3. Luk. 4.18 19 20 yet contrary to this and other promises he saith that we draw the chains of our sins after us which make us move the more slowly But it is the portion of the wicked to be in chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Psal 107.10 11. and to be bound hand and foot Matth. 23.13 There are some that draw iniquity with cords of vanity Esay 5.18 that is with vain excuses and distinctions or ungrounded promises wo to such saith the Prophet Is 5.18 wo c. But these chains saith he are not able to draw us into the bondage that we were in before Yes they have done too many 2 Pet. 2.19 20. That death which is the wages of sin is so changed that it is not the death of the man but the death of the sin in the man What doth this babler say the death that is the wages of sin is the second death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.9 10. and chap. 20.10 15. Sin is the first death and this is the second how then can this be any thing else but the death of a sinner There is another death indeed that is the death of sin and not of the man which is a suffering out of all temptations and a dying with Christ unto all evil Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints of which see Rom. 6.7 8. Rev. 14.13 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Of this death and not of the corporal death did Chrysostome and Ambrose whom he cites speak or else they were as much mistaken as the Vindicator is in this matter saying there that the death which is brought out by sin he should have said by Christ doth at the last even destroy and consume it in the children of God and that sin will remain though not reign Yes if its will may take place it will reign also and that for ever But he goes on and comments thus upon Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body hereby saith he the Apostle shews that after regeneration by grace and before glorification grace is not consummate nor is corruption wholly abolished But with what spectacles did he read this Text when he found these things couchant in it for out of the whole verse he might have learned these saving truths for his better information and reformation also First that God doth suspend his final purpose and promises of our salvation upon Ifs or conditions on our parts to be performed For if ye live after the flesh saith Saint Paul ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shall live Secondly that the remaining corruptions in the Saints such as these Romans were have death and condemnation attending upon them Thirdly that therefore they are not to be wounded only but mortified that is absolutely killed And lastly that this is not to be done by the death of the body but by the power of the Spirit which we are to seek by grace and with which we are to cooperate in this life till the work be done His conclusion then from hence pag. 19. and 20. by the new account is false That as long as we live in the body there is some life of sin remaining which we had need to mortify and put off But not as he doth to put it off til our natural death But he addes Saint Augustine saying that our life here is bellum not triumphus a warfare not a trophee of victory Yet may our warfare have an end here and so to have our triumph and victory follow Esay 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned Ephes 6.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand 2 Tim. 4.6 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness But he contradicts himself in his next speech pag. 20. by the new account saying that in this battel we must fight without intermission untill we have gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort cut off his superfluities that he hath no need of reforming Yes Paul could say it 2 Cor. 5.17 and the holy Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.17 and 5.5 with many thousands more to whom Christ bears witness Rev. 7.14 15 20. and 14.4 5. That when sins and superfluities are unregarded they kindle again That it is true that the same spiritual temptations may return after the former are quenched but at length the Devil is by Christ to be cast out with all his works Rev. 12.10 11. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down who accused them before God day and night Yet he saith further That whosoever he be unless he dissemble he shall find within himself something that had need to be subdued But such a Pigmee in grace as he is if he be under grace must not measure the growth and mortification of Gods faithful and sanctified Saints by his pitch But he brings in some sentences which he fathers upon Ambrose as this velis nolis infra sine tuos habitabit but he saith habitavit Jebusaeus subâ—ugari potest exterminare he should have said exterminari non potest that will thou nill thou the Jesubite will dwel wit hin thy coasts and borders he may be subdued but not rooted out This is true of temptations especially for a time after our first conversion but this conslict if we bestir our selves aright shall have an end here as we have proved of late some Jesubites are our sins and corruptions which must be rooted out again some Jebusites are our native faculties as they are corrupted disordered and poysoned with rebellion These also may be subdued and brought into obedience but neither can be cast out nor ought to be howbeit we have sure promises that all our sins and corruptions shall be subdued if we will sue out the benefit of the same Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue all our iniquities and thou will cast their sins into the depths of the sea Insomuch as that there shall not be one Canaanite left in our soul which is the house and the temple of the Lord So Zech. 14.21 And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts Yet he goes on saying saying That the great deceitfulness of mans heart of which the Lord complaineth Jer. 17.9 saying the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it is attributed to all men
ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this for you saith the Lord. Matth. 1.21 And thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins and 3.11 12. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner but he will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire Luk. 1.70 71 74. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from all our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace and 11.26 There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and chap. 2.1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have a comforter with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins by way of propitiation and purgation of them and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world A third Tropick is this That our subduing overcoming and rooting out of sin is made the condition of manifold spiritual and heavenly promises which would be frustraneous and void if the condition were not feasible by grace And such conditional but performable promises are these Psal 24.3 4 5. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord even righteousness from the God of his salvation Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall obtain mercy Isaiah 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean take away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayest be saved And Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 16.24 25. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life of sin shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it Chap. 24.13 But whosoever shall endure to the end of his race and mortification the same shall be saved Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted in him into the likeness of his death we shall be also into the likeness of his resurrection vers 8. For if we be dead with him unto the sin we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye shall mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shal be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore dearly beloved having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Hebr. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end to wit the end of sin as before vers 14. for we are made pertakers of Christ in the Spirit after the likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6.5 If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh all sins temptations and spiritual enemies will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God vers 11. He that overcometh sin which is the first spiritual death Rom. 7.24 he shall not be hurt of the second death which lay lurking and hid therein vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he which receiveth it vers 26 27 28. And he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end aforesaid to him will I give power over the nations to wit all the powers and faculties of the outward man or the natural being and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken in shivers if through any new temptation they shall offer to rebel Rev. 9.27 even as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning-starre and Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels vers 12. him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name vers 21 22. to him that overcometh will I give to set with me upon my throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Church which condition we had six times before in the former and this present chapter The fourth Topick shall be the end for which Christ was given by the Father and for which he gave himself for us which on his part cannot be disappointed cannot be frustrate if we be not wanting to our selves Isa 42.6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a covenant to the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring the prisoners out of prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house So again Isaiah 49.8 9. Isai 61.1 2 3. as before The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted who are troubled about
Israel of the God of this world spoken of 2 Cor. 4.4 to be prevailers in maintaining that sin and disobedience to the law of the righteous and just God will remain in the best Saints if they be no better then our selves are yet by confession and practise as long as they live That being the end for which we are what we are in all reviling and slandering the said Doctor Drayton and Parker under the horrid names of Jesults and Factors for Rome even for such Saints at Rome who were most eminent above others in Neroe's house when Paul was there Phil. 4.22 I say even for to make them more odious to our sin-maintaining party I am not unwilling to spend my lungs to reproch Jesuits and Factors for Rome as all can witness that heard my scurrulous invective at Wisfoord near Wilton against the said Parker for preaching such poysonful doctrine at Wilton of a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this life of which doctrine I wished the people of Wilton who flocked to heare me to take heed of and not endure to heare the said Parker preach any such doctrine for I told them spreading my paper on the Pulpit-cushion like Rabsicaes letter that the said doctrine will sink himselfe and his hearers to hed if our doctrine for sinne remaining in us as long as we live do at any time advance and lift us up to heaven Your selves my fellow Levites like Simeon and Levi brethren to maintain iniquity are now upon the stage as I tell you in my next paragraph to act your parts Therefore it doth concern you to joyn hand in hand with me in maintaining our positions for they are begun as I told you to be spoken against in publ que by our enemies whom I could not disswade nor terrifie from so doing though I told them openly before a cloud of witnesses that if they did publish such doctrines to the people against the necessity of sin remaining in the best Saints as long as they live they would pull all the Ministers of my mind which are too too many in the countrey about their ears His words spoken in Wilton Church because if it should be so as our enemies affirm the people would soon charge their Ministers with preaching a long time many lies to them for telling them so frequently that sinne will remain in the best Saints as long as they live as an Alderman of Milton told my selfe presently after Doctor Drayton had preached the Sermon now in Print on 2 Cor. 7.1 for cleansing away all fil hinesse of the flesh and spirit that if the said doctrine were true which Doctor Drayton had delivered I my self had taught at Milton many lies which wounded me to the heart though it were so to be told it to my face and the people in short time will say my fellow Levites as much to your faces as I was told if the doctrines of our enemies to sins continuance in best Saints come to be received more generally among all sorts of people Therefore arm up you courage my indeared fellow-brethren for sâ—â—â— cause and muster up the forsee you seem to have and fight as I bid you in the said paragraph being likewise upon the stage while our enemies yet stand below this boon sight of our traditional faith That sin will remain in us as long as we live by reason of the want of faith to beleeve the contrary for it is said Mat. 13.58 where it is said Christ could do no great works there because of their unbelief Now if thus you do my united brethren I assure my self and you as I tell you in my last paragraph that our victory if we can overcome our enemies though it be but by Club-law as they did Rev. 11.17 will be glorious among all lovers of sinful pleasures and profits more then lovers of God and his holinesse for then we may as they did Rev. 11.10 rejoyce and be merry if we can still perswade weak capacities to be confident that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because then we our selves shall still be accounted for such Saints among the people and also every man whose teeth continuall water after the apples of Sodom will then think his own beloved sin how worthy soever it be to be hated is the only innate corruption and infirmity that will and must remain in him as long as he liveth Thus you see friends how glorious our victory is like to be if we can prevaile in the eyes of all Epicures and lovers of sinfull profits and pleasures But indeed we do but dissemble and lye when we say it will be glorious through Jesus Christ for Christ is not saith the Apostle Gal. 2.17 the Minister of sin for he came to redeem all his Saints from all iniquity Tit 2.14 and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works therefore to him belongeth better glory for ever and ever to be given to him from such as those Ephes 5.27 28. who are sanctified and washed in water by the word then can accrue to him by our best Saints who plead to have sin remain in them as long as they live to which all truly enlightened Saints say Amen namely that Christ may have more glory from his eminent Saints by their being purged from all sin then can redound to him from the constant cleaving of sin to them as long as they live which is contrary to God and Christ and the holy Spirit yea so contrary to the Saints pure happiness as nothing can be more opposite thereunto This is the Paraphrase that Mr. John Tendering must have made himself of his preface if required to explain it as consonant and in reference to his positions that sin and disobedience to Gods law will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live therefore we could give no other paraphrase upon his preface consideratis considerandis then what we have for substance delivered to Mr. John's friends whereby they may see his naked mind under the covert of Scripture-phrases by which he would deceive the hearts of simple and well-meaning people and therefore we hope his friends will not say that we have abused him and wrested his words in his preface from his own design Because we are perswaded his friends will not have him speak in his preface heterogeneals to the positions in his Vindication for then he doth abuse them and make them believe that in his book to be one of his beloved truths which he doth contradict in his preface if he mean not according to our paraphrâ—se and so with coloured words deceiveth the hearts of his many allies which relie upon his lying oracles Again if men do not mean their prefaces to be respectively in reference to their subsequent designs then their preface and their book will not be consentanies but disparates and the author of them a dissentany altornis vicibus to them both therefore Mr.
when we have answered we will pay him in his own coine That it was the prerogative of Christ alone among all grown men to know no sin and to be found solus in hominibus qualis quaerebatur in pecoribus not in peccoribus as he hath it alone such among men as was sought among the beasts an unblamable lamb without spot Here he having cited Isaiah 53.6 saying we like sheep have gone astray and Gal. 3.23 that the Scripture hath concluded all under sin he might have spared Augustine contra Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 13. and Gregorie lib. 3. in Reg. cap. 6. saying There is no man that hath not some corruption in him which he may and should lament For take all this as spoken of the unregenerate man or the regenerate that hath not fulfilled his course with Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 and we have often affirmed the same But he brings Hieronymus contra Jovinian lib. 2. saying No man is clean from sin though he live but one day upon the long earth Which is true of the sinful earth spoken of Collos 3.5 mortifie therefore your members upon earth although we know that in that saying Hierom and others suffered the Septuagints ill translation of Job to impose upon them But we had almost lest out Lactantius whom contra Gentes lib. 6. cap. 13. he alledgeth saying No man can be without sin so as he is burthened with the garment of the flesh We say so likewise if he understand it of that flesh which Saint Jude speaks of vers 23. hating even the garment spotted by the flesh if otherwise he himself was Lactantick with Lactantius Further he brings Bernard upon Cant. serm 2. saying Non peccare Dei justitia est not to sin is the justice and property of God but remission of sin is the justice of man To which we say that the former is but true in part for the elect Angels never sinned and the latter scarcely true at all for remission of sins is one thing and righteousness is another And where the remission of sin follows the righteousness of sanctification to purge them away must go before of necessity Acts 26.18 Sed unus Bernardus non vidit omnia And his own conclusions there are as false for saith he As the Ivy will not die untill the Oke be cut down but Experience shews that if you cut the Ivy at the root it will forthwith die so our sins will not die as long as we live which is as false as the other neither will it ever be abolished until death ends the conflict between the flesh and Spirit Then death which is but a privation is stronger then the Spirit And such Quacks as he is have a good warrant and pretence to kill many yea were it many thousands for by this means according to his doctrine they should put an end to this conflict of sin and send men presently to be perfected in glory Here not only souldiers whose trade is to kill but high-way-men poysoners and all murderers especially of the Saints might find a strong plea for their murders But he brings us more of this Ambrosia out of Ambrose de Paenit lib. 6. cap. 1. saying It is not the voice of thy family I am whole and need not a physician but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed But if it be the voice of his family of what family is the Vindicator who saith that the Lord cannot or will not heal us is it death that must do that work for us is it not the voice of his family first to come to him for an absolute cure and then with the woman who was cured of her bloody issue and the cleansed leper and many others to come and give God thanks But he goes on page 23 24. with Ambrose speaking thus to the Novatian hereticks of his time and saith it may fitly be turned to the Jesuits of our time Darest thou O Jesuit call thy self clean and holy albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy workes this one word were enough to make thee unclean To which I say first that the way wherein Paul worshipped the God of his Fathers was called Heresie Acts 24.14 Secondly we know no Jesuit that counts himself perfect unless it be by his profession But we hope that he will not henceforth when it cometh to a trial at Law deny that be called us Jesuits which is no less then to accuse us of a capital crime no better then treason for which by Gods Law he ought to suffer death himself unless he can prove it Deut. 19.17 18 19. or to incurre a great mulct for his slander above that the Jury awarded at Sarum March 15. 1657. But lastly this pretender to no less degree then of a Doctor of Divinity doth not see that there is a gross absurdity if not contradiction in the words which he fathers upon Ambrose saying albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy works this one word I am clean which in that case is but the truth were enough to make thee unclean We hope the Vindicator hereafter will not be too forward to speak the truth any more then he hath done heretofore lest as he saith out of Ambrose it make him unclean But he giveth us presently some Nectar to his Ambrosia saying with him agreeth Augustine Serm. 29. de verbis Apost There are some like vessels that are blown up with wind filled with an haughty spirit of election not sollidly great but swelled with the humour of pride who dare be bold to say that there are men found upon earth without sin Why are there no promises of such persons see Isai 1.24.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin See chap. 4.4 and 11 19. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that cover the sea Eze. 36.25 I will pour clean water upon them and from all their filthinesse and from all their jdols will I cleanse them Zeph. 3.13 The house of Jsrael shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes But we know what sort of Protestants at this day are puffed up with the spirit of election And it seemeth the Vindicator being conscious to himselfe or his party did not English those words of Augustine inflati viri spiritu electionis pleni men puffed up filled with the spirit of election though for him we do it But the Father demands of such How sayst thou that art just and holy this prayer Forgive us our sins Yes such may say with Saint Math. chap. 6.12 forgive us our debts to wit of love and thankfulnesse to God yea and of love to men for his sake which debt is so great that it can never to all eternity be paid Rom. 13.6 Owe nothing to any man but to love one another and with Saint Luk. chap. 11.9 they can say also Forgive us
Spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony heart out of you and I will give you an heart of flesh that flesh of Christ of which we spake before and will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my commandements and do them Luk. 1.72 73 74 75. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to our Father Abraham that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life With which agrees that which follows 2 Pet. 11.4 whereby exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust In both which places we may take notice that there are but two grand benefits promised in Christ the first in order of time and nature is deliverance from our spiritual enemies or our escaping out of corruption and the second is a partaking of the divine nature whereby we may serve God cheerfully and without fear in holiness and righteousness all our dayes Here is no mention made in these promises of the remission of sins either because it is an appendant to the first benefit God taking away the guilt with the corruption and fault or because the Lord counts it so inconsiderable a benefit in comparison of the other two that he makes no mention of it but casts it in over and above as Christ speaks Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you The fourth Topick shall be That this full obedience through the grace and help of God is made the condition to the greatest part of Gods promises and his spiritual blessings in special Exod. 19.5 6. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine c. And Exod. 23.20 21 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee the Angel of the covenant to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name or being is in him But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy to thine enemy and an adversary to thine adversaries See Levit. 26.13 all manner of blessings are promised upon this score Deut. 11.8.9 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandements that I command you this day that ye may be strong and go in and possesse the land whether ye go in to possesse it and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give unto them a land flowing with milk and hony which land is a type of the heavenly Canaan Deut. 28.1 15. And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to serve him and to do all his commandements which I command thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God blessed shalt thou be in the city c. Joshua 1.7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest Isaiah 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Ezek. 33.15 If the wicked restore the pledg give again that which he robbed walk in the statutes of life he shall surely live he shall not die Matth. 5.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Chap. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world Luk. 10.25 26 27. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life he said unto him what is written in the law how readest thou and he answered and said thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live See John 15.10 If ye keep my commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Heb. 10.36 For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Rev. 21.14 Blessed are they that do his commandement that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city The fifth Topick shall be The end of Christs coming to fulfill the law in us according to Gods covenant aforesaid Psal 22.30 31. A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation he shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this to wit wrought that righteousness in them Isaiah 53.10 He shall sow his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand See chap. 61.1 2 3. before cited Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth in men in his dayes Judah shall be saved from their enemies and Israel shall dwel safely And this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness to wit that righteousness which he executeth and worketh in his Saints Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy by bringing in the everlasting righteousness aforesaid Matth.
been disturbed and disquieted in their former opinions and purity by reason of the audaciousnesse and impudency of the opposers of his tenents we say it that we were are and we hope shall be bold in the cause of God against sin and Satan and the upholders of his kingdom but we were never so audacious and impudent as himself who in Suffolk changed his name and called himself Doctor Kendall of Pembrook-Hall How beit we will use his pretended motives for our reall incentives who saith and that truly therein that because many of the people are not able to buy volumes nor by reason of the weaknesse of their capacities and small growth in grace are able so readily to apprehend the clearnesse and perspicuity of the truth upon the hearing of them nor yet clearly to distinguish betwixt them and falshood vailed under truths svizard we have therefore for their satisfaction and the edification of all men as also for the confirmation of the truth presented unto publick view some few collections which being seriously weighed considered and digested may by the blessing of God enable the weakest if willing to discover truth from falshood Amen Now whereas he adds he is willing both to spend which is true of his own money and other mens also and to be spent for the Israel of God It is a grosse peece of hypocrisie for it is their way that he opposeth Psal 73.1 Surely God is good to Israel even to them that are of a clean heart And yet he saith it being the end for which we are what we are that is if he speaks of himself his way and practise a very Gusmond Finally he tels his Readers that they are upon the Stage Which is true of the Theatre of this world where we hope they will act Israels part better then he hath hitherto done and we will with him wish them to fight the good fight of faith which is not for sin or Satan as his Vindication tels us but for Christ against both and then we may as truly as he doth deceitfully assure them you and all the Israel of God that the victory shall be glorious more glorious then his hath been hitherto or is likely to be hereafter without a sudden and earnest repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory for ever Amen And now we crave leave to speak a word or two to those that have abetted the Vindicator or do any way favour his doctrine and therein to advertise them of these things in the name and bowels of Christ First that this doctrine is not the Protestants doctrine though it may be called a Protestant doctrine for there are many distinct Churches all whose faith and doctrine are called Protestant because in many things they protest against the Church of Rome of which the Calvinistical is the worst and most erroneous the Lutherans is the next and in some things more orthodox then the former And the third is the ancient English reformed Protestant which is far the best of all the three for our Reformers desired to tread in the footsteps of Antiquity according to their best sight and comprehension which the other and especially the Calvinists were carelesse to do and in many things refractory thereagainst and though we in the point of original sin may seem to differ from our English Church which received that by tradition from many of the Fathers yet when occasion shall serve we shall make it manifest that we have not only divine authority for that and other things also wherein we seem to some to be out of the common road but we have the first Fathers of the Church and the first reformers as well as many of the latter on our side and what dishonour will it bring to God or disconsolation to parents whose children die in infancy that we affirm that all children are now born without original taint or guilt or why should an allegoricall speech Rom. 5. of our naturall and personall Adam or an hyperbolical speech of David Psal 51. so far impose upon us though not rightly looked into by some others in many ages as openly to contradict many other Scriptures vindicating Gods mercy and justice Secondly that this doctrine of the Vindicators which we oppose is bottomlesse like the place from whence it came that is it hath no foundation in the Scripture whereas we have brought some hundreds of Texts and might have brought more to clear up the truth and piety of our tenents for we dare challenge all the Calvinists in the world to prove any of these assertions upon which the contrary doctrine is built by clear Texts of Scripture First that we shall not be perfected in grace till the day of Iudgment so as to be presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing whereas we have remonstrated two things to the contrary first that many places which our adversaries understand of that day speak clearly of Christs second coming to us in the Spirit and inner-man and secondly that we must be made holy and without blemish not in that day but before it and in order unto it Phil. 1.6 10 11. 1 Thess 5.32 1 Tim. 6.12 13 14 15. 2 Pet. 3.14 and secondly that we shall not be perfected in grace or the righteousnesse of sanctification untill we come into Heaven or the full kingdome of God for we have shewed that justification which is all one with sanctification must of necessity go before glorification Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. and so must full obedience and doing of Gods will if the Lord affords time and means be fore the enjoyment of the promises 2 Cor. 5.10 ' then we must receive the things done in our bodies that is a time not of sowing but of reaping reward Gal. 6.9 to wit of life and glory Heb. 10.36 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Thirdly they say that sin shall be mortified and abolished by corporal death and not by the spirit of grace only contrary to Rom. 8.13 but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live and Rom. 12.21 be not overcome of the evil but overcome the evil with the good See 1 Joh. 1.7 9. and chap. 14. and 5.3.4 Rev. 7.14 and 12.10 11. Fourthly they say that the Spirit of God will abolish the remainders of sin in the hour of the corporal death and not before contrary to the import of innumerable Scriptures Psal 31.15 My times are in thine hand deliver me from the hands of mine enemies and 39.13 ' O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen and 41.5 Mine enemies speak evil of me when shall he die and his name perish and vers 10 11. But thou O Lord be merciful unto me raise me up that I may requite them by this I know thou favourest me because mine enemies do not triumph over me and 54.4 5. Behold God is my helper the Lord is with them that uphold my soul he
that such as are in Christ who are truly incorporated first into his death and then into the similitude of his resurrection that they have no sin in them for they walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that Paul rejoyceth here that sin was not able to condemn him though it was in him as he had confessed in the former chapter that the evil that he would not that he did and that he saw a Law in the members rebelling against the Law of his mind But this sin will condemn any man where it remaineth as the Apostle saith Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sin is death and that of corruption Ephes 4.22 that ye put off the old man which is corrupting or destroying with its deceitful lusts for so the best Translators read the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being the Apostles argument why he would have the old man put off But he saith that here he expects Cajetan's or Aquinas his false exposition and he shall have it to do him a pleasure out of his own book pag. 23. by the former account Cajetan one of their own fraternity saith damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Yet the worst of these two Epositors here are and will be of better repute even among the Protestants then the Vindicators glosses ever were or will be He saith further that here he expects that of Mr. Parkers that the Apostle spake this when he was a babe in grace But this is another of Mr. Tendring's lies for he saith onely the contrary and proveth it out of Rom. 8.2 1 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 4.13 that Paul was not now in that weak and corrupt estate complained of Rom. 7.14 24. and that therefore he speaks it not of his own condition though figuratively in his own person but in the behalfe of such as were babes in Christ Pag. 26. by the former account he citing Pauls words 1 Tim. 1.15 that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am cheif bids us mark it that Paul speaks it not in the preterperfect tense of whom I have been chief but in the present tense of whom I am cheif as if Paul at that time were the chief of sinners But did ever any man besides himself that was not besides himself think or say so Is there not such a figure in the Scripture as Enallage temporum the putting of one tense for another Doth not Paul 1 Cor. 15.8 9 10. Ephos 2.4 5 6. Titus 3.3 4 5 6 7. and even at the 13 vers before set forth his corrupt estate of unbelief as a condition that was past But he goes on out of Paul his 2 Epist to I know not whom or what Church for none is named chap. 1. from vers 6. to the 13. to prove that Paul was not now a babe or child in Christ but rather an old man as he cals himself Paul the aged in his Epistle to Philemon Truly as old as the Vindicator would make himself he shews himself very young and childish in that his reasoning for we know none that affirms the thing that he goeth about to disprove but he loves to fight with his own shadow In conclusion he saith that these Jesuitical cavils which yet are his own are too well known and never did nor shall prevail against Gods truth Then he goeth on from Rom. 8.1 to the second verse upon which he makes as learned observations as he did formerly upon the first verse for whereas the Apostle saith that the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death Here saith he we may observe that the Apostle saith not that we are fully freed from sin in this life but from the Law of sin But first it is evident that Paul saith that he was made free from that Law of sin of which he had so much complained chap. 7.21 22 23. Secondly that he cals it a Law of death as he doth chap. 7.24 a body of death because it hath death and condemnation appendant to it and involved in it And thirdly that he was now actually even in this life and for the present freed therefrom And lastly that it was not the death of Christ that had thus freed him to wit from guilt leaving the pollution behind as this Champion of corruption speaks hereafter but it was the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that had now freed him both from that Law of sin and of death its concomitant so that he cannot possibly speak of his present condition in chap. 7. from ver 14. to the 24. And whereas he adds in the close of that page that Christian experience shews that no sort of men are more troubled with temptations then they whom God hath begun to deliver from the Law of sin Though this be true yet what is this to his purpose or the proposition which he would now maintain for we speak not what befals regenerate men at their first conversion but of that which they do or may attain by grace in the end Nor do all temptations arise from corruption they may proceed immediately from Satan and assault such as have no sin or corruption left in them as they did our first parents in innocency and Christ himself as he was man Heb. 4.15 Pag. 19. by the latter account he rols the old stone with Sysiphus saying that our deliverance from sin is but begun not perfected here but that God is faithful by whom we are called Then they are unfaithful that seek not to have the work finished Phil. 1.6 And there he breaks out into a great rapture saying blessed be the Lord that whereas before we were captives to sin now the case of the battel is altered Why what battel did we fight against sin before grace did convert us unto God That sin is become our captive through Christ Was it so with them in whose behalf Paul complaineth but I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin that is in my members we trow not sin was here too often the superiour That it remaineth in us not as a commander but as a captive of the Lord Jesus But doth it not till it be subdued often circumvent us and prevail against us and if so then that of Peter is true 2 Pet. 21.19 Of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage at leastwise for a time He saith further that the bolts of sin are yet upon our hands and are left to admonish us of our former miserable condition What are we under bolts and Irons and yet no prisoners or captives But Christ is sent to preach deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to wit against his enemies Esay 61.1 2
good and bad indifferently Christ onely excepted It is well he will except Christ himself here for he did not in his positions But he might have excepted all who were Christs truly unto the end Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Zephan 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth See Rev. 14.5 6. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God Therefore all his affirmations that follow in that page are false at leastwise in his sense and notion as That all mens hearts are alike by nature True they are alike moulded at the first but not corrupt as he would have it That corruption is not from the instrument but from the Author Then God must be the Author of our corruption by his doctrine That men beget children as they are men not as they are regenerate and holy men Yet the Apostle giveth the Saints some priviledge above others saying 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children unclean but now they are holy That nature with its corruption is derived but not grace for that is supernatural And is not corruption a preternatural and an adventitious thing also That grace makes no such change in this life but the hearts of the best are in some sort deceitful Which he presently contradicteth saying though he gave Nathaniel that praise that there was no guile in his heart Yea David saith he doth the like to any justified man Psa 32.1 2. howbeit saith he this is onely true of the spirit or regenerate part and not of the flesh of the old man who by reason of his age is often too hard for the young man where he contradicts himself in what he had said before that sin is our captive and doth not reign at any time but onely remaineth in the regenerate That it hath its deaths blow pag. 21. by the former account so that the best Expositors he meaneth for his tooth and palate read this Text thus the whole heart of the wicked is deceitful with a full strong and reigning deceitfulness and but part of the heart of the godly namely the unregenerate part but in a weaker measure as being discerned and stroven against That the heart of the wicked shews it self such in the whole course of their lives And yet by and by he contradicts himselfe saying that nevertheless the heart of the wicked may be upright in some particular actions as Abimelech was in taking of Sarah Gen. 20.6 That the heart of the godly is only deceitfull in some particular actions as David was upright in all things save in the matter of Uriah But I demand whether David might not have avoided even those sirs of bloodshed and murther by watchfulnesse and prayer as well as other Saints should have done if so he might have overcome all sinne and no doubt he did so in the end He saith further that every regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit True he is so at the first but not always Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death saith Paul where was then the flesh That hereupon ariseth the war in their hearts like the strugling in Rebecca's womb But did that strugling last all her life long That the regenerate here are but like the dawning of the day wherein darknesse and light are mixed But Solomon saith Pro. 4.18 The path of the just is like the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day That the regenerate may be like a cup of wine mingled with water True both at the beginning of their new birth and for a good space after yea all their life long through their own default which vessel or cup saith he is not halfe water and halfe wine but wholly wine and wholly water Doth the man understand what he saith By this saying of his and his similitude the regenerate should be wholly renewed and wholly corrupt which he contradicts with another comparison saying even as a vessel filled with equall proportions of hot and cold water it would make a dog spue to heare him it is not halfe cold and halfe hot it is both but wholly lukewarm that is partly hot and partly cold in all the parts of it If this be not a clear contradiction or an absolute piece of nonsense I know not what is such And whereas he saith that a regenerate man is partly holy and partly unholy in all the parts and powers of the body and soul what is he so in the regenerate part also of which he spake erewhile yet the denomination of a regenerate man is always given him in Scripture à parte praestantiore But he is mistaken where it hath not the upper hand it is otherwise 1 Cor. 11.3 13. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as spiritual men but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ I sed you with milk and not with strong meat for ye were not able to beare it nor yet are ye able for ye are yet carnal for whereas there are among you envying strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men He saith that the Lord who made the heart Pag. 22 by the new account pronounceth us all guilty of sin Gen. 6.5 Doth he so to us did we live in that age But yet it is true of every fallen man in the generall but that guilt doth not always lye upon the Saints for new sins and there he heaps many Texts of Scripture which speak of the state of the unregenerate to prove that the regenerate are here always sinful as Iob 5.2 Psalm 14.2 3 4 5. Isai 54.2 and 64.6 Rom. 3.3 19. Gal. 2.16 yea though the godly have many failings in their babeship and some in their growing up in which regard they cannot justifie themselves but must take guilt and shame to themselves as Iob doth chap. 8.29 30. and David Psalm 130.3 and 43.2 and Solomon testifieth of all men till they be throughly purged 1 Kings 8.46 That there is no man that sinneth not or may not sin yet none of those places lays upon us a necessity of continuing in sin all our days nor makes sin impossible to be subdued here by the grace and helpe of Christ which is the point that he should prove But he bids us mark what is written 2 Cor. 5.21 that Christ was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Which we admit but not in his sense saying that the Apostle doth not say actively that we should make or work out our own righteousnesse but positively he should have said passively that we should be made the righteousnesse of God and that not by our selves lest we should glory in our own
salvation but by another even Jesus Christ the righteous blessed for evermore But as the former part of his observation is false that we should not actually work out our own righteousnesse by Jesus Christ so it is evident that he understands not what he speaks in the latter words of his speech about being made righteous by another even Jesus Christ for there is no other righteousnesse for men to seek after but that which is required in the moral Law Deut. 6.25 And it shall be our reghteousnesse if we observe to doe all these commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us which yet is of two sorts or degrees the one is the righteousnesse of grace and justification whereby sin is to be purged out and the other is the righteousnesse of glorification of the former the Apostle speaks thus Rom. 5.17 Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign by one Jesus Christ and of the latter of these David thus Psalm 119. vers 142. Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse and thy Law is the truth and vers 144. The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting This is that David hoped for in the end Psalm 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse So Psalm 24.45 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord even righteousnesse from the God of his salvation and 69.27 Add iniquity to his iniquity and let him not enter into thy righteousnesse and Paul Gal. 5.5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse by faith 2 Tim. 4 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse And as both those are attained by faith so they are called the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 1.17 For therein to wit in the Gospel is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith vers 18. for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men So circumcision the signe of sanctification is called the seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 and the Apostle explaining himselfe Phil. 3.9 10. what that righteousnesse of God is which he would attain by the faith of Christ saith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead And both these are to be attained by Christ in which regard he is called the end of the Law for Righteousnesse sake to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 And as he is given by the Father that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.4 so he is called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 as is the holy Ghost the heavenly Jerusalem also in its descention unto us called likewise Jehovah sidkena the Lord our righteousnesse Jerem. 34.16 which is that life the Saints hoped for Gal. 5.5 as was said before If any man find any other righteousnesse of God unto salvation mentioned cleerly in the Scriptures let him takn it for his labour for that one mans obedience whereby many shall be made righteous Rom. 5.19 is the obedience of Christ within us to be attained by faith for the fulfilling of the Law and the former of those two righteousnesses and not his obedrence without us Let every one take heed how he casts his own soul or make the souls of others depend upon any other righteousnesse of God which hath no footing for it in the holy Scriptures but though there is no outward obedience of Christ for us that is made our righteousnesse by the Lord yet by his passive obedience Saints that forsake sin and subdue it by his grace are redemed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 By which he also perfects or completes for salvation those which are sanctified by faith in him Acts 26.18 Heb. 10.14 These things thus being opened and premised we shall appeal unto all that are godly-wise whether those that are desirous to be saved are not to work out their own righteousnesse and salvation by faith and obedience in Jesus Christ See Psalm 24.3 4 5 6. Isai 51.1 Harken unto me ye that follow after righteousnesse ye that seek the Lord chap. 56.1 Thus saith the Lord keep ye judgement and doe justice or righteousnesse for my salvation is neere and my righteousnesse ready to be revealed Phil. 2.12 13. Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but much more in my absence so work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure See 1 Tim. 6.11 12. But thou O man of God flee those things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love patience meekness fight the good sight of faith lay hold of eternal life David saith Psal 119.166 O Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and kept or done thy commandements and so must all do in Christ that will be saved Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that keep his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and enter through the gate into the city But he goeth on and saith out of Job Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Nor can this man bring any clean doctrine or pure wisdome unless by tradition from others out of his impure vessel Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin To which we answered before that this interrogation implieth paucity but not a nullity of such men witness that Text Is 55.3 Who hath beleeved our report But he saith page 23 by the new account That if my friends could produce but one such man and prove it then I would yield the bucklers But if we cannot produce any such man in our corrupt blind and unbelieving age shall our unbelief make the faith and promises of God of none effect for though it is true à posse ad esse non valet consequentia so it is as true that à non esse ad non posse fieri non est concludendum especially where we have Gods help ingaged by his promises if we will seek it But because we will now lay claim to the bucklers and that upon his clear and immediate promise we will shew him John with many his fellow-Apostles 1 Joh. 4.17 as was shewed before Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this present world we can also shew him many thousands as we have done before of such perfect ones even in this life Rev. 7.9 17. and 14.4 5 6. But here he produceth by the help of some good neighbours the testimonies of the Fathers for he never read them himself unto which
left in them Wherein take notice that the Vindicator that cals us Pelagians is herein a Pelagian himselfe as all his fellows are Secondly that whereas he should deny the Minor that concupiscence doth not make the regenerate obnoxious to Gods wrath he admits it and takes it for granted that neither that nor any other sin doth condemn the regenerate or make them obnoxious to Gods wrath and yet he confesseth them to be sins but saith that by accident it cometh to pass that they are not reputed for such but are pardoned by grace Which is true when they are repented of and left and so cease to be sins but not otherwise The fourth objection which he brings is this In baptisme original sin is taken away therefore concupiscence is no sin in those that are baptized Uunto which he answers by distinction yet without the least instinct of truth that by baptisme the guilt of sin is taken away Which we deny against some of the Fathers and the Schoolmen as having no warrant from the Scriptures But he confesseth that the worst part of sin and that which is most offensive to God remaineth even corruption and an inclination to sin But here we first say that the guilt is not taken away before or without the corruption Secondly that children when they are baptized have neither guilt nor corruption to be taken away for the present yet may lawfully be baptized in innocency as Christ himself was for a future document and sign And thirdly that in the baptisme of men grown and newly converted neither the acts and corruptions nor the guilt are taken away by outward baptisme only there is their duty in following of Christ in his death and resurrection under the hope of his grace and help for the present and of a full remission and eternal life in the end declared unto them therein by which also they observe and fulfill an outward ordinance oblige themselves to the said duty stand under that grace hoped for and are distinguished by an holy ordinance and Christian profession from other men Pag 41. he first concludes that original concupiscence is sin Which we never denyed and then he is so impudent as to say of us that were not these men past shame they would never goe about to revive such heresies as we hoped had been long since buried among us But who revived them he or we But mark his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there But so long as there is a Divell in hell or a Pope at Rome we must never expect to be freed from such disturbers of our peace But what disturbance have we made or what peace have we broken Thus he that hath played the boutefeu himselfe and hath without cause incensed all the neighbouring Ministers and people against us where he could get access and audience chargeth us with his own wicked practise of disturbance who live quietly and cause no commotion amongst men but only seek to awaken them out of security and sloth to watch and war aright against their sins and Ghostly enemies and that out of love to God and their souls and in order to their everlasting peace as well as their present welfare in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of perfection which is love to God and men the conquering of sin and the fulfilling of the Law But we must bear his false charge and challenge in this kind with the more meekness because the holy Prophets and Apostles have undergone the like accusation at the hands of injurious slanderous and outragious men and that upon the self-same account Acts 16.21 and 18.13 and 24.5 and as long as there is a Devil in hell and his hellish kingdom hath room in mens hearts and sets their tongues on fire as Saint James speaks chap. 3.6 we must expect no better usage at their hands till the old accuser of our brethren be cast ou◠of them Rev. 12.10 See Mat. 10.25 If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub much more will they do it to them of his houshold But in the end of pag. the 41 to the end of pag. the 48. he comes with his solutive medicines to answer some Scriptures which he saith we allege and wrest to maintain our errours But this he speaks by way of divination for divers of them we have not yet produced nor have we need to wrest those that we alledge for they speak that clearly which we would prove The first saith he is that Rom. 6.6 where Paul saith of the Christians who are baptized into the faith of Christ knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin may be destroyed from thence saith he they conclude that the corruption of old Adam is quite abolished that they are perfectly quitted from sin and perfectly renewed in grace But this is one of his forged lies for we neither cite that Scripture nor inferr any such thing from it but since he by preoccupation hath quoted it for us we shall without wresting it conclude that those which truly confess the Christian faith and baptisme both may and ought to be crucified with Christ and through his grace and help to destroy the whole body of sin and so we have promised by our sureties to doe when we were baptized unlesse we will be renegadoes with him Unto this Scripture he answers pag. 42 as he had done before without fear or wit truth or modesty that the guilt of sin which the Schools term the formal of sin but indeed is the fruit and effect of sin is taken away in baptisme The falshood of which we have shewed before the baptisme which he meaneth neither takes away the guilt nor corruption of sin for Simon Magus was baptized among the other Samaritans and yet was still in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Acts 8.20 Secondly as to the corruption he saith that the dominion of it is taken away but not the being of sin from Gods Saints because Paul saith Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the same Apostle speaks of himselfe I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and carrying me captive unto the Law of sin which is in my members But we shewed before that the infant-state of the Galatians being new-born babes in Christ is not the full strength and stature of young men in Christ and much lesse the dayednesse of old men or elders and experienced souldiers or Saints in Christ Secondly that Paul speaks not there of his own present condition And thirdly that this Text flies in his and their faces who affirm that all dominion of sin is taken away from such babes for this sin is a prince and a Tyrant it is not our slave but makes us its slave But he adds this that the Apostle saith not let not sin be in your mortal bodies but let it not reign Which is true in regard of Satans sinful motions as we said before
following are false and his are his old picklocks for first he saith though the Saints do grow up under the word and Sacraments yet it is not to the attainment of an exact obedience in this life to be without sin in this life and to have grace consummate but they grow and edifie one another in love But we speak not here what the Saints do actually but what they may and ought to do nor of their mutual edification of each other but of the words design and abilitie to build them up to the top or the finishing of the edifice for a skilful and a faithful builder gives not over till the structure is finished Secondly he saith that the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is attained onely in glory Which in his sense is false for here we may have a perfection of degrees as well as of parts to wit the perfection of sanctification or grace which we call the perfection of the way as we have often proved before whatsoever he saith to the contrary In the ninth place he brings in two or three Scriptures together out of Doctor Draytons sermon upon one and the same head as he might have found more of the same kind there They are these that the Apostle prayes for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 and surely they prayed for things feasible and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same be in vain John 17.25 I in them and they in me that they might be made perfect in one Unto which page 47 he gives in the old lying and sinful distinction for an answer namely That the Apostles prayed for the perfecting of the Saints and so did our blessed Saviour and they obtained what they prayed for that is to say to have them sincere in this life and to have grace consummate in the state of glory But we have proved that the sincerity which Paul prayed for in the behalfe of the Saints was a state devoid of sin and to be had before and in order unto the kingdome of glory Phil. 1.10 11. That ye may approve the things that are excellent and that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ and that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be reserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But he brings in two replies of ours by way of Anticipation likewise the first of which is this is sin pardoned and mortified and doth it yet remain Which he answers with his old crambe centies posita It is so pardoned as not to be imputed it s so mortified that the power and dominion of it is taken away yet it remaineth to be more and more mortified and wholly cast out at the death of the body and death shall be destroyed at the general resurrection and so it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed But though he and others have often and confidently affirmed that sin shall be cast out at the death of the body they could never bring one Text of Scripture for this article of their belief nor should they be able to do it though they live to the age of Methushelah whose name and life is a dart of death against sin and their position Then he brings in our second reply which as he saith is this When must sin be purged out if not in this life must we carry the remainders of sin into the kingdome of heaven whereinto no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21.27 To which he gives us his old thred-bare and beggarly we had almost said and lowsie answer that men shall not carry the remainder of sin into Gods kingdome with them but they shall lay it down at the death of the body Then there is hope that none shall go to hell for corruption or thereby be debarred from heaven there is hope also that the Vindicator may then lay down his lying and his other lewd prrctises against God and man at that day The thief saith he onely converted shall be that day in paradise Therefore he may safely continue in his sin till the hour of death But what if that thief had repented long before even from his first apprehension or perhaps from the committing of the fact for this is possible and the Scripture hath nothing to the contrary Yea what if he belived on Christ afore having heard of or seen his miracles though he had not the opportunity to confess him till now nor to pray unto him face to face nor doth he understand what paradise this was into which Christ and he entred for the first paradise is a submission unto Gods will even under the punishing hand of God and the last is the third heaven unto which Paul was caught by way of vision 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. And as for Rev. 21.27 he saith it is confessed by our own fraternity to be the state of the Saints in patria It s true all the reformed Churches and that of England whose first reformation might have been a pattern to all the rest doe almost generally conceive that the new Jerusalem or heavenly City of God spoken of Rev. 21 22. chap. is the state of the Saints in patria and so do the Papists also for the greatest part which of those then must be our fraternity But there are some of both Religions that hold the new Jerusalem to be an estate attainable in this life because John saw it descending down from heaven unto men as a tabernacle of God wherein they were to worship him and he heard a loud voice following and saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.1 2 3. But herein all doe agree that men must cease to be of Mr. Tondrings fraternity before they can enter into this state for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Then he concludeth with the like confidence as he begun And thus have I briefly proved unto you the truth of the point which yet hath not one point of truth in it That sin will have a being in the best of men while their souls have a being in these houses of clay And this I hope saith he may be sufficient to satisfie the people Yea and perhaps some of the Priests also who are very easily perswaded to sleep still in sin and loth to be put upon an hard encounter against the Canaanites for such are apt to believe the unbelieving spies and much more the Scout-master-generall who like his Master doth go to and fro compassing the earth and walking up and down in it And if saith he I shall meet with any
whereas the Apostle saith that God hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him where saith he the Apostle doth not say actively that we should make or work out our own righteousnesse but passively that we should be made so ex indebita misericordia of Gods free mercy the righteousnesse of God and that not by our selves but by another Jesus Christ blessed for evermore But what if he and all his adherents be herein grosly mistaken and shamefully deluded by Satans imposing a false gloss and understanding upon them if the main foundation upon which they build the hope of their salvation be sandy or rotten what will become of the whole building erected and settled upon such a basis Take notice then that the Apostles words which he here takes passively must be actively understood also and that we must get our selves to be made the righteousness of God in Christ by deriving and putting on his righteousness in the way of regeneration and renewing and strengthening grace to fulfill every commandement of God by his help and Spirit to this effect the Apostle John speaks John 1.17 For the Law came by Moses but grace and truth to fufill it came by Jesus Christ John 15.5 I am the vine and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit but without me ye can do nothing Rom. 5.17 How much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one man Jesus Christ vers 19. so by the obedience Christs obedience in us of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 8.3 4. But what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us not outwardly for us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 Rom. 14.7 8 9. For none of us liveth unto himself and no man dieth unto himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords for to this end Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living 1 Cor. 15.10 But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was in me was not in vain but I laboured more then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me 1 Cor. 1.31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God wisdome that is in the understanding righteousness in the will not onely sanctification in both but redemption or glorification also 2 Cor. 5.15 And that he therefore died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again Gal. 3.24 For the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified or made righteous by faith But of this more anon in answer to the Vindicators next words And thus saith the Vindicator doth the Apostle speak Phil. 3.9 That he might be found in Christ But let us call in that whole Text to give in evidence for us against him Phil. 3.5 6. Paul tels that concerning zeal he was zealous as the Vindicator is unto persecution persecuting the Church touching the righteousness of the Law taught and required by the Jews not onely in observance of their traditions and the ceremonial Law onely but of the moral Law so far as an unregenerate man could compass the same by his own strength he was blameless then in the seventh eighth and ninth verses he tels us upon what score he gave over that righteousness and all his native priviledges as he was an outward Hebrew or Jew But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of or from God by faith Thirdly at the tenth and eleventh verses by way of exegesis he declares what that righteousness of Christ is which he so much longeth for namely first the righteousnes of grace that I may know him and the power of his reusurrection but wherein or whereunto and the fellowship of his sufferings to suffer out all temptations or to die unto sin in a suffering way is the onely way of overcoming all sin which because the world knows not they deny the possibility of the work being made conformable to his death vers 10. and then the righteousness of glory in the 11 verse if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead both partly here in this life in the similitude of Christs resurrection wherein Christ riseth in them in great power and glory and hereafter in a more transcendent estate when they obtain a glorified body which the Apostle looked for Phil. 3.21 Therefore the Vindicators conclusion hence is a non sequitur to wit that no man can by grace in this life perform such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same But in page 49 and page 50 he comes with great variety of words and little truth to shew how the Law may be said to be possible or impossible unto us and as to the first he saith it is possible in a two-fold sense first in regard of outward order and discipline But this is rather one use and effect of the Law to set up and keep such order then properly its possibility Secondly he saith it is so by the imputation of Christs righteousness by the benefits of justification and regeneration which benefits he saith be obtained by faith But we have shewed already that justification and sanctification are not two but one benefit wherein the righteousness of Christ that is of grace is freely imputed and given to the believer that seeks it aright For such saith he God looks upon in the face of his Son to wit if the Son be present there with his righteousness in whom alone he is well pleased Matth. 3.17 And his fulfilling of the Law is their fulfilling of it to wit if it came to pass within them but not without them as he meaneth though not in the same manner yet to the same and as good effect as it had been done by themselves alone which saith he is thus done He for them yea and both with them and in them
therefore all these are vain words and lying promises wherewith he would comfort himselfe and others without any ground of truth Text of Scripture But he saith pa. 51. that the Law should be fulfilled in this life is denyed by some of our own fraternity sin is condemned saith Cajetan but not extinguished But if he abuse him not let him henceforth own him for one of his fraternity as he may Bellarmine about original sin many more Papists both of the Jansenians Anti Jansenians in other points which he holds forth with Romea good creatures as he cals them yet we wil not so impudently say that he hath wages from the Pope unlesse we knew it But here he fals upon the second proposition or member of his second position telling us that the Apostle saith positively that no man shall be justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.26 and yet the same Apostle saith Rom. 2.13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified and St. James backs him saying chap. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Law and not hearers onely deceiving your own souls for none else shall be found righteous before God as we have proved before And therefore he and we had need to have recourse to Christ for grace to fulfill it in us Rom. 8.7 for which purpose that Text which he next alledgeth but in a false sense and to a deceitful purpose must be both a direction and support unto us in this case Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to all that believe nor doth that of Galat. 2.21 dissent therefrom or any way thwart the same we do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness be by the Law and our own weak and humane obedience performed thereunto without the assisting and renewing grace of Christ then Christ died in vain both as to meriting the pardon of our guilt as also to example and motive also but we say there is no way for the fallen and corrupt man to enter into life but through conformity to Christs death in the burial of all known iniquity which yet the Vindicator holds to be for attainment impossible Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3. and yet it remains inviolate which he cites out of Gal. 3.11 That no man is justified by the Law or our own unregenerate works before God but the just shall live by faith to wit first the life of grace and then the life of glory also that 18 verse stands intire If the inheritance by the Law and our own obedience thereunto without the assistance of grace it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise But it is false which the Vindicator subjoyns It is faith that answers the promise to wit by closing with it and deriving from Christ by way of regeneration the things promised but obedience saith he holds no proportion with it Yes the obedience of faith must do it or else actum est de animabus in some measure Matth. 7.21 Rev. 22.14 18 19. But here he first cites Rom. 8.3 But that which was impossible to the Law insomuch as it was made weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh and afterwards he gives his connexion and false gloss upon the Text saying the Apostle having in the first verse set down a proposition of comfort to those that are in Christ he confirmed it in the second where also he shews us in his own person who they are to whom there is no condemnation in Christ namely to such whom the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed from the Law of sin and death and no other are absolutely and actually freed from that condemnation but they though others that are still in the work have a conditional promise of that freedome Vers 13. but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live But the Vindicator saith that the Apostle here shews us how Christ hath freed us from the condemning power of sin How is that not by his death alone as he would have it but by the Law of the Spirit of life in the first place subduing unto those that are dying with him the Law of sin and death But how is that done saith the Vindicator that is saith he Christ taking upon him our nature and therewith the burthen of our sins hath condemned sin in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemn This is false as he understands it for sin hath a condemning power so long as it remaines unmortified in us as the Apostle witnesses Rom. 6.23 and 7.24 and chap. 8.13 as we proved before Christ hath purchased the pardon of sin by his death and hath it in his own hand to dispose of but bestows it upon none save so farre as sin is bewailed and left There is then another body of Christ which must take away the condemning power of sin and that is the body and flesh of his like sufferance and grace and that in order to that purchased pardon of which the bread broken in the supper of the Lord is a type as well as of the flesh of Christs word Jer. 15.16 And this benefit saith the Vindicator doth the Apostle amplifie shewing that by no other means we could obtain it Yet we have shewed you but even now another means which must go before the pardon of sin for as saith he there is but one way without Christ for men to come to life namely the observance of the Law which way is still retained also in Christ Matth. 19.17 Rev. 22.14 he lets us see saith the Vindicator that it was impossible for the Law to wit now that we are fallen to save us and this impossibility proceeds not from any impotency in the Law but from our selves as the Vindicator truly sets it forth and that in a three-fold respect for first it craves of us that which we cannot perform even an absolute obedience unto all the commandements and that under pain of death But whereas the Vindicator saith page 53. that that obedience may most justly now be required of us because that by creation he means in our first parents we received an holy nature and ability from God to keep this Law This is a false ground as we have proved before yet here in words he expresly contradicts his former doctrine saying that by reason of the depravation of our nature drawn on by our selves which is as much as we affirm in that kind it is impossible that we of our selves can keep or perform the Law Secondly because the Law could not give us that whereof we stood in need to wit a full discharge for our infinite debt of guilt contracted by transgression for saith he it promiseth no pardon but binds us fast to the
promised to the keepers of the Law then the promise had been vain So it had without grace in Christ Secondly if righteousnesse were by the Law then Christ had dyed in vain because it were superfluous for him to dye for us if we could attain it by the works of the Law and therefore it is apparent that by the works of the Law no flesh living can be justified Thirdly for hypocriticall Gospellers such as seem Saints in ostentation that they may play the divell without suspicion as John Tendring did till he went away who say they have faith but shew forth no works which are not vailed with hypocrisie and which are not done or intended to wrong ends for such saith he let Isaiah tell you how acceptable their works be to God and whether they be like to justifie them Isai 1.16 17. For the Lord complaineth that he is weary of them and that his soul hateth them and bids them bring no more such sacrifices to him But we demand of him whether those men were Gospellers or pretended Professors whether the works which the Lord there forbids were Ceremonial or Morals For he forbids not the works of the Moral Law Fourthly he saith that for true Christians that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God if any works could justifie it must needs be their works which are wrought in and through them by the spirit of God and yet we say quoth he that the best works of the best regenerate men cannot justifie them before God And thus we prove it how doth he that First because all the graces that we receive in this life are given to us but in part page 55. sure they are wholly and freely given as we shewed in the proof of the other positions and so they are imperfect grace But see how he contradicts himself and lyes against the Holy Ghost in his next words which are these not that the Spirit of Gods works imperfectly but that he means not to inrich us with any grace here while we are conversant with sinful men in this vale of misery but only so far forth as he seeth it fit to bring us unto the kingdome of perfection where that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 But what if Paul looked for that here saying when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part or but a piece-work shall be abolished and swallowed up verse 11. yea what if Paul all that time enjoyed that which is so perfect for he saith verse the 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things And if so then the Vindicators conclusion will stand against us like the walls of Jericho which fell flat to the ground which follows in these words And therefore our inherent justice being but as our knowledg is imperfect and therefore it is impossible that it should perfectly justifie us before God But we have overthrown that supposition of his before Secondly he saith that though our good works are perfect in respect of the Spirit of God which effecteth them yet they are tainted when they pass through us who are so subject to sin as waters running through a dirty channel and therefore cannot justifie us before God in whose presence every polluted thing stands condemned whence the Prophet saith Is 64.6 All our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth But neither are all Saints subject to sin all their life long nor can that which proceeds from Gods Spirit be tainted by us nor is that the righteousness of Saints but of sinners and unregenerate men which is so menstruous as is said before Howbeit he brings in Gregorie's saying Moral lib. 21. cap. 15. and lib. 3. cap. 7. All mans righteousness should be unrighteousness if God should strictly judge it and then Augustine's saying Wo to the most laudable and best life of men Unto which we first oppose these sayings of the Apostle 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him chap. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous chap. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment and then those of the Psalmist Psal 11.2 3 4 5 6. and 119.1 2. and 128.1 2. unto which we could adde many more Howbeit he goeth on in the same lying strain saying if God laying aside his mercy should discusse our lives or righteousness in the strictness of his justice it would be so for God is a God of purer eyes who charged his angels with folly Indeed Eliphaz one of Jobs back-friends and of John Tendring's gain-saying spirit saith so but falsly Job 4.17 18. for the Lord never charged any but the fallen Angels with folly so But he tels us further if you will believe him that the best of men when he lives on earth is both a Saint and sinner a Saint by reason of grace wrought in him and a sinner by his own natural corruption which in some measure tainteth every grace of God and therefore the best of these who being compared with their fellows might seem just indeed yet looking to the strictness of Gods justice they disclaimed all their own righteousness What that of grace and regeneration also But who are those Saints St. Eliphaz a lying and contentious zelot with whom God is highly displeased Job 42.7 But he brings in Job himself saying chap. 9.2 3. But how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him to one of a thousand and David Psal 130. and 143. 2. of which we said before that all this is true of man in his corrupt estate and for a time afterwards but not of the Saints best estate and growth upon earth For whereas he saith page 56. that Paul affirmeth 1 Cor. 4.4 that he knew nothing by himself it is true But whereas the Apostle addeth that he was not thereby justified he renders a false reason of that saying of the Apostle and contradicts himself also saying though he served God most faithfully in the inner man yet he saw another law in his members warring against the law of his mind and hence he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death What did he feel surely a law of sin and felt such a body of death continually and yet knew nothing by himself Good Hyperbolick bring your ends nearer together as the servant said to his lying mother Thirdly saith he that although it were granted that some works of the Saints were perfectly good yet any one sin blotteth out the remembrance of our former righteousness Ezek. 18.24 But that Text speaks of a final Apostasie from righteousness not of one actual
sure we shall be no longer accounted innovators by him nor his opposite doctrine be esteemed orthodox But now at length he comes to the second branch of his second position which as he saith hath these two parts to be considered First that no man can be justified by the works of the Law Secondly that we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Christ Both which are true and suit well with what we speak if rightly understood And concerning the first he saith he hath cleared it before but he hath obscured it rather by bringing the works of the Spirit under the works of the law as he will do it again by and by And here he tels us that the Apostle Paul reasons admirably and plainly to this point Rom. 11.5 6. saying If salvation be of grace it is no more of works for else grace were no more grace and if it be of works it is no more of grace for else works were no more works So that it is evident say we that the works that are here recited are not works of grace but works before without and against grace But salvation saith he is by grace for by grace are we saved though faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Ephes 2. And our Saviour tels us plainly that when we have done our best we are unprofitable servants And such a servant will he be for the Church and his doctrine also unto which he pretends And reason it self saith he drawn from the Scripture doth sufficiently prove that we cannot be justified by our works for if any works justifie us saith he they must be done either before or after justification but no works before our justification can justifie us saith he page 61. because an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit and these works not being done in faith must needs be sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.5 6. Thus he goes about to maintain that which is true in it self with false grounds as we have shewed before whereupon St. Paul saith quoth he that all men before they be engrafted into Christ which as yet he is not are servants of sin farre from righteousness and bring forth no other fruits but such as deserve shame and death Which is all as false as the other for Cornelius was not as yet grafted into Christ when the Angel commanded him to send for Peter and yet he brought forth many good fruits Acts 10.1 2. as we shewed before Secondly saith he Reason it self tels us that our works done after grace cannot be the cause of grace Yes they may be some cause or means to procure a subsequent grace for how can that which cometh after be the cause of that which went before for the cause must precede the effect and so Augustine tels us that good works do not go before him that is to be justified which is not true in every behalf as we have shewed but they do follow him that is already justified and therefore they can be no more the cause of justification then good fruits are the cause of the goodness of a tree and that place of the Apostle saith he which I cited before proves it Rom. 3.20 by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified But there are good works which follow converting and sanctifying grace which yet may precede the great work of justification and nevertheless are no works of the law against which Paul disputes in this controversie For first saith he Paul tels us verse 9. that all both Jews and Gentiles are under sin because all are transgressors of the law true and therefore all the world must be guilty before God and can no way be justified by pretending innocency and righteousness in keeping the law true likewise Secondly he shews the reason why no flesh can be justified by the law because the law convinceth of sin for by the law cometh knowledge of sin But what he addeth in the next place is partly false and wholly impertinent but the law saith he convinceth them that are under grace some of them it doth who therefore had need to seek the justification which yet they want of sin and who have the greatest measure of grace this is ungraciously spoken to be sinners Phil. 3.9 But that Text speaks of Paul's first conversion to Christ not of his last and best estate Therefore saith he but by a non sequitur they that do the works of the law by the help of grace cannot be justified by the Law yes in one sense they may because the law is with them and not against them Gal. 5.23 because the law sheweth them likewise to be sinners by which words he contradicts himself as well though not as great as those are who endeavour to keep the law without the help of grace with which he is better acquainted then with the other way of keeping it and therefore saith he the Apostle concludeth thus that we are justified by the righteousness of God without the law as ye may in his sense see Rom. 3. from verse 20. But whereas he adds his own subinference thereunto saying therefore we are not justified by any righteousness of the law done either by the help of grace or without the help of grace that is neither the Apostles doctrine nor true in it self and the reason which he yields for his said assertion is devoid of reason saying for he that obeyeth the law howsoever he doth it by the help of grace or by his own strength yet he hath the same righteousness Which we say is false because those two differ as much as weakness and strength as flesh and spirit and as that which is natural from that which is spiritual yea as heaven and earth from each other Yet saith he fondly the righteousness of the Law because of the different manner of obtaining it altereth not the thing But the Apostle saith he sheweth a great deal of difference between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith so he might as to matter manner and measure for Moses described saith he the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things however he doth them by his own strength or some other help if he doth them shall live by them But this is a false gloss of his upon Moses for so there shall be no difference between the righteousness of the law required by Moses and the deeds of the foregoing Testament and the righteousness of faith in the nevv Testament Rom. 10.5 But the righteousness of faith speaketh in this wise If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shall be saved vers 6 9. And therefore saith he because the Apostle opposeth doing of the law and believing in Christ and not the doing of
5.17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfill to wit in us as for us for verily I say unto you that till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled and that in us as the next words there prove Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandements and teach men so he shall be counted least in the kingdome of heaven c. Rom. 8.3 4. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 1 Cor. â— 30 Who is made of God unto us wisdome in the understanding righteousness in the will and not onely sanctification in both but redemption in fulness also Ephes 5.25 26 27. As Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Titus 2.14 Who loved us and gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The sixth Topick shall be from the end of the law and the written word of God Psalm 111.4 5 6. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements vers 89. For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven And vers 105 106. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for our learning that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we should have hope 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work See 2 Pet. 1.19 ' We have also a sure word of prophesie unto which ye do well to give heed as unto a light shining until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts The seventh Topick shall be from the end of the ministry of the word set up in the Church by the Lord himself Ephes 4.11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ For which end see the Apostles suitable practise Coloss 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ As for the Topick of the end of the two Sacraments we have spoken before The eighth Topick then shall be the prayer which Christ hath taught us to pray and which his Apostles yea Christ himself hath prayed for this perfection Matth. 6.10 Thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 2 Cor. 13.9 And this also we wish even your perfection Ephes 3 19. That ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Phil. 1.10 11. That ye might be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse c. Coloss 1.9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord to all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work chap. 4.10 labouring fervently for you in prayer that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God 1 Thess 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards all men as we do towards you to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse chap. 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Did those Ministers of God pray against perfection in this life as the Vindicator and a certain Minister in Salisbury who came out of New-England rather then out of new Jerusalem are said to to have done Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will 1 Pet. 5.10 Now the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternall glory by Jesus Christ after ye have suffered a while make you perfect c. Joh. 17.23 I in them and they in me that ye may be made perfect in one saith Christ The ninth Topick shall be the admission of this work as possible every where in Scripture Psal 112. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandements and 119 1â—2 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquitie they walk in his ways Ezek. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn away from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Luk. 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law are justified Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye do dwell chap. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man 1 Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous for whatsoever is born of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1
me so we are justified by faith in Christ Gal. 2.16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Christ Thirdly as we are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ so we are justified by that Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But now ye are washed but now ye are sanctified but now ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Fourthly as sanctification is taken for a washing away of sin so is justification also Ibid. 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but now ye are washed but now ye are sanctified but now ye are justified Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Fifthly sanctification is taken for a positive or infused holiness or righteousness whereby the contrary unrighteousness is purged out 1 Thes 4.3 For this is the will of God even your sanctification and chap. 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly So is justification used for an inherent holiness and righteousness Isaiah 45.24 25. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength even unto him shall men come and all that be in censed against him shall be ashamed for in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified in way of inherent righteousness and strength communicated unto them as was said in the former verse and shall glory Sixthly as this sanctification is gradually attained so is justification also Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still but he that is justified let him be justified still and he that is sanctified let him be sanctified still that is more and more where justification and sanctification are used for an inhesive holiness or righteousness as was said before Seventhly as sanctification is communicated and given to make us obedient unto the law that it may be fulfilled by us so is justification also Rom. 8.4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledg of God or through the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ Eighthly as forgiveness of sins follows sanctification as an individual companion of those sins that are purged away by it Acts 26.18 that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me so that remission of sins is not justification but an effect or concomitant of the same Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who shall condemn So did our Church believe and did pray for children and persons to be baptized saying Almighty and immortal God the aid of all that need c. We call upon thee for these infants that they coming to thy holy baptism may receive remission of their sins by spiritual regeneration Ninthly whereas our Saviour makes the new birth absolutely necessary to salvation John 3.3 Verily I say unto you that unless ye be born again ye cannot see the kingdome of God so Saint Paul leaves out sanctification in order of causes unless sanctification and justification be all one Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called those he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And so doth our Church in the 39. Article speak of sanctification under justification or else leaves it out as needless which were impiety in us to think which is yet more clear out of the thirteenth Article thus intituled ' Of works before justification The words of the article are these Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make us meet to receive grace Tenthly every grace and vertue of God whereby we perform obedience to Gods law is called a justification and all the graces of the Saints are named as so many particular justifications Rev. 19.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white for the white linnen is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or justifications of Saints Hence it is that Basil Psal 118. according to his account 119. upon vers 2. he cals the commandements justification as those which are to justifie or make just those that observe them rightly so before Psal 119.7 the law c. Eleventhly by doing and fulfilling of the law which we do accomplish by the grace and Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.4 we become fully justified before God Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified Lastly as we are sanctified by the blood that is the Spirit of Christ Heb. 10.29 Of how much forer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God and counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified an unholy thing and done despite to the Spirit of grace So we are justified by the same blood Rom. 5.9 How much more being justified by his blood shall we be saved from wrath through him Hence it is also that the Apostle speaking of the love of Christ to him and his fellow-Apostles and Saints saith who hath loved us and washed us in his own blood and made us Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.5 6. where Saint John speaks of the work of justification See 1 Pet. 2.9 10. compared with Exod. 19.5 6. Concerning which work of justification by Christs internal righteousness take these few testimonies of the Fathers following instead of many more which might be alledged Justin Martyr in quaest ad Orthodoxos before cited But what is the universal righteousness of the law To love God above himself and his neighbour as himself which is not impossible to those men that apply themselves thereunto Wherefore the Apostle did not therefore say that no flesh should be justified by the works of the law because we cannot perform impossible things but because we will not do possible things Cyprian serm 6. de oratione Domini speaking of the Publican that went away rather justified then the Pharisee saith he by his humiliation deserved to be sanctified c. Where he makes sanctification and justification to be one and the same thing Hieron in lib. 1. dialog advers Pelag. That a man is not condemned for that which he hath not but is justified for what he hath Ambrose lib. 6. exam cap. c. I pray thee answer whether justification seem to conferred upon thee according to the mind But thou canst not doubt seeing justice or righteousness from whence justification hath its derivation but that it belongs unto the mind and not unto the body Epiphanius doth not onely make righteousness and goodness to
3.5 the Laver of regeneration c. for no unclean thing can enter Rev. 21.27 and Christ said John 15.3 Now you are clean through the word I have spoken to you and James 1.18 it is said Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth But we presume to adde yet a little further to shew how needful it is to prove from the text or context that the sense we fix upon a Scripture-axiom is the proper sense which the Holy Ghost intendeth in the said place Because one Mr. Stevens of Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire hath set forth a book which he intitles A three fold defence of original sinne in reference to the old common notion thereof in which book he saith p. 94. that the Examiners of the late Synods Confession of faith deal sophistically with him and his party in leaving out their chief argument which lieth hid we confess to us in 3 John 6. But if it do appear that we have sophisticated with them we acknowledge that they may justly according to their large power of admitting or hindring interdicere nobis aquâ igne sed qui non est sponte nocens we desire him to pardon for we do profess to him that we did not dream of such a best in the said place among all their weak arguments for their tradition of original sinne as aforesaid The sense Mr. Stevens sixeth upon those words John 6.3 That which is born of the flesh is flesh is that original sinne and the impurity of the natural birth is meant by the same words and therefore there is a necessity of a new birth spoken of v. 5. from original sinne Which we grant if it be in all men but that is petitio principii it s the thing to be proved though yet there is a necessity of a new birth according to v. 5. and for the reason added v. 6. but we challenge Mr. Stevens who boasteth of this place to contain being as little to the purpose as the rest their chief argument to prove for as yet he hath not done it that Christ meant by flesh from which that which is flesh is born is original sinne and impurity by nature which we openly deny as it were at the market-crosse 1. Because flesh in Scripture is taken in more senses then Mr. Steven's his distinction of flesh in the said place p. 94. doth comprehend Secondly because flesh is more largely taken in Scripture then he can yet fathom within his apprehension and opposite also to the sanctifying work of the Spirit therefore we say Mr. Stevens distinction and his explication of it doth not prove what he with rash confidence affirmeth Now that flesh is taken in Scripture in other respects then Mr. Stevens mentioneth as aforesaid these following Scriptures do evidence 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth we know him so no more Let Mr. Stevens apply the said place to his sense of flesh John 3.6 and make good and Christian-like sense of the said words if he can for there is spoken of a knowing Christ no more after the flesh although they had known him so before now to know them after the flesh must intend not to own them after the flesh any more because Paul could not but know them after the humane flesh by reason all are in that condition to be outwardly conversed with Secondly He did never know that is own Christ at any time after the flesh as it is meant by Mr. Stevens in the second member of his distinction for Christ was not born in original sinne nor yet lived at any time in the corruption of nature Hence flesh in this place doth not come under any member of Mr. Stevens destinction Again flesh in this place is the same in sense as appeareth by Pauls expression in reference to men and the reason of the Apostles disowning any man henceforth after the flesh is grounded upon his disowning Christ after the flesh any more for so the arguing lieth clear by the emphatical expression or revocation yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth we know him so no more therefore the flesh is to be taken in that place in the same sense as it relateth to men and Christ and Paul would henceforth know neither men nor Christ after the flesh hence its plain that the flesh there was a state in contradistinction to the Spirit or his other sanctifying work of the Spirit in which Paul would not henceforth know them in Again in John 6.63 flesh is taken in another sense then Mr. Stevens doth apprehend But to come nearer to the sense of flesh as it may suit with John 3.6 flesh is taken Gal. 3.3 not for corruption of nature in any kind because none can think the Galatians ever did expect to be perfected by sinneful nature after they had begun in the Spirit much lesse did Paul drive at it so as to upbraid them for attempting to be perfected by the flesh in that sense but for the fleshly ordinances they were turning back unto after they had begun in the Spirit as doth plainly appear in chap. 4.21 22 c. chap. 5.1 2 3. So Heb. 7.16 the Ceremonial services in which the Sribes and Pharisees rested in and were captived to are called the carnal comman dement So Heb. 9.11 12. Hence the observances of them were but carnal because the ordinances were but fleshly Hence that which is born of the flesh is still flesh according to Christs words John 3.6 Now with Mr. Stevens his favour in this sense of flesh and not in his of original sinne and impurity of the birth did Christ teach Nicodemus first the necessity of a new birth Secondly the necessity of it by the water and Spirit which are the two copulate causes of it named by Christ and that upon the reason Christ giveth from the nature of the cause to the like nature of the effect in two instances v. 6. that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit for it was in that flesh that is in fleshly ordinances that he and others were captived in therefore not in Mr. Steven's sense of flesh did Christ intend that instruction to Nicodemus because Christ had no occasion given him from Nicodemus to fall upon the doctrine of original sinne this appears from Nicodemus discourse with him owning him upon his working such works to be a teacher come from God our Saviour knowing Nicodemus was a master in Israel v. 10. and likewise well knowing wherein all the present masters of Israel stuck and what they gloried in being puffed up though captived with fleshly ordinances Col. 2.17 18 c. he taught Nicodemus a new lesson of the necessity of his and their new birth from better principles then fleshly rules and services which onely served Heb. 9.13 but to the
he cast into the Sea then that he should offend a little one 9. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 7.2 where ' it is said With what measure thou metest it shall be meted unto thee again 10. Qu. What is meant by the false ballance Prov. 11.1 ' where it is said A false ballance is an abomination to God but a just weight is his delight See Prov. 16.16 20.10 Levit. 19.35 36. The reason of this Querie is because ' it is said Dan. 5.27 that the King was weighed in the ballance and found too light therefore other things are weighed besides natural or artificial things 11. Qu. What doth the Psalmist mean by those words ' Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law 12. Qu. What is the scope and intent of the Lord in those words Mal. 2.8 9. Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts v. 9. Therefore have I made you contemptible and base before all according as you have not kept my ways but the people have been partial in my Law 13. Qu. What did David mean by that 1 Sam. 26.19 For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other Gods 14. Qu. What is meant Heb. 8.10 11. After those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people v. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least unto the greatest 15. Qu. What is the meaning of those words of the Psalmist Psal 119.98 99 100. Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser then my enemies for they are ever with me v. 99. I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditations v. 100. I understand more then the ancients because I keep thy precepts 16. Qu. What is the meaning of that 2 Cor. 8.13 Not that one should be eased and another burdened but that there may be equality 17. Qu. What is the meaning of that Ezek. 17.18 19. The reason is because of the sore threatning declared by the Prophet for breaking oath with the King of Babel and we see that the Lord calleth it the despising of his oath and the breaking of covenant with him What will the Lords displeasure be lesse against such who have lifted their hands to him to reform in doctrine and discipline according to the word of God Exitus actu probabit what will you do in the latter end thereof Jer. 30.23 24. 18. Qu. What is the meaning of that Revel 2.2 3 4 5 6. The reason is because the Lord threatens to remove the Candlestick unlesse they repented for that they had left their first love 19. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 1.20 where it is said The wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God 20. Qu. What doth the Apostle mean v. 26. where he saith If any seem to be religious and refrain not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 21. Qu. What is meant by that Math. 23.25 where it is said These things thou oughtest to have done and not to have left the other undone 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that Jam. 2.7 where it is said 'Faith without works is a dead faith The reason is because we are said by many to be justified by faith alone without works which if so then we are justified by a dead faith according to St. James and its contrary to the justification of Abraham v. 21 22. 21. Qu. What is the meaning of that Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man fall by an occasion you who are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meekness considering thou thy self maist be tempted one way or another The reason of this Querie is because of that mentioned v. 1. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Rom. 15.1 You that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak which are but such for a time 1 John 2.12 13 14. 22. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 15.26 where it is said ' The last enemie which shall be destroyed is death The reason is first because it s said v. 25. ' Christ must reign untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet and death is said there to be the last therefore what death is meant there is worthy of Divines enquiry Secondly if it be so that death is the last enemy then all sin must be destroyed before death come and so sinne shall not remain in all Saints as long as they live 23. Qu. What is the meaning of that 1 Cor. 11. v. 26. where it is said So ost as you eat c. you shew forth the Lords death untill he come The reason of this Querie is because it is spoken to every one who rightly receiveth the Lords Supper and if so it cannot be meant of his last coming which is so much spoken of among Divines 24. Qu. What is the meaning of that Luk. 18.8 where it is said ' When the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth The reason of this Querie is because we believe that it is not likely to be meant of the rarity of the faith to be-lieve that Christ came to save sinners or that he was made man to suffer for our sinnes 25. Qu. What is the meaning of that Rom. 8.4 where it is said That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The reason of this Querie is because it is usually affirmed that Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness of the law for us and the Apostle saith that it might be fulfilled in us 26. Qu. What is the meaning of that Mark 16.17 18. And these signs shall follow them that believe In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly poyson it shall not hurt them and they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover The reason of this Querie is because these signs are declared to follow not the Apostles who were to preach the belief in their order every believer as to know â—hether they believe a right or not which is set down ver 16. to be of that ' necessity that he who believeth not shall be damned therefore it concerneth us much to know whether we believe aright yea or not hence these signs shall follow them which believe and the believers shall do these ensuing things in their order It doth therefore concern us to find out what is contained under those stupendious expressions that every