man may dye without any experience of it or acknowledg there is any such thing and yet be saved then I hope the Authors principles will teach him to be charitable to us and not unsaint us though we will not acknowledg his higher Image but alas this is only to claw a little with Professors for Page 207. He telleth us that after a man is brought into the first Image unless he yet further abide the trial of fire which is to passe upon him by the spirit of judgment and burning of Christs second appearance he will not long abide in Sion but make God swear in his wrath that he shall never enter into his rest let any intelligent Reader judge how these two places of his book agree together And yet he tells us Page 213. His doctrine is so far from straituing or lesning the number of those that are saved that it discovers how they may be hâ—d out of the observation of visible professors among those they exclude as Heathens and so may seem to be men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit whilst yet they themselves may be either without law or so zealous of the law as to fly in the face of Paul himself for witnessing a higher light then they have yet experience of or can bear We shall not dispute with this Author whither any are offectually called and saved among the heathen who have not the Gospel preached to them we will not limit the holy one of Israel who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy but this we know that faith ordinarily comes by hearing and hearing the word of God preached for it follows how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10. but however this is certain that if they be heathens before effectual calling they are not left so but are justified and sanctified in Christ Jesus and have the faith of Gods elect and they will not fly in the face of Paul himself for witnessing a higher life then the first covenant no but Paul and such as bring glad tidings as the Gospel or new covenant is their very feet will be beautiful to them that a man should have his faith and life in the covenant of grace and fly in the face of Paul for witnessing such a state to be the true state is a contradiction But stall this Authors doctrine if he mean as he saith will force him not to unsaint us though to use his own words we should nâ— in his face for talking of his higher Image which is not more then to fly in Paul face which yet the Author saith a man may do and yet be in the higher Image this is a strange Image indeed that doth so conâ—radict it self And so he saith Page 298. That he doth not deny but many Saints of God may have dyed without the experience or acknowledgment of this higher Image And yet he makes this higher Image to be faith and the new covenant and Gospel but surely that man that doth not acknowledg that the new Covenant Gospel is the onely way of life and salvation and that they only that believe on Christ shall be saved surely they are not yet Believers Thus we have taken a short view of this Authors higher Image and setting aside some obscure expressions of glorification his higher Image is lower then his first Image as may easily appear by what hath been spoken of that before and this is the way of men to take us off where we are but where to fix us next there they are to seek but only the Author tells us it s a higher Image and the glory of the father so the beholding God barefaced and there is spiritual senses but how it is so he leaveth us where he found us and speaks very little of the higher Image through the book And that we may not leave this Chapter in the Authors dark notions about faith and regeneration a few words upon that point least the weak should stagger And here we must take notice that the holy Ghost in Scripture sets out regeneration by divers expressions some of which we shall briefly explain For the most part Regeneration in the new Testament is called faith and believing and that is the receiving of Christ and reliance upon him alone for righteousnesse and salvation this faith works by love Gal. 5.16 purifies the heart Act. 15.9 bringeth spiritual peace and comfort 1 Pet. 1.8 giveth us accesse with confidence to the father Eph. 3.12 Sometimes Regeneration is called the new â—â—eature as 2 Cor. 5 17. if any man be in Christ he is a new creature and that phrase shewes us what a great change is wrought in the soule at Conversion old things passe away and all things become new not only a new head but a new heart a new life for justification a new life for sanctification new light new comforts new defires new affections new ends new aims new strength Sometimes Regeneration is called a new birth as 1 John 3.5 a being born of water and of the spirit to shew us how the Spirit doth sanctifie and purifie the soule at conversion as it is written 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Sometimes Regeneration is called our being in Christ as Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus the believer is in Christ a member in his body a branch in this vine he is in Christ cloathed and wrapt and folded up in the robes of his righteousnesse Sometimes Regeneration is set out by Christs being in us as 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And John 17.23 I in them and thou in me the true believer liveth in Christ and Christ in him Christs being in us shewes his acting quickning strengthening and sanctifying of us and so it is said Rom. 8.18 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Sometimes regeneration is set out by being under grace as Rom. 8.14 to shew that the true believer doth not seek life in works of righteousnesse which he hath done but freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Again regeneration is set out by our being called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. So 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This shews that the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ in the Fathers love that the Father loveth them as he hath loved him John 17.23 and the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ in the annovnting of the Spirit though yet Christ is annointed with that oyle of gladness above his fellows Heb. 1. and the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ
a little 2 John 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the son No man hath the sons Kingdom in his heart but he hath the fathers Kingdom there ton if Christ be the souls husband the soul will acknowledge God that is Christs father to be his father Christs God to be his God the spirit of this son being sent into our hearts makes us willingly and gladly call God Abba father Ga. 4.6 and so we are taught Jo. 5.23 That we should honour the son even as we honour the father and he that honoureth not the son honoureth not the father and what more plain to our purpose then what Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 10.40 He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me which shews us that whosoever receiveth Christ receiveth the father which sent him there is no such thing as a mans receiving of Christs kingdom into his heart in opposition to the fathers Kingdom no man can come to Christ and have his Kingdom set up in his heart except the father which hath sent him draw him Joh. 6.44 And this is the will of the father that sent Christ that whosoever seeth the son and believeth in him should have everlasting life this sheweth us that the father and Christ have one will the same will design Kingdom in the Saints it s the father that setteth up Christs Kingdom in the heart for saith Christ no man commeth unto me except it were given him of the father Jo. 6.65 and so Jo. 8.9 Ye neither know me nor my father if ye had known me ye should have known my father also see how they go together and so Christ telleth us John 1479. He that hath seen me hath seen the father also I might quote twenty Scriptures more to shew the Authors mistake in this particular which is not without danger for here would scare and affright poor souls that they set up Christs Kingdom in their hearts in opposition to the fathers but we see that where any soul receiveth Christ he receiveth the father that sent him Page 326. He saith that the Disciples could cast out those Divels that dwell and acted in hearts unswept and ungarnished but they could not cast out that sort of Divels Mat. 17.14 to 22. which delight to rest in swept cleansed and garnished consciences No question but the Divel hath the strongest hold in those who have been swept and garnished as it is said Mat. 12.43 44. where the Divel is said to walk thorow the dry places seeking rest and finding none by those dry places may be meant the true believers that are baptised with the holy Ghost and with fire and that had the spirit of judgement and of burning this maketh them dry places and though the Divel doth in some particular temptations prevail upon these believers yet the Lord recovers them again that he can find no rest there but those that have only had common grace and enlightnings and so are like houses swept and garnished though the Divel seem to have left such men yet they will find at last a repossessing and their latter end to be worse then their beginning but what manner of Divels were these that are spoken of in this 17. Mat. that they delighted only they were so cleanly to dwell in swept and garnished consciences he that was there possessed it s said v. 15. was lunaticke and have all such men swept and garnished consciences what ground is there for the Author to gather this from hence no question but the Divels delight to dwell in a man that is in the height of profaness and impiety and where they cannot keep men such but they are pricked at the heart and convinced of sin and reform and yet are ignorant of Gods righteousness and go about to establish their own righteousness they are very well content to dwell in such hearts and the reason why they could not cast out the Divel out of the lunaticke person was because of their unbelief Christ saith and this unbelief was not such unbelief as men are condemned for the not receiving of Christ but the faith of miracles is that which is here spoken of I hope that every one that hath true saving faith in Christ cannot cure the lonatick but if they had exercised this faith here spoken of they might have cured the lunaticke person The Apostles had the faith of miracles but they did not alwaies act it not at this time and to overthrow this notion of the Authors we find Luke 9.1 That the disciples had power and authority over all Devils Page 333. He makes the sinning against Christ in his second appearance to be the sin against the Holy Ghost The Author leaves out nothing that might appall and agash the poor soul that won't close with his notions of a higher image and life and here telleth us this is the sin against the Holy Ghost a grievous sin indeed that shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come we have seen before that the Author makes Christ in his second appearance to be namely Christ shining forth in the glory and naked similitude of God but where doth the Scripture make this the sin against the holy Ghost the sin against the holy Ghost is an opposing of Christ and the truth knowingly wilfully and out of meer malice that it is not the pleasure or profit that men find in their wayes that makes them oppose and set themselves against Christ and his wayes but meerly hatred and malice against Christ and this is called the sinne against the holy Ghost because that the person thus sinning hath been so clearly and fully convinced and enlightned by the holy Ghost to the contrary of what he is resolved thus to do unto death this sin against the holy Ghost is not only a falling in the way for so a Saint may fall but a falling away from Christ and the truth and not every falling away from Christ and the truth neither but such a falling away from Christ the truth that is wilful and meerly of malice and hatred to the truth and Christ Jesus and so if a man fall from Christ and leave him in this manner as hath been said whether it be Christ in his first or second appearance as the Author distinguisheth it maketh him guilty of the sinne against the holy Ghost I hasten towards a conclusion lest I should quite tire my selfe and the Reader with these things but I cannot passe over what our Author saith Page 269. Where expounding Rev. 17. where it is said the whore sitteth upon many waters and with her the Kings of the earth have committed fornication he expounds it thus That by the Kings of the earth is meant men in the honour and dignitie of the first Adam's purity and principles that they
simplicity of the gospel which is that Christ came into the world to save sinners that he by the appointment of God according to the Covenant between him and the Father as our surety performed the whole will of God in that body prepared him to purge away our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe and the principles upon which he acted were out of obedience to the Father and love to sinners to compass the blessed designe of God his glory and our eternall salvation Page 111. He goes about to shew what was the nature of that wrath from God that Christ was capable of undergoing which to make out he defineth the wrath of God thus saith he wrath as God is capable of exercising it consists in that posture of an enemy and face of displeasure wherewith he cloaths and armes himselfe in Christ the Mediator to Angels or men A strange definition of Gods wrath for if it were so that God is not capable of exercising wrath to Angels or men but as he cloaths and armes himselfe to do it through Christ then I say it will follow that God could not have reserved any of the Angels in chaines of darkness to the judgement of the great day nor could not have damned any of the sons and daughters of men if Jesus Christ had not been Mediator surely the Reader will wonder at this notion of the Authors and he doth not say that God doth exercise wrath in Christ or thorough Christ as if he had meant that God was the most provoked to wrath for slighting Christ and neglecting so great salvation and will execute the fiercenesse of his wrath upon those that trample under foot the blood of the Son of God but he saith that God is capable of exercising wrath no other way but as he cloaths and arms himself in the Mediator God is said to be angry and wrath when in his dealings with the creature he walks contrary to him and sets himself against him suppose it be eternal wrath then God dawns that creature and turneth him into hell and doth the Author think that God could not have done thus if Christ had never been a Mediator between God and us could not God have exercised wrath upon all of us that are the fallen sons of men and appointed us our portions in the dark nooks of hell without CHrist had been the Mediator and this Author will make Christ necessary to be the Mediator and Saviour upon this account that else God could not have exercised wrath upon any of the creatures But I pray how could Christ bear the wrath of God if that it be true that the Author saith that God is not capable of exercising wrath but in Christ the Mediator well we unthankful men instead of admiring the Lords free mercy in Christ whereby we are delivered from wrath to come who hath attoned God made peace and reconciled us to God we fall a disputing that God is not capable of exercising wrath but thorough Christ the Mediator but if it had not pleased the God of all grace to have sent his blessed Son to turne away his wrath from us and reconcile us to himself we should have seen to purpose and by lamentable experience that God could exerâ—ise wrath without Christ the Mediator CHAP. III. Shews that the highest attainments of the natural man come very far short of what this Author assignes to him and proves his misinterpreting abundance of Scripture about this matter AS this Author doth exceedingly debase Christ marring his visage who is altogether lovely often saying he had a fleshly mind and fleshly principles which were to be subdued in him so on the other hand he cries up the natural mans attainments far above that which any natural man ever arrives at and indeed takes the most of the Characters of a true Believer and claps them upon a natural man And so page 117. That Christ may be the received Lord and Christ in the heart and give a participation and fellowship with him in spirit by the power and presence of himself there either in his first or second appearance and all along he maketh the receiving of Christ in his first appearance only to be no saving state and yet he saith in this state Christ may be the received Lord and Christ in the heart and give the soul a participation and fellowship with himselfe in spirit But how plainly doth the Holy Ghost confute him John 1.12 That to as many as receive him to them gave he power to become the sons of God and Rom. 8.17 If sons then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ So that wheresoever Christ becomes the received Lord and Christ in the heart eternal salvation at that very time is come to that soul forasmuch as he is made the child of God by faith in Jesus Christ or by receiving Christ which are all one as that 1 John 12. makes plain yea this Author saith that such a soule Christ gives a participation and fellowship with himselfe in spirit but then is not this soul in a safe and saving state for Christ to give a soul fellowship with himself in the fathers love to make him a sharer in his death blood and righteousness and spirit and he that is thus called into fellowship with Jesus Christ is surely in a saving state and by the way I would note this to the Reader that whereas now the Gospel is preached more then in former ages so that many places and poor souls that have sat in darkness see a great deal of light that way and men are told much of Christs being the way the truth and the life and are earnestly pressed and invited to receive Christ that they might have life it 's now one of the devils grand designs to make men believe that men may receive Christ and have fellowship union and communion with him and yet not be in a saveing state but be under the Covenant of works all this while thinking if this doctrine would take it would keep thousands from Christ therefore it concerneth us to way lay his designs and unmask him that transforms himself into an Angel of light that under pretence of carrying us higher would beguile us of the simplicity that is in Christ the sure way of life and salvation by receiving of Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousness and truly for ought I know this Author is the first that ever broacht this doctrine in print that a man might receive Jesus Christ and have fellowship with him in spirit and be made the righteousness of God in him and yet not be in a saving state for the Arminians never had the face to say it was not a saving state if they continued in it Let us examine the Scripture he quotes one is 1 Cor. 10. the beginning of that chap especially the fourth ver that the Jews did all eat of the same spirituall meate that was Manna our fathers did eate Manna in the wilderness that
to have new hearts should rather question whether they themselves be so sanctified and their hearts so really and actually changed as to have new hearts and spirits and when we come to examine this very thing we shall finde that it is not such an ordinarie thing to have the heart which by nature is so desperately wicked to be so really and actually changed though the life may be much changed yet the heart may be the same even like a painted Sepulchre beautiful without but within full of dead mens bones but for this he maketh use of 2 Pet. 2.20 of mens escaping the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who yet may be againe intangled in them But doth the Author know no difference between mens hearing of Christs calling for holinesse and departing from iniquity in the preaching of the Gospel that they do now leave their former prophaneness and pollutions hoping to get heaven or make themselves worthy of Christ by this their reformation I say is there no difference between this and the having of the heart really and actually changeed because Herod did many things and heard John Baptist gladly doth it therefore follow that he was so sanctified as to have his heart really and actually changed and purified Acts 15.9 the heart is purified only by true faith in Christ Jesus the life may be reformed by education by convictions of conscience and by a common head and notional knowledg of the Gospel and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet I confess in a good sense the hearts of some natural men may be said to be changeed but it must be very warily understood Another place he quotes for this attainment of the matural man is Heb. 6. Those that tasted of the heavenly gift and yet might fall away c. What if these are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened so was Balaam and others that I hope were never justified and sanctified by Christ we do not deny but that the natural man may have illumination what if they are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and if this heavenly gift be Christ himselfe men may tast of Christ as Cooks do of their sauce which they spit out again men may come to try Religion and tast Christ and not having a pallat that savours the things of the spirit may not like him there is a great difference betweene the unbelievers tasting and the true believers experience what if they are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost that may be said of any man that is any way enlightened by the Holy Ghost and partakers of his common gifts only yea Bezaliel and Aholiab are said to be filled with the Spirit of God when yet it was but to enable them to devise cunning works in gold and in silver and in brasse Exod. 31.3.4 What if they tasted of the good Word of God I question not but a natural man may do so as Herod that heard John Baptist gladly which shewed he was affected with the word and tasted some sweetnesse in it And what if they tasted the powers of the world to come and have often been scared as Felix was Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of the Judgement to come Felix trembled and so may other natural men do but doth this Scripture say as the Author doth that they received Christ in their hearts as their Lord and Christ and were made the righteousnesse of God in him this is the thing that we deny any natural man attaines to but we grant they may tast of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come as that place in the 6. Hebr. doth declare Page 134. he saith These in the first Image are righteous workers according to the Law in the most Gospel administration of it but at the bottome are still upon the tenure and account of debt What is the most Gospel like administration of the Law but Christs fulfilling of it for us and taking the Law now into his own hands and prescribing the obedience the Law requires as duty to him the Lord our righteousnesse so that there is a modification of the Law to the fallen estate of man that Christ now doth not propound the Law to us as a Covenant of works that we should seek righteousnesse to justifie us by the works of the Law but he himself is made of God unto us righteousnesse and his blood cleanseth us from all sin and now will have us obey the Law as he exhibits it to us in the way of the Gospel that we should now obey out of love thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer and this is the Gospel and Christs administration of the Law but this Author tells us that all the bottome they are upon the account and tenure of debt and that they are but still under the first Covenant which is a meer contradiction for the obeying of the Law in the most Gospel like administration of it implyes a disclaiming our own righteousnesse and confidence in our owne obedience and obeying it upon Gospel principles even our love and duty to Christ that constraineth us to do his will and what is acceptable in his sight and I would ask the Author whether those that came into his higher image are not to obey the Law and if so surely he will say they must obey it in the most Gospel like administration of it and then the obedience of them both are alike the confounding of Law and Gospel doth a little hang in this Authors light Page 136. He saith This sort of men were incorporated with the true spiritual seed in every one of the seven Churches mentioned Revelations 2. 3. Chapters But I pray were the Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold that said they had need of nothing and knew not they were miserable and poor and blind and naked did this frame of spirit shew them to be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus which is the question under debate but do not these things rather shew the contrary and that they had but a name to be thus but were dead and without Christ and Philadelphia which was one of the seven Churches doth the Lord say there were any of that Church that were not in a saving state are any enemies to the Crosse of Christ detected in that Church let the Author read Revel 3.7 to 13. and then let him tell us how he cometh to know that there were such in that Church as were not true Saints and the spiritual seed I am sure he that is holy and true in his message to them saith no such thing findes no such fault with them as he doth with the rest of the Churches but truly whatsoever this Author saith it would have been well if all the members of all those Churches had been such as have Christ to be the Lord their righteousnesse and truly received Christ
Christ and lose it the notionall and historicall faith and beliefe of the Gospel may be lost and men may sin away such inlightnings and convictions of the spirit but such faith as truly receives Christ into the heart and unites us unto him in the greatest stormes will not be shipwrackt and that man having this faith and hope in Christ hath an Anchor for his soule both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. ult this faith swims in the sea of Christs blood in the Ocean of free grace where it cannot suffer shipwrack Page 221. 222. He saith concerning Abrahams calling that his first remove was out of the state of degenerate nature and his heathenish life into circumcision or experience of that commumon with God which is by the first Covenant which he made use of but as an Iun in his passage to the higher state If the Author had consulted with the fourth Rom. he would have bloted out this passage for in that Chap. the Apostle haveing spoken of justification Gods imputing righteousness without workes and remembering their sins no more he telleth us in the 9.10.11.12 verses that before ever Abraham received the signe of circumcision he was thus justified and therefore had true saving faith He received circumcision a seâ—l of the righteousness of faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also and the Author is mistaken to think that circumcision was a seale of the Covenant of workes for it was a seale of the righteousness of the new covenant which Abraham had believed in before Page 318. He saith these under the first image wherein yet there is not eternall life are planted into Christ as branches in the vine and good olive tree and so rendred righteous in the righteousness of their head and root That place John 15.1 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away the learned very well and according to the originall read thus Every branch that beareth not fruit in me is taken away and so the meaning is that though men beare never so much fruit by their husband the law yet all these children are but bastards unlesse they be married to Christ the true husband and though such may go for true saints yet they are not and doth not at all hold forth that any man may be truly in Christ and yet not be in a saving state which will be more evident if we compare this place with Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle saith That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them that are truly in Christ planted into him to such there is no condemnation but they are passed from death to life and this Author confesses that these men are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and root and if so what hinders their eternall salvation will not Christs righteousness justifie them and save them for ever we are content to leave it upon that issue and venture our soules upon that score that if our being rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ our head and root will not bring us to Heaven we are willing to miscarry for ever but we know assuredly that his righteousnesse will justifie us for ever and save us to the utmost that come to God by him In that Page 318. He saith these go about to establish their owne righteousness not submiting to the righteousness of God But hath not the Author often said that these men in the first image seek acceptance with God onely by the righteousness of Christ and in this same page saith they are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and if so how do they go about to establish their owne righteousness but the mystery lieth in the Authors understanding of the righteousness of God distinguishing betweene the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of God but it s the righteousness of Christ that the Scripture calls the righteousness of God and we have shewed before why the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of God not as if the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified was the eternall righteousness of the Godhead as Osiander dreamed which is not communicable unto us but whatsoever the Author saith here of men in the first image that they will not submit to the righteousness of God yet page 118. he saith they are made the righteousness of God in Christ Page 320. He saith these are begotten againe into Gods own likness wherein man was created at first and have the visible characters thereof shining forth in it not written with inke and on tables of stone but with the spirit of the liveing God and on the fleshly tables of the heart shewing it selfe a right change and a reall heart work above and beyond all that is accounted civility and morality and above all notion and spirituality that is but head work and fancy and the tempter perswades them to rest here and praise and blesse Gods word and makes them say its good for us to be here especially if we be upon the Mount and brought hither by Christ himself It being supposed what the Author confesses that these look for acceptance with God onely in the beloved this is a blessed state and all they that are brought into it are taught of God and not by the devill as the Author imagines to blesse Gods word and be thankfull for this rich grace and say its good for us to be here whither should we go we are with him that hath alone the words of eternal life we are with him that justifies us sanctifies us stays us with flaggons comforts us with apples quickens us influences us with his spirit kisses us with the kisses of his mouth whose love is better then wine guides us by his counsell and afterwards brings us to his glory surely we may blesse the word of the Lord and magnifie his grace and say its good to be here and blesse the Lord that he brought us to this blessed state and for sanctification who are partakers of it as the Author here describes it but the true believers its they onely that put on the new man which after the image of God is created in righteousnesse and true holiness 〈…〉 3.3 rejoyced in such as the Epistle of Christ whose hearts were so written on by the spirit of the living God and Hebr. 8.10 it s made a speciall blessing of the new Covenant of grace I will put my lawes into their minde and write them in their hearts such have God to be their God in Covenant for ever and they his people for ever and though the heart of a naturall man may in some sort be swept and garnished yet not thus written on by the spirit of God as the Author saith Page 325. He saith That these in the first image have their consciences purged from dead
in his death and sufferings that he partakes of the benefit of that bloody sacrifice such a fellowship and share he hath in Christs sufferings that what Christ did in suffering for his sins is imputed to him by an act of the free arace of the Pather as if he himselfe had done it Again the believer is called into fellowship with Jesus in persecution that he suffers with him is despised with him and thus as the Apostle saith As Christ was so are we in this present World without form or comeliness of no reputation in the worlds account Sometimes Regeneration is set out by a planting into the likeness of Christs death Rom. 6.5 10 11. Christ in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God and we are planted into the likenesse of his death when as v. 11. we likewise are dead indeed unto sin and live unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord that as it follows v. 12. sin doth not reign in our mortal bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Again sometimes Regeneration is set out by putting on the Lord Jâ—sus Christ as Rom. 13.14 Then it shewes how the true believer puts on the rigteousnesse of the Lord Jesus is willing to be uncloathed of the menstruous rags of his own righteousnesse that he may be cloathed upon with the righteousnesse of Christ Sometimes also it is set out in Scripture by comming unto Christ and taking his yoke upon us as Matth. 11. ult to shew us how the true believer is submitted and given up to Christ is his servant is under his voke under his rule and government is willing to be ruled and governed and commanded by Christ whose commandements are not grievous Sometimes Regeneration is set out by fleeing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before as in the Gospel so Heb. 6.18 to shew us that the true believer seeth his lost estate without Christ and fleeth unto Christ as a City of refuge from the Avenger of blood and whereas there is mercy and life and pardon and righteousnesse tendred to sinners in the Gospel and open proclamation that whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely and sorgivenesse of sins grace and glory is preached in Christs name this soule hath laid hold upon this hope set before him accepted of this grace accepted of these terms of mercy and peaee and so layes down armes against Christ True Regeneration is a difficult thing and therefore there is great need of the Seal of the Spirit to satisfie us about the work of grace upon our hearts for there is a counterfeit faith and a counterfeit repentance there is both an acquired faith and an infused faith there is a believing that is only a work of a mans understanding and not the work of the Spirit Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth to righteousnesse It is not enough to assent with the understanding it s a marvellous difficult thing to find out the difference between that faith that is of a mans own making upon conviction and illumination and that faith that is wrought by the spirit of God by way of creation and infusion and therefore thousands in the world are everlastingly cheated and cousened in this matter But when a man comes to be outed of himself of self-righteousnesse and self-strength and self-wisedome and close with Christ in a word of grace in a free promise that is the work To rest in legal conviction to rest upon duties and qualifications to rest in amendment of life to rest in Notions and head-knowledge of Christ and free grace these are false rests but for the soul to be nothing and utterly lost in himselfe and to apply the blood and righteousness of Christ is a safe and saving state for this is the will of the Father that sent him That whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life CHAP. V. Treats of Justification and shews that whosoever is justified by Christs blood and made the righteousnesse of God in him is in a sasing state and shall never come into condemation THe Doctrine of Justification was well called by Luther the Doctrine of the standing or falling of the Church of God this Doctrine so necessary so precious hath this Author miserably mistaken Page 118. He tels us that men in his first image who are not yet in a sasing state have Christ for their righteousnesse in a way of Justification and page 119. tells us this Righteousnesse and Justification the world hath in common with true Believers This Doctrine of his is most dangerous and is most highly dishonourable unto Christ making the blood of the Covenant a common and vain thing that men may be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and yet not be in a saving state which this Author doth in so many words affirm in that page before mentioned therefore let us treat a little of this blessed doctrine of Justification Justification is to be considered either as an immanent or a transient act in God in the first consideration it is a gracious purpose in God from all eternity not to deal with the Elect according to their sins but to absolve them and forgive them all their trespasses Justification considered as a transient act is Gods justifying and absolving the poor sinner in his own conscience and actually imputing Christs righteousnesse to him when he believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly none but those that are eternally saâ—ed are thus justified for men are not justified and unjustified again as this Author fancies Christ hath taken away the curse of the law from them Gal. 3.13 Now as 1 Cor. 15.46 The strength of sin is the Law the strength and power that sin hath to cast any man into hell is from the Law that the Law is broken and the Law is not satisfied but now Christ having for any man taken away the curse of the Law sinne hath no power to condemn that man it hath no strength and power to doe it for it hath its power from the Law and Christ hath satisfied that and is become the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 Who can lay any thing to the charge of those that are thus justified by Christ the Law cannot for Christ hath satisfied the Law and paid it the uttermost farthing yea God through the righteousnesse of Christ is a just God in being a Saviour of them that believe in Christ Christ the surety of the better Testament having paid the debt God is just in being the justifier of him that in Jesus Rom. 3.26 Just to deliver them from going down to the pit for whom Christ hath paid a ransome And so Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the blood of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life by hum living and reigning in
in notions and opinions as others do in other opinions but we use to count it great uncharitableness to charge all of a judgement with that which some being of that judgement do hold but if all of that judgement were of this mind the Author should be of it for he holdeth universal redemption yet I hope he doth not rest there nor own or reject others as they hold or hold not with him in that point but the Author misrepresents others judgements as well as the udgement of those that are for general redemption Page 199. He tells us those that differ from those that are for general redemption do evidently contradict and deny unto them most clear certain and undeniable truths and all that which they say concerning conditional reprobation freewil falling away and the like as relating to the children of the first Covenant will find that from the Scriptures which will justifie it The Author is very confident and profuse in his accusation of the Anti-Arminians and too highly exalts their opinions that are for universal redemption as if they were the very Gospel calling their opinions most clear certain and undeniable truths but what are their opinions that are most clear and undeniable truths why he saith their opinions of conditional reprobation freewil falling away and the like as relating to the children of the first covenant Let us hear their opinions and first of conditional reprobation The Arminiuns opinion is that there is no absolute and irrevocable but only conditional decree of predestination to damnation or salvation and that the number of the elect and reprobate is not so certain but that is may be diminished or augmented and that the primary cause of the decree of reprobation not of its execution is the praeconsideration and praevision of sin and not the meer will and pleasure of God And is their opinion such a plain and most undeniable truth their doctrine is such that notwithstanding Gods decrees either to life or death there might either none have been saved or none damned And according to their doctrine the grace of election is made voyd for if it were not Gods free will and pleasure that was the primary cause of the reprobates reprobation and non-election but works foreseen then consequently it was not Gods free will and pleasure that was the cause of the elects election but their works foreseen and then fare well that discriminating grace and love of God from all eternity neverthelesse we still make sin the cause of damnation but Gods free pleasure the cause of Gods non-electing and passing men by in his eternal counsels resolving to leave them in their sins and to condemnation for their sins Concerning free will the Arminians hold that there is a sufficient universal grace derived upon all men by which they may believe and be saved if they will And is this most clear and evident in the Scripture no the contrary is evident in the Scripture Isa 53.1 John 6.44 45. John 12.38 39 40. Page 205. He saith that the flesh of Christ may be received and eaten either worthily or unworthily men not distinguishing between Christs living body and his crucified body The Author if he had pleased might in this case have considered of the old distinction of the Martyrs of eating and receiving panem demini and panem dominum of that which is the sign and sacrament and the thing it self no man but the true believer eats of the bread of life the Lord Jesus for hic edere est credere by eating is meant believing but he saith they do not distinguish between Christs living body and crucified body Alas the same body of Jesus Christ that was crucified is a living body for it was impossible for that holy one to see corruption and it is not the meer body of Jesus Christ considered as living or crucified that saveth us as Christ telleth us in that case it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Page 225. He saith Abraham was justified before God by that faith wrought out in Christ his head The Scripture telleth us that by Christs obedience we are made righteous and that we are justified by his blood but no where that we are justified by the faith that is wrought out in Christ we are justified by his righteousness imputed to us not by the faith that Christ had the Author seemeth all along to have many wide mistakes about the righteousness by which we are justified when the Scripture telleth us we are justified by the faith of Christ the meaning is that we are justified by Christ believed in not that we are justified by the faith which he had And so he saith in the same 225. page that faith considered as abiding in Christ and not in us is that which properly justâ—fieth the believer But Christ though in some sense he had faith that is to say he trusted in the father that he would carry him through the work of bearing our sins and that he would so accept of his bearing the chastisement of our peace that he would deliver us from going down to the pit because of the ransome that he paid and believed that he should see his seed that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hands yet he had not such faith as in Scripture is called saving and justifying faith for he was no sinner that he received another for his righteousnes The Author leaving the simplicity of the Gospel runs in vain and unscriptural notions in those things Page 291. He saith that Christs Disciples were called the children of the bride-chamber and yet then had no higher knowledg of him then in his fle shly glory and perfection The place he mâ—aneth is Matth. 9.15 which holdeth forth no such thing but what a forrowing there should be in the Disciples when they were deprived of Christs bodily presence but that was not a depriving of them of that which the Author calleth the first Image but â—â—vay what fleshly glory and perfection was 〈◊〉 Christ that the Disciples should know Christ only in that Alas he had no fleshly glory and perfection his visage was marred more then any of the sons of men Isa 52. never was so glorious a person so obscured as he was insomuch that the people said is not this the Carpenters son his fleshly glory and perfection was so little that those which looked only at that could see no form nor comeliness in him wherefore they should desire him let the Author have better thoughts of the Disciples then that they followed Christ and left all for him only for his fleshly glory and perfection no they saw him with better eyes they saw him to be Jehovah their righteousness the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth Page 300. He maketh this the great sin of those in the first Image that they set up the sons Kingdom in their hearts in competition with and opposition to the fathers View the Scriptures