off that sluggishness that is in us As he doth teach so doth he incline the Heart Teach he doth not only by inward Motions and Suggestions but also by external Precepts and Instructions so doth he incline and discipline the heart by external motives no less then inward motions external motives I say viz. the Promises and Threatnings of the Law Object Is not this to call for an outward Authority to incline the Heart to that which it hath none affection nor inclination Sol. Nothing less It is indeed to call for an outward authority or Argument to quicken the Soul unto that unto which though by Grace it hath an inward affection yet by reason of the powerful relliques of Corruption that inward affection is not strong enough to prevail without some outward helps we know that a Crutch doth no harm to the weak and feeble nor do we account of Christians moved by fear to be as a Bear tyed to a stake We know that they have in them an ingenuous and free Spirit by which they are led but we know that there is in them also the Body of Sin still dwelling the Lusts whereof are violent and must be kept under by the Law We fear to let the Christian loose too soon least like Heirs that come to their Estate before they be wise they squander it away spoil all we know that they have the Spirit of Faith which worketh by love But we know also that the same Spirit worketh by Fear Love and Fear are as the weights and plummets of the Soul Love is indeed the sweetest and most potent but it is not for beginners and Babes in Christ These like School-boys must otherwhiles be frighted into their Duty were there no flesh in believers fear might be laid aside while there is Flesh in them there is use of fear If not why is it part of the promise in the New Covenant Ier. 32. 40. I will put my Fear into their Hearts They grant That the Law doth not lose his Dominion till the Grace of God do challenge us to it self that it may reveal Righteousness in us very good say I but adde this That the Law doth not lose his Dominion wholly till the Grace of God hath revealed Righteousness in us i. e. till it hath set up the reign of Grace and subdued corruption which is the daily endeavor of the Spirit but much retarded by the flesh nor will it be perfected till this life be changed It is not denyed but while the Spirit of Love is active fear may stand aside But we know that when the Heart is taken up with the pleasures of Sin as too often it is the Spirit of God must use the whip of the Law to fetch it off again otherwise it is hardly reclaimed Nor do we deny but that according to their Doctrine and Definition of a true Believer there is no liberty set up nor given to the Flesh But we say it is a Doctrine and Difinition not fitted to the state of a Christian in this life To walk by Love is the Duty of a Christian not the Definition This motive and mean which they prescribe viz. The Love of Christ is potent and prevalent to lead men on in Holiness if it meet with an Heart rightly fitted and qualified But it is not for the common temper of Christians as Saint Paul said of the Law It was too weak Rom. 8. 3. Not in it self but in respect of mans impotency So say we of this love the only motive by which these men would have Christians dealt withall It is strong in it self but not strong enough to over bear the power and prevalency of Corruption still remaining Needs must we call in the help of this fear the fear of danger that may come by Sin to keep men even the best of Christians from daring to meddle with it Well But to what end should these threatnings be used since Christians need not fear them How so Because by vertue of their justification they are delivered from the curse of the Law To this I might answer That their Justification doth not free them from the Rod What was said of the Seed of David is true also of the Seed of Christ the Son of David If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their Transgression with the Rod and their Iniquity with stripes Psal. 89. 31. They may and do smart for their sins as appeareth by the grievous complaints of divers holy men of God Psal. 77. and 88. 15. Now then if they be lyable to smart and suffer for their sin may they not be threatned and put in fear thereof that fear may make them watchful and careful Not for sin say these men doth the Believer smart and suffer but from sin i. e. In the way of prevention not in the way of punishment A fond and a foolish position contrary to the Text of Scripture which directly saith For this cause many among you are weak and sick and some are fallen a sleep 1 Cor. 11. 30. contrary to reason Why doth one Christian smart rather then another Hath he in him more seeds of sin then another contrary to experience What Father doth correct his childe for a fault not yet committed And whose conscience doth not tell him that his sin hath procured these things to himself Even Job is at it I have sinned what shall I do unto thee Job 7. 20. I might adde That if their justification doth exempt them from being cast into Hell yet doth it not exempt them from having an Hell cast into them even the very flames and flâ—shes of that fire and brimstone for a time cast into their souls to drink up their spirits and dry up the moisture of their vital parts as the experience of divers holy Saints of God doth testifie But this I urge finally That notwithstanding their justification they are not exempted from the fear of Hell it self Iustification doth onely free them from this fear while they walk worthy of it But suppose them sinning against the Law of holiness suppose them stepping aside from Christ and wandring into the way of sin they cannot be free from the fear of death The Apostle saith If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye nor doth he make any exception of the justified person So that if you can suppose a justified person sinning as no doubt but he may otherwise in vain had S. Paul to them of whom he had said 1. Cor. 6. 11. Ye are justified recommended this exhortation verse 18. Flee Fornication if you can suppose him sinning I will conclude him thereby in danger of death and till he repent and return to Christ that he may gain the pardon of this sin also he cannot be out of the fear of death Nay more if you can suppose him sinning and dying in his sin without repentance for that sin I will conclude him in the state of death and condemnation or
Apostles taught so before us If we have not them for our Presidents let us be condemned For why doth not our Saviour mention that greatness of reward as a Motive to patience in persecution Mat. 5. 12. To love our Enemies Mat. 5. 46. To fast and pray in secret Mat. 6. 6. 18. Doth our Saviour herein teach Popery or doth he cross the Doctrine of Free grace and Justification without Merits Doth not Saint Paul tread in the same steps urging patience in afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 17. Perseverance in goodness and godliness 1 Cor. 15. 58. Gâ—l 6. 9 10. Bountifulness to the poor Saints 2 Cor. 9. 6. 2 Tim. 6. 19. Confidence in God Heb. 10. 35. All these by an Argument drawn from the expectation of that benefit which should accrew unto them Doth not Saint Peter make use of the same Motive to press the same duties See these Texts 1 Pet. 5. 4. and 2 Pet. 1. 11. and 3. 11. They Reply That Divines do grant the reward is to be eyed as an encouragement But it is promised to the worker not to the work We do not stumble at this nor stick upon it nay we subscribe hereunto but they adde It is due for his Faiths sake before he performed any thing I demand whether this do not seem to be against all reason Due it is to the worker but yet in relation to his work Due unto him for his Faiths sake but not before he perform any thing No he must work and then by Faith lay hold upon the Promise His Faith â—â—â—â—reth him of the reward by assuring him that the Promise belongs to him and that is two ways 1. As one in Christ 2. As one working and walking as becometh a Christian He must be in the Vine and he must bear Fruit If either of these be wanting he may fail If an Heathen did the same work it would not avail him The Promise is made to the worker not to the work If any Christian do neglect this work he cannot expect this reward The Promise is to the worker yet in relation â—o his work Deny this and you deny the diversity of mansions and different degrees of Glory whereof out Divines do speak out of these Texts Dan. 12. 2. Joh. 14. 2. 1 Cor. 15. 41. I cannot tell but I think I am not far wide in my conjecture These men do make so much of their Faith as if that alone might do all both in Iustification and Sanctification And as by Faith they must lay hold upon Christs Righteousness for justification so to save themselves a labor of working out their salvation by duties of holiness they will by Faith also lay claim to the Holiness of Christ for their sanctification And so the sanctification of a Christian shall be nothing else but the Imputation of Christs Holiness to him not any quality at all infused into him or inherent in him And if so what shall be the meaning of these Texts Be ye holy in all maner of conversation Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Grow in grace Work out your salvation Adde to your Faith vertue to vertue knowledge c. Note that Text I beseech you Saint Peter doth not lay all the load upon Faith Nor so urge it as if it alone might do all No but he would have all vertues and fruits of the Spirit joyned with it These men do quarrel us for pressing good works as if with the Papists we did teach men to seek life and Salvation by their works But I fear their drift is to banish out of the Church all care of Holy duties all care of Repentance and new Obedience Did they press these at all we should the less scruple at the motives though there is no reason why we should cast a way such motives as the Scripture hath appointed for that purpose why should we think our selves wiser herein then God or better acquainted with our own strength then he as if we could walk without that stuff which he hath provided for us But we can not finde them reaching any necessity of these duties at all And for their Disciples we finde some of them casting away all care of duties yea and disputing against them No conscience made of Sanctifying the Lords day in publique No care of family duties in private plain neglect yea opposition of days and times of Easting and Humiliation No necessity of Repentance and sorrow son Sin And certainly where there is so little respect had to the Duties of Piety it may well be doubted there is not overmuch care of Justice and Honesty Now for that other motive of the Law viz. Threatning of danger in case of negligence and disobedience They say Since all do grant that the curse of the Law is abrogated why should Christians be terrified with it Is not this to call them back to the yoke of Bondage Surely no Except they will say that Christ and his Apostles did so we walk in their steps so that either they must acquit us or condemn them See for this that of our Saviour Mat. 5. 25. 29. Mat. 6. 15. and 7. 1. Doth it not appear by these Texts that our Saviour hath renewed the penalty of the Law to make men cautelous and conscientious in their duties Do not the Apostles tread in the same steps Other Arguments I grant are more frequent yet otherwhiles we finde them propounding the danger of Sin See these Texts Rom. 6. 23. 8. 13. 13. 2. 2 Cor. 3 17. 6 9. 9. 16. 11. 29. 2 Cor. 5. 11. Gal. 5. 21. 6. 8. Eph. 5. 6. Col. 3. 8. 1 Thess. 4. 6. James 5. 1. 2 Peter 2. 3. And what shall we say Do the Apostles in these Texts call men back again to the yoke of Bondage Two Reasons are alleaged against the use of those Comminations 1. Christians need them not 2. They need not fear them That they need them not they endeavor to prove by this reason Because say they Believers are of an ingenuous disposition and led by a free Spirit The Spirit of Christ doth sweetly incline the Heart to love God and Man yea by Faith bringing love is man enlarged and prepared to the Duties of the Law Nor need he be tyed and bound to it as a Bear to the stake I answer That what is here said is right if rightly understood Only remember that this is a state of perfection to which the Holy heart aspireth indeed yet hardly attaineth And therefore there is still need of the Law and the Motives thereof to excite and stir up our over-slothful sluggish minds The Spirit of Christ I grant doth execute the office of the Law whether considered as the Rule or the Principle of well doing the Spirit is both Principle and Rule but by reason of that rebellion which is in the flesh there is use of the Law and of the terror thereof the Spirit doth make use of them to shake
else Saint Paul was deceived He saith If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8. 13. and again He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Gal. 6. 8. If you will exempt him from all possibility of sinning and from all possibility of living after the flesh Then I grant he need not fear death and Hell But if such only be true Believers I suppose you must go out of the World to seek for your true Believers Consequently since it cannot justly and truly be said either that Believers need not the threats of the Law or that they need not fear them it is fit that they should hear them and have them pressed upon the conscience The threats I say and therefore much more the precepts and duties of the Moral Law This we teach and thus we practise For by Faith we do not make void the Law nay we do establish it saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 31. Our Faith in Christ doth give us an interest in the Promise of life and salvation But our Conformity to Christ in holiness and the daily growth and increase thereof is that which doth by degrees fit and fashion us for it Well therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthines of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God CHAP. III. A brief Answer to the Arguments of H. D. by him brought to prove Justification before Faith i. e. before the act of Believing Arg. 1. INfants are justified yet do they not believe Rom. 10. 17. therefore some are justified before they believe Answ. This Instance of Infants is not to the point in hand as not in the case of Apostacy and falling from Grace maintained by the Arminians * So neither in this point of Iustification before Faith maintained by the Antinomians For why That Iustification which is in question consisteth in the Remission of actual Transgressions Not so that which Infants receive in their Infancy They are as yet guilty of no more but Original Sin And it is enough for them that the guilt of that is removed of Actual Sin they shall then receive the Remission when they stand in need of it and are fitted for it Objection But whatsoever Infants do receive they receive it without Faith Sol. Hic aqua haeret And Divines do not all agree in expediting themselves Some do not stick to affirm That Infants have Faith I grant it is an hard matter to prove the Negative viz. That Infants have not Faith That Text of Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing is not fully to the purpose If Hearing be restrained to the Ear then all that are born deaf are excluded if extended to any way of acquainting man with the will of God even by the workings of the Spirit who shall exclude Infants As hard a matter it is to prove that Infants have Faith especially if Faith be defined by knowledge perswasion or confidence It is said of Iohn Baptist that he was filled with the holy Ghost This sheweth that Infants are capable of the Spirit but it doth not thereupon follow that they do believe Because though in its actings the Spirit depend not upon the faculties of the soul and their fitness yet doth it not usually prevent them Nor be the actings of Grace ordinarily found but where Age hath added some perfection to the Abilities of Nature All that can be said in this point is this That Infants do receive together with their Iustification the principle of Faith viz. The Spirit of Faith as he is called 2 Cor. 4. 13. This is that which some do call The Seed of Faith or Seminal Faith nor can the term be refused since it is grounded on the phrase of Scripture 1 Pet. 1. 23. and Iohn 3. 9. And so it may be said that Infants have Faith as they have Reason in Actu primo though not in Actu secundo in the seed though not in the flower And this is enough to make them capable of that Iustification which they receive in their infancy consequently though they have it without and before actual Faith yet not before Seminal Faith not before the seed the root the Spirit of Faith 2. Arg. He that is in Christ is Iustified and so Iustified before he do believe Because none can believe before he be in Christ Faith is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Answ. Grant indeed None can believe before he be in Christ though that Text do not prove it yet he may believe so soon as he is in Christ and full as soon for time as he is Iustified and for order before he be Iustified for understanding whereof know That in the first moment of our Vnion with Christ the Soul hath a Communion of all that floweth from Christ both for Grace and Glory But how In the vertue and power of a Root and Seed from this Union floweth both Grace to enable the soul to do good actions and also Glory to crown and reward each good act that is wrought but each in his own order Ex. gr. The plant engrafted into the stock receiveth from it both sap and fruit Or thus from the vertue of life in the soul doth proceed a power both of Feeding and of Growing not both of them in the same maner for Feeding cometh as an Act Growing as an Effect yea an Effect of this Act so is it here To Believe and To be Justified come from our Union with Christ as indeed all that we have and all that we hope for is from him and without him we can do nothing And in that Union are they folded up as in the root and seed But still to be considered in their natural order in which one is the cause of the other and therefore to be considered in order of Nature before the other what say we that Glorification no less then Iustification doth flow from that Union will you then say that he that is in Christ is glorified yea glorified before he do believe Surely no As none is glorified before he be Iustified so neither is he justified before he be called Rom. 8. 30. In which call if Faith be not included it will not be effectual Thus every thing trust be considered in its own order All these Grace and Glory Faith and the Fruits thereof are rolled up as in a Root and bestowed upon us in our first Union but the explicite production and application of each to the Christian soul is in a just order 3. and 4. Arg. All the Elect of God are Iustified before God for why They cannot be charged with any thing Rom. 8. 33. Their Sins are taken away Isa. 53. 6. Ioh. 1. 29. 1. Pet. 2. 24. And this before they believe For some of them do not yet believe Answer All the Elect of God even they that yet have no being in the World yet when they are look't upon as justified
though it be in a person not appointed to love though this his purpose change not yet will he suspend all the effects of hatred yea and with much tenderness of affection put forth the effects of love to this party till he doth wilfully let fall his care of goodness and take up a Resolution of evil yea and that incorrigibly 3. The love of God to the Creature in respect of the effects thereof is not unfitly distinguished into the love of Benevolency and the love of Complacency the former consisting in well wishing or pittying the Creature is absolute and free The other drawing with it delight in or friendship with the Creature is respective and hath an eye to the good behavior of the Creature see both these expressed in that Parable of the wretched Infant Ezek. 16. 6. an emblem and fit resemblance as thereof the Church of Israel so generally of the Elect of God For first God doth cast an eye of pitty upon them in their wretched condition and saith unto them Live His word is operative and did them good as is intimated verse 7. then afterward when his grace hath wrought in them and fashioned them into a comely beauty he doth again pass by them and behold them and lo it is the time of love whereupon he doth enter into a League and Covenant of friendship so that now the soul of every one of them may say as the Spouse in the Canticles I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine Gods delight is in them and theirs in God These things well understood will easily shew the Inconsequence of the Argument for the Elect may be loved in the purpose of God and yet not actually justified nor God enter into a Covenant of love till by the work of his grace they be fitted for the time of love Again whiles they are workers of iniquity and unconverted to God their sins may be hated and the effects of love suspended notwithstanding the eternal purpose of God No variableness in God because it is his purpose not to entertain them into the effects and fruits of his love and delight till they be converted and fitted for it by the actings of the spirit of grate moving and working in them To close up the point let us to prevent erroneous misconceits which spring from the Confounding of things that dâ—ffer let us I say take notice of this distinction A man may be said to be justified either Intentionally or Virtually or Actually either in God or in Christ or in Himself 1. Intentionally in God i. e. in Gods purpose and decree this is from all eternity But this decree and intention doth not put any thing into a state of actual being but in the fulness of time nor doth it exclude nay it doth include and presuppose Faith in the person justified for though election be of the persons yet Iustification Glorification are of the persons so and so qualified 2. Virtually in Christ may a man be said to be justified And this is from the Day of Christs passion and in the vertue of his satisfaction yet this intendeth no more but this that satisfaction is made and Remission purchased by the blood of Christ Neither doth this exclude the consideration of Faith nay it doth call for it that so there may be an actual Application of the price and purchase We know that in a purchase beside the payment of the price there must be Livery and Seisin given before a man be in actual possession of what is purchased so here there must be application of the Righteousnes of Christ as well as the Effusion of his Blood and this is received by Faith 3. Actually in himself is man said to be justified when he hath the possession of it But this Actual Iustification hath It's degrees of progression The beginning thereof is laid in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ The Consummation of it is not till the Judge at the latter day hath solemnly pronounced the sentence of final absolution so set us in full possession of entire remission Between both these there is a progressive work of Iustification by the constant actings of the Spirit applying the Blood of Christ by the hand of Faith to the quiet and comfort of the soul The first you may term Initial justification the latter perfective and this between I would call progressive it is the fruit of the first and the preludial assurance of the latter This is wrought and sealed in the second Sacrament as the former is in the first Sacrament and both these branches of Sacramental justification are to us the pre-assurance of that Complemental and perfective justification The sentence whereof putteth an end to all fears changing our faith and hope into fruition and ful possession even the first of these acts is not transacted without the seed and spirit of Faith much less the successive agitations and progress of the work Thus every way Faith is considered as equal with yea as foregoing the work of Iustification CHAP. IV. That justification is not transacted all at once nor any pre-remission of sin before it be committed BY his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many saith God by the Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. Shall justifie is a verb of the future tense the work then at that time was not done the Question is when was it to be done In the day of his passion say some then did he bear the sins of many and take away the sin of the world so that from that time and forward to the end of the world there is no more imputation of sin to any of the elect It hath been commonly said even by some of our best Divines that justification is transacted in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ at which time it is conceived that the pardon of all sin is sealed consequently that it is to us an act already passed Nor can we say He shall but he hath justified But I fear that the mis-understanding of this point not untrue in it self if not mistaken and mis-apprehended hath laid the ground upon which the Antinomian buildeth that unhappy structure which turneth the Grace of God into wantonness Who knoweth not that justification in it's proper acceptation of the word according to the Scripture phrase is the act of a Iudge pronouncing a judicial sentence and according to this I suppose we shall not erre from the truth if we say that the main work of Justification is even to us as yet future and that the time when Christ shal justifie those many in the Text of Isaiah is when he shall condemn the Residue viz. at his sâ—â—ond coming when he shall separate the sheep from the Goats then shall he justifie them and at once absolve them from all accusations and charges laid in against them then shall they receive a final quietus and discharge then shall God wipe all tears from their eyes then shal there be no
more sorrow nor crying no more curse nor fear therof according to the words of the Angel Rev. 21. 4. 22. 3. There is I grant a praejudicium in foro conscientiae a preludial Justification in the Court of Conscience which is a pregustation and foretaste of that final Absolution In the Court of Conscience doth Christ set up his Tribunal there doth he take notice of the Accusations that are put in by Satan against the sinner upon particular occasions and by the power and operation of the spirit working in the Conscience doth he upon the humble confession of the penitent soul pronounce the sentence of absolution by the Ministery of the Word and seal it by the blessed Sacrament and what is now done daily upon emergent occasions shall be ratified at the latter day according to that gracious promise of Christ made to Peter when he gave him the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven And the same in effect repeated to the Apostles Joh. 20. 23. Thus in present by the Ministery of Reconciliation there is a work of Iustification in the Court of Conscience But the final consummation is reserved to that day when Christ the Iudge proceeding judicially shal pronounce the sentence of absolution The main work of Iustification therefore is as yet future for to say that justification quatenus it comprehendeth remission of sin is one individual act or that the blood of Christ doth at once wash us from all even future sins in the Antinomian sense I dare not yield It is the blood of Christ and that alone which doth cleanse us from all sin so is it the word and spirit of Christ that leadeth us into all truth yet not all at once Truth it is that in our first union with Christ there is conferred the ground and pledge of future remission for all sins to the end of our lives the Ground of it is our Adoption sealed to us in our Baptism the which is not afterward cut off no not by the greatest sins which the believer doth commit still he is the childe of God though in respect of his sin he may be the childe of Wrath and lyable to punishment still he hath an interest in Christ and upon his repentance he shall have benefit and communion with him in his Merits and Graces The Pledge and pawn of future Remission i. e. of the Remission and Forgiveness of all future sins is that actual Remission of what sin for the present the soul stood guilty of at that time when he was United to Christ All sins past and present were actually pardoned viz. Actual sins in Converts Original in their Insants the guilt of these is remitted and their justification in reference to these sealed in Baptism This favor received is a Pledge of assurance to them that in future also by applying themselves to Christ they may and shall receive the forgiveness of their daily sins He that by the application of a salve hath his wound cured hath he not therein a Pledge of assurance that in the use of the same means upon the like occasion he may receive the same benefit But to say That in our first Union with Christ we receive an actual Remission of future sins is in mine Opinion as incongruous as to say The Cure is done and past before the wound be made I grant That it hath been received and passed for currant in the schools of our Divines That all sins are remitted to the Believer at once all viz. past present and to come so hath it been received That justifying Faith is a particular perswasion of Gods mercy to me But as Amesius hath well observed in Medulla Theol. lib. 1. cap. 27. That this was set down only to oppose that general assent to the Articles of our Creed in which Papists do place the essence of justifying faith And therefore though he granteth that Fides justificans parit hanc specialem fiduciam c. yet he defineth it to be Qua recumbimus in Christum ad Remissionem so I suppose that our Divines did set down this position of Iustification transacted at once to cut off the Popish ground for the Sacrament of Penance not foreseeing what we by experience finde how unhappy a ground is herein laid for loosness and Libertinism Hereupon Amesius ibidem coming to set down his Opinion of the matter doth mince it Remittuntur peccata justificatorum non praeterita solum sed etiam aliquo modo futura Note that aliquo modo Now to explain himself he addeth Hoc tamen est discriminis quod peccata praeterita per formalem applicationem Remissionis nobis in Christo paratae futura autem virtualiter tantum Praeterita in sese Futura in subjecto vel persona peccante The which is in effect to say Non remittuntur nisi in pignore The actual Remission of sins past is the Pledge and Pawn of what shall be upon the use and exercise of Faith But to conceive sin remitted as it were by an Ante-dated pardon is not only against sense and reason but also against the grounds of Religion Sense and reason saith there is no need of Remission before there be a guilt nor is there guilt before the sin be committed no need of a Plaister before there be a wound prepared aforehand it may be and laid ready but application of it must needs come in after the malady Then for the ground of Religion 1. In the fifth Petition we are taught to pray for the pardon of sin Now prayer is an act of Faith and hope and both these are de futuris of things expected and not in present possession Faith looketh upon the Promise hope upon the performance neither of them upon the possession No man prayeth for what he hath in hand or for what is compleatly done and past already I know what is usually said viz. That not the pardon it self but the assurance the feeling and comfort of it is that which is desired in the Petition Nor do I deny but that in respect of sins past and formerly pardoned this is so We play for greater assurance of that pardon because our Faith is like a narrow-mouthed Bottle which though cast into the sea yet is not filled but by degrees Or rather we pray for the continuance of assurance we have received not as if God were off and on with us or would revoke what he had given But because this daily Petition is a mean appointed of God to work that continuance and no sooner do we cease to pray and take off our eye from God in Christ but we cease to believe and receive that continuance Thus I say it is in respect of sins past but now for the sins that daily are committed it is the direct pardon of them which we desire of God in that Petition Nor can the words receive any other sense except we should wrest them
and so wrong the Wisdom of our Saviour as if he could not make choice of such words phrases as might plainly and understandingly express his meaning And if these words Forgive us do signifie Make us to know that thou hast long since forgiven us then why shall not the next words As we forgive receive the same interpretation Nay why not so also in the other Petitions Lead us not into Tentation Give us our daily Bread i. e. in the Antinomian sense Make us to know that thou hast not lead us that thou hast given us our daily Bread Will not this be found a sensless gloss nay an utter perverting of our Saviours intention And why then should it hold only in the fifth Petition and in none of the other 2. Adde this That one end of our daily address to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to obtain the Remission of our sins by the application of Christs blood The words of our Saviour touching the Wine are these This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you and for many for the Remission of sins That in it as we have often need by reason of our daily Transgressions so we may often look upon that Brasen serpent for the cure of our often bitings Thus what we ask of God in prayer the same in the Sacrament doth God bestow upon us viz. The daily pardon of our daily sins Were it not in this respect needful to provide for our wants was the pardon of all actual sins at once sealed in this Sacrament as is the pardon of our Original guilt sealed in Baptism what necessity to receive this Sacrament any oftner then we do the other sc. once for all 3. And above all it is a ground of Religion that nothing is to be received and believed but what is Revealed to us for a truth by the Word of God Now there is no ground in the Word of God for any particular person to believe that his sins are remitted already before he do repent and believe in Christ The Word of God sets down what counsel hath been given to men that they might obtain Remission Act. 2. 38. and 3. 19. But no where doth the Scripture say to this or that man Thy sins be forgiven And for any man to perswade himself of Remission before it be yea before he hath a word for it is presumption and not saith The Antinomian Doctors say That the Spirit of God doth reveal it in the heart of a man and the Voice of the Spirit is the Testimony of truth In very deed we may not refuse the Testimony of the Spirit nor question the truth of it But in as much as we know that Satan doth somtimes transform himself into an Angel of Light and that there be many false Spirits in which respect the Apostles bids us to try the Spirits nor doth Satan seduce only by the Doctrines of men but also by false suggestions whispering to the sinner comfort upon false grounds How shall we discern the Testimony of the Spirit from the suggestion of Satan They Answer Hereby it is discerned Because it speaketh things consonant to the Scripture Let this be manifested and the question is at an end But where doth the Scripture countenance that Voice of the Spirit speaking to the sinner and saying Thou art justified in the sight of God and thy sin pardoned and that long ago in the day of Christs Passion How I say is this proved to be according to the Scriptures They say The Scripture holdeth forth the Free Grace of God in Christ viz. That Christ is given a Saviour for sinners for Enemies for the Rebellious That God doth justifie the Wicked and the ungodly even when and while they are such That he calleth for no works of mans Righteousness nor any previous dispositions to qualifie men that may come to Christ So that neither Impiety nor Enmity can cast in any bar to hinder him that will lay hold upon Christ This we do not much question but withall we adde That the Scripture doth also call upon sinners to Repent and turn to the Lord that so they may be pardoned and their sins bloted out and in as much as we know that one Text of Scripture is no less truth then another nor may we so cleave to the one as to neglect the other for they are not contradictory if rightly understood we conclude that Christ is held forth a Saviour to sinners but so that they repent and forsake their sins not else no sin not the greatness of any sin no nor the multitude of great Transgressions can bar the humble Penitent Saint Iohn saith If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us 1 Iob. 1. 7. Note that If q. d. If not then there is no ground to hope for it Again we say That God doth justifie the ungodly as Christ doth save sinners in sensu diviso i. e. Not while they are ungodly not while they are sinners but when they have forsaken their wicked ways have turned to the Lord by true and sound repentance That text of Rom. 4. 5. speaking of him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly must not be understood simply of such a one that doth nothing at all but respectively of such a one as doth not rest upon his works nor rely upon his Righteousness but renouncing his own works doth cast himself upon the Free Grace of God nor doth it use that word ungodly in the common sense sâ— for one that hath no goodness in him at all but in a limited sense viz for one that wanteth such a perfection of goodness as on which he may build the hopes of his justification And the reason of this explication is because the proposition is drawn from the instance of Abraham a man certainly not altogether void of works and Righteousness though not so complete and perfect in them as that he durst rest upon them but renouncing his works he did cast himself upon the Free grace of God and so was justified by his Faith Consequently that voice of Revelation in man which teacheth him to comfort himself in the assurance of his justification without any respect to the work of Repentance wrought in him this is not the voice of Gods spirit but the delusion of Satan There is no word of God on which to ground such an assurance and therefore it may not be received nor believed for truth it being a ground of our Religion That nothing is to be received but what is revealed by the word of God I might adde this also Nothing is to be received as a truth which is cross and contrary to the Text of Scripture Now that sins should be actually pre-remitted before-hand and the person actually justified before that by Faith he be United to Christ how doth it not cross that Text of Saint Paul Rom. 3. 25. where speaking of the Remission of sin
so yet so intricate is this way of Examination that a Christian shall finde himself much puzzled in it Why so Because hard it is to know both what it is to love and who is a Brother And till these be known how can we try our selves by the Sign Sol. Grant it to be hard yet if not impossible we know that difficulty doth not take off but stirreth up diligence What it is to love we may learn from 1 Cor. 13. 5. and 1 Job 3. 16 17. And who is a brother from Gal. 6. 10. Quest But who can truly say I love the Brethren if those be acts effects and properties of love Who can approve himself to have loved in all those particulars Ans. Even he that hath received the Spirit of God for Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit And though peradventure he hath not attaind to that perfection of love which another hath himself desires yet is he not therfore excluded from the truth therof Quest But who can know that this or that man is a Brother Doth not this Brotherhood confist in being united unto Christ Doth any man know this but God alone Ans. Is not this in effect to tell the Apostle he speaks absurdly and sets down a mark of knowing which cannot be known For when the Apostle saith We know Because we love Doth he not pre-suppose that it may be known We love the Brethren both in respect of the Act and Object i. e. both what it is to love and who are the brethren But admit that I cannot infallibly discern who is and who is not a Brother yet may I discern the ground of my love to him viz. because I conceive him to be a Brother I love him under that notion Object So do Papists and Sectaries these love their own and under the notion of Brethren Sol. It may be so but what then Is this therefore no sign or mark of our spiritual condition which St. John hath set down But indeed neither Papists nor Sectaries do love under this notion in St. Johns meaning if their love be confined to Papists and Sectaries He loveth a man under the right notion of a Brother who doth love him eo nomine because there is Aliquid Christi in him because he is of the Houshold of Faith a believer in Christ But if in case of a Brothers necessity yet there be no fruit of love to be seen except also there be in him Aliquid nostri viz. That he be of our Sect and Opinion If all Christianity be confined within the narrow compass of this or that Opinion surely this is not to love the Brethren Let all Sectaries look to it and the Antinomians by name who pretend to be the only Brethren because they only sit down by the free grace of God and rest themselves upon the promises of the Gospel though they see themselves full of sin Let them I say look to it for if their Charity will not extend it self to relieve the necessities and bear with the infirmities of those other whom they accuse to run after Moses and the Law for their peace and satisfaction of Spirit in as much as they cannot but know that if we do erre it is through mis-understanding of the Scripture according to which we desire to frame all our faith and practises certainly they cannot approve themselves to love the Brethren you will say this may easily be retorted Nor will I deny the justness thereof should I suffer the difference of Opinion so far to draw off mine affection from any that professeth Christ as in the case of his necessity to neglect him to reckon him no better then a Turk I should doubt whether the Spirit of Christ dwelled in me or not Is he a man that would not succor a man though a Heathen or Turk against a Lyon or a Bear And is he a Christian that will not succor a Christian though perhaps a Papist or a Sectary against a Turk Is not the Text of St Paul plain Do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith And why to them especially But because they embrace the Gospel and so profess themselves the subjects and servants of Christ Truth it is that among them there is some difference also by a different measure of the Spirit And as each is before other in it so the especially falls upon him We say that God himself is the first and chief Beloved other things are loved for Gods sake viz. All the Creatures but especially Man because there is in him more of God then in the rest All men but especially Christians Because they profess subjection to Christ All Christians but especially them in whom the work of the Spirit is most eminent This it is to love the Brethren But now if beyond all this there must be Aliquid nostri in them some special Relation to us or else no love extended to them This is not to love the Brethren Of such St. Iohn addeth He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death The second Proposition That the new way of evidencing our Adoption and Iustification only by the Spirit and Faith cannot lay the Ground of a firm setled Peace except the work of the Sanctifying Spirit also do come in to give Testimony For the manifestation of which I shall shew 1. What is delivered touching each 2. Wherein I conceive it to fail of the Truth First Touching the Spirit It is termed The Revealing evidence which speaks to a mans own Spirit saying Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven Christ administred this Comfort only in general But the Spirit cometh home to every man in particular Whence he is called The Comforter because he so speaks to the Soul that the Judge is also satisfied And when men do fear My sin is not pardoned The Spirit speaks to the Soul and saith They are pardoned Till this be revealed all the World shall never satisfie the Soul all signs and marks are meer riddles The Spirit of Adoption teacheth as to cry Abba Father The Spirit it self i. e. the immediate voice of the Spirit without any instrument what God hath determined of this or that man is not set down in the scripture But it is revealed by the Spirit Hence the Spirit is the seal and the earnest To this effect the Antinomian Doctor And hereupon he expostulateth Why do men scorn and cry out of them that teach and profess this as of Enthusiasts men that have Revelations Is not saith he the Spirit of God the Spirit of Revelation Is he not given to reveal these things And to confess the truth In all this I see not what can be denyed or much doubted of though all his proofs are not convincing that one Text of Rom. 8. 16. doth speak home to the point That the Spirit of God is the Revealing evidence The voice of the Spirit is the chief though not the only Testimony of our Adoption But all the
failing is when he cometh to answer that Question How shall I know that this is the voice of the Spirit A needful Question Because Satan may and doth transform himself into an Angel of light and deceive the soul This is saith he the usual way of men if the Word did bear witness to this particular voice of the Spirit in me then I could be satisfied But if the Word do not bear witness to this voice of the Spirit I dare not trust it The usual way Nay is it not the only way In the Old Testament thus it was all Revelations were to be examined by the written word Deut. 13. 1. Isa. 8. 20. And is it not so also in the New-Testament See that Text of our Savior Ioh. 16. 13. He that is the Spirit shall lead you into all Truth How so For saith Christ He shall not speak of himself but what he shall hear that shall he speak And what is that which the Spirit heareth Is it not that which is already contained in the scriptures So then no Revelation of any Doctrine no nor the Application of it which is not consonant to the Scripture is to be thought to proceed from the spirit but whatsoever is pretended to be revealed by the Spirit doth so far forth call for Faith as is agreeable to the Scriptures Well not to quarrel needlesly nor to be too strict in terms he doth alow it for a truth The Spirit of the Lord never speaks to the heart of a Believer but he always speaks according to the Word of grace revealed But then he addeth two limitations which spoil all 1. That by the Word we must not understand the Law but the Gospel And this I conceive is put to choke them who seek for signs and marks of Inherent Qualifications 2. That you must not make the credit of this voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word i. e. to receive credit from it And why not Because saith he if you say that the Word is of greater credit then the Spirit wanteth something in it self of credit as if a man were trusted for a sureties sake But this saith he must not be alowed God never intended that any thing should be of such credit as to give credit to the Spirit The issue of all returns to this That the Testimony of the Spirit is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} self-sufficient as the principles of Arts and Sciences which are indemonstrable and must be received as altogether unquestionable and the meaning thereof is this If any urge how shall I be satisfied that this voice thus speaking is the voice of Gods Spirit his Answer is It is so because it is so Or thus I know it because the Spirit saith it So unwilling are these men that the Revelations and Illuminations on which they build their comforts should be searched into too far Object Nay you will say his meaning is I know it because the Spirit speaketh according to the Word Sol. If so Then he must recant what he said That it doth not depend upon the Word And well he may For howsoever the Truth of what the Spirit speaketh doth not depend upon the Word yet the credit of it doth The Scripture is already known and received as the Word of God And what cometh after it must borrow credit from it St. Peter speaking of the voice which they heard in the Mount saith yet We have a more sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. How more sure But because it was already received as the undoubted Word of God And so to them and in their Apprehension it was a more sure Word But to draw nearer to the point Doth this voice of the Spirit saying to an ungodly man Thy sins are forgiven doth it speak according to the Scripture True indeed the Scripture saith God justifieth the ungodly God hath reconciled the World unto himself But is it therefore alowed for any one to say I am an ungodly man I am one of the World therefore I am justified I am reconciled Is there then any Universal Reconciliation and Justification taught in the Text of Scripture I mean any such Reconciliation that is absolute and irrespective That Reconciliation is so far wrought by Christ indefinitely for the World of mankinde that whosoever will come in and lay hold upon Christ by Faith shall not perish this is revealed None other do I know or acknowledge Is it not rather taught us in the Scripture That before there can be any conclusion of comfort to the soul by the particular Application of the Gospel Promises any I mean more then this conditional If I will come in also I may as well as others there must come in the work of the sanctifying spirit purifying the soul and conscience and working in it those inherent Qualifications to which the Promise is made and upon which dependeth the conclusion of that practical syllogism which bringeth comfort The Text of Scripture saith They that Repent and Believe They that are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Then that renewed and sanctified conscience saith I do Repent and Believe I am lead by the Spirit therefore And so this conclusion thus deduced if the immediate Testimony of the Spirit manifested by an Heavenly impression and irradiation upon the soul if it come in with his attestation to confirm it we may not doubt of the truth thereof because now indeed it speaketh according to the Word and doth confirm that particular conclusion which was comprehended in the general Text of Scripture For where the Text of Scripture hath not a Quicunque for the Proposition there the Testimony of the Spirit that concludes for hic ille doth not speak according to the Word Object You will say to me there is a Quicunque in that of Isa. 55. 1. and Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will and our Saviour Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Sol. I grant it No doubt but the Gospel doth hold out Christ to all none exempted Jew nor Gentile But how As a Physitian to cure them not as an Husband to receive them into union with him Or if you will as a Husband to take them into the Bed of love But not till he hath purged them and fitted them for his Bed is it not for this that the Scripture doth call upon sinners to wash and cleanse their hands and hearts Isa. 1. 15. Jam. 4. 8. To separate from the Wicked 2 Cor. 6. 17. with infinite other Texts of Scripture all of them calling upon us to labor for the work of the Spirit upon the soul that so we may finde the fruits of union and communion with Christ and by that work of the Spirit felt in the heart we way be assured that the word of the Spirit speaking comfort to the soul and assuring the conscience of pardon is the word of truth and worthy of belief For as when
God set down the Text of Scripture and revealed the same to the Church of God he confirmed it by his works from Heaven by Miracles which did convince the world that it must needs be the Word of God which was accompanied with such mighty and miraculous operations so when God will by the Spirit speak to the soul the Application of a Text for comfort he doth make way for the credit of it by the work of the Spirit the work of grace upon the soul If not believe it not the spirit of truth is a spirit of holiness There is no truth in that word which speaks comfort to that heart in which is not wrought the work of Holiness Consequently Thy sins are forgiven in the heart of a Drunkard Swearer Whoremonger is not the voice of the Spirit The work and the word of the Spirit go together Nay so evident is this that the Doctor having sought to establish this Revelation of the Spirit as a principle that may not be disputed and that cannot be demonstrated doth yet in the close come in with this Yet something more for the Spirit doth give men to credit what he speaketh His meaning I conceive to be That by this work of the Spirit by which mans heart is framed to receive the Testimony of the Spirit and to believe it by it doth it appear that it is the Spirit of God which witnesseth their Adoption so then it is the voice of the Spirit that saith Thy sins are forgiven and it is evidenced to be the voice of the Spirit because he frameth the heart to believe it It cannot be denied but that it is the Spirit that giveth Faith to believe it nor is it doubted but that if this perswasion do come from the Spirit it doth afford comfort but still the question is Whether this be the work of the Spirit or not of the other viz. The work of sanctification there is no doubt which if it do not accompany that work of perswasion I much doubt whether it be not an over bold presumption 2. Touching Faith This is delivered by the same Author 1. That the Scripture doth authorize Faith to give full evidence concerning Interest in Christ 2. That this evidence of Faith is not Revealing but a Receiving evidence viz. As it taketh possession of what the Spirit Revealeth and doth rest upon it This Faith saith he brings with it unquestionable evidence full assurance and what needs a man look farther The spirit within thee saith Thy sin is forgiven Faith receiveth it and sits down satisfied here is thine evidence saith he and thou hast thy portion For why the Text of Saint John saith He that believeth hath the witness in himself q. d. He hath as much as can be desired when he hath believing in himself And he that believeth not hath made God a lyar q. d. If when God hath spoken man will not sit down with Gods bare Word but seek for signs and marks drawn from his own works this man hath made God a lyar The sum of all returns to this That this act of Faith receiving the Testimony of the spirit that is when the soul doth rest in it without any farther doubting that this I say is the evidence of our Adoption and Justification so then ask him how do you know that sin is pardoned His Answer is because I believe it and rest satisfied in this perswasion And is not this I pray you a very satisfying evidence It is so because I believe it is so In this way what prophane person is there in the world who may not conclude for himself if he will but force upon himself this perswasion Object Nay but it is not meant but of a perswasion which the Spirit hath wrought in the Heart If God saith he hath given thee to believe it this is thy evidence Sol. Yea but how shall I know whether God hath given me this perswasion or that Satan hath suggested it into my Heart Doth the Spirit of God take a man out of the Dunghil of filthiness and instantly without any work of washing and cleansing speak to him that word of comfort pronounce him pardoned and work in him the full preswasion of it or if he do speedily and as it were suddenly work him to this ful perswasion Doth he not at the same instant work a change upon his will and affections by which that light that is set up in the understanding may be discerned to proceed from the Spirit of God Surely thus we have learned Christ and thus we teach The Spirit of God doth work upon the whole soul and all the faculties at once and equally Understanding and Will Conscience and Affections Nor is there mroe light of saving knowledge in the one then there is heat of holines in the other That Faith which doth not purifie the heart and cleanse the conscience is not a saving Faith such a perswasion of pardon is but a presumption that of S. Iames remaineth an everlasting Truth Faith without works is dead Object That Faith saith he is not dead where the whole essence of Faith is Sol. True but wherein consisteth that essence of Faith This is nothing but the eccho of the Heart saith he to this voice of the Spirit Grant Faith to be the eccho of the Heart to the voice of the Spirit though this indeed be but one act of Faith yet by the voice of the Spirit we understand not that suggestion of Remittuntur but the whole Text of Scripture comprehending Precepts Promises Threatnings in all which there is indeed an eccho of the Heart by Faith Psal. 27. 8. But in this the Antinomian is farther off then the Papist The essence of Iustifying Faith doth neither consist in this eccho to the Text of Scripture nor in that eccho to that word of Revelation but in an act that cometh in between them ex gr. The Text of Scripture saith He that believeth shall be saved Is man justified by believing this for a truth or rather by doing that duty which the word Believeth doth intimate viz. The act of confidence and affiance in Christ Again the Spirit saith Thy sins are forgiven Is man justified because the believeth this word Surely no He must have it before the word that saith so be a word of Truth So then the first eccho goeth before the other doth follow after The right act of justifying Faith whence it is so named is that intermediate act of confidence and affiance Understand me to speak of these acts of Faith as first second third in the order of Nature not in the distance of time In the order of Nature justification doth not go before Faith but follow upon it Nor is man justisted because he doth perswade himself that so it is To wade no farther in this Argument By this I suppose it is evident That the new way of evidencing by the word of the Spirit and the subscription of Faith cannot lay the Ground of
perfect peace except there come in also the evidence of inherent Qualifications The voice of Pardon is not the voice of the spirit except when it speaks to a Heart prepared and fitted for it Then only is it true when it falls upon a Penitent soul a Repenting sinner otherwise it is the suggestion of Satan Again the subscription of Faith is then a ground of comfort when it is accompanied with such inherent Qualifications as do certainly proclaim the work of the sanctifying spirit in the Heart otherwise it is but Presumption and rash Boldness The ground of all this is in the nature of this Testimony of the spirit It is not denied But that the testimony of the Spirit is the chief and principal assurance of our Adoption that without it the soul is not finally rid of fears that when it cometh it taketh away all fears and doubts But this is that which we are to nore that this is rather an Attestation then a Testimony a secondary not the first deponent is not this rightly concluded from that of Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit where we have two witnesses joyning together their Testimonies to assert this truth That we are the Sons of God Two I say viz. Our spirit and the spirit of God the witness of our spirit i. e. of our conscience is the first The spirit of God is the second His work is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to witness together with our Spirit i. e. To confirm and ratifie what that hath asserted So that indeed the evidencing of this Testimony of the spirit is from the Testimony of our own conscience If this do not first speak and conclude that other of the spirit speaks not at all Now the Testimony of the conscience is the conclusion of that practical Syllogism and the certainty of this conclusion depends upon the verity of the Assumption which mentioneth the work of grace in the Heart So then let it be the care of the Christian to make good the verity of the Assumption that he may truly say I do repent I am led by the spirit I do believe and rest upon Christ c. This shall not only afford him comfort by the conclusion but also assure him that he is not mis-led by the suggestion of Satan but guided by the spirit to rest upon that Testimony of his Adoption and Justification CHAP. VI Touching sin in the Conscience of the Believer The Doctrine of the Antinomians in this Point examined and found insufficient to satisfie the Conscience The right way of satisfying the Conscience and of taking away the scruple of sin set down THe Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. having set down this That Christ shall Iustifie many addeth this as a reason For he shall bear their iniquities A phrase borrowed from the Levitical Priesthood in which the sacrificed Beast did bear the iniquity of the party that brought it his confession was that he had deserved death by his sin yet now casting himself upon the mercy of God he desired that the guilt of his sin might be transferred and laid upon that sacrifice and by the Blood of it he might finde Atonement So then the meaning of that saying of the Prophet is That Christ shall as a sacrifice of expiation take upon him punishment due to the sin of many Thus by bearing the punishment doth he take away the sin of his people This doth not please some the Antinomian Doctors by name The word iniquities is found in the 6. Verse of the Chapter And upon that Text one of them Dr. Crisp doth contend much for this That not onely the punishment of sin but the iniquity it self was laid upon Christ Not the guilt only but the fault it self His reason is Because otherwise it had been injustice in God to bruise hiâ— I should not much stick either at the Doctrine or the Reason but that I finde that the end of this for which they contend is not found viz. To shew the reason why it is said in Jer. 50. 20. That the iniquity of Iacob the Elect of God is sought for but cannot be found viz. Because God hath conveyed their iniquities away from the sinner and laid them upon the Back of Christ the which he seeketh to illustrate by him that to help a theef and deliver him from the danger of the Hue and Cry conveyeth away out of the thiefs house the stoln goods so that they are not found upon him It is not we see for nothing that these men depart from the received expressions of other Divines Iunius reads that sixth Verse thus Facit ut incurrat pena The punishment of us all met upon him answerable to Verse 5. The chastisement of our peace was laid upon him The Genevenses note is The punishment of our iniquitie and not the fault it self And Deodate saith Not the transgression nor the fault but the Bond by which we were lyable to Gods Iustice and the punishment of it Christ being our surety Amesius saith That the Imputation of our sin could agree to Christ in none other sense then this that he should undergo the punishment due to our sins See his Medulla Theol. Par. 1. cap. 6. But to let this pass Upon this truth and text That God hath laid upon Christ the iniquity of us all and that accordingly Christ hath born our iniquities A question is moved How then cometh it to pass that sin doth still trouble and terrifie the Conscience of many To this Question the Antinomians do Answer That many do trouble themselves needlesly that there is indeed no sin in the Conscience of the Believer but that men do put it in and so vex themselves without cause One of their Doctors out of that Text of Isa. 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all hath delivered these Doctrines 1. That it is iniquity it self and not barely the punishment that is laid upon Christ 2. This iniquity of ours is really transacted and laid upon him truely and not only by so thinking 3. The laying of iniquity upon Christ is the Lords own act it is his prerogative alone to do it 4. This act is not now to be done but it is done already 5. This grace of laying iniquity upon Christ is appliable by forgiveness of sin to persons before the least measure of Sanctification Points of Doctrine in which we cannot readily suspect any iniquity at least they might pass with a favorable interpretation But by the conclusions thence deduced we cannot but see that there is a snake in the grass Hence he inferreth 1. That the reason why believers walk in bitterness of Spirit is because they imagine sin in the Conscience whereas indeed believers have no sin at all wasting their Conscience or lying as a burthen upon them 2. That our own performances faith and repentance have no hand at all in laying sin upon
Christ Nor is there any other end of our Faith save onely to manifest what is done long ago by God and Christ 3. That we may save all our care and fear for the work is done to our hand yea to think that we must take pains to get pardon is a deceitful Imagination 4. That our Righteousness may hinder our closing with Christ so may our sinfulness c. Not much unlike is the dealing of another of the same Society Who having set these two truths 1. That Christ hath taken away sin out of the sight of God by a sacrifice the effect whereof is Atonement and Peace 2. That he hath taken sin also out of the Conscience that so we might have the answer of a good Conscience and this is the effect of our Faith Act. 15. 9. Hence he draweth this conclusion That it is in effect the Doctrine of Antichrist the Man of sin whose design is to set up again what Christ hath destroyed To perswade any that sin is not taken away out of Gods sight or out of the Conscience till the work of Baptism and of Repentance To say That Baptism taketh away sin out of the Conscience Or that Repentance washeth away sin That no forgiveness of sin with God before Repentance Nay he closeth up the discourse with this speech Doth any declare Repentance to be a mean to obtain Remission It is a footstep of Antichrist These inserences being so dissonant from the truth give us cause to suspect the grounds on which they are builded and upon Examination we finde that the Explication of the Points delivered is not sound Touching the first man Who from that text God hath laid on him grounded those Points aforementioned viz. That God hath laid upon Christ all the sins of the Elect and that therefore men do needlesly trouble themselves by putting them again into the Conscience And that they should rest upon this assured ground that all their sins are so done away that there is no need of Repentance and Humiliation for them This man I say either did not throughly look into the text to finde out the true meaning of that phrase or else did willingly neglect it as not fit for his purpose For I desire it may be seriously considered whether that phrase The Lord hath laid upon him doth intend any more then what St. Paul hath expressed in that verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 3. 25. God hath set him forth or pre-ordained him to be a propitiation in which respect it is that he is called The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World i. e. The Lamb the sacrifice of Expiation which God hath appointed for that end And so the words of the Prophet do give us this as the intention of God that though we every one of us have gone astray and so incurred the just wrath and displeasure of God yet doth not God lay the punishment of our transgression upon our own persons but hath appointed him the Lord Christ to bear the punishment and satisfie the Iustice of God so that we do make the fault and he doth bear the blame But now as touching the mean and maner how the fruit of this sacrifice shall redound to us whether absolutely without any intervenient act of man or conditionally in and upon mans recourse to Christ this is not determined in that text but to be fought elswhere Consequently to that which he urgeth That it is Gods own act to lay iniquity upon Christ and that it is done long since We may Reply This is little to the point the Pre-ordination of Christ in this office is Gods own act man hath no hand in it No nor in the purchase of pardon that is Christs own act Both these are done long since yet this hinders not but that in the Application of it to man which cannot be till man have a being it hinders not I say but that man may have his Act as indeed he hath The which is evident by that Analogy which holdeth betwixt the Type and the Truth the sins of the people were not laid upon the Sacrifice but by the hand of Man God indeed appointed the Sacrifices for Expiation and in that sence may be said to lay the iniquity of the sinner upon the sacrifice but beside this the man that brought the sacrifice was to lay his hand upon it And yet more evident is this in that Doctrinal Ceremony of the Scape-goat in Lev. 16. 22. Till the Priest by Confession of the iniquities and transgressions of the people had laid them on him the Scape-Goat did not bear them away So that Man also hath his act in laying iniquity upon Christ no less then God not in the preparation of the price but in the way of Application Adde this that the words Vs all which he applyeth to sinners contending against the necessity of inherent Qualifications in any to dispose them and make them fit to receive the benefit of redemption purchased these words I say are not Universal but only in relation to the Church of God So that till a man be of the Church and in the Number of Believers he may not include himself in the list of them to whom it doth belong For why If it belong to sinners as sinners then to all sinners And so he will lay the Ground for an Universal Redemption which I believe he doth not intend If this Redemption belong not to all as sinners and yet the terms of the promise run in the Universal then some act of Man sanctified by the spirit of God must come in between by which he may be included before he conclude for himself Truth it is That no sin may keep off the penitent soul from closing with Christ And if in saying that this grace is appliable by forgiveness of sin to persons before the least measure of sanctification if he intend no more but this that such is the vertue and value of Christs Sacrifice that no sin how great soever can hinder the hope of Pardon in case he come in and apply himself to Christ I know no man that will not subscribe No sin may may keep off the Penitent but till man be Penitent no man may close with Christ nor conclude to himself the Remission of sin The reason hereof is because mens names are not set down in the Book of God They must know that the conclusion of Comfort is by the way of a practical Syllogism in which alway the Assumption is the Testimony of the Conscience touching that work of Grace in the heart to which the promise is made ex gr. He that believeth in the name of the Son of God shall not perish If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Here is the Promise made to the Penitent believer now saith the Conscience I do believe I do confess my sins this is the Testimony of the sanctified Conscience speaking
the work of the spirit upon the heart of man Hence the conclusion of Comfort is This promise is mine My Portion is in it and hence both peace and joy in the Holy Ghost But now look upon the Antinomian ground of Comfort and let even reason judge whether it can produce any true consolation God hath laid the Iniquity of Sinners upon Christ God justified the ungodly But I am a sinner I am ungodly therefore the Benefit is mine Is it not evident that except all sinners promiseuously receive this benefit there is no certainty of Comfort in the conclusion If it may appear as who doubteth but that it may appear that there be many ungodly that never had nor shall have benefit by Christ Is not the conclusion uncertain True saith the Author aforesaid Names of particular persons are not written in the word But what hinders that thou maist not have part in Christ the Pardon is to all theeves may not each particular take his part This general tender of free Grace is as sufficient for satisfaction of mans Spirit as if his name were written Well But this Pardon is to all Theeves is it not if they will come in And surely it is intended that they come in as Penitents not as perverse rebellious Persons and till they come in thus can they claim the benefit of the Kings pardon And therefore whereas he addeth Hath the Lord given thee an heart to come in that thou fain wouldest have Christ if thou durst it is enough He should deny himself if he should cast thee off This is a precious truth if rightly understood But in his Intention it halteth For besides this that when God giveth an heart to come in to Christ he giveth an holy heart an humble and penitent heart an heart no less ready to take Christ for a Lord then for a Saviour Nay indeed more desirous of this then of that Not that he might merit favor by his service but out of the abundance of Love to Christ he is much desirous that Christ should now be glorified by him as formerly he hath been dishonored before himself be glorified by Christ Besides this I say the conclusion of comfort grounded upon the general tender of free-grace is not by the Assumption I am a sinner I am a theef But by this I do come in Hereupon it followeth that he may not cast me off And this coming in what is it but to believe in the name of Christ Joh. 1. 12. And what is that but to rest upon him for salvation So then the general tender of free-grace made to sinners is conditional as touching the benefit of Pardon viz. If they come in and cast themselves upon the mercy of God in Christ there is hope of Pardon And indeed it may appear that this is that which the Doctor did intend howsoever in the prosecution of the point his words did seem to drive farther for thus he concludeth in one of his Sermons So then notwithstanding any sinfulness which thou findest in thy self thou maist boldly come to Christ and commit thy self unto him as an All-sufficient Saviour Touching the second Author who hath more covertly and more cautelously delivered himself he sets it down as a Doctrine of Antichrist to say That sin is not taken away out of the Conscience till the work of Baptism and of Repentance Particularly touching Baptism this he censureth as a Doctrine of the Man of Sin That Baptism doth take away sin out of the Conscience and out of the sight of God And well he may if it be maintained in that sense which he opposeth viz. As an Ordinance which hath in it a vertue and efficacy of taking away sins not derived from and subservient to the blood of Christ In this sense if any do maintain any efficacy in that Sacrament let him be Anathema But if it be no derogation to the spirit that the Ministery of the word is said to have an effectual working power in the conversion of men and causing them by Repentance to return to God In as much as the efficacy of the Ministery is subservient to the spirit as the Instrument by which the spirit worketh Why is it derogatory to the Blood of Christ that the Sacrament hath an effectual power in this act of taking away sin out of the conscience In as much as it is intended hereby to ascribe no efficacy at all to it save only as an Ordinance of application yea and this also subservient to the spirit The blood of Christ is that that taketh away sin out of the Conscience But then doth it perform this spiritual cure when it is applyed And the Sacrament is a mean of application A mean I say by which the spirit applyeth the blood of Christ unto the Conscience In which respect by a communication of Phrases it is said To wash away Sin Act. 22. 16. And God is said to save us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3. 5. And Christ is said to cleanse his Church by the washing of water Ephesians 5. 26. Not as if any vertue were in the Water which Saint Peter denyeth 1 Pet. 3. 21. But because the Blood of Christ which hath that vertue in it is applied in and by the Administration of that Sacrament And therefore for him to say That if Baptism taketh away sin out of the Conscience then hath not Christ finished the taking away sin by his one and alone offering This I say is not to the purpose in as much as beside the paying of the price there must also be an Application of it otherwise the work is not done A wound in the flesh is not cured by the preparation of an effectual Plaister but by the Application of it to the wound Nor can there be any perfection to the creature without the Application of this price of this Plaister This he was not ignorant of and thereupon seeketh to make his advantage for thus he argueth Is there saith he any perfection to the Creature without Application Surely no and yet Heb. 10. 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified What he would hence conclude I see not Will he from the word Hath perfected conclude the Application already past viz. From the very hour of Christs Passion How can that be Is there any here said to be perfected by that one sacrifice but they that are sanctified Are any sanctified but by the Communion of Christs spirit Doth not this Communion presuppose an Union Is not that Union with Christ sealed to us in our Baptism Sanctified persons then are perfected by that one sacrifice Yet how perfected All at once Not so But the ground-work of their perfect consummation is laid in that one sacrifice And so laid that in due time by the vertue and power thereof without any other offering they shall be perfected The true meaning therefore of them that say if any do say it in those terms that sin is not taken
away out of the Conscience till by the Sacrament of Baptism it be taken away Their meaning I say is no more but this That till the Elect of God be really and actually united to Christ they are not actually made partakers of that Remission which was purchased for them by that sacrifice In which respect they do call upon Converts and Believers as did Ananias upon Paul Arise and be Baptized and wash away thy sins A text plainly proving that Baptism hath some kinde of work and efficacy in washing away sin He Objecteth That these words were spoken to a Believer Consequently If Paul was already a Believer and yet his sins not washed away until he were Baptized Then it will follow that sin is not alway pardoned to a Believer But this Objection doth nothing hinder the Conclusion set down Because Though Paul as a Believer had right to the benefits of Christ by vertue of the Promise made to Believers yet could he not have fruition of them till he had taken possession of Christ by being incorporated into him Faith is the hand of man to receive but the Sacrament is the hand of the spirit to convey unto us Christ and all his benefits Might not he have learned this out of that text He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved had he well marked it If there be nothing added by Baptism to complete the state of a Christian why is it enjoyned I demand Whether a Believer suppose him to live and dye in the wilful neglect of that Sacrament can be saved Nay more suppose him to have been an Alien a stranger or as Paul a Persecuter of the Church of God but now a Convert as Paul was nay a professor and zealous Preacher of Christ and so to have washt away his sins in the sense that this man giveth of Ananias words The sense of those words of Ananias which H. D. giveth is this Break off thy sins It is a washing in conversation sc. To manifest to the world that thou art another man And he noteth That one washed in respect of Gods imputation and washed in Conscience in respect of manifestation and apprehension of the grace of God in Jesus Christ may yet be exhorted to wash in respect of Conversation By which it seemeth that there was no farther use of Baptism to Paul at this time save only to manifest to the world that he was a Convert which I suppose is so sensless a position that it needeth no Refutation I say then suppose a man thus to have washt away his sins Can all this profit him to salvation if he wilfully reject the Sacrament of Baptism Can he by his profession and Preaching obtain a part in Christ and a pardon of this wilfulness Surely except the Church of God in all ages hath hitherto wanted light and sight to see the true meaning of the words that text of our Saviour Ioh. 3. 5. reprehending Nicodemus for his backwardness in this Duty is very clear and evident for the proof of the Negative viz. That such a man so wilfully rejecting the Sacrament cannot plead his Faith nor have entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven This man is not more out in the point of Baptism then he is in the next point touching Repentance This doth he account a Doctrine of the Man of Sin to say That Repentance doth wash away sin that Repentance is a mean to obtain Remission that there is no forgiveness with God before Repentancce Touching that first Expression We do not say that Repentance doth wash away sin in any other sense but this That there is no forgiveness of sin to the impenitent It is necessary as a passive Qualification It hath no efficacy in procuring pardon or perfecting forgiveness more then this that it fitteth the person to receive it And this is no Doctrine of the Man of Sin it was the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets True saith he it was so in the Old Testament Contrition and Confession went before Remission But in the New Testament Remission doth go before Contrition This is soon said But how is it proved What text of Scripture what Argument from any text of Scripture The worldly Tabernacle of Moses was it not a figure and patern of Heavenly things May we not see as the mercy of God shadowed forth in those sacrifices of Expiation so the Duty of the sinner expressed in those Legal Purifications To this he Answereth That Contrition went before Remission in our High Priest He was bruised broken slain before any Remission This no man doubteth But we demand Whether as then Contrition was required of the People before by their sacrifice they could have Remission So now also it be not required that Contrition be found in us before we obtain Remission by the sacrisice of Christ At no hand will he endure to hear of this Christ saith he confesseth our sins offereth for our sins maketh peace through his Blood and calleth upon us to believe this Peace and Atonement made This we deny not But still insist upon this Whether Contrition be not required of Believers in the New Testament as well as of them in the Old Testament to make them capable of Remission If not What is there in the New Testament to answer to that figure I finde it interserted in a parenthesis That Preist sacrifices and people were all of them figures of Christ What the meaning of it should be I cannot guess except it be this That Christ must be all and do all Upon him must lie no less the work of Repentance for sin then of satisfaction Thus shall the burthen be increased to him that so it may be cased to the sinner had the Scripture revealed it so to be we had received it now we may not Well it is that Christ hath done for us what we could not viz. He hath made satisfaction It is not much if he require of us what we may well do viz. To be truely contrite and penitent for our sins But saith he Faith which is the knowledge of Remission must needs go before Contrition else would it be sin For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. I might justly reply and say Like point like proof Neither is justifying Faith the knowledge of Remission Nor doth that text of St. Paul speak of justifying Faith But this I say That if Faith be the knowledge of Remission viz. fully past and already in possession it doth rather take away Contrition then call for it There is no place for sorrow in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect who are in full possession of Remission do not now any more weep and shed tears for the sins that they have committed He addeth We do not therefore believe Remission because we repent But therefore repent because we believe Remission I Answer We do both we believe Remission because we do repent not as if there were any merit in our repentance to deserve it
but because there is truth in God to perform his Promises And we repent because we believe Remission Here note That to believe Remission may be considered either in the Promise or in the Performance The Promise of Remission is made for the Penitent and Repentance required as a mean to fit men for it Is not this evident by the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles Mar. 1. 15. Act. 2. 38. and 3. 19. The performance of this promised Remission doth presuppose Penitency in the sinner yea and doth put him more upon it So that as of Faith there is one act that doth go before Remission and another act that doth follow after So also of Repentance there is somthing of it doth go before Faith and something also doth follow after Indeed saith this Author Judas Repentance may go before Faith i. e. before the knowledge of Remission But Godly Repentance doth follow after I might reply That is improperly said to go before this Faith when as this Faith doth never follow after Doubtless if Faith be the knowledge of Remission it doth never follow upon Judas Repentance But this I rather reply That it was not a Judas Repentance that went before Remission in the Old Testament nor is it a Judas Repentance which the Apostle doth call for to this end that their sin might be blotted out Act. 3. 19. Nor can it with reason be denyed but that he who saith Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out doth leave them to conclude that unless they do repent their sins shall not be blotted out And again that if they do repent their sin shall be blotted out Consequently there is a Repentance which is required as a mean to obtain Remission and that by the warrant of Scripture-Text And therefore it is no Doctrine of Antichrist not footstep of the Man of Sin to declare Repentance as a mean of Remission But now to return to the Question propounded viz. Whence is it that sin doth trouble and terrifie the Conscience I should rather give this answer The reason is Because sin is not yet taken away out of the Conscience by the Application of the blood of Christ To say that there is no sin at all in the Conscience when we feel the sting and terror thereof is it not in effect to say No mote in the eye no thorn in the flesh when we feel the pain and pricking of it How doth it vex if it be not there Doubtless while it vexeth it is not quite taken forth nor is the rankling of it quite healed The Indisposition of the Body may adde to the distemper of the minde till it be removed and cured by Physick But when the body is in good order and yet the Conscience in spiritual distress doth it not appear that sin lyeth at the Door and must be removed out of the Conscience by the Application of the Blood of Christ Application of the Plaister is no less necessary then the preparation of it The Brazen-serpent set up cured none that would not look up to it Nor doth Christ cure any that will not believe him And how do we believe in him if we do not apply our selves to him for remedy This application of the blood of Christ is wrought by the Minstery of the Word and Sacraments hence it is called The Ministery of Reconciliation In which and by which God dispenseth his favors and comforts to them of his Houshold And by those Ordinances doth he bring home the blood of Christ to the Soul and Conscience of the worthy receiver And as in the Old Testament the guilt of sin was not removed out of the Conscience till the sacrifice appointed for this or that sin was offered which is not improbably aleaged as a reason why the sin of David lay so heavy upon him even because he made no hast to confess his sin and to bring his sacrifice without which no Remission so in the New Testament sin is not removed out of the Conscience till by the Ministery of Reconciliation the blood of Christ be applyed to the Conscience for the cure thereof God hath appointed the Ministery for this end and he will have his Ordinances honored and workings of his spirit in them acknowledged It is not for this cause that many who seek for Comfort with much importunity of prayer and supplication yet are held off for a long time Even because they do not address themselves to God in his Ordinances And here is that necessity and usefulness of Baptism to take away sin out of the Conscience which so much displeased the Antinomian Doctor nor of Baptism only but of the Lords Supper also yea of the whole Ministery of the Gospel Not as if the Word and Sacraments or the Ministery that dispenseth them had any power and efficacy in themselves But as hath been said because these are the Instruments of the spirit in applying the blood of Christ which alone is the remedy of our spiritual malady Note This Ministerial Application is only to the worthy Receiver And none such doth the Text of Scripture acknowledge but him who being truly humbled and grieved for his sin for this and that sin in particular doth judge himself And then by Faith looking up to Christ on the Cross as did Israel look up to the brazen serpent and resting upon the passion of Christ as the only satisfaction of Gods justice desireth to be purged in his Blood And in testimony of his Faith in the blood of Christ doth draw near to the Ordinance of Application that therein he may be made partaker of the blood of Christ to purge his Conscience and quiet his minde And here is the necessity of Repentance without which no Remission the second point of Antichristianism in the Antinomians account Not as if Repentance hath any efficacy of a meritorious yea or of an efficient cause but because Faith neither ought nor indeed can close with Christ and draw vertue from him for the purging of the Conscience but when it self is lodged in a penitent soul The Reason is Because so must the promise of pardon by Christ be receiv'd by man as it is tendred to him And this is not to the sinner as a sinner but to the sinner as humble and penitent as before was shewed So then the Answer of the Question returns to this Sin doth yet terrifie the Conscience notwithstanding that Christ on the Cross hath satisfied for it and so obtained reconciliation for the sinner Because otherwhiles men are not careful to seek for the Application of Christs blood to themselves in the Ordinances appointed What wonder if Israel dye of the serpent bitings if they will not look up to the Brazen serpent so here if men neglect the means of remedy what wonder is it if they lie and languish Object But even they that have often sought to God in these Ordinances yea and with much care have prepared themselves for the worthy receiving of
the sacrament yet do not finde that peace of Conscience which is expected Sol. It may be so But do they withal rest upon it as an Ordinance of the spirit to apply the blood of Christ and so to seal unto the soul the Assurance of peace and pardon Do they I say rest in it or do they expect to receive their Assurance by some irradiation and immediate revelation of the spirit This is the error of some Others are careless in their walking afterward They forget that Caveat of the Psalmist The Lord will speak peace to his people But let them not return again to folly Psa. 85. 8. What wonder if the re-admission of sin into the soul renew the sting and terror of Conscience Satan re-entring brings seven other spirits worse then himself Hence commonly the terror afterward is greater then before Impossible it is that the soul should finde sweetness insin desire it delight in it And the Conscience not fear and tremble at the thought of Hel and the wrath of God Corol. To close up all Is the Conscience terrified See the way to finde remedy and how thou maist provide for comfort Not in the Antinomian way viz. by a violent perswasion of this That thy sin was long since laid upon Christ in the day of his Passion But by seeking for the Application of his blood in the Word and Sacraments Prepare thee for the worthy receiving of them by renewing thy Repentance By Faith look upon Christ in the Sacrament hear him speaking in the word as the assured remedy of all spiritual diseases and distresses carefully watch against future Tentations take heed of relapsing into sin Remember that as Christ hath joyned these two Petitions Forgive us our Trespasses and Lead us not into Tentation so hath he bound up the comfort of the former in the cautelous observation of the latter Whoso doth not watch against Tentation loseth all comfort of Remission THE ARGUMENTS OF The Compassionate Samaritan Touching the Power of the Magistrate in the compulsion of Conscience Examined THe intent and scope of the Book is to shew That the Magistrate ought not to punish any for the profession of his Conscience by Conscience he meaneth the mans present judgement and opinion though it be contrary to what is determined by Authority His Arguments be these 1. Because punishment is not due to what is necessitated 2. Because no man can presume of infallibility 3. Because the Magistrate ought not to compel any man to sin The first Argument VVHere there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Because punishment is the just recompence of voluntary Actions not of necessitated But every man is necessitated to be of that opinion which he holdeth Nor can he chuse but be of that judgement whatsoever it is Because his reason doth necessarily enforce him to it while it concludeth the Position to be true or false Ans. Grant indeed Where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment if there be no concurrence of the will Or if that necessitation proceed not from a faulty cause ex gr. The spider is by instinct of nature necessitated to make poison as the Bee to make honey The sinew that shrank in Jacobs thigh or the joynt that is dislocated necessitateth a man to halt he cannot chuse Yet here is no punishment due because here is no concurrence of the will nor is this necessitation from a faulty cause But now when drunkenness doth necessitate some to lust and others to wrath Or rather when corruption doth necessitate wicked men and Angels to sin such is their present condition they can do nothing but sin Yet is not this necessitation an excuse to save from punishment because this is not from natural instinct but from voluntary consent it is from a faulty cause so that it is not always true that where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Consequently we must inquire Whence this necessity viz. That he cannot chuse but be of that opinion whence I say it cometh Whether from a faulty or a faultless cause He saith His reason concludeth it to be so and so And hereby he is necessitated to be of this opinion He cannot believe otherwise then his reason guideth him Nor indeed is it fit he should during the time that reason so concludeth But then enquire farther whence is it that his reason doth so conclude Is it from the clearness of the Argument Or from the cloudiness of his understanding In some things there is such clearness in the Argument and such evidence in the light thereof that the judgement cannot but rest in it ex gr. The Articles of the Christian Faith and the Duties of the Moral Law The truth of the one the equity of the other is so clear that reason cannot but see the evidence and conclude accordingly But in respect of some other things though no less true and good in themselves there may be such cloudiness and darkness in the understanding that it cannot apprehend the evidence and force of that Argument and Reason which is aleaged and so for the present it is hindred in yielding assent to them But then the next enquiry is what may be the ground or spring of this darkness and obscurity Whether weakness and ignorance or wilfulness and prejudice If ignorance good reason that as yet the party be excused from punishment till farther information Not so if it proceed from passion and prejudice And would you know whether it proceed from the one or from the other Consider these Rules 1. If it proceed from weakness and not from wilfulness you shall finde in the man a readiness yea a diligence to enquire and search for farther information glad he is to be instructed Not so the other he is negligent and careless to enquire he liketh his present opinion and so pleadeth Conscience when indeed it is affection and affectation that doth wholly guide him He would not be convinced of an Error least he should lose what he hopeth to receive in holding this way 2. If from ignorance and weakness it is attended with meekness and humility Not so the other he is swelling supercilious self-seeking and self-conceited ready to contemn others at no hand ready to yield no not even to know truths if he perceive that they cross the conceit which he hath taken up Whereas the weak Christian is ready to acknowledge the gifts and graces of others that are contrary minded nor will he deny any truth though he cannot as yet acknowledge this in question to be a truth and â—o subscribe unto it Nor will he as doth the other too frequently censure those that are contrary minded 3. Weakness and Ignorance causeth in him sadness and sorrow of Heart in the consideration of his own dulness Grieved he is that he cannot see what other holy Saints and servants of God do see Hence also hearty prayer that God would reveal this truth also to him that