the New Covenant or Law of Grace This I proved sufficiently before from John 3.18 19. and Mark 16.15 16. compared with Rom. 2.16 and John 12.48 To which Places may be added Mat. 11.21 22 23 24. and Mat. 21.43 44. and others Secondly The Gospel-Covenant hath Threatnings against Regenerate Believers That in case they should not persevere to the end in faith and holiness but should totally and finally fall away they should be most severely punished for their Apostacy For the clearing of this I will briefly do these Two Things 1. Show that there really are threatnings against regenerate believers in case they should Apostatize 2. That those threatnings belong to the Gospel And 1. That there are such threatnings appears from John 15.6 If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and Men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Here is a threatning against those who are in Christ that if they abide not in him they shall be burned The like conditional threatning we have against the believing Romans who were beloved of God and called to be Saints Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live And Rom. 11. v. 20 21 22. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear For if God spared not the natural branches take heed lost he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God Towards thee goodness If thou continue in his goodness Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off So we have recorded in the Scripture a most terrible threatning against the believing Hebrews if they should totally and finally Apostatize and that we might be sure that the threatning is not only against hypocritical Professors of the Christian Religion but that it is also against Regenerate Believers upon supposition of their Apostacy the Apostle Paul includes himself in the number of those against whom he denounceth the Threatning as it is written Heb. 10.26 27. If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries See also to this Purpose Heb. 10.38 of which we spake in the Apology p. 55. And take notice of what Mr. Dickson observes on Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation The Apostle saith Dickson Joyneth himself with them in the Threatning And again on Heb. 12.25 much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven He Joyneth himself * Dickson 's Exposition of the Epistles in English edit Lond. 1659. Observations on Epistle to the Hebrews page 222.223 and 273. saith Mr. Dickson in the same danger with the People if he should turn away or refuse Then saith he Preachers should do well to lay the edg of their threatnings to their own Hearts and to Enroll themselves amongst the threatned c. From these places of Scripture and others that might be alledged to the same purpose it manifestly appears that there are threatnings against Regenerate Believers if they fall away Now in the second Place That the said Threatnings do not belong only to the Law of Works but that they are truly Threatnings that belong to the Gospel-Covenant or Law of Grace may thus appear Regenerate Believers are not under the Law Rom. 6.14 They are not under the Threatning Condemning Power of the Law of Works They are not only causally but actually Redeemed from the Law 's Curse Therefore the Threatnings wherewith they are conditionally Threatned are not Threatnings that belong to the Law of Works as such but they are Threatnings that belong to the Gospel-Covenant or Law of Grace under which Believers are I grant indeed That 1. True Regenerate Believers are not absolutely under those Threatnings and that they are not bound to believe that those Threatnings shall be Executed upon them Nay 2. on the contrary if they know themselves to be true Regenerate Believers and that none such shall ever totally and finally fall away from Christ I grant that they ought to believe that the said threatnings shall never be executed upon them Yet for all that it is evident by the Scriptures before mentioned that true regenerate believers are conditionally under the said threatnings and are bound to believe that they would be executed and fulfilled upon them if they should totally and finally fall away And our God in great wisdom and mercy hath thus ordered his Covenant that the belief of the foresaid conditional threatnings may be a means to preserve his own people from Apostacy and to make them persevere in faith and holiness to the end According to that Jerem. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Compared with Rom. 11.20 21 22. And Heb. 4.1 and 12.28 29. And 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the Power of God through faith unto salvation Mr. G. doth or may know that this is no new singular opinion of mine that the Gospel hath its own threatnings for as I shewed in the Apology p. 27. the Learned Professors of Leyden were of the same Judgment before me And so was Mr. Rutherford as appears by what I quoted out of him there in p. 63. And Monsieur Turretin as was shewed there also in p. 103. Whereunto I now add other Testimonies as 1. The learned and diligent Pezelius writing against Flacius above an hundred years ago gave Testimony to this truth that the Gospel hath its own threatnings †Sunt Testimonia vocis Divinae nota piis omnibus quae ostendunt reâ—e dici quod Evangelium habeat comminationes severissimas utenim haec est Evangelii vox qui crediderit Baptizatus fuerit salvus erit sic antithesis mox addita similiter ad Evangelium pertinet qui non crediderit condemnabitur similes antitheses sunt in his dictis qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam qui non credit filio non videbit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum Item qui credit in Filium non Judicatur qui autem non credit jam Judicatus est Eas esse voces Evangelii propriissimas non dubium est tamen non solum sunt promissiones dulcissimae de gratia Dei de Justitia coram Deo de salute aeterna sed etiam comminationes sunt severissimae arguentes hoc peccatum quod est incredulitas in Filium Dei Mediatorem relinquentes sub aeterna condemnatione omnes non credentes in hunc Filium 4th Par. Obj. Resp Theolog. Collect. ex Scriptis Ph. Melanct. opera Christoph Pezelii loc de definit Evang. pag. 161. There are saith Pezelius Testimonies of Gods word known to all the Godly which shew that it is rightly said that the Gospel hath most severe
so doth it likewise dispose the Soul for it by the free constitution of God who hath promised that blessedness to Holy Souls and were it not for God's promise in Christ the holyest Soul on Earth could have no infallible assurance of obtaining so great blessedness For notwithstanding that natural disposition arising from our Holyness God by his Soveraign Dominion might annihilate us if he had not obliged himself by promise in Christ to admit all Holy Souls to the Eternal Enjoyment of so great Happiness I hope my R. B. will not deny but that true Mortification is at least a part of that Holyness without which none shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 And yet it hath a conditional Connexion with the blessing of Eternal Life As is clear from Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall Live Hence Dr. Ames writing against Cardinal Bellarmine who from Rom. 8.13 Argued that Mortification is a condition required of us in order to our obtaining Eternal Life He Answered him with a quis negat Which of us Protestants denieth that * Mortificatio igitur est conditio ad vitam quis negat Ames Bellar. enervat Tom. 4. lib. 6. cap. 6. de necessitate operum ad salutem ad object ex Rom. 8.13 Mortification then saith Bellarmine is a condition in order to Life Who saith Dr. Ames denies that Dr. Ames it seems knew no Divine in the reformed Churches who then denied Mortification to be a condition required of us in order to our obtaining Eternal Life but since that time Mr. Goodwin is come into the world and being a Man of another Spirit he doth stoutly deny it The Arguments on which he grounds his confident denial of conditional promises I have Examined and Answered And I refer it to those who shall be at the pains to compare his Arguments with my Answers to Judge whether there be one good solid Argument amongst them all And now I shall conclude my Animadversions on his seventh Chapter with a part of Mr. William Bradshaw's exposition of the 8th verse of the first Chapter of the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians This Bradshaw was a Learned Man and old Puritan and faithful Minister of Christ Several books on several subjects he published in his life time But this exposition on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians was published after his Death by the Learned Gataker in the year 1620. And on the 8th verse of the 1 Chap. in pag. 49.50 51. c. He writes thus The second sort of persons that Christ will come in flaming fire to be avenged of are such as obey not the Gospel i. e. Such as will not accept of those conditions of salvation that are offered in the Gospel In the Gospel everlasting salvation is offered to all Sinners that will believe in Christ forsake their sins and yeild obedience to the ordinances of Jesus Christ set down in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles when therefore God shall out of his word convince our consciences that we are Sinners and have offended his Majesty by our sins and when God shall offer to be reconciled unto us to pardon and forgive our Sins to save our Souls from Hell yea to bestow everlasting happiness in Heaven upon us if so be we will forsake our sins acknowledge Christ Jesus for our Lord and Redeemer and be subject to his Discipline when God shall send to this end his Ministers Messengers and Ambassadors to offer unto us these conditions yea to intreat and beseech the acceptance of this Grace and yet we wil not accept of them we will not have Christ Jesus to Reign and Ruâ—e over us we will not whatsoever follow upon it forsake such and such sins but whether God will save or not save us we are resolved upon our own courses and if we may not be saved without any such conditions we will not be beholding to God for our salvation but will put it to the Adventure either to have it upon what conditions we our selves please or go without it This is to disobey the Gospel and to trample the blood of the New Testament under our feet This is directly to sin against Christ Jesus and therefore such of us can expect no other doom from Christ at that day but fearful vengeance For upon whom should he avenge himself if not upon them which cannot content themselves to have sinned against God and so to have provoked him but despise the means of his grace and favour when they are offered purposing still to continue in their sins whatsoever come of it This is the fearful sin of many that live in the Church of God and profess themselves Christians yea and that look to be saved by the blood of Christ who notwithstanding live and delight and so purpose to do in such sins as they know are forbidden in the Gospel They can be content yea they look for that salvation by Christ which is promised in the Gospel and that the Covenant on Christ's part should be performed unto them but they are resolved not to keep any Covenant on their own part And those for the most part that most disobey the Gospel and that shew most contempt to the Ministery and Dispensation thereof and are the greatest enemies that may be to the principal ordinance thereof do most presume of that salvation therein which is offered But let us know that it is not a naked profession of the Gospel or a bare belief that can pacify the wrath of this Judge in that day but it must be such a profession and belief as manifesteth it self in obedience unto the Gospel If it were possible for a Man as it is not truely to profess and unfeignedly believe the Gospel without obeying it yet that shall not save him He must obey it also The Gospel containeth not matter of Knowledge and Faith only but of practice also And so many as desire to be free from the vengeance and fury of this Judge had need in that regard to be acquainted with the Gospel and all the ordinances thereof For how can they obey that which they know not And they had need with all diligence and care to be Conversant in the reading and hearing of the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles of Moses and the Prophets for they are they which testify of this Gospel and in them is fully and most clearly declared what manner of obedience is to be performed thereunto This Gospel is here called the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Ghrist It is not beloved our own Gospel which we Preach unto you and call you unto the obedience thereof but it is the Gospel of our Lord and our Saviour and That which we must submit and subject our selves unto if we look for salvation from him When the Gospel requireth any thing at your hands which shall any ways cross your corrupt desires you are presently
Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius Chrysostom Origen Theodoret with Photius to shew that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law they signified a Doctrine But these quotations serve only ad Pompam non ad Pugnam for they are every one of them impertinently alledged against me and do not prove any thing that I deny except two words out of Clemens Alexandrinus of which by and by For 1. I grant that the Law of the New Covenant as Eusebius appositely calls it is a Doctrine and a Doctrine of Grace of the greatest Grace that ever was as we told the World in the Apology p 28. out of Bishop Andrews yea I grant and believe that it is a pure Doctrine of Grace because it both prescribes and requires Purity and likewise is a means through the influence of the Spirit of Grace of effecting and working Purity in the Souls of Men And moreover because the Blessings and Benefits which it promises are first promised of pure Grace and afterwards according to promise are of pure free Grace given unto Men through Jesus Christ This I asserted in the Apology pag. 22. and passim 2. Neither there not any where else did I ever say or think that I know of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law doth always signifie a System of Precepts and Commands and so Origen's Testimony makes nothing against me 3. I assent likewise to every thing he hath quoted out of Theoderet on Isa 2. And 4. To all cited out of Chrysostom on Psal 49. And 5. As for the Testimony of Photius it is as the rest impertinently alledged and I am so for from opposing it that on the contrary I have my self upon the matter said the same thing in the Apology pag. 201 and there shewed plainly in what sense the Law is vacated to a Believer without being perfectly dissolved and ceaseth without being disannulled and how Christ by fulfilling and performing it hath entirely removed it so that it cannot possibly condemn a Penitent Believer who walks not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Whereunto I now add that Photius there seems plainly to understand by Law not the first Covenant of Works made with Man before and broken by the fall of our First Parents but the Old Mosaical Covenant or the Legal dark Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace under the Levitical Priesthood And so the words of Photius do very fitly express the Lords abolishing that legal dark way and introducing the Evangelical clear way of Administring the same Covenant of Grace which how it should make against the Gospels being a New Law of Grace I do not comprehend See Heb. 8.6 For to me it seems plainly to insinuate the contrary to wit That the Gospel Covenant now in its New Christian Constitution and more gracious form of Administration is indeed the new Law of Grace 6ly and Lastly We come to Clemens Alexandrinus out of whose Writings Mr. Goodwin quotes two short Sentences As first That according to Clemens the Law is the Light of our way Answ And what then doth that militate against my Principle Nothing less For that I firmly believe not because Clemens saith so but because the Holy Ghost saith so as it is written Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light It is confest then that the Law is the Light of our way and so is the Gospel too yea and the Gospel is the greater Light of the two And what can any reasonable Man make of this to prove that the Gospel is not a Law of Grace which hath its own Precepts If the Gospel hath its own Precepts will that hinder it from being the Light of our way I think that in all reason the contrary will follow to wit that if the Precepts and Commandments of the Law be a Light of our way as the Scripture says they are that then the Precepts of the Gospel if it have any are and must be also a Light of our way that directs and instructs us how we ought to walk now under the Christian form of administring the Covenant of Grace 2. He quotes Clemens saying Disc p. 22. That a Law is a true and good opinion of a thing And this he calls Clemens his definition of a Law And he affirms that this Clementin definition may be applyed to any Doctrine of Truth and Goodness Whereby saith he any Doctrine of Truth and Goodness may be signifyed But the Gospel is a Doctrine of Truth and Goodness therefore this Clementin definition of a Law may be applyed to the Gospel and it may be said of the Gospel that it is a true and good Opinion Answ This Reverend Brother by several passages in his Discourse and by this amongst the rest seems to be much in love with definitions and who can blame him since Aristotle said of old That (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ariâ—â—or 2. Metaphys Cap. 3. we know all things by their definitions And here in Clemens Alexandrinus meeting with two or three pretty words they so pleased his fancy that he presently imagined them to be the thing which he is so much in love with to wit a definition A definition then they shall be and having thus got a definition of a Law he is sure thereby to know the Nature of a Law for according to Aristotle a Definition (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot 2 post Cap. 8. shews us the very Essence of a thing Now this being the definition of a Law according to Mr. Goodwin That it is a true and good Opinion of a thing I demand of him whether this be the definition of Gods Law or of Mans Law If he say that it is the definition of Mans Law then he knows that it is utterly Impertinent For our Controversie is not about Mans Law but Gods Law And I hope he will not say that the definition of Mans Law is the definition of Gods Law 2. If he say that it is the definition of God's Law then according to Mr. Goodwin Gods true and good opinion of a thing is his Law For the definition of a thing and the thing defined are really and objectively the same and differ only in the manner and form of expression Upon this I could move many questions that would puzzle my Reverend Brother to answer and yet they are such as ought to be answered and resolved upon supposition that Gods true and good opinion of a thing is his Law but I will spare him and only ask him this question Whether he holds that God is an Opinator that he hath an Opinion of things and knows them opinatively If he deny then how can Gods Opinion be his Law if he have no Opinion and be no Opinator If he affirm that God is an Opinator that he hath an Opinion of things and knows them opinatively Then it will follow that Gods knowledge of things at least of the things which are the subject matter of his Laws is founded upon probable
Law of Works This was briefly explained and proved in the Apology pag. 200 201. and it might be further confirmed if it were needful But it is not needful because to a Man who knows himself to be a Sinner and understands the Nature of that first Law as every Man of common understanding may do it is self-evident that that Law condemns him to Death for his Sin and that it is simply impossible for him to be justified unto Life by that very Law which every moment condemns him to death And yet it must be confessed that the first Law or Covenant of Works as fortisied with its Promissory Sanction is repeated both in the Old and New Testament where the Scripture saith to Sinful Man Do this and live Levit. 18.5 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 But we must know that this was Occonomical and Gods design in it was not to oblige any sinful Man to seek or expect Life by his doing the Works of the first Law and Covenant which Promised Life to Man only on condition that he so kept it as never to sin at all nor by Sin to break it But then you will say What was Gods design in it I answer That so far as the Lord hath given me light to see into this matter his design seems to have been 1. By setting before us the form of the First Covenant of Works to recal to our minds what Man once was and what he should still have been That once he was without all Sin and able to have continued so and to have lived for ever by keeping Covenant with God 2. To convince us that now we are all in our Natural State Dead Men by that very Law and Covenant which would have secured Life to us if we had perfectly kept it but now brings us all under the guilt of Death Temporal and Eternal Death because we have broken it 3. To stir us up to confess our Sin and Misery and to put us upon searching Whether God hath in Mercy provided any remedy against our Sin and Misery 4. To make us willing to receive and use the Remedy as soon as God discovers it to us In a word to make us despair of ever obtaining Life by the Works of that Law which condemns us to death for our sins and to make us flee for Refuge unto Christ our Help and Hope as God offers him to us in the New Covenant or Law of Grace 2dly It is to be observed That as soon as any Man takes this course assoon as any Man takes hold of the New Covenant of Grace and heartily and sincerely by Faith closes with and receives Christ and his Righteousness as offered and held forth in the said New Covenant he is instantly acquitted from the guilt of Death he was under for breaking the Law and hath a Right to Life given him only on the account of the Lord Redeemer Christ and his Satisfactory Meritorious Righteousness received and applyed by Faith alone And so he is justifyed by Faith without Works For though Faith in Christ the Mediator be in it self a Heart-work yet it is not the Works of the Law it is not any of those Works which the First Covenant or Law of Works did require to Justification It is neither a Work which the Natural Moral Law by it self immediately required nor yet is it a Work in the Sense of the Law of Works for Works in the sense of that Law and Covenant they signifie that Obedience to the Law whereby a Man in his own person fulsills the Righteousness of the Law and that for which a Man is justified But Faith is not a Work in that Sense for as much as it is no part at all of that Obedience which sulfills the Law and for which a penitent Believer is justified It is only Christs Obedience unto Death even the Death of the Cross for which Believers are justified and Faith is no part of it but is the only instrumental means or receptive applicative condition whereby we come to have interest in it and to be justified by and for it alone 3. It is to be observed that though upon our first taking hold of Gods New Covenant and Law of Grace by Faith we are for Christs sake alone instantly acquitted from the guilt of Death and receive a right to Life yet God hath made it one of the Articles of the new Covenant that according to our time and talents we must afterwards yield sincere Obedience to his several Laws and Institutions both Moral Natural and Positive before we be admitted to full possession of Eternal Life in Heavenly Glory God doth not require this sincere Obedience in order to our being first justified but in order to our being at last glorified And he requires it as a necessary condition to qualifie and prepare us for the full possession of that Heavenly Glory which Christ hath purchased for us and God for Christs sake gives unto us Hence 4. It is to be observed That thus the Moral Natural Law it self comes to be in the hand of Christ the Mediatour of the new Covenant or Law of Grace and to belong to the Gospel so far as that sincere Obedience to it together with all Gods positive Laws and Institutions is made an Article of the Gospel Covenant and a condition necessary to be performed by us before we enjoy the ultimate benefit promised in the said Covenant 5. It is to be observed That we must distinguish carefully betwixt what the Moral Law as to the matter of its Precepts requires of Believers and what it requires as coming under a new ferm that is plainly as cloathed with a new sanction to wit the sanction of the new Covenant In the first sense the Moral Law as to the matter of its Precepts doth still require of all even of Believers a perfect ever sinless Obedience de futuro but there is this vast difference between the case of Believers and Unbelievers that though for every the least disobedience it condemn the Unbeliever yet doth it not nor can it condemn the true penirent Believer who walks not after the Flesh but the Spirit because the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 such are not under the Law not under its condemmng power but under Grace Rom. 6.14 In the second sense the Moral Law formally considered as cloathed with the new Covenant form that is with the sanction of the new Covenant so it requires not of true penitent Believers an ever sinless and most perfect personal perpetual Obedience as a means or condition necessary to qualifie and prepare them for the possession of Eternal Glory but it requires of them or God by it as taken into the Gospel requires of them only sincere Evangelical Obedience perseverance in true Faith and sincere Holiness under that formal consideration as a means or condition necessary to the end aforesaid