another Sir Recollect your self I cannot remember that ever I saw your face more than three times in my Life before I saw you lately in Norwich The first time I saw you was upon the Road on Horseback I met a Friend upon the High-way that you were travelling with I saluted him and he told me your name and so after a few words you went your way and I mine The second time was about fifteen years since going to see a Neighbour that lay Bed-rid he was one of your way but I think a Godly Man and I visited him several times in Love you was there and we had two Hours Discourse and all about Controversies The third time was about eight Years since you came into a Friends House where I was upon a Journey and stayed about an hour This was all our acquaintance and as for our being Neighbours it is true that in some sence all are our Neighbors but I suppose you and I liv'd twenty Miles Distant though I am not certain where you lived for as you never were at mine House in Lincolnshire so I never was at yours What a poor business is it that the World should be troubled about our Acquaintance and Neighbourhood Sir though you and I differ in several points of Religion yet I love all Men and though I do not desire intimacy with any Man that is of a Contentious Spirit I love Peace and Quietness yet if you please to let me know when you are in any want you shall find that not only my self will relieve you but that I shall get others of my Friends to Minister unto you otherwise I do not desire Acquaintance with you whilst you are so violent and abusive Then you say that some of my Jacobs have called you Rogue and wisht that you were put out of the Town I am sorry that you should use such passionate Speeches as to call any persons my Jacobs and as to calling you Rogue I hope none of the Congregation that I belong to ever used such unseemly words of you for my part I have always spoke of you in Company with good Respect till you put forth the Book I love to speak the best I can of every Man Q. 4. You tell me that in pag. 19. God chose us so many and no more I pray who are those us whom you call us surely you speak of the Living I answer Let the Reader hear with Patience what is said Pag. 19. the words are these This is especially applied to the Father in Scripture to choose us before the Foundation of the World to foreknow us to predestinate us to be conformable to the Image of his Son therefore in that Scripture 1 Pet. 1.2 where you have the proper and distinct Work of Father Son and Holy Ghost about the Vessels of Mercy the Apostle saith We are Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ observe here our Election is ascribed to God the Father he chose us so many and no more this Man and not the other Jacob and not Esau then you have the proper work of the Son in those words the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ it is he who washeth us from our Sins in his own Blood he purchaseth all good things the second Person in the Trinity He is the Lord our Righteousness he is the Propitiation for our Sins he is our Mediator it is not the Father that is Mediator nor the Holy Ghost but the Son it is he that took upon him our Nature it was the Word that was made Flesh not the Father nor the Holy Ghost it was the Son that died upon the Cross for our Sins not the Father nor the Holy Ghost then you have the special Work of the Holy Ghost about our Sanctification in these words through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience It is the Holy Ghost who in our Conversion doth Sanctifie us and bring us to the Obedience of Faith he applieth Redemption as the Son hath wrought Redemption when the appointed time when the fulness of time is come to call home an Elect Vessel he convinceth the Soul of Sin he revealeth Christ to the Soul he infuseth the Habit of Grace and after Conversion is with us to mortifie our Corruptions comfort us and lead us and to carry us to the Heavenly Kingdom Now What Cause had this Author to say Who are these Vs Surely you speak of the Living I answer I speak as the Scripture speaks in those Texts that I have mentioned of all the Elect of all the Redeemed of all that are or shall be sanctified and how strange and captious is it for this Author to go on and say You have good Thoughts of your self for you must be one of the Vs And shew me how many and no more or at least name One to make good the Word Vs and prove by the Word of God that You Two were undoubtedly chosen to Salvation Surely this Author was not in frame when he wrote thus this is just like a Woman scolding and quarrelling in the Streets I am heartily sorry for him Qu. 5. and 6. Are both about the same thing about Jacob and Esau Now concerning Jacob and Esau note 1. That Esau was not saved appears by Heb. 12.15 Lest there be any Fornicator or profane Person as Esau who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right This Observation may give much Light into this Matter that when any that were real Saints under the Old Testament are spoken of in the New Testament all their sinful Failings are covered and their Grace only mentioned So it is with Abraham Sarah Job Sampson Lot though they had many sinful Failings yet I say they are covered in the New Testament and their Faith Patience and Holiness only mentioned Or if there be an hint of their sinful Failings as of Rahab and Elijah there is mention also of their Faith and Prayer and the Grace of God bestowed upon them But when Esau comes to be mentioned in the New Testament the Holy Ghost leaves him upon Record that he was a profane Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that despised set light by and contemned holy things So that let it be observed that Esau after he had been so long dead is in the New Testament where the sinful Failings of the Saints of the Old Testament are covered is left under this black Character that he was a profane Person 2. As to what is said Rom. 9.13 As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated let it be observed that the Apostle in that Chapter from the Beginning to the End is not treating about outward things but about spiritual things and to shew them that amongst them that enjoy Church State and Church-Privileges and Ordinances some are from Eternity elected to Salvation of God's mere Grace and others are passed by And the Apostle
have no power to do good works pleasing and acceptable unto God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good Will and working with us when we have that good Will Article 32. None can come to Christ unless it be given to him and unless the Father draw him and all Men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come unto the Son neither is there such a sufficient measure of Grace vouchsafed unto every Man whereby he is enabled to come unto everlasting Life Article 33. All Gods Elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ by the effectual and vital influence of the Holy Ghost derived from him as from the Head unto every true Member of his Mystical Body and being thus made one with Christ they are truly regenerated and made partakers of him and all his benefits Article 38. A True Lively Justifying Faith and the Sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the Regenerate either finally or totally I have cited these Articles to shew this Author and others of his mind that there is no cause for any to fly out against the Assembly of Divines or any Presbyterians for what they hold about Election and Reprobation and such points as if it had been some new Doctrine that they had broached but every one may now see that next to the Scriptures they learnt this Doctrine of the Episcopal Divines that were before them 2. Let us consider the Doctrine it self 1. Concerning the Doctrine of Election let us see what this Author saith page 27. 1. That God did choose in Christ unto Salvation all that part of the fallen race of Mankind that dye in their Innocency or accept of his Mercy and Grace according to the means he gives them and this Decree proceeds from his own goodness and is not built upon any goodness in the Creature 1. He saith that God did choose in Christ to Salvation all that part of the fallen Race of Adam that dye in their Innocency 1. I Answer 1. This Author quotes not one Scripture for this strange Assertion 2. I wonder who they are of the fallen Race of Mankind that can dye in their Innocency I suppose he means young Infants those that dye in their Infancy But though those be called Innocent comparatively yet besides the guilt of Adams Sin which is upon every one of his Posterity by Nature as a consequent of it all have lost the Image of God in Holiness and Righteousness and have contracted by Adams fall such an Universal Depravedness that they have the Root the Spawn and Seed of all Sin in them Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me This Corruption of Nature is inherent in every one that comes by Adam in a way of ordinary Generation So that not one is born without it It comes by propagation from Adam and if a Child dye the first day it is born into the World it doth not dye in Innocency but if it be saved it is washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb and hath the habit and principle of Grace infused into it though without outward means God that formeth the Spirit the Rational Soul that the Infant hath can form Grace in the Soul of the Child as he pleases can Sanctifie it in the Womb or as soon as it is born if he be graciously pleased so to do But how doth the Infant dye in Innocency Alas there is an Universal depravedness in the Soul of an Infant which if it live to be capable to express it will discover it self A young Cub of a Fox or Wolf doth not presently discover its ravenous Nature but it is inherent in it bred with it and Men kill those young Cubs though they never yet did any mischief because it is their Nature to be Ravenous and Mischievous An Infant hath the same reasonable Soul that it hath if it live to be a Man though it doth not express it self as it doth when it lives to Age. So an Infant hath the Seed of all Sin a corrupt Nature though it doth not Act as it doth when Age comes on and I say that God may for the Guilt of Adams Sin and because there is such Enmity Rebellion and Wickedness in Mans Nature against him he may if he please glorifie his Justice upon them though they dye in their Infancy they are far from dying in Innocency I do not think God would have destroyed the old World and called them the World of the Ungodly amongst whom no doubt there were many Infants and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and made them suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire amongst whom no doubt there were many Infants if every Infant were Innocent I will not meddle to determine the Eternal Estate of those that dye in Infancy to be sure you go too far to assert what you do you are not the Soveraign Lord and Judge of all 3. You say that God did choose those that accept of his Grace and Mercy according to the means he gives them 1. I hope you mean his Grace and Mercy in Christ that they know him and believe in him for else there is no Salvation If the Gospel be hid if Christ as Mediator be not some ways made known to Men they are lost for ever 2 Cor. 4.3 He that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not on the Son hath not Life But you seem to hold that 't is not of necessity to Salvation to know Christ and him Crucified as Mediator but to have some general Notions of Universal Grace and Mercy in the Divine Essence which Men do own and accept of and truly you say that few knew the Mediator by the Name of Jesus Christ till he was born of the Virgin page 21. That is nothing to the purpose all that were saved knew the Mediator as the Seed of the Woman that was to break the Serpents Head Gen. 3.15 As he that was to offer himself a Sacrifice for Sin and therefore God taught them to offer Sacrifices presently after the fall by which they looked to Christ that was to come Jacob called him Shiloah the Saviour the Peace-maker that was to come Job called him his Redeemer All that ever were saved before Christ came were saved not by meer believing that God was Mercifull and Gracious But that he would send his Son to dye to be a Sacrifice for Sin And they embraced the promise of Christ the only Mediator and Sacrifice for Sin that was to come And all that are saved since our Saviours coming do in some measure know and believe in Jesus Christ that dyed without the Gate of Jerusalem You will leave us a strange Creed if you leave out the promised Messiah and that it is not necessary to believe in him to everlasting Lise Ay but you say the Turks themselves begin almost every Chapter in their Alcoran with these words In
as Creator requireth of them and to the Jews the House of Israel to whom those words are spoken as is plain to be seen in that Chapter God did shew to them more of his Mind and Will what he commanded and required of them what is this for Christ's dying for all Adam's Posterity 17. Then he quotes Psalm 103.8 The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion and of great Mercy 'T is certain that the Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion and of great Mercy But he hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 The Grace and Mercy of God is to be adored for ever that he saves any that have sinned against him Sinning against the Divine Majesty is so hemous that God's Grace and Mercy is unconceivable in saving any tho' it had been much fewer persons than he doth save and his holy Justice is to be adored for ever in punishing so many with Eternal Damnation for Sin There is such infinite Mercy in God that he could have pardoned all the Angels that sinned and could have saved all Adam's Posterity if he had pleased there might have been no Hell no place of Torment for Devils or Men if he had pleased there might have been no place but Heaven for all the Angels and all the Children of Men to sing Halelujahs to Eternity but we must not order what God shall do how he shall exert and put forth his Attribute of Mercy O that there were more Reverence of the Divine Majesty more holy trembling before him more wondring that he should shew Mercy to any and especially to our selves for he hath his Glory not only in them that are saved but in them that perish In them that are saved he hath the Glory of his Grace and in them that perish he hath the Glory of his Justice 18. Psalm 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works I answer 1. God is good to all as a Creator during the Day of his Patience and Long-suffering and what Mercies he affords may be called Tender Mercies considering our Vileness and Sinfulness who deserve every moment to be cast into Hell We are to adore the common Bounty of God to all in his Patience and Long-suffering for a time in this World 2. This place of Scripture may be applied to the Saints only for it follows All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee They shall speak of the Glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power v. 10 11. So I say the words may be understood that the Psalmist is speaking of Gods being good in an especial manner to all those whom he makes his People and that his tender Mercies are over them over all the Saints who are the Works of his Hands in an especial manner that are made new Creatures by him his new Creation in Christ Ephes 2.10 3. Take all for all Mankind 't is certain that the Lord is not pleased to shew them such Goodness and tender Mercy as to give them a new Heart so as to take away the Heart of Stone and to give them a Heart of Flesh and save them for ever which he could easily have done if he had pleased and the more are they beholden to his for ever to be adored Grace to whom he is so good towards whom he sheweth such tender Mercy as to take away and remove all Mountains of Guilt and Rebellion that stand in the way to hinder their Eternal Salvation Thus I have explained those Scriptures this Author brings for Universal Redemption which indeed intend no such thing If the Lord be not pleased to give us light into the meaning of Scripture we shall father our Errours and Mistakes upon the word of God we must compare Scripture with Scripture we must bring a humble Mind to the study of the Scriptures We must pray continually to the Father of Lights and of Spirits that he would lead us into all Truth We must not interpret any Scripture so as to derogate from the Perfection of the Divine Attributes we must not interpret any Scripture so as to derogate from the Infinite and Eternal Vertue and Merit of our Saviour's Death 't is always new and of Infinite Efficacy for all he died for to Eternity Then it follows in this Author By these Authorities I teach that Christ died for all I answer that so do others that you oppose they teach that Christ died for all that is all the Elect all that the Father hath given him all that believe and trust in him but if you teach that Christ died for all Adam's Posterity you teach you know not what I pray consider that when our Lord and Saviour died as a Surety and Mediator it was near four thousand years from the Creation and there were multitudes then in the Prison of Hell from whence there is no Redemption and do you think that Christ God-man died upon the Cross and bare such unutterable Dolour for them to redeem them that were then in Hell There was reason indeed that Christ should die for those Saints that were in Heaven before he died because they were pardoned and saved upon the account of his having undertaken as Surety for them to make satisfaction to the Justice of God for their Sins Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which were called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance The Father trusted Christ as we may express it upon his Covenant and undertaking as Surety to make satisfaction to Justice and so he pardoned and saved the Saints of the Old Testament before Christ actually died for them And as for the Elect that were then living and were to live afterwards in their Generations Christ trusted the Father with the Payment and Satisfaction he made for them by his Death that they should have the benefit of his Death in due time bestowed upon them It sounds well enough in the Ears of Christians that Christ was but once to offer himself a Sacrifice and that therefore when he died he bore the Sins of the Saints in Heaven because they came there upon the account of his Covenant and Undertaking with the Father that he would in the fulness of time take upon him Humane Nature and would as their Surety make Satisfaction for their Sins But surely it will sound very harshly in the Ears of all Christians that Christ God-man should sweat drops of Blood and die bearing the Curse of the Law for them who were then in Hell when he died except Arminians think that the damned in Hell shall be saved at last Indeed some passages of those of that Judgment have a tendency to such an Opinion but such Doctrine is contrary to many places of Scripture Matth. 25.41 and the last Verse 2
Christ for all that If Christ have a few names in a Church that degenerates those shall be safe whatsoever becomes of the rest as to their Church Estate and Eternal-state Revel 3.4 Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white i. e. they shall walk with Christ in the white of Grace here to their lives end and in the white of Glory for ever Tho' the Lord do remove the Candlestick the Church-Estate and will not own a People any longer to be a True Church yet if there be any sound Christians amongst them they shall never be cast off Therefore how vainly doth this Author say from this passage of the Assemblies Confession of Faith here is too much to prove the Point when there is not the least shadow of any thing they say to prove that any True Believer may fall totally and finally Tho' those that were Professors of the Gospel and were in Churches may so degenerate as to lose their Church-estate yet if there were any in those Churches that were True Believers the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them A Degenerate Church may Excommunicate the Sound Members may prosecute them to Death but can never separate them from the Love of Christ The truth is when a Church doth so wofully degenerate as to be accounted no longer a Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan the Lord is pleased many times to stir up those that are Sound Christians amongst them that they are more Lively and Spiritual than ever they were and love not their Lives unto the Death in bearing witness to the Truth Now let us hear this Author declare what his Opinion is about the Saints Perseverance Saith he Pag. 20. For my part tho' I doubt not but there is a State attainable in this Life from which by the Grace of God Christians shall not fall yet I hold it a vanity for any Man to affirm of himself or of any other person in particular that it is impossible for him to fall I hold it far better for the best as well as others to take heed lest they fall I answer This passage is very dark and ambiguous wherein this Author rather hides than declares his Judgment about the Point in hand The word Christian may be taken largely for those that are Christians by Profession only no doubt but they may fall from their Profession or the word Christian may be taken strictly for those who are Christians inwardly in the Heart and in the Spirit as well as outwardly by Profession Now this we maintain from the Scripture as hath been declared before that all such have attained such an Estate by their Vnion with Christ by their Justification Adoption and Regeneration that they shall never fall totally or finally This Author must intend some new Notion if he understand himself which must be that though every one that is Really and Spiritually in Christ is not in such an Estate as that he shall certainly persevere in Grace yet he who hath attained an extraordinary degree of Grace or to an absolute Perfection such as the Quakers talk of may by the Grace of God keep his standing This is a wondrous dark Passage and I shall leave the Author in his Clouds but we maintain 1. That none attain to an absolute perfection in this life Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17 Eccles 7.20 2. That the strongest Saints in the World cannot keep themselves one day but are upheld by the secret Influences and Supplies of the Spirit Phil. 1.13 1 John 5.5 2 Cor. 3.5 3. That the Lord who keeps strong Believers keepeth also the weakest True Believer most certainly and infallibly Phil 1.6 where he hath begun the good work of Special Saving Grace he will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ that the weakest of Christ's Sheep and Lambs shall have Eternal Life and shall never perish John 10.27 28. that Christ will not break nor suffer to be broken the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax Matth. 12.20 that is where there is but a little Special Grace that can but smoke though it cannot flame Christ will keep it that it shall never be quenched but shall at last flame out in Love and Praise and singing in Heaven to all Eternity God keeps True Believers in a state of Grace till they come to Glory not because they are strong but because they are his Elect because they are redeemed by the Blood of his Son and at their effectual Calling adopted to be his Children and saith the Apostle If Children then Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 The least Babe in Christ is God's Child as well as the Eldest and strongest Believer and shall infallibly be an Heir of God and joint Heir with Christ For as many as believed to them he gave power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 The same Day and Hour that a Soul truly receiveth Christ the Lord doth actually adopt that Soul though it be a secret thing to the Soul yet it is as if God should say I did predestinate thee to the Adoption of my Child by Christ and now I do adopt thee to be my Child to be an Heir of Eternal Life and such shall certainly be preserved to the Heavenly Kingdom 1 Pet. 1.4 5. The Inheritance is reserved in Heaven for all that are begotten again to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and they are kept whilst they are in this World by the Power of God through Faith till they come to the Heavenly Inheritance 2. This Author saith I hold it a Vanity for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall I answer 1. It is a Vanity indeed for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall taking it for falling into Sin at all for there is no Man that liveth and sinneth not yea it would be Vanity Pride and Presumption for the best Saint on Earth to say it is impossible for him to fall into gross Sins seeing David and Peter fell so foully though they were graciously recovered again 2. It would be great Vanity for the best Saint on Earth to say in any the least Confidence in his own Strength that it is impossible for him to fall away totally and finally for indeed if they were left to themselves it is impossible that they should stand in a state of Grace one day if everlasting Arms were not underneath them if they were not kept by the Power of God If Christ did not hold them fast it were impossible that any of the Saints should stand 3. I say That it is no Vanity but a Triumph of Faith and Thankfulness to the God of all Grace for a True Christian when God sheds abroad his Love in his Heart by the Holy Spirit to say Who shall separate me from the Love of Christ Was it Vanity in David to say Surely