Goodness miraculously inspire the first Converts of Christianity with all sorts of Vertues but that He doth not still continue to put forth in any actually the Efficacy of his Grace to make them Gracious Holy Believing Obedient to himself and to work in them all suitable actings towards himself and others Then farewell Scripture the Covenant of Grace the Intercession of Christ yea all the Ancient Fathers Counsels Schoolmen and most of the Jesuites themselves Many have been the disputes amongst Christians about the Nature of Grace the Rule of its Dispensation the manner and way of its Operation its Efficacy Concurrence and Co-operation in the Wills of men but that there is no dispensation of it no operation but what was miraculous in the first Converts of the Gospel was I think untill now undiscovered Nor can it be here pretended that although the Vertuous qualities of our minds and their Exercise by which is intended all the Obedience that God requireth of us in Principle and Practice that we may please him and come to the enjoyment of him are not said to be called Graces only on the account mentioned For as in respect of us they are not so termed at all so if the term only be not understood the whole discourse is impertinent and ridiculous For those other Reasons and Accounts that may be taken in will render that given utterly useless unto our Authors intention and indeed are altogether inconsistent with it And he hath given us no reason to suppose that he talks after such a weak and preposterous a rate This then is that which is here asserted the Qualities of our minds and their Exercise wherein the Vertues pleaded about and affirmed to contain the whole Substance of Religion do consist are not wrought in us by the Grace or Spirit of God through the Preaching of the Gospel but are only called Graces as before Now though here be a plain contradiction to what is delivered but two pages before namely that we pray for some or other Vertuous qualities that is doubtless to be wrought in us by the Grace of God yet this present discourse is capable of no other interpretation but that given unto it And indeed it seems to be the design of some men to confine all real Gifts and Graces of the Spirit of God to the first Ages of the Gospel and the miraculous operations in it which is to overthrow the whole Gospel the Church and the Ministry of it as to their use and efficacy leaving Men only the Book of the Bible to Philosophize upon as shall be elsewhere demonstrated Our Author indeed tells us that on the occasion of some mens writings in Theology there hath been a buzz and a noise of the Spirit of God in the World His expressions are exceedingly suited to pour contempt on what he doth not approve not so to express what he doth himself intend But I desire that he and others would speak plain and openly in this matter that neither others may be deceived nor themselves have occasion to complain that they are mis-represented a pretence whereof would probably give them a dispensation to deal very roughly if not despightfully with them with whom they shall have to do Doth he therefore think or believe that there are not now any real Gracious Operations of the Spirit of God upon the hearts and minds of men in the world that the dispensation of the Spirit is ceased as well unto ordinary Ministerial Gifts with its sanctifying renewing assisting Grace as unto Gifts miraculous and extraordinary that there is no work at all of God upon the hearts of Sinners but that which is purely moral and perswasive by the word that what is asserted by some concerning the Efficacy of the Grace of the Spirit and concerning his gifts is no more but a buzz and a noise I wish he would explain himself directly and positively in these things for they are of great importance And the loose expressions which we meet with do give great Offence unto some who are apt to think that as pernicious an Heresie as ever infested the Church of God may be covered and clocked by them But to return In the sense that Moral Vertue is here taken I dare boldly pronounce that there is no Villany in the Religion of those men who distinguish between Vertue and Grace that is there not in their so doing this being the known and avowed Religion of Christianity It is granted that whereever Grace is there is Vertue For Grace will produce and effect all Vertues in the Soul whatever But Vertue on the other side may be where there is no Grace which is sufficient to confirm a distinction between them It was so in fundry of the Heathen of old though now it be pretended that Grace is nothing but an occasional denomination of Vertue not that it is the cause or principle of it But the proofs produced by our Author are exceedingly incompetent unto the end whereunto they are applyed For that place of the Apostle Gal. 5. v. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith meekness Temperance Though our Author should be allowed to turn Joy into cheerfulness peace into peaceableness Faith into Faithfulness as he hath done corruptly enough to accommodate it to his purpose yet it will no way reach his end nor satisfie his intention For doth it follow that because the Spirit effects all these Moral vertues in a new and gracious manner and with a direction to a new and special end in Believers either that these things are nothing but meer Moral Vertues not wrought in us by the grace of God the contrary whereof is plainly asserted in calling them fruits of the Spirit or that where-ever there is Moral Vertue though not so wrought by the Spirit that there is Grace also because Vertue and Grace are the same If these are the Expositions of Scripture which we may expect from them who make such out-cries against other mens perverting and corrupting of it the matter is not like to be much mended with us for ought I can see upon their taking of that work into their own hands And indeed his Quotation of this place is pretty odd He doth not in the Print express the words as he useth and as he doth those of another Scripture immediately in a different character as the direct words of the Apostle that no man may charge him with a false Allegation of the Text. Yet he repeats all the words of it which he intends to use to his purpose somewhat altering the expressions But he hath had I fear some unhappiness in his Explanations By Joy he would have Cheerfulness intended But what is meant by cheerfulness is much more uncertain than what is intended by Joy Mirth it may be in Conversation is aimed at or somewhat of that nature But how remote this is from that Spiritual Joy which is recommended unto us in the Scripture
not so learned him as to relieve themselves by false or fierce Recriminations The measure of the covering provided for all these excesses of unbridled passion is that alone which is now to be taken The Case expressed it seems is the only single instance in which zeal is just and warrantable How our Author came to be assured thereof I know not sure I am that it doth neither comprize in it nor hath any aspect on the ground occasion or nature of the zeal of Phinehas or of Nehemiah or of David or of Joshuah and least of all of our Saviour as we shall see He must needs be thought to be over-intent upon his present occasion when he forgot not one or two but indeed all instances of just and warrantable zeal that are given us in the only sacred repository of them For what concerns the example of our blessed Saviour particularly insisted on I wish he had ossended one way only in the report he makes of it For let any sober man judge in the first place whether those expressions he useth of the hot fit of zeal that He was in of the Height of impatience that he was provoked unto the seeming Fury and Transport of Passion that he acted withall do become that Reverence and Adoration of the Son of God which ought to possess the hearts and guide the Tongues and Writings of men that profess his Name But whatever other mens apprehensions may be as it is not improbable but that some will exercise severity in their Reflections on these Expressions for my part I shall entertain no other thoughts but that our Author being engaged in the Composition of an Invective Declamation and aiming at a Gradeur of Words yea to fill it up with Tragical expressions could not restrain his pen from some extravagant excess when the Lord Christ Himself came in his way to be spoken of However it will be said the Instance is pertinently alledged and the occasion of the Exercise of the zeal of our Blessed Saviour is duly represented It may be some will think so but the truth is there are scarce more lines than mistakes in the whole discourse to this purpose What Court it was of the Temple wherein the Action remembred was performed is not here particularly determined only 't is said to be the Outward Court wherein the Gentiles and Proselytes worshipped in opposition to that which was peculiar to the worship of the Jews Now of old from the first Erection of the Temple there were two Courts belonging unto it and no more the inward Court wherein were the Brazen Altar with all those Utensils of worship which the Priests made use of in their sacred Offices and the outward Court whither the people assembled as for other Devotions so to behold the Priests exercising their Function and to be in a readiness to bring in their own especial sacrifices upon which account they were admitted to the Altar it self Into this outward Court which was a dedicate part of the Temple all Gentiles who were Proselytes of Righteousness that is who being circumeised had taken upon them the Observation of the Law of Moses and thereby joyned themselves to the people of God were admitted as all the Jewish Writers agrree And these were all the Courts that were at first Sanctified and were in use when the words were spoken by the Prophet which are applyed to the Action of our Saviour namely My house shall be called a House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Thieves Afterwards in the dayes of the Herodians another Court was added by the immuring of the remainder of the Hill whereunto a promiscuous entrance was granted unto all people It was therefore the antient Outward Court whereinto the Jews thought that Paul had brought Trophimus the Ephesian whom they knew to be Uncircumcised I confess some Expositors think that it was this latter Area from whence the Lord Christ east out the Buyers and Sellers but their Conjecture seems to be altogether groundless for neither was that Court ever absolutely called the Temple nor was it esteemed Sacred but common or Prophane nor was it in being when the Prophet used the words mentioned concerning the Temple It was therefore the other antient outward Court common to the Jews and Proselytes of the Gentiles that is intended for as there the Salt and Wood were stored that were daily used in their Sacrifices so the Covetous Priests knowing that many who came up to offer were wont to buy the beasts they sacrificed at Hierusalem to prevent the charge and labour of bringing them from farr to further as they pretended their Accommodation they appropriated a Market to themselves in this Court and added a Trade in money relating it may be thereunto and other things for their Advantage Hence the Lord Christ twice drove them once at the Beginning and once at the End of his Ministry in the flesh not with a seeming Transport of Fury but with that evidence of the presence of God with Him and Majesty of God upon Him that it is usually reckoned amongst one of the Miracles that he wrought considering the state of all things at that time amongst the Jews And the reason why He did this and the occasion of the exercise of his Zeal is so express in the Scripture as I cannot but admire at the Invention of our Author who could find out another Reason and Occasion of it For it is said directly that he did it because of their wicked profanation of the house of God contrary to his express Institution and Command Of a regard to the Jews contempt of the Gentiles there is not one word not the least Intimation nor was there in this matter the least occasion of any such thing These things are not pleaded in the least to give countenance to Any in their proud supercillious Censures and Contempt of others wherein if any person living have out-done our Author or shall endeavour so to do he will not fail I think to carry away the prize in this unworthy Contest Nor is it to Apologize for them whom he charges with extravagances and excesses in this kind I have no more to say in their behalf but that as far as I know they are falsly accused and calumniated though I will not be accountable for the expessions of every weak and impertinent person Where men indeed sin openly in all manner of Transgressions against the Law and Gospel where a spirit of enmity to holiness and obedience unto God discovers and acts it self constantly on all occasions in a word where men wear Sin 's Livery some are not afraid to think them Sin 's Servants But as to that Elation of mind in self-conceit wherewith they are charged their contempt of other men upon the account of Party which he imputes unto them I must expect other proofs than the bare assertion of this Author before I shall joyn with him in the management of his Accusation And no
This bespeaks unto all the great Duty towards God of their acknowledgement unto him of their miserable and helpless condition with all those Affections and subordinate Duties wherewith it is attended In this state he declares that God himself in his Infinite Wisdome Goodness and Grace provided a Remedy a way of relief on which he hath put such an impression of his Glorious Excellencies as may stirr up the hearts of his Creatures to endeavour a return unto him from their Apostasie and that this remedy consists in his setting forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the forgiveness of Sin which he proposeth unto Men for their receiving and acceptance This renders it the greatest duty of mankind towards God to believe in the Son of God so set forth to seek after an Interest in him or being made partaker of him for this is the great work that God requires namely that we believe on him whom he hath sent Again he declares that God justifieth them who so believe pardoning their sins and imputing Righteousness unto them whereon innumerable Duties do depend even all the Obedience that Christ requires of us seeing in our believing in him we accept him to be our King to rule govern and conduct our souls to God And all these are Religious duties towards God He declares moreover that whereas Men are by Nature dead in trespasses and sins and stand in need of a new spiritual life to be born again that they may live unto God that God in Jesus Christ doth by his spirit quicken them and regenerate them and work in them a new principle of spiritual life whence it is their great Duty towards God in this Religion of St. Paul to comply with and to yield obedience unto all the wayes and methods that God is pleased to use in the accomplishment of this work upon them the especial Duties whereof are too many to be instanced in But he further manifests that notwithstanding the Regeneration of Men by the Spirit and their Conversion to God there yet continues in them a remainder of the Principle of corrupted nature which he calls the flesh and Indwelling Sin that is of it self wholly enmity against God and as far it abides in any inclines the heart and mind unto sin which is to be watched against and opposed And on this head he introduceth the great Religious Duty towards God of our spiritual conflict against sin and of the mortification of it wherein those that believe are to be exercised all the dayes of their lives and wherein their principal duty towards God doth consist and without which they can perform no other in a due manner Moreover he farther adds the great Gospel-Priviledge of the Communication of the Spirit of Christ unto Believers for their Sanctification Consolation and Edification with the Duties of Thankfulness towards God Joy and Rejoycing in him Cheerfulness under Tryals Afflictions and Persecutions and sundry others that on that account are required of us all Religious Duties towards God in the Religion by him proposed unto us Having laid these foundations and manifested how they all proceed from the Eternal Counsel and free Grace of God in which it is our Duty to admire adore and praise him he declareth how hereby and on the account of these things we are bound unto all Holiness Righteousness Godliness Honesty and Usefulness in this world in all Relations and Conditions whatsoever declaring our Duties in Churches according to our especial interest in them towards Believers and towards all Men in the World in our several Relations in Obedience to Magistrates and all superiors in a word in universal observance of the whole will and all the commands of God Now whither any one will call this a Scheme or no or allow it to have any thing of Method in it or no I neither know nor care but am perswaded that it makes a better more plain and intelligible Representation of the Religious Duties towards God which Christian Religion requires of us unto all that suppose this whole Religion to depend on Divine Revelation than that of our Author But I find my self in a digression the end of this Discourse was only to manifest the Sentiments of our Author on the second head before laid down which I think are sufficiently evinced The third is That there is no actual work of present Grace either to sit the Persons of whom these Duties of Moral Vertues are required unto the performance of them or to work and effect them in them For although they are called Graces and the Graces of the Spirit in the Scripture yet that is upon another account as he declares himself pag. 72. All that the Scripture intends by the Graces of the Spirit are only Vertuous qualities of the Soul that are therefore stiled Graces because they are derived purely from God's free-Grace and Goodness in that in the first Ages of Christianity he was pleased out of his infinite concern for its propagation in a miraculous manner to inspire its Converts with all sorts of Vertue Vertuous Qualities of the soul is a very ambigious expression Take these Vertuous Qualities for a new principle of Spiritual life consisting in the habitual Disposition Inclination and Ability of mind unto the things required of us in the will of God or unto the Acts of Religious Obedience and it may express the Graces of the Spirit which yet are far enough from being so called upon the account here mentioned But these Vertuous Qualities are to be interpreted according to the tenour of the preceding Discourses that have already passed under Examination Let now our Author produce any one Writer of the Church of God from first to last of any repute or Acceptation from the day that the name of Christian was known in the World unto this wherein we live giving us this account why the fruits of the Spirit the Vertuous or Gracious qualities of the minds of Believers are called Graces that here he gives and I will give him my thanks publickly for his discovery For if this be the only Reason why any thing in Believers is called Grace why Vertues are Graces namely because God was pleased in the first Ages of Christianity miraculously to inspire its Converts with all sorts of Vertue then there is â—o Communication of Grace unto any no work of Grace in and upon any in an ordinary way through the Ministry of the Gospel in these latter Ages The whole Being and efficacy of Grace according to this notion is to be confined unto the miraculous Operations of God in Gospel concernments in the first Ages whence a denomination in the Scripture is cast upon our Vertues when obtained and exercised by and in our own strength Now this plainly overthrows the whole Gospel and contains a Pelagianisme that Pelagius himself never did nor durst avow Are these things then so indeed that God did from his free Grace and