Book I answer I have in the following page given thee a specimen of Mr. Colliers strange Heterodoxies collected out of his Book for the most part in his own terms which with very many more contained therein are detected and refuted in this And give me leave to express my desires in the words of that holy man of old concerning what I have written Domine Deus unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in his libris de tuo agnoscant tui si qua de meo tu ignosce tui Amen! August Let God alone have the glory of any thing serviceable to the interest of his truth in this Treatise and interpret well my poor Essay towards the clearing thereof much weakness therein I am sensible of and know right well that one of deeper Judgement and greater abilities endued with a more plentiful anointing of the good spirit would have said much more in less room then I have done But seeing no other was engaged in this service my mite is humbly offered and that my weakness may be pardoned and my poor endeavours succeeded to some advantage if it be but of the weakest of Christs sheep and the reflecting of some glory to his holy Name is the earnest prayer of The unworthiest of his Servants N. C. Amongst the many gross Errours published by Mr. Collier in his Additional Word and refuted in this Treatise are these following 1. THat Christ is the Son of God only as considered in both natures Addit Word Ch. 1. p. 2. 2. As he was the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory was he killed and crucified and that was not in the humane nature only ch 1. p. 4. 3. As God-man he was a Creature ch 1. p. 9. 4. This Creature God-man made all things ch 1. p. 10. 5. The word God-man was made flesh ch 1. p. 11. 6. There are Increated Heavens for the Eternal God must have some Eternal habitation ch 1. p. 12. 7. Christ died for the Universe the Heavens and Earth and all things therein ch 2. p. 13. 8. The Gospel ought to be preached to the whole Creation even to that part of it that is not capable of hearing or understanding it ch 2. p. 16. 9. The Foolish Virgins shall obtain some great priviledge in the day of Christ ch 3. p. 23. 10. Those that never heard the Gospel cannot be under the Judgement of Damnation ch 4. p. 26. 11. The sinful defilement of our nature is not the sin but the affliction of man ch 4. p. 27. 12. It s possible for men in respect of power to believe the Gospel if God do not work at all upon them by his spirit ch 5. p. 31 32. 13. Regenerate Persons or True Believers may finally fall away from God and Perish ch 5. p. 36 c. 14. None shall be Eternally damned but those that sin against the holy Spirit ch 7. p. 47. 15. The Gospel hath been preached to men after they were dead ch 7 p. 48. 16. Men may repent so as to obtain deliverance from their torment after death and the last Judgement ch 7. p. c. 8. 17. Sluggish Christians and Formalists may find some mercy in the day of Judgement p. 51. 18. Perhaps the torment of some sinners may not exceed a 100 years p. 52. 19. The Sodomites have already received their Judgement and are still suffering thereof and the day of the general Judgement is like to be their day of ease p. 53. 20. The infinite Sacrifice of Christ remains the same to have its influence for the obtaining of Grace after the Judgement as before p. 54. CHAP. I. Concerning God The distinct Subsistencies in the Divine Nature And more especially the Person of the Son MR. Collier intimates in the beginning of his first Chapter That he had been from some private hand admonished of certain errors by him before published in his Body of Divinity which in this Chapter he endeavours to vindicate and makes this the occasion of the putting forth the whole of what we find in his Additional Word But verily this course is in no wise like to give satisfaction to them who before were justly offended For a man when he is blamed for swerving from the form of sound words and that Doctrine that is according to Godliness in some instances to repeat his errors with new Confidence instead of a retractation of them and then to add many more and more dangerous against the analogy of Faith yea the express words of Scripture and common sentiments of all that deserve the name of Christians is not the way to reconcile himself to the truth or to any true lovers thereof And that Mr. Collier hath thus done will be manifested in our progress We are plentifully instructed from the Scripture That there is but one only living and true God who is a most pure Spirit Eternal and Immutable Incomprehensible and infinitely perfect in his Being and all the properties thereof c. This also Mr. Collier professeth to own yet he hath in the close of this first Chapter of his Additional Word dropt an expression or two that seem to hold no very full harmony therewith He saith p. 12. As to the Omnipresence of God the Father I say what the Scripture saith which directeth us to the Father as in Heaven and that by his Spirit he is present in all places Omnipresence is an Essential property of God grounded on his Infiniteness it is as necessary to him to be Omnipâ—â—ent as to be God It is all one therefore whether we speak of the Omnipresence of the Father or of the Son or of the holy Spirit these three being that One incomprehensible and infinite Jehovah to whom all fear and worship is due And to deny it of any of them is to deny their Divinity And whereas Mr. Collier tells us That he saith what the Scripture saith c. That is not enough unless he make it manifest also That he saith it according to the true sense and intendment of the Spirit of God in those Scriptures he refers unto I am unwilling to entertain jealousies of any man but yet I must say That those Socinians who have most opposed the truth concerning the immensity of God have yet said as much as Mr. Collier here presents us with and to clear himself from suspicion in this matter when questioned about it more might justly have been expected from him The Scriptures indeed speak of God as in Heaven but that is as many other expressions in them â—re in a way of condescension to our capacity And we must always remember that those things that are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men must be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becoming God else we must immediately close with the gross and absurd Heresie of the Authropomorphites Seeing then that we conceive of no place so glorious as Heaven that is represented to us as the dwelling place or
this high and holy place being increated But to manifest that Mr. Collier speaks not only without the Scriptures but against the Scriptures herein let these Texts be considered Thus the Heavens were finished and all the Host of them Gen. 2. 1. He commanded and the Heaven of Heavens were created Psal 48. 4 5. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Hosts of them Psal 33. 6. what the Hosts of Heaven are you may understand by 2 Chron. 18. 18. Luke 2. 13. And if these Hosts of Heaven the holy Angels do always behold the face of God and all of them both place and Inhabitants were part of the six days creation as Exod. 20. 11. And if the face of God be beheld where his glory is displayed in the greatest splendour then certainly there is no colour nor place left for any increated Heavens And why cannot Mr. Collier conceive of the Eternal God without an Eternal Habitation distinct from himself If he must have such an habitation it is either because his happiness would not be perfect without it which is to make him dependant on something beside himself and to deny his Godhead by denying his self-sufficiency or else it must be because his being is such as is determined and limited by certain bounds as Bodies are properly said to be in such or such a place because they are circumscribed within some space that they fill up Created spirits though in a more improper sense yet are truly said to be in a place because though they have not parts and dimensions as bodies have so filling up the place where they are nor can be punctually circumscribed as they may yet they are so in some certain place as not to be at the same time without it or elsewhere Now therefore when we conceive of the being of either of these we must also conceive of some space susceptive of them which we call place because they are finite But what place can we conceive of for his dwelling therein who is immense and indistant to all places and things present to all by and in his infinite essence and being but contained in none He adds If God hath prepared a Building a House for his people not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Methinks it should be no crime to say that he hath an Eternal habitation for himself suitable to his name and nature and if Eternal then Increated I suppose the ambiguity of the word Eternal which Mr. Collier meets with in the Text is the occasion of his mistake in part If we look into the Scriptures we shall find mention made of a threefold duration 1. That which is absolutely Eterna without beginning or end and this is proper to God alone 2. That which hath a beginning but shall have no end which for distinction sake is commonly called Aeviternity And 3. That which hath a beginning and shall have an end which is time Now the term Eternal is indifferently used in the Scripture to signifie either of the two former but this ambiguity is easily removed if we consider the subject spoken of when it is applyed to God we must take it in the first sense but when unto Creatures in the second so then the Apostle as is clear from the scope of the Text when he speaks of an House Eternal in the Heavens doth not intend a building that had been from Everlasting but such an one as notwithstanding its Creation for it was made though without hands by the power of God in time should not decay as the earthly house of our Tabernacle doth but abide incorruptible for ever And let not Mr. C. think that because we need a house a building in the Heavens to compleat our happiness that therefore the former of all things doth so So then this Text will not bear the weight he lays on it And when in the close he infers from the Eternity of Gods dwelling place that it is also increated he might have added and then God for this necessarily follows upon the grant of the other and by this very medium Mr. Collier in his Body of Divinity p. 85. proves that Angels are created beings His words are these Reason teacheth that they must be and are created oâ— else they must be Eternal which is proper to none but God and if so they must be God but they are not God c. and by that Mr. C. may see that he hath intangled himself in medling with things that he understands not But I shall proceed The Scripture doth also instruct us concerning the subsistence of God or the manner of his being and this is such a glorious mystery as by his word only is revealed to us We cannot by reason comprehend it but ought to adore it and by Faith rest in his testimony concerning it In 1 Joh. 5. 7. we are taught that there are three that do subsist in the Divine essence and that these three are the Father the Word and the Spirit who are the one true God Here then is set before us the Divine essence subsisting in three relative properties The relative property of the Father is to begâ—t Ps 2. 7. Joh. 3. 16. The relative property of the Son is to be begotten The relative properly of the Holy Spirit is to be breathed or to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15. 26. Rom. 8. 9 c. Now unto these relative properties belong all imaginable perfection but no imperfection because they are in God Therefore as considered in him they do inferr personality because a personal subsistence is the most perfect manner of being in the whole reasonable nature And throughout the Scriptures when the Father Son or Holy Ghost are distinctly spoken of those terms are made use of that are proper only unto a person and personal operations are every where ascribed to them Though in our conception of personality in the Divine nature we must separate from it whatsoever imperfection is seen in a created person Every created person hath a limited essence distinct and distant one from another But all the increated persons in the Deity have the same immense undivided essence and are the one Eternal immortal invisible only wise God In created persons also there is difference of time in the proceeding of one from the other but here though there be an Eternal order of origination there is no priority of time or nature Add hereunto the warranty of this term from Hebr. 1. 3. where it is applied to the Father and there is the same reason for our using it when we speak of the Son or Spirit and I cannot see why Mr. C. should reject or except against it as he doth p. 11 12. and in his Bod. of Div. However I shall not strive about words if the thing be owned But it is commonly seen that men have been offended with apt terms because the things expressed by them have been displeasing to
by nature And in that it is to be begotten or brought forth that is here predicate of him it can be no other then the Divine nature subsisting in the incommunicable property of a Son that is here spoken of And an Illustrious exposition of these words you have Joh. 1 1. c. Bâ—t Mr. Collier saith The word translated brought forth is in the Hebrew formed else he could not be set up from Everlasting That the Hebrew word ought to be rendred for 〈…〉 he offers not to prove and his saying so doth not at all 〈…〉 ce it Nay either he is unacquainted with that Language which is very probable and took this by hearsay from some Arrian or else he doth wittingly impose upon his ignorant Reader that cannot contradict him The root from whence that word comes viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the pain and sorrow of a Woman in Travail Peculiare est parturientium nisumque parturiendi proprie significat Mercer and hence being formed in Pihel it signifies properly to cause to bring forth or to bring into the pain attending parturition so it is used Psal 29. 9. and in Pyhall as it is formed here it can signifie no other thing then to be brought forth according to its proper import It is granted that from hence it sometimes borroweth other significations as from the Grief of parturition iâ— is transferr'd to signifie any sorrow or grief and because the product of art in forming something is a kind of birth or bears some similitude to it being oft accomplished not without care and pain which also bear some similitude unto the pains of parturition it is sometimes transferr'd to signifie the formation of a thing by art or otherwise But this is a sure rule that the proper signification of a word is to be retained unless the circumstances of the Text or the analogy of Faith require the contrary But both favour yea necessitate this sense in this place It is impious to think that he which claims religious Worship to himself as Wisdom doth in the close of the Chapter is a formed creature only Mr. Collier adds If it be not so he could not be set up from Everlasting This doth not at all weaken but enforce what I have pleaded Divers able interpreters viz. Pagn Mont. Merc. Vatabl. read it I obtained a prinpality or was constituted a Prince from Everlasting The intendment of these words we have fully exprest Col. 1. 15 16. with Heb. 1. 2. The Son is Lord of the whole Creation and Heir of all things and this right of principality in him hath a double foundation 1. It is in him as he is the Son begotten of the substance of the Father having the same Essence with him and the Creator of all things 2. It is founded in the Covenant of Redemption made between the Father and him and is referred to his Mediatory kingdom The first belongs to him by necessity of nature from Everlasting unto his Mediatory kingdom and principality he was designed of God according to Covenant and fore-ordained from Everlasting There is then nothing in these words that will give Mr. Collier any relief what he further adds requires no answer So then here is a second witness to the Everlasting Son-ship of Christ before he was God-man I will mention one Text more where we have not only the thing but even the term plainly exprest Prov. 30. 4. Who hath established all the ends of the Earth what is his name or what is his Sons name if thou canst tell This Scripture fully holds forth That the Father had a Son before the Incarnation of Christ whose name was Wonderful and his Glory as unspeakable as that of the Father It is therefore the Son of God not as made flesh but as he was from Eternity with God having his Essence and Glory that is here mentioned But why do I stay to enumerate particular testimonâ—es seeing all those Scriptures that speak of his Divine nature do confirm the truth pleaded for Joh. 1. The word was God and the word was made flesh How and when he was made flesh the other Evangelists particularly relate But before that This word was in the beginning with God and he is acknowledged by Mr. Collier to be the second in the Trinity and that his title is the Son And indeed the being of the Divine Essence is not more necessary then the manner of its being i. e. the incommunicable relative properties thereof or the subsisting of the Father Son and holy Spirit therein I conclude therefore that it is not only safe and sound to assert but moreover that it always was an Article of the Common faith of Christians That the Son of God was before he was made flesh while he subsisted only in the form of God And to deny that he was the Son of God in the Divine nature only is by just consequence to deny that he hath a Divine nature seeing it either infers an utter denial of his pre-existence to his Incarnation or at least that the nature he had before was neither Person nor Son until it received its perfection and became both by the uniting of the Humane nature thereto By Mr. Colliers after-discourse it appears that he hath been cast upon those absurd contradictions that this Chapter is filled with by a very gross mistake of the Decree of God concerning Christ and the Prophecies of his coming in the flesh Because it was from Eternity decreed that the Son of God should become Immanuel he concludes that he is to be considered as being actually God-man from Everlasting and because it was foretold what he should be therefore he always was such an one But he may as well conclude That himself or any other thing that ever was is or shall be in nature had an Everlasting existence seeing the futurition of all these was from Everlasting determined in Gods Decree Having thus removed the foundation of his whole discourse on this subject I shall not trouble the Reader with a reply to every futilous cavil and contradiction I meet with in the remaining part of this Chapter but pass through it with all speed and brevity He proceeds to the second position which depends on the first viz. That he is the Son of God only as considered in both natures His reason for this is the same also in effect with his former and his whole plea in defence of it is already sufficiently enervated But because he here endeavours to wrest many Texts to countenance his notion I will in few words reply to his abuse of them The first is Joh. 1. 2. 14. Let that whole context be soberly considered and we need no more to reprove Mr. Colliers folly But he saith The Scriptures that speak of Christ as in the bosom of the Father before time speak of him as he came forth in time That the Son of God as to his Divine nature is the same yesterday to day
is Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one that is say they one in the same substance c. And a little after That Christ did not intend himself to be the Son of God in the Divine nature only is apparent Because he speaks of himself as he was the Son of God not as he was not viz. as he was God and man visible and not of the Divine nature only which was invisible and must have been an unseen Son which could not be understood This Text doth fully prove that Christ hath the same Essence with the Father and therefore without respect to his being made flesh was from Everlasting begotten of the substance of the Father and this generation is the foundation of that relative property of a Son in which he did subsist before the World was This we say and other Texts do so fully assert it and manifest its lying in the foundation of the Christian Religion that I will not doubt to say he is an Heretick that doth deny it In the following reasoning of Mr. C. it is evident he miserably begs the question it cannot he saith intend his Sonship in the Divine nature because in that only he was not the Son of God But this he should have proved not dictated against the testimony produced What he saith of the invisibility of the Son in the Divine nature may be as well applyed to the denial of the subsisting of the Father or Holy Spirit who also are the invisible God And Mr. C. can never prove that it is necessary unto the being of the Son of God that he should be visible The other Texts minded by him do divers of them speak expresly of a person sent into the world in our nature which was the Son of God and in that he is called the Son of God when found in fashion as a man it doth firmly prove the personal union of both natures in him but not in the least intimate that he was not a Son before he was a man as Mr. C. would seduce his Readers to believe And this may suffice to this Head also His third position is That he was the Word as God-man and man-God or as he explains it p. 8. That the same Word and Son of God God-man was made flesh c which falls in with his 6th position p. 11 How abundantly the Scriptures hold forth a distinction betwixt the Word that took Humane nature and the nature assumed by him hath been already manifested and that the Word was from Everlasting with God and was God the Humane nature not so And the absurdity of his 6th thesis is obvious even to a Child what was it for the Word to be made flesh but to become a man and if he was God-man from Everlasting how could he be made a man in time The truth is Mr. C. fairly intimates his good-will to deny Christs coming of the Seed of David as concerning the flesh for in answer to this objection he saith p. 11. He that was God and Man in Gods eye was made so in our eye when made or manifested in flesh So then he was a man before it seems only we knew it not and his Humane nature he took not of the Virgin but brought it from Heaven with him If this be not his sense he speaks nothing to the purpose and if it be I desire he would speak out in his next and the abomination of it shall be farther detected For the present he produceth nothing more that may give any seeming countenance to these notions or in the least free them from the highest absurdity I shall leave them therefore naked as they are proposed by him and follow him to his fourth Thesis That as God-man he was a Creature i. e. He was a Creature as God as well as in his Humane nature Verily Mr. Collier may as well perswade us That the Creature is God as that God is a Creature I will not suppose his Reader or mine to be utterly Bruitish and without understanding and therefore shall leave this idle and contradictious fiction to confute it self also Only I will add an exposition of Col. 1. 15. abused by him p. 10. where he falls in directly with the notion of the Arrian Hereticks and would perswade us That if Christ be not here considered as the first-born of every Creature as being one of them there is nothing in the Text. But the contrary is abundantly manifested by Dr. Owen in his answer to Biddle the Socinian his Catechism from whence I shall transcribe enough to stop Mr. C's mouth and to inform those that have not that Treatise by them Observe then Although in the 15 16 and 17 Verses the Apostle speaks of him who is the Mediator God-man yet he speaks not of him as Mediator but that he enters upon v. 18. But His present design being to set forth the excellent Glory of Christ he speaks of those things that appertain to him as God For The Creation of all thâ—â—gs by â—â—m is most emphatically exprest v. 16. together with the end of thâ—ir Creation they were created by him and for him he is the Heir of all things and in v. 17. His pre existence unto all things and his providence in supporting them and continuing that being to them which he gâ—ve them is asserted And on this account for this reason is he saâ—d to be the first-born of every Creature which are the words Mr. C. cavils at He therefore by whom all things all Creatures were Created is none of them otherwise he must Create himself He is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born â—ot the first Created that is the Prince Hâ—ir and Lord of the whole Creation so that his priviledge rule and inheritance of and over all Creatures is here exprest which suits the Apostles aim to set out the excellency of Christ above all Creatures His being begotten is opposed to the Creation of all things First in Scripture is sometimes used with respect to things going before in which sense it denies all order or series of things in the same kind so God is said to be the first Isa 41. 4. Because before him there is none Isa 43. 11. and in this sense is Christ the first born so the first born as to be the only begotten Son of God He is also said to be the beginning of the Creation of God because he giveth and continueth being to all Creatures And whereas Mr. C. saith he is a Creature and the Creator too we grant it but not secundam idem in tâ—e same nature As he was God he is the Creator as Man a Creature He saith farther in the 5th place That this Creature God man made all things As God-man he is not a meer Creature It is true Christ made all things as we saw in the preceding Text but not as man for he was made flesh long after but when he subsisted onâ—y in the
Throne of the most high that so we might be affected with his Glorious Majesty Heaven also is the place where God doth manifest his Glory in a more eminent way then in any other part of the Creation On these accounts or some other like unto them he is said to be in Heaven but least we should conceive of him as confined to any place or limited in his being we are expresly told in his word The Lord your God he is God in Heaven above and in Earth beneath Josh 2. 11. And again Behold the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee 1 Kings 8. 27. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 23 24. with Psal 139. and divers expressâ—ons of the same import we meet with therein in other places â—f then the Spirit of God be present in all places the Father is so and the Son is so for the Divine Essence is undivided and as I said at first This is an Essential property of God that we are speaking of I might here stay to tell him in what a corrupt and impious sense some have used the expressions he here makes use of but I shall proceed no farther with this point at present If he declare himself to embrace the truth this sufficeth if he farther declare his mind in opposition thereto we shall then have a fitter opportunity to in large on this head In the same page he doth re-assert and endeavour to inforce his notion of the increated Heavens But notwithstanding what he saith I cannot see how this notion may be reconciled either with the Scripture or right Reason Himself confesseth that Eternity is an attribute proper to God alone and certainly to be increated is no less so Creator and creature do divide all beings how then can we conceive of any increated being but God himself or of any thing that is absolutely Eternal besides himself Again if we allow him to conceive of an Eternal and increated habitation for God I ask him whether we may imagine any space without those Heavens if not Then is the whole World within that increated and eternal dwelling place which will hardly suit with Mr. Colliers opinion of it If we may imagine space without those Heavens then I ask whether we are to conceive of God in those Heavens and not in that space if he answer we are then doth he indeed oppose the immensity and incomprehensibility of the holy one of Israel If he say we are not to imagine him limited by these Heavens Then must he grant also That he is Everlastingly and Essentially present as well in the infinite space without them as within them for he is immutable how then is the one his dwelling place more then the other If Mr. Collier remove these his notion may easily be clogg'd with other doubts But we will consider what he offers for the proof thereof Thus he pleads p 12. § 3. As for the increated Heavens though in the term of Increated it be not exprest yet there is enough in Scripture to prove the truth thereof For the Eternal God must have some Eternal habitation as it is called Isa 57. 15. The high and holy place By Mr. Colliers own assertion p. 2. of his Additional word if he affirm that concerning the increated Heavens which the Scriptures do not it must needs be unsound and unsafe He confesseth that in the term of increated they are not to be found in Scripture but yet both here and in his Body of Divinity p. 46 47. he hath discovered the most Glorious Heaven such as the Book of Job or the Psalms make no mention of for the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens mentioned therein he affirms are polluted by the sin of Man And Mr. Collier doth intimate to his Reader as if the Glory of the Eternal God was not exalted above these most glorious Heavens and that the most high God doth not humble himself when he beholds them As for the Heavens which were known to the Psalmist and of which he speaks Psal 8. 1. Psal 1. 3. 4 5 6. Mr. Collier acknowledgeth Gods glory to be set above all them and that when he beholds them he humbles himself and hereof he gives you a double reason viz. not only because he created them which is true but also because as he affirms the created Heavens are all in a fallen estate together with the Earth by reason of the sin of man And therefore in his Additional Word p. 12. § 5. He endeavours to prove the corruption of the Heavens by the sin of man from Job 15. 15. The Heavens are not clean in thy sight But I conceive the scope of that Text is by way of comparison to shew how vile man is inasmuch as the purest part of the Creation even the Heavens in conspectu Dei or compared with the most holy pure God are not to be reputed pure rather then to impute to the Heavens any sinful defilement So that here again we have another tast of Mr. Colliers unscriptural boldness whence doth he collect that the sin of Man reached so high as to corrupt the Heavens one would think if there be any such corruption it should rather be referred to the sin of Angels who were once Inhabitants therein then to the sin of Man But to come to a more strict examination of his notion concerning his supposed increated Heavens which I take to be not only unscriptural but antiscriptural and his proof by his oportet it must be so to be most absurd and irrational The only Text he quotes upon which he would fasten his corrupt notion is Isa 57. 13. of which he takes only a part of a sentence and omits the rest The Text speaks thus For thus saith the high and holy one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Here the habitation of the high and holy God is in general terms said to be in Eternity without reference to any place whatsoever Then he comes to distinguish of his present residence and that is said to be not only in the high and holy place take it for Heaven but withall in the heart of every one of his humble and contrite Saints Heaven and the heart of a Believer may be alike truly said to be the habitation of God Eph. 2. 21 22. The Heaven of Heavens is not comprehensive of the immense God yet no Believers heart is too narrow for an habitation for him And as the Text doth express the high and holy place and a contrite spirit on Earth to be at the same instant Gods dwelling place so is it altogether silent as to
form of God long before he was a Creature His 6th position is answered before He adds 7thly That he is the Son of Man in both natures As to his Humane nature and that only he was â—â—â—e of the seed of David But the union of both natures was so strict and indissoluble in the person of Christ that it is truly said That holy thing that was born of the Virgin was the Son of God The person who as to his Humane nature was formed of the seed of the Virgin being Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper Son begotten of his own substance from Everlasting as to his Divine nature And this distinction of natures in Christ strictly observed doth not at all infer a plurality of Persons or Sons as Mr. C. vainly imagines p. 8. in his Question For the Humane nature hath no subsistence of its own It is the same person who is the Son of God and the Son of David yet is he the Son of God in his Divine nature in contradistinction from the Humane and the Son of David with respect to our nature that he took of the Virgin in contradistinction from the Divine nature though these natures since the Incarnation cannot possibly be divided or separated And if this be not owned we must bring in a confusion of natures in the Person of Christ As to what he adds about Justification it shall be taken notice of in a more convenient place Whereas Mr. C. closeth this Chapter with an affirmation That he cannot yet be convinced of any thing written in his Body of Divinity wherein himself owneth these things are found of which he yet seeth cause to repent Truly his blindness renders him an object of pity And because he supposeth these strange Heterodoxies have proceeded from his being inriched in knowledge beyond all others his case is the more dangerous But oh that he would be advised to go to Christ for Eye-salve that he might see and then we should hear another story from him While I was engaged in my answer to Mr. Collier I received from the hand of a Friend some Animadversions on this Chapter of his especially respecting his second position concerning the Person of Christ which because they are not long and may give some farther Light into this matter under debate I have here annexed Mr. Colliers Add. word p. 2. That which I shall endeavour to demonstrate from Scripture iâ— That he is the Son of God only as considered in both natures And if this be proved if he be tâ—e Son of God in both natures only then he is not the Son of God in the Divine nature only and to prove that he is the Son of God in both natures only the Scripture so presents him to us and no otherwise And as the Scripture presents him to us so ought we to believe him to be and no otherwise Before I enter upon the consideration of what the Scriptures say in this important Article of our Faith let us hear what Mr. Collier himself saith in his Body of Divinity under this Title How this one God subsisteth in three Persons p. 44. The sum of all is this That God is one Eternal infinite substantial Being distinguished into Father Son and Holy Spirit and in all three are Divine and distinct relative properties and operations yet in all no one wills no one acts without the other Gen. 1. 1 2 26. Heb. 1. 2. Job 33. 4. And p. 43 And this truth i. e. a plurality in one infinite and eternal God is clearly to be proved from the Old Testament even from the Creation It might be supposed by this his brief description of the Deity that Mr. Collier is Orthodox in his opinion concerning the Divinity of the Son of God though in many places he be singular in his expressions And that his design wherein he is singular and different from others is very charitable viz. That his supposed absurdity of making two Sons or the Sonship of Christ not to be the same at first as it was at last might be avoided Yet whosoever throughly weighs his whole discourse cannot but observe that he speaks at least very doubtfully concerning any existence that the Son of God had in the Divine nature before he was made or manifest in flesh Add word p. 11. § 6. That this word God-man was made flesh Here it seems lyeth the blâ—ck in the way that he that was a man was made a man The resolve is clear from Scripture he that was God and man in Gods eye was made so in our eye when made or manifested in flesh It were to be wished that Mr. Collier would yet speak more plainly that if he think a right a wrong opinion may not be conceived of him from his seemingly affected obscurity in his expressions What is the meaning of this He that was God and man in Gods eye was made so in our eye Is it that God the Father always saw him as he was from Eternity existing with him in the Deity in both natures God-man or never existing â—s God the Son till he was made or manifest in the flesh Because of this obscurity and the jealousies justly conceived that Mr. Collier is very corrupt in his opinion concerning the pre-existence of the Son of God in the Divine nature before he assumed flesh let it now be considered whether the Scriptures present the Lord Christ to us as being the Son of God in both natures only even those places of Scripture among others which Mr. C. by his false glosses would have us to think do so only present him to us Heb. 1. 8. But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a scepter of Righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oil of gladness above thy fellows Herein we have not only the unction of the Son of God mentioned but the reason of it And that is plainly taken from his Everlasting Divinity Regality and Righteousness Because he that is the Son of God is God that made and upholds and rules over the world in Righteousness and loveth it and hateth iniquity therefore as the only fit person is he anointed by God the Father his God and our God to the Office of Mediatorship which the whole Chapter treats of And from the dignity of his Person as the Son of God is divine adoration given to him when as the Son of man he came first into the world And from thence also his preheminence notwithstanding his debasement in the flesh continues with him above all his fellows Heb. 2. 16. He took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham If the question be asked as the Eâ—nuch did Philip in the like case of whom does the Apostle here speak The answer is plain from the context of the Son of God He is the person assuming
that he might always remain upon earth but that after he had finished his Fathers work which he was to do in the flesh he might carry the Humane nature with him into Heaven whither he was to ascend again So that since his uniting of the Humane to the Divine nature in his own person whether he was spoken of as the Son of God according to his Divinity or as the Son of David according to his Humanity under which notion soever he was spoken of either as the Son of God or the Son of Man he being in both natures but one entire person was still truly said to be in Heaven not that it was or could ever be supposed that his claim to Heaven and his being there did arise from his being the Son of Man but as he himself asserts from his coming down from thence his coming and being sent from his Father and yet remaining always with his Father He and his Father being one He that descended is the same also that ascended there neither was nor could there be admitted any change of the Person It is also observable that Gal. 4. 6. the same word is used for the sending forth of the Spirit of his Son by God the Father into the hearts of his adopted Sons that is used for the sending forth of his Son into the world This is no slender evidence of the Eternity and Divinity of Christ that he hath the same relation to the holy Spirit with the Father 1 Pet. 1. 11. It was the Spirit of Christ that was in the Prophets of old that long before his Incarnation did foretell thereof and of his sufferings and the Glory that should follow David himself said by his Spirit The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool as to his Divinity he is the root of David who according to his Humanity was his off-spring Rev. 22. 16. The Vision of Isaiah ch 6. was true and the voice of the Angels a real voice who cried as to the time then present holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And if the Application of this vision of the Prophet and voice of the Angels by the Evangelist Jo. 12. 41. be also true what more clear evidence can be given of the Lord Christs subsisting in the Divine nature before his descension from Heaven and assumption of the Humane nature Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thine hands they shall perish but thou remainest they shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture thou shalt fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail From these and many other the like Texts is the Divinity of the Lord Christ fully asserted and by the writings of the Apostles directed by the Holy Spirit since his Incarnation applyed to him By whom we are given to understand that the Prophets aforetime spake of our Lord Christ and thereby is made known to us the dignity of his person as the Alpha and Omega But I would have Mr. Collier ingeniously consider whether he or any other man without this future revelation and explication could have gathered any such doctrine as the Manhood coexisting with the Godhead in the person of Christ from all Eternity or that he who in the beginning laid the foundations of the Earth and made the Heavens was when he did this work Man as well as God or that since this revelation and application of these sayings to the person of Christ can say any otherwise then that these titles and operations are referr'd to the Son of God as he subsisted in his Divine nature with the Father And if this be so let Mr. Collier be convinc'd and acknowledge that the Scriptures do sometimes and that frequently speak of the Son of God as in the Divine nature only and not always as he was in both natures God and Man CHAP. II. Of Election I Shall for the better order sake pass over his second Chapter at present and consider in the next place what he proposeth in his third of Election Only this I desire the Reader to take notice of once for all that I intend not to make Mr. C.'s discourse an occasion of going over the Heads of the Controversie betwixt us and the Arminians in a full stating and handling of those points It hath been sufficiently done by others both formerly and of late but my present design is only to remove those stumbling-blocks that he in this Book hath endeavoured to cast before weak Christians Thus he begins p. 18. Of this I have spoken something too in my Confession of Faith or Body of Divinity but in this I shall speak a little more full and plain I will not undertake to justifie all he hath said about Election in his Body of Divinity but I must say that in this he is gone farther out of the way of truth and instead of speaking more full and plain to the business he involves himself in many absurdities and gross errors which before he kept off from He proceeds to explain the term Election or to elect or choose from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture ordinarily imports to choose or to be chosen What Mr. Collier designs in getting these Greek words into his Book I know not one that understands not the Greek can tell him that to elect or choose ordinarily imports to choose But I confess he must have more learning then I that can readily conceive how to elect or choose should import to be chosen which Mr. C. adds Election indeed is sometimes put to signifie â—ersâ—ns chosen the abstract being put for the concrete He proceeds to his division of Election unto which I shall oppose a brief account thereof from the Scripture and so free the teâ—m from ambiguity that we may proceed without interruption Election as it is attributed to God may be variously considered 1. There is frequent mention in Scripture of Election unto some function or office either Ecclesiastical or Political 2. There is an Election unto a participation of some peculiar benefits and favours from God and this may be distinguished into that which is 1. General In which sense a Person or Nation is said to be chosen of God when they partake of such an adoption as that they are brought into some covenant with God and are reputed his people so the Israelites were an Elect Nation 2. Special and that is Gods choosing unto Eternal life and it is either of Angels or Men And it is this Election and the concernment of men therein that we are to consider and as Mr. Pâ—lhil well observes p. 24. of the Div. Will this is variously express'd in the Scripture It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 28. because it is Gods purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
reflecting upon the different natures Angelical and Humane rejecting the former laying hold of the latter For here the dignity of the nature of Angels though in it sâ—lf superiour to the Humane and more near to the nature of God as being purely Spiritual and who are in that respect by way of eminency called the Sons of God Job 38. 7. was not chosen because the assumption of the Humane nature though in it self more inferiour was yet more proper and necessary for their sakes for whom he was the anointed of God as their High-Priest and Saviour Hence is plainly inferr'd not only his pre-existence as the Son of God before his choice and assumption of the Seed of Abraham viz. his taking upon him flesh but that he was also purely so subsisting in the Divine nature as to stand indifferent as to the assumption of the Angelical or Humane nature into the Unity of his Person otherwise then as he was pre-determined by the Decree Councel and Covenant of God in order to the work to which he was anointed Jo. 16. 28. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father Jo. 17. 5. And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the world was Jo. 8. 42 58. If God were your Father you would lâ—ve me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me Before Abraham was I am What words can express more directly the relation of Christ unto God the Father as his Son considered singly in his Divine nature It was some 1000 of years after Abraham that we had the knowledge of this mystery by Divine revelation God manifest in Flesh The Word was made Flesh That was accomplished in the fulness of time But from all Eternity he was the I am the Son of God and as such came forth from God And herein also we may note that he declares not only his own action and motion but also his Fathers his mission It was not only his own undertaking though he was therein also voluntary Wherefore he saith when he cometh into the world Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me Then said I â—o I come to do thy will O God In order to the perfect observance of this will of his Father for the performance whereof he had in time a Body prepared fitted for him which he had not before The Father sends him and he comes both are active and spontaneous herein for the accomplishing of this great work the Reconciliation Redemption and Salvation of sinful and lâ—â—t man The Lord Christ did not then first acquire his being or relation unto God the Father as his Son But being from Eternity the brightness of his Fathers Glory and express Image of his Person after he had by the appointment of his Father and his own voluntary undertaking vailed his Deity humbled himself and taken upon him the form of a Servant and therein performed the work his Father gave him to do he prays to be restored to the same not any other for there could be no greater Glory conferr'd upon him as to his Divine nature then what he had with his Father before the world was Joh. 6. 38. I came down out of Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Gal. 4. 4 6. When the fulness of time was come God sent out his Son And because you are Sons God hath sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. In these Texts compared with their Contexts you have again a full discovery of him who was by God the Father anointed to be the Saviour of the world His being in the Flesh was now manifest to all that conversed with him it needed no proof he carried about with him a self demonstration that he was made of a Woman made under the Law The great thing that the Jews and all the world were to be fully informed in and convinced of was that the Person now manifest in the flesh was the Saviour the Christ the Lord. And for the evidencing of this great and important truth it was necessary that the Lord Christ should not only speak and do as never man before him spake and did but also prove his descent whence he was and wherefore he came into the world And in that respect together with all the testimonies born of him immediately from Heaven by God the Father and the holy Angels we have him frequently asserting his Original himself I came down from Heaven Hence it was that the Jews at this season took occasion for their murmuring Jo. 6. 42. Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know how is it then that he saith I came down from Heaven In answer to this Objection the Lord Christ tells the Jews that in order to a true saving knowledge of his Person who and whence he was it was necessary they should be taught of God Blessed art thou Simon Barjona for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this to thee but my Father which is in Heaven And that they might know his original and his immediate and uninterrupted relation to God as his Father notwithstanding his then present state of Humiliation in the Flesh he tells them from whence he was who he was and wherefore he came into the world The medium he uses to prove his relation to God as his Father is not his being born of a Virgin Abrahams or Davids Seed though that be also true and most proper to prove him who is the Son of God to be also that Son of man the Messiah that was promised But he proves it by his descent from Heaven his seeing of the Father which no man ever did or could do his being of God And because the exceptions to what he affirmed both by the Jews and his Disciples were taken from his being in the flesh Therefore to shew that the Hypostatical Union of God and Man in him had not deprived him of his dignity of the Son of God he speaks of himself under the notion as they apprehended him of being the Son of Man as he then also was And asks his Disciples what and if you see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before which is further explained Jo. 3. 13 14. ch 12. 32. Eph. 4. 10. His condescension to take upon him flesh to become the Son of Man and in that nature to suffer death upon the Cross was no deprivation of his Divinity nor derogation from his Person he still asserts even from thence his then present being in Heaven The Divine and Humane nature subsisting in his Person had not removed the Deity out of Heaven but by that intimate conjunction given the Humanity from the dignity of his Person a claim to Heaven and right of Ascension thither He did not therefore descend
if it be Doctrinally proposed to him in the exercise of that ability which he hath in his lapsed state is utterly denied â—n this Text and Tho. C. convict thereby of falshood who affirms it The second Scripture which I shall oppose to his forementioned assertion is Joh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him Christ doth here assert that notwithstanding the Gospel be preached to men their natural impotency is such that they cannot come yea their enmity such that they will not come unless the Father draw them viz. by those effectual teachings and that illumination by which alone this impotency is cured in the Elect. v. 45. Th. C. makes his exceptions likewise against this Text p. 30 but to very little purpose 1. He endeavours to perswade us that this drawing of the Father is the same with the preaching of the Gospel and so common to all that hear the sound thereof which the Text will in no wise admit seeing it is of such that hear the Gospel that Christ speaketh amongst whom some are thus drawn others not 2. He saith they cannot because they will not and that the one is not without the other We grant this they neither can nor will without special Grace come to Christ neither are men condemned meerly for their impotency but for their wilfulness in rejecting the Gospel but this helps not Mr. C. at all And whereas he gives an account in some particulars why they will not viz. 1. Because they are habituated in sin and accustomed to it c. And 2. Because of the influence that the Devil hath upon them I grant that these things do obstruct and hinder persons from coming to Christ but I must tell him also That the first and main reason of their refusal is quite passed over by him and that is the natural enmity that is in their Souls to God Rom. 8. 7. The third Scripture is Eph. 2. 1. with other paralel Texts that declare all persons unconverted to be dead in trespasses and sins and then certainly uncapable in that condition to put forth any truly spiritual vital act in receiving and obeying the Gospel of Christ seeing they are without that principle of life from whence such acts must flow Unto this Mr. C. replies p. 29. It is a great mistake to think and speak as if men were as dead and uncapable to believe and obey the Gospel as a stock or a stone or as men that are naturally dead this is a ridiculous and untrue imagination and so proceeds with his unlearned eloquence to set forth the folly of giving any thing in command to a stone c. But to these things I say 1. All men have indeed rational Souls and none besides Mr. C. will be so ridiculous as to to talk at such a rate as if Men and Stones were in the same capacity of being wrought upon by exhortations promises and threatnings we acknowledge that these are proper moral instruments in their own nature suited to work upon the understandings wills and affections of men and to produce the effects of Faith and Obedience in them and seeing these faculties are the principle and subject of all actual obedience it is also granted that there is in men a natural remote passive power of believing and obeying the Gospel which is not in stocks and stones but this power is never actually put forth nor can be without the effectual Grace of God working in them both to will and to do so that this notwithstanding as a stone or Corps cannot perform any operation of which natural life is the principle because they have it not neither can a man in his fallen state put forth an act of spiritual life because he is without that Life and Grace that is the principle thereof For as the Soul is to the Body with respect to natural life so is the new nature to the Soul with respect to a moral or spiritual life That which he offers that he might escape the force of this testimony is so remote from the evident scope of the Texts insisted on that I shall not need to return any particular answer thereto but leave his errour crushed under the weight of these savings of the holy Ghost who hath in them stained the pride of all flesh Only I could wish that they into whose hands these lines may come would â—lso consult Dr. Owen in his Discourse of the Spirit where he doth largely plead and vindicate these Texts against the Pelagians Arminians c. from whom Mr. C. hath drank in these notions For my own part I had not now produced them but only that I might take this opportunity to remove his objections against their true sense supposing this a convenient place for that work seeing my design is only to remove his cavils out of the way of weak Christians and not to handle any point my self farther then in the pursuit thereof I am led to I pass therefore a multitude of other Scriptures that contradict his notion and shall attend him in his proof offered and discover the weakness and insufficiency thereof The first thing which he saith proves his opinion is Because it is the duty of all men suitable to the meaâ—s and ministry they have been under to believe and obey God And after he hath by divers Texts proved this which none denies he adds All which proves a capacity in men to answer his will or we must reflect on God c. Were man to be considered in his primitive state as he came out of the hands of God there were some weight in this reasoning But to suppose that the duty of man must be measured by his power and ability in his fallen state is fond and groundless He cannot sin himself from under obligation to duty Though he loose the image of God that rectitude of nature by his sin that enabled him to obey God yet the most high doth not loose his right of commanding him that which is just and good In truth To say that we have power in and of our selves to do all that God requires of â—s is in effect to make void the Grace of God and to renounce the Gospel at least to allow its usefulness which is the most Mr. C. doth only to facilitate the discharge of our duty But if our duty is to be measured by our power it will appear that sinners hardened by continuance in sin and profligate wickedness are most excusable seeing they have least power to obey God as Mr. C. will confess and so by his argument it were unjust with God to require that of them which he doth of others not immerst in their debaucheries Yea let me add this also from Dr. O. p. 245. of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the transactions between God and the Souls of men with respect unto their obedience and salvation there is none of them but hath a power in sundry things as to
it is called 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also conversion is called a new Creation and Grace the new man or a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 4. 24. 2. 10. which terms in the common sense of men signifie the production of that which before was not in being by a divine power even the same that wrought in Christ when he was raised from the dead Eph. 1. 19 20. and do not suppose any pre-disposition or inclination in the person where this new Creation is not exciting the great Creator to a concurrence or assistance in order to its production Yet Mr. Collier hath the boldness to say that all these expressions amount to no more if rightly weighed then what he hath asserted viz. That God doth help men to believe by the working of his spirit with them so cherishing the Good he finds in them that it be not mastered by the sensual bruitish part Greater contempt hath not lightly been cast upon the holy spirit of God who works all Grace in us nor upon his sayings in the Scipture whereby his operation on the Souls of men is unfolded to us as if the holy Ghost intended to perswade them that they are beholding to distinguishing Grace for that which in truth they have in nature and do themselves The reason that Mr. Collier gives for his talking at this rate is Because it s we that believe and obey the Gospel and not the Spirit and it s our duty and so stated in the Scripture By this he intends to prove that the Spirit of God is not the only and principal efficient cause of Faith in men but they open their own eyes and raise themselves from the dead and create themselves anew in Christ Jesus or else believing must be attributed to the Spirit and not to them and must be considered as his duty and not theirs I might tell Mr. Collier seeing he pretends to Learning Qui actionis causa â—fficiens principalis prima est non illico ab actione cujus causa est denominatur lieet in illam per modum causae particularis determinantis influat sed ille tantum qui actione informatur But it s in vain to trouble his head with any Philosophical notion I shall rather make evident his mistake by some familiar instance that may be within his reach And I know none fitter â—o the case in hand then that of Lazarus his Resurrection from the dead by Christ I suppose it will be grated that the Lord diâ— not only help Lazarus to live and come out of his Grave but that by his Divine power he made him to live that was before dead and utterly uncapable of action yet was it Lazarus that came forth and revived not Christ so though the Spirit of God do give life to the Soul and by his own power make it to believe yet is it the man converted not the Spirit that believes c. To make the matter more plain we must remember That there are two moments in conversion to be considered The first is the infusion of a principle of Life and Grace by which the Soul is enabled and disposed to convert and believe being renewed after the image of God and this is called Gratia prima the first Grace in the reception whereof we are passive The second is the exercise of this Grace in actual turning to God believing c. through the blessed assistance of the Good spirit who workeâ—h in us to do as well as to will and this is called Gratia secunda In this the Soul is active and works according to the working of him who works in it mightily Before I pass farther I think it may be a convenient place here to remove out of our way the corrupt glosses of Mr. C. upon a Text or two which he is pleased to take notice of towards the end of this Chapter The first is Joh. 15. 5. mentioned by him p. 39. The words are without me ye can do nothing The design of Christ in these words is to press his Disciples to abide in him for this end he tells them in this Verse I am the vine ye are the branches he â—hat abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me or severed from me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye can do nothing We are by nature dry branches and unfruitful meet fuel for the fire of Gods wrath and if ever we bring forth fruit to God we must first by the powerful Grace of God the great Husband-man be ingraffed into Christ the true Vine that we may derive Life and Grace from him neither will our admission into the Church suffice thereunto without real union with himself and cleaving to him by faith lively and unfeigned by the daily exercise whereof we fetch new supplies of Grace so drawing sap from him from whom our fruit is found Thus is he unto us as the Vine unto the Branches for without Christ i. e. the influence of his Aid and Grace or in a state of separation in which we are not capable of this vital influence from him we can do nothing understand it according to the subject matter nothing that is spiritually Good Surely this casts man down from that Throne of self-sufficiency unto which Mr. Collier would advance him and very poorly doth he acquit himself in his reply thereto He saith 1. All the common light understanding and reason that men have is from him This is the refuge of the Pâ—lagians of Old in which Mr. C. hath before attempted to shelter himself They would pretend to own the Grace of God when their meaning was no more then this That men as men were beholding to God for their natural accomplishments more then which they neither had nor needed from him to enable them to yield acceptable obedience to him but that something else is intended in this Text we have already manifested 2. The Gospel leads Souls to him where their help is It s that which I say there is no capacity or power without the Gospel which unites Souls to Christ in whom their Life is c. It is the Faith of the Gospel and not the bare hearing of it that unites the Soul to Christ and though Mr. Collier here tell us of drawing to Christ and Union with him c. yet his design is still to exclude the special and effectual work of the spirit to bring the Soul to Christ and preserve it in him which I before proved necessary hereunto And there is little heed to be taken to his saying There is no power or capacity without the Gospel this is but to serve a present turn for he hath in his foregoing Chapters pleaded That where the Gospel never comes men have sufficient means and power to live to God without it The second Text is 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou hast not received So Mr. C. reads it p. 43 about which we need
not contend add thereunto the close of the verse now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it From hence we may safely infer That if any man differ from another or from what he was in himself before that is to say be raised from a state of death in sins and trespasses unto newness of life delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of Gods love it is God hath made this difference to the praise of the riches of his Grace And thus much Mr. C. in answer to the objection grants It is God by Gospel Grace makes us to diffeâ— But if Mr. Colliers notion elsewhere be true that amongst men that receive every way as much Grace from God the one as the other some believe unto life others remain in their sins it will necessarily follow that those of them which choose the better part do make themselves to differ and have cause of boasting if not before God yet in comparison with other men And this is in terms denied by the Apostle And Mr. C. makes no reply thereto but what hath now been oft mentioned and answered and therefore I will not trouble the Reader with a repetition of it The Text that remains to be insisted on is Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his gâ—od pleasure That this Scripture is directly opposite to Mr. Collierâ— Doctrine is evident In the foregoing Verse he exhorts the Philippians to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling By working out their Salvation he intends labouring for or bestowing their utmost industry to obtain Salvation and according to this sense is the same word rendred Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth c. Now hereunto two things are required 1. A principle enabling and disposing them to walk humbly with God in Faith and Obedience 2. The exercise thereof Dr. O' s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 496. which is referred unto the internal acts of the will and external operations in duties suitable thereunto And as we have before proved that Grace is wrought in us by the spirit of God so the Apostle here expresly affirms that both to will and to do which expressions take in the whole of its exercise is also effectually wrought in us by him of his own good pleasure which is the most prevailing argument and motive to an humble walking with God and encouragement thereto He that reads Mr. Colliers Gloss upon this Text p. 43. will find him constrained almost to embrace that notion of it that doth evert his opinion and all that he offers towards the salving of it is in these words To understand it to intend Gods working an impulsive will and that they could not or should not work without it destroys the exhortation and makes null the duty What Mr. C. intends by an impulsive will or wheâ—her there be any good sense in those terms we need 〈◊〉 inquire That God worketh in us to will or the very act of willing the Text is express And it hath been already manifested to be his great errour to conceive That nothing is required of us in a way of duty but what in our lapsed state we are able to perform without the help of Gods spirit And therefore it is fallaciously done of him to join those terms together as if they were of equal extent that they could not or should not work without it It was their indispensible duty to obey the exhortation foregoing but this they could not do without the effectual working of God in them And there is not more frequent mention of any one thing in the Gospel it being that wherein Gospel Grace doth eminently shine forth then of our receiving Grace from God to enable us to yield to him that Obedience which he requires of us Pious therefore and well grounded was the petition of that worthy opposer of the Pelagians of Old Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis Give me O Lord what thou requirest of me and command what thou pleasest Indeed to deny that we receive any thing from god in a way of special and distinguishing Grace that is required of us in a way of duty is flatly to reject the Gospel and to deny the Grace of the New Covenant We do not then destroy the exhortation and make null the duty but instruct men which way they may expect and receive Grace to obey it in the performance of their duty which is certainly a great quickening and incouragement thereto unto all that have an humble sense of their concernment in these things I shall now return to Mr. C. p. 34. where he propounds another Question Does the spirit in the Gospel where it comes work in all alike or may we suppose that he effects a more special work in some then in others In answer hereunto he first tells us That this is a mystery known only to God and then immediately proceeds to give an account of very different operations of the holy Ghost upon the Children of men as 1. Some are convinced but not converted 2. Others are wrought so far by the same word and spirit as to believe and obey the Gospel so as if they continue therein they shall be saved Col. â— 21 22 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Mat. 10. 22. 3. Though the work be sufficient by which all might obtain the end yet he worketh differingly and giveth differing measures for differing ends c. 4. His work on the special Elect is certain and shall not leave them untill it bring them to Glory Here we have another instance of the mans contradiction to himself as well as unto truth But to these things I say It is indeed certain from the Scriptures that many are convinced who never are converted by the spirit of God and also that the convictions of some proceed so far as that they escape the pollutions that are in the world through Lust 2 Pet. 2. 20. pass under that work described Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and yet fail of those things that accompany salvation which are things better then all that was before mentioned Such with respect to their profession and general assent to the truth of the Gospel c. are said to believe for a time And perseverance being the great touch-stone of sincerity the interest of persons in Christ is oft referred thereto with respect to the manifestation and proof thereof So in Heb. 3. 6. and those Texts cited by Mr. C. If persons hold fast their rejoycing of hope and confidence stedfast unto the end it is evident they were sincere and that their Faith was of the right kind in that it proves victorious against all opposition made thereto But if they draw back and fall away their Hypocrisie is detected and it is made manâ—fest that they were not of us For if they had been of us no doubt
they should have continued with us 1 Joh. 2. 19 But the Scripture no where saith as Mr. Collier supposeth that these are in a saved condition and Heirs of Glory before their rottenness at heart is discovered or that any sincere sound Believer ever did or ever shall return from life to death from a state of redemption by Christ and reconciliation unto God into a state of bondage and enmity against God from a state of Justification before God into a state of condemnation and wrath The Scripture also fully declares that there are some who are the called according to Gods purpose a remnant according to the Election of grace that obtain like precious Faith through the effectual and saving operation of the holy Ghost who dwells in them and by whose indwelling they are made lively members of Christs mystical Body espoused to him and one spâ—rit with him but that any other then the Elect of God predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son called by his grace to the Obedience of Faith are or ever were in a state of salvation The Scripture no where teacheth but the contrary Those that are not Vessels of mercy are Vessels of wrath And that fiction of his p. 33. That the spirit worketh in all Gospel believers as he calls them alike which are the Elect in the threefold sense minded by him which might all obtain were they sincere and constant to the end is in this 35th page in part refuted by himself whilst he tells us That the work of the spirit on the special Elect is certain and infallibly brings them to Glory but on others some do wholly resist it others though for a time they savingly comply with it yet at last undo all again and dostroy it Certainly then here is a peculiar work of the spirit to be allowed in and upon the special Elect which in Scripture phrase are the only Elect unto Salvation Yet he supposeth that others are savingly wrought upon besides them and some of these persevâ—re others fall away and that many more are convinced and all have a sufficient work so as they might obtain the end even those who notwithstanding never believe nor are converted to God And probably the thing he drives at in this Question is whether God doth more for and the Spirit worketh more powerfully in one of these then the other And first he pretends that this is a great secret and God onely knows it but according to his principles it is easily resolved in the Negative For although as the Arminians say God draws some modo congruo and others modo non congruo So that some have external and circumstantial advantages beyond others yet there is no specifical difference in the drawing it self both the one and the other is only by way of moral swasion not physical operation objective and external not subjective and internal and the turning cast still lies on the will of Man not the efficacy of Grace And I marvel that he should pretend so much modesty in this point who but a little before hath asserted that which all sober Arminians protest against viz. The sufficiency or ability of man to believe without any help from the holy Ghost We have now met with Mr. Colliers assertion That there is a sufficient work of the Spirit upon all so that they might obtain the end repeated ad nauseam usque It may not be amiss therefore to look into it a little more strictly I say then 1. Upon whomsoever the Spirit works in any degree it is more then they deserve it is of grace and not of debt he is no way obliged to do so much for them and even the common workings of the Spirit have in their own nature a tendency towards a farther good in the conversion of the Soul were they not opposed and stifled by the enmity that is in mans heart unto God But 2. To pass over many other things that might be urged If the work of the Spirit upon all men be sufficient to bring them to Heaven how cometh it to pass that all men are not saved It will be answered Because many refuse to comply with and resist his working upon and striving with them Be it so I ask again From whence ariseth his opposition to the Spirit of God and his work in the Souls of men Certainly from that corruption of nature and aversion of will from God wherein all men are immerst by the faâ—l But then the Question returns on the other hand How comes it to pass that all men do not pâ—rish in their obstinacy The true answer is Because God prevents a râ—mnant with distinguiâ—hing mercy and quickens them whom he found dead in trespasses and sins by his grace they are saved and takes the heart of stone cut of their flesh and gives them an heart of flesh thus making them a willing people in the day of his power and considering mau in that fallen condition wherein he is there is no other work of the Spirit sufficient to bring a lost sinner to grace and glory but that by which his natural enmity to God is cured and so the opposition of his Soul to the work of the holy Ghost overcome even that work by which the heart is circumcised and made willing and obedient that before was not so And this Mr. C. seems to own as the priviledge of the special Elect and without this none ever was or will be converted In p. 35. Mr. C. proposeth a Question about the fore-knowledge of God which he supposeth to be really distinct from his Decree and though he be very unmeet to dispute such a Question yet he resolves to give the poor Calvinists another lash before he finish his answer to it Both Question and Answer are too confused for us to get any good by a particular examination of them and therefore instead thereof I will only give a brief account of what I understand in this matter and so obviate his design The Divine knowledge is variously distinguished according to its respecting different objects I shall at present consâ—der it only as it is conversant about things meerly possible or things future Things only possible are indifferent considered as such unto being or not being and are such as in their own nature imply no contradiction unto being even all things that all within the unlimited compass of Divine Omnipotence God knoweth all things that himself can do though an infinite number of these never are done Things future are all those things and only those which do in time come to pass Now whatsoever hatâ— doth or shall come to pass in time was future from Eternity i. e. It was true from Eternity that such things would be and as things that would be were they known unto God before time Seeing then some things were to be and many things possible never shall be it appears that some things were from Eternity passed from the condition of things meerly possible in
and inconditional promises of the new Covenant where he again pitifully intangles himself It might help him a little out of the Labyrinth he is lost in if he would consider That the New Covenant is originally made with Christ who became a sponsor and surety for all that the Father gave unto him Psal 89. 31. c. and in him all the promises thereof are yea and amen God the Father promised unto Christ Eternal Life for all his before the world was Tit. 1. 2. and engaged in time effectually to draw and bring them unto him to give them a new heart c. for whom he became surety that they might not fail to enjoy it on Gospel terms And this truth will of it self bear down all Mr. Colliers notions of free will and falling from Grace It is granted that all the promises of Life and Glory in the Gospel are conditional as set before us But the fulfilling of the condition in the Elect is absolutely undertaken for in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Christ And whereas Mr. Collier saith That the Covenant in the perfection thereof when we are come to Glory will be absolute in all its promises it s absolutely true to all over-comers he lamentably discovers his weakness thereby For our present enquiry is after those promises that do secure the Saints safe arrival in Glory and to talk of the absoluteness of these promises to those that are already glorified and to represent them as uncertain to those that alone are concerned to draw comfort from them is exceeding absurd In p 38. he frames this Objection against himself This asserts a possibility of falling from Grace and so destroys the assurance and comfort of Believers Unto this he answers It doth no other then the Scripture doth it s that of which the Scripture is full it frequently presents us with a possibility of falling Else those many and frequent exhortations to the contrary are useless if there were no danger as also the examples of those that have fallen 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 4. 11. Else what means the Lords appointing a Ministry in the Church to preserve it from falling That the Scripture asserts no such thing but the contrary we have manifested already as also what the import of these exhortations are and their usefulness in Gods hand for the preservation of the Elect. We say moreover if we respect our own weakness and the temptations we are to conflict with there is â—anger but free Grace will secure the Elect from perishing in the midst of their dangers and from being overcome by all the difficulties that are in their way And it is strange to me that he should conclude true Believers may fall away because God hath provided means and appointed a Ministry to prevent their falling To the other branch of the Objection respecting the comfort and assurance of Believers he saith It s so far from diminishing the consolation of Believers â—hat it s the only sure way for Gospel consolation c. I grant that none are capable of well grounded comfort but those that are under the promises of the Gospel viz. sincere Convert sound Believers but how Mr. Collier will evince that his Doctrine is the great spring of Gospel-consolation even this That though I be now a Child of God yet the next temptation I meet with for ought I know may sink me to Hell although God do at present lâ—ve me yet I have no assurance that he will continue to do so a day to an end for many that have been united with Christ as I now am are lâ—st for ever and I daily tremble under a sense of my own weakness and have no promise of preservation to trust to I say how this makes for their comfort I cannot understand nor how Mr. Collier will reconcile his present Opinion with what he writes in his Bâ—d of Div. p. 197. We ought to believe that God will maintain our Faith and kâ—ep us from falling Phil. 1. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 12. else we could have no solid comfort To that which he adds in the beginning of p. 39. concerning the usefulness of fear I answer The fear that ariseth from Mr. Colliers Doctrine hath torment in it and therefore a right understanding of the love of God will cast it out and teach the Soul to reject that Doctrine from whence it springs That is the true Gospel-fear which respect God as a Father and is tempâ—red with an holy rejoycing in his goodness which is a fruit of the spirit of Adoption that bears witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Moreover There is as Dr. Owen hath well observed Saints Persever p. 293. a twofold fear of Eternal death and destruction 1. An anxious perplexing fear in respect of the end it self 2. A watchful careful fear in respect of the means leading thereunto The first is directly opposite to that peace consolation and joy in the Holy Ghost that God is pleased to afford unto his People and exhorts them to live up to and therefore it cannot be his end or design to ingenerate it in them by any of his threatnings or warnings given in his word For the other viz. A watchful heedful fear for the avoiding of the way and means that would lead them and do lead others to destruction it is not in the least inconsistent with that assurance that God is pleased by his promises to give to his Saints of their perseverance I shall now hasten to a close of this Chapter after I have in a word or two cleared the sense of two Texts of holy Scripture which Mr. C. hath endeavoured to darken because they speak not according to his mind The first is Rom. 9. 16-22 After Mr. C. hath for a while laboured against the stream of this Text he is forced p. 40. to acknowledge the truth viz That it is not our willing and running that can bring us within the câ—mpass of special Electing Grace that being past in Gods will before the world was Indeed the design of the Apostle throughout this Chapter as well as in the Verses referred to is to shew the freeness of Gods grace to his own Elect together with his just severity against the vessels of wrath and that one is a vessel of mercy and another of wrath proceeds from the meer good pleasure of God to choose the one and leave the other his choice not being grounded on foresight of their willing or running faith and obedience but being purely resolved into his Soveraign Grace And this doth quite overthrow Mr. Colliers Election on foresight of Faith and doth also afford a very good argument for the Saints perseverance which we were last upon But I must hasten only it is necessary I should remove an abusive passage or two of which his Book is full out of our way He saith Nâ—r may we understand
in God all labours bestowed in a wrong way of Doctrine or practice will then be burnt up and prove unprofitable to those that have wrought them 3. That it is possible that some who are themselves built and do build on the true foundation may yet so far err in their work at least some part of it as that it may not be approved in this day but must be lost even as Wood Hay and Stubble is consumed by the Fire and they miss of that reward which shall be given to those whose labour hath been better imployed in the promoting of sound Doctrine and Godliness to the glory of God and the profit of their own and others Souls And 4. That this notwithstanding those that have an interest in Christ and have been in the main sincere with God shall themselves be saved yet so as by fire they cannot escape this tryal of their work and loss of that superadded gracious reward which they should have received if they had built upon the foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Now let the whole context be diligently read and weighed by his Reader and mine and I doubt not but he will see that this Scripture proves not at all the Salvation of any that dye in their sins after the final sentence is past upon them And here it may not be unseasonable to remind Mr. Collier of those rules of interpreting Scripture that he would seem to have some regard to p. 39. viz. 1. Not to understand any dark Scripture contrary to the plain revealed will of God in his word 2. Not to understand any Scripture so as to contradict others especially so as to contradict the Volume of the Book of God This himself confesseth must needs be corrupt and dangerous and yet every one may see that his business throughout this Chapter is to oppose some few sayings of Scripture that have some difficulty attending their interpretation with parabolical and figurative expressions corrupted by his false glosses unto a multitude of plain Texts and the whole scope of the Scripture bearing plentiful witness to the certainty of the Everlasting punishment of the ungodly But I shall proceed He saith again The Lord of all lets us to know that none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit Mat. 12. 31. Three of the Evangelists state this for confirmation Mar. 3. 28. Luk. 12. 10. And if all sin shall be forgiven then there must be a deliveâ—ance from the Judgement Now is Mr. Colliers mask of pretended modesty put off and laid aside and instead thereof a daring assertion of his Heresie is introduced and that by him boldly intitled to the Lord of all which oweth its Original to the Father of lies viz. That none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit and that he may at once give full proof of his confidence he adds that this is stated by three of the Evangelists whereas in truth there is no such thing so much as intimated in any one of them But in divers Texts of Scripture the Lord of all lets us know that many shall be Eternally damned for other sins that may not be chargeable with the sin against the holy Ghost unto those already pleaded you may add Rev. 20. 15. 21. 8. As for the Texts abused by him The scope and design of them plainly is to let the malicious revilers of Christ and his Miracles know That although the Grace of God to sinners is so abundant that all sin and blasphemy of those that truly repent and believe in Christ may be and to some hath been and shall be forgiven on the terms aforesaid yet those that willingly and maliciously reject and blaspheme Christ so doing despight to the spirit of Grace whereby they have been so far enlightened as to know that what the Gospel reveals concerning Christ and salvation by him is truth are utterly excluded from hopes of pardon or possibiâ—ity of salvation it being impossible to renew them to Repentance and there remaining no more sacrifice for sin Compare the Texts cited with Heb. 6. 4 5 6. chap. 10. 26 27 28 29. The words in Mat. 12. are v. 31. Wherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men v. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shalâ— not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come The same thing is intended in either of these Verses though the expression thereof be doubled for the greater certainty and remarkableness thereof Wherefore I say unto you This refers to what is before recorded v. 24. c. all manner of sin and blasphemy i. e. sin and blasphemy of every kind not every individual sin and blasphemy The adultery of Repenting David was forgiven but not the adultery of those mentioned Rev. 21. 8. The blasphemy of Paul and the words that he spake against the Son of man but not of Caiaphas Herod c. shall be forgiven unto men and so v. 32. it shall be forgiven him i. e. it is remissible By the grace of God through Faith in Christ it may be forgiven and to some it hath and shall be forgiven Verbs that signifie action are sometimes understood only of a faculty or power of action so Psal 22. 18. I may tell all my bones in the Hebrew it is I will tell all my bones The sense is well exprest in our translation and Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean c. In the Hebrew it is who saith Many will say and pretend this but the meaning is who of right can say so And that the words should here be taken in this sense the analogy of Faith doth require but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost or whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost i. e. whosoever blasphemeth wittingly and maliciously against the inward enlightening and conviction of the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men and v. 32 it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in that which is to come Thus you have the certainty of their damnation first absolutely exprest v. 31. and then emphatically repeated in such terms as may serve farther to cut them off from all hopes and exclude all possibility of their forgiveness v. 32. And in them no more is intended then was before exprest and is in like absolute terms exprest by the other Evangelists no intimation which Mr. C. vainly imagines p. 48. that any which are not forgiven in this world may obtain pardon in that which is to come It is certain that it was a familiar phrase with the Jews to call the age of the Messiah the world to come and some with great probability to accept this sense both here and in Heb. 2. 5. 6.
5. which if admitted gives this interpretation of the place That although by Christ believers are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses yet in the Gospel is there no remedy provided for them that sin against the holy spirit but that transgression remains unpardonable both under the Law and under the Gospel Nay moreover if we allow Mr. C. that forgiveness in the world to come is in these words inâ—imated yet neither will this relieve him for the Apostle speaks of the blotting out of the sins of Believers at the coming of Christ and it is certain that then the sentence by which they are now absolved will be published before men and Angels and they possessed of the utmost advantages accruing to them by their pardon so then declaratively they are forgiven in another world But none have or can have an interest in this forgiveness but those that have repented and been converted in this world Act. 3. 19 20 Indeed if we allow Mr. C. this notion That sinners shall be forgiven after they are damned we must grant him more then what he yet openly pleads for viz. That they shall not only be delivered from the positive part of their punishment but the negative also For he whose sins are forgiven is a blessed man and certainly interested in the favour of God But it is in vain to expect that notions so opposite to truth as Mr. Colliers are should be brought to any consistency In p. 48. Mr. Collier forms and answers this Objection This Scripture only supposeth that on repentance all such sins may be forgiven not that they shall be forgiven without repentance In his answer hereunto he grants That we may not suppose the forgiveness of sin first or last to be without repentance It seems then that the forgiveness in another work which Mr. Collier dreams of is attainable on the same terms on which it is offered in this and no other which is not only repentance but also faith in the Lord Jesus So that according to his principles after the Judgement is past sinners are still upon the same terms with God as they are now in the day of his patience Then which supposition nothing can be more false and repugnanâ— to the Scripture Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation And if poor sinners do not seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. it will be too late in another world for then although they call upon him he will not answer they may seek him early but cannot find him See Prov. 1. 24-31 When death hath once turned us off the stage of this world our day is past and the night is come wherein no man can work Joh. 9. 4. Eccl. 9. 10. There will be no more repentance unto life then or possibility of changing our state but every man must Eternally reap the fruit of what he hath sown in this life And as there is no promise for the damned to hope in or Gospel to be preached to them so neither shall they have any more a call to repentance or tender of mercy for ever He adds And that there may be forgiveness and acceptance after death seems farther to appear else what means 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. with chap. 4. 6. In chap. 3. 19 20. it s said By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient c. Thus far Mr. C. repeats the words but omits the rest which are when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight Souls were saved by Water Mr. C. is here quite started from the thing in Question viz. Whether the damned may be released from their torment after the day of Judgement and instead of proving that talks of forgiveness after death before that day come which is short of the task undertaken by him though as contrary to the whole tenour of Scripture The meaning of the words wrested by him so far as concerns the business in hand is That Christ by his spirit in Noah for thereby were the Prophets of old acted 1 Pet. 1. 11. who was a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2. 5. went and preached to the old world whose spirits for their disobedience were now in prison reserved to the Judgement of the great day But against this two things are objected by Mr. C. 1. It is said he went i. e. Christ not his spirit only by Noah The Text saith indeed He went but fully explains also the manner how he went viz. by his spirit as God is frequently said to speak to those unto whom he sent his Prophets so is Christ here said to preach to the old world by his spirit in Noah 2. He does not say he went by Noah to the people of the old world but he went and preached to the spirits not persons in prison Noahs preaching was to persons living this to the spirits in prison The former part of this Objection is answered already and the scope of the Text doth inforce the sense I have given of it and whereas Mr. C. saith this preaching was to the spirits not persons in prison c. it is a meer quibble for the Apostle speaks of them according to their present condition when he wrote this He doth not say they were spirits in prison when preached to but that the spirits of thâ—se persons were now in prison unto whom Noah preached while they lived in the world And therefore that suggestion of Mr. Colliers is utterly groundless That it s greatly doubtful whether this be it which is here intended But however if it were only doubtful to him it leaveâ— him inexcusable in his bold adventure to pervert it as he doth Certainly if the time of the preparation of the Ark was tâ—e time of Gods long-suffering towards them unto whom Noah preached by the spirit of Christ there was no pardon to be expected for them or offered to them after that time Neither can any reason be given why this should be restrained to those that were disobedient in the days of Noah if ever the pardon of sinners after death had come into the Apostles mind for we may not suppose that these were priviledged above all others that dyed in their sins And although Mr. C. saith a little after That this doth â—ot justifie the descending of Christs Soul into Hell as some hold yet it must necessarily infâ—r That Christ in person descended into Hell which is as absurd if not more 3. And especially compare this with ch 4. 6. which seems to be the same with this For for this cause also was the Gospel preached to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit Where the Apostle states these things 1. That the Gospel was preached to
divers things that are behind in his Book The next work which all in vain he addresseth himself to is an endeavour to obviate those Objections that may be made against his notion of the Judgement some of which have already been inforced and his cavils answered others of them are laid so slightly I suppose that he might make some shew of answering something as scarce any body besides himself would have so exprest their mind and with these I shall little concern my self only the second must be insisted on when we come to it The first Objection Mr. C. takes notice of is that which he supposeth may arise from those Texts that affirm but few shall be saved Mat. 7. 14. Luk. 13. 24. It is certain that more may be collected from such sayings then ever he is able to remove out of his way For if there be but two sorts of men viz. The little flock of Christ his Church which shall be saved and the Goats the world of ungodly which shall be damned then may we in no wise admit what he hath before afferted that multitudes shall be saved that are not espoused to Christ or That none shall be Eternally damned but those that sin against the holy spirit Let us hear what he saith to these things First he grants That few enter in at the straight gate c. but then adds Though sluggish Christians and Formalists enter not in at the straight gate yet this proves not that they shall find no mercy at all if so Wo will be the case of most of professors at that day There is no middle way if persons enter not in at the straight gate that leadeth to Eternal Life they must go in at the wide gate that leadeth to destruction and if their names are not found in the Book of Life they must be cast into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone where they are tormented forever and ever Yea but if there be not some provision made against this rigour Formalists yea the most of professors will be in an ill case and the foolish Virgins are not like to obtain so great a priviledge in this day as Mr. C. hath before allowed to them And therefore he concludes his opinion must be admitted This in plain terms is no less then to accommodate his Doctrine to give countenance to the wickedness of men Formalists are Hypocrites in the midst of their profession and they shall be so far from finding mercy in that day that their case will prove worst of all see Mat. 24. the last Verse And how many soever they be that are in that day found without the wedding garment of Faith and true Holiness they must however they may now trust to lying words and make much of the pillows that Mr. C. soweth under their Arm-holes be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 12. c. And it will then be manifest to the Eternal woe of formal professors That many are called but few are chosen The second Objection is thus laid down by him p. 51. The Scripture sentenceth the wicked with Eternal damnation assuring us that it shall be Everlasting Mat. 25. 41 46. This in my Judgement is utterly unanswerable unless Mr. Colliers testimony prevail against that of the Scripture That the Everlasting punishment of the wicked is plentifully asserted therein is manifest and a cogent proof hereof we have in the Text instanced Mat. 25. 41 and 46. In v. 41. we read that the sentence which Christ will pass upon the wicked in the great day will be Depart from me ye cursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Everlasting fire or into that Everlasting fire for the doubling of the Article adds Emphasis to it prepared for the Devil and his Angels Observe here they are sentenced not only to Eternal loss but Eternal torment also to Everlasting fire even that Everlasting fire that is prepared for the Devil and his Angels As the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection cannot die any more but are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal to the Angels Luk. 20. 36. or in a condition of immortality and blessedness without change even as the blessed Angels are so the damned are in the same condition with the Devils as to the unchangeableness thereof and duration of their suffering An account of the issue of this Judgement we have v. 46. And these shall go away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Everlasting punishment but the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Everlasting Life And here we find nothing of the sentence abated but are assured of its execution â—n the full extent thereof The persons condemned being driven away from all good and cast under divine wrath and punishment in Hell Fire which is Everlasting of the same duration with the Life and Happiness of the Righteous For the same word botâ— here and in other places is used to express the duration of both and that in such wise as can no more admit of limitation with respect to the one then with respect to the other Everlasting life and Everlasting punishment being constantly and directly opposed to each other We will now consider Mr. C's answer He saith It s evident that Mat. 25. intends professing Christian nations for others cannot be accused and sentenced for not shewing kindness to Christ in his Members and so may be such as under the sound of the Gospel sinned against the holy spirit or such as may obtain a time of mitigation That only professing Christian nations are intended in this Text is utterly false and against the express terms thereof Before him shall be gathered all Nations v. 32. Mr. C. saith Others cannot be accused for not shewing kindness to Christ in his Members We grant it But must they not therefore appear before his Judgement-seat and may they not be accused and sentenced for other sins Mr. Collier may as well infer from this Text That professing Nations shall be accused and sentenced only for sins of omission seeing no other are here mentioned as that other Nations shall not be concerned in this sentence It was evident that Christs design was not to enumerate all the sins that men shall be condemned for but only to give instance in some which they to whom he then spake were immediately concerned in But if this were granted Mr. C. he is still in as bad case as before for certainly thousands that die in their sins even where the Gospel is preached are yet never guilty of the sin against the holy Ghost To solve this he tells us such may obtain a time of mitigation Although the Text say That all which were set on the left hand of Christ shall go away into Everlasting punishment Thus by contradicting the Text he hath boldly adventured to cut the knot which he could not untye He proceeds Eternal Everlasting and for ever being understood according to the common use and import of the word in
Scripture seems rather to confirm this understanding then otherwise for we must understand it according to the time or times intended and not always for ever without end but very often the contrary and that both in the Old and New Testament Mr. Collier could have said nothing more against himself then what he hath here written for if these words are to be interpreted according to the subject matter which he calls the time or times intended then certainly when they are referred to that state which succeeds time when duration shall be no more measured by days and months and years but time shall be swallowed up in Eternity they can denote no less then for ever without end Moreover that these terms are most commonly used in this sense both in the Scripture and amongst men cannot be denyed and when a thing is said in Scripture to be Everlasting we cannot on any account suppose it shall have an end unless it be in one of these two cases 1. When the duration of that thing is expresly limited to some time in other Texts Or 2. When the subject to which any thing said to be Eternal is attributed is not capable of an absolutely Eternal duration at least in that condition wherein alone this may be attributed to it And thus it is in all those Texts where these terms are used in a limited sense in the Scripture as any one may clearly see that shall read the places cited by Mr. C. or others like to them Now this will in no wise warrant his restriction of them in the present case For 1. They are in reference to the punishment of the wicked no where limited throughout the Book of God 2. Mr. Collier himself confesseth that wicked men shall remain in being for ever So then here is an unlimited threatning of Everlasting punishment to be inflicted on a capable subject and for any man to say that less is intended is a blasphemous contradiction to the Scriptures Indeed the Eternity of the torment of wicked men is exprest by all those phrases in the word of God that are most significant of a duration without end so that nothing can be spoken more then is therein contained for the clearing this matter Mr. C. proceeds to instance in some Texts where for ever and everlasting are used in a limited sense in the Old Testament which limitation hath already been considered and the reason of it fixed But he seems to lay special weight on Jer. 7. 7. 25. 5. where he saith for ever and ever must be thus understood There is the like reason for the limitation here as in the other Texts that speak of serving for ever and an everlasting Priesthood of Aaron c. and till Mr. C. can produce evidence of the same reason and necessity to admit a limitation with respect to the punishment of sinners he saith not one tittle to the purpose In both these places the Israelites are told that on condition of their Obedience to God they should enjoy their Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render for ever and ever the 70 exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. from age to age or from generation to generation as long as they and their off-spring remained in the world But there is another phrase used in the Hebrew to signifie an absolutely Eternal duration viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by the 70 is rendred very commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to express the same thing are these words used oft in the New Testament and are rendred for ever and ever yea three times is the duration of the torment of the wicked exprest by them therein and that the phrase might be more emphatical they are put in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the significancy of which we cannot reach in our Language This you find Rev. 14. 11. 19. 3. 20. 10. And I am well assured neither Mr. C. nor any of his Socinian masters can produce one place in the New Testament where these words in such a connexion may be taken in a limited sense To his discourse concerning the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall briefly make this answer 1. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of many significations is granted and therefore must be interpreted according to the scope of the place where it is used although it cannot be denied but oft-times Eternity is signified thereby as in Joh. 6. 51. 58. with divers other places where it is used to express the Eternal duration of the life and blessedness of Believers and in Mar. 3. 29. The Everlasting misery of those that have sinned against the holy spirit is exprest thereby And for Mr. C. to instance in those Texts where it is not directly expressive of time but the duration of things created in time as Mat. 28. 20. or doth signifie the course of men in this world as Eph. 2. 2. to prove that it may be taken in a limited sense when it strictly imports the duration of something in another world when time shall be no more is meer trifling But he saith not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the common words for everlasting and for ever yet must frequently be understood with limitation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes intends the time before the world was sometime the time of a mans life Phil. v. 15. I suppose Mr. C. will grant that the use of this word Tit. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 25. where it is to be considered a parte ante is that wherein we are not concerned in our present disquisition it is therefore incumbent on him to prove that when it is used to signifie duration à parte post yet to come it is frequently to be taken in a limited sense in the New Testament and that it must be so taken when predicate of the torments of the damned This last which alone would relieve him he despairs of and therefore silently passeth over and gives but one instance of the first in Philem. v. 15. That thou shouldst receive him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever which we grant to be an hyperbolical expression denoting as long time as they lived together and the reason of this limitation is clear in the Text He could not longer enjoy him as a Servant A like saying to this we meet with in an Heathen Poet Serviet aeternùm qui parvo nesciet uti Horat. Not one place more can be produced where such a limitation of the sense of this word may be admitted and yet it is used about 70 times in the New Testament And therefore Mr. C. doth wofully prevaricate when he saith it must frequently be thus understood Indeed the common use of it is such as Mr. C. himself being Judge will admit of no limitation sometimes it is put to signifie the everlasting being glory and blessedness of God himself and about 50 times