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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 9. because his gracious purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 6. because he separates or singles out some to mercy in a way of choice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 2. because he knows them as his own in a way of singular love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 29 30. because he infallibly predestinates them to Grace and Glory and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1. 5. because all is out of the pure self-motion of his own good will This Election of God then is Gâ—d â—illing or decreeing to glorifie his Grace in the Salvation of a certain number of the posterity of fallen Man through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth And other Election unto Eternal Life the Scripture knoweth not So then what Mr. Collier discourseth p. 19. concerning a General Election in the Gospel hath no foundation but in the ambiguity of the â—erm which I have removed And indeed in the New Testament there is no countenance given to the using of the term in that sâ—nse as he doth when whole Churches are said to be Elect it is rather because in the judgement of Charity each Member in a Gospel Church is so to be esteemed then for the reason which he supposeth That which he drops in that Section concerning â—â—lling from Grace shall be examined afterwards He proceeds p. 20. To discourse of Special Election which he makâ—â— twofold The first is of those who are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world unto the obtaining of Grace and Glory A brief account of which I have already given The reason he gives for this is That the undertaking of Christ might be assured not to be in vain on the most special account c. He acknowledgeth then That if there had not been a certain number given to Christ by the Father who by effectual Grace should be brought to believe in him his undertaking might have been in vain But this must not be very true But then if the whole of his undertaking must not be left at uncertainty why should any part of it be so How Mr. C. will reconcile this with his other notions I know not He goes on The second sort of special Election in the Gospel is of All that do believe and obey the Gospel in truth persevering therein to the end Afterwards he accounts these distinct from the special Elect but for the present he makes this one branch of special Election I shall allow him to alter his terms as he pleaseth if he find them unfit and consider his present notion which is built upon this supposition That many may and shall believe and obey the Gospel and persevere therein to the end that receive no special Grace from God in the pursuit of his Electing Love to enable them thereunto or preserve them therein which notion shall be examined in its proper place And these are Elected on the foresight of their Faith and Obedience and perseverance therein And here we might reasonably expect that Tho. C. in his Add. word should have confuted the arguments urged against such an Election by Th. C. in his B. of D. p. 444 445 446. But this he silently passeth over and this sudden change is the more to be taken notice of because he tells us in his Preface to that Book That they are not the notions of sudden conception but the fruit and birth of many years travel that he there presents us with and that he would have all his Doctrine to be compared with that Book and either reconciled therewith or rejected I know some will be ready to say Inconstans levitas levis inconstantia vulgi Nunc vult nunc non vult nunc neque vult neq non vult But I shall rather mind that seasonable exhortation of the Apostle Eph. 4. 14. Heb. 1â— 9. and so address my self to consider what proof of this notion he offers to us Election saith he under this consideration is declared in these and the like Scriptures Joh. 6. 40. 3. 16. 8. 31. Rom. 2. 7. Heb. 5. 9. Col. 1. 21 23. Rev. 22. 14. All these Scriptures hold forth no more but the inseparable connexion as of the means with the end of Faith and Obedience persevered in with Eternal Life and Salvation not a tittle of the Election of any on the foresight of these He that holdeth out to the end shall be saved which all the Elect shall do being kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation but this Grace as well as future Glory floweth to them from the eternal spring of Electing Love Yea Mr. C. himself can tell us at another time That Faith is no where stated in the Scriptures as the condition of Election neither in reason can it be so if we consider what persons are Elected to and that is to believe and obey the Gospel to be holy here and happy hereafter 1 Pet. 1 2. Bod. of Divin p. 445. And if Mr. C. will consult those that have written on this controversie he may find other arguments urged against this errour also but perhaps his own may have the greatest influence on him I shall therefore leave that with him and attend him in his farther offer of proof of the contrary opinion now Thus he proceeds p. 21. We may not so understand particular and special Election as to derogate from the universal Grace and love of God to all men nor from the truth of the Law of Grace which calleth upon all and encourageth all and promiseth life to all that do believe and obey the Gospel c. What Mr. Collier means by the universal Grace and love of God to all men he doth not here explain But by the tenour of his discourse in other places in his Book his sense appears to be That God intended the Redemption and Salvation of all men in the death of his Son and hath recovered them all out of their fallen state and put them into a capacity of obtaining Heaven without his special Grace And it is true that the Doctrine of Election as revealed in the Scriptures doth overthrow this fiction but must it therefore be rejected because it will not comport with his errors And whereas he supposeth that the Decree of God concerning the salvation of the Elect opposeth his revealed will and gracious invitations unto sinners in the Gospel this must be imputed to his ignorance of these things He tells us not wherein he supposeth the opposition doth lye And whatever he thinks their harmony is sweet and full There is a sufficiency in Christ to save the whole world if they did believe on him and there is a sure promise of salvation to every believer And it is the will of God that salvation by Christ should be tendered unto all where the Gospel comes on the terms mentioned therein But the wickedness of mans heart and his natural enmity to God being such as would render
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.
If we may suppose the Ministry to go without the spirit working therein then we may suppose a pâ—ssibility in respect of power else men could not be condemned for not believing c. The absurd folly of his supposition That by our sin we out God short of right to command our Obedience to his holy will as well as loose our power to obey hath been already detected By this and what followeth you may see what I said before that this man doth not stick at the grossest Pelagianisme but supposeth man in his fallen state by his corrupt mind and natural capacity without any work of Gods spirit upon him to be capable of discâ—rning believing and yielding acceptable Obedience to the revelations of God contained in the Scriptures of truth Howbeit we have heard the Scripture teacheth other Doctrine And the Apostle Paul was so far from this proud conceit of himself that he confesseth the quite contrary viz. 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God i. e. It is of God in a way of Grace who works all our works in us But against the saying of the Apostle he excepts p. 43. It s true as of our selves only we are not distinct from Christ and Gospel Grace we are not but by the helps afforded there is power both to will and to do the will of God in the Gospel It seems by these words of Tho. Collier That he is conscious to himself that this Text doth overthrow his notion of the sufficiency of men without any help of the spirit of God to do any thing that is truly and spiritually Good especially those that are utter strangers to Christ and Gospel-Grace for he now owns that distinct from Christ and Gospel-Grace we have no such sufficiency But he doth not use to trouble himself to keep an harmony in his Book betwixt pages so far distant as is 31. from p. 43. and therefore it is no marvel to find him here unsaying what before he said and instead of that to content himself for the present with asserting That there is a sufficient help afforded to all c. But brings forth no proof of that neither but besides what hath been already proved against him I shall farther examine this notion before I come to the end of this Chapter and at present manifest that it is overthrown by this Text The Apostle doth in these words not with a feigned modesty but from his heart confess he is beholding to the Grace of God for every good thing wrought in him or by him And therefore he instanceth in that which scarce amounts to any good work even a thought when he affirmeth our sufficiency to be of God and denyeth that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient or meet for it any way capable of our selves to exert or frame a good thought in our own Breasts and this he denies of himself when converted and refers all the praise of the exercise of Grace in his Soul to the spirit of God even then now it is less to think then to will and less to will then to perform And if our ability for the former be denied it must be so much more for the latter And if it be denied of a converted man much more of one unconverted It is repugnant to reason and Scripture evidence to think that the blessed Apostle a person in all respects qualified with natural endowments and education yea in an eminent manner assisted by the Spirit of God should say that he had no sufficiency of his own for any thing that was truly good and in the mean while to suppose that any unconverted person hath power of himself to be so good in thought will and deed as to get to Heaven by the meer improvement of his natural capacity without any assistance of Divine Grace In p. 32. he farther opens his mind about conversion and tells us If God did not work at all by his spirit but only give the Gospel which hath in its self a natural tendency to draw sinners to Christ if according to their capacities they believe and obey it they should undoubtedly be saved There are two things supposed in these words the one true the other utterly untrue a common artifice of Deceivers to make their notions pass the more readily with the weak that cannot discover their imposture herein 1. He supposeth that whosoever believeth and obeyeth the Gospel by any means is under the promise of salvation which is a great truth thâ—se two viz. Faith and Salvation being inseparably connected in the Scripture 2. He takes it for granted as before That a man in his natural Estate without any the least assistance from the spirit of God hath a sufficient ability and is in a capacity to beâ—ieve and obey the Gospel And so all that he allows to the spirit oâ— God is but to render the work of conversion the more facile and easie for thus he writes again p. 33. That after believing and obeying the Gospel God usually gives a greater measure of his spirit so that after believing Christians are or might be in a better capacity to live to God then before They were therefore in a capacity to live to God before believing and again p. 34. As the Apâ—stle speaks in the matter of prayer Rom. 8. 26. He helpeth our infirmities so its true in all cases the work of the Spirit is to help our infirmities for it s we that dâ— believe and obey the Gospel and not the Spirit The result or necessary consequence of these words of his is That persons may believe and never be beholding to the Spirit they can convert themselves without him But if he do ex abundanti afford his help it is not to convert the Soul by his own power and grace but only to facilitate the work by exciting a principle that he finds in the Soul and which was there before any special working of his in and upon it But if we consult the holy Scriptures we shall find that in them conversion is spoken of in a Dialect far differing from Mr. Colliers For instance Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will hath he begotten us c. Now this new birth or being begotten of God doth bespeak plainly the infusing of that gracious principle into the Soul that was not there before and this is done by the Spirit of God in the exercise of Soveraign Grace As the wind bloweth where it listeth so of his own will hath he begotten us Of the same import is that phrase of taking the heart of stone out of the flesh and giving an heart of flâ—sh a new heart so often mentioned in the Covenant of Grace and can signifie no less then the effectual removing and curing of that wicked disposition of Soul and stubbornness of heart by which a person is kept in rebellion against God by communicating to them a divine nature as
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
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
by Grace in their station and glorified Saints cannot but love God choose and delight in perfect obedience to his holy will yet in all this are they free agents because they are thus determined by no external force but by the dictate of their own understanding And on the contrary the Devils and fallen man are by their own wickedness determined to sin and that onely yet are they free in the choice thereof c. 3. That God made man upright and so capable of yielding perfect obedience to the whole will of God according to that Covenant in which he stood related to him but he sought out many inventions and by his voluntary defection from and rebellion against God fell short of the Glory of God and lost that rectitude of nature which was concreate with him and became blind disobedient and dead to God 4. Man having thus wickedly and wilfully lost and cast away his power of obeying God doth infer no unrighteousness in the Law of God still requiring and commanding them to do that which is Just and Holy and Good neither doth it infer the least obligation on God to recover him out of his lost estate 5. Although man in his lâ—psed estate hath such a principle of enmity to God reigning in him that he cannot until converted by effectual Grace choose that which is right in the sight of God yet doth he freely put forth a positive act of his will in refusing mercy tendered on Gospel terms 6. So then the Question is not so much whether men left to themselves and the common helps afforded them may believe if they will But whether any such will believe and not rather finally oppose God and refuse his Grace tendred to them in the Gospel These things duly considered tend to obviate the cavils of Mr. Collier and to detect his mistakes He asserts in the first Section p. 24. That suitable to the means and Ministries men are under there is a capacity both of power and will in all men that are not debilitated of the ordinary capacities of men to understand believe and obey the Lord in them By this and other following passages it appears that by universal Grace Th. C. means the sufficiency of the humane nature which is it and not Grace that he desires to exalt and as his notions are the same in this matter with the Pelagians so is there the same deceit and aequivocation in his using the term Grace which they sought refuge in and therefore let none be blinded with that saying of his in the same Section That this capacity both of power and will is of God For Pelagius himself acknowledgeth as much and it amounts to no more then the acknowledgement of our endowment with natural abilities by God who is our Creator All these are from God in a way of nature but ability to believe and obey the Gospel is from him in a way of special Grace which is that we plead for and deny that a natural unregenerate man is capable of saving knowledge of or yielding obedience to the will of God in the Gospel otherwise then as a dead Soul is capable of being quickened by the Almighty power of the Spirit of Christ This the Scripture is full and express in I will instance in a Text or two We read 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them for they are spiritually discerned The Apostle doth in the context divide all men into two sorts Natural and Spiritual The last have the mind of Christ and are made acquainted with the Grace of the Gospel through the effectual working of the Spirit by which they are born again the other viz. natural men unregenerate persons even the wisest and best of them receive not the things of the Spirit of God i. e. the Doctrines of the Gospel because they are without any Spiritual discerning of the glory that is in them remaining under the power of darkness they are accounted foolishness and as foolish things are slighted and rejected by them Neither can they know them viz. savingly and effectually for they are spiritually discerned i. e. by the enlightening and teaching of the Spirit of God and not without it But I find divers exceptions laid against this interpretation of the Text by Mr. Collier p. 42. 43. which I shall here remove out of the way 1. He expounds this term the natural man by the sensual man as if all unregenerate persons were not intended thereby but only some of the most bruitish among them which is quite against the Apostles scope whose design is to shew that God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world and that the principal men thereof are strangers to the things of the new Covenant which eye hath not seen c. ch 1. 20. 2. 7 8 9. 2. He supposeth the Idolatrous Gentiles that would not come to the Gospel light c. to be intended But this also is plainly to contradict the Apostle who speaks of both Jew and Gentile and particularly those of them to whom the Gospel was preached as you may see most evidently in his foregoing discourse and these when the things of Gods Spirit were proposed to them received them not but esteemed them foolishness His third exception is plainly ridiculous He saith All where the Gospel comes should understand and believe it but its thâ—se only that by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel do believe and obey it that have this spiritual understanding This we plead That although all unto whom they are tendered ought to receive the things of the spirit of God yet no unconverted man doth so the reason is in part because he cannot understand them but they are foolishnesâ— to him and accordingly rejected by him and to confute this Mr. C. tells us that no unbeliever hath this understanding indeed but if he did believe and obey he should have it as if to obey and believe the Gospel were not to receive the things of Gods spirit The sum is this If he did believe he might believe and if he were not ignorant he might understand c. 4. He endeavours to perswade us that it is only such an understanding of Gospel mysteries as is proper to grown Christians that the unconverted man is uncapable of and how repugnant this is to the whole discourse of the Apostle I leave every one to judge Thus he concludes his futilous cavil So that it supposeth not any impossibility for the darkeâ—t and worst of men to obtain Light and Life by the Gospel He woulâ— fain lye hid under the darkness of his ambiguous terms This Scripture doth not suppose indeed but that the darkest and worst of men may be enlightened and quickened by the power of Gods spirit working with the word But that every man which hath only the natural accomplishments of a man may understand and obey the Gospel
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
which they were equally with others by their own nature into a condition of futurition and there can be no cause assigned of this migration or passage without God for there was nothing before time but himself It remains therefore that the cause thereof was in God and indeed it was the will purpose or decree of God that some things should be others should not that alone made this change So that the foreknowledge of things to be that is in God supposeth his Decree that they shall be and in truth the foreknowledge or Decree of God considered as in him is the same and the Scripture indifferently useth either term to denote the same thing though we because of the imbecility of our understanding form differing conceptions of them we conceive of the Decree as an act of God willing that such things should be and of Divine prescience as an act of God foreseeing or knowing the coming to pass of the things willed by him Amongst things future some are good some are evil viz. morally Those that are good God decreed to effect those that are evil to permit or suffer to be done knowing how and having purposed in himself to order them and over rule the doing of them for his own glory in the end Again some things we see are the effects of causes that work necessarily necessitate consequentis others of free agents which are to us wholly contingent yet do also necessarily come to pass necessitate consequentiae And things are therefore thus effected in time because God had decreed this order before time Hence is the certainty of Gods foreknowledge which dependeth not on any thing without himself and so a necessity as to the event that whatsoever hath been or shall be should so come to pass as it doth But this is a necessity of infallibility not of coaction and doth establish not infringe the liberty of free agents I shall briefly apply these things to the case in hand It will be granted I suppose that the utmost end intended by God in all that comes to pass is his own glory He hath made all things for himself and in the making of man God had an eye to the manifestation both of his mercy and justice Rom. 9. 22 23. In order hereunto he purposed to create man upright but mutable and to permit his temptation and falling by sin and to save a remnant of fallen man-kind by Jesus Christ through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth that his free grace might be everlastingly glorified in the Vessels of mercy which he before prepared untoglory so also he purposed to leave the rest in their fallen state to the wickedness of their own hearts and justly to punish them for it therein shewing his wrath and making his power known on the Vessels of wrath which he had endured with much long-suffering who were fitted for destruction Thus the end of all men is foreknown unto God and nothing falls out casually unto him yet is there no force put upon man nor injustice or hard dealing from God for him to complain of But Mr. Collier saith p. 36. It is dishonourable unto God and pernicious to men and layeth all the wickedness and plagues of the world at Gods door to affirm as some do That God decreed Adams fall before he made him or at least so far foreknew it as that it must be i. e. so as to necessitate it An heavy charge And we know right well who M. Collier intends it against But it will be far more easie for me to manifest That the men of his controversie have no concernment in it then for him to vindicate his own truth and honesty inasmuch as what they hold infers no such thing as you may see by what I have already written of this matter and whatsoever in his report of their opinion looketh this way is untruly imputed to them His best plea will be that he slandered them by hearsay and that himself knew not nor understood what they affirmed of this matter yet will not this excuse him But to the business Himself confesseth That God foreknew that Adam would fall I ask then Could the Almighty have prevented this or not If he could and yet did not we conclude that he willed or decreed not to prevent it though no ways approving thereof having determined to raise glory to his own name out of it And if the most high decreed to permit it and so from Eternity foreknew it as future this infâ—rs a necessity of Infallibility that in time it would so come to pass but leaves man as a free agent to the liberty of his own will without any coaction thereto This notwithstanding therefore the sin and plagues of the world lye at the door of rebellious man And if Mr. Collier mean by foreknowing it so as to necessitate it such a foreknowledge or decree of God concerning it as in the execution thereof man should be compelled to sin and his fall effected by God I detesâ— such a notion and so do all those whom he reflects upon And it is expected that he either make good his charge out of their Writings or else right them by a publick acknowledgement of his fault in thus misrepresenting their Doctrine And if Mr. Collier cannot yet conceive of a necessity of infallibility respecting the event of things arising from the decree or foreknowledge of God without a necessity of coaction respecting those that are to act in the accomplishment of them I will endeavour to help him by one plain instance Act. 4. 27 28. For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done It is evident their design was not to fulfill the counsel of God But thus it fell out for whatsoever they did to the Lord Jesus God had in his counsel determined before to be done yea had foretold by the mouth of all his holy Prophets that so it should be unto every circumstance of Christs passion viz. his Crucifying having Gall and Vinegar given him to drink the parting of his Raiment piercing of his side c. Now either these things must so come to pass or else the counsel of God must be disappointed and his word falsified will Mr. Collier then lay the Murther of Christ at Gods door were not all the agents by whose hands these things were immediately done free from coaction and therefore responsible for their wickedness all this notwithstanding And to make this yet more clear I will transcribe a few lines from Mr. Norton in his Orthod Ev. p. 75. These two proposioions 1. Adam might not have sinned 2. It could not be but that Adam would sin are both true and notwithstanding they may so seem yet they are not opposite one unto the other not being both of the same kind Adam might
us without taking that heed That all are warned and that very frequently in the Scriptures to take heed of falling is granted and that these warnings are sanctified and made effectual by God for the preservation of his own Elect from final Apostacy is pleaded But Mr. Colliers inference from hence is very impertinent and argues that he understands not their Opinion that he hath undertaken to confute He saith That in respect of us there is a possibility of falling if we do not take heed Very true It is not only possible but certain that those which do not walk humbly and heedfully with God nor make any conscience of so doing may fall away from their profession But God according to his promise will keep his own from such a course as would ruine them And this is all which with the Scripture we say That God hath promised by his effectual Grace to preserve all his chosen ones all that truly believe in a way of holyness and diligence unto Eternal Life And therefore that is quite besides the business that Mr. C. writes p. 35. That nothing shall be able to make a breach or separation unless we do it our selves by sin whereas God hath promised to prevent our making this breach when he saith I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them Ezek. 36. 27. The truth is if Mr. C. will abide by his opinion he must either assert That God never loved any person one or other or that he is like us changeable in his love on outward external reasons He goes on p. 36. 2. They have all he intends all in the visible Kingdom of Christ the same faith and love for kind there is but one faith which hath the same object and is influenced by the same spirit which produceth the same effect i. e. a good Conscience even in such as fall from it And in the beginning of p. 37. he adds So that according to the Law of Grace all that do believe and obey the Gospel stand related to God therein and nothing makes the difference but sincerity and perseverance shall be crowned and Hypocrites and Back sliders must fall short and meet with condemnation It is well done of Mr. C. to join Sincerity and Perseverance together and so also Hypocrisie and Back-sliding for the latter is a certain discovery of the former If ye continue in my words saith Christ then are ye my Disciples indeed And so ê contra But then see what confusion he hath again cast himself into He affirmeth there is in all the same faith and love for kind and nothing to make a difference between them the same effect produced by the same spirit c. and yet some are sincere others Hypocrites It is strange that Mr C. can find out no specifical difference betwixt the lively faith of a sincere believer and the dead faith of a painted Impostor the most holy and precious Faith of Gods Elect which purifieth the heart and the temporary feigned Faith of Simon Magus notwithstanding which he was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of Iniquity The Text which he insinuates a perversion of is 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack By Faith here as in some other places we are to understand the Doctrine of Faith the truth of the Gospel which we are exhorted to cleave to and hold fast and that we may do so we must keep a good conscience also i. e. walk in holiness for where that is not attended men are not like to abide sound in the Faith in an hour of temptation The mystery of Faith must be held in a pure conscience which some having put away that is rejected and lived in the neglect of concerning Faith have made shipwrack that is have lost and relinquished that truth which once they professed of such he gives an instance in the following Verse But this notwithstanding The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his c. 2 Tim. 2. 18 19. Here then is no such thing supposed as Mr. C. intimates That those who once had true faith and a good conscience did finally fall from it He saith farther 3. The Scripture suppâ—seth that persons may have the same Gospel-spirit in all its operations and yet may pâ—ssibly finally faâ—l from God Heb. 6. 4 5 6. If it were allowed Mr. C. that true believers were spoken of in this Text he could not prove from hence that any such shall finally fall away The discourse being conditional and it remaining a truth That if a person whoever he be or persons do depart and fall away from God they must unavoidably perish though none of the persons spoken of should do so such expressions holding forth the inseparable connection of Apostacy with damnation And men may without any disparagement to their wisdom or reason earnestly exhort others to avoid falling away from God though they are fully perswaded that those whom they so exhort by the help of those exhortations and other considerations shall abide with God to the end But indeed it appears upon a serious view of the context that the persons here spoken of are such as have only past under some common work of the spiriâ— and that such may fall away is not denied by any And Mr. C. doth without ground assert that they havâ— been the subjects of the same grâ—cious work as is effected by the spirit of God upon true believers For 1. Here is nothing ascribed to the persons spoken oâ— that is in Scripture found to be the distinguishing character of true Believers which are commonly said to be the called See Dr. Owen of Pers p. 427. according to the purpose of God quickeneâ— born again jusâ—ified united to Christ adopted c. 2. The persons â—ntâ—nded are verse 8. compared to the ground on which the rain falls and â—eareth Thorns and Briars True believers whilst they are so are 〈◊〉 such as bring forth nothing but Thorns and Briars faith it selâ— being an herb meet for him by whom they are dressed 3. T 〈…〉 gs that accompany Salvation are better things then any that were to b 〈…〉 in thâ— pâ—rsons mentioned v. 9. and true Believers are in this disâ—â—urse of the Apostle opposed to the persons lying under a possibâ—lity of Apostacy and are distinguished from them upon the accâ—â—nt of their works and labour of love shewed to the name of God v. 10. their preservation from the righteousness and faithfulness of God in his promises v. 11. and of the immutability of the counsels of God and his oath for the preservation of them v. 13. 1â— 18. All which doth evince that they are not the Children of God by Faith in Christ of whom the Apostle speaks in the place referr'd to In p. 37. He moves a question about the absolute
that the special Elect only shall obtain and that all others are debarred that though they will and run all will be in vain And again p. 41. he intimates that his opponents infer from this Scripture That God will damn whom he please from his own will and power and save whom he will from his own will and power Let men believe or obey do what they will or can its all nothing But that after all their willing running repenting believing obeying wâ—tching and warring they must leave all to the Eternal will and power c. This is as notorious a slander as he could well have cast upon them for all they say amounts to no more then this That the Election have obtained and the rest are blinded And this we are bold to affirm still having so good warranty for it as we have though he go on to reproach us therefore But that we say willing and running believing and obeying c. is in vain to the non-Elect and that after all watching and warring the state of men must be determined by the Eternal will and power is a very gross and I fear a studied untruth there being no foot-steps of any such assertion to be found in the Doctrine or Writings of the men of his controversie It being constantly asserted by them That there is an inseparable connexion between Faith and Salvation and that it is an Everlasting truth That he which believeth shall be saved â—â—d he which believeth not shall be damned and it is as true That none do will or run after a right manner but the Elect who are drawn with loving kindness because loved with an Everlasting love It is in vain for Mr. C. to pretend to be a follower of peace and holiness whilst he makes no conscience of belying and abusing those that have no otherwise offended him then by a sober asserting of those truths that the corruption of his heart riseth against And whereas he saith p. 40. That it condemns all willing and running without having respect to the mercy of God in the Gospel leaving out Christ and Grace c. This is a truth in it self though not the direct sense of this Text That all such running will be in vain But I desire to know how he will reconcile this with his other Doctrine of the Salvation of very many that know not Christ nor the Grace of God as revealed in the Gospel The other Text is 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us This Text is so express against the falling away of true Believers that Mr. Collier despairs of dealing with it on any Add. word p. 44. fair terms and therefore instead of an Exposition adventures upon a down-right contradiction to it The Apostle saith That by persons going out from the true Church it is manifest they never were living members of it and that God suffers such to fall away that so their Hypocrisie might be discovered Mr. C. saith John might know it some other way and that this proves not that all that may go out from the Church were not of them The Text saith again If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us Mr. Collier saith nay Some may go out who if they had continued might yea must have obtained i. e. were once sincere John saith if it had been so no doubt they would have continued Now let the Reader choose whether authority he will imbrace Audacia Creditur a multis fiducia And if Mr C. shall still object as probably he will That it is not to be desired that men should persist in their Hypocrisie neither is there any danger of falling away from it c. I answer in the words of Dr. Owen Saints Pers p. 295. Though they may not be exhorted to continue in their Hypocrisie which corrupts and vitiates their profession yet they may in their profession which in its self is good And though there is no danger of leaving their Hypocrisie yet there is of their waxing worse and worse by falling from the beginnings of Grace which they have received the profession which they have made and the regular conversation which they have entred upon So that notwithstanding any thing said to the contrary the Scriptures insisted on to prove the Saints final Apostacy may principally belong to some kind of Professors who notwithstanding all their gifts aâ—d common graces which they have received yet in a large sense may be termed Hypocrites as they are opposed to them who have received the spirit with true and saving Grace I shall close this with my earnest request to Mr. C. That before he adventure on a farther opposition to this great truth he would seriously perâ—se the Book referred to and diligently consider the strength of what is there pleaded by the reverend Author for the Doctrine of the Saints perseverance which if he would do I am perswaded the profit or at least conviction of the weakness of his present arguments against it which he might receive thereby would even in his own judgement abundantly compensate his pains However it will farther inform him what he hath to remove out of his way before he can establish the Doctrine now assertâ—d by him and so may guide and influence him to speak more pertinently and modâ—stly then hither to he hath done in a matter of so great importance CHAP. VI. Of Justification THat Article of our Faith which concerns the Justification of a sinner in the sight of God must needs be acknowledged to be of great importance and we ought to be more careful of nothing then that our minds be not corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel and we moved from our sted fastness thereabout and therefore although Mr. Collier in the Book before me hath said but little directly to that point yet observing divers things therein very opposite to and inconsistent with the truth in this matter I could not pass them without some remark And in the first place I shall briefly propose what the Scripture teacheth us and then examine Mr. Colliers notions that are contrary to the truth revealed therein The term Justification is constantly in the Scriptures speaking of this matter taken in a Law-sense as it imports the acquitting of a person by the sentence of a Judge The Justification of a sinner by God is The gracious sentence of God by which for Christs sake apprehended by Faith he loooseth the sinner from his Obligation to Eternal wrath and punishment and accounts him righteous to the obtaiâ—ing of Life and Glory 1. It is the sentence of God as a Judge acquitting Rom. 8. 32. 2. It is a gracious sentence without any respect to our worthiness or works of Righteousness that we have done or can do Rom. 3. 24.