render us the Persons whom it so entitleth thereto And is this nothing though it be not the Righteousness for which we are Justified as legal Obedience was to be 7. He ventures too far in making the Crown of Glory and Justification to be Effects of Remunerative strict Iustice as to us which is untrue notwithstanding Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us P. 12 13 15. Among many other Expressions of this kind he saith It is the Constitution of God that all the Saving Good and Blessing which shall be given us shall be given not only by Free Grace but by the Hand of Justice Reply If he mean only that the Consideration upon which all Saving Good was granted is a Righteousness that answered strict Justice I grant it But to say which he seems fully to intend that the Righteousness of Christ is so impured to us as that Benefits are actually conferred on us in a way of Remunerative Justice as to us I deny and say it is a Thousand Fold worse than they whom he Condemns durst ever have a thought of I own also it 's a Reward of Justice to Christ that Believers should be Justified and Glorified But Justification and Glory are given of meer Grace to those Believers though in a Gospel way of Government They cannot plead Now Lord I have Christ's Righteousness on me I have a Claim to these as a Debt or Reward due to me from Remunerative Justice For though Christ give the Crown in his own Right and his Right to secure that Crown yet he reserves the Claim of Justice to his own Person and we must accept of all even at God's Hand of Gift Sinners shall not have the Saviour's Plea in themselves though he will plead it for their Good There is more Spiritual Pride in this kind of Talk than many imagine â—he Gift of God is Eternal Life even when he gives it and not only as to antecedent Causes we look for the Mercy of Christ to Eternal Life Iude 21. and it 's still for Christ's sake we must intreat and expect and not for our own nor for any thing as it 's ours whatever be the Effect of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness on us 8. That which he calls telling a Story to us of the deep Counsels of the Wisdom and Grace of God how this Righteousness is upon us from its first and highest Original is in several things an unsafe Account and greatly to the Dishonour of Father Son and Spirit Some parts of it I have already considered I now shall briefly observe these things 1. He strikes at the Essential Glory of the Son of God 2. He describes the Fall of Man very Dishonourable to God 3. He much mistakes what is most properly the Glory of God 4. He leaves out Man's Acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit in the Work of Salvation 1. Mr. M. strikes at the Essential Glory of the Son of God Before I prove this I would premise 1. The Son of God as second Person in the Trinity is equal to the Father in Essence and Glory though he be of the Father as to the Mode and Manner of Subsistence Hence he hath the same Divine Perfections and Glory 2. Whatever is ascribed to Christ before he assumed the Humane Nature must be such as is consistent with his Divine Nature as the Son of God and proper thereto 3. Nothing is added to the Divine Nature as in Christ by its Union to the Humane Nature besides relation to that Humane Nature 4. The Person of the Son of God was compleat before he assumed the Humane Nature and therefore the Humane Nature is no Constitutive part of the Second Person but as Dr. Ameswell saith is only as an Adjunct If Mr. M. mean more it 's horridly Dangerous when he saith P. 8. The Humane Nature belongs to the Constitution of Christ's Person as he now is And looks the worse for his words P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person As if what terminated on one Nature only did not terminate on Christ's Person and by the same Rule the Acts confined to one Nature as their Principle are not the Acts of his Person unless they be the Acts of both Natures 5. Since the Incarnation we frequently meet with a Personal Communication of Properties what is proper to either of the two Natures is ascribed to Christ as God-Man as Christ died c. 6. Yet there is neither a Transfusion or Communication of the Properties of one Nature to the other nor must we ascribe to his Person any thing in any manner that would tend to the Confusion of the two Natures 7. All the Glory or Humiliation that can be justly ascribed to the Son of God as such cannot infer any Change in or Addition to him and must be confined to what is Manifestative and Relative His Glory may appear more but cannot be added to it may be obscured but it cannot be really diminished 8. Hence whatever Addition of real Glory or Afflictive Suffering belongs to Christ it is with respect to his Humane Nature This was only capable of Rewards of being Exalted of being Deferred of God's hiding his Face and Dying I shall now evidence that Mr. M. strikes at the Essential Glory of Christ as the Eternal Son of God 1. He makes Christ as the Eternal Son of God capable of an Addition to his real Glory as God P. 56. God the Father from Eternity begat his Son the Second Person in the Trinity and loving him with an infinite Love designed a special Revenue of Glory and Honour and Praise unto him as from all his Creatures in their Kind and Way so more eminently from and in a certain Number of Mankind c. The End and Vpshot and last Issue that all his Counsels about them comes to is this That they may be brought to the Acknowledgment of the Son of God c. P. 61. You see how the grand Original Design of God to bring in a Revenue of singular Honour and Praise and Glory to his Son Christ is brought about c. I shall presently repeat more Let 's consider 1. It 's plain he intends the Son of God as such It 's he as begotten from Eternity he as the Second Person in the Trinity it 's he as loved with an infinite Love yea from being so infinitely beloved as God's Eternal Son the Contrivance had its Rise The Design in the Vpshot is That he might be acknowledged to be that Son of God It cannot be meant that this Additional Glory might be designed for him as foreseen Mediator or as in Flesh for this Design is the first step and this Glory of the Son is the Original of all the Contrivance He was pursuant to this purpose made a Mediator and legal Head and he tells us to confirm this That for this end of bringing a
Obedience as the Security of his Pardon and Glory and he hath the Gospel to plead as what gives him upon his believing a Right to use that Plea What Christ hath done answers all the Benefits Christ's Gospel applies what Christ hath so done and gives the Benefits for it Faith is the Condition of the Person to whom the Gospel applies Christ's Righteousness and gives the Benefits But is not that for which any thing is given or by which it 's purchased It determineth the Legatees in Christ's Testamentary Absolution and Gifts which he bequeaths to Believers and confines to them therein Exh. 1. Be watchful that you set no Grace Duty or Work of yours into the Place of Christ's Righteousness Do not think any thing you do answers the LAw of Works or any way proportioned to governing Justice Dread a Thought that any thing is due to thy best Duty as of Debt Rom. 4.4 5. Whatever seem to be good Works are wholly vain highly provoking to God affronting to Christ and Snares to your selves if you think they are a Christ or instead of a Christ to you And this you are guilty of if you think you hereby attone for your Sins or merit Glory at the Hand of governing Justice will you rob Christ of his Glory who satisfied for all your Sins and purchased all Blessings alone and who freely gives you but the Fruits of his own Purchase whatever Terms he insists on for the dispensing of his Gifts in a Way most honourable to himself and profitable to you Exh. 2. Yet do not thrust your Graces or Duties out of the Place where Christ by the Gospel Promises hath set them He knew what was consistent with his Honour and that it would not be injurious thereto to insist upon Terms of the Application of his Righteousness and the Communication of the Fruits thereof in a way of governing Grace though as Sovereign Proprietor he gave the Power to perform those Terms He thinks not himself debased by giving out his Acquests as a Priest upon his Throne or erecting a Gospel Kingdom as a Redeemer of lost Man which the Gospel Dispensation is generally called as if of purpose to secure the Gospel Law Mat. 4.23 1 Cor. 15.24 Search carefully whether the Spirit of God hath wrought in you the Conditions of the Benefits of the Gospel Covenant These are necessary to your actual obtaining of any Benefit promised to them respectively and you expect those Benefits without God's Promise yea against God's Word if you neglect to act the Grace the Promise is made to On the other hand you distrust God's Promise in not assuredly expecting the Benefit for Christ's Sake when you have the Graces to which the Promise is made The Gospel doth not deceive us when it encourageth to Duty by Benefits as Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy Mouth and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Will Christ fail to do what his Mouth hath uttered though he display his Grace in giving us that Assurance upon such Duties Christ's Righteousness will be applied in making good every Gospel Promise How unsavory then is it for any one to say that all your Obedience avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins It 's true no Duty is our Righteousness for which we are justified but it 's as true that the Obedience and great Duty of Faith signifies more to our Justification than that worst Sin of Unbelief for Christ's Righteousness will never be applied to us for our Justification unless we believe and if we believe we shall certainly be justified by Christ's Righteousness Oh Sirs Woe to us at the last Day if we are found to have nothing but the vilest Sins and no Graces or Duties for then will God judge us by the Gospel whether we are believers or unbelievers Obedient or Disobedient to the Gospel Godly or Wicked Precious or Vile see Rom. 2.6 to 13. And Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 We may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment because as he is so are we in this World 1 Joh. 4.17 Little Children let no Man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 whatever Christ by his Gospel promiseth upon any Duty we follow after that in being earnest with God in Christ for Ability to do that Duty and if by Grace we are enabled thereto we may rejoyce in God's Truth and be sure that in the Righteousness of Christ he will perform that Promise to us whereas if we neglect the Duty we wickedly presume to expect that Blessing and abuse and prophane the Name of Christ and his Righteousness in thinking that we may have that Blessing by his Righteousness though we impenitently persist in our Neglects The Reason is this Christ in his Gospel-promises hath declared how the Effects of his Righteousness shall be dispensed to Men and designeth thereby to govern our Hopes and Fears now and to judge us at the last Day 2. The second Sense wherein we are made Righteous by Christ's Obedience I should now insist on but I have already declared what may inform you somewhat thereof nor have I room to pursue it only let me hint 1. That Faith Repentance Holiness c. are a Real Righteousness they are oft called so by the Holy Ghost and Men are denominated Righteous thereby Nay these are called Righteousness and Men said to be Righteous with respect to those abundantly oftner than on the account of the imputed Righteousness of Christ 1 Iohn 3.7 1 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 4.18 Rom. 6.13 16 c. 2. All our Inherent Righteousness is owing to Christ's Obedience and to effect it was one of the Principal Designs of Redemption The Impunity of Sinners is a lower Design than the Restoration of the Divine Image to depraved Man Tit. 2.14 Eph. 4.20.24.13 He purchased our Graces and mainly attends to the Mortifying of Sin and perfecting the Holiness of his Members and will at last present them to the Father fit for his delight Eph. 5.27 3. The Oeconomy of Redemption is such that the Holy Ghost is to have a great hand in Saving Sinners especially in applying Christ's Righteousness to Men and communicating the Effects thereof Hence 1 Cor. 6.11 We are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God The Father gives the Redeemer the Redeemer pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies the Price The Father gives his Son to obey for Righteousness the Son by Obeying acquireth the Righteousness the Spirit quickens and works Faith in the Sinner whereby he becomes the Person Justified by his Righteousness according to the Gospel-rule of its Application which Rule was joyntly enacted by Father Son and Spirit It 's as
a Saviour ordained to recover and actually save a certain number of these And for this to be in his suffering Nature to be rewarded and eternally exalted receiving the Praises of his saved ones fully answers the Account the Scripture gives of the Oeconomy of Redemption Rev. 1.5 6. Man is supposed thus fallen in all the. Texts which Mr. M. cites for God's Design of a Revenue of Glory to his Son from the Elect Eph. 1.3 4 5 6. We are chosen in Christ in what State You 'll see that by the Nature of the Blessings we are to obtain by him to be holy who were by the Fall unholy To be without Blame before him in Love who were so reproveable and hateful to the Adoption of Children who had by Sin lost our natural Birthright and become Aliens accepted in the Beloved to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace who had made our selves unacceptable and Condemnable in the Eye of Justice Redemption in him and Forgiveness of Sin according to the Riches of his Grace who had enslaved our selves committed Sin and were incapable to redeem our selves make Atonement or merit our Recovery And then he addeth Vers. 8. That in all this he abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence Amazing Wisdom To find a Way to sanctifie the depraved justifie the blamable love the hateful adopt the alien accept the vile and unworthy whom Justice condemned redeem the captive and forgive the guilty Sinner Here 's Work for all Wisdom and Prudence to abound much more than it was to resolve first to glorifie the Son of God and then find out a Way for it by designing to make Men fall into Misery and Death that he might come to this Glory by it Look into Vers. 9. and you 'll see that according to what I have shewen to be the Apostle's Model he concludes this is the Counsel of God's Will and his Purpose in himself even to recover by Christ Sinners thus in his Eye fallen and miserable The same Sense is plain in Rev. 5.11 12.2 Thess. 1.10 Eph. 4.13 I confess when I consider some Mens Temper I am at a Loss whether they are led by what themselves are to think of God as so cruel and far from Goodness or that the strange Representations of God which they believe do form them to what they think is his Resemblance Would any Divine else dare to preach that God took the Sin of Adam and squeezed out the Quintessence of it into the Humane Nature to propagate to the World And God took delight to see the Wicked Sin as one that sets Rats-bane to kill Rats looked through the Key-hole with delight to see the Rats eating the Rats-bane knowing it would kill them so God looked at the Wicked through his Fingers with Pleasure to see them Sinning knowing it would destroy them And the Spirit of God striving with Sinners did Enlighten them Reform them c. But why did he thus strive with many whom he did resolve he would never Save It was that they might be brought to those higher Degrees of Torments in Hell which he had fore-ordained them to As Iudas went to his own place that is to the higher Torments in Hell which God had decreed him to he could not come to this but by falling from his Apostleship he could not fall from his Apostleship if he had not been an Apostle and he could not have been an Apostle if the Spirit of God had not striven with him Mr. M. I suppose hath not forgotten these unsavory Passages which I do not think I have varied a word of at least I am sure this is the Substance and not aggravated at all as I have abundant Witnesses to prove 3. He mistakes what is the Glory of God as to its principal Sense this consists in his Essential Perfections as in himself yea the Manifestative Glory of God Father and Son is not so much in the Creatures Acknowledgments as in the display of his own Perfections in a way commanding their Admiration and Love Mens Hosanna's are a poor-thing comparatively even therewith He made all things for his Glory i. e. To express thereby his Wisdom Goodness Power Justice c. His Glory shines forth more in the Impresses of his Excellencies on any Being than in their Thankful Returns of Gratitude to him or Oral mention of his Praises Men by these do their Duty and contribute to their own Good but add not to his Glory yea his manifestative Glory is not hereby so promoted by those Men as by his Image on them and his Authority acknowledged by their Obedience and Good Works Matt. 5.16 God is glorified by Christ as Redeemer in our Nature as his Government was honoured Justice satisfied his Hatred to Sin expressed his Image restored his Authority among men acknowledged his Blessed Nature exemplified in the Humane Nature and Behaviour of Christ his Love and Mercy to Sinners made manifest by his Death By these I say much more than that some few Men do own him to be the Son of God yea our Redeemer even as in our Nature is more glorified by honouring God vindicating his Government from Contempt opening a way for Mercy to exert it self without Injury to God's Holiness or Justice accomplishing God's Purposes and Promises having all Fullness of Grace in him Authority and Judgment committed to him defeating Satan's Projects and breaking his Strength and Power even by the Humane Nature his giving his Spirit restoring the Image of God to a degenerate World rendring Men subject to the Divine Laws Imitaters of his Example subject to his Authority 2 Thess. 1.10 raising the Dead judging the World his wise equal and effectual Managing his Kingdom c. he is by them honoured I say far more than in a few Persons acknowledging his Sonship and being that his Sonship became obscured by his dwelling in Flesh I admire that Mr. M. would place the Vpshot of Christ's acquired Glory in the Elects Acknowledgment of his Sonship as if he took a Vail to do and suffer so much chiefly if not only to buy off its being a Vail 4. He leaves out the Holy Spirit as to the mention of any Gâ—â—â—y designed to him in the Oeconomy of the Salvation of Sinners Yet sure the Eternal Spirit hath a Glory Superior to Christ's Humane Nature and a Right thereto Superior to Christ's acquired Right Yea we are Baptised as Redeemed ones into or in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Matt. 28. But with these Men his Honour is little regarded he shall not have a Hand so much as to render some Sinners to be the Persons that shall rather than others be invested in Christ's Right to any Saving Benefits according to a Gospel-Rule Though God hath so wisely contrived the Acknowledgment of Father Son and Spirit in the Saving of Sinners the Father gives and sends his Son to Redeem the Son pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies it by rendring Sinners
and not destroy the Sinner and be as glorious in forgiving as in punishing To him the satisfaction was made and by him accepted Heb. 10.7 And hence the Sinner is not free as soon as the satisfaction was made but it's when and on what terms the Law-giver and Sponsor would adjust yea and the release comes to the Sinner as a forgiving Act. Exh. Adore the Wisdom and Grace of God Oh! what Grace that would transfer the punishment What Wisdom that contrived a way to place it so that God should be satisfied and yet his Grace be free The Sinner saved and yet not tempted to Rebel The Sufferer repaid in Glory suited to what he did and endured The Redeemed kept Humble as Pardoned tho' the Pardon was granted on a valuable Price The Gift so bestowed as to exert Authority and necessitate Diligence And yet nothing done on the Receivers part to purchase the Gift or to Rob Grace of its Glory it s comprehensively expressed Eph. 1.7 8. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence 5 Prop. The righteousness of Christ in all respects is perfect and compleat yet Christ's Righteousness is variously denominated from those different respects However variously we conceive thereof it s every way perfect it 's chargeable with no defect nor subject to any challenge 1. It 's perfect if you consider it as a meer conformity to the preceptive part of the Moral Law in which respect it 's the same as Holiness He was holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 He was habitually Holy above Adam yea above Angels none so full of grace and truth as he Joh. 1.14 No Mind so filled with light in actu primo even from the very â—â—nning no Heart so inlaid with the Divine Image and enflamed with Love as his he had the Spirit without measure Ioh. 3.34 He had no taint of evil in his Constitution in the Womb he was that Holy thing Luk. 2.35 And when the Tempter assaulted him with the most Skilful violence he had nothing in him Ioh. 14.30 He super-eminently obeyed to an Iota all that was required of him or competent to his Person and this without any defect in the manner and to the utmost extent of the Precept Thus compleatly Holy was Christ which Holiness went into the matter of his Righteousness and is often called so he gave God his utmost due as a Holy Law-giver 2. It was a perfect Righteousness as the performed condition of the Reward promised him in the Covenant of Redemption Whatever was promised to Christ either for himself or Members was promised upon certain conditions some of which were a due undergoing of the bitterest Sufferings threatned in the Law of Works others were included in that of his Active Obedience A Penal Sanction in case of his failure had no room in the Law of Mediation because of the impossibility of his Non-performance and therefore a right to Impunity is of as little concern but Christ's Active and Passive Obedience became formally a compleat Righteousness as what he did and suffered was an exact fulfilling of the condition of the Reward in the Sanction He took our Nature he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he Honouâ— the Law he Glorified God he did all the â—â—rk which was given him to do and drunk the Dregs of the Cup which was appointed him to Drink He fulfilled all Righteousness Mat. 3.15 Even all that for which he was to be Exalted or his Seed made Happy nothing was omitted by him or abated to him 3. This Righteousness of Christ as the performed condition of the Reward was a Federal Righteousness above what was to be Man's Righteousness by the Law of Works which could not be but that the conditions consented to by Christ in the Covenant of Redemption were other and greater than what were required of Adam by the Covenant of Works I shall give you a few of many instances of Conditions appointed to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption above what the Law of Works required The Law of Works did not require the Person Obeying or Suffering to be the Eternal Son of God in our Nature but the Covenant of Redemption required this should I Name no more this would fully prove the point But I add The Law of Works did not exact an Obedience above what Innocent Adam was able to perform but the Covenant of Redemption did this And Christ so obeyed in our Nature not needlessly as must fill the Angels with admiration to see themselves outdone The Covenant of Works did not exact Punishment even to Death from the same Person as still yielded perfect Obedience but the Covenant of Redemption did this The Law of Works did not require or appoint a vicarious Punishment or Obedience from a Sponsor for others but limited both to the Persons originally subject to the Law whereas the Covenant of Redemption appointed this The Law of Works did not command the Sufferings of any as a Reconciling Propitiation but the Law of Mediation did this My reason for that is The Law of Works did by its Threats denounce Vengeance against Sin But this was not by a Precept upon Obedience whereto the Sufferer could Merit Peace and Reconciliation whereas the Law of Mediation appointed Christs Death for a Propitiatory Offering and in Dying he yielded the highest Act of Obedience to a Precept Ioh. 14.31 And this to make Reconciliation Heb. 2.17 Col. 1.20 The Covenant of Works did as a condition of Impunity and Reward injoin Obedience to no Law but that which Adam was under viz. the Law of Works and the Positive one Prohibiting the Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil But the Covenant of Redemption required Obedience to the Ceremonial Law c. The Law of Works appointed no more Obedience than Governing Justice as such had suited to the Rewards of that Covenant But as the Covenant of Redemption had far higher Rewards so it ordained suitable conditions The Law of Works appointed no Obedience after Sin as a Meritorious condition of obtaining forfeited Benefits but the Covenant of Redemption did this We may easily perceive that the conditions prescribed to our Redeemer much differ'd from those the Law of Works required and since Christ fulfilled all these his federal Righteousness exceeds that which the Law of Works prescribed If you ask why Christ's Righteousness must thus exceed what the Law of Works ordained I Answer It 's because it's a greater thing to Redeem an Offender than to continue an Innocent Persons Right to Impunity And it 's more to Purchase greater Blessings for one that hath forfeited all good than it is to continue lesser Blessings tho' with some addition to one that hath not forfeited Yea and Reconciliation is more difficult than maintaining Peace before any Enmity 4. Christs Righteousness was perfect as it was his
dangerous to exclude the Holy Ghost from an Efficiency in framing Sinners for the participating of Blessings in Christ's Right as it is to exclude Christ from the sole Impetration Many little think what a Dishonour and Offence they are to the Holy Ghost in denying an Authoritative Connexion between Duties and Benefits and allowing him no hand in making them the Objects to whom Gospel Benefits are appropriated by its Sanction The Language of such to the Spirit is We are without any Operation of thine on us the Persons entitled to all Benefits Christ hath not only a Right to all these Blessings but we also are fully and constantly invested in that Right without any dependance on thee or Obligation to thee though we own thou workest some of those things after we have a full Right to them and because we have that full Right yet we are at no time indebted to thee for any ways rendring us the Persons to whom that Right is applied or belongs the vilest Wretch in Hell oweth thee as much Thanks on that account I would tremble to hold a Principle whereof this is the Native Language when I see that though the Promises are made in Christ's Right and the Benefits contained in them are his Purchase yet as they require Conditions in such as shall be Partakers of Christ's Right to those Benefits to the Glory of the Son and of the Father who gave his Son so there is a wise Contrivance for the Honour of the Holy Ghost also as it is he who enableth Men to perform those Conditions for a Gospel-Interest in those Benefits A REPLY TO Mr. Mather's Postscript I Shall first consider the Errors Mr. M. chargeth me with and then his Defence of his own The Errors he loads with no lighter Epithets than Damning and Blasphemouâ— Terms agreeable to his long known Temper and Charity He introduceth his Charge with an Ecee This is he he is the Man Would he infer that I am the only Man No the body of Divines except Antinomians affirm as I do And in his Preface it 's his Moan the Number is so great Is it that I am the Man that eminently defend these Alas I can shew him Volumes of the Dead and many are yet Alive whose Defence of my Positions is so Nervous as renders mine truly Inconsiderable as his Opposition thereto Contemptible Sure then it 's either to leave a Mark that his Factious Design may more succeed or to point me the Person designed by him in his Sermons Page 22.64 in words indeed too blunt for a Man of his own Sagacity to need another Comment Yet after all his labour to make the Man sure he hath assigned the Charge so falsly that an Ingenuous Reader will sooner charge him for a base Trick in his Insinuations than me the Patron of the Opinions he would ascribe 1 Charge He is one that makes Vnion to Christ our having this Righteousness upon us and our being Iustified by it to be given us in way of Reward of something done by us Reply My words which he refers to here and Page 46. are these Gospel-Benefits are no Reward of Debt and yet they are given in a way of Reward The Benefits are given not for our Faith yet upon Believing not upon it as a Meriting Consideration yet upon it as that the Presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel this having required Faith and confined the Benefit to him that believes If a Man saith I 'll give you a Thousand Pounds if you will come to my House and fetch it It is not a Free Gift though the Poor Man must come if he will have it and the Giver is yet bound by his Promise to give it if he come and not bound to give it if he refuse to come Defence of Gospel-Truth P. 25. These are my very words he pretends to mention and no where in my Books can he find the least shadow for more You see 1. I mention only Gospel-Benefits and not Union with Christ or Justification 2. It 's Faith only which I mention and not something done by us by which he would insinuate that other good Works are meant 3. I say it 's upon Believing and not for Faith upon it not as a Meriting Consideration but upon it as that the Presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel Doth not this sound lower than his Reward of something done by us Vpon it as a thing present and of it as a thing Meriting are very different 4. The occasion of my using these words was this to prove that God by the Gospel injoyns Faith as a Condition of our having those good things which yet he freely gives and that Christ shews his governing Authority in his displays of Grace and excites to Duties by Motives from Benefits freely given and that Gospel-Conditions have no Merit of Condignity or Congruity And 5. I laid the Vmbrage of the way of Reward wholly on the Gospel-Promise and not upon the least Dignity of the Act done God who is our Ruler commands Faith and promiseth as a Motive to Faith the Benefits purchased by Christ as good things Here 's the whole of this Damning Error as far as he could justly call it mine And by this time you 'll discern as little Danger to me by my Opinion as to him by his False and Malicious Attempt to expose my Ministry and Person not to say truth it self yea and the generality of Ministers and Christians who will not stoop to him as Dictator 2. I shall descend into the Merit of the Cause truly stated which is resolved into two Questions 1 Q. When may a Benefit be said to be given in a way of Reward when yet it is not in a way of Debt or Merit or a Reward for the thing done Ans. A thing is thus given in a way of Reward when a Benefit is given in a way of Encouragement of something required yea or desired to be done however small or unvaluable the thing done is or however great the Benefit is If you say to your Child If you 'll make a Bow and Thank me I 'll give you such an Estate When you give him such an Estate upon his so Bowing and Thanking you do give it him in a way of Reward It 's a Gift because that Bow and Thanks deserve not that Estate it 's yet given in a way of Reward since you promised it in a way of Encouragement to his Bow and Thanks Indeed all Gospel-Conditions are but a meet receiving of the Benefits 2 Quest. Whether God doth give Gospel-Benefits in a way of Encouragement to our performing of any Gospel-Duties Ans. Can any one read the Bible and not cease to doubt that the Scope of it were vain in its Proposals and Promises if the thing be otherwise For 1. Are not the Promises of the Gospel Motives to Duty Acts 13.19 Repent and be converted that your Iniquities may be blotted out Matt. 11.28 Come unto me and I
their Happiness as if themselves had done and suffered what Christ did Reader were these Men duly tender or honest when they pervert Words â—o plain and ascribe to me what is as directly contrary to my Words as yea and no. They say I affirmed what I do deny and that I denied the very thing I affirmed But the Turn could not be served without these Methods 3. The Ground of Jealousie I 'll give and judge you how just it is 1. I did affirm that Christ did bear the Punishment of our Sins yea and he bare the Guilt of our Sins which is that respect of Sin to the threatning of the Law whereby there is an Obligation to bear the Punishment of Sin But I denied that Sin it self as to its Filth and Fault was transacted on Christ and that Christ was made and accounted by the Father the very Transgressor the Adulterer and Blasphemer Gospel-Truth p. 10 11. Here 's my Crime for Mr. M. hath oft preached up the later 2. I affirm as thou seest of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but my Fault is that I deny that God accounts that we legally died and obeyed that we made Satisfaction to God though I grant that Christ died for us yea in our Place and stead 3. I have through the Goodness of God lived to declare in this Book enough to confute his Prophesie and his Opinion too though I think he should pray for a more calm and charitable Spirit before he prâ—tend to Predictions concerning his Brethren 4. Will he repent of his rigid censorious Slander For I 'll here declare that I assent to his own Words p. 18. By imputed I mean that it Christ's Righteousness is looked on by God as belonging to us in order to our being judicially dealt with according to the Merit thereof This I have oft affirmed but it 's far short of what elsewhere he strains it too 4 Charge The Son of God was united to an Embrio which is a Piece of ignorant Blasphemy Repl. My Words were Oh! For God-Man to be at any time unactive as an Embrio or Child in the Womb for him to be born of a Woman I said not that the Son of God was united to an Embrio unactive as an Embrio is another thing And I 'll â—â—ing him twice Ten to oppose his two Witnesses But had I said it where is the Blasphemy when the divine Nature I hope was united to Christ's dead Body in the Grave as all grant And very many say that the divine Nature was united to the Flesh before it was organized or animated of whom Turretin's Instit. Theol. p. 372. Etsi anima infundi non potuit in Corpus nisi jam organizatum c. Non sequiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potuisse carnem statim sibi unire cum Opus ejus non possit aut praesente aut absente anima sibi coarctari Pierson and Multitudes are Blasphemers with this bold Man But supposing that though the Virgin conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost and went her usual Time and that Christ was like other Children and the Faetus had Matter and Nourishment ministred thereto by the Virgin who conceived by the Power of the Spirit Yet that the Divine Person was not united to the Flesh before it was animated But are not many Phisicians so ignorant as to judge the Soul is united to the Body unorganized and if so either the humane Nature of Christ had a separate Subsistence from the Divine Person which is false or the Divine Person assumed it when the Body was unorganized But it 's a Theme not fit for me to pursue who must confess my Ignorance therein in Comparison of Mr. M. who can tell us how the humane Nature of Christ leans on the God-head in the Son and hath the eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it and holding it in that Vnion p. 63. May not this seraphical yet very dull Author call what he please in this Point a Piece of ignorant Blasphemy whatever greater Divines or skilful Phisicans say to the contrary 5 Charge Because I would wash off all his Dirt at once I 'll give you one Charge out of his Book that he forgets in his Postscript though it hath been their best Tool viz. That I lick up Bellarmin's Vomit in my Exposition of Phil. 3.8 9. Repl. This is as true as the rest for when I expounded that Text I plainly affirmed thaâ— 1. We are justified by Christ's imputed Righteousness only 2. That all Holiness compared with winning Christ is to be esteemed as Dung 3. The best thing in us is vile compared with Christ's Righteousness And indeed if that Text speaks only of Justification and that the Apostle designes to oppose his own Righteousness to Christ's then his own and ours are as unfit as Dung to be found in 4. But I then judged and still do that the Apostle there designed to proclaim the Preferrableness of Christianity to Judaism and what was Pharasaical yea or self-invented And therefore as he enumerates all the Dignities of Judaism so he ascribes to Christ the whole Glory of his entire redeemed State shewing that not only his Justification but his Sanctification too came from and by Christ both which were of a diviner Nature as well as appointment than what he arrived to whiles he was a Stranger to Christ and therefore expected and pressed after a Perfection therein whiles he despised all Things Priviledges and Attainments which stood in Competition with Christ Yea was glad he had lost them all for Union with him a Perseverance in whom with higher Communications from him was the very main Aim of his Life and Endeavours I am sure this Sense best agrees with the Context and is far enough from Bellarmin's Sense neither want I Reasons sufficient to prove it had I room yea my Exposition of that Text is so far from militating against Justification by Christ's Righteousness that it proves it strongly 2. I come now to consider Mr. M's Defence of his own Errors He confines them to two Saying I kept Silence as to more When others read this Book they 'll see a greater Number though it seems he could not perceive them when he read my Notes and hath left out of his printed Sermons many obnoxious Passages yet he 'll meet with his Suretiship Righteousness the Debtor being as clear as the Surety P. 24. With his limiting so far Christ's Merit to his active Obedience p. 13. With his Position that all Graces of the Spirit are Effects of our being justified and not at all the Means thereof p. 32. That all our Obedience avails no more to our Justification than our worst Sins p. 71. Though he ascribes a Causality to Faith that the Crown of Glory is due to us in Justice p. 12. Even a remunerative Justice is exerted to us p. 15. c. But let us take what he thinks most concerns him the first whereof is that Christ's Incarnation was no
the Heart of Stone and gives a heart of Flesh renewing their Wills and by his power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ Conf. Cap. 10. A. 1. Q. 2. Man is altogether Passive therein until being quickned by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it Large Cat. A. 73. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces which do always accompany it or of good Works that are the fruit of it Here we see that there is a quickning regenerating Work and Change on the Heart and Will in order to the Act of Faith and that there is no Faith unaccompanied at any time by other Graces and that by good works they intend not such Graces c. Did not Mr. M. tell us p. 60. that in effecting our Vital Vnion there is a Vital touch as I may say between Christ and us and a Clasping on each other Is there a Vital Touch before Life or a Clasping while we are Dead Doth the Mind see Christ whilst it 's Blind or the Will embrace him whilst it 's morally dead impotent unperswaded and averse Do we consent to Christ and Covenant with him whilst Satan Sin and Enmity Reign in our Faculties or open the Door to Christ whilst these keep the Keys God saith the natural Man receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 but Mr. M. saith yea it 's while they are natural that they see Christ and close with him Here 's a knowledg of an ignorant Mind here 's a coming and receiving without Life Here 's a Faith the Gospel Covenant never promiseth for it 's not included in God's Writing his Laws in the Heart The whole stress of Salvation is laid by him on an Act of a dead unregenerate sinner and Men are justified while the Soul is not turned from darkness to life nor from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. it were worth asking hâ—m whose Act this Act of Faith is It 's not a Humane Act unless you can suppose the Mind and Will can Act without any Vital Principle yea against it's own prevailing Principle Here then must be a force and unactiveness too in our very acting and it 's a strange Clasping of what we hate and abhor I doubt here may come in again Christ's believing for us However he must think 1. That our Faith after we are alive is either a Faith specifically distinct from that which justified us or it 's still an Act not effected by a regenerate Principle but is somewhat either below Life or above Man even when he is spiritualized he seems to bid at both His Simile is for the first the Spirits which he saith are Corporeal Clasp about the Soul for Life so it seems our Faith is a dead thing always never made Life or Living any more than those Spirits are made Soul otherwise it loseth its Clasping meetness as they would do in ceasing to be Corporeal Yet other times he makes it look like a Divinity Clasp about us 2. I do now see a little why the Man is so against God's giving us any saving Benefit in any way of Reward though not of Debt It 's because Faith is the only thing ordained not required as a Physical means on our part and this is so low a thing that a dead sinner may act or so sublime as not to be a Humane Act. 3. Again I see why he doth still confine our Justification to the end to the first Act of Faith yea and deny the immediate influence of Faith on our Justification for if you should bring it among Duties or to be under the Notion of a Duty all is spoiled No it must be a meer Physical Band of Union not enjoined by God as our Ruler but appointed as the Corporeal Spirits for Ligaments I dare not touch the Philosophy part of that lest if I name Embrio he should Curse me anew 4. I know now at last why he thought me a Pelegian the selfish reason why he writ it to London I knew long since because I in a Printed Sermon put the Act of Faith after spiritual Life it seems I should have said with him That in Vnion with Christ as one mystical Person which is by the efficient causality of Faith we are brought into a state of Spiritual Life Relative in our Iustification and Adoption and then and thereupon Qualitative c. p. 60. His Proofs for Faith before Life because Christ promiseth Life upon believing are contemptible as if further spiritual Life and Pardon and Eternal Glory be not Life as well as Hell is Death ' and some sinners twice dead 4. The Faith he so much insists on hath not all the Essentials of a saving Faith I know many Worthy Men distinguish between Faith quae justificat and qua justificat and no doubt the Soul hath an especial respect to Christ as Priest and his Righteousness in order to Justification But our Discourse is of the Faith quae justificat What that Faith is he tells us p. 62. Faith is a going out of our selves unto Christ for all And p. 40. The Hearts acting towards this Object in its believing is most properly in a way of trust and dependance and affiance Rep. 1. We have just seen it wants a Vital Principle as it is the Act of an unregenerate dead Soul Now this brings it in the Judgment of most Divines to be no saving act at all no saving Faith because the Act of a Natural and Dead Sinner 2. I need not mention that it is no obediential Act And note That when our Divines deny that Faith is not Imputed as an Act of Believing or as an Evangelical Act of Obedience they say it 's not as such imputed as our justifying Righteousness which I grant But they positively affirm that the Faith by which Christ's Righteousness becomes imputed is an Act of evangelical Obedience Confess Chap. 11. A. 1. Again 3. I will not insist how far the Assent of this Faith is limited as to its Object as well as its Nature 4. I do grant That by Gospel-faith we trust in and depend on Christ as our only Saviour and that by it we go out of our selves to Christ for all Attonement Merit Causality of Acceptance of all we do and Strength and Grace to enable us to all 5. Yet see how much more the Assembly includes in saving Faith Confess Chap. 14. A. 2 By this Grace Faith a Christian believeth to be true whaever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come but the principal Acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and restin
the Objects of the respective Effects thereof as the Gospel determines the Distribution of them His Notion of legal Union between Christ and the Elect from Eternity as being one legal Person is an unscriptural Notion which I have confuted though I acknowledge Christ from Eternity undertook to Redeem and Save the Elect but that is far from one legal Person being that we are not reputed to Redeem or Save our selves alike ungrounded is one Mystical Person It 's time to put an end to my Remarks on his Story made up of Steps which I wonder he hath acquired no better Skill in relating than to represent the Counsels of God in a manner so inconsistent with nay reproachful to the Glory of the Blessed God 9. I shall not take notice of such things as these all your Obedience to the Law avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins the not failing of Faith is not a means of our continuing justified Repentance is the effect of Pardon and not necessary thereto These and the like being already insisted on in this Book and elsewhere neither shall I demonstrate as I might it must be his Judgment that all our Sins are pardoned at once even past present and to come and that God cannot be displeased with or afflict Believers for their Sins c. 10. He vainly supposeth many things possible to be in Unbelievers which are certain Evidences of true Faith Effects of Faith yea they are the Execution of the Consenting Act of Faith and without them if Men have time all his Faith is but a Dead Faith that will never Save I will admit that no Act of Grace or Godliness can Save us without Faith But I as positively affirm That there is no one Act of real Grace or Godliness without true Faith nor yet any true Faith without Acts of other Graces Why then should he put the Graces of the Spirit into a War and tell us of mending our Ways and reforming our Lives and our Hearts too so as never more to Sin and live as a Saint dropt down from Heaven c. yet they are not Faith and the Righteousness of Christ would not be upon thee P. 67 68 c. Can Mens Hearts be changed and their Lives thus reformed in Obedience to the Call of Christ's Gospel and not accept of Christ and trust in him No. And I ask If any Man go out of himself to Christ for all and yet never repent nor have his Heart and Life changed nor love God Would that Man have the Righteousness of Christ upon him for Salvation Yet this is as possible as the other yea and more easily mistaken 1 Thess. 1. from 5. to 10. you 'll see the Spirit of God makes the things concur which Mr. M. would set at so great an Opposition To me it 's evident that Christ's Righteousness extends it self through all the Benefits and Privileges of a Saint as the Sole Meriting Cause whatever be the Condition And all the after-gracious Acts and Godliness of a Believer are the Operations of Faith they are his first Conjugal Consent executed as well as the Effects of his Dependance on Christ for new Supplies 1. Faith as it acts upward towards Christ still Craves Prays Hopes Trusts Expects with Affection Adheres and renews Self-dedication and Consent 2. As it looks into the word it finds Motives Excitements Directions c. to urge and apply to it self from invisible things realized 3. As it acts under the Power of both the former with respect to External and Internal Effects it Purifieth Melts Loves Quickens Strengthens to Duty and against Temptations Comforts Reclaimeth Recovereth Guardeth Watcheth c. So that our renewed Act of Repentance Love and Fear c. our Godliness Reformation Zeal and all sincere Obedience is the Operation of Faith and the Obedience of Faith Faith is in them and they are in Faith not formally but in the way above expressed Whence I conclude it 's a false Faith that omits Obedience to Christ in all these as it is a false Obedience which excludes a Dependance on Christ in or by any of those 11. Mr. M's Criminations of his Brethren are intolerable becoming neither an honest Man nor a true Believer and much less a Gospel-Minister more wicked Malice and Falsehood hardly any Man can be guilty of than his Accusations and Insinuations are justly chargeable with unless they proceed from real Ignorance which Charity prompts me to hope I have instanced already how he hath perverted my words but had he confined his Reproaches to me I should not think my Resentments so fit to be expressed but he spares not the Dead he strikes at the Body of our Usefulest Ministers alive and at their Ministry too Who or what could excite any Man to render the Labours of so many Ministers useless when so adapted to promote the Kingdom of Christ in the World Who will dare to attend their Labours or avoid being filled with Jealousies Prejudices and Abhorrence that believe this fiery Man when he saith They hold Soul-damning Errors if there be any in the World P. 46. That they have a Dislike and Heart-hatred of standing in the Righteousness of Christ imputed and it only that lies at the bottom in these Oppositions to our being as Righteous as Christ P. 76. and the Devil by them laboureth to Forestall and shut up Mens Hearts against what he calls the Blessed Truths nay his Malignant Spirit riseth so high as to call them oft Semi-socinians and studiously brands them with that name as what he would have them called by in his Preface as well as Socinians in his Sermons and that the Gospel of our Salvation is Craftily and Insolently assaulted by them in the very Vitals and Fundamentals of it And this and much more as an Apostasie from the Truth he fixeth on Old and Young even many of the rising Generation not only among Conformists but Dissenters also Reply The Angel said The Lord rebuke thee when he durst not bring railing Accusation sure he knoweth not what Spirit he is of nor who doth instigate him to these things any more than Holy Peter did whose Design was better After long working at this Trade under Ground he proclaims it when he comes into open Air and hides not his Spirit or his Purpose I hope others injured so deeply will joyn with me in forgiving him and Praying for his Repentance that the Blood of Prejudiced Souls may not be required at his hands nor these Injurious Reproaches be imputed to him I shall make a few Remarks on the Names he give us 1. He of all Men seems least allowed to give us any Name for we are not the Children of his Church-Members and others he will not Baptise he pleads that the Ancient Church called the Off-spring of Pelagius his Heresie Semi-Pelagians May therefore one that utterly denies a Catholick visible Church pretend to it yea who thinks he ceaseth to be a Minister when his Relation
next principle of good Works for though it be the Meriting Cause of all as it is in Christ yet holy habits are the next Principle with the Spirits influence And above all must we cease to declare the whole Will of God to all that hear us till we know is Christ's Righteousness upon them Yea is it because they are dead in Sin before Faith that we must not press them to repent fear and love God c. The same reason will hold against pressing them to saving Faith which of themselves they can as little perform And if it be by the Word that God regenerates our Hearers Why may not the Spirit infuse Life by calling Men to Repent c. as well as to Believe and a true Principle of Life will act duly though I think not in the same order of discernable Actings in every Convert But however it 's certain that if by preaching Repentance the Spirit quickens a Soul that Soul is as sure to believe when quickned as it is to repent when it believes And so our Author makes but a spiteful Flourish when he would induce our Hearers to think we teach them amiss because we learn not of him SInce the Printing of my Answer to what Mr. M. calls my Second Damning Error viz. That I make the State of Believers to be Undecided and in Suspence during this Life I have found the word Vndecided in my Gospel Truth Stated P. 55. which I then was Ignorant of though I cast my Eye on the bottom of that very Page My words are The Covenant though Conditional is a Disposition of Grace there 's Grace in giving Ability to perform the Conditions as well as in bestowing the Benefits God's enjoyning one in order to the other makes not the Benefit to be less of Grace but it is a Display of God's Wisdom in conferring the Benefit suitably to the Nature and State of Men in this Life whose Eternal Condition is not Eternally decided but are in a State of Trial yea the Conditions are but a Meetness to receive the Blessing But as I have in my Answer shewed that I oft in Gospel Truth stated affirm That the Elect shall Persevere in Faith and that every true Saint is now in a State of Salvation So I shall only add 1. I do not here mention Believers but Men in general yea rather Unbelievers 2. By Eternally decided any Man may see that I had an Eye only to God's Iudicial Decision at Death and the more Solemn Sentence at the last Judgment when we Die our Warfare is finished and our State as Viatores is at an end 3. What meaneth all the Scripture Cautions even to Believers such as Watch c. Pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear c. If all our State be decided so while we have many Years Temptations and Persevering Work before us as it will be beyond the Grave Alas how many are long deceived by the meer Form of Godliness and they that are Godly are called to Caution and Care on this very Consideration that they are to be judged 1 Pet. 1.17 which were useless to such as are in termino 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Rev. 2.10 See more in my Answer The Point of the Embrio was not fit for my large insisting on or I could have proved that an Embrio is not an unformed unorganized Mass or Lump c. FINIS The Five following Books have been lately published by the Author of this Discourse Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry 1. GOspel Truth Stated and Vindicated wherein some of Dr. Crisp's Opinions are considered and the opposite Truths are plainly Stated and Confirmed The Second Edition 2. A Defence of Gospel-Truth Being a Reply to Mr. Chancy 3. The Vanity of Childhood and Youth wherein the depraved Nature of Young People is Represented and Means for their Reformation proposed Being some Sermons Preached at the Request of several Young Men. 4. A Discourse shewing that Repentance of National Sins God requires if ever we expect National Mercies 5. Man made Righteous by Christ's Obedience Being two Sermons Preached at Pinners-hall with Enlargements c. Also some Remarks on Mr. Mather's Postscript c. AN Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits By Dr. Burthogg Heads of Agreement assented to by the United Ministers in and about London The Fourth Volume of the Morning Exercise There will also be Extant in a few days The Second Volume of the French Book of Martyrs Published by her Majesties Royal Priviledge There is in the Press Remarks upon Bishop King's late Book concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God By the Reverend Mr. Iohn Boyse Malbranch's Search after Truth will also be published in a few Weeks