselfe but it is only the worke of God himselfe So that though we come to Christ with these qualifications before spoken of yet we bring nothing of our owne but that which God hath wrought in us neither is the grace of justification given to any for the worthines of repentance but only for the truth of the promiser who hath promised pardon mercy and peace only to such as are so prepared by him and to no other And that there is a preparation to the justification of a Sinner and to the receiving of Christ the Scriptures are manifest Iohn the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord to make ready a people to receive the Lord Christ and what was his Ministery but the Baptisme of repentance And that repentance is a preparation to Faith or to the justification of a Sinner and must of necessity be before that Faith that justifyeth and giveth assurance of the forgivenes of Sinne and peace and reconciliation with God is manifest But because it is denyed by many in these dayes I will give you a few reasons for the proofe thereof But first least I should be mistaken I will set downe in a short definition what true repentance is a thing altogether omitted by this Authour neither hath he told us what Regeneration is nor whereof it consisteth which are the maine things that tend to the making of a Christian and true Beleever I say that repentance may be thus breifely and truly defined Repentance is a powerfull worke of Gods Spirit wrought in the hearts of such as shall be saved whereby the heart is broken and turned from all the pleasing delights of Sinne into a great feare and sorrow for them and confession of them unto God and into an exceeding desire of pardon peace and reconcilliation with God Luke 15. you may see all the parts of repentance in the prodigall Sonne And let the Authour take notice that it is a worke of Gods Spirit it is no mony of our owne This repentance here laid downe is a worke of the Gospell yea the beginning of the Gospell Marke 1.1 It is no legall worke wrought by the law for I know neither legall repentance nor legall Faith which some men talke of very much I know the law of the ten Commandements admitts of no repentance neither doth it receive Faith in Christ And now I come to the reasons to prove that God doth allwayes worke repentance in them whom he hath a purpose to save for ever before he bestow on them that Faith which doth justifie or assure them of the pardon of their Sinnes in the blood of Iesus Christ First reason is from the constant and unchangeable order the Holy Ghost hath observed throughout the Scriptures in requiring repentance and Faith alwayes requiring repentance in the first place Marke 1.15 Math. 3.2 Luke 3.3 Acts. 2.38 and the 3.19 So that I inferre hence the Holy Ghost alwayes requiring it in the first place it is that worke which he pleaseth first to worke Second reason because untill we have true repentance wrought in us we have no right unto any speciall promise for the speciall promises of grace mercy are made only to the penitent and broken hearted to such as mourne Esay 6.1.2.3 and Acts. 3.19 Therefore before repentance we cannot have faith in any of those speciall promises Third reason Because no man before he have repentance truly wrought in him can receive the forgivenes of his Sins For repentance is required that men may have their Sinnes done away Acts. 3.19 And therefore forgivenes of Sinne following repentance in the worke of it it doth necessarily follow that Faith doth follow repentance Acts. 2.38 For justifying Faith doth alwayes bring with it to the soule the forgivenes of Sinnes Fourth reason Whosoever is justified by Faith is at Peace with God Rom. 5.1 But no man is at Peace with God untill he have truly repented and his Sinnes done away therefore no man is justified by faith untill he have truly repented I do not say that Repentance is the condition required in our parts to our justification as being our owne worke But yet I affirme that it is that way which God doth alwayes take in the conversion of poore sinners unto himselfe First to humble them by making them see their misery and lost condition and to cause them to seeke with strong desires after grace and favour purchased by Christ for such poore penitent soules and none else shall ever obtaine that grace and favour with God through Christ For Christ calls none but such unto him neither ought any Minister to apply the promises of mercy to any other but such as are weary heavy laden mourne and earnestly desire mercy and pardon of sin through the apprehension of their misery and
that which I cheifly intended and without which I had never set upon this worke for there is lesse danger in those I have already taken notice of then in that which followes and the Lord asist me in discovering of the truth in laying open the palpable errour of the Author Indeed it greived my heart to consider how men in these late dayes are fallen into errour and cannot understand the very first principles and beginnings of Christ but they are at the toppe at first before they have laid the first stone of the foundation of the building and indeed it proceeds from an errour in the understanding in the waies of God They conceive that if there should be any preparations to Faith in Christ that it would much derrogate from free grace and therefore will admit of none for saith this Author it is to bring mony in the hand and Christ bids come buy wine and milke without mony that is Grace and salvation without mony or price I confesse it is truth for we must receive all freely even of free grace But yet I pray you call to mind who they are that are called to this feast it is only the thirsty Ho every one that thirsteth come yee c. It is not every one but only the thirsty the broken in heart namely the repentant Soul which thirsts for mercy When I consider the Author in the pages of his booke 135 136. 137. 138. 139. I cannot but wonder at the blindnesse of the man in the waies of God as touching his working upon the hearts of poore Sinners in bringing them to beleive in Christ to be justified by him He seemes not to know what Regeneration is for he hath never mentioned it in all his booke nor what Repentatce is nor how we come to this excellent guift of Faith nor tells us what it is but only that wee must belive in Christ and take Christ but who is the worke of this Faith he tells us not but speakes of it as if it were in our own power to beleive whereas it is not for the Apostle saith to you it is given to beleive c. I shall have occasion to speake of these things more at larg and to let thee Christian Reader understand his great errours and the wrong he hath done the people of God in publishing his booke in these particulars But first I will note some things out of his booke in those pages I have mentioned and I will do it breifly In page 136. he saith That the Lord justifieth his children before they repent or truly humble themselves c. But he hath not set downe any place of Scripture for the proofe thereof we must take his owne word I shall prove the contrary very shortly I mean in their owne fence and feeling God doth never justifie any before they repent and humble themselves in seeking mercy from him Page 137. where it is objected by himselfe that the Scriptures hold forth that the Lord hath appointed Repentance to goe before Faith for it is said Marke 1.15 Repent and beleive the Gospell He answers indeed sometimes the name of repentance is given to those preparatory beginnings which he calls Legall fits and terrours which are both in nature and time before Faith and thus he saith Judas is said to repent and saith that it is all the repentance that goes before Faith in Christ O horrible wickednes how dare this man affirme such a thing that our Saviour Christ in this place should Preach and call for no other repentance before beleiving but such as Iudas had But he goes on and tells you that true and Evangelicall repentance is a fruit of Faith and cannot be before Faith in Christ I shall shew you the contrary very speedily and that it is not a fruit of justifying Faith but a worke of the Spirit to prepare the heart to the beleiving of the promise He saith also that he holds that repentance is a consequent of Faith and that it followes after But why did you not set downe unto us what this repentance is which you meane and say followes Faith I am glad yet that you doe not cast repentance quite away but will let it have a little place in your thoughts God grant you true repentance in your heart for so violating the wayes of God so plainly set downe in the Scriptures Page 138. He confesseth that legall fitts of feare and terrour doe goe before Faith in Christ ordinarily and in some measure in some but not in all and he instanceth in Zacheus and Lidia To which I answer that that which he calls legall fitts of feare and terrour we shall find them to be another thing and to be true repentance towards God And for Zacheus we cannot conceive but that his heart was truly broken and humbled at that very time And there was a manifest signe thereof expressed in his present resolution to make restitution And for Lidia she is said to be a worshipper of God and doubtles one that with Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel her heart being fitted and prepared to receive Christ And to this truth Doctor Gouge gives testimony in his Booke called the whole Armour of God And indeed no sooner did Lidia here Paul Preach Christ come in the flesh dead and risen againe but she received him in her heart Thus farre I have gone in setting downe some of the Authours errours I shall now come the Lord assisting me to discover the truth of the wayes of God laid downe in the Scriptures concerning his working upon poore Sinners in bringing them unto Christ to be justified by him through Faith And I shall shew you what repentance is and what that speciall Faith is and how they are wrought A worke of great worth and very needfull And yet altogether omitted by the Authour of the Booke and I shall further discover his errours by setting forth the truth The Authour hath often alleadged in his Booke that famous and godly Martir Mr. William Tindall And I doe wonder that he could not see his doctrine concerning repentance and Faith He tells us plainly in many places that repentance must of necessity goe before that Faith that justifieth and that the Faith that justifyeth all wayes followes repentance as page 32. and 96. and 146. of Mr. Tindalls workes and in the last page here mentioned he saith repentance goeth before Faith and prepareth the way to Christ and to the promises But the Authour had no mind to take notice of this truth which was so contrary to his opinion for he hath found a nearer way to Heaven then all the Saints and Servants of God did in former times Christian Reader take knowledge of this one thing which may helpe thee in the understanding of the truth of God and may deliver thee from some of the errours of these times namely that there is a twofold administration or dispensation of the Gospell The one generall the other more speciall The
lost condition none but such as are wounded will look for and highly prize the Physician to cure their poore soules Now this Grace of Repentance is purchased by Christ and admitted to poore Sinners through him and to be preached in his Name and it is wrought in the hearts of the Elect by the holy Ghost through the free grace of God and is not wrought or produced by any power that is in the creature For the truth is we are all passive in every thing that concernes our salvation we cannot repent unlesse God give us repentance we cannot beleeve unlesse God give us faith to beleeve And therefore I doe the more wonder at the Author that hath so much urged Faith and believing and yet never tells us how this so precious Faith is wrought or how wee may attaine thereunto but speakes of it as if it were in our own power I acknowledge freely that Repentance is wrought by the Word preached and Faith also But yet it is the Lord that works by the means and without which all would be unprofitable and so all is of free Grace for there is no worke that we can doe before Justification or after Justification can merit any grace for us before God Ephes 2.10 for we are his workmanship created in Jesus Christ c. And whatsoever gift of grace any man receives it is from the free bounty and grace of God in Christ And every gift so received is to be put forth by us to the glory of our God and the good of our brethren And to so forth to all men the goodnesse of our God towards us through Christ by way of thankfulnesse for mercy received and to no other end whatsoever And thus you may see I am no enemy to the doctrine of Free Grace nor to the Teachers thereof if they publish only the truth thereof without running into by wayes for feare of something which they need not if they did truly understand the truth But I desire above all things to advance the Free grace of God in Christ and by Gods help will doe it And now because the Author hath so much spoken of Faith and of beleeving yet hath not told us what this Faith is I will Christian Reader for thy help and the Authors information for downe what this precious Faith is for other Faith 's mentioned in Scripture I let passe This only is to our purpose at this time and I suppose may be thus defined To be a gracious worke of Gods Spirit wrought in the hearts of such as are Penitent wherby they are assured in their soules of the free pardon and remission of all their sins and of peace and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ Rō 5.1 This is that speciall faith which none but the Elect are partakers of and therefore called the faith of Gods elect other faiths are common to all this only to the redeemed in Christ and this faith is never given to any but to the repentant only And this repentance and this faith are the parts of Regeneration the new birth from above spoken of by our Lord Christ John 3.5 Water and the Spirit The first prepareth the other purgeth and without which work no man shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven according to that eternall decree never to be called back which saith Except a man de borne againe of Water and the Spirit be cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven I wonder the Author could not see this or if hee saw it would not so much as mention it in the bringing of a poore sinner home to Iesus Christ but presseth men to believe as if Faith were in mans power whereas indeed it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Mortification of sin and Sanctification or newnesse of lise doth alwayes follow the Justification of a sinner by faith and are some of the fruits proceeding from one that is justified and reconciled unto God through Iesus Christ for they must be first ingrafted into Christ before they can bring forth fruit in him Now the parts of Regeneration Repentance and Faith are but the ingrafting and no part of the fruit the Fruit alwayes follows the ingrafting and these are no part of Repentance if truly considered for every grace of the Spirit may be clearly distinguished each from other by the Scriptures and must not be confounded together as the manner of some is to doe who would make Repentance to consist of Mortification to sinne and newnesse of life nay some have said that Repentance consists of Faith also and so they make a great confusion and are never able to find out the truth For though Repentance doth continue in a time beleever and justified person so long as he lives here for he sins daily and therefore must repent daily And it is required of them Ephes 6.15 that they should have their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace namely Repentance yet is Repentance truly to be distinguished from other the effects of the spirit as Faith Hope Patience Love and Ioy and not to be confound one with another as some doe And by the way let this bee considered that howsoever Christ hath wrought perfect Redemption for us yet the application and the making this Redemption effectuall unto us is done by the holy Ghost every one in the undivided Trinity having his speciall worke appropriated unto him to make perfect the salvation of poore Sinners which severall workes must of necessity be distinguished And take notice of this that this speciall Faith that justifieth the beleever apprehending the grace of God in Christ is alwayes grounded upon some speciall promise in Scripture For there cannot bee this speciall faith in any soule where there is not first a promise And the promises as I have said are made only to the Penitent the broken-hearted the mourners such as are heavy laden c. Christ calls only such to him And the holy Spirit of God doth never write the Covenant of Peace with God in other hearts but only in the broken and contrite heart namely the repentant soule and they only can and doe beleeve with this speciall Faith for none else can worke that worke to beleeve in him whom God hath sent John 6.29 but only such poore soules for where there is no promise there can be no faith for though faith be the ground of things hoped for yet there must be a promise to ground that Faith on For though Abraham beleeved beyond hope yet he had a promise first made unto him by a faithfull God And therefore I pray the Christian Reader to observe what I have before set down for it is not our beleeving till wee be perswaded that we do beleeve for as I have said before so I say againe there must be first a promise for such poore Sinners to lay hold on then they finding themselves to be such penitent and broken hearted to whom the speciall promises do pertain the holy