is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalts thou serve with Deut. 6.13 and 10.20 See Revelations 14.7 Secondly that our obedience to God and his worship in general are of equal latitude John 9 13. Now we know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshiper of him and do his will him he heareth Thirdly that there are many kinds and degrees of divine worship as the worship of Angels which they owe to God Psal 97.7 Worship him all ye gods and the worship due from men Rev. 19.10 worship thou God This humane worship is manifold As first either Typical or real Rom. 7.6 That we should now serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Secondly A glorifying or worshipping him inwardly and another which is done only in an outward manner Isa 29.13 14. For as much as this people draw neer unto me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work c. Matth 15.8 and 7.6 c. Thirdly that there is a primary and secondary Worship the former instituted for it self and accepted in it self the other for and in the former only Hos 6.6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledg of God more then burnt offerings Fourthly and lastly the primary immutable and salutiferous worship of God of which you speak no one word either in this your Confession of Faith or in your directory for worship in the name of a divine worship stands in the following of God and walking with him in his loving and everlasting righteousness as these places fully evict God created man in his own Image and similitude Gen. 1.27 to wit that therein he should serve and worship his God and Christ is given for this end Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life and not in one day in seven as you imagine Thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 So did Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus God required of Abraham that he should walk before him or with him and be perfect in that way Gen. 17.1 this was the Religion that Abraham taught his family even by Gods own testimony Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham the thing which he hath spoken of him Thus the Prophets Catechised and instructed the people Micah 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the most higâ—h God that is the question to which he answers ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to humble thy self to walk with thy Godâ— Thus Phynehas and the holy priests both walked and taught Malachy 2 6. The Law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lipps he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many from iniquity This is that worship in the Spirit or work of the Spirit which is required by the father John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth where the word Spirit is by a metony my put for the work of the Spirit for the whole fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph 5.9 and the word Truth there implies the whole divine nature or new creature in opposition to the typicall services Thus the Apostle shews both wherein the Kingdom of God and his acceptable worship lyeth Ro. 14.17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousand peace and joy in the holy Ghost And he that in these things serveth the Lord Christ is accepted of God and approved of men Thus far concerning your omissions whereof this last is a most gross defect in them that would teach a whole Kingdom the way of Religion rightly For the truths which you have here at unawares confessed they are principally three all which reflect upon your selves The first is that where in the first Section you affirm That the very light of nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all who is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the might If then the light of nature extend so far why may not all men be saved if they walke according to that light in turning to that God thus made known unto them in following him and serving him in all the wayes of his righteousness and goodnes in calling upon him for the pardon of their sins the healing of their errors and corruptions the leading of them into all truth and righteousness especially if illuminating grace be added thereto which truth you have denyed before Secondly you say in the same Section That Gods worship is so limited by himself and his revealed will that he is not to be worshipped after the imaginations and devices of men which is most true but it fals soul upon your worship here described which is for the most part a meer imagination and humane invention or tradition as it is obtruded upon us for a worship which we will shew by and by Thirdly in you fourth Section you say that prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter who sin not the sin unto death but not for those that are dead If prayer should and must be made for all sorts of men that do or that shall live hereafter then either there is no absolute decree in God to debar men of salvation or we must pray expresly against Gods will or in our prayers not seek mens salvation which how it contradicts your former doctrine we shall report it to your selves and others Thirdly for the mistakes they are neither smal nor few in this place For first you take it for granted that there is an outward worship of God instituted by Christ in the new Testament in lieu of that ceremonial worship of the old Testament new accomplished and abrogated by Christ Secondly That there hath been an outward worship of God instituted from the Creation and a set time even the seventh day from the Creation appointed thereunto all which are meer dreams For though the Fathers before and after the Flood sometimes sacrificed voluntarily or by instinct it were as a monument of Christs inward sufferings with his future passion and to represent the way wherein we must follow
further recite in this Chapter must be necessarily thus understood to wit conditionally of those that are but inchoatively adopted and absolutely of such onely as have accomplished the conditions of the premises And therefore you have here adopted many errours for truth though you have spoken some truth also at unawares as That all those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his onely Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption This is most true of those whom God hath justified in our sense that is purged from all corruption by the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ for such and such onely are absolutely and finally adopted and enjoy all the liberties and prerogatives here by you set forth But if you here understand initiated adoption it precedes justification taken both in your sense and ours and so your affirmation is erroneous It is true also that all they who are adopted in any measure are taken into the number of Gods Children for the present but the younger and weaker sort may by their unthankfulness for so great a grace by their future rebellions and Apostacy be abdicated and cast off for ever 1 Chronicles 28.9 Romans 11.22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but toward thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off Deuteronomy 32.19 When the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and daughters Thus the Lord maketh all the regenerate partakers of the grace of conditional adoption but onely the third sort of final adoption yet all these are protected by the Father and provided for as children while they continue children but not otherwise all likewise have access to the throne of grace which is Christ Jesus who are brought to know him and beleeve in his name and who persist in that their faith and in good will but none other neither they which yet know him not nor such as by apostacy crucifie him afresh Acts 6.6 Hebrews 10.27 28 29. Wherefore Let all those who are incoatively adopted bless God for that estate and rejoyce in it Galatians 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son whereby ye cry Abba Father 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Yet let us remember it is but a conditional estate at the first and a long time after Rom. 8.15 16.17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him And to the end that we may obtain a final and absolute adoption â—et us fulfil the condition thereunto required 2 Corinthians 6.17 1â— Wherefore come ye out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lâ—â—d and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a father unto you and 〈◊〉 shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty See also what the Apostle infers thereupon 2 Corinthians 7.1 2 Having therefore these promises my beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting our holiness in the fear of God CHAP. XIII Of sanctification THEY that are effectually called and regenerated having a new heart and a new spirit created in them are further sanctified really and personally through the vertue of Christs death and resurrection a 1 Cor 6.11 Acts 20.32 Phil 3.10 Ro 6.5 6. by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them b Joh 17.17 Eph 5.26 2 Thes 2.13 the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed c Rom 6.6.13 and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified d Gal 5.24 Rom 8.13 and they more and more quickned and strengthened in all saving graces e Col 1.11 Eph 3.16 17 18. to the practice of true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord f 2 Cor 7.1 Heb 12.13 II. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man g 1 Thes 5.23 yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part h 1 Joh 1.10 Rom 7.18 23. Phil 3.12 whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable War the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh i Gal 5.17 1 Pet 2.11 III. In which war although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail k Rom 7.23 yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate part doth overcome l Ro 6.14 1 Joh 5.4 Eph 5.4 16. and so the Saints grow in grace m 2 Pet 3.18 perfecting holiness in the fear of God n 2 Cor 7.1 CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification examined HAving already spoken of Justification this whole Chapter of sanctification which is but the Christening of the same thing with a new name as we have shewed before might have been superseded and as the whole discourse is superfluous so many of your erroneous and unsanctified assertions such as those which follow might profitably have been omitted As first where you say in the first Section That all they who are effectually called and regenerated have a new heart and a new spirit created in them whereas many are called and that earnestly and effectually on the Lords part as we have shewed â—lready who admitt of no change of will and affections through their own obstinacy and though all that are truly changed receive at the first a new frame of heart will and disposition yet they do not by and by receive a new heart and a new Spirit in the sense of the holy Prophets for Ezekiel shewes That not onely clean water must be poured down upon us but that we must be cleansed from all our filthiness and abomination before we can have a new heart and a new spirit created in us nor is the stony heart wholly taken from us and an heart of flesh wholly given unto us till then But this is the peculiar estate of such Saints or sanctified ones as have attained the third and last degree of regeneration when Christ according to the spirit is risen up in them as we shewed before See Ezek. 36.25 26. Of these the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away behold all things are become new See Revel 21.3 4 5 of those to whom the new Jerusalem is come Secondly whereas you say That such persons are sanctified through the vertue of Christs death it is another great mistake for though the vertue of his death is great and of inestimable value to take away the guilt of sin and remove the curse from us
wayes assailed and weakned but gets the victory l Luk 22.33 Ephes 6.16 1 John 5.4 5. growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ m Heb 6.11 12. Heb 10.12 Col 2 â— who is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith n Heb. 12.2 CHAP. XIV Of Saving Faith Examined AS Your selves elsewhere condemn an implicite faith of which notwithstanding you are not altogether guiltless in letting your authors so often impose upon you as they do so we hope you will leave our faith free to dissent from you where truth is not on your side in this and other chapters Here some men perhaps would quarrel with you for not setting forth the kinds of faith but since it was your scope and purpose to speak here of saving faith onely which is a living faith or hope 1 Pet. 1.3 We will not much blame you for making no mention of that dead faith spoken of by St. James chapter 2.20 The like we say of omitting the mention of a false and feigned faith seeing that whereby me must be saved is called faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1 5. The ordinary distribution of faith into those of historical temporary miraculous and saving might here by you with the lesse detriment be passed over in silence because as historical faith is an ingredient into true faith so the temporary differs nothing or very little from it but in point of perseverance and though outward miracles with the primitive power of godlinesse for the greatest part seem long fince to have grown rare yet the true saving faith in Jesus Christ hath alwayes according to its strength and growth been a worker of inward and spiritual miracles and that upon sure grounded promises John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that beleeveth in me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these shall he do because I go unto the Father And those words of our Saviour Marke 16.17 18. being spiritually understood do set forth the signes of a true faith to the end of the world And these signes shall follow them that beleeve In my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall recover But the things we most wonder at are these First That you should now come to speak of faith not onely after effectual calling which in your sense implies faith but after justification which you confess to be attained by faith yea and after sanctification also which though you take it to be a distinct thing from justification must for the greatest part follow faith also as an effect of it Acts 26.18 Among them that are justified by faith that is in me And Secondly That you should make no distinction betwixt the three degrees if not kindes of saving faith to wit Faith in God the father Belief in God the Son and Confidence in the Holy Ghost The which as they are in part descriminated from each other at least wise by their distinct objects in the Apostles Creed so are they clearly dissevered from each other in the holy Scripture It is in a general comprehension that the Apostle takes the faith of the elect when he describes it to be an acknowledgment of the truth that is according to godliness in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began 1 Tit. 1.2 But it is faith in God the Father or faith in confuso as we said before that is set forth Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him as it is faith in God the Son which St. Paul points at Gal. 2.15 16. saying We who are Jewes by nature and not finners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus It is also that faith in the holy Ghost of which the Apostle speaks thus Gal. 5.3 For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith that is the Lord our righteousness or the beavenly Jerusalem Jer. 33.16 These three are distinct from each other and men may have the first without the second and the first and second without the third For first we finde that Cornelius beleeved in God prayed unto him gave alms and did many things with acceptance before God ere ever he was commanded to send for Peter that he might by him hear of the faith in Jesus Christ Acts 10. chapter Thus our Saviour speaks to his Disciples and Apostles John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me intimating that though they had a clear and strong faith in God the Father yet their knowledge of him in his right saving office and their respective faith was but darke and weak as yet for they neither distinctly understood that he must dye for them and that they must dye with him if they should be saved nor expected salvation from sins and Satan by his blood and spirit and much less had they any hope or due knowledge of the promised Spirit the everlasting comforter who should abide with them for ever till Christ there especially after his resurrection revealed the same unto them and brought them to a true belief and stedfast hope of the same yea where are they now to be found who thus beleeve in the holy Ghost or in Jesus Christ himself for a right justification and spiritual salvation from the hands of all their enemies by his alone power and grace Thus is that fulfilled Luke 18.7 8. And shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night to wit for help against their spiritual enemies I tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he finde faith upon the earth This faith was a rare bird like a black Swan at Christs last comming in the Spirit That there may be some pious souls which not onely want the third degree or kinde of faith but have not so much as heard that there is an holy Ghost the Scriptures witness clearly Acts 19.2 The like may be said concerning the Lord Jesus and faith in him among the Heathen to whom the Father hath not revealed him as yet But now to come to your particular Sections In the first of them you say That faith whereby the Elect beleeve to the saving of their souls is the work of the spirit of Christ which thing in a proper and accurate kinke of speaking is not true for it is the work of the Father to reveale and manifest the Son unto us as it is the work of the Father and Son to beget faith in
a good conscience have made shipwrack of their faith as we said before 1 Tim. 1.18 19. How Christ may be said to be the Author and Finisher of our faith we shewed before CHAP. XV. Of Repentance unto Life REPENTANCE unto life is an Evangelical grace a Ezek 12.10 Acts 11.18 the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel as well as that of Faith in Christ b Luke 24.47 Mar 1.15 Acts 20.21 II. By it a sinner out of the sight and sence not onely of the danger but also of the filthyness and odiousnesse of his sins as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves for and hates his sins as to turn from them all unto God c Ezek 18.30.31 Eze 36.31 Isa 30.22 Psal 51.4 Jer 31.18 19. Joel 2.12 13. Amos 5.15 Psal 119.118 2 Cor 7 11 purposing and indeavouring to walke with him in all the wayes of his commandments d Psal 119.6 50 106. Luke 1.6 2 King 23.25 III. Although Repentance be not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sin or any cause of the pardon thereof e Ezek 36.31 32 Ezek 16.61 62.63 which is the act of Gods free grace in Christ f Hos 11.24 Rom 3.21 Eph 1.7 yet it is of such necessity to all sinners that none may expect pardon without it g Luk 13 5. Acts 17.30 31. IV. As there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation h Ro 6.23 Rom 5.12 Mat 12.36 so there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truely repent i Isa 55 7. Rom 8.1 Iâ— 1.16 18. V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance but it is every mans duty to repent of his particular sins particularly k â—sal 19.13 Luke 19 8. 1 Tim 1.13 15. VI. As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God praying for the pardon thereof l Psal 51.4 5 7.9 14 Psa 32.5 6 upon which and the forsaking of them he shall finde mercy m Pro 28.13 1 John 1.9 So he that scandalizeth his Brother or the Church of Christ ought to be willing by a private or a publick confession and sorrow for his sin to declare his repentance to those that are offended n Jaâ— 5.16 Luk 17.3.4 Josh 7.19 who are thereupon to be reconciled unto him and in love to receive him o 2 Cor 2.8 â— Psal 51 throughout CHAP. XV. Of repentance unto life examined IN this Chapter though you deliver many things not to be repented of yet you first strangely and needlessly multiply â—eads and common places For wherein doth your repentance differ from your conversion or effectual calling Chap. 10. and from sanctification joyned with it Chap. 13. or from adopting grace as it is conditional or from effectual calling jointly with justification in Saint Pauls sense In effect all this is one entire work of grace though calling and sanctification or justication are the parts of it But as you are herein redundant so you are many wayes deficient For first you do not distinguish repentance there being a repentance wrought by the Law and accompanied with the spirit of bondage or fear of wrath Rom. 8.15 and another wrought by the Gospel which again is twofold The one a temporary humiliation and reformation the concomitant and effect of a temporary faith and the other a persevering and through repentance never to be repented of Secondly you set not forth the degrees of repentance in the least measure or degree whereas first there is repentance or conversion wrought by God the Father which follows upon our respective faith in him of which these and many other Scriptures speak Mar. 11.5 Repent ye and believe the Gospel Act. 20 21. Testifying both to Jews and also to the Gentiles repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 6 1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of Repentance from dead works and of faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ which work is all one with our conversion and lieth mainly in our turning to God Ezek. 14.6 Thus saith the Lord repent and turn you from your Idols Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn you selves Joel 2.14 Who knoweth if be will return and repent Acts 3.19 Repent you there ore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. This first degree of repentance is that sanctification which we obtain and receive from God the Father in the change of our minde will and affections Jude To them that are sanctified by God the Father Besides which there is a further progress in repentance of inward and outward reformation wrought by Jesus Christ when after the conversion aforesaid we are brought to believe on him for the purging away of their sins and corruptions by his blood and spirit which in its latitude containes the totall and final work of mortification of which those texts speak expresly Luk. 24 4â— 47. He said unto them thus it is written and thus it behooveâ— Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins This is that work of Christ of which the Apostles and Saints speak Act 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Thus of your defects in general In your first Section you call this repentance unto life whereof you speak an Evangelical grace as if you thought it to be a single vertue as hope patience meekness or the like But repentance in the latitude is an universal change of the inward man as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies to the putting away of all iniquity in heart and life towards which there are necessarily so many vertues required as there are vices to be put away for each sinne is removed by his contrary Secondly Though in your second Section you concurr with us in making repentance such an universal change of the whole man as that he not only grieves for hates and turnes from all his sins unto God but also both purposeth and indeavors to walk with him in all the wayes of his commandements yet here you faile or mistake in three things First In describing such a repentance only as the least Saint attaines by the work of the Father and leaving out that repentance unto life which lies in mortification See Rom. 8.13 where it is said If yee live after the flesh ye shall dye but if through
It depends upon the seed of God remaining in us but that seed remaines in none unremoveably but those which are born again in Christ after the Spirit or the Saints of the third form and order of whom it is said peculiarly 1 Joh. 3.9 That they cannot sin For all other Saints those of the second form Saints and believers in Christ which are not yet dead and made alive again with him may and do sin as well though not so often as the Saints of the first form or the fathers new begotten ones Lastly you say here That this certainty of perseverance depends upon the nature of the covenant of grace of which there are two parts the one promiseth cleansing grace in and through the blood and Spirit of Christ the other a stedfast and immoveable kingdom to those that are so cleansed See for the first Jerem. 31.32 33 34 c. and for the others Jere. 32.40 but all this is promised conditionally to those that believe Mat. 28.18 19. Mark 16.15 16. to such as persevere unto the end Mat. 24.13 and to him that overcometh Reuel 3.12 So that the stedfast estate and kingdom which cannot be shaken depends upon perseverances in mortification and our immoveable estate upon the receiving of that Kingdom Yet do we not deny but that the perseverance of the Saints whereby they continue in the following of Christ unto their death and their infallible estate from which they cannot afterwards possibly fall away hath very great dependance upon all the things by you named but in such manner as we have spoken In your third and last Section you erre first on the one hand and then on the other For first Whereas you ascribe unto all the Saints upon earth promiscuously a possibility of falling into greivous sins by temptations from Satan and the world the prevalency of remaining corruption and neglect of the means of their preservation whereby they may incur Gods displeasure grieve his Spirit suffer some deprivation of their graces and comforts harden their hearts wound their consciences hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgements upon themselves We say That the Saints in the Holy Ghost that are risen again with Christ are past all this 2 Cor. 5.12 Old things are passed away behold all things are become new 1 John 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin but his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God See Revel 2.17 26 27. Revel 3.9 10 11 12. Revel 7.14 15 16 17. Revel 21.3 4 5 6. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any pain to wit spiritual pain for the former things are passed away But on the other hand any other Saint those especially which are in their minority may possibly by the meanes aforesaid not onely faile and suffer after the manner aforesaid but by their wilful and wicked desertion of God fall finally from grace into everlasting perdition and yet no one of those can be plucked out of the Fathers hand by all the enemies of mankind if he will abide with God and his Christ John 10.28.29 But how much safer had it been for you and your hearers if in stead of your thus securing the Saints you had with Saint Paul charged them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling as we said before and with holy David had shewed them what they should do that they might be kept from falling finally Psalm 15.1 2 3 4. and to have set Saint Peters scale before them for the same end likewise 2 Pet. 1.5.10 The high way to that kingdom which cannot be shaken is to get grace into our hearts whereby we may serve God with Reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 CHAP. XVIII Of the assurance of Grace and salvation ALthough hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and state of salvation a Joh 8.13 14. Mich 3.11 Deut 29.19 Jo 8.41 which hope of theirs shall perish b Matt 7.22 23. yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace c Joh 3.14 18.19 21 24. Jo 5.13 and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shal never make them ashamed d Ro 5.2 5 II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded upon a fallible hope e Heb 6 1â— 19. but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the Divine truth of the promises of salvation f Heb 6 17 18. the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made g 2 Pet 1.4 5 10 11 1 Joh 2.3 1 Joh 3.14 2 Cor 1.12 the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God h Ro 8.15.16 which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption i Eph 3.13.14 Eph 4.30 2 Cor 1 21 22. III. This infallible assurance doth not so infallibly belong to the essence of faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it k 1 Jo. 5 13. Isa 50.10 Mar 9.14 Psal 88. througho Psal 77. to v. 12. 1 Cor 2.14 1 Joh 4.13 Heb. 6.11 12 Eph 3.17 18 19. yet being inabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary meanes attain thereunto l 1 Cor 2.12 Jo 4.13 Heb 6.11 12 Eph 3.17 18 19. and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and Election sure m 2 Pet. 1.10 that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of the assurance n Ro 5 1 2 5. Rom 14.17 Ro 15.3 Eph 1.3 4. Psa 4.6 7. Psa 119 32. so far is it from inclining men to looseness o 1 Jo 2.12 Ro 6.1 2. Tit 2 11 12 14. 2 Cor 7.1 Rom 8.1 12. 1 Jo 3.1 2. Ps 130.4 1 John 1.6 7. IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse wayes shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some speciall sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden and vehement Temptation by
and Psal 34.9 O fear the Lord all ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Secondly there are Saints in God the Son who are called to know him and believe on him for salvation from their spiritual enemies deliverance from the curse Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called which is the common Classis of the Saints in the new Testament Rom. 1.6 7. 1 Cor. 1.2 And thirdly there are Saints in the holy Ghost as the Apostles were made in the day of Pentecost when they were filled with the holy spirit of promise Act. 2.1 2 3 c. Secondly All those have neither the same degree of fellowship with God nor with each other but have their respective communion either with the father alone as the first or with the Father and the Son as the second or with the Holy Ghost also and so with the whole Trinity as the third John 14.25 Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love and we will come unto him and make our abode with him See 1 John 1.3 4 5. And as the Saints have different degrees of communion with God according to their several ages and growth so they all have not alike fellowship with each other in communicating spiritual guifts for the Saints in Christ Jesus can condiscend to those in God the Father and those in God the Holy Ghost can stoop to both the other to do them service but the first cannot communicate much in spiritual things to the second nor either the first or second to the third though all may in outward things be serviceable to each other upon earth These things premised for order and distinction sake We finde then in your first Section these three errors First That you make none to be Saints but those that are actually united unto Jesus Christ their head hereby excluding out of that number and communion all those who as yet are onely bgotten by God the Father as were Cornelius Act. 10.1 2 3. and many other Secondly You untruly affirm that all those which are united to Christ by his spirit and saith have actual communion in his sufferings death resurrection and glory for none of them have fellowship in his resurrection and glory till they be dead with him and that the holy Ghost be poured down from Heaven upon them as he was upon the Apostles Act. 2. See Ro. 6 5. For if we have been planted in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection 2 Tim. 2.11.12 neither have all that beleeved in Christ for the present proceeded so far as to suffer with him and much more to pertake with him in his death he is a good proficient in Christianitie that knows what Christ hâ—th suffered in him and for him and is come to suffer with him not onely outward afflictions but inward sorrows in resisting temptations without yeelding to them in their solicitations wherein lies the main part of our fellowship of Christs sufferings And as for our becomming wholly dead with Christ you your selves hold it a thing not fully attainable in this life wherin you greatly wrong the grace and power of Christ in his saving work and office and are not onely injurious to others who give ear unto you but fall short of that happy conquest and salvation ensuing which is held forth unto you in the Gospel almost everywhere as hath been shewed before See Luke 1.74.75 Rom. 6.5 and 14. Ephes 5.25 26 c. Titus 2.11 12 13. Rev. 16.7 11 17.26 and Revel 7.14.15 c. And thirdly you here make no distinction betwixt interest and actual communion where you say That the Saints have communion in each others graces which is true of the first not of the last where the place which you cited out of Epbes 2.5.6 speaks of the Apostles high attainments rather then of the present state of the Ephesians and other common beleevers In your second Section you seem tacitely first to imply that there are two sorts of Saints the one by profession onely such as the members of your Church Catholick were in your former Chapter and some that are really such but we are sure that the Lord admits of no Saints for his Church or people but such as are truely sanctified and continuing such he rejects them not Secondly You truly say that Saints are bound to maintain an holy communion in the worship of God but this must be understood with diverse limitations to fence it from error For first it must not be Saints living remotely from each other Secondly It holds not concerning an outward worship unless the Church set up one that is pious and profitable or lawful at the least for Christ himself hath instituted no such worship as we said before Thirdly Yet must all the Saints wheresoever they live joyn in one true spiritual worship of the living God in his living righteousness Lastly We grant notwithstanding that such as conveniontly can come together ought as frequently as their occasions and safety will bear to meet together for the edification and comfort of each other and especially if the Christian Magistrates and spiritual Governours command such meetings But the residue of this Section about the relief of the Saints is sound and good In your third and negative Section you truly and upon good grounds disavow two things First That the Saints are coequal with Christ for no creature in his highest perfection can be equal to Christ the one being finite the other infinite in his divine essence And Secondly that the Communion of Saints upon Earth doth not abolish no nor infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions which is clearly imported in those Scriptures of Exod. 20.15 Ephes 4.28 and Acts 5.4 which you point us unto as also in many other places of the Old and New Testament But whether that estate which the Saints attain at length when with the Apostle they are raised up together with Christ and made sit together with him in the Heavenly places or things Ephes 2.5 6. be a bare quality or accident or whether it be a spiritual life power and substance we will not dispute sure we are the Apostle calls it the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and our Saviour or Wisdom calls it substance in one notion or other Prov. 18.21 And I will cause them to inherit substance whatsoever that estate is the Platonists called him that had attained it not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deified man and not onely some of the modern but even of the ancient writers of the Church use the word codeifying in a good sense of such as are made pertakers of the Divine nature according to the capacity of creatures CHAP. XXVII Of the Sacraments SAcraments are holy Signes and Seales of the
the Spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh then ye shall live and to that effect Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a now heart and and a new Spirit for why will you dye O house of Israel Secondly In saying here that it is upon the apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ to such as are penitent that men so grieve for sin hate and turn from it and so purpose and ind avor to keep all Gods commandements whereas the apprehension of Gods mercy and grace in the general and that for salvation may produce all this and hath done it in thousands of Jews and Gentiles in the times of the Old Testament and since also who for the present had no knowledge of Jesus Christ and the further grace to be attained in him yet do we not deny but the knowledge and belief of that grace which is held forth in Christ may increase that godly sorrow and much strengthen that purpose and endevor of obedience yea and make the believer to seek the second part of repentance even the work of mortification from the grace of Christ Lastly you are short in this that you make this saving repentance to extend no further then to bare purpose indeavor of walking with God in the ways aforesaid For if this indeavor acts but according to the strength of nature or the first grace received it must needs fall short both in the subduing of sin and the accomplishment of Gods will and therefore true repentance unto life seeks grace and power from Christ for both out of faith in the promises and rests not till it hath attained it according to the promises Ezek. 36.25 26 27 c. Jerem. 31.33 34. Ephes 5.25 26 27. 2 Pet. 1.4 5. Luke 1.74 75. In your third Section you strangely contradict your selves in saying first That repentance is no cause of the pardon of sin and yet afterwards making it a thing so necessary for sinners that none may expect pardon without Is causa sine qua non no cause with you or is the fulfilling of such a condition as without which remission of sins shall not be granted a thing of no satisfaction at all to him that requireth it absolutely though he help us in it Or is it in no wise to be rested in as any satisfation to God who requires it We grant it is not the first inducing cause nor yet the meritorious cause but is first or last some antecedent cause before the thing shall be estated and sealed upon him that is to enjoy it especially since it is Gods absolute will and pleasure to grant pardon no other way That also which you affirm in your fourth Section is by some questioned and that not without cause Whether there be not some sin so great that it doth and shall bring damnation with it though it be repented of For there is a time of patience and mercy in which God hath purposed to receive the sinner if he repents and returns Rev. 2.21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornications but she repented not If in this tearm or space they repent not they may yea shall be excluded from pardon though they repent afterwards Luk. 13.25 26. When once the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and you begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us he shall answer and shall say unto you I know you not whence you are what say you to Judas who repented all too late as many thousands more do Prov. 1.28.29 Your fifth Section we grant as also the necessity of confessing of sins unto God and in case of scandal given to the respective parties scandalized also Section sixth But here again you are defective in two things First in that you set not forth the expedience yea necessity that there may be for such as are troubled in minde either for some great sin committed or with terrible temptations to confess and open their estate to some wise and godly counsellor whether Minister or private Saint and to crave the help of their advise and prayers And secondly you make no mention of restitution which is requisite also in many cases if the party be able to recompence the damage which he hath done Exod. 22.1 c. Luk. 19.8 CHAP. XVI Of Good works GOOD works are onely such as God hath commanded in his holy word a Mich 6.8 Rom 12.2 Heb 13.21 and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal or any pretence of good intention b Mat 15.19 Isa 29.13 1 Pet 1.18 Ro 10.2 Jo 16.2 â— Sam 15.21 22 23. II. Those good works done in obedience to Gods commandements are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith c Jam 1.18 22. and by them believers manifest their thank-fulness d Psal 116.12 13. strengthen their assurance e 1 Joh 2.3 2 Pet 1.5 6 7 8 9 10. edifie their brethren f 2 Cor 9.2 Mat 5.16 adorn the profession of the Gospel g Tit 2.5 9 10 11 12. â— Tim 6.1 stop the mouths of the adversaries h 1 Pet 2 15 and glorifie God i 1 Pet 2 12 Phil 1.11 Joh 15.8 1. whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto k Eph 2.10 that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life l Ro 6.22 III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ m Joh 1â— 4 5. Ezek 36.26 27. and that they may be inabled thereunto there is required an actual influence of the same holy spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure n Phil 2.13 Phil 4.13 2 Cor 3.5 yet are they not thereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them o Phil 2.12 Heb 6.11 12. 2 Pet 1.3 5 10 11 Isa 64.7 â—2 Tim 1.6 Acts 26.6 7. Jud verse 20 2â— IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life are so far from being able to superogate and to do more then God requires as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do p Luk. 17. Nehem 13.22 Job 9.1 2. Gal 5.7 V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfie for the debt of our former sins q Rom 3.20 Rom 4.2 4 6. Eph 2.8 9. Titus 3.5 6 7.