in God all labours bestowed in a wrong way of Doctrine or practice will then be burnt up and prove unprofitable to those that have wrought them 3. That it is possible that some who are themselves built and do build on the true foundation may yet so far err in their work at least some part of it as that it may not be approved in this day but must be lost even as Wood Hay and Stubble is consumed by the Fire and they miss of that reward which shall be given to those whose labour hath been better imployed in the promoting of sound Doctrine and Godliness to the glory of God and the profit of their own and others Souls And 4. That this notwithstanding those that have an interest in Christ and have been in the main sincere with God shall themselves be saved yet so as by fire they cannot escape this tryal of their work and loss of that superadded gracious reward which they should have received if they had built upon the foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Now let the whole context be diligently read and weighed by his Reader and mine and I doubt not but he will see that this Scripture proves not at all the Salvation of any that dye in their sins after the final sentence is past upon them And here it may not be unseasonable to remind Mr. Collier of those rules of interpreting Scripture that he would seem to have some regard to p. 39. viz. 1. Not to understand any dark Scripture contrary to the plain revealed will of God in his word 2. Not to understand any Scripture so as to contradict others especially so as to contradict the Volume of the Book of God This himself confesseth must needs be corrupt and dangerous and yet every one may see that his business throughout this Chapter is to oppose some few sayings of Scripture that have some difficulty attending their interpretation with parabolical and figurative expressions corrupted by his false glosses unto a multitude of plain Texts and the whole scope of the Scripture bearing plentiful witness to the certainty of the Everlasting punishment of the ungodly But I shall proceed He saith again The Lord of all lets us to know that none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit Mat. 12. 31. Three of the Evangelists state this for confirmation Mar. 3. 28. Luk. 12. 10. And if all sin shall be forgiven then there must be a deliveâ—ance from the Judgement Now is Mr. Colliers mask of pretended modesty put off and laid aside and instead thereof a daring assertion of his Heresie is introduced and that by him boldly intitled to the Lord of all which oweth its Original to the Father of lies viz. That none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit and that he may at once give full proof of his confidence he adds that this is stated by three of the Evangelists whereas in truth there is no such thing so much as intimated in any one of them But in divers Texts of Scripture the Lord of all lets us know that many shall be Eternally damned for other sins that may not be chargeable with the sin against the holy Ghost unto those already pleaded you may add Rev. 20. 15. 21. 8. As for the Texts abused by him The scope and design of them plainly is to let the malicious revilers of Christ and his Miracles know That although the Grace of God to sinners is so abundant that all sin and blasphemy of those that truly repent and believe in Christ may be and to some hath been and shall be forgiven on the terms aforesaid yet those that willingly and maliciously reject and blaspheme Christ so doing despight to the spirit of Grace whereby they have been so far enlightened as to know that what the Gospel reveals concerning Christ and salvation by him is truth are utterly excluded from hopes of pardon or possibiâ—ity of salvation it being impossible to renew them to Repentance and there remaining no more sacrifice for sin Compare the Texts cited with Heb. 6. 4 5 6. chap. 10. 26 27 28 29. The words in Mat. 12. are v. 31. Wherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men v. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shalâ— not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come The same thing is intended in either of these Verses though the expression thereof be doubled for the greater certainty and remarkableness thereof Wherefore I say unto you This refers to what is before recorded v. 24. c. all manner of sin and blasphemy i. e. sin and blasphemy of every kind not every individual sin and blasphemy The adultery of Repenting David was forgiven but not the adultery of those mentioned Rev. 21. 8. The blasphemy of Paul and the words that he spake against the Son of man but not of Caiaphas Herod c. shall be forgiven unto men and so v. 32. it shall be forgiven him i. e. it is remissible By the grace of God through Faith in Christ it may be forgiven and to some it hath and shall be forgiven Verbs that signifie action are sometimes understood only of a faculty or power of action so Psal 22. 18. I may tell all my bones in the Hebrew it is I will tell all my bones The sense is well exprest in our translation and Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean c. In the Hebrew it is who saith Many will say and pretend this but the meaning is who of right can say so And that the words should here be taken in this sense the analogy of Faith doth require but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost or whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost i. e. whosoever blasphemeth wittingly and maliciously against the inward enlightening and conviction of the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men and v. 32 it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in that which is to come Thus you have the certainty of their damnation first absolutely exprest v. 31. and then emphatically repeated in such terms as may serve farther to cut them off from all hopes and exclude all possibility of their forgiveness v. 32. And in them no more is intended then was before exprest and is in like absolute terms exprest by the other Evangelists no intimation which Mr. C. vainly imagines p. 48. that any which are not forgiven in this world may obtain pardon in that which is to come It is certain that it was a familiar phrase with the Jews to call the age of the Messiah the world to come and some with great probability to accept this sense both here and in Heb. 2. 5. 6.
Book I answer I have in the following page given thee a specimen of Mr. Colliers strange Heterodoxies collected out of his Book for the most part in his own terms which with very many more contained therein are detected and refuted in this And give me leave to express my desires in the words of that holy man of old concerning what I have written Domine Deus unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in his libris de tuo agnoscant tui si qua de meo tu ignosce tui Amen! August Let God alone have the glory of any thing serviceable to the interest of his truth in this Treatise and interpret well my poor Essay towards the clearing thereof much weakness therein I am sensible of and know right well that one of deeper Judgement and greater abilities endued with a more plentiful anointing of the good spirit would have said much more in less room then I have done But seeing no other was engaged in this service my mite is humbly offered and that my weakness may be pardoned and my poor endeavours succeeded to some advantage if it be but of the weakest of Christs sheep and the reflecting of some glory to his holy Name is the earnest prayer of The unworthiest of his Servants N. C. Amongst the many gross Errours published by Mr. Collier in his Additional Word and refuted in this Treatise are these following 1. THat Christ is the Son of God only as considered in both natures Addit Word Ch. 1. p. 2. 2. As he was the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory was he killed and crucified and that was not in the humane nature only ch 1. p. 4. 3. As God-man he was a Creature ch 1. p. 9. 4. This Creature God-man made all things ch 1. p. 10. 5. The word God-man was made flesh ch 1. p. 11. 6. There are Increated Heavens for the Eternal God must have some Eternal habitation ch 1. p. 12. 7. Christ died for the Universe the Heavens and Earth and all things therein ch 2. p. 13. 8. The Gospel ought to be preached to the whole Creation even to that part of it that is not capable of hearing or understanding it ch 2. p. 16. 9. The Foolish Virgins shall obtain some great priviledge in the day of Christ ch 3. p. 23. 10. Those that never heard the Gospel cannot be under the Judgement of Damnation ch 4. p. 26. 11. The sinful defilement of our nature is not the sin but the affliction of man ch 4. p. 27. 12. It s possible for men in respect of power to believe the Gospel if God do not work at all upon them by his spirit ch 5. p. 31 32. 13. Regenerate Persons or True Believers may finally fall away from God and Perish ch 5. p. 36 c. 14. None shall be Eternally damned but those that sin against the holy Spirit ch 7. p. 47. 15. The Gospel hath been preached to men after they were dead ch 7 p. 48. 16. Men may repent so as to obtain deliverance from their torment after death and the last Judgement ch 7. p. c. 8. 17. Sluggish Christians and Formalists may find some mercy in the day of Judgement p. 51. 18. Perhaps the torment of some sinners may not exceed a 100 years p. 52. 19. The Sodomites have already received their Judgement and are still suffering thereof and the day of the general Judgement is like to be their day of ease p. 53. 20. The infinite Sacrifice of Christ remains the same to have its influence for the obtaining of Grace after the Judgement as before p. 54. CHAP. I. Concerning God The distinct Subsistencies in the Divine Nature And more especially the Person of the Son MR. Collier intimates in the beginning of his first Chapter That he had been from some private hand admonished of certain errors by him before published in his Body of Divinity which in this Chapter he endeavours to vindicate and makes this the occasion of the putting forth the whole of what we find in his Additional Word But verily this course is in no wise like to give satisfaction to them who before were justly offended For a man when he is blamed for swerving from the form of sound words and that Doctrine that is according to Godliness in some instances to repeat his errors with new Confidence instead of a retractation of them and then to add many more and more dangerous against the analogy of Faith yea the express words of Scripture and common sentiments of all that deserve the name of Christians is not the way to reconcile himself to the truth or to any true lovers thereof And that Mr. Collier hath thus done will be manifested in our progress We are plentifully instructed from the Scripture That there is but one only living and true God who is a most pure Spirit Eternal and Immutable Incomprehensible and infinitely perfect in his Being and all the properties thereof c. This also Mr. Collier professeth to own yet he hath in the close of this first Chapter of his Additional Word dropt an expression or two that seem to hold no very full harmony therewith He saith p. 12. As to the Omnipresence of God the Father I say what the Scripture saith which directeth us to the Father as in Heaven and that by his Spirit he is present in all places Omnipresence is an Essential property of God grounded on his Infiniteness it is as necessary to him to be Omnipâ—â—ent as to be God It is all one therefore whether we speak of the Omnipresence of the Father or of the Son or of the holy Spirit these three being that One incomprehensible and infinite Jehovah to whom all fear and worship is due And to deny it of any of them is to deny their Divinity And whereas Mr. Collier tells us That he saith what the Scripture saith c. That is not enough unless he make it manifest also That he saith it according to the true sense and intendment of the Spirit of God in those Scriptures he refers unto I am unwilling to entertain jealousies of any man but yet I must say That those Socinians who have most opposed the truth concerning the immensity of God have yet said as much as Mr. Collier here presents us with and to clear himself from suspicion in this matter when questioned about it more might justly have been expected from him The Scriptures indeed speak of God as in Heaven but that is as many other expressions in them â—re in a way of condescension to our capacity And we must always remember that those things that are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men must be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becoming God else we must immediately close with the gross and absurd Heresie of the Authropomorphites Seeing then that we conceive of no place so glorious as Heaven that is represented to us as the dwelling place or
form of God long before he was a Creature His 6th position is answered before He adds 7thly That he is the Son of Man in both natures As to his Humane nature and that only he was â—â—â—e of the seed of David But the union of both natures was so strict and indissoluble in the person of Christ that it is truly said That holy thing that was born of the Virgin was the Son of God The person who as to his Humane nature was formed of the seed of the Virgin being Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper Son begotten of his own substance from Everlasting as to his Divine nature And this distinction of natures in Christ strictly observed doth not at all infer a plurality of Persons or Sons as Mr. C. vainly imagines p. 8. in his Question For the Humane nature hath no subsistence of its own It is the same person who is the Son of God and the Son of David yet is he the Son of God in his Divine nature in contradistinction from the Humane and the Son of David with respect to our nature that he took of the Virgin in contradistinction from the Divine nature though these natures since the Incarnation cannot possibly be divided or separated And if this be not owned we must bring in a confusion of natures in the Person of Christ As to what he adds about Justification it shall be taken notice of in a more convenient place Whereas Mr. C. closeth this Chapter with an affirmation That he cannot yet be convinced of any thing written in his Body of Divinity wherein himself owneth these things are found of which he yet seeth cause to repent Truly his blindness renders him an object of pity And because he supposeth these strange Heterodoxies have proceeded from his being inriched in knowledge beyond all others his case is the more dangerous But oh that he would be advised to go to Christ for Eye-salve that he might see and then we should hear another story from him While I was engaged in my answer to Mr. Collier I received from the hand of a Friend some Animadversions on this Chapter of his especially respecting his second position concerning the Person of Christ which because they are not long and may give some farther Light into this matter under debate I have here annexed Mr. Colliers Add. word p. 2. That which I shall endeavour to demonstrate from Scripture iâ— That he is the Son of God only as considered in both natures And if this be proved if he be tâ—e Son of God in both natures only then he is not the Son of God in the Divine nature only and to prove that he is the Son of God in both natures only the Scripture so presents him to us and no otherwise And as the Scripture presents him to us so ought we to believe him to be and no otherwise Before I enter upon the consideration of what the Scriptures say in this important Article of our Faith let us hear what Mr. Collier himself saith in his Body of Divinity under this Title How this one God subsisteth in three Persons p. 44. The sum of all is this That God is one Eternal infinite substantial Being distinguished into Father Son and Holy Spirit and in all three are Divine and distinct relative properties and operations yet in all no one wills no one acts without the other Gen. 1. 1 2 26. Heb. 1. 2. Job 33. 4. And p. 43 And this truth i. e. a plurality in one infinite and eternal God is clearly to be proved from the Old Testament even from the Creation It might be supposed by this his brief description of the Deity that Mr. Collier is Orthodox in his opinion concerning the Divinity of the Son of God though in many places he be singular in his expressions And that his design wherein he is singular and different from others is very charitable viz. That his supposed absurdity of making two Sons or the Sonship of Christ not to be the same at first as it was at last might be avoided Yet whosoever throughly weighs his whole discourse cannot but observe that he speaks at least very doubtfully concerning any existence that the Son of God had in the Divine nature before he was made or manifest in flesh Add word p. 11. § 6. That this word God-man was made flesh Here it seems lyeth the blâ—ck in the way that he that was a man was made a man The resolve is clear from Scripture he that was God and man in Gods eye was made so in our eye when made or manifested in flesh It were to be wished that Mr. Collier would yet speak more plainly that if he think a right a wrong opinion may not be conceived of him from his seemingly affected obscurity in his expressions What is the meaning of this He that was God and man in Gods eye was made so in our eye Is it that God the Father always saw him as he was from Eternity existing with him in the Deity in both natures God-man or never existing â—s God the Son till he was made or manifest in the flesh Because of this obscurity and the jealousies justly conceived that Mr. Collier is very corrupt in his opinion concerning the pre-existence of the Son of God in the Divine nature before he assumed flesh let it now be considered whether the Scriptures present the Lord Christ to us as being the Son of God in both natures only even those places of Scripture among others which Mr. C. by his false glosses would have us to think do so only present him to us Heb. 1. 8. But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a scepter of Righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oil of gladness above thy fellows Herein we have not only the unction of the Son of God mentioned but the reason of it And that is plainly taken from his Everlasting Divinity Regality and Righteousness Because he that is the Son of God is God that made and upholds and rules over the world in Righteousness and loveth it and hateth iniquity therefore as the only fit person is he anointed by God the Father his God and our God to the Office of Mediatorship which the whole Chapter treats of And from the dignity of his Person as the Son of God is divine adoration given to him when as the Son of man he came first into the world And from thence also his preheminence notwithstanding his debasement in the flesh continues with him above all his fellows Heb. 2. 16. He took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham If the question be asked as the Eâ—nuch did Philip in the like case of whom does the Apostle here speak The answer is plain from the context of the Son of God He is the person assuming
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 9. because his gracious purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 6. because he separates or singles out some to mercy in a way of choice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 2. because he knows them as his own in a way of singular love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 29 30. because he infallibly predestinates them to Grace and Glory and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1. 5. because all is out of the pure self-motion of his own good will This Election of God then is Gâ—d â—illing or decreeing to glorifie his Grace in the Salvation of a certain number of the posterity of fallen Man through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth And other Election unto Eternal Life the Scripture knoweth not So then what Mr. Collier discourseth p. 19. concerning a General Election in the Gospel hath no foundation but in the ambiguity of the â—erm which I have removed And indeed in the New Testament there is no countenance given to the using of the term in that sâ—nse as he doth when whole Churches are said to be Elect it is rather because in the judgement of Charity each Member in a Gospel Church is so to be esteemed then for the reason which he supposeth That which he drops in that Section concerning â—â—lling from Grace shall be examined afterwards He proceeds p. 20. To discourse of Special Election which he makâ—â— twofold The first is of those who are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world unto the obtaining of Grace and Glory A brief account of which I have already given The reason he gives for this is That the undertaking of Christ might be assured not to be in vain on the most special account c. He acknowledgeth then That if there had not been a certain number given to Christ by the Father who by effectual Grace should be brought to believe in him his undertaking might have been in vain But this must not be very true But then if the whole of his undertaking must not be left at uncertainty why should any part of it be so How Mr. C. will reconcile this with his other notions I know not He goes on The second sort of special Election in the Gospel is of All that do believe and obey the Gospel in truth persevering therein to the end Afterwards he accounts these distinct from the special Elect but for the present he makes this one branch of special Election I shall allow him to alter his terms as he pleaseth if he find them unfit and consider his present notion which is built upon this supposition That many may and shall believe and obey the Gospel and persevere therein to the end that receive no special Grace from God in the pursuit of his Electing Love to enable them thereunto or preserve them therein which notion shall be examined in its proper place And these are Elected on the foresight of their Faith and Obedience and perseverance therein And here we might reasonably expect that Tho. C. in his Add. word should have confuted the arguments urged against such an Election by Th. C. in his B. of D. p. 444 445 446. But this he silently passeth over and this sudden change is the more to be taken notice of because he tells us in his Preface to that Book That they are not the notions of sudden conception but the fruit and birth of many years travel that he there presents us with and that he would have all his Doctrine to be compared with that Book and either reconciled therewith or rejected I know some will be ready to say Inconstans levitas levis inconstantia vulgi Nunc vult nunc non vult nunc neque vult neq non vult But I shall rather mind that seasonable exhortation of the Apostle Eph. 4. 14. Heb. 1â— 9. and so address my self to consider what proof of this notion he offers to us Election saith he under this consideration is declared in these and the like Scriptures Joh. 6. 40. 3. 16. 8. 31. Rom. 2. 7. Heb. 5. 9. Col. 1. 21 23. Rev. 22. 14. All these Scriptures hold forth no more but the inseparable connexion as of the means with the end of Faith and Obedience persevered in with Eternal Life and Salvation not a tittle of the Election of any on the foresight of these He that holdeth out to the end shall be saved which all the Elect shall do being kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation but this Grace as well as future Glory floweth to them from the eternal spring of Electing Love Yea Mr. C. himself can tell us at another time That Faith is no where stated in the Scriptures as the condition of Election neither in reason can it be so if we consider what persons are Elected to and that is to believe and obey the Gospel to be holy here and happy hereafter 1 Pet. 1 2. Bod. of Divin p. 445. And if Mr. C. will consult those that have written on this controversie he may find other arguments urged against this errour also but perhaps his own may have the greatest influence on him I shall therefore leave that with him and attend him in his farther offer of proof of the contrary opinion now Thus he proceeds p. 21. We may not so understand particular and special Election as to derogate from the universal Grace and love of God to all men nor from the truth of the Law of Grace which calleth upon all and encourageth all and promiseth life to all that do believe and obey the Gospel c. What Mr. Collier means by the universal Grace and love of God to all men he doth not here explain But by the tenour of his discourse in other places in his Book his sense appears to be That God intended the Redemption and Salvation of all men in the death of his Son and hath recovered them all out of their fallen state and put them into a capacity of obtaining Heaven without his special Grace And it is true that the Doctrine of Election as revealed in the Scriptures doth overthrow this fiction but must it therefore be rejected because it will not comport with his errors And whereas he supposeth that the Decree of God concerning the salvation of the Elect opposeth his revealed will and gracious invitations unto sinners in the Gospel this must be imputed to his ignorance of these things He tells us not wherein he supposeth the opposition doth lye And whatever he thinks their harmony is sweet and full There is a sufficiency in Christ to save the whole world if they did believe on him and there is a sure promise of salvation to every believer And it is the will of God that salvation by Christ should be tendered unto all where the Gospel comes on the terms mentioned therein But the wickedness of mans heart and his natural enmity to God being such as would render
this high and holy place being increated But to manifest that Mr. Collier speaks not only without the Scriptures but against the Scriptures herein let these Texts be considered Thus the Heavens were finished and all the Host of them Gen. 2. 1. He commanded and the Heaven of Heavens were created Psal 48. 4 5. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Hosts of them Psal 33. 6. what the Hosts of Heaven are you may understand by 2 Chron. 18. 18. Luke 2. 13. And if these Hosts of Heaven the holy Angels do always behold the face of God and all of them both place and Inhabitants were part of the six days creation as Exod. 20. 11. And if the face of God be beheld where his glory is displayed in the greatest splendour then certainly there is no colour nor place left for any increated Heavens And why cannot Mr. Collier conceive of the Eternal God without an Eternal Habitation distinct from himself If he must have such an habitation it is either because his happiness would not be perfect without it which is to make him dependant on something beside himself and to deny his Godhead by denying his self-sufficiency or else it must be because his being is such as is determined and limited by certain bounds as Bodies are properly said to be in such or such a place because they are circumscribed within some space that they fill up Created spirits though in a more improper sense yet are truly said to be in a place because though they have not parts and dimensions as bodies have so filling up the place where they are nor can be punctually circumscribed as they may yet they are so in some certain place as not to be at the same time without it or elsewhere Now therefore when we conceive of the being of either of these we must also conceive of some space susceptive of them which we call place because they are finite But what place can we conceive of for his dwelling therein who is immense and indistant to all places and things present to all by and in his infinite essence and being but contained in none He adds If God hath prepared a Building a House for his people not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Methinks it should be no crime to say that he hath an Eternal habitation for himself suitable to his name and nature and if Eternal then Increated I suppose the ambiguity of the word Eternal which Mr. Collier meets with in the Text is the occasion of his mistake in part If we look into the Scriptures we shall find mention made of a threefold duration 1. That which is absolutely Eterna without beginning or end and this is proper to God alone 2. That which hath a beginning but shall have no end which for distinction sake is commonly called Aeviternity And 3. That which hath a beginning and shall have an end which is time Now the term Eternal is indifferently used in the Scripture to signifie either of the two former but this ambiguity is easily removed if we consider the subject spoken of when it is applyed to God we must take it in the first sense but when unto Creatures in the second so then the Apostle as is clear from the scope of the Text when he speaks of an House Eternal in the Heavens doth not intend a building that had been from Everlasting but such an one as notwithstanding its Creation for it was made though without hands by the power of God in time should not decay as the earthly house of our Tabernacle doth but abide incorruptible for ever And let not Mr. C. think that because we need a house a building in the Heavens to compleat our happiness that therefore the former of all things doth so So then this Text will not bear the weight he lays on it And when in the close he infers from the Eternity of Gods dwelling place that it is also increated he might have added and then God for this necessarily follows upon the grant of the other and by this very medium Mr. Collier in his Body of Divinity p. 85. proves that Angels are created beings His words are these Reason teacheth that they must be and are created oâ— else they must be Eternal which is proper to none but God and if so they must be God but they are not God c. and by that Mr. C. may see that he hath intangled himself in medling with things that he understands not But I shall proceed The Scripture doth also instruct us concerning the subsistence of God or the manner of his being and this is such a glorious mystery as by his word only is revealed to us We cannot by reason comprehend it but ought to adore it and by Faith rest in his testimony concerning it In 1 Joh. 5. 7. we are taught that there are three that do subsist in the Divine essence and that these three are the Father the Word and the Spirit who are the one true God Here then is set before us the Divine essence subsisting in three relative properties The relative property of the Father is to begâ—t Ps 2. 7. Joh. 3. 16. The relative property of the Son is to be begotten The relative properly of the Holy Spirit is to be breathed or to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15. 26. Rom. 8. 9 c. Now unto these relative properties belong all imaginable perfection but no imperfection because they are in God Therefore as considered in him they do inferr personality because a personal subsistence is the most perfect manner of being in the whole reasonable nature And throughout the Scriptures when the Father Son or Holy Ghost are distinctly spoken of those terms are made use of that are proper only unto a person and personal operations are every where ascribed to them Though in our conception of personality in the Divine nature we must separate from it whatsoever imperfection is seen in a created person Every created person hath a limited essence distinct and distant one from another But all the increated persons in the Deity have the same immense undivided essence and are the one Eternal immortal invisible only wise God In created persons also there is difference of time in the proceeding of one from the other but here though there be an Eternal order of origination there is no priority of time or nature Add hereunto the warranty of this term from Hebr. 1. 3. where it is applied to the Father and there is the same reason for our using it when we speak of the Son or Spirit and I cannot see why Mr. C. should reject or except against it as he doth p. 11 12. and in his Bod. of Div. However I shall not strive about words if the thing be owned But it is commonly seen that men have been offended with apt terms because the things expressed by them have been displeasing to
by nature And in that it is to be begotten or brought forth that is here predicate of him it can be no other then the Divine nature subsisting in the incommunicable property of a Son that is here spoken of And an Illustrious exposition of these words you have Joh. 1 1. c. Bâ—t Mr. Collier saith The word translated brought forth is in the Hebrew formed else he could not be set up from Everlasting That the Hebrew word ought to be rendred for 〈…〉 he offers not to prove and his saying so doth not at all 〈…〉 ce it Nay either he is unacquainted with that Language which is very probable and took this by hearsay from some Arrian or else he doth wittingly impose upon his ignorant Reader that cannot contradict him The root from whence that word comes viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the pain and sorrow of a Woman in Travail Peculiare est parturientium nisumque parturiendi proprie significat Mercer and hence being formed in Pihel it signifies properly to cause to bring forth or to bring into the pain attending parturition so it is used Psal 29. 9. and in Pyhall as it is formed here it can signifie no other thing then to be brought forth according to its proper import It is granted that from hence it sometimes borroweth other significations as from the Grief of parturition iâ— is transferr'd to signifie any sorrow or grief and because the product of art in forming something is a kind of birth or bears some similitude to it being oft accomplished not without care and pain which also bear some similitude unto the pains of parturition it is sometimes transferr'd to signifie the formation of a thing by art or otherwise But this is a sure rule that the proper signification of a word is to be retained unless the circumstances of the Text or the analogy of Faith require the contrary But both favour yea necessitate this sense in this place It is impious to think that he which claims religious Worship to himself as Wisdom doth in the close of the Chapter is a formed creature only Mr. Collier adds If it be not so he could not be set up from Everlasting This doth not at all weaken but enforce what I have pleaded Divers able interpreters viz. Pagn Mont. Merc. Vatabl. read it I obtained a prinpality or was constituted a Prince from Everlasting The intendment of these words we have fully exprest Col. 1. 15 16. with Heb. 1. 2. The Son is Lord of the whole Creation and Heir of all things and this right of principality in him hath a double foundation 1. It is in him as he is the Son begotten of the substance of the Father having the same Essence with him and the Creator of all things 2. It is founded in the Covenant of Redemption made between the Father and him and is referred to his Mediatory kingdom The first belongs to him by necessity of nature from Everlasting unto his Mediatory kingdom and principality he was designed of God according to Covenant and fore-ordained from Everlasting There is then nothing in these words that will give Mr. Collier any relief what he further adds requires no answer So then here is a second witness to the Everlasting Son-ship of Christ before he was God-man I will mention one Text more where we have not only the thing but even the term plainly exprest Prov. 30. 4. Who hath established all the ends of the Earth what is his name or what is his Sons name if thou canst tell This Scripture fully holds forth That the Father had a Son before the Incarnation of Christ whose name was Wonderful and his Glory as unspeakable as that of the Father It is therefore the Son of God not as made flesh but as he was from Eternity with God having his Essence and Glory that is here mentioned But why do I stay to enumerate particular testimonâ—es seeing all those Scriptures that speak of his Divine nature do confirm the truth pleaded for Joh. 1. The word was God and the word was made flesh How and when he was made flesh the other Evangelists particularly relate But before that This word was in the beginning with God and he is acknowledged by Mr. Collier to be the second in the Trinity and that his title is the Son And indeed the being of the Divine Essence is not more necessary then the manner of its being i. e. the incommunicable relative properties thereof or the subsisting of the Father Son and holy Spirit therein I conclude therefore that it is not only safe and sound to assert but moreover that it always was an Article of the Common faith of Christians That the Son of God was before he was made flesh while he subsisted only in the form of God And to deny that he was the Son of God in the Divine nature only is by just consequence to deny that he hath a Divine nature seeing it either infers an utter denial of his pre-existence to his Incarnation or at least that the nature he had before was neither Person nor Son until it received its perfection and became both by the uniting of the Humane nature thereto By Mr. Colliers after-discourse it appears that he hath been cast upon those absurd contradictions that this Chapter is filled with by a very gross mistake of the Decree of God concerning Christ and the Prophecies of his coming in the flesh Because it was from Eternity decreed that the Son of God should become Immanuel he concludes that he is to be considered as being actually God-man from Everlasting and because it was foretold what he should be therefore he always was such an one But he may as well conclude That himself or any other thing that ever was is or shall be in nature had an Everlasting existence seeing the futurition of all these was from Everlasting determined in Gods Decree Having thus removed the foundation of his whole discourse on this subject I shall not trouble the Reader with a reply to every futilous cavil and contradiction I meet with in the remaining part of this Chapter but pass through it with all speed and brevity He proceeds to the second position which depends on the first viz. That he is the Son of God only as considered in both natures His reason for this is the same also in effect with his former and his whole plea in defence of it is already sufficiently enervated But because he here endeavours to wrest many Texts to countenance his notion I will in few words reply to his abuse of them The first is Joh. 1. 2. 14. Let that whole context be soberly considered and we need no more to reprove Mr. Colliers folly But he saith The Scriptures that speak of Christ as in the bosom of the Father before time speak of him as he came forth in time That the Son of God as to his Divine nature is the same yesterday to day
is Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one that is say they one in the same substance c. And a little after That Christ did not intend himself to be the Son of God in the Divine nature only is apparent Because he speaks of himself as he was the Son of God not as he was not viz. as he was God and man visible and not of the Divine nature only which was invisible and must have been an unseen Son which could not be understood This Text doth fully prove that Christ hath the same Essence with the Father and therefore without respect to his being made flesh was from Everlasting begotten of the substance of the Father and this generation is the foundation of that relative property of a Son in which he did subsist before the World was This we say and other Texts do so fully assert it and manifest its lying in the foundation of the Christian Religion that I will not doubt to say he is an Heretick that doth deny it In the following reasoning of Mr. C. it is evident he miserably begs the question it cannot he saith intend his Sonship in the Divine nature because in that only he was not the Son of God But this he should have proved not dictated against the testimony produced What he saith of the invisibility of the Son in the Divine nature may be as well applyed to the denial of the subsisting of the Father or Holy Spirit who also are the invisible God And Mr. C. can never prove that it is necessary unto the being of the Son of God that he should be visible The other Texts minded by him do divers of them speak expresly of a person sent into the world in our nature which was the Son of God and in that he is called the Son of God when found in fashion as a man it doth firmly prove the personal union of both natures in him but not in the least intimate that he was not a Son before he was a man as Mr. C. would seduce his Readers to believe And this may suffice to this Head also His third position is That he was the Word as God-man and man-God or as he explains it p. 8. That the same Word and Son of God God-man was made flesh c which falls in with his 6th position p. 11 How abundantly the Scriptures hold forth a distinction betwixt the Word that took Humane nature and the nature assumed by him hath been already manifested and that the Word was from Everlasting with God and was God the Humane nature not so And the absurdity of his 6th thesis is obvious even to a Child what was it for the Word to be made flesh but to become a man and if he was God-man from Everlasting how could he be made a man in time The truth is Mr. C. fairly intimates his good-will to deny Christs coming of the Seed of David as concerning the flesh for in answer to this objection he saith p. 11. He that was God and Man in Gods eye was made so in our eye when made or manifested in flesh So then he was a man before it seems only we knew it not and his Humane nature he took not of the Virgin but brought it from Heaven with him If this be not his sense he speaks nothing to the purpose and if it be I desire he would speak out in his next and the abomination of it shall be farther detected For the present he produceth nothing more that may give any seeming countenance to these notions or in the least free them from the highest absurdity I shall leave them therefore naked as they are proposed by him and follow him to his fourth Thesis That as God-man he was a Creature i. e. He was a Creature as God as well as in his Humane nature Verily Mr. Collier may as well perswade us That the Creature is God as that God is a Creature I will not suppose his Reader or mine to be utterly Bruitish and without understanding and therefore shall leave this idle and contradictious fiction to confute it self also Only I will add an exposition of Col. 1. 15. abused by him p. 10. where he falls in directly with the notion of the Arrian Hereticks and would perswade us That if Christ be not here considered as the first-born of every Creature as being one of them there is nothing in the Text. But the contrary is abundantly manifested by Dr. Owen in his answer to Biddle the Socinian his Catechism from whence I shall transcribe enough to stop Mr. C's mouth and to inform those that have not that Treatise by them Observe then Although in the 15 16 and 17 Verses the Apostle speaks of him who is the Mediator God-man yet he speaks not of him as Mediator but that he enters upon v. 18. But His present design being to set forth the excellent Glory of Christ he speaks of those things that appertain to him as God For The Creation of all thâ—â—gs by â—â—m is most emphatically exprest v. 16. together with the end of thâ—ir Creation they were created by him and for him he is the Heir of all things and in v. 17. His pre existence unto all things and his providence in supporting them and continuing that being to them which he gâ—ve them is asserted And on this account for this reason is he saâ—d to be the first-born of every Creature which are the words Mr. C. cavils at He therefore by whom all things all Creatures were Created is none of them otherwise he must Create himself He is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born â—ot the first Created that is the Prince Hâ—ir and Lord of the whole Creation so that his priviledge rule and inheritance of and over all Creatures is here exprest which suits the Apostles aim to set out the excellency of Christ above all Creatures His being begotten is opposed to the Creation of all things First in Scripture is sometimes used with respect to things going before in which sense it denies all order or series of things in the same kind so God is said to be the first Isa 41. 4. Because before him there is none Isa 43. 11. and in this sense is Christ the first born so the first born as to be the only begotten Son of God He is also said to be the beginning of the Creation of God because he giveth and continueth being to all Creatures And whereas Mr. C. saith he is a Creature and the Creator too we grant it but not secundam idem in tâ—e same nature As he was God he is the Creator as Man a Creature He saith farther in the 5th place That this Creature God man made all things As God-man he is not a meer Creature It is true Christ made all things as we saw in the preceding Text but not as man for he was made flesh long after but when he subsisted onâ—y in the
that he might always remain upon earth but that after he had finished his Fathers work which he was to do in the flesh he might carry the Humane nature with him into Heaven whither he was to ascend again So that since his uniting of the Humane to the Divine nature in his own person whether he was spoken of as the Son of God according to his Divinity or as the Son of David according to his Humanity under which notion soever he was spoken of either as the Son of God or the Son of Man he being in both natures but one entire person was still truly said to be in Heaven not that it was or could ever be supposed that his claim to Heaven and his being there did arise from his being the Son of Man but as he himself asserts from his coming down from thence his coming and being sent from his Father and yet remaining always with his Father He and his Father being one He that descended is the same also that ascended there neither was nor could there be admitted any change of the Person It is also observable that Gal. 4. 6. the same word is used for the sending forth of the Spirit of his Son by God the Father into the hearts of his adopted Sons that is used for the sending forth of his Son into the world This is no slender evidence of the Eternity and Divinity of Christ that he hath the same relation to the holy Spirit with the Father 1 Pet. 1. 11. It was the Spirit of Christ that was in the Prophets of old that long before his Incarnation did foretell thereof and of his sufferings and the Glory that should follow David himself said by his Spirit The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool as to his Divinity he is the root of David who according to his Humanity was his off-spring Rev. 22. 16. The Vision of Isaiah ch 6. was true and the voice of the Angels a real voice who cried as to the time then present holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And if the Application of this vision of the Prophet and voice of the Angels by the Evangelist Jo. 12. 41. be also true what more clear evidence can be given of the Lord Christs subsisting in the Divine nature before his descension from Heaven and assumption of the Humane nature Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thine hands they shall perish but thou remainest they shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture thou shalt fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail From these and many other the like Texts is the Divinity of the Lord Christ fully asserted and by the writings of the Apostles directed by the Holy Spirit since his Incarnation applyed to him By whom we are given to understand that the Prophets aforetime spake of our Lord Christ and thereby is made known to us the dignity of his person as the Alpha and Omega But I would have Mr. Collier ingeniously consider whether he or any other man without this future revelation and explication could have gathered any such doctrine as the Manhood coexisting with the Godhead in the person of Christ from all Eternity or that he who in the beginning laid the foundations of the Earth and made the Heavens was when he did this work Man as well as God or that since this revelation and application of these sayings to the person of Christ can say any otherwise then that these titles and operations are referr'd to the Son of God as he subsisted in his Divine nature with the Father And if this be so let Mr. Collier be convinc'd and acknowledge that the Scriptures do sometimes and that frequently speak of the Son of God as in the Divine nature only and not always as he was in both natures God and Man CHAP. II. Of Election I Shall for the better order sake pass over his second Chapter at present and consider in the next place what he proposeth in his third of Election Only this I desire the Reader to take notice of once for all that I intend not to make Mr. C.'s discourse an occasion of going over the Heads of the Controversie betwixt us and the Arminians in a full stating and handling of those points It hath been sufficiently done by others both formerly and of late but my present design is only to remove those stumbling-blocks that he in this Book hath endeavoured to cast before weak Christians Thus he begins p. 18. Of this I have spoken something too in my Confession of Faith or Body of Divinity but in this I shall speak a little more full and plain I will not undertake to justifie all he hath said about Election in his Body of Divinity but I must say that in this he is gone farther out of the way of truth and instead of speaking more full and plain to the business he involves himself in many absurdities and gross errors which before he kept off from He proceeds to explain the term Election or to elect or choose from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture ordinarily imports to choose or to be chosen What Mr. Collier designs in getting these Greek words into his Book I know not one that understands not the Greek can tell him that to elect or choose ordinarily imports to choose But I confess he must have more learning then I that can readily conceive how to elect or choose should import to be chosen which Mr. C. adds Election indeed is sometimes put to signifie â—ersâ—ns chosen the abstract being put for the concrete He proceeds to his division of Election unto which I shall oppose a brief account thereof from the Scripture and so free the teâ—m from ambiguity that we may proceed without interruption Election as it is attributed to God may be variously considered 1. There is frequent mention in Scripture of Election unto some function or office either Ecclesiastical or Political 2. There is an Election unto a participation of some peculiar benefits and favours from God and this may be distinguished into that which is 1. General In which sense a Person or Nation is said to be chosen of God when they partake of such an adoption as that they are brought into some covenant with God and are reputed his people so the Israelites were an Elect Nation 2. Special and that is Gods choosing unto Eternal life and it is either of Angels or Men And it is this Election and the concernment of men therein that we are to consider and as Mr. Pâ—lhil well observes p. 24. of the Div. Will this is variously express'd in the Scripture It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 28. because it is Gods purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
If we may suppose the Ministry to go without the spirit working therein then we may suppose a pâ—ssibility in respect of power else men could not be condemned for not believing c. The absurd folly of his supposition That by our sin we out God short of right to command our Obedience to his holy will as well as loose our power to obey hath been already detected By this and what followeth you may see what I said before that this man doth not stick at the grossest Pelagianisme but supposeth man in his fallen state by his corrupt mind and natural capacity without any work of Gods spirit upon him to be capable of discâ—rning believing and yielding acceptable Obedience to the revelations of God contained in the Scriptures of truth Howbeit we have heard the Scripture teacheth other Doctrine And the Apostle Paul was so far from this proud conceit of himself that he confesseth the quite contrary viz. 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God i. e. It is of God in a way of Grace who works all our works in us But against the saying of the Apostle he excepts p. 43. It s true as of our selves only we are not distinct from Christ and Gospel Grace we are not but by the helps afforded there is power both to will and to do the will of God in the Gospel It seems by these words of Tho. Collier That he is conscious to himself that this Text doth overthrow his notion of the sufficiency of men without any help of the spirit of God to do any thing that is truly and spiritually Good especially those that are utter strangers to Christ and Gospel-Grace for he now owns that distinct from Christ and Gospel-Grace we have no such sufficiency But he doth not use to trouble himself to keep an harmony in his Book betwixt pages so far distant as is 31. from p. 43. and therefore it is no marvel to find him here unsaying what before he said and instead of that to content himself for the present with asserting That there is a sufficient help afforded to all c. But brings forth no proof of that neither but besides what hath been already proved against him I shall farther examine this notion before I come to the end of this Chapter and at present manifest that it is overthrown by this Text The Apostle doth in these words not with a feigned modesty but from his heart confess he is beholding to the Grace of God for every good thing wrought in him or by him And therefore he instanceth in that which scarce amounts to any good work even a thought when he affirmeth our sufficiency to be of God and denyeth that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient or meet for it any way capable of our selves to exert or frame a good thought in our own Breasts and this he denies of himself when converted and refers all the praise of the exercise of Grace in his Soul to the spirit of God even then now it is less to think then to will and less to will then to perform And if our ability for the former be denied it must be so much more for the latter And if it be denied of a converted man much more of one unconverted It is repugnant to reason and Scripture evidence to think that the blessed Apostle a person in all respects qualified with natural endowments and education yea in an eminent manner assisted by the Spirit of God should say that he had no sufficiency of his own for any thing that was truly good and in the mean while to suppose that any unconverted person hath power of himself to be so good in thought will and deed as to get to Heaven by the meer improvement of his natural capacity without any assistance of Divine Grace In p. 32. he farther opens his mind about conversion and tells us If God did not work at all by his spirit but only give the Gospel which hath in its self a natural tendency to draw sinners to Christ if according to their capacities they believe and obey it they should undoubtedly be saved There are two things supposed in these words the one true the other utterly untrue a common artifice of Deceivers to make their notions pass the more readily with the weak that cannot discover their imposture herein 1. He supposeth that whosoever believeth and obeyeth the Gospel by any means is under the promise of salvation which is a great truth thâ—se two viz. Faith and Salvation being inseparably connected in the Scripture 2. He takes it for granted as before That a man in his natural Estate without any the least assistance from the spirit of God hath a sufficient ability and is in a capacity to beâ—ieve and obey the Gospel And so all that he allows to the spirit oâ— God is but to render the work of conversion the more facile and easie for thus he writes again p. 33. That after believing and obeying the Gospel God usually gives a greater measure of his spirit so that after believing Christians are or might be in a better capacity to live to God then before They were therefore in a capacity to live to God before believing and again p. 34. As the Apâ—stle speaks in the matter of prayer Rom. 8. 26. He helpeth our infirmities so its true in all cases the work of the Spirit is to help our infirmities for it s we that dâ— believe and obey the Gospel and not the Spirit The result or necessary consequence of these words of his is That persons may believe and never be beholding to the Spirit they can convert themselves without him But if he do ex abundanti afford his help it is not to convert the Soul by his own power and grace but only to facilitate the work by exciting a principle that he finds in the Soul and which was there before any special working of his in and upon it But if we consult the holy Scriptures we shall find that in them conversion is spoken of in a Dialect far differing from Mr. Colliers For instance Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will hath he begotten us c. Now this new birth or being begotten of God doth bespeak plainly the infusing of that gracious principle into the Soul that was not there before and this is done by the Spirit of God in the exercise of Soveraign Grace As the wind bloweth where it listeth so of his own will hath he begotten us Of the same import is that phrase of taking the heart of stone out of the flesh and giving an heart of flâ—sh a new heart so often mentioned in the Covenant of Grace and can signifie no less then the effectual removing and curing of that wicked disposition of Soul and stubbornness of heart by which a person is kept in rebellion against God by communicating to them a divine nature as
it is called 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also conversion is called a new Creation and Grace the new man or a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 4. 24. 2. 10. which terms in the common sense of men signifie the production of that which before was not in being by a divine power even the same that wrought in Christ when he was raised from the dead Eph. 1. 19 20. and do not suppose any pre-disposition or inclination in the person where this new Creation is not exciting the great Creator to a concurrence or assistance in order to its production Yet Mr. Collier hath the boldness to say that all these expressions amount to no more if rightly weighed then what he hath asserted viz. That God doth help men to believe by the working of his spirit with them so cherishing the Good he finds in them that it be not mastered by the sensual bruitish part Greater contempt hath not lightly been cast upon the holy spirit of God who works all Grace in us nor upon his sayings in the Scipture whereby his operation on the Souls of men is unfolded to us as if the holy Ghost intended to perswade them that they are beholding to distinguishing Grace for that which in truth they have in nature and do themselves The reason that Mr. Collier gives for his talking at this rate is Because it s we that believe and obey the Gospel and not the Spirit and it s our duty and so stated in the Scripture By this he intends to prove that the Spirit of God is not the only and principal efficient cause of Faith in men but they open their own eyes and raise themselves from the dead and create themselves anew in Christ Jesus or else believing must be attributed to the Spirit and not to them and must be considered as his duty and not theirs I might tell Mr. Collier seeing he pretends to Learning Qui actionis causa â—fficiens principalis prima est non illico ab actione cujus causa est denominatur lieet in illam per modum causae particularis determinantis influat sed ille tantum qui actione informatur But it s in vain to trouble his head with any Philosophical notion I shall rather make evident his mistake by some familiar instance that may be within his reach And I know none fitter â—o the case in hand then that of Lazarus his Resurrection from the dead by Christ I suppose it will be grated that the Lord diâ— not only help Lazarus to live and come out of his Grave but that by his Divine power he made him to live that was before dead and utterly uncapable of action yet was it Lazarus that came forth and revived not Christ so though the Spirit of God do give life to the Soul and by his own power make it to believe yet is it the man converted not the Spirit that believes c. To make the matter more plain we must remember That there are two moments in conversion to be considered The first is the infusion of a principle of Life and Grace by which the Soul is enabled and disposed to convert and believe being renewed after the image of God and this is called Gratia prima the first Grace in the reception whereof we are passive The second is the exercise of this Grace in actual turning to God believing c. through the blessed assistance of the Good spirit who workeâ—h in us to do as well as to will and this is called Gratia secunda In this the Soul is active and works according to the working of him who works in it mightily Before I pass farther I think it may be a convenient place here to remove out of our way the corrupt glosses of Mr. C. upon a Text or two which he is pleased to take notice of towards the end of this Chapter The first is Joh. 15. 5. mentioned by him p. 39. The words are without me ye can do nothing The design of Christ in these words is to press his Disciples to abide in him for this end he tells them in this Verse I am the vine ye are the branches he â—hat abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me or severed from me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye can do nothing We are by nature dry branches and unfruitful meet fuel for the fire of Gods wrath and if ever we bring forth fruit to God we must first by the powerful Grace of God the great Husband-man be ingraffed into Christ the true Vine that we may derive Life and Grace from him neither will our admission into the Church suffice thereunto without real union with himself and cleaving to him by faith lively and unfeigned by the daily exercise whereof we fetch new supplies of Grace so drawing sap from him from whom our fruit is found Thus is he unto us as the Vine unto the Branches for without Christ i. e. the influence of his Aid and Grace or in a state of separation in which we are not capable of this vital influence from him we can do nothing understand it according to the subject matter nothing that is spiritually Good Surely this casts man down from that Throne of self-sufficiency unto which Mr. Collier would advance him and very poorly doth he acquit himself in his reply thereto He saith 1. All the common light understanding and reason that men have is from him This is the refuge of the Pâ—lagians of Old in which Mr. C. hath before attempted to shelter himself They would pretend to own the Grace of God when their meaning was no more then this That men as men were beholding to God for their natural accomplishments more then which they neither had nor needed from him to enable them to yield acceptable obedience to him but that something else is intended in this Text we have already manifested 2. The Gospel leads Souls to him where their help is It s that which I say there is no capacity or power without the Gospel which unites Souls to Christ in whom their Life is c. It is the Faith of the Gospel and not the bare hearing of it that unites the Soul to Christ and though Mr. Collier here tell us of drawing to Christ and Union with him c. yet his design is still to exclude the special and effectual work of the spirit to bring the Soul to Christ and preserve it in him which I before proved necessary hereunto And there is little heed to be taken to his saying There is no power or capacity without the Gospel this is but to serve a present turn for he hath in his foregoing Chapters pleaded That where the Gospel never comes men have sufficient means and power to live to God without it The second Text is 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou hast not received So Mr. C. reads it p. 43 about which we need
which they were equally with others by their own nature into a condition of futurition and there can be no cause assigned of this migration or passage without God for there was nothing before time but himself It remains therefore that the cause thereof was in God and indeed it was the will purpose or decree of God that some things should be others should not that alone made this change So that the foreknowledge of things to be that is in God supposeth his Decree that they shall be and in truth the foreknowledge or Decree of God considered as in him is the same and the Scripture indifferently useth either term to denote the same thing though we because of the imbecility of our understanding form differing conceptions of them we conceive of the Decree as an act of God willing that such things should be and of Divine prescience as an act of God foreseeing or knowing the coming to pass of the things willed by him Amongst things future some are good some are evil viz. morally Those that are good God decreed to effect those that are evil to permit or suffer to be done knowing how and having purposed in himself to order them and over rule the doing of them for his own glory in the end Again some things we see are the effects of causes that work necessarily necessitate consequentis others of free agents which are to us wholly contingent yet do also necessarily come to pass necessitate consequentiae And things are therefore thus effected in time because God had decreed this order before time Hence is the certainty of Gods foreknowledge which dependeth not on any thing without himself and so a necessity as to the event that whatsoever hath been or shall be should so come to pass as it doth But this is a necessity of infallibility not of coaction and doth establish not infringe the liberty of free agents I shall briefly apply these things to the case in hand It will be granted I suppose that the utmost end intended by God in all that comes to pass is his own glory He hath made all things for himself and in the making of man God had an eye to the manifestation both of his mercy and justice Rom. 9. 22 23. In order hereunto he purposed to create man upright but mutable and to permit his temptation and falling by sin and to save a remnant of fallen man-kind by Jesus Christ through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth that his free grace might be everlastingly glorified in the Vessels of mercy which he before prepared untoglory so also he purposed to leave the rest in their fallen state to the wickedness of their own hearts and justly to punish them for it therein shewing his wrath and making his power known on the Vessels of wrath which he had endured with much long-suffering who were fitted for destruction Thus the end of all men is foreknown unto God and nothing falls out casually unto him yet is there no force put upon man nor injustice or hard dealing from God for him to complain of But Mr. Collier saith p. 36. It is dishonourable unto God and pernicious to men and layeth all the wickedness and plagues of the world at Gods door to affirm as some do That God decreed Adams fall before he made him or at least so far foreknew it as that it must be i. e. so as to necessitate it An heavy charge And we know right well who M. Collier intends it against But it will be far more easie for me to manifest That the men of his controversie have no concernment in it then for him to vindicate his own truth and honesty inasmuch as what they hold infers no such thing as you may see by what I have already written of this matter and whatsoever in his report of their opinion looketh this way is untruly imputed to them His best plea will be that he slandered them by hearsay and that himself knew not nor understood what they affirmed of this matter yet will not this excuse him But to the business Himself confesseth That God foreknew that Adam would fall I ask then Could the Almighty have prevented this or not If he could and yet did not we conclude that he willed or decreed not to prevent it though no ways approving thereof having determined to raise glory to his own name out of it And if the most high decreed to permit it and so from Eternity foreknew it as future this infâ—rs a necessity of Infallibility that in time it would so come to pass but leaves man as a free agent to the liberty of his own will without any coaction thereto This notwithstanding therefore the sin and plagues of the world lye at the door of rebellious man And if Mr. Collier mean by foreknowing it so as to necessitate it such a foreknowledge or decree of God concerning it as in the execution thereof man should be compelled to sin and his fall effected by God I detesâ— such a notion and so do all those whom he reflects upon And it is expected that he either make good his charge out of their Writings or else right them by a publick acknowledgement of his fault in thus misrepresenting their Doctrine And if Mr. Collier cannot yet conceive of a necessity of infallibility respecting the event of things arising from the decree or foreknowledge of God without a necessity of coaction respecting those that are to act in the accomplishment of them I will endeavour to help him by one plain instance Act. 4. 27 28. For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done It is evident their design was not to fulfill the counsel of God But thus it fell out for whatsoever they did to the Lord Jesus God had in his counsel determined before to be done yea had foretold by the mouth of all his holy Prophets that so it should be unto every circumstance of Christs passion viz. his Crucifying having Gall and Vinegar given him to drink the parting of his Raiment piercing of his side c. Now either these things must so come to pass or else the counsel of God must be disappointed and his word falsified will Mr. Collier then lay the Murther of Christ at Gods door were not all the agents by whose hands these things were immediately done free from coaction and therefore responsible for their wickedness all this notwithstanding And to make this yet more clear I will transcribe a few lines from Mr. Norton in his Orthod Ev. p. 75. These two proposioions 1. Adam might not have sinned 2. It could not be but that Adam would sin are both true and notwithstanding they may so seem yet they are not opposite one unto the other not being both of the same kind Adam might
not have sinned is a Categorick or simple proposition and is true of Adam in the sense of division considered as in himself It could not be but that Adam would sin is a modal or qualified proposition and is true of Adam in a sense of composition being considered as subordinate to the Decree The Jews might have broken the bones of Christ is true speaking in the sense of division i. e. looking at the free will of the Jews as in themselves It could not be that the Jews would break the bones of Christ is true speaking in a sense of composition i. e. looking at the will of the Jews as subordinate to the Decree That answer of Elisha to Hazael enquiring of Benhadads recovery containeth in it two like propositions 1. Thou maist certainly recover 2. Thou shalt surely die 2 Kings 3. 10. his Disease was in it self curable and as such is considered in the first proposition The second proposition looketh at him diseased as subordinate to the Decree which had pre-ordained his death through theâ—stifling of Hazael by occasion of this Disease Thus much of these things Mr. C. goes on to attach another ground and foundation of the Saints rejoycing in God who hath promised to preserve them blameless unto his Heavenly Kingdom He propounds this Question p. 36. May we suppose that persons who are regenerate and born from above may possibly fall from this state of Grace Perhaps Mr. C. hath some design in thrusting in that word possibly into his Question I will therefore explain the term that he may have no equivocal reserve to fly to A thing may be said to be possible either simply and in its own nature or possible on supposition of all things to be supposed with reference to it In the first sense it was possible that a bone of Christ might have been broken in the latter viz. on supposition that God had decreed and foretold the contrary it was not so The Question in reference to the Saints perseverance proceeds in the last sense whether supposing their Election of God Christs undertaking for them and their interest in the Covenant of Grace it is yet possible that some of them may finally depart from God and be lost for ever And to this I answer in the Negative But he saith The Scriptures do not say they may not nor that they shall certainly obtain This is false The contrary appears from these Texts Psal 125. 1 2. Isa 4. 5. ch 54. 8 9 10. Jer. 31. 3. ch 32. 39 40. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 39 40. with ch 10. 28 29. Rom. 8. 29 30 38 39. 1 Thes 5. 23 24. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. 1 Joh. 2. 19. with many others He adds We are to suppose all Gospel-believers to be regenerate and then we may and must suppose a possibility for the regenerate to fall or none can fall away By Gospel-believers I presume he intends those that are members of the visible Church of Christ such as profess Faith in him and Obedience to him and do not at present contradict their profession by a contrary practice in the sight of men My answer is If we respect any particular person or persons among these we are bound to hope so of them because Charity always inclineth to the better part But if we respect the whole bulk of professors together we are not to believe that they are all regenerate persons because the Scripture telleth us there are foolish as well as wise Virgins Hypocrites as well as sincere Believers in the visible Church though who they be we know not till their works discover it and when their Hypocrisie is discovered we are not to think that they once were new Creatures and are fallen from that state but the quite contrary 1 Joh. 2. 19. So then though many Professors fall away even such as have past under some common work of the Spirit this doth not at all infer That those who are truly born again not of corruptible Seed but incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever may do so in like manner He proceeds I know nothing stated in the Gospel-law of Grace as a duty in order to obtain the end but that persons may obtain and be supposed possibly to fall finally from Joh. 15. 4 5 6. Nothing that 's strange Is not perseverance in Faith and Obedience required in order to salvation and may persons persevere and fall finally too The Text cited by Mr. C. doth no ways confirm his notion although we allow him to except perseverance from the duties intended by him Unto the 4th and 5th Verses something hath been spoken already by which it appears that they lye directly against Mr. Colliers notion of the Creatures ability of himself to do any thing that is spiritually Good I suppose it is the 6th Verse that he promiseth himself some relief from The words are If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered c. He doth not tell us on what account he thinks this Text may serve for a proof of his Doctrine but probably he thinketh that the words suppose That such as for a time truly abide in Christ may afterwards cease to do so and perish out of him But there is no such thing intended in them For this Text as many other do speaketh of Professors according to what their condition appeareth to be before men and so all that are members of the visible Church and have a place therein are counted branches in Christ some of these bring forth fruit by which the sincerity of their Faith in Christ and the truth of their being spiritually united with him is manifested These do not fall away but he that hath begun a good work in them doth perfect it to the end The Father purgeth them that they may bring forth more fruit Others of these branches do not bring forth fruit which is an evidence that their being in Christ is only by profession for it cannot be that one united to Christ by true Faith and the in-dwelling of his spirit should be without those vital influences from him is will produce some good fruit these do not abide in Christ by a lively exercise of Faith and therefore being indeed separate from him while they appear to be one with him they can do nothing but in time of temptation fall away from their profession and are cast out as branches and are withered and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and are burned And more then this cannot without offering violence to the Text be inferred from it which doth not make against but confirm the truth concerning the Saints perseverance That which Mr. C. offers to strengthen his desired inference is this The truth hereof will father appear if we consider 1. That the Gospel makes no difference but warns all to take heed of falling which necessarily supposeth a possibility of falling with respect to
us without taking that heed That all are warned and that very frequently in the Scriptures to take heed of falling is granted and that these warnings are sanctified and made effectual by God for the preservation of his own Elect from final Apostacy is pleaded But Mr. Colliers inference from hence is very impertinent and argues that he understands not their Opinion that he hath undertaken to confute He saith That in respect of us there is a possibility of falling if we do not take heed Very true It is not only possible but certain that those which do not walk humbly and heedfully with God nor make any conscience of so doing may fall away from their profession But God according to his promise will keep his own from such a course as would ruine them And this is all which with the Scripture we say That God hath promised by his effectual Grace to preserve all his chosen ones all that truly believe in a way of holyness and diligence unto Eternal Life And therefore that is quite besides the business that Mr. C. writes p. 35. That nothing shall be able to make a breach or separation unless we do it our selves by sin whereas God hath promised to prevent our making this breach when he saith I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them Ezek. 36. 27. The truth is if Mr. C. will abide by his opinion he must either assert That God never loved any person one or other or that he is like us changeable in his love on outward external reasons He goes on p. 36. 2. They have all he intends all in the visible Kingdom of Christ the same faith and love for kind there is but one faith which hath the same object and is influenced by the same spirit which produceth the same effect i. e. a good Conscience even in such as fall from it And in the beginning of p. 37. he adds So that according to the Law of Grace all that do believe and obey the Gospel stand related to God therein and nothing makes the difference but sincerity and perseverance shall be crowned and Hypocrites and Back sliders must fall short and meet with condemnation It is well done of Mr. C. to join Sincerity and Perseverance together and so also Hypocrisie and Back-sliding for the latter is a certain discovery of the former If ye continue in my words saith Christ then are ye my Disciples indeed And so ê contra But then see what confusion he hath again cast himself into He affirmeth there is in all the same faith and love for kind and nothing to make a difference between them the same effect produced by the same spirit c. and yet some are sincere others Hypocrites It is strange that Mr C. can find out no specifical difference betwixt the lively faith of a sincere believer and the dead faith of a painted Impostor the most holy and precious Faith of Gods Elect which purifieth the heart and the temporary feigned Faith of Simon Magus notwithstanding which he was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of Iniquity The Text which he insinuates a perversion of is 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack By Faith here as in some other places we are to understand the Doctrine of Faith the truth of the Gospel which we are exhorted to cleave to and hold fast and that we may do so we must keep a good conscience also i. e. walk in holiness for where that is not attended men are not like to abide sound in the Faith in an hour of temptation The mystery of Faith must be held in a pure conscience which some having put away that is rejected and lived in the neglect of concerning Faith have made shipwrack that is have lost and relinquished that truth which once they professed of such he gives an instance in the following Verse But this notwithstanding The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his c. 2 Tim. 2. 18 19. Here then is no such thing supposed as Mr. C. intimates That those who once had true faith and a good conscience did finally fall from it He saith farther 3. The Scripture suppâ—seth that persons may have the same Gospel-spirit in all its operations and yet may pâ—ssibly finally faâ—l from God Heb. 6. 4 5 6. If it were allowed Mr. C. that true believers were spoken of in this Text he could not prove from hence that any such shall finally fall away The discourse being conditional and it remaining a truth That if a person whoever he be or persons do depart and fall away from God they must unavoidably perish though none of the persons spoken of should do so such expressions holding forth the inseparable connection of Apostacy with damnation And men may without any disparagement to their wisdom or reason earnestly exhort others to avoid falling away from God though they are fully perswaded that those whom they so exhort by the help of those exhortations and other considerations shall abide with God to the end But indeed it appears upon a serious view of the context that the persons here spoken of are such as have only past under some common work of the spiriâ— and that such may fall away is not denied by any And Mr. C. doth without ground assert that they havâ— been the subjects of the same grâ—cious work as is effected by the spirit of God upon true believers For 1. Here is nothing ascribed to the persons spoken oâ— that is in Scripture found to be the distinguishing character of true Believers which are commonly said to be the called See Dr. Owen of Pers p. 427. according to the purpose of God quickeneâ— born again jusâ—ified united to Christ adopted c. 2. The persons â—ntâ—nded are verse 8. compared to the ground on which the rain falls and â—eareth Thorns and Briars True believers whilst they are so are 〈◊〉 such as bring forth nothing but Thorns and Briars faith it selâ— being an herb meet for him by whom they are dressed 3. T 〈…〉 gs that accompany Salvation are better things then any that were to b 〈…〉 in thâ— pâ—rsons mentioned v. 9. and true Believers are in this disâ—â—urse of the Apostle opposed to the persons lying under a possibâ—lity of Apostacy and are distinguished from them upon the accâ—â—nt of their works and labour of love shewed to the name of God v. 10. their preservation from the righteousness and faithfulness of God in his promises v. 11. and of the immutability of the counsels of God and his oath for the preservation of them v. 13. 1â— 18. All which doth evince that they are not the Children of God by Faith in Christ of whom the Apostle speaks in the place referr'd to In p. 37. He moves a question about the absolute
and inconditional promises of the new Covenant where he again pitifully intangles himself It might help him a little out of the Labyrinth he is lost in if he would consider That the New Covenant is originally made with Christ who became a sponsor and surety for all that the Father gave unto him Psal 89. 31. c. and in him all the promises thereof are yea and amen God the Father promised unto Christ Eternal Life for all his before the world was Tit. 1. 2. and engaged in time effectually to draw and bring them unto him to give them a new heart c. for whom he became surety that they might not fail to enjoy it on Gospel terms And this truth will of it self bear down all Mr. Colliers notions of free will and falling from Grace It is granted that all the promises of Life and Glory in the Gospel are conditional as set before us But the fulfilling of the condition in the Elect is absolutely undertaken for in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Christ And whereas Mr. Collier saith That the Covenant in the perfection thereof when we are come to Glory will be absolute in all its promises it s absolutely true to all over-comers he lamentably discovers his weakness thereby For our present enquiry is after those promises that do secure the Saints safe arrival in Glory and to talk of the absoluteness of these promises to those that are already glorified and to represent them as uncertain to those that alone are concerned to draw comfort from them is exceeding absurd In p 38. he frames this Objection against himself This asserts a possibility of falling from Grace and so destroys the assurance and comfort of Believers Unto this he answers It doth no other then the Scripture doth it s that of which the Scripture is full it frequently presents us with a possibility of falling Else those many and frequent exhortations to the contrary are useless if there were no danger as also the examples of those that have fallen 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 4. 11. Else what means the Lords appointing a Ministry in the Church to preserve it from falling That the Scripture asserts no such thing but the contrary we have manifested already as also what the import of these exhortations are and their usefulness in Gods hand for the preservation of the Elect. We say moreover if we respect our own weakness and the temptations we are to conflict with there is â—anger but free Grace will secure the Elect from perishing in the midst of their dangers and from being overcome by all the difficulties that are in their way And it is strange to me that he should conclude true Believers may fall away because God hath provided means and appointed a Ministry to prevent their falling To the other branch of the Objection respecting the comfort and assurance of Believers he saith It s so far from diminishing the consolation of Believers â—hat it s the only sure way for Gospel consolation c. I grant that none are capable of well grounded comfort but those that are under the promises of the Gospel viz. sincere Convert sound Believers but how Mr. Collier will evince that his Doctrine is the great spring of Gospel-consolation even this That though I be now a Child of God yet the next temptation I meet with for ought I know may sink me to Hell although God do at present lâ—ve me yet I have no assurance that he will continue to do so a day to an end for many that have been united with Christ as I now am are lâ—st for ever and I daily tremble under a sense of my own weakness and have no promise of preservation to trust to I say how this makes for their comfort I cannot understand nor how Mr. Collier will reconcile his present Opinion with what he writes in his Bâ—d of Div. p. 197. We ought to believe that God will maintain our Faith and kâ—ep us from falling Phil. 1. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 12. else we could have no solid comfort To that which he adds in the beginning of p. 39. concerning the usefulness of fear I answer The fear that ariseth from Mr. Colliers Doctrine hath torment in it and therefore a right understanding of the love of God will cast it out and teach the Soul to reject that Doctrine from whence it springs That is the true Gospel-fear which respect God as a Father and is tempâ—red with an holy rejoycing in his goodness which is a fruit of the spirit of Adoption that bears witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Moreover There is as Dr. Owen hath well observed Saints Persever p. 293. a twofold fear of Eternal death and destruction 1. An anxious perplexing fear in respect of the end it self 2. A watchful careful fear in respect of the means leading thereunto The first is directly opposite to that peace consolation and joy in the Holy Ghost that God is pleased to afford unto his People and exhorts them to live up to and therefore it cannot be his end or design to ingenerate it in them by any of his threatnings or warnings given in his word For the other viz. A watchful heedful fear for the avoiding of the way and means that would lead them and do lead others to destruction it is not in the least inconsistent with that assurance that God is pleased by his promises to give to his Saints of their perseverance I shall now hasten to a close of this Chapter after I have in a word or two cleared the sense of two Texts of holy Scripture which Mr. C. hath endeavoured to darken because they speak not according to his mind The first is Rom. 9. 16-22 After Mr. C. hath for a while laboured against the stream of this Text he is forced p. 40. to acknowledge the truth viz That it is not our willing and running that can bring us within the câ—mpass of special Electing Grace that being past in Gods will before the world was Indeed the design of the Apostle throughout this Chapter as well as in the Verses referred to is to shew the freeness of Gods grace to his own Elect together with his just severity against the vessels of wrath and that one is a vessel of mercy and another of wrath proceeds from the meer good pleasure of God to choose the one and leave the other his choice not being grounded on foresight of their willing or running faith and obedience but being purely resolved into his Soveraign Grace And this doth quite overthrow Mr. Colliers Election on foresight of Faith and doth also afford a very good argument for the Saints perseverance which we were last upon But I must hasten only it is necessary I should remove an abusive passage or two of which his Book is full out of our way He saith Nâ—r may we understand
that the special Elect only shall obtain and that all others are debarred that though they will and run all will be in vain And again p. 41. he intimates that his opponents infer from this Scripture That God will damn whom he please from his own will and power and save whom he will from his own will and power Let men believe or obey do what they will or can its all nothing But that after all their willing running repenting believing obeying wâ—tching and warring they must leave all to the Eternal will and power c. This is as notorious a slander as he could well have cast upon them for all they say amounts to no more then this That the Election have obtained and the rest are blinded And this we are bold to affirm still having so good warranty for it as we have though he go on to reproach us therefore But that we say willing and running believing and obeying c. is in vain to the non-Elect and that after all watching and warring the state of men must be determined by the Eternal will and power is a very gross and I fear a studied untruth there being no foot-steps of any such assertion to be found in the Doctrine or Writings of the men of his controversie It being constantly asserted by them That there is an inseparable connexion between Faith and Salvation and that it is an Everlasting truth That he which believeth shall be saved â—â—d he which believeth not shall be damned and it is as true That none do will or run after a right manner but the Elect who are drawn with loving kindness because loved with an Everlasting love It is in vain for Mr. C. to pretend to be a follower of peace and holiness whilst he makes no conscience of belying and abusing those that have no otherwise offended him then by a sober asserting of those truths that the corruption of his heart riseth against And whereas he saith p. 40. That it condemns all willing and running without having respect to the mercy of God in the Gospel leaving out Christ and Grace c. This is a truth in it self though not the direct sense of this Text That all such running will be in vain But I desire to know how he will reconcile this with his other Doctrine of the Salvation of very many that know not Christ nor the Grace of God as revealed in the Gospel The other Text is 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us This Text is so express against the falling away of true Believers that Mr. Collier despairs of dealing with it on any Add. word p. 44. fair terms and therefore instead of an Exposition adventures upon a down-right contradiction to it The Apostle saith That by persons going out from the true Church it is manifest they never were living members of it and that God suffers such to fall away that so their Hypocrisie might be discovered Mr. C. saith John might know it some other way and that this proves not that all that may go out from the Church were not of them The Text saith again If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us Mr. Collier saith nay Some may go out who if they had continued might yea must have obtained i. e. were once sincere John saith if it had been so no doubt they would have continued Now let the Reader choose whether authority he will imbrace Audacia Creditur a multis fiducia And if Mr C. shall still object as probably he will That it is not to be desired that men should persist in their Hypocrisie neither is there any danger of falling away from it c. I answer in the words of Dr. Owen Saints Pers p. 295. Though they may not be exhorted to continue in their Hypocrisie which corrupts and vitiates their profession yet they may in their profession which in its self is good And though there is no danger of leaving their Hypocrisie yet there is of their waxing worse and worse by falling from the beginnings of Grace which they have received the profession which they have made and the regular conversation which they have entred upon So that notwithstanding any thing said to the contrary the Scriptures insisted on to prove the Saints final Apostacy may principally belong to some kind of Professors who notwithstanding all their gifts aâ—d common graces which they have received yet in a large sense may be termed Hypocrites as they are opposed to them who have received the spirit with true and saving Grace I shall close this with my earnest request to Mr. C. That before he adventure on a farther opposition to this great truth he would seriously perâ—se the Book referred to and diligently consider the strength of what is there pleaded by the reverend Author for the Doctrine of the Saints perseverance which if he would do I am perswaded the profit or at least conviction of the weakness of his present arguments against it which he might receive thereby would even in his own judgement abundantly compensate his pains However it will farther inform him what he hath to remove out of his way before he can establish the Doctrine now assertâ—d by him and so may guide and influence him to speak more pertinently and modâ—stly then hither to he hath done in a matter of so great importance CHAP. VI. Of Justification THat Article of our Faith which concerns the Justification of a sinner in the sight of God must needs be acknowledged to be of great importance and we ought to be more careful of nothing then that our minds be not corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel and we moved from our sted fastness thereabout and therefore although Mr. Collier in the Book before me hath said but little directly to that point yet observing divers things therein very opposite to and inconsistent with the truth in this matter I could not pass them without some remark And in the first place I shall briefly propose what the Scripture teacheth us and then examine Mr. Colliers notions that are contrary to the truth revealed therein The term Justification is constantly in the Scriptures speaking of this matter taken in a Law-sense as it imports the acquitting of a person by the sentence of a Judge The Justification of a sinner by God is The gracious sentence of God by which for Christs sake apprehended by Faith he loooseth the sinner from his Obligation to Eternal wrath and punishment and accounts him righteous to the obtaiâ—ing of Life and Glory 1. It is the sentence of God as a Judge acquitting Rom. 8. 32. 2. It is a gracious sentence without any respect to our worthiness or works of Righteousness that we have done or can do Rom. 3. 24.