to know the Things which are freely given him of God he may without Extraordinary Revelation in the Right use of ordinary Means attain thereunto And therefore it is the Duty of every one to give all Diligence to make his Calling and Election sure which as in § 1 2. cannot be but by Endeavouring to Walk in all Good Conscience before the Lord Jesus For This Certainty is not a bare Conjectural and Probable Perswasion grounded upon a Fallible Hope but an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded on the Blood and Righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel and also upon the Inward Evidence of those Graces unto which Promises are made and on the Immediate Witness of the Spirit Testifying our Adoption and as a Fruit thereof leaving the Heart more Humble and Holy And in cap. 6.2 Good Works done in Obedience to God's Commandments are the Fruits and Evidences of a True and Lively Faith and by them Believers strengthen their Assurance The Ninth Errour 9. That Gospel Ministers are not to Preach the Law in its Commands and Curses to convince Men of their need of Christ nor are Believers obliged to regard the Law as delivered by Moses nor as Externally propounded nor are they Bound when they commit Sin to look to the Law for further Discoveries and Convictions of the remaining Corruptions that are in them because by the Gospel its Obligations are Dissolved Our Opposition We hold 1. That the Law delivered by Moses continues in its Commands and Curses Vndissolv'd 2. That it 's still of use to convince of Sin that we may see a need of Christ and therefore is to be Preached and Externally propounded and we are to look unto it To the First 'T is very expresly declared in our Confession cap. 19. § 2. That the Law written in the Heart continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness after the Fall of Man and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in Two Tables commonly called the Moral-Law § 3. And in § 5. The Moral-Law doth for ever Bind all as well Justified Persons as others to the Obedience thereof and that not only in regard to the Matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it Neither did Christ in the Gospel any way Dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation To the Second In this Chap. § 6. Altho True Believers be not under this Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby Justified or Condemned yet it is of Great Vse to them as well as to Others in that as a Rule of Life Informing them of the Will of God and their Duty it Directs and Binds them to Walk accordingly discovering also the Sinful Pollutions of their Nature Hearts and Lives so as Examining themselves thereby they may come to further Conviction of Humiliation for and Hatred against Sin together with a Clearer Sight of the Need they have of Christ and the Perfection of his Obedience It is likewise of use to the Regenerate to Restrain their Corruptions in that it forbids Sin and the Threatnings of it serve to show what even their Sins deserve c. To what is here declared let us add what is in cap. 15. § 5. and 't will appear that it must be Understood of Preaching for it 's there said That altho there is no Sin so small but it deserves Damnation yet there is no Sin so great that it shall bring Damnation to them that truly Repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary for there can be no Preaching Repentance as described in this cap. § 3. but by Preaching the Law as 't is useful to Convince of Sin for Humiliation c. Before we proceed to the Tenth Errour we must if we will Impartially deliver the Truth about the standing Obligation of the Law declare with the Learned Dr. Owen in his Treatise of Justification p. 201. That that is an Antinomianism of the worst sort and most derogatory to the Law of God which Affirms it to be divested of its Power to Oblige unto Perfect Obedience so as that what is not so shall as it were in despight of the Law be Accepted as if it were so unto the End for which the Law Requires it There is no Medium but that either the Law is utterly Abolished and so there is no Sin for where there is no Law there is no Transgression or it must be Allowed to require the same Obedience that it did at its first Institution and unto the same degree Thus much we thought needful to mention that whilst we are declaring our selves against those Errours which are commonly called Antinomian the worst Part of Real Antinomianism might not escape the mention of our Abhorring it which yet some of our Accusers are for The Tenth Errour 10. That Ministers of the Gospel ought not to propound the Offers of Salvation unto all those to whom God calls them to Preach seriously Inviting them to Improve the Means of Grace that they may be Saved and assuring them in the way of their Ministerial Duty of the Salvation of all such as believe in Christ because they want Ability to close with the Offer and all shall not be saved Our Opposition That tho Men want Ability to Believe Savingly yet it 's the Duty of Gospel Ministers to make the Offer and Testifie unto them That whoever Believes and Repents shall be Saved and that it 's the Peoples Duty to make use of their Natural Faculties with such External Means and Workings of the Spirit as God Affords them that they may Believe Repent and be Saved Dr. Goodwin in Vol. 4. Part 2. Lib. 3. Cap. 1. is very positive That tho Faith be a Difficult Work yet we ought to use our Endeavours to Believe As 1 To cleanse our Hands and Hearts taking heed of Hinderances and Impediments which may hinder God's working it or Provoke him to leave off the Work To Refrain all ill Company and all Sins of what kind soever which grieve the Spirit Thus the Apostle Heb. 12.1 2. Men may Endeavour to be Humbled for their Sins and take such Considerations into their Hearts as may serve to Humble them which tho it is not Faith nor Works Faith yet leads to it James 4.3 3. There are Duties and Ordinances God hath appointed in which to bring our Hearts before him James 4.8 And this also Men may do they may come unto God and Present their Souls before him by Prayer by Hearing the Word by good Conference by Reading c. But 5. Further Souls humbled are to attempt the Exercise of the very Act of Believing That is they are to take Promises into their Thoughts and to bring their Hearts to them to look up to Christ and consider his Fulness and attempt to lay hold upon him We have an express place for this Heb. 4.11 v. 16. The Apostle bids them come to the Throne of Grace that they may obtain
A DECLARATION OF THE Congregational Ministers In and about London AGAINST Antinomian Errours AND Ignorant and Scandalous Persons Intruding themselves into the MINISTRY The SECOND EDITION to which is Added The Testimony of some of the said Ministers LONDON Printed for John Hartley over-against Gray's Inn in Holborn MDCXCIX IT having been Reported and Industriously spread abroad That the Declaration against Antinomian Errours c. was not Considered and Approved of by the Congregational Ministers in and about this City which is in manifest Contradiction to the Title-Page and Preface We whose Names are hereunto subscribed to the end the Truth of Matter of Fact may Appear to the Conviction of Every Reader do Declare That Excepting Two or Three Ministers who go under the same Denomination with us to whom we thought not fit to Communicate the said Declaration All the Pastors of Congregational Churches in and about this City did Consider and Vnanimously Express their Approbation of it London Feb. 23. 1699. Geo. Griffith Matth. Mead. Stephen Lobb Richard Taylor John Nesbitt THE PREFACE SOME of us a while after the Heads of Agreement were Assented unto by the United Ministers in 91 Apprehending that the Doctrines of Christ's Satisfaction and our Iustification were in Danger 't was in a Brotherly way Endeavour'd that they might be Explained and Own'd as commonly held by the Reformed And after some considerable Time wherein 't was once hoped there had been a Sincere Renunciation of the Errours which too soon appeared to be otherwise a Paper containing a Right State of these Articles and a Disowning the Opposite Opinions was sent unto and Joyfully Receiv'd by us as what was Adjusted to Remove the Offence but at last laid aside for Another Paper that Encreased the Dissatisfaction Matters lying thus for several Months the First Paper with a brief Account of what had been done towards a Conciliation came to light and thereupon we were surprized with an Accusation not against a Person or two of Our Way only but against Us more generally and altho the Charge was of our being Tainted with Antinomian Errours yet was it not sent unto nor seen by us but in a Publick Print wherein we were treated not as Brethren but in a Way very Uncommon perhaps without a President by One of those Nine who had Subscribed that First Paper and in Conjunction with others sent it to us in a Letter Pressing us to Accept of it as an Expedient for Accommodation When we considered the Nature of this Charge and under what Countenance according to the Representation given of it in Print it appeared we had Reason to think that if our Accusers themselves did not yet the other Brethren would upon Reflection judge it to be both Equal and Fair that they who were in a Regular and Christian Manner first Accused should Vindicate themselves before they expected any thing of that kind from us Yea more that seeing they did so very well know our Principles to be Orthodox and Sound they would clear themselves from having any Hand in the Accusation if not save us this Trouble by Testifying their Dislike of those Unjust Aspersions cast upon us by some of their own Way in Point of Discipline But having waited a long while and nothing more done than the continuing the Clamour of our being Antinomians we have made the ensuing Declaration which has been Confidered and Approved of by us viz. The Ministers of the Congregational Perswasion in and about this City wherein we have been more full than our Accusers have in their Propositions desired us to be Now having thus Discharged our selves from the Groundless Accusations which have been against us on the one Extreme we cannot but at the same time express our Dislike of those Hurtful Errours about Christ's Satisfaction and our Justification on the Other Particularly such as are in the Writings of Mr. B r and his Followers wishing That what Persons soever have been charged would Declare their true Sense to the End we may know how to carry it towards them in the Exercise of Forbearance For altho we do with Luther think Truth to be of so Inestimable a Value That it 's better Heaven and Earth be Blended together in Confusion than that the least Dust thereof should Perish And that therefore it ought earnestly to be Contended for yet do we very consistently Agree with the Elders and Messengers at the Savoy who in the Preface to our Confession declared That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a Forbearance and Mutual Indulgence unto Saints of all Perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the Necessary Foundations of Faith and Holiness in all other Matters Extra-Fundamental whether of Faith or Order p. 6. 7. And seeing our Governors have by a Law Tollerated us we judge our selves the more obliged to bear with and Exercise that Compassion and Tenderness towards our Fellow Servants which we have had from our Superiors Our Prayer unto God is That the same Mind be in all which was in Christ Jesus that nothing be done through Strife and Vain Glory but in Lowliness of Mind ERRATA PAge 6. Line 7. for easie read easily l. 17. read some of us expressed a p. 32. l. 7. read whereof A DECLARATION c. ALtho' the Elders and Messengers of Congregational Churches who met in the Year 1658. at the Savoy after they had as themselves express it sailed through an Aestuation Fluxes and Refluxes of great Variety of Spirits Doctrines and Opinions which have been Accompanyed in their several Seasons with Powerfull Perswasions and Temptations to Seduce those of our way did Declare their Faith in the same Substance for matter yea Words for the most Part which other Churches and Assemblies Reputed the most Orthodox have done before them expressing their Approvall of the Confession of the Assemblie at Westminster and holding forth a Professed Opposition to the Common Errors and Heresies of those times And altho our Brethren in New-England who for the Substance Assented fully to the Assemblies Confession Zealously oppugned the Wild Notions of the Antinomians And also tho we our selves have frequently Signifyed our Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England and the aforesaid Confessions and many of our way have not only Preached but Written against them and never hath a Book Containing Errors of that or any other sort been sent forth under the Countenance of an Attestation of it's Soundness subscribed by any Number of us and altho our Orthodoxy be so manifest that we cannot want a Witness of it in the Consciences of our Accusers yet to the Dishonour of God and the Reproach of that Holy Profession which we with the rest of sound Protestants make of the Truth and in contradiction to the plainest Evidence are we traduced for being Antinomians and several upon this account pressed against their Attendance on our Ministry Whereupon in Faithfuness unto God and Compassion to the Souls of
Justification from Eternity and in Christ saith We are in our own Persons made True Owners and Injoyers of Justification at that Instant when we first Believe which Act is the Completion and Accomplishment of the former and is that Great and Famous Justification by Faith which the Scripture so much Inculcates and almost only mentioneth yea and so speaks of it as if we were not Justified at all till then So 1 Cor. 6.9 Such were some of you but now ye are Sanctified now ye are Justified which before they were not And therefore before Faith the Scripture Pronounceth the very Elect even those whom Christ Died for Children of Wrath as well as others till they Believe Ephes 2.3 So as when we were said to be Justified by Faith it is not only because then Faith Apprehends that Justification which was in God's Breast before and that then we are Justified merely in Ford Conscientiae tho we were in Foro Dei as much as ever as some express it But further it must be said that even in Foro Dei in God's Court and according to the Judgment of that Open Court which God hath set up in his Word and according to the Proceedings of his Word which is the Rule he professeth to Judge Men by and therein he keeps to the Rule of his Word as Christ saith I Judge no Man but the Word which I speak shall Judge you John 12.47 48. God doth Judge and Pronounce his Elect Vngodly and Vnjustified till they Believe yea and by the Spirit of Bondage he Testifieth to their Consciences that before Faith they are Vngodly and Vnjustified and Children of Wrath If it were not a Real Truth the Spirit of God would not evidence this to them 2. What Dr. Goodwin here affirms is consonant to what 't is declared in the Savoy Confession For in Cap. 11. § 4. it is thus God did from all Eternity Decree to Justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of Time Die for their Sins and rise again for their Justification Nevertheless they are not Iustified Personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually Apply Christ unto them And as in Cap. 3. § 6. They having fall'n in Adam are by their Original and Actual Sins Bound over to the Wrath of God and Curse of the Law and are made subject to Death with all Miseries Spiritual Temporal and Eternal So Cap. 6. § 6. Thus they continue till they are Effectually called as in Cap. 10. § 1. All those whom God hath Predestinated unto Life and only those he is pleased in his Appointed time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that State of Sin and Death in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ. Besides as it is expresly said Cap. 1. § 4. That they are not Personally Justified till Christ be Actually Applied unto them So in the same Chap. § 1. 't is declared That those whom God effectually calleth he also Freely Justifieth by Imputing Christ's Active Obedience unto the whole Law and Passive Obedience in his Death for their whole and sole Righteousness they Receiving and Resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith And in the very next Section Faith thus Receiving and Resting on Christ and his Righteousness is the alone Instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the Person Justified but is ever accompanied with all other Saving Graces and is no Dead Faith but worketh by Love The Third and Fourth Errours 3. That Pardoned Sin is no Sin and therefore God can't see Sin in his People to be Displeased with them for their Sins nor doth God express his Fatherly Displeasure against them by any Afflictions laid upon them 4. That Believers are not bound to Confess or Mourn over Sin as committed by them or Pray for Pardon of Sin in making a Daily Acknowledgment of a Need of it because 't was Pardoned before committed and Pardoned Sin is no Sin Our Opposition We have always held 1. That Pardoned yea Mortified Sins are truly and properly Sins 2. That God seeth the Sins of his own People and is Displeased with them for their Sins 3. That when Believers do sin it is their Duty to humble themselves Confess their Sins and pray for Pardon The Declaration of our Faith at the Savoy is so distinct and full against these Errours that whoever will consult the following Passages taken out of it cannot but think himself bound in Conscience to own our Orthodoxy For in Cap. 6. § 4. we affirm That the Corruption of Nature during this Life doth remain in those that are Regenerated and altho it be through Christ Pardoned and Mortified yet both it self and all the Motions thereof are Truly and Properly Sin In Cap. 11. § 5. God doth continue to Forgive the Sins of those that are Justified and altho they can never fall from the State of Justification yet they may by their Sins fall under God's Fatherly Displeasure and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Countenance Restored unto them until they humble themselves Confess their Sins Beg Pardon and Renew their Faith and Repentance In Cap. 15. § 2 3. Whereas there is none that doth Good and Sinneth not and the best of Men may through the Power and Deceitfulness of their Corruptions dwelling in them with the Prevalency of Temptation fall into Great Sins and Provocations God hath in the Covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so Sinning and Falling be Renewed through Repentance unto Salvation That this Saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a Person being by the Holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold Evils of his Sin doth by Faith in Christ Humble himself for it with Godly Sorrow Detestation of it and Self Abhorrency Praying for Pardon and Strength of Grace c. The Fifth Errour 5. That Believers ought not to be afaid of committing Sin because their Sins can do them no hurt Our Opposition If the Sins of Believers do Impair their Graces and Comforts harden their Hearts wound their Consciences hurt and scandalize others Grieve God's Holy Spirit Expose to his Fatherly Displeasure and bring Temporal Judgments too upon them then surely their Sins hurt them and they should be Afraid to commit them and if we have declared thus much in our Confession 't is sufficient to clear us from this Imputation And that we have freely and readily owned thus much is plain from what is in Cap. 5. § 5. The Most Wise and Gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a Season his own Children to Manifold Temptations and the Corruptions of their own Hearts to Chastise them for their former Sins or to Discover to them the hidden strength of Corruption and Deceitfulness of their Hearts that they may be Humbled and to make them more Watchful against all Future Occasions of Sin In Cap. 17. § 3. And tho they may fall into Grievous Sins and for a time continue therein