gifts of prayer does but offer a stinted form which is said commonly as to the hearers particular state and the stinting of the Object does not yet stint the Spirit however in his operation on the affections Praying alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplications in the Spirit Praying with the Spirit or by it in the last place is that we find in the dayes of the Apostles when they had extraordinary administrations of the Spirit in gifts that were miraculous insomuch that they spake with tongues and so preached and prayed Those that spake I apprehend understood not themselves what they delivered but every one in whose tongue they spake were edified and therefore we read of some that did interpret Those were such it is like as had skill in more tongues than their own or else in case there were none such the fame miraculous power might enable some for the interpretation as others to speak Thus praying with the Spirit is opposed to praying with the understanding and the Apostle prefers praying with the understanding before it There is no person had cause therefore to brag of this if he had it and there is none of any sect among us that pretend to it And so I think having said what I intended otherwise that neither the Gentleman nor I need to be put to any more words about it I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also CHAP. IV. Of the closer judgement of the Author in his sixth Chapter which is Arminian and of Election Free-will and Grace upon account of his opinion Of the salvability of Heathen and other incidental matters I Descend to his sixth Chapter which is to shew us who those are to whom the Spirit is promised and given These persons are Believers who yet are not holy persous This is his Notion They cannot be holy till they have the Spirit to sanctifie them and yet they must believe and pray because that is the condition upon which the Spirit is given The holy Spirit consequently and his special grace is necessary to Good works or sanctification but Believing is antecedent to it or must be in a mans power before it I must confess I am made sensible of the sagacity of this Author upon my reading this Chapter which I did not heed so much before and I perceive which way his mind is hankering It was this very light which carried St. Augustine so much in his first writings The doctrine of Pelagius at the first broaching consisted mainly in this point that God did give his grace according to mens merits This doctrine seemed to the Father too arrogant for man and derogatory to God That the grace of God and eternal life is given to some and not to others is manifest That the reason must be in regard of something that one man does and not another seemed to him undeniable That good works should be it appears against the Scripture not by works lest any man should boast Besides if a man should be allowed to be able to do any good works to merit Gods grace by the strength of nature what need were there of prayer for aid from God or the help of his Spirit Man should have need of industry here not prayer If not works then what must it be but that which is so often contradistinguished to works and that is Faith For the Scripture that saies not of Works but of Grace does say likewise It is of faith that it may be of Grace Here then is that which must be in mans power That a man could not do good works without grace St. Austine always asserted for this was his meaning when he saies that good works do not preceed but follow justification understanding by justifying the making a man just by inherent grace as the Schools do after him But that a man can believe if he will by the use of his natural faculties only is what he did maintain readily thinking no body could deny it According to this clear apprehension prehension as he then took it up he did proceed to his doctrine of Election which being defined by the Ancients before his time always ex praescientia he now determines to be of this Faith foreseen It must not be ex operibus praevisis because that will oppose grace but ex praevifa fide and that will salve all objections We are to conceive of other things to follow agreeably as Arminius that acute and I think pious Divine hath since taken up the notion when Augustine himself retracted it and upon his own stock improved it It is me now I must say something notable to see the seeds of the same light springing up in this Gentleman as formerly actuared two such searching Divines as Austin and Arminius were and I cannot therefore without guilt of disingenuity pass over any thing which he hath offered for the farther cultivation of it For doing this I observe he enters first upon an adventure to make some change of our terms in Divinity The state of nature and a state of Grace are terms that signifie Regeneration and Unregeneration with all men even in our practical Books and he will have us by a state of Nature to understand the state of a Heathen and by a state of Grace the state of every one under the Gospel The Gospel now bringing a man into this state a state of Grace he distinguishes of this Grace the Gospel brings And it is either that which goes before our Faith or follows it That which goes before he accounts it all Common Grace that which is given after it special Grace Ordinarily by the way that grace which is given to the Reprobate as well as to the Elect we call Common Grace and that which is peculiar to the Elect we call special grace whether before or after Faith But he offers his reason The Grace which the Gospel brings is either says he that which is given upon condition or that which is given upon none That which is conditional must be given only to some because it is some only perform that condition and that which is given but to some is special Grace That which is given upon no condition must be therefore or rather may be appropriated to all and so is Common Grace Thus he Theologizes when we ordinarily do not account it common grace because every one has it but because the Reprobate as well as the Elect have it and we do not call it special Grace only because some have it but because the Elect only have it so that that Grace which is given but to some if it be given to any Reprobate as well as the Elect we call not special but common Grace Well but these terms being premised that Grace now which he calls special the grace of the Gospel is promised on the condition of Faith It is Faith is the first thing upon which all depends If this be not in the power of every one the
doth in that manner work his graces in us that they are still the genuine effects of the Evidence and Motives of the Gospel Of the natural use of our faculties the understanding and will and of our own care and diligence in using the external means of grace His operations in us make us capable of recovering our selves by degrees and all the while there is no sensible difference between them and the natural operatious of our minds and yet we are sure we have his assistance and help in all the good we do and without it we can do nothing at all to saving purposes This is the Doctrine which if no inferences but Orthodox be drawn from it I take to be sound We have then some Vse of it which is also very good There is but a little of it but if he had been more in that and less in quarrels with the Doctor it had yet been all better And so God bless the hopeful Author in his Studies CHAP. VI. Of the Authors Calumniations of Dr. Owen and some reply to them Having thus done with the Book there are some passages require my reflection upon them for the Doctors vindication The Doctor is accused of Nonsense of Contradiction of Error It is fit that some thing should be said in reference to the two latter though it be but a rudeness to go about to answer any thing to the former For the first therefore I will say this only If the Doctor hath expressed any thing darkly that this Author cannot make sense of it such a place or passage as to him is to go for nothing That is all in civility to be said of it For the second There is one instance I will mention about Election The Doctor in one place of his Book speaking I suppose to a prophane person yet presuming on his Election tells him He cannot believe his Election any otherwise but as God reveals it by the effects that is untill he believe and repents he cannot conclude he is Elected In another place speaking I suppose to the tender serious Christian who is yet in trouble about his Election he saies He cannot justly doubt of his Election until he be in such a condition as wherein it is impossible that the effects of Election should be wrought in him This the Author makes a contradiction but it is only the distinguishing between these two things A not concluding and A concluding not and the Doctor is cleared The man who sees not the effects of Election on his heart and in his life cannot conclude that he is elected here is the not concluding which ought to be And the man that sees them not cannot conclude for all that that he is not Elected because they may be wrought in him before he dies here is the concluding not which must be avoided So the one is rebuked and the other supported as they should both be Such are the Doctors contradictions For the third which is the Doctors Errors I must distinguish of Error There is Human Error Error common to man It is the nature of man to be subject to mulake to be deceived to err saies the Orator and there are Pernicious Errors This Gentlemans accusations are of both sorts For the former sort There is two or three places where this Author is very confident upon the Doctor for his saying that the Spirit is given to us in his Person as well as in his Effects which methinks I cannot pass because I do not know well whether the Error be in the Doctor or in this Author or in my self I am apt to think that it is too much to say that the Spirit dwelleth personally in any man though we are said to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that it is too little to say he is given only in his gists graces or effects I would say rather that the Spirit is given it self for these Effects I look upon the Spirit of Christ to be given to us for a principle of life and union with our Head from whom we have through this Spirit the communication of all saving influence unto a holy life It is the received opinion that there is an habitual righteousness infused by God in the soul for our justification according to the Schools or according to our Divines for our Regeneration and that this is the principle of life and power in the soul unto holy operations I must confess here I do not receive this Doctrine I have it somewhere in my Mediocria I think more cautiously but I do really believe no infusion of habits I count that the Spirit by a motion on the Will exciting it to act does incline it to farther acts by the impression which is made and that the habit then is acquired by the iteration of those acts and delight in them or love to them shed abroad in our hearts by the same Holy Ghost given to us I do believe consequently that it is the Spirit it self dwelling in us as the Scripture understands its own expression which is that principle of life from whose constant secret and unperceptable aid does proceed all those actions which are holy and good and acceptable to God I do believe there is a time when Christ gives his Spirit to every one of his Elect for uniting him to himself as his head and that this union is effected immediately by that communication and that through this Spirit all vital influence must be derived to us I cannot frame my self to say the Spirit is personally in us but he is in Christs members as a principle of life and spiritual action and as the formal band of that union which we have with him Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that body are one body so also is Christ I cannot tell well therefore how to brook some expressions as I find somewhere in this Author and in another before him that when the Scripture speaks of our having the Spirit of Christ and having it so as to be led by him and if we have not the Spirit of Christ we are none of his they are willing to interpret the having Christs Spirit to be only the being of his temper and and disposition which is the bringing down the Scripture to our ordinary converse and seems to me unholy I hope these men do believe the Christian faith and do reverence his mysteries And there are these three of them The mysterie of the Trinity The mysterie of the Incarnation and the Mystical Union between Christ and his Church It is true that Christ is not a Natural head but a Political as opposed to natural but not as opposed to mystical He is a Political head as he governs us and as we are in subjection to him but he is also a Mystical head vouchsafing to us that spiritual influence which enables us to obey him He governs us and so
revelation external and so shall he that hath the Scriptures onely be accounted to have the Spirit and to discern these spiritual things The other two Opinions will have this testimony or revelation internal so that without the Spirit 's operation within the man is to be held a Natural man and not to understand these things This internal revelation of the Spirit then is either extraordinary in the miraculous gifts and discernment of the Primitive times and the second Opinion is that the place is to be understood of these gifts and such workings of the Spirit as do not belong now to ours or it is ordinary in the work of illumination and conversion which still continue in the world and the third Opinion which is the Drs. rests in this as of most concern to us and most easie of admission There is a fourth Interpretation By the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood the Sensual man and by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the intellectual contemplative man The Platonists do distinguish their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some of our Platonical Divines do favour this Exposition To confirm it there is that Text in Jude may be produced where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are so translated sensual not having the Spirit with other places where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are opposed This Note by the way I take up however that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are indeed the same But this interpretation I think too extreamly opposite to the first which is our Authors for these mens spiritual man is no more than his natural man and I am satisfied with him that no man of the highest attainment by contemplation can be able to find out any of these things in the text which depend on Gods Soveraign Will and can be discovered only by his Spirit For As no man knoweth the things of a man saies the text save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God These things of God are I say the arbitrary councils of God's will for the saving man by his grace in and through Jesus Christ which lies not within the scheam of Nature and come not therefore within the ken of humane understanding unless they be made known to us either by inspiration of them into our selves or by the Revelation of them through the Spirit by others There may be haply more Interpretations than these for I consult not Commentators but if any be apt to mingle the two former into one for confutation of the third because it is Dr. Owens I do apprehend such to betray a precipitate disaffection rather than a ponderous judgement I know that the first and second this Authors and the Friendly Debaters may be made use of to confute the third which is the received interpretation and the Doctors but so may the third and second be used to confute this Authors and yet that will neither make the first and second nor the second and third to be the same That interpretation which gives such a sense of the Chapter as makes the receiving the Spirit there applicable only to the Christians in the Primitive times cannot be the same with that which gives such a sense of it as makes it applicable to Christians now whether all of them regenerate and unregenerate who have but their Bibles as this man will have it or those only who are partakers of it to the effect of Regeneration according to Dr. Owen Let us look the Gentlemans Introduction now again over and we shall find that the braggery of that Interpretation which he hath advanced to confute Dr. Owen does lye herein that every one who hath the Scriptures and does not reject them must have the Spirit in the Text to discern the things of God and the Doctor must be a very proud man who does number himself among such and will allow the Regenerate only to know them This must be shewn by all means what an absurd person the Doctor is who will have an almighty irresistible new light brought into the soul by the Holy Ghost that is a work of illumination on the mind and conversion on the heart to enable a man to discern these things when by the Spirit according to him we are to understand the outward revelation of the Word only which all have to enable them to discern the same There is one notion for all this which is much inculcated by him that seems to verge upon a mixture of the two first Interpretations by setching in something from the second into his which upon the account of corroborating is but some confounding himself first for confutation of the Doctor The Apostle saies he proposes the demonstration of the Spirit and of power to judge of the truth of the Gospel and he also proposeth the comparing spiritual things with spiritual to judge of the sense of the Doctrines of it Again Things that are spiritually discerned are those which be discernable only by the revelation of the Spirit That is by the testimony of the Spirit in miracles as to the truth of them and by comparing one divine revelation with another as to the meaning of them I love the Author for this because I must confess it seems to me to be very neatly spoken and yet it is but a tale when he hath said it The Apostle distinguishes not the truth of the things of God in the Text and the meaning of them 'T is he makes the distinction and puts it on the Apostle as if he intended that which came not once into his mind Nor does the Apostle propose these two ways of discerning things spiritually but himself proposes them I do not think the Apostle to be so double minded as to understand two things by this one expression spiritually discerned If he intended by it that the truth of the things revealed was discerned by the testimony of the Spirit given thereunto by miracles he intended not by it that the meaning of them is discerned by the testimony of Scripture And e contra if he intended the later he meant not the former The Apostle I believe had but one meaning though these two things be true asunder There is no man can be sure that by the demonstration of the Spirit in this Chapter and the comparing spiritual things with spiritual the Apostle intended two things or two wayes of that Spirits testimony it is more likely that the later expression does de industria expound the former To wit that when we find out any truth or doctrine by comparing one Scripture with another this is the demonstration of the Spirit intended in the place which I shall have occasion to suppose again by and by in regard to another Writer If they are two sorts of testimony no man can be sure that he intended them both I say still by that one explanation And who can
in those miraculous gifts or effects of the Holy Ghost now ceased the Minister while he prayes to God for his blessing that he may preach so is to be understood in the like allusion and meaning to wit that as God enabled the Apostles in their time to speak in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power whatsoever that was so he would assist him in such a way and manner now as is but sutable to the present work and his ordinary operation Thus much I say upon supposition of our second and this Debaters Interpretation but I must confess I do not find my self convinced in the reading the Text that this interpretation is indubitable 〈…〉 at leasâ— for Dr. Owens and his 〈…〉 from the place against it 1. I see not any thing that will restrain our sense 〈◊〉 nâ—cessity to that meaning and we are not to be 〈◊〉 in our allowances to the thoughts of others who keep to the analogy of faith without cogent reason 2. The demonstratiin of the Spirit and of power is opposed to the excellency of speech or enticing words of mans wisdom But the Apostles speaking with tongues or his miraculous gifts does not oppose the eloquence of man or excellency of words but rather agree with it That which does in the most direct sense oppose the excellency of speech and enticing words of mans wisdom is plain truth which the Spirit teaches 3. The Apostle proceeding on in the Chapter speaks not of himself only but of the whole Church Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God That which all the faithful do know by the Spirit as well as the Apostles cannot be miraculous or extraordinary Such is the demonstration here Or thus That which is common to all the faithful and not peculiar to the Apostles and primitive times or to any particular person cannot be miraculous or extraordinary Such is the receiving the Spirit here and consequently the demonstration of it 4. Those things the Holy Ghost teaches a man by comparing one thing with another as spiritual things with Spirituals which is by way of study and discursive reason are not demonstrated in a way miraculous and extraordinary belonging only to the Apostles and not other Ministers of Christ But such was the Apostles speaking here Which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual 5. The following comparison between the natural man and the spiritual man that one receives or relishes not the things of God as disagreeing to his judgement and the other does seems more aptly to be understood as it is ordinarily of the regenerate and unregenerate than of the extraordinarily inspired only unto which this most curious Interpreters thoughts must lead him 6. In the last place I humbly offer an interpretation of this expression which if it be not the very meaning of the Text as much of that which is urged here seems to attest yet will it be sufficient I hope to justifie our Prelates Universities Doctors with the most of the Ministers of the Church as well as the Assembly and the more plain and honest meaning Country-Preachers in their using the same so ordinarily as they do in their prayers It is this To speak in the demonstration of the Spirit is to deliver the very truth of Scripture or the plain sense of the Spirit in Scripture in opposition to humane conceit or invention and to speak so is to speak in Power because a man may expect that assistance of the Holy Ghost to accompany such Preaching which he cannot upon other The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes Ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God The receiving the word as the word of God and not of man is the receiving it in power and the preaching it accordingly so is the preaching it in power and what that power is does follow Which effectually worketh in you that believe Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost This is my Covenant with them My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and of thy seed for ever CHAP. II. Of the Substance or Contents of the Authors four first Chapters wherein I make my self concerned but little farther I Return to the Doctors Opposer and I come now from his Introduction to his Book Of this Book there are two parts The first is to shew us what the Scriptures hold forth concerning the Spirits operations The second is to confute many pernicious Doctrines of Dr. Owen The first and second both is indeed to do this but the second shall do it all together And this part he hath reserved I suppose to come out hereafter The first part then having this subject The Spirits Operations does contain seven Chapters In his first Chapter he explains to us what he means by the Spirit and by its Operations The word Spirit saies he signifies three things The Mind the Temper of the mind the Holy Ghost and he understands it of the last I have two things to say here The one is as to his second signification The temper or disposition of the Mind is either of Nature only and belongs to the Spirit of man within him or of Grace and belongs to the Spirit of God that works it Of this Temper the Author must be understood to speak when he speaks of the Spirit of Faith Fear and Love The other is that there are more significations of the word Spirit than these which himself knows Every spirit which confesseth seth Christ in John is I think as much as every Doctrine Which by the way does put me in mind to say thus much that when this Author comes to speak of things which are common heads and only require a grave and comprehensive Divine to marshal them he does methinks appear to me so lank as I cannot tell well whether that which he saies be solid or no because I am sure it is not full though when he falls upon several particular things he seems to look through them well By the operations of the Spirit he understands and defines them those which are on the mind to cause certain qualities promised in the Gospel and continued in all ages I have two things therefore to say here likewise One is that though this were never so much too short there is no body in the main of what is said is like to contradict him Dr. Owen by the Spirit understands the Holy Ghost as
to intercede for us therein according to the will of God it cannot be imagined but thus much must be allowed to that operation whatsoever farther he does for us Now then when the Spirit doth not only move the affections in relation to the things the heart is upon in those groanings mentioned to be unutterable but pitches the heart upon these things those very things or objects themselves sometimes at least that are most sutable to our wants which he knows better than we and most agreeable to God's will whether we regard his promises and word or the will of his providence and what he is minded to accomplish for us whâ—â— he alone does know and not we it does seem that the prescribing a set form to our prayers does indeed put some stint to one part of this operation I say iâ— really seems so which is the suggesting good thoughts or the good things themselves into our minds or pitching our hearts upon the things he knows best for every one when the Minister does not know it though it puts no stint to him in his operation on the affections exciting or enlarging them after those objects or the petitions which the Church hath prescribed And how far this will go for the preferring of Conceived Prayer before a Form I leave to that learned and able Doctor of the Church and this ingenious person who is following him to give judgment There are many reasons in regard to the Minister if he hath no Gift or if he have and have not grace least he be puffed up in the ostentation of it and of the Congregation under some considerations why a set form is more eligible when in regard of the humbly godly who are endowed with the Gist and Spirit both there is this reason from praying in the Spirit to be alledged for conceived prayer I must say in the Pulpit out of that Doctors own words before named as nothing for ought I know can be put in ballance against it for notwithstanding the severity of some reflections he hath upon such as are of that mind and practise I do not see any reason at all why a fluent expression a raised voice a zeal in the delivery a melting soul touching phrase out of Scripture with newness and variety of the same and the like circumstances which many times pierce the heart that is slat otherwise and hath 〈◊〉 of all we can to quicken it should any way be derogatory to the sound and wholesome requests otherwise which a man puts up to God in his prayerâ— And consequently if such circumstances indeed as these which will raise the affections are incident to conceived Prayer which are not to a set form then hath that worthy Doctor administred an effectual reason why the very same material petitions or confessions of a Prayer are better oftentimes when delivered extempore than in form and consequently an argument for one above the other even while he is seeking occasion hereby to blast conceived Prayer And why indeed let me ask should not the Church be as ready to use those Gifts which God hath given unto any to excite the people the more in their Devotions as well as they are to make use of Organs and diversity of Voices in their choosing Singing-men and Singing-boyes to that purpose The same Psalm in an Anthem hath another operation on the heart of a devout Conformist out of the mouth of a Choire than it hath in a private Parlour And if a Non-conformist does find the like experience as to an Extempore Prayer above any Composure why should that Doctor or this person be any less pleased with it The use of a man's Gifts in prayer is but an Organ of God's making a warbling and holy descant upon the plain requests of the heart to affect it the more with them and an Organ is the use of those Gifts as I may say which are of man's making or which man hath given to the Church for the same end to wit the enlivening our dull affections while we are meditating praying and praising the Almighty To return we know that Christ bids his Disciples when they were brought before Magistrates they should leave it to the Spirit to direct them what they should speak without solicitude for matter or words It is a modest rule when any thing extraordinary is promised to the Church that it is to be expected at first but afterward we are to look only for what is ordinary I believe that such assistance as that but in an ordinary way and manner is always to be expected by the godly with faith in all they are put upon for his glory and upon supposition of the Spirits suggesting sometimes the very objects into the Ministers mind in such a way as is agreeable to spiritual operation though we are ignorant how which he knowes does befit the present frame of the Congregation How much more likely is the performance of the duty after these motions when there is a gift in the Minister to follow them to affect the hearts of all present then the performance of it after a form of man whether of anothers or his own composure This I must say with faithfulness who am not for the rust of any Ministers parts seeing he hath such continual occasion to use them yet not without these two or three cautions The one is that in the prayers which the Church hath composed we may humbly conceive that the Spirit of God did pitch the hearts of those who were to joyn in their gifts or judgements for the composure upon those objects or matter which is most agreeable to our publick Congregations as it does the heart of any single Minister upon those things as is most agreeable to his will for the present occasion Another is that if a Minister hath not the gift to express himself without study and does therefore take pains for his prayer as for his Preaching having a gift perhaps upon his pains and study though none else that does equal if not excel his that hath the best without it he may expect the same assistance on his study that the Spirit should help his infirmities as to the putting in his mind those things which are most conducive for his people to receive and most agreeable to his will to give as any other may who hath the readiest gift to follow his present motions The last is that though a Minister therefore should take heed of drying up his gifts by one constant form in the Pulpit where he hath liberty yet if any do so I do hold that it is not a sufficient ground for his people to run from him into separation for though that will make his Ministry the less comfortable as the Ministry of one who hath less gifts must be less comfortable than one that hath greater yet the majus and minus does not vary the species and this reaches not to make the service unlawful Besides he who prayes with the largest
terms of the Gospel shall be unperformable And that this Faith may be in our power he will have a preventing Grace which is not the Grace it self of the Gospel that being all conditional but some Divine assistance accompanying it as enables every body that hears the Gospel to believe unless they wilfully reject it He is afraid of Pelagianism to allow that any do or can believe of their own strength without Grace though Austin when he entertained this mans thoughts made no scruple of that and therefore he will help out the good Father here very kindly with the intimation of a Grace that being not confined to any condition must be common and so belong to all who are brought into that state which is a state of Grace the state of being under the Gospel when Christ says Go preach the Gospel he that believes not shall be damned It is repugnant he argues to the goodness and justice of God that he should with-hold that assistance as is necessary to make this condition possible and believing without such Grace is impossible Upon this Grace then which all have who have the word preached a man becomes his Believer This Faith or bare Christianity with Prayer is the condition of that promise that God will give his Holy Spirit to those that ask him The Spirit being given we are to improve his Grace This improvement is the condition of that farther promise that God will dwell in us That God will give us his Spirit and that he will dwell in us are the principal promises of Grace in the Gospel I consent with this Author understanding Grace only of these operations This implies a plentiful communication of farther degrees of Grace for perseverance Upon the condition of perseverance we shall be saved Lo here the notion of this worthy Author wherein I think I have done him and my Reader right to present it with all the light about it as I was able to draw it from him I will now requite the ingenuity and liberty of his opinion with the like freedom in my Animadversions In the first place I do apprehend that these things have lien in the mind of this Gentleman not yet seven years and I think that a man had need to take no less time than Jacob served for Rachel to consider well before he wed himself to a Party in the controversie of the Five points especially if he take to that side which stands condemned by the Synod of Dort with our British Divines in it who being sent thither by Authority were to determine nothing we may be sure but what was agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church and also when the Father who first sprang that notion which this Author is in quest of did upon most mature deliberation himself forsake it and that only as I believe upon a full conviction from the Scripture which led him into the Doctrine of Absolute Election which this man as suddenly rejects as he maturely embraced shewing himself even fond of it in all his latter Writings even to the death Which makes me add this moreover that forasmuch as I see several of our younger Divines being of more quick parts so forward upon these points I will pass my conjecture that by that time they have well bred their teeth they will not perhaps be so much in pain as they seem now to be to run into disputation as they do either with Calvin or Doctor Owen In the second place I cannot lightly give the Gentleman my approbation to his new coin I am sensible of so much hurt and ill consequence that may come of this boldness to go about to alter terms that have gotten into our Divinity when it is not that of the Schools only but of our Sermons and practical Books that this Author is not aware of what he does It is the raw Divine will take up these terms and when he comes to use them he will be so confounded himself and confound the people that hear him that they will be as those that speak in a strange tongue one to another For instance what if a green Preacher comes and tells his Congregation after this Author that all that hear him are in a state of Grace What if he comes and preaches on that the Gospel gives no ground for us to expect any special Grace till we perform the condition of the Gospel How odd must this appear to the hearers in any judicious Congregation when we know the first Grace we mean effectual is given without condition Yet let this Author explain these words for him that by special Grace we must always understand Grace promised to qualified persons so that all he means must be that that Grace which is promised on condition is not given till we perform the condition the matter admits of no contradiction Besides this evil the new forming of terms which are received to other significations in the Church is methinks but like a man who hath some very curious work to engrave and when he has all those tools in his shop that are made on purpose for the doing that work he will use his knife only This may indeed commend the rarity and industry but not the wisdom of that workman who could have done his business better if he had used those Instruments which were ready by him and proper for it In the third place there is one thing I must needs observe wherein I think this Gentleman in his Hetorodoxy to be a little too Orthodox and that is in his ordering the scheme of his notion so as that the homo Evangelizatus only shall be the subject of God's Grace that is when he does hold forth a common Grace vouchsased to all who are under the Gospel enabling them to believe if they will upon which the promise of the Spirit belongs to them and so the special Grace of it upon Gospel conditions unto everlasting life he does leave all the world besides in such a state as is without all Grace and consequently in a remediless condition Whereas he may find in the Schools that there is an universal Grace maintained by many which they call sufficient and which indeed is that which this Author means by his common Grace as no man is without whether Heathen or Christian in the improvement whereof farther degrees are attainable upon the Habenti dabitur till it comes to be effectual so that it shall lie upon the liberty of the will in every body whether they be saved or damned I know the Author may desert these and not be singular in this point of his opinion so long as he hath the Fathers generally St. Cyprian and St. Augustine more particularly the Papist and Protestant Churches with the eighteenth Article of our own on his side and that which may please this Author something more I remember Arminius in some place of his works does expresly exclude all Heathens from salvation though many that have tread in his steps otherwise
never to be withstood or any more to be doubted What advantage then hath the Jew above the Gentile These are the words It cannot be imagined by me now that this question could be offered after he had said thus much if there were such a difference between these two as that one of them only was under a possibility of Salvation It is brought in as an objection to his foregoing assertion in this sense that if this be true there appears no difference in the matter whether a man be Jew or Gentile seeing he that hath the Law only written in his heart and keeps it that is in sincerity shall have the benefit and be saved as well as he that hath it written in the Bible The Apostle does as good as answer This is true yet is there a difference Chiefly because that unto the Jew were committed the Oracles of God I interpret not these words but give this paraphrase The Heathen were under the same law of Grace for life as the Jews but the Jews advantage was that they had it in the second promulgation with this priviledge of Ordinances and our advantage is the like over them that we have it in the third and last promulgation by the Gospel I argue then once more If this was the chief advantage the Jew had over the Gentile that one had the Oracles of God and the other had not then was there not this difference between them as my Gentleman does make that one is only in a state of Nature and the other in a state of Grace or that one was in a capacity and the other under an impossibility of Salvation for this were an advantage of a far greater nature But this was the chief advantage Chiefly because Ergo. The Objections against this Doctrine are two The one is from the Scriptures which in many places in the New-Testament do require quire faith in Christ or believing the Gospel as the condition of Salvation He that believeth not shall be damned I answer As the Apostle saies of the Law Now we know that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law So say I of the Gospel whatsoever things of this kind the Gospel saith it saith to those that are under the Gospel Where the Gospel is Preached and the Revelation is sufficient so that men wilfully reject it such are left without excuse The case of such is dangerous indeed and these Texts applicable to them If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins But as for those who never heard the Gospel or when the Revelation hath been insufficient for such conviction the case I hope is otherwife The case is I think as I have said and our good God will not require of any more than he hath given The other objection is from the authority of men or of the Church more generally that condemns this opion But I count the testimony of Christians in this point is for themselves and so partial I suppose it taken again upon trust and followed by the most for want of light I believe also that if they had had but this light only that I offer they would have determined as I do It is true I grant as our Church thinks that there is no Religion by which a man can be sayed but one only that is the true Religion but this is a great truth here to be received that Christianity in the root according to what is said is indeed the universal Religion of mankind whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you So that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that live according to Reason such as Socrates Heraclitus and the like men were Christans though they were not so called according to Justin the holy Martyr in his Apology whatsoever Ancients besides we have for us Which doctrine nevertheless to salve most fully the eighteenth Article of our Church at first mentioned is not once to be thought on or harboured but as it is compatible with this certain Position that there is no way for all that under Heaven whereby a man or woman is or was or can be saved but in and through the only Name and mediation of our Saviour For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Christ Jesus In the fourth place I must require a better explanation from this Author how every man and woman that hath the Gospel preached to them are brought into such a state of grace as to have that assistance from the Spirit of God which enables them to believe and many of them effectually unto Salvation and yet that it is the Believer only is the Object of that promise that God will give his Spirit to them that ask him There are two of his Chapters where he enumerates the effects of the Spirit and he does in both make faith to be one and the chief of those effects that he may not find here any evasion yet does he make faith the condition of that promise How will he come off here Untill a man be a Believer or have faith the promise of Gods giving his Spirit belongs not to him and yet is faith and teachableness in order to it an effect of the Spirit That which is promised on a condition is not obtained but by our performance of the condition himself argues somewhere If Faith then be the thing promised how can it be the condition of the Promise If the Spirit that works Faith or the Spirit in regard to this effect is promised to the Believer then is Faith made a condition for obtaining it self when it is made so for obtaining the Spirit that gives it If we must believe that we may have the Spirit how comes Faith to be the effect of having it To be the condition which is antecedent to it and to be the effect also which follows it is methinks incompossible He may shist perhaps and distinguish There is a Faith that makes a man a Christian or his Believer and a faith that makes a man holy and is saving The one may be the condition of the other Well I will ask him then of the former Is that faith I pray the effect of a mans own strength or freewill or of the Spirit If he say the first what thinks he of that saying of our Lord Without me ye can do nothing that is nothing to any saving purpose to use the apt words of this Author otherwhere when it is something I think to purpose to do that as shall qualifie a man to be the Object of this promise that God will give him his Spirit upon his asking and the promise otherwise did not belong to him Especially seeing this Gentleman thinks it Pelagianism to allow so much without grace and therefore does he set up his common grace to avoid that danger If it be not of our selves but of the Spirit then have we here one of his Operations though the Spirit is
PEACEABLE DISQUISITIONS Which Treat Of The Natural and Spiritual Man Preaching with the Demonstration of the Spirit Praying by the Spirit Assurance The Arminian Grace Possibility of Heathens Salvation The reconciliation of Paul and James The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness with other Incident Matters In some Animadversions On a Discourse writ against Dr. OWEN's Book of the Holy Spirit By JOHN HUMFREY Doing nothing by Partiality LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Crowns and Bible the lower end of Cheapside 1678. Peaceable Disquisitions CHAP. I. Of the right understanding of the Apostles Natural and Spiritual man and of Preaching with the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power HAving met with a Book entituled A discourse concerning the operations of the Holy Spirit in confutation of Dr. Owen upon that Subject I cannot but be tempted to make some Animadversions upon it whether out of consent to the Authour in many things or dissent in others for a Resentment to see how nothing almost of this Doctor 's can come abroad though in matters onely practical and not polemical but there is a generation of men upon the wing ready to fly upon it as if they were never satisfied unless they could render that worthy person quite useless to the Church in all his Labours is enough to put me upon it I do acknowledge that this fresh Antagonist of his does appear to me to be a man of very smart abilities and of a masculine style regarding his conceptions without affectation of words for which I value him and I am beholding to him for the pleasure which he hath given me in the liberality of his notions yet do I think really that he and his consorts such as the Authour of the Ecclesiastical Polity and the like are to be blamed for two things The one is their Immorality as I judge of it in treating such men as Doctor Owen as they do with so much slighting and contempt and that without either any regret of conscience for the injustice and wrong which to speak unworthily of the worthy must be or due reflexion upon their own mortality and imperfections And who are we that enter into comparison The other is their intrenchment on things sacred with the same boldness and liberty of sarcasme as in things common whereby in their endeavor to expose a Party and this Doctor to scorn they do bring Religion it self into a lighter estimation I speak this chiefly in regard to some Books writ by way of Dialogue for I find this Gentleman restraining himself one place upon that account I will suppose this Authour to have studied Divinity about Ten years allotting his former life for other accomplishments and the Dr. to have studied these things Forty years I do think now if this Gentleman had had a little misgiving in his mind at the consideration of this imparity and thereupon expressed if not more Respect yet some more Modesty towards the Dr. it would have cast some better grace on his undertaking In this Preface the Dr. belike having said in one of his Books speaking to the people You are in a miserable condition if you have all this while relyed upon the authority of men in heavenly things This seems to imply saies the Gentleman that all men are in a state of damnation who rely upon the honesty and wisdom of their Spiritual Guides in matters of Faith But I hope some of those do so firmly believe the Truth upon the Testimony of God's Ministers as to live according to it which if they do God forhid that I should say they are in a damnable condition If I may take my conjecture from this less virulent passage in the Preface into what odious constructions the Drs. words are like to be wiredrawn still throughout the Book it will be to no purpose I count for me to go about the redeeming the Dr. from abuses which are so multiplied upon him of all sorts and on all occasions as pleases these Authours prejudicate minds but to attend rather other matters which shall administer occasion for the striking of light or the free pursuit and improvement of Truth that shall offer it self as we go along to our mutual edification This is my opinion that Dr. Owen is a man of that eminent Learning and all sorts of Worth both as a Sholar and Civil Gentleman that he deserves other Treatment from these men and is above my Vindication In this Book after the Preface we have an Introduction and Seven Chapters The Introduction presents us with a dissertation about one place of the Apostle which is much canvassed in the Arminian Controversie and does therefore require our first attendance The words are these The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned By the Natural man this worthy person understands one that is governed onely by Reason and by the Spiritual man he understands him that receives and judges of things by the Scriptures The natural man now saies he receives not those Doctrines of Christianity the truth whereof is not discoverable by natural reason because they are foolishness to him in that they cannot be proved hereby and he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned that is because they are made known onely by Revelation which the natural man either hath not or rejects See here an interpretation which looks grave and solid as well as ingenious but whether it be indeed the right or no we are to judge by the consistency of it with the place In the twelfth verse before the Text the Apostle saies That we have received the Spirit of God that we may know the things which he had before called the deep things of God And in the verse next after the Text he tells us The spiritual man judgeth all things It is apparent then that the spiritual man in the one verse and he that hath received the Spirit in the other must be one But the Revelation of the Scriptures without us to judge of things by and the Spirit of God within either inspiring these things or operating on the mind to understand them are two things and consequently if the Spiritual man be him that hath received the Spirit within to know the things of God it must not be him that hath onely received the Scriptures and rejects them not Besides this a man may receive the Scriptures as the Revelation of God and judge of Doctrines by it and be much skill'd in the letter of it as the Socinians are and yet not receive the great mystery thereof God manifested in the flesh And how does the spiritual man judge of all things if this be the spiritual man Nay how can it be said of him that he is judged of none seeing as he judges all things by these Scriptures so is he judged of all in what he holds by the same There is another interpretation
therefore for it is another and this Authour must not compound his with it to be laid down in the second place By the natural man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may understand him who hath onely the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reasonable soul derived from Adam and by the spiritual man him who hath received the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Spirit which is from Christ The first man Adam was made a living soul the second Adam was made a quickening spirit This Spirit as it was promised to be poured out upon men in the latter daies which was the time of the New Testament so do we find it given ordinarily at their Baptism and Confirmation as we read in the Acts and as we find in this Epistle The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all Where we have this Spirit given and that to every one and the Manifestation of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That manifestation possibly might be by some Shechinah sometimes on the heads of the baptized but the certain meaning appears in the following verses to be by the miraculous gifts then poured out Among which gifts one of them was the Discernment of mysteries Spirits that is Doctrines and so is the Spirit given and received we are to suppose in this place We have received the Spirit of God saies the Text to this effect That we may know the things which he hath freely given us The whole meaning then is thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man who had not this Spirit then poured on him could not discern those things of the Spirit as others of them could who had it because these hidden things were discoverable by that miraculous gift and he having not the Gift to discern them must judge of them by natural reason onely and so they were foolishness to him when as to them who had it they appeared the Power of God and Wisdom of God And of this Spiritual man so interpreted that is the inspired man one that had the mind of Christ in the last verse and that received the Spirit in the tenth for this effect the discernment of these things it is easie to understand how he could judge all things and be judged of none in regard that this inspâ—ration within could be discernable to himself onely and so the text and context and the whole chapter shall be made to agree throughout one verse with another Nevertheless there is one inconvenience this interpretation is liable to as will make it to be refused by most men when we have said all we can It is this that if this be the meaning then must this whole place be applicable onely to those Christians in the Apostles daies and no Christian at this time can be concerned That is if this be the sense then is there no man now that hath received the Spirit of God that he may know the things of God no spiritual man now in the true sense of this place but all must be natural men onely as having not the Spirit according to this interpretation when yet the giving of the Spirit otherwhere and in the sense of other Texts is a branch of the New Covenant and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ St. Paul saies in another place is none of his There is a third Interpretation therefore that by the Natural man and Spiritual man we are to understand the Vnregenerate and Regenerate man that is one that hath not and one that hath received the Spirit to the ordinary effects of it which is illumination and sanctification And this is the most general Opinion and Interpretation which is received by our Divines and so taken up by Dr. Owen however elaborately he hath improved it so little reason hath this Gentleman or any others to make any assault on him for that matter When the unreâ—â—â—â—rate man then in the Text is said not 〈…〉 things of the Spirit or Doctrines of Christ 〈…〉 he cannot that is morally cannot receive 〈…〉 meaning of our Divines in general is this that 〈◊〉 does not or cannot receive or discern them so as to savour them or relish them he does not or cannot embrace them in his heart as good to him or so as to lead his life according to them In short he cannot receive them so as to apply them And this is a Truth never to be gainsaid by this man though which of the three Interpretations is to be preferr'd I pass not my own judgment Let us hear this Authour's Objections The Doctor saies he does grant that an unregenerate man may assent to the truth of the things of God and if he can assent to them he can see a conformity in them to God's Attributes and a suitableness to the ends of the Gospel and if he can see this then will they not appear foolishness to him and consequently he can know them Every one will answer to this There is a Speculative and a Practical knowledge When our Divines say the unregenerate man cannot know these things they understand it of a Practical knowledge he does know them special lively but he hath no vital experimental knowledge of them And when the reason is given in the Text because they are spiritually discerned we must expound spiritually i. e. by the assistance of God's Spirit according to this third Interpretation The Natural man does not receive know or discern these things of God as able I account to apply them because they are discerned onely by a supernatural assistance of the Holy Ghost which they having not cannot do it I will answer farther The Spirit may be given and received to divers effects on her for illumination and conviction or for conversion and sanctification If the Natural man who is one without the Spirit hath not the Spirit at all to illuminate and convince him he believes not the Doctrines of Christ though he hears them There is no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost and while he in his heart believes them not they are indeed to him but foolishness when if he hath the Spirit but to enlighten and to convince him he may dogmatically receive them going so far and yet until he hath the Spirit also to convert him and sanctifie him he cannot discern them I must still say so as to apply them to his salvation Here are three Interpretations then proposed to them who please to strive for mastery I have but one Note more to add out of this Authour By being spiritually discerned saies he speaking of these things in the Text is meant their being known understood and judged of by the revelation and testimony of the Spirit Thus much is right and must be agreed upon by all three Interpretations onely their difference then also must be laid down This revelation or testimony of the Spirit therefore is either external or internal The first Opinion which is this Author's will have this
tell moreover whether the Apostle meant by his comparing spiritual things with spiritual the comparing one inspiration with another which belongs to the second or one Scripture with another that is the revelations of the New with those of the Old Testament which is proper to the first interpretation The man who had a Revelation within must have the truth of it and meaning both confirmed to him by that inspiration so that to distinguish of the truth and meaning of a doctrine inspired that is as to such is certainly of no signification And as for those who judge of any doctrine by the Scriptures they are but rightly to understand the meaning and they have the truth by that understanding Where the Revelation or Doctrine is divine the truth and meaning are one another As for the confirmation of Christianity by miracles and more particularly by the effusion of Gifts in the Primitive times it does not belong to this Author's but the second interpretation And from hence arises another objection against the Doctor It is from the demonstration of the Spirit we read of in the fourth verse by which this quick Divine I suppose after the famous Author of that book entituled the Friendly Debate does understand the miraculous operation of the Spirit in those times When the Apostle preached the Gospel at first the Holy Ghost fell on the hearers and they spake with tongues underhood mysteries and could do miracles This was an undenyable testimony to the divinity of their Doctrine so that no man can Preach out of doubt with such demonstration now in our dayes If this then be the meaning of the Spirit in that verse it must be the meaning of it in the verses following that is to judge tightly and the defect of this ready man is here that he hit not on our intimation before Consequently as this demonstration of the Spirit if it be so is by those miraculous gifts the receiving the Spirit there must be in those gifts and particularly the gift of discerning so the spiritual man must be him that had that gift the Natural man him that had it not whereby the one could judge of all things that is those things in the Text the other could not know them upon that account And this is both against the Authors and the Doctors interpretation The Doctor understands the Text so as no man can discern the things of God spiritually unless he be regenerate this Gentleman to oppose this will have all understanding Christians be able to understand them spiritually because they have the revelation of the spirit in the Scriptures and why not demonstrate them so by the Spirit likewise And yet is he unhappily lead I apprehend by the Friendly Debater to give such an exposition of one of the verses of this Chapter as the rest being carried on accordingly his own interpretation and the Doctors both are quite gone That is when this ingenious man hath offered so handsom a sense of this Text as to render the place gratefully applicable to all Christians and in so much larger a capacity than the Doctor as the unregenerate are more than the regenerate he does by one inadvertant leading concession fall into theirs as does make this place proper only to the primitive times Such need have they who are too forward in charging others with inconsistencies to look to themselves that their own writings be consistent with a mature judgement and the fear of God in doing to others as they would be done to by others I will therefore now turn to some words of the Friendly Debater himself and in the mean time make this stand The revelation which a man hath from without and the understanding accordingly this receiving the Spirit by having the Scriptures and judging all things by them is one thing and the revelation which he hath from within and understanding the receiving the Spirit by the miraculous gift of discernment by which he judges of these things so as indeed he can be judged of none is another Either let this Author cleave to his own Exposition and forsake the other or let him forsake his own and cleave to the other And hereby shall all arguments gathered from this place of Scripture about any point in dispute in our dayes such as are the doctrines of free grace and free will and of the subject of this Authors Book the operations of the holy Spirit be laid to sleep and give us no trouble The words I mean of the Friendly Debate are these because they afford us some farther necessary matter The Assembly of Divines when they direct men how to perform their Ministry doe not speak so in their Directory as to be understood since they cannot prophesie nor speak with tongues nor demonstrate their doctrine by miracles as the Apostles did I would gladly know what they mean by delivering the truth in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power I am apt to think it would puzzle a new Assembly to tell us in plain words what they intended by that phrase Let me desire you not to use words without sense belonging to them and to entreat your Minister that he would hereafter forbear to pray to God he may speak so as no body now can hope to do I wonder at you that you should not discern the Apostle speaks there of the wonderful work of the Holy Ghost I doubt your Minister is not inlightned because he doth not instruct you better in the Scripture I do not here dislike this liberty of conception in so well-studied an Interpreter of Scripture as I take that Writer to be that when the Apostle speaks of his own Preaching in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power he accounts it to be understood of that confirmation of the Christian Doctrine by the miraculous gifts as was in those times yet when he proceeds to so universal an adventure as to forbid every Minister to use that expression henceforward any more in his prayer the singularity offends In the Liturgy we have these words in a prayer Almighty God who alone workest great miracles send down upon our Bishops and Curates the helpful Spirit of thy grâ—ace This expression does allude to the mission of the Holy Ghost at first on the Apostles when there appeared eleven tongues and fâ—r on eaâ—h of them and the Church does pray here in this sense that God who wrought that great marvel on the Apostles in sending down his Spirit and gifts at first in that extraordinary manner and way as he did upon them for sitting them for their Office would be pleased to vouchsafe the grace and gifts of the same Spirit on our present Ministers whether superiour or inferiour in that ordinary manner and measure full as is sit for such as do succeed them in that great imployment I may presume I doubt not to say the same here that suppose the Apostles Preaching in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power to lye only
he does and by the Operations of it what he does And why then will he fall foul on the Dr. When he agrees with him in the substance what need is there he should pursue a flea in the circumstances of words only or variety of expression Another is that where he excepts at the Doctor for alluding in his words to some Texts that speak of miraculous gifts and so cannot be applied to us and also for a critical note he had before on the Hebrew word put on him Isa 42.1 from whence he collects that in Gods giving us the effects of his Spirit the Spirit it self is also given I will compound with this Author The Doctor shall submit his critical note to the Spirit of the Prophets and this man shall let the Doctor speak but the same things by way of allusion to Scripture whether they be proved thereby or not which other Divines do speak and affirm ordinarily without that allusion In his second Chapter he shews us what these effects are for the producing of which the holy Spirit is given which he undertakes to do here from that Text Luke 11.13 where After two parables of the man asking three Loaves for his Friend and of a Son asking Bread of a Father our Saviour tells us that God will give his holy Spirit to those that ask him From hence he gathers that the effects for which God gives his Spirit are such as are needful because it is Bread the Son and the Friend asks and profitable because a Fish and Egg also is given Here he tells that our need is to be measured by the end That the end is our salvation Consequently the Spirits operations on the mind are to produce all those effects as are necessary to eternal life These are Faith Knowledge All Vertue or graces which make us practical Christians and Perseverance Here are his needful effects then his profitable and not necessary are degrees of Goodness which are more highly so or degrees of Knowledge that are less profitable Here he discourses whether God does give the Spirit for these things profitable upon our asking and tells us God may give us things better or more sutable and so deny them Then he shews us how the Spirit is prayed for in the Lords prayer because when we ask for any grace or vertue we ask for him to work it In the whole then of this Chapter we have nothing against the Doctor or the Doctor against him but a good Sermon I suppose we have which he might have preached somewhere and adapts it to this occasion which makes it look though well yet feat and unlike a beaten Divine who in shewing what the effects of Gods Spirit are would have cast them into some proper and fuller order and then proved them by Scripture and quite let alone this Sermon His third Chapter is about Regeneration which he makes room for by an Objection that this will be thought but a lame account of those qualifications that are needful to salvation seeing one thing most necessary thereunto is omitted and that is Regeneration And here then must Regeneration be brought in and shewn us that it is not such a thing as Dr. Owen makes it but is comprized in his Moral graces and vertues Regeneration then as a state he defines it is to become a sincere Disciple of Jesus Christ And here though one might well require a little more accuracy in a definition there is no body like to differ with him upon the matter The Doctor may use other terms and expressions and he uses these but they both intend the same thing This is certain He that doth righteousness is born of God The Doctor belike hath said that Regeneration is a proper Term and he will prove it to be metaphorical Be it so The Doctor must be candidly understood then that he means it is a proper metaphor To wit that there is such a secret and powerful work of the soul signified thereby as does bring in a new disposion into the inner man as well as reforms the outward life which is that only in effect he contends for Let them grant saies the Doctor that their Moral reformation of life does proceed from a Spiritual reformation of our nature the difference will be at an end And what saies this Author He answers This difference is at an end before it began for we have alwaies granted it And why is the difference up then that hath no beginning or cause for it The Doctor is perhaps too warm in the allusion but the meaning is acknowledged the same with his who is as it were quite cool and off from it There is indeed one point as to the manner of the Spirits operation wherein these two Champions will differ but that belongs to another Chapter Here he speaks of Regeneration only as a state and therefore I pray let him be quiet yet a while till he comes thither In his fourth Chapter he laies down the several graces of the holy Spirit which having done once before I cannot apprehend it to be momentous in his making two Chapters of it These graces then again are Faith Teachableness in order to it All Christian vertues The improvement of them Progress in them Perseverance to the end To this we oppose nothing and there is no dissention with the Doctor The Doctor or another perhaps would have marshalled these things otherwise but that all these are the operations of Gods Spirit or such effects for which the Holy Ghost is to be implored is beyond dispute amongst us What he hath thrust in here upon that subject of Gods dwelling in good men I take to be another excellent good Sermon CHAP. III. Of Assuranee and praying by the Spirit the subject of his fifth Chapter with indifferency whether it be by a Form or conceived Prayer I Come to his fifth Chapter which is to shew us what effects we are not to expect from the Spirit having shewn before what effects as he reckons them are promised by it And there are three pretended gifts he saies which are none of these effects and so may not be hoped or prayed for upon that account Immediate Revelation of the sense of any Scripture Absolute assurance of our particular election and the dictates of Extempore prayer These are three things belike he designes to have a sling at which he may do but I must tell him in the way whether any thing of this kind may be expected from the holy Spirit or not I am not satisfied with his argument or the way of his bringing it about that the effects for which we are to pray to God to give us his Spirit are only things needful and therefore we may not expect his help in extemporary prayer and these two other matters This indeed may be argued from the Parables in the context that the gift it self of the Spirit is a thing needful A gift which next to Gods giving his Son is the greatest and
most necessary to mankind for as Christ was given for our Redemption the Spirit is and must be given for the Application But that the effects of the Spirit being given should be confined by him to these only he mentions or such only as he can fetch Scripture for unless he could bring Scripture also to say there are no more is such reasoning as before a year is gone over his head may give him occasion to believe that some things may seem strong in a Sermon that are not fit for a Book that must undergo a discussion I do not think he hath spoken this as a close Polemical Divine nor yet that he hath laid down the method of those benefits which we have from the Holy Spirit as a Comprehensive Preacher For when the Holy Ghost is not only our Sanctifier but Comforter and promised and sent to the Church as the Comforter it is strange that the Consolations of the Spirit should be left out in the draught of those effects which we are to expect from him And when the Spirit is first given to a man to unite him to Christ and this Vnion is the primary effect of his having it and by means hereof all saving influences from the Head is derived this by another would not have been forgotten The Holy Ghost is given I count for our Sanctifier our Comforter and our Guide Regeneration is to be comprehended in Sanctification as the beginning of it and Union is supposed to both I cannot serve God without his grace I must therefore have the Spirit to Sanctifie me If I serve him I must be supported in his service I must therefore have him to Comfort me When I am supported in my duty I know not what uncertainties may befal me in all my spiritual and temporal concernments in this life and therefore I must have him to Conduct me and lead me in all my affairs so as they may work together for the best which he hath promised to those that love him Under this head now of the Spirits heavenly Guidance are all those things that are good for us and not absolutely necessary to be reduced seeing we know not what to pray for as we ought as we shall have occasion farther to speak of that Text by and by but the Spirit helpeth us that is we know not in many things temporal says this Author and I will say in spirituals too what is best for us and it is the Spirit that is our Guide as to these things and Intercessor for them so that be it the true Sense of a place of Scripture or Assurance or assistance of us in our Prayers or any thing else that we would have we are under the safe conduct of his word and unperceptible motions and with the resignation of our wills unto him as our great disposer for all good to set our selves to our duty and leave the issue to him I will add it were better that this man never wrote this Book than that in the promise of God's giving his Spirit to us we should be discouraged from praying to him and trusting in him for our direction in all the concerns of our souls and outward conditions who is the Comforter of the afflicted the Sanctifier of all the faithful and our Guide unto death To his three things now in order For the first of them it is manifest that in the Primitive times one of the miraculous gifts then given was the gift of Interpretation and there is no body that I know does pretend to any of these wonderful gifts in our days I am sure this Author cannot charge any thing of this kind upon Doctor Owen who is a person of that industry and learning as his excellency in this gift is well known to come another way As for these arguments then that the thing is not needful and if profitable that it is more profitable to our selves and to others to get the sense of any Scripture by enquiry and study than by immediate Revelation which if we could have it so is as certainly false as that Gold is not so good as Brasss they may be spared seeing there need no proof of this that we are now to expect no Miracles from the Spirit of God For the second there are two points about Assurance which this Author does confound The one is the assurance that a man is in a state of Grace and the other an assurance of Salvation That a man who is in a state of Grace can never fall away sinally and perish which is the Doctrine of Perseverance is a point of the Synod of Dort against the Arminians and Lutherans Whether a man may be assured that he is in a state of Grace or no is a Point between Protestants and Papists For the former Perseverance depends on special Grace and that on personal Election and I perceive this Gentleman hangs his head at that but as for the latter we may be in doubt what indeed his mind is One would think by his arguments at the beginning against Assurance he should be no Protestant but he is for we have his express words for it If we be the Children of God it is certainly possible for us to be assured of it I must ask him then is Assurance a good thing St Paul had it and St. John had it Hereby we know we are passed from death to life and By this we know that we know him If it be a thing then that is good it must be an effect of God's Spirit and this is proved The Spirit also beareth witness with our spirits This witness is our Assurance and consequently it may be prayed for according to the promise in Luke as well as any other of the profitable effects he hath mentioned Whether it be a thing needful is a question not needful so long as it is good It is an Egg I hope to argue with him though it be not Bread The only difficulty here is to state this Assurance It is a controversal point and his one term Absolute will do little to the decision When our first Divines defined Faith by a Persuasion of special mercy so that without this assurance they must think a man could not be saved this was the most dangerous extreme on one hand and that no man at all without Revelation according to the Trent Doctors can be assured that he is in God's favour is the extreme on the other But for the stating this assurance aright between the Protestant and Papist To be a certainty not of Faith because the Scripture gives no testimony to any particular person but a certainty moral or of hope which must be such as excludes doubting that is all sinful doubting though not fear or all fear that is the fear of diffidence or distrust but not the fear of pious solicitude is a work requires from me more deliberation and more paper This I will say only that there is a neutral truth in the most of
Prayer The Gift of Prayer Praying in the Spirit Praying by it or with it The Spirit of Prayer I apprehend to be no other than the Spirit of Grace or Regeneration with the connotation of its operation on the soul in regard to this duty There is no Christian born of God without this whereby he cries Abba Father as no man born after the flesh without his breathing There is no holy thought meditation desire after God or request that is acceptable to him in Christ but it is from this Spirit of Adoption or Prayer It follows then that forasmuch as any gracious and regenerate man may use a Form if he pleases and some such have used a Form sometimes as well as Conceived Prayer that it is a conceit exceedingly extravagant and in no wise to be approved to think that a Liturgy or use of a Form is inconsistent with the Spirit of Prayer Suppose we saw those holy men Bradford Rogers Philpot Saunders saying their Prayers out of the Psalter and blessing God for the Book of King Edward I will pour upon the house of Judah and Jerusalem the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication The Gift of Prayer I account to be a natural or acquired not infused ability or faculty of expressing the thoughts and affections with fluency or readiness in Prayer It does depend chiefly I think upon an aptness of memory retaining the sentences and very words of Scripture when others can retain the sense only together with a warm fancy and a tongue that is voluble In short it is a ready utterance which must be always distinguished from the former I remember a person who was otherwise of large parts filled with all present matter for administring a word in season to the weary who in praying sometimes alone with me I have observed to hum and hack so in his Prayer that I never heard any so unable to express himself in my life who yet would use only conceived Prayer and in the mean while I have been so assured of the Grace of God and eminency of that Grace in the person of that sincerity in his duty such an humbling under sin fervency in his petitions melting under the sence of God's mercy and pardon and in a word a heart it self no less broken than those words that I cannot but be satisfied beyond doubt for ever since that the Gift of Prayer is one thing and the Spirit of Prayer is another Now forasmuch as the gifts which are administred to men by God's Spirit are bestowed for use and the edification of the Church if a Liturgy or form of Prayer were imposed on the Clergy in opposition to that provision which God hath made and appointed for the good of his Church that is Gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry or if the Bishops would not suffer them to be employed to the end they are given I do not know any argument of so much weight and like to be prevailing with Religious people against Common-Prayer as this allegation As every one hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God But we must not judge so of our Superiors The Churches imposing a Liturgy and set forms on the Minister is to be lookt on as cumulative to his gifts and not as destructive to them There is the gift of Prayer as of Prudence and Knowledge to Ministers as they are single and as they are in conjunction These forms of Prayer are the exercise of the mutual gifts of the Churches Pastors in conjunction and when this Common Service of theirs is performed in the Pew the Minister is lest to the use of his single gifts in the Pulpit without any prejudicing the one by the other Indeed if the Common-Prayer be made a Napkin to wrap up the Talents of any I will not justifie the abuse of that which hath its use and commendation upon other reasons And yet by the way I do not know moreover whether all those Texts which speak of gifts for the Church and which argue power thereupon to profit with them are not to be understood of the Spirit in those times so that when it was manifestly injurious to the Holy Ghost himself then to forbid the use of those Gifts to any which he had ministred to them to that end it may not be so altogether as to those natural gifts and talents that men have now which notwithstanding they are not to be denied to be also from the Spirit seeing even Bezaleel and his fellows skill in working in curious works is attributed to him and every good gift is said to be of God I question whether the person himself be either so engaged to put them to that particular use having them from nature to general service or that there does appear the like injury to God and the Church in some restraint on them as there would be in the other There are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit Praying in the Spirit I apprehend to be praying with those qualifications which are wrought in us by the Spirit and prescribed by him in the word to make our Prayers acceptable to God Praying in the Spirit say Practical Divines consists not in a copiousness of words but extent of affections The actuating of all does lie in the operation of the Spirit on our hearts in this duty We must pray also according to God's will which is another qualification in Prayer and when a man does pray according to what the Spirit hath directed in the Word he may be said very appositely to pray in the Spirit Two things there are then more particularly wherein I will place this operation The one is the Spirit doth many times pitch the heart upon those objects or things which are most fit for us to ask The other is and then doth excite our desires and enlarge our affections about the same The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God I will not doubt to quote this Text again for thus much It is said that Satan entred into Judas when he went to betray his Lord. And Satan moved David to number the people It appears from hence that Satan puts evil thoughts in the heart and pitches them on objects he tempts them withal The Spirit of God doubtless does no less in the good actions which he stirs up in Gods Saints He puts good thoughts in the mind and represents things to us says the Author of the Friendly Debate himself more clearly than we could make them by all our reasoning I might perhaps cite something from this Gentleman to sute with this but I think the subject here too grave to make him my Authority When the Spirit is said to help us in the Text before exagitated to make our Prayers even about things our selves know not and
is our head but he governs us by his Spirit which is infused though I think no habit be and when we are lead by this Spirit as there is Rule there is Influence and this Union must be Real and Mystical and not that which is Political only Suppose a man whâ—se head was high as the Heavens yet so long as the same soul animates all the members the feet as in the head it is one man Christ our head is in Heaven and we on earth yet as the same Spirit is in us which is in him the head and members make one dy nay in the words of the Scripture one Christ O Agrippa believest thou the Prophets O thou Author of this Book against Dr. Owen Believest thou these mysteries of the Christian Religion I know that thou believest For the later sort There is one place in his Book where we have two of his pernicious errors together The Doctor belike hath said that though a man should reform his life and be changed from vice to vertue and that by hearing the word preached This is the most I count he saies and which may be exemplified in Herod who heard John and did many things yet if there be not an habitual righteousness infufed it signifies nothing to regeneration To this purpose is it only and altogether the Doctor speaks Hereupon this Gentleman breaks out and challenges him before his own party as he speaks and before the world for contradicting the Scripture He that doeth Righteousness is born of God and then charges him with Pelagianism He professes he is in earnest and that this is rank Pelagianism that the Doctor allows so much to be done without saving grace I have the more reason to be moved at this because a certain person of quality and of a ready judgement having this Author by him turned me to this place as if the Doctor was much to be blamed when I must needs say that this Gentleman hath no where exposed himself so much in his Book as here where he endeavours to expose the Doctor There is no man that reads practical Divines that lay down characters of the truly godly man the sound Believer and how far the Hypocrite may go but does know they speak commonly as the Doctor does and there are few one would think so inconsiderate or raw but should also know here how to distinguish so easily as between the matter of what is done and the manner of the performance Good works may be considered quoad operis substamtiam or quoad modum quo ordinaniur id vuam aevernam There is no good act no not the least that can be done is performed in that manner as it ought or as it is required to be accepted in order to salvation but a man must be born of God according to his text and have the assistance of the Spirit But for the matter of the work or of our duty this Author must consider better that the Regenerate and Unrepenerate are alike as to that One can hear and pray and give alms and abstain from evil as well as the Other and many times the veryest Hippocrite pretends most Nay what saies this Gentleman to Socrates Aristides Epimomdas Plato Plutark Cato What saies he to Almanzor that Mahomet in Einperor whose life is set out by Sir Walter Rayleigh in a little Book for such singular vertues especially as to his goodness and righteousness that I find him not paralleld by any Christian Will this Author censure Sir Walter for a Pelagian for such a narration or will he make me one if I believe it Or will he come over here and when he hath placed such in a state of Nature and so out of a state of Grace will he allow an Heathen or Mahometan to be a regeherate person Hath the Gentleman read Ruiz or one such a kind of Schoolman as he all over Let him see when they have denied against pelagius all ability in man to do any thing even but to give an occasion which is active and not passive only to infuse in us their justifying grace whether they are also ignorant of some such distinction It is no Pelagianism in the Schools to say a man can do many things civily morally good through the power of nature education custome for company sake for glory but it is so to say he can do any thing without preventing grace in order to his justification There is no need therefore of such vehemence nor of any such expressions he uses otherwhere I will desire the Doctor to consider whether the Father of lies be not the representative of such shameful Writers as he is the example of These kind of words are not well There is a great deal of acrimony I see with a little truth mixt methinks like the fire and hail that ran together in one of the Egyptian Plagues in the Books of many late rising adversaries to this learned pious and reverend person It were happy if the opprobrious words of the prejudicate would make thewise mend their faults It were well also if such an inconsiderate confident piece of elation of mind as here indeed is be but repressed with the shame and blushes of another Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an oyle and not break my head CHAP. VII Of Dr. Owen's Book of Justification and of the reconciliation of St. Paul and St. James and the Imputation of Christ's righteousness upon his account HAving said this for the Doctor I have a little now also to say to him I was reading his later Book of Justification when this Author came to my hands and I had thought of making some remarks upon it I am not satisfied with what he hath offered for the reconciliation of St. James and Paul on that subject This is the reason I suppose that is the most solid why so many do choose here of late to go with the mediocrian or steer the middle way in that point I perceive that Dr. Tully with our first Reformed Divines and this excellent Doctor are for distinguishing of Faith and Justification but will not let us by no means distinguish of Works for the reconciliation of the Apostles I do wonder at this The Apostle James and the Apostle Paul do both agree that we are justified by Faith The one saies we conclude that a man is justified by Faith and the other saies also it is by Faith Their seeming difference is only about works when one saies by Faith without Works and the other by Faith and Works also And how then comes it to pass that we must not distinguish of Works but of Justification and Faith to compose the difficulty I will offer the Doctor therefore here one Argument under his favour which shall be but one and that not as others have so far as I know for then it were like he had already weighed it It is this That Justification which St. Paul
Communication with Christ cannot indeed be rationally thought on but we must conceive of some Vnion presently which is the ground of it But there is a double Union between Christ and us The one is by taking upon him our Nature and the other by giving us his Spirit The blessed Commutation the Dr. speaks of does not depend upon that Union which we have with him by the Communication of his Spirit for this indeed is no waies any effect thereof But it does depend on the Union which he hath with us in taking upon him our Flesh Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also took part of the same Again He took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham and in that seed our Nature and as he took our nature he took on him our sins for he took our nature only to this end that he might redeem Man when the Angels whose nature he took not were not redeemed Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me A body is prepar'd for Christ that he may be a sacrifice to answer those Types under the Law which without him could signifie nothing The Beast for the Propitiatory Sacrifice had the sins of Israel laid on him and this is exhibited in that saying of John Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world And of that in Peter Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree It is manifest then that this Commutation which consists in Christ's taking upon him our sins that he might be a sacrifice for them and fulfilling the duty of the whole Law which we were bound unto but broke to procure new terms in the performance whereof we might be righteous and so accepted upon the account of his merits which is his becoming sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him as I have said before and have need to say again does belong to that Union which Christ hath with Mankind according to that Text in the Hebrews He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one that is of one flesh as appears by what follows and not to that Union which he hath with his Members only according to that Text in the Corinths He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit that is it belongs to that Union which is Hypostatical in Christ's taking our nature with the Divine Nature into one person and not to that Union which is Mystical according to the supposition of the Dr. There is a distinction then to be remembred which we have often in Scripture and that is of Christ in the Flesh and Christ in the Spirit We must make a difference accordingly between what he did for us as he was in the flesh and what he does for us in the Spirit or by it That which he did for us in the Flesh I speak it indefinitely must belong to All for the flesh he took was the flesh of All and hence is he said to die for All to taste Death for every man to be a propitiation not for our sins only but for the sins of the world That which he does for us in the Spirit is peculiar to his Members and the Elect to whom he gives it I speak of the Spirit as a principle of Union and Life in Christ and not as Author of common gists I argue now It is certain that the Righteousness Christ performed and the Sacrifice he made for us was performed and made in the Flesh It is certain that in this Righteousness and Sacrifice is contained all that he undertook in our behalf as he sustained our part in the work of his Mediation for Man's Redemption It is certain that the Commutation the Dr. speaks of must be supposed unto Christ's sustaining our part in this work It is certain consequently that this Commutation and the part Christ sustained in the performing this Righteousness and offering this Sacrifice does belong to Christ in the Flesh and so must be universal for all the world and does not belong to Christ in the Spirit to be appropriated to his Church or Members only which is this Learned Drs. apprehension throughout his Book Let us distinguish then now at last between the Impetration of our Redemption and all those benefits we have by Christ and the Application of them The Impetration belongs to Christ in the Flesh and the Application to Christ in the Spirit I mean by Impetration obtaining by Sacrifice and Merit and distinguish it from Intercession Christ took our Flesh to procure our Redemption he gives us his Spirit to apply it Now I have this notion to offer the Dr. under his correction if I be out and under his candour to receive it if it be light that this blessed Commutation he speaks of and rightly magnifies does go to the Impetration of our Redemption and the benefits we have by Christ and not to the Application If this Commutation between Christ and us of his Righteousness for our sins did go to or was made in the Application I see not how any more than one man could have it If Christ makes the Commutation with Peter and so takes his sins and gives him his Righteousness in exchange this Righteousness of Christ must now be Peter's and so Paul and James and John cannot have it It must not be therefore conceived sure that this Commutation is made with particular persons or that it does go into the Application but that it goes into the Impetration of those benefits we have by Christ which being procured for all upon condition there is no particular person but by the performing that condition alike may and by that means only can enjoy them one with another To make this quite clear there is but one cloud to be removed which does as I suppose hang on the mind of most in thinking something more of the Spirit 's Application of what Christ hath done for us or of his Merits and Righteousness to the soul than there is But this is all that I am able to understand of this Application to wit that the Spirit by his grace enables us to perform the conditions upon which these benefits are procured for us and so they become ours and the Merits and Righteousness of Christ are said to be so in regard to those effects They are ours for the Impetration of these benefits but they cannot be ours in themselves that is not ours in regard to the Application What. Christ did for us in the Flesh was to reconcile our salvation to God's glory and the ends of Government What Christ does in the Spirit is to reconcile our spirits to what God requires of us and so to qualifie us for our possession of the benefits which he hath purchased in the flesh The benefits are ours and we enjoy them as being impetrated for