never sinned And if we suffered in him for all sins of Omission and Commission we merited glory without any other obedience For the Law requireth nothing but Innocency as necessary to life He that hath no sin doth perfectly obey And pardon of all sin of Omission and Commission is the pardon of all punishment of Sense and Loss and so of the loss of promised Life Besides that one that is reputed to have Legally fulfilled the Law must be unjustly corrected by the punishment of temporal afflictions or death or loss of the Spirit and Grace and hath present right to the reward of that Covenant or deliverance from all penal evil at least so that this Doctrine of strict Legal personating Representation overthroweth the New Covenant and Law of Christ and all his Kingdom of Grace and all Religion III. The third fundamental Errour which we deny and oppose is that the Vnion between Christ and the Elect say some or Believers say others is so near as that his very personal Holiness Righteousness and Sufferings are in Law sense truly our Holiness Righteousness and Sufferings as the accidents of our persons As if Christ and Adam and every Christian were one and the same subject of Holiness Righteousness Suffering Merit or Satisfaction Yet they dare not say that the Union like the hypostatical warranteth such a community of Properties or Attributes as that we may be said to be Divinely Righteous perfectly Holy never to have sinned to have satisfied for our selves to have merited our own Salvation and many such like as seeing the evil of the consequents though not of the premises And here sometime they abuse the similitude of a Husband and Wife whereas they are distinct persons and one is not wise just or guiltless because the other is so nor hath the Wife any propriety so much as in extrinsick goods but by contract in the proportion granted by the Husband Some abuse the similitude of a Head and Members whereas Natural Head and Members make one Natural Body but so do not Christ and Believers And a Political Head and Members are distinct persons and one is not guiltless righteous wise or good because the other is so But of this more before and elsewhere Some here abuse the similitude of Christs being the second Adam which you here though not to this Errour insist upon And then they feign us 1. To have beeâ— otherwise in Adam than we were 2. And his sin to be otherwise imputed to us than it was And 3. The similitude to extend further than it doth I. They feign us to have been Personally in Adam whenas we were but seminally in him and personally from him 2. They feign us to have been in him by a certain Covenant more than we were by Natural In-existence And that his sin was arbitrarily by God through that Covenant imputed to us further than we were guilty of it by any natural In-being or derivation As if God made all men sinners by his arbitrary imputation of that to them which in their natures they were not really guilty of And as if our guilt of Adams sin were just of the same sort as his yea and our guilt and his guilt were individual accidents of the same individual persons But this which Dr. Twisse oft confuteth in most of his Books I have so largely and lately cleared in my published Disputations of Original sin that you shall excuse me for not reciting it here 3. The guilt of Adams sin being ours by Natural Derivation cometh to all alike entirely according to the subjects capacity and necessarily without the consent of Parent or Child Were Adam and all Parents unwilling to communicate it in generation it would nevertheless be done But Christ being not a Natural but a contracting voluntary Root and Cause doth communicate the fruits of his Righteousness only voluntarily by gift of Contract at the time in the â—anner and measure and on the terms that he seeth meet Here it is observable 1. That both Generation and Regeneration have much unsearchable How Souls generate Souls and how the Spirit of Christ communicateth Grace to Souls will never here be clearly apprehended â—ohn 3.8 2. But it 's certain that the Soul of the Parent is not the Soul of the Child but some cause of it and so that they are not one person 3. We were not persons in Adams person either the same or distinct 4. But Adam caused us not as a man maketh a garment house c. but as one Candle doth light another by some mysterious communication of its essence so formae se multiplicant by the Divine benediction Increase and multiply and primary causation 5. Though we were not persâ—nally but virtually and seminally in Adam yet when that seed becometh a person that person is from Adam and so must proportionably be guilty For who can bring a clean thing out of the essence of an unclean 6. Adam had the common Nature of all men specifically and radically and causally though as their nature individually constitute their persons they existed not in him as extra causam 7. So Jesus Christ did more assume the common Nature of faln Man than the persons of any or the Nature as extra causas constituting the individual person 8. Ponum est ex causis integris malum ex partiali Any defeâ—t maketh sin but good must have entire causes Adams sin causeth Original sin in all ex privatione causationis boni But if Adam had not sinned every sin of their own would have made his Children unrighteous 9. Christ having suffered in the common nature of man so far did it in their stead and if you will needs so call it so far represented fallen mankind as that if they will personally receive him by faith in the New Covenant they shall not perish for Adams sin or their own supposing that the parent is the accepter for the Infant none perish for Original sin alone without the addition of neglected and refused grace and remedy 10. It is not only the Spiritual off-spring that Christ was a second Adam to but partly to all mankind For by a resurrection though not to glory all men are made alive by Christ Joh. 5.22 23 29. 1 Cor. 15. And all have a general conditional reconciliation and pardon 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Joh. 3.16 So that actual Justification resulteth to no man from Christs meer representation of him but from his free donation by the New Covenant 11. It 's doubtless that all and only the holy seed or faithful are justified actually by Christs Righteousness But in what sence it is imputed to them is all the doubt 12. It 's also doubtless that Christ suffered in our stead But in what sense how far is all the doubt Because we deserved it he voluntarily assumed it to demonstrate Gods Justice Mercy and Wisdom and deliver us You say before that It was strictest Justice that was shewed on Christ I would not strive about the
Debt occasioneth some men to run the similitude of a Creditor and Debtor beyond the bounds The Law requireth not a Debitor pecuniae 1. To pay the very same individual money which he borrowed but the same sum 2. Nor to pay it by his own hands But the Law of God obligeth every Subject to every individual act which it commandeth 2. And obligeth every man to do it all in his own person and not disjunctively by himself or a Vicar That Christ is limitedly and only to certain ends and uses a Vicarius poenae in the person of a Mediator is not because the Law as made to Adam required or accepted it but the Lawgiver as above his Law The Law that bound Christ is fulfilled but the Law that bound Adam and every man is not fulfilled unless that same man do himself all the same things which it commanded him § 23. I conclude all with these professions of my opinion of all these Controversies I. I believe that the Libertines commonly called Antinomians whose Doctrines I have in many Books opposed do use those ill Notions and Methods which on pretence of magnifying Christ and free grace do by plain consequence wrong Christ and Grace and Subvert the Gospel and should rather be thence denominated than from their denying the Law The Law of Innocency as a Covenant and of Moses as Jewish being truly ceased II. I believe that yet most of those that thus err in notions are not so bad in their Judgment of the matter it self as their words import but that want of Skill in Terms and Method hath seduced men of dull wits slight popular studies and undigested thoughts to speak worse than they think and had they more exact distinguishing and expressive Skill they would shew that they mean mostly as others do III. I believe that unskilful contending with the Papists hath occasioned all this while in the heats of Controversy men bend all their wits to disgrace the Doctrine of their adversaries not fearing enough unsafe expressions and contrary extreams while they seem to serve their present turn And then departing from Scripture terms as necessary to set their hearers far enough from their adversaries are next carried into a multitude of new made articles or notions contrary also to Scripture sense when they have once thus left the words IV. I believe that most honest plain less learned Christians and the throughly studied and learned Teachers agree in the true sence of the Doctrine of Justification which the half studied contenders make to seem more difficult than it is and muddy it by their unlearned questions and words That is all plain Christians hold that Christ God and Man is our only Saviour who obeyed suffered and interceedeth for us as a Mediator and is become as redeemer the Lord of all even of Nature Grace and Glory and hath merited purchased and made a Covenant and Law of Grace that whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life offering his Grace to all and effectually giving it to some And that as our King and Lord Redeemer he governeth us by this Law and requireth Faith and Repentance of all that will be pardoned and sincere obedience to the end of all that will be glorified and as he pardoneth all past sin at our Conversion so to those that believe and sincerely obey him he pardoneth all their following sins and as he maketh them righteous by giving them his Spirit to perform the conditions of pardon adoption and Salvation and by forgiving all their sins and freely giving them right to life Eternal for the sake of his Sacrifice and Merits so he accordingly virtually justifieth them by his Covenant and so esteemeth them and will so use them and will so judge them finally by his Sentence hereafter and will receive them as so justified and adopted to his Glory This all agree in till wranglers trouble them and this much is enough FINIS A Defence of Christ AND Free Grace Against the SUBVERTERS Commonly Called Antinomians or Libertines WHO Ignorantly Blaspheme CHRIST on Pretence of extolling Him IN A DIALOGUE Between An Orthodox Zealot AND A Reconciling Monitor WRITTEN On the occasion of the reviving of those Errours and the Reprinting and Reception of Dr. Crispes Writings and the danger of subverting many Thousand honest Souls by the Notions of Free Grace and Justification mis-understood and abused by injudicious unstudyed prejudiced Preachers By RICHARD BAXTER London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower End of Cheapside near Mercers-Chapel 1690. TO THE READER A POSTSCRIPT to the Second Book SInce the Writing of all that followeth I have seen the New Edition of Dr. Crisp's Sermons There are prefixed to it twelve Reverend Names Mr. Griffiths Mr. Cockains Mr. Chancys Mr. Howes Mr. Alsops Mr. Nat. Mather Mr. Increafe Mather Mr. Knowles Mr. Powels Mr. Turners Mr. Bures Mr. Gammons The Preface is Mr. S. Crispes invective against me unnamed with the Citation of some Preachers Words as contrary to mine I must desire those Conformists that will write the next friendly debate and will charge Heresy on the Non-Conformists that they will lay the charge on none but the guilty and that they take not all whose Names are prefixed to be of the judgment of Dr. Crispe a Conformist For I am past doubt that Four or Five of them are against it If you ask why then did they give their Names to be hanged up like a Sign before the Door of a House of Seduction it 's like they have something more to say for it than I know of But their Words shew you that they only testifie the Sermons to be the Drs. own They are men of Peace and inclined to gratifie others in attesting a truth and I suppose intended not to promote untruth by it But I see the corrupting Design is of late grown so high that what seemed these Thirty Four Years suppressed now threatnâ—th as a torrent to overthrow the Gospel and Christian Faith and to deny the truâ— Office of Christ as Mediator and his Grace and Righteousness by seeming ignorantly to extol them And Satan designeth to make us a common scorn to Papists and Malignants by the palpable grosnesâ— of such mens undeniable Errours And therefore I dare neither give them my Name nor be silent in such a common scandal and danger while I can speak and write It offendeth me that I must but briefly name their errours instead of a large confutation of them while the whole Scripture is against them but I have done it oft largely which they will not answer And the Booksellers will Print no Books that are large and insensible of our danger think thâ—y are but few that need it One errour the Preface addeth to the hundred which were it a truth would carry the cause for them and bring me to a recantation viz. That Christ and the Elect are one and the same Person It is not a Relative
and it s not proved that any one Devil is guilty of all mens sins they make God guilty of all yea they that lay it on Christ only after his Incarnation lay it on him that is God XXI They that feign Christ to have personated us in his first Covenant of Redemption make us by him to have Covenanted to Redeem our selves and to do the Mediator-work XXII They feign Christ to have made such an Exchange with the Elect as that having taken all their Sins he hath given them all his Righteousness not only the Fruit of it but the Thing in it self So that they are as perfectly Righteous as Christ himself and so esteemed of God But here they differ 1. Some say we have only all his Passive Righteousness Some say also all his Active 3. Others also all his Habitual 4. Others all his Essential Divine Righteousness and so are Goded XXIII This perfect Righteousness they say we have at least from the time of Christ's death before we were born or had any personal Beeing XXIV Hereby they must needs feign Christ and us to be one and the same Subject or else the same Accidents Habits Acts and Relations to be in divers Subjects still the same which is a contradiction XXV Hence they say that the elect have no sin because it is all Christ's and cannot be his and theirs also XXVI They say that Christ having perfectly done the Work of a Saviour we are perfectly saved and want nothing necessary to Salvation XXVII They say all sin past present and to come are pardoned even that not committed that is no sin XXVIII They say that it is not possible that sin can do an elect Person any hurt Christ having been a perfect Saviour from it all so Dr. Crispe XXIX They say that no Prayer or Duty or Act of Man can do us any good or further our Salvation Christ only having done it already for us so Crispe XXX They add that to pray hear read obey or do any Duty as a means to our own Good or Salvation is to sin against the Free Grace of Christ But that we must do it 1. In thankfulness to Christ that hath saved us 2. And for the good of others As if it were not as injurious to Free Graece to seek other mens Salvation as our own or we might not do good in love to our selves as well as to our Neighbours Or as if we ought not to plow sow labour eat drink build c. for our good becaâ—se Christ is all By this it seemeth that Dr. Crispe did not pâ—each or write his Bâ—oks to do any good because he took that to be a denyal of Christs Grace XXXI They say that under Moses Law David and the Elect were not pardoned till they had sacrificed But under the Gospel all the elect are absolutely pardoned without any delay or condition or means on their part as if there had been so vast difference between the Fruits of Christ and the way of his Justification then and now XXXII They say that Pardon and Justification are absolutely perfect at the first and so no more sin to be after forgiven nor any punishment to be remitted or removed XXXIII They say that no elect person suffereth any the least punishment because all is forgiven and Christ suffered all and that no Pain or Correction is now penal or for sin XXXIV They talk of our being freed from the Law in so undistinguishing universal Words as if they knew no Law but that of Innocency to Adam and that of Moses to the Jews and thought it were a priviledge to be lawless or that Christ had no Law and so there were no Transgression XXXV They hold that Christ was no Law-Maker and so must infer that he was no King and had no Laws of his own to Govern or Judge by and so deny a chief Part of his Office and his Kingdom and Government who is King of Kings XXXVI They say If God should punish any sin of the elect it would be injustice because it is all punished already on Christ and the Debt is fully paid by him XXXVII They take God's Covenants and Laws to be things so different as that a Law is not his Covenant nor his Covenant a Law Whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both that is God's Statute-Law containing the determinate Terms of Duty Reward and Punishment Life and Death and both have the same parts his Law having Precepts Prohibitions Promises and Threatnings and his Covenant as his hath the same And when it its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it becometh a mutual Covenant by mans Consent and the Law bindeth Subjects to that Consent XXXVIII They are so much for a Christ without us that they write as if the Work of Christ within us and by us were a Dishonour to Christ that causeth it if we praise it As if the Prâ—â—sâ— of the Structure were a dishonour to the Builder or the Cure were a dishonour to the Physitian or the Glory of the World if praised were a dishonouring of God God praiseth his Servants and their Grace and Works but if we praise them they say we rob Christ of his honour XXXIX They seem to hold that Christ doth all the Work of our Salvation immediately without Instruments or Means And all that is ascribed to subordinate Causes were derogate from him And so Apostles Miracles â—cripture Writings Preaching were no Means of Good or injured Christ as if Sun and Moon Angels and Men dishonoured God XL. While they say that no Duty must be done for our own good or salvation they destroy natural necessary self love and directly would drive out all true Religion from the World and harden all the wicked in ungodliness by taking away those Motives without which no men are converted or saved and kept from sin XLI They hold that whatever Law or Promise in Scripture hath any condition is part of the Law of Works And that the Law or Covenant of Grace is only of what God will actually and absolutely himself effect or that Efficience it self as if the Gospel were a Law of Works XLII Accordingly they hold that God doth not make any conditional Promise or threatning a means of his Spirit or Christs communicating of Free Grace And so that the Gospel hath no conditional Promises tho' there be conditional Words not understanding that God who is Life Light and Love Power Wisdom and Goodness worketh by all three and printeth the Image of all on his Elect working by efficient Motion sapiental Order and amorous attractive communication XLIII They hold that no mens sins were the cause of Christ's Sufferings but the Elects And that the rest are damned for want of a sufficient Sacrifice offered for them XLIV They hold that all the Mercies that the Non elect have in all the world are given them without the Purchase of Christ XLV Yea many hold that none but the Elect have any Grace or any Mercy because it
we one person with him but because he Communicateth it to us What further real Union there will be in our glorious perfection we cannot well know till we are there But in this imperfection our Union is not such as far as I understand it as maketh us one natural person with Christ And surely it doth not make his proper accidents to be our accidents And as to that which some call a Legal or Reputative personal Union it must be proved before it is asserted And as I know no word of God that speaketh such a thing as that Christ and we are imputatively one person so I know that they that will assent it of their own heads presume far in a tender point and if they should say that we are simply and ad omnia one person it were not by Christian ears to be endured If they will say that it is but in some respects and to some certain uses as a Servant that payeth his Masters creditor by order in some sense representeth him in that one action they must limit it carefully and shew to what uses we are one person lest they do they know not what And they must shew what sort of person they mean Whether Christ be made the same person with each believing sinner and so take our bad denominations or each sinner be made the person of Christ and have his glorious denominations or a third sort of person is made of both and what that is If meer personal Unity make us righteous by imputation because Christ is so either it must be as Christ is righteous in full perfection reputatively or else but according to the measure of our receptivity The first none will affirm that understand what they say And the second brings the effect no higher than we grant The foot doth not understand as the head doth though it be a part of the same natural body and may have its peculiar Ulcers and Diseases A crab and a sweet apple may grow on the same Tree Certainly we have a person proper to our selves which hath its own defects and evils and hath no more from Christ than he communicateth Cont. 10. Are we not righteous by being one with Christ as we are sinners by Vnion with Adam Ans 1. We were but seminally and virtually in Adam and not personally as I have opened in my disput Of Original sin And so we were but virtually in Christ when he suffered and obeyed and we were unborn 2. Nay our derivation from Adam was by nature but from Christ by his voluntary Gift and Contract 3. Had we not sinned in Adam and yet had sinned our selves we had been unrighteous And so it is though we sinned not in Christ and yet are sinners our selves against him Our radical righteousness in Adam would have happily disposed us to personal obedience as Adam himself was who yet fell And our radical righteousness in Christ is yet a more happy preparative to our necessary duty to him which is righteousness also which he that hath not shall be condemned I know that many say that if Adam had conquered that temptation or at least had never sinned all his posterity should have been confirmed against all future sin and danger as the Angels be in Heaven But I dare not add to the Word of God and I find no such thing there though I hear what others say And if that were true the first Covenant would have ceased upon Adams obedience as it did upon his disobedience and all the World would have been under either no Law or some Law to us unknown The first Adam was a living Soul indeed and the second is a quickning Spirit And as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order And as we are not raised nor yet delivered from all our sin or misery by our Union with Christ as soon as we believe so neither from all guilt and unrighteousness but must daily pray forgive us our trespasses and deliver us from the evil If our Union presently made all ours that is Christs and that as it is his yea or as much as we need it we were then highly dignified indeed Marriage giveth the Wife her self no further propriety in the Husbands Estate nor use of it than he communicateth by the contract And neither that nor generation itself give Wife or Child the Husbands or Fathers learning innocence or health Cont. 11. Is not Christs righteousness ours as our sins were his by imâ—utation Ans Yes As much at least or more But take heed of making Christs Gospel by your mending it and of making him no Christ while you would make him more merciful according to your own conceits I know it is said once that he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him But as we are not properly righteousness much less Gods righteousness but are made righteous and so the instances or demonstrations of the righteousness of God so expositors commonly agree that by sin is meant a Sacrifice for sin Or by being made sin is meant being used as if he had been a sinner Undoubtedly if God imputed or accounted Christ a sinner and if he were truly so by any means practice or translation he must be by sin hateful to the most holy God even to himself and would have in him so great a part of Hell and Divine desertion as is not consistent with his personal perfection or the hypostatical Union as far as we can conceive And if indeed God imputed to him the sins of all the elect so as first to make the very sins themselves to become Christs own sins by imputation then Christ suffered for his own sins and must be more odious to God than any ordinary sinner and all good men that knew it by him must have judged accordingly For sin especially the sins of so many millions so great must needs render him whose own they are really sinful hateful and miserable Any of which to say of Christ is blasphemy Christ undertook that guilt of our sin which is nothing but the obligation to punishment and that such punishment as beseemed him to undergo There is a â—uilt of Fact and a guilt of crime and a guilt of punishment Christ undertook the last but neither of the former as in themselves considered unless as by connotation relatively he may be said to be guilty of the sin meerly because he undertook to suffer for it which is improper speech Christ condescended to the admiration of Angels in taking on him our nature and our punishment and suffering for our sins but his holiness would not suffer him to undertake our sin it self or take it to be his own sin Nay considering the communication of attributes which Divines assert from the hypostatical Union men should tremble to think of laying a ground of calling it The Sin of God by the same reason as Acts
Word of God 1. He suffered not many temptations which yet by the merit of his sufferings we are freed from 2. He suffered not many relative evils as bad Parents bad Teachers a bad Wife and all the attendant crosses in buying and selling crosses from bad Tenants or Landlords c. which the merit of his suffering delivereth many from 3. He suffered not the torment of an accusing Conscience 4. Nor Gods hatred or displeasure 5. Nor the many miseries which sin in its own nature bringeth to the Soul as painful cares fears frustrations deceits c. 6. Nor corruption in the grave 7. Nor the final Sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting fire 8. Nor the proper Execution of that Sentence Yet he delivereth some Believers from all these and all from some by the merits of his sufferings For it was not the just same punishment that was due to all Believers that he suffered but that which was fit to make him a meet Sacrifice which was the tantundem vel aequivalens consideratis considerandis Ad 43. The affirmative subverteth our Faith Christs Death merited the full pardon of all pardoned sin But the pardon of sin is the pardon of the deserved punishment of sin and of the sin as related to that punishment But certainly the privation of Gods illuminating sanctifying Spirit and its helps and fruits is a great part of the punishment of sin Psal 81.11 12. Rom. 1.28 2 Thes 2.10 12. To be given up to mens own counsels wills lusts vile affections to a reprobate mind to have eyes and see not hard hearts to believe lies c. Sin is no farther pardoned than this punishment is by sanctifying grace remitted and removed The Scripture doth not ascribe to Christs Sacrifice some part only of our pardon of sin but the whole Rev. 1.5 He washed us from our sins in his blood and so he is the propitiation for them 1 John 2.2 4.3 He made purgation of them on the Cross Heb. 1.3 He died for them and gave himself for them 1 Cor. 15.3 Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. 3.18 Heb. 10.12 9.28 Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood for the remission of sins that are past Acts 22.16 13.38 c. And the poena damm is part of the punishment to be forgiven Therefore Rom. 4.7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. But no man is blessed that is unholy and separated from God As we all sinned and came short of the Glory of God and spiritual Death is by the objecter confessed to be part of our punishment so pardon containeth the remission of that punishment And it is falsly supposed that Christs Death is not secondarily meritorious of more than pardon even of all that his Active Obedience meriteth of which before Pardon is 1. In jure a Remission of the Obligation to punishment giving us Jus impunitatis and this giveth us Right to aâ—l that grace and blessedness which by sin we lost a Right to 2. Declarative by Sentence which giveth us a Jus judicatum 3. Executive which actually freeth us from the poena dâ—mm sensus And so Sanctification is a part of Executive Pardon so far as it giveth what so sin we were penally deprived of This is all plain and sure Qu. 44. Seeinâ— we our selves bear that pâ—rt of the Curse which lieth in Death spiritual doth it follow that Christs Sufâ—erings were not to free us from it when we bâ—re it and not he Ans It is not denied that part of the punishment of sin is born by the Elect themselves which the former Objecters deny And therefore that Pardon is not absolutely perfect at first Death and Divine denials of the Spirit and Grace are such penalties And Christ died not nor obeyed to save us from that which we are not to be saved from but was excepted from Pardon But the Obâ—ecter can never prove that the Merit of Christs Sufferings though he â—uffered not spiritual death or privation of Gods Image doth not free us 1. From so much of spiritual death or pravity as we are freed from 2. And from the duration of it for ever Or else it merited not one half our pardon To be washed from our sins in his blood can be no less than to be freed from the guilt which is the obligation to punishment first and consequently from the punishment it self Qu. 45. Is this the reason of our deliverance from the Law and being dead tâ— it because we suffered everlasting Hell fire equivalâ—ntly in Christs sufferings Ans When men once depart from the Scripture tâ—eiâ— corrupt additions hardly keep bounds 1. It 's well that this Objecter implieth that it was not the Ideâ—â— but the Aâ—quivalens that Christ suffered as to our debt 2. That which made Christs Sacrifice to be aequivalâ—nt to our endless damnation was not that it waâ— as â—â—â—at a proportion of suffering poenae sensus 〈◊〉 â—s all ours â—ogether would have been But because the dignity and perfection of the person made it an apt means for God that would pardon us to accept as a Sacrifice and so as sit a means to the ends of Government as our damnation would have been and sitter This is the aequivalency 3. We suffered not damnation at all in Christ nor doth God or his Law take or reckon us to have done so but only to receive the pardon and other benefits freely given us which he in the person of a Mediator and not in our person merited 4. We are dead to the Law both as a Covenant of Perfection and as the Law of Moses to the Jews because Christ nailed the latter to his Cross or did abrogate it as such to the Jews and to those Gentiles that needed to be Proselytes and the former ceased by the Fall and Promise But it is the Jewish Law that Paul speaketh of And also in our believing acceptance of this liberation and of the Law of Christ Qu. 46. Is it true that Christs Active Obedience only meriteth Heaven for us and therefore it only mâ—â—itâ—th the Spiâ—it or Holiness which is but Heaven bâ—gun Ans Both are false His Active and Passive Rigâ—teousness merit Pardon Holiness and Glory And their proof from Fac hoc vives is upon a great mistâ—ke and no proof Qu. 47. Iâ— iâ— true that because Regâ—neratiâ—n is the bâ—ginâ—ing of Heaven and Christs Obedience imputed â—â—â—eth a riâ—ht to tâ—e whole therefore it giveth a right to the begâ—nning and therefore Repentance which follâ—weth Justification can be no Condition of it Ans It is a fancy spun by a a mistaken mind to oppose the plain Word of God 1. If it would hold it would exclude Faith as well as Repentance from being a Condition or Antecedent to Justification contrary to the Gospel For Faith is as much a grace of the Spirit as Repentance is And it is not true that impenitent Infidels are justified though they may be predestinate
them all in every mention of it Note also that the name is varied according to what is specially noted in the Object sometime Truth sometime Goodness So Christ saith The Father hath loved you because ye have loved me And Paul Grace be to all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha And Christ Luke 14.26 and Mat. 10. He that loveth any better than Christ cannot be his Disciple And to be a Disciple a Christian and a Believer are all one in Scripture But when it is the Goodness of another Object that is mentioned the Act is another thing I suppose you will confess that no Faith in Christ and the Promise justifieth us which doth not in that same instant include 1. A belief of the Goodness as well as the Truth of both 2. A willingness to receive Christ and Grace as good and a consent to the offer And if these must concur in the same instant as necessary Conditions of our Justification or Reception of Christ and Grace call them how you will and say Consent is an Effect of Faith or a part of it all 's one to me But I will say that Consent is an Effect of one Act of Faith strictly taken viz. Assent but a part of it taken for Justifying Saving Faith II. After many and long thoughts of this matter I think they that will pretend to exactness must say that Trust is the Formal Act of Faith as Trustiness or Fidelity is the Formal Object And that the Material Act is threefold Assent Consent and Practice and none of these no not Assent is the Formal Act. Both 〈◊〉 and Fides signifie Trust yea and Credere too And so Fides as it signifieth Fidelity and Fides as it signifieth Faith or Trust are the Formal Object and Act. I Assent to the Truth of the Gospel because I Trust the Veracity or Fidelity of the Author I Coâ—â—â—nt to the Covenant because I Trust the Revealer Offerer and Promiser I actually give up my self to Christ because I Trust him Mr. Pemble Vindicat. Grat. hath accurately opened this I have in my Aphorisms and oft said that a Christian should rather try his Faith by the Consenting act than the Trusting act because many a one cannot find that they can Trust Christ that yet find Consent But I explain this or recall it as not well spoken For indeed though it be Consent by which we may surely know our Interest in the Justifying Covenant specially when practically exprest yet Assâ—ance or Trust is the Formal Act of Faith and that Consent is but the Material For if we Trust not Christs Fidelity we can neither Assent Consent or Practiâ—e But when I spake as aforesaid I followed the sense of most complaining Christians who say They cannot Trust Christ meaning by Trust that Quieting of the mind which is but an effect of Trust Whereas at that time they take Christ to be Trusty and a suâ—â—â—cient Saviour but are hindered from the applying and quieting Effect by Ignorance or doubting of their own Trustiness and not of the Trusâ—iness of Christ If I be tedious in repeating again my old similitudes you must blame your self that are the câ—use Only one Physician can cure the Plague Sâ—me slander him as a deceiver He promiseth to câ—re all that will take him for their Physician and trust him Trusting or believing him here inâ—ludeth materially Believing his Word Consenting to be his Patienâ—s and coming to him for Physick A Prince in India buyeth the Irish Rebels that had forfeited their lives of the King that they may laâ— down Arms and go with him and become his Subjects He promiseth to every one of them a Lordship in India a safe Ship thither and pardon here some call him a Deceiver and distrust him He tells them if they Trust him he will perform all this Here Trust the Formal Act includeth as the Material Acts 1. Assenting to his Word as True 2. Consenting to his Offâ—r and Terms 3. Practically venturing to lay down Arms and go with him in the Ship and forsake their own Countrey Such is Faith in Christ when it is made the Condition of Justification and Life The Formal and Materiâ—l Acts together constitute Faith and not the Formal or one of the Material Assent alone Nor hath Bishop Downame well confuted Mr. Pemble about the Formal Act. In a word true and plâ—in Baptism our â—hristening best tells us the Essence of Justiâ—yinâ— Faith For that is the Sealing to us the â—uâ—â—â—fying Covenant that it may actually and solemnly deliver to us our part in Christ and riâ—ht to Pardon and Life which is given us on no lower terms than the Fiducial Assent Consent and Dedication professed by us essentially in Baptism § 10. Your next doubt is about the various Objects of Faith in exercise Gods Omnipotency Truth c. and the various uses of Faith accordingly This is the point which Mr. Lawson and I seemed somewhat to differ about And I have in my Treatise of Justification said so much of it that you shall now excuse me from any more than telling you that in Sanctification where one act really produceth one effect on our hearts and another act another effect each effect must be ascribed to its proper act But you must not think it is so in our Justification or Adoption where that which we receive is a RIGHT Jus impunitatis vitae which is not the Immediate Effect of our Act no nor any Effect of it at all but of Gods Donative Covenant of which our Faith is but a Condition and no Efficient Cause of our Right And therefore I doubt not still to say that we are thus justified as much by a Consenting to Christs Teaching and Sanctifying Grace as by Consenting to be justified by his Righteousness or by fiducial taking him for our Teacher Intercessor and King as taking him for a Satisfier and Meriter for us Indeed it is undivided Taking Christ as Christ that is the Justifying Condition John 1.10 11 12. 1 John 5.10 11 12. § 11. In the end you desire me to answer What Rightâ—ousness is meant Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many are made righteous Ans The meaning is By the Merit of Christs Active and Passive yea Habitual Righteousness also exalted in dignity by his Divine Perfection all faln Mankind is Conditionally pardoned and hath the gift of Life enacted in the Law or Covenant of Grace and all true Believers have by that Covenant actually given them a Right of Vnion with Christ and with him Pardon and Adoption or Right to Grace and Glory and have the Spirit of Holiness as the first fruits All this is included in that Righteousness § 12. Lastly you ask What Righteousness Faith is imputed to Whether that which is by Christs obedience and by Faith be the same and perfect or unperfect Ans Here also you may take the blame that I say things
and the greatest sinner in all the World and yet sinned not himself IV. They deny Gâ—d dwelling in us as Love and Christ living in us by his Spirit by feigning us to be never the better for his Grace and inward Operations as to any furtherance of our Salvation as if the Life of Christ within us were not saving V. They deny the great Ends and use of a Saviâ—ur to save us from Sin as a means to save us from Hell and as the means of our Glorification and as a Prophet by his Doctrine and Example to teach us how to seek and obtain the purchased Salvation VI. They deny the Holy Ghost by denying that his Sanctifying Work and Grace must be esteemed and used as a furtherance of our Salvation Because Christ hath saved us by himself already VII They dâ—ny the Gospel while they deny it to be the Law or Doâ—ation of God which as an Act of Oblivion is his Instrument of our Justification and Pardon our Title to life for Titulus est fundamentum juris And as the Instrument of our virtual Justification VIII They do as Anti-christians deny Christ's Prophetical Offiâ—e by which by Doctrine and Example he teacâ—eth us what wâ— must do to be saved And his Kingly Office by which hâ— maketh Laws to Rule us or to Juâ—ge us by as the imposed term of Life and Death IX They deny the Law of Innocency and forge another of their own instead of it which nameth Christ as instead of us X. They hold all the Elect Lawless and so no Subjects of Christ while they say they are under no Law XI Hereby they deny God and Christ's Government by Law XII They have no humiliation for sin and say they have no sin for since Christ's death it is none of theirs XIII They hold that there is no such thing as sin in the World of the Elect because Christ took it from them before they were born or had it and he hath none now in Heaven XIV They deny all Justification by Faith and say that it is not by Faith but by the Object of Faith only XV. They make Christ no true Mediator but such a surety as was a party in the Bond with us aâ—d suffered for his own sin and was condemned by that Law of Innocency for us XVI They deny Justifying Faith it sâ—lf while instead of it they feign a meer belief that we are Justified XVII They harden ungodly men in their damning presumption oâ—trudiâ—g on them a belief that they are Elect and Justified tho' unâ—odly and telling thâ—m that this is coming out of themselves to Christ and that they cannot believe this too soon and that Christ hath Repented Believed and been Holy for them XVIII They diâ—ectly fight against all mens Salvation by telling them that they ought to do no Duty inward or outward as a means of their Salvation lest it be against Christ and Free Grace which saveth them And that nothing that they do can do them any good nor any sin possibly can do them any hurt because they are already perfect and saved only by Christ XIX They expose Christianity to the scorn of Infidels by telling men that it consisteth in that which every novice in Lâ—gick or Reasoning knoweth to be impossible that one mans Sins and one mans Righteousness should be made anothers Not only so far as that others partake of the Effects Christ of our sins in sufferings and we of the benefits of his Righteousness which we all maintain but that the thing it self is essentially thus transferred And so the Accidents do transire a Subjecto in Subjectum And whereas Sin and Righteousness are Accidents in the three predicaments of Habit or Privation Acts and Relation they feign the Habits Acts and Relation of â—â—â—us deformity of all the Elect to become in themselves the Habits Acts and Râ—latiâ—ns of Christ And the Habits Acts and Relations of perfect Rigâ—teousness in Christ to becomâ— essâ—ntiâ—lly the very Haâ—its Acts and Relatiâ—â—s of every Person Elect. XX. They do like the Papists that hold Transubstâ—ntiâ—tion teach mâ—n to reâ—ounce â— mâ—â—â—â— sâ—â—â—â— and reason in believing that no pain or lâ—ss oâ— Gracâ— is a punishment tâ—â— ' but castigatory tâ— the Elect bâ—cause all punishâ—ent is suffered by Christ As if Câ—rists threâ—tning whâ—m I love I râ—â—â—â—e and chasten were a denying â—f himself XXI Tâ—â—y deny the very essentiâ—l principle of sâ—lf-â—â—â—e wâ—ile tâ—â—y tâ—â—â—h men to do nâ—thing for their Salvatiâ—â— XXII They coâ—sâ—queâ—tly teach men to dâ— nothing for tâ—eir Livâ—s Hâ—alth or any Corporal good to Pioâ— â—r Soâ— or Labâ—ur For if they must do nothing for tâ—â— goâ—d 〈◊〉 the Soul much less of the Body Foâ— Câ—rist is sufficiâ—nt fâ—r bâ—th XXIII Tâ—ey heâ—eby destâ—oy all Preaching and all 〈◊〉 to â—â—hers For we must love others but as â—â—r sâ—lves and if we may do nothing as for our oâ—n â—ood thâ—n not for any othâ—rs XXIV They read in Scriâ—ture aâ—ove Six Hundred Tâ—xts that speaks of Iâ—herent and Acted Personal Riâ—â—tâ—ousnâ—â—â— jâ—yned with the prâ—mises of life and Gâ—ds accâ—ptance and threatnings to thâ—m that have it â—â—t And yet they by putid Contradictioâ— say It is a Rigâ—teousness that maketh no man Righteâ—us tâ—â— ' â—ut in tantum subordinate to the meâ—â—â—â—â—â—us perfâ—ct Righteousâ—â—ss of Christ And that we are Jâ—â—tified never the mâ—re for it than if we had it not And so it is as Learning that makes not Learnâ—d or liâ—eness that maketh not like c. That is It is Righteousâ—ess and no Righteousness XXV Tâ—ey make the Baptismal Covenant and the Lords Supper to be no Covenanting or to have no Condition And yet their own Church-Covenants have Conditions and are of Works XXVI They deny all the Scripture-promises of reward XXVII They deny and reproach Heaven it self a great part whereof is in the perfection of Holiness while they make Holiness here and the Exercise of it to do us no good or save us XXVIII By all this they would make 1. The Concord of Christians impossible as if they must agree in all this Errour 2. They harden Papists in contempt and scorn of Protestants And 3. They notoriously militate for the Kingdom of Satan And now tell me whether there were ever damnable Hereticks in the World if these be none Reconcil Many that hold some of the forementioned Errours yet hold not all the rest All speak not so grosly as some do Therefore lay your charge but where it is due And all are not properly Hereticks that hold the same Errour that Hereticks do If all Errour were Herefy all men were Hereticks Ortho. But he is a Heretick who subverteth the Fundamentals Reconcil If he do it directly and knowingly he is an Infidel For he is not to be called a Christian or a Believer who denyeth any thing Essential to Christianity But you must distinguish between 1. Denying the Words and denying the Thing signified by them 2. Between denying Directly and denying by Consequence 1.
uncapable of the benefits 15. God useth none of fallen mankind according to the severity of the first Law but givâ—th to all men undeserved forfeited Mercy and bindeth them to use some means for their recovery to repent in hope and to receive and thankfully use the measures of mercy which he vouchâ—â—â—eth them And all men shall be judged according to that edition of the Law of Grace which they were under and the receiving and using the Grace or Mercy which was given or offered them 16. When the peculiar Seed was formed into a Nation God gave them by Moses a peculiar Law which exempliâ—ied the Holiness of the first Law but had the Promises and Grace of the second with the peculiar additions and plainlier pointed out the Messiah to come but by a way of operous Ceremonies and severe Discipline suitable to their rude minority 17. In the fulness of time Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a Virgin and being God and Man aâ— made by the Will of the Deity was made a Subject under a Law peculiar to himself according to his peculiar works and this Law given to our Mediator had three parts 1. That he should perfeâ—tly obey the Law of Innocency so far as it was fitted to his case and overcome the Tempter 2. That he should perfectly keep the Law of Moseâ— so far as it agreed to him 3. That he should perfectly do all that was proper to the Redeemer in being a Sacrifice for sin clearing and publiâ—hing the New Covenant sealing it by Miracles rising again instituting his Word Sacraments and Ministry ascending giving the Spirit interceding in Heaven c. his promised reward being the success of his undertaking the saving of his Church and his Glory in the glorifying of God the Father This is the peculiar Law to the Mediator 18. That which is called The Covenant between the Father and the Son is this Covenant made to and with Christ Inâ—arnate and the fore-decâ—â—eing thereof with the Prophecies of it If there be more it is past our reach 19. Christ perfectly fulfilled all that he undertook and this as the second Adam not a Natural Root but a Voluntary Sponsor Not our Substitute or Servant sent by us but chosen by tâ—e Father and sent by him to do all his Will for Mans Redemption 20. As he took the common Nature of Man so the sins of all and not only of the Elect were the causes of his sufferings and said upon him and the fruits of his sufferings and merits were some common and some peculiar to the Elect. 21. He being not as Adam our natural Parent was not meerly by natural generation to convey his benefits to the Redeemed but by such means as he should chuse and Man consent to even by a holy Covenant or Contract being also his Doctrine and his Law in several respects which Covenant having great and precious Promises is Gods Instrument of Donation and Condonation and our title to all the blessings promised by which God doth give us right to Pardon and Salvation This Law of Grace is the Rule of our duty and the Rule by which we shall be judged 22. This Law or Covenant giveth a Conditional Pardon to all in the tenour of it with Adoption and Right to Life Eternal But actual Pardon and Right accrueth to none till the Condition be performed which is to be Believers or their Infant seed dedicated to God by Covenant Consent 23. This Condition is not that we our selves make God amends or satisfaction or give him any thing that hath any merit in Commutative Justice or do any kind of work which shall make the reward to be of debt and not of grace But it is the Belief of and Consent to the Covenant of Grace and the Believing Acceptance of the gifts and grace of the Covenant according to their nature and 〈◊〉 their proper use and is the same thing which is to be professed in Baptism which is the solemnizing of this mutual Covenant and in which God the Father Son and Holy Ghost do give themselves to us for grace and glory and we give up our selves by consent to him believingly accepting his grace and penitently renouncing the lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil and so are sacramentally invested in a state of Justification Adoption and Spiritual Life 24. The profession of this Faith and Consent in Baptism maketh men visible Christians and Church members and true heart consent in Faith maketh men Living and Justified Members 25. This belief and consent or performance of the Condition is not the Efficient Cause of our Pardon or Justification but is the necessary 〈◊〉 position or qualification of the Receiver in the very nature of the Act suitable and needful and by Divine Institution and Promise made the Condition and acceptable 26. Though we are not capable Receivers of Justification till we thus penitently and believingly consent yet when we do so it is the merit of Christs Righteousness by which we are justified For the Covenant of God is but his Instrument by which he giveth us Christ to be our Head and Life in and with him and so giveth us Justification as procuâ—â—d by his Merits 27. Justification is a word of many senses sometimes it signifieth making us righteous sometimes the Law or Covenants virtuâ—l judging us righteoâ—s it being the Rule of Judgment sometimes Gods esteeming us righteous in his own mind sometimes for a Justifying by â—vidence or Witness sometimes by â—poloâ—y of an Advocate sometimes by the Sentence of the Judge and sometime for the Execution of that Sentence But the notable special sorts are three Making just â—udging just and Vsing as just And they that will dispute of Justification and not tell in what sense they take the word do but abuse their time and talk 28. No man is judged righteous by God that is not first made righteous 29. He that is made righteous is justifiable in Judgment and virtually justified in Law 30. No sinner is made righteous as to the Preceptive part of the Law of Innocency it being a contradiction to have been a sinner and no sinner 31. Pardon of sin doth not make the fact done to be undone or not done nor the sin to be no sin nor not to have deserved punishment But it remitteth the punishment and the fault so far as it inferreth punishment because of the merit and satisfaction of the Mediator and delivereth the sinner from that which he was bound to suffer by the violated Law 32. To make a man righteous before God that hath sinned all these things must concur 1. He must have a Mediator that must answer the Ends of the Law that condemneth him and so meriteth his Justification 2. This Saviour must make him a Pardoning and Justifying Covenant to convey the right of the purchased benefits to him 3. He himself by grace must perâ—orm the Conditions of that Covenant accepting the free gift believingly according to its
either the Objectiors speak de nomine or de re If but of the Name One they shall call it One if that will please them and let them only distinguish the Parts of that One If they â—ill say that the Covenant made by the Father with the Mediator and the Law made for him are one and the same with the Covenant made by the Fatâ—â—â— and Son and Holy Spirit with us and that our Baptismal Covenant is no Covenant but only a part of the Covenant of which that with Christ aforesaid is another part I will not use their phrase but let me understand them that it is only the Name of One or Two that they contend about and we will fit our words accordingly I think on several accounts they are to be called Divers Covenants If they dislike it let us enquire whether the various Precepts of one Covenant make not various duties to Christ and to us and whether the various Promises of it have not various Conditions some to be performed by Christ and some by us Our present Question is Whether that part of the Covenant which promiseth and giveth Pardon of sin Justification Adoption and right to Glory have any Condition as the Modus of the gift We will rather follow them in unmeet terms than leave them thence a pretence to confound names and things and hide their errour by the confusion All Divines ancient and modern reformed and and unreformed that I know of agreed with us in the conditionality of the said Promise and by the form of Baptism shewed the Churches consent till Maccovius in Holland and Dr. Crispe and other Antinomians in England began to subvert the Gospel on pretence of magnifying the freeness of Grace and yet they durst never attempt to alter the Form of Baptism as this Opinion will require Contr. 4. By what hath been said the fourth Controversie is already resolved viz. Whether our performance of the Condition of Justification doth efficiently justifie us Some say because we say that Christ doth not justifie us till we perform the condition by believing that therefore we make our own Faith or performance to justifie proximately and Christ but remotely and so to do more than Christ to our Justification Ans 1. As to the phrase Scripture saith that we are justified by Faith that word not signifying an eâ—â—â—ciency but a receptive qualifying condition but it never saith that Faith doth jusâ—ifie us much less thâ—t we by it justifie our selves Our performance or Faith is no efficient cause but as to two parts of our Justification it hath a twofold Office 1. As to our Justification by the Merits of Christs Righteousness against this charge that damnation is due to us for sin our Faith is the Condition of our Pardon and Justification that is the moral qualification which God hath made necessary to make us capable receivers of it As laying down Arms and taking his Pardon thankfully may make a Rebel capable of Pardon but doth not pardon him if the pardoning Act say This shall be the Condition And by his Pardon he is justifiable against the charge of being liable to death 2. But as to the subordinate part of Justification against the falâ—e charge that we are no believers nor repent and so have no part in Christ here our own Faith is the very Matter of Righteousness by which we must be in tantum so farâ— justified As truth and innocency is against every false accusation And to say that because Christs Merits justifie us not before and without our Faith and performance of the Condition therefore our Act justifieth us more than Christ or efficiently at all is a thing unworthy of an answer being below the thoughts of an intelligent Disputer How much the capacity or incapacity of the Receiver doth as to all the various changes in the world both physical and moral when yet efficiently it doth nothing is not wholly unknown to any sober thinking man As the same sun-shine maketh a Weed stink and a Rose sweet so the same Act of Oblivion or conditional Justifying Law or Covenant doth justifie the capable and not the uncapable though no mans Faith doth effect any part of his own Justification Mr. Troughton and such others denying Faith to be the Condition of our Justification by the Promise hath drawn me to speak the largelier of this Contr. 5. Whether we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed to us and whether the Scripture say so Ans The Scripture oft saith that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and that is Faith in Christ And it saith that Righteousness is imputed or reckoned to us that is we are reckoned or reputed righteous Rom. 4.11 22.6 And that sin is not imputed that is not charged on us to punishment or damnation Rom. 5.13 4.8 Psal 32. v. 2. 2 Cor. 5.10 The words of Imputing Christs Righteousness to us I find not in Gods Word and therefore think them not necessary to the Churches peace or safety But as for the sense of those words no doubt but it may be good the Papists themselves own them in the same sense as many Protestant Divines profess to use them as I have proved Contr. 6. In what sense is Christs Righteousness imputed to us Answ It is accounted of God the valuable consideration satisfaction and merit attaining Gods ends for which we are when we consent to the Covenant of Grace forgiven and justified against the condemning Sentence of the Law of Innocency and reconciled and accepted of God to Grace and Glory Q. But did not Christ represent our persons in his Righteousness so that it is imputed to us as ours as if we our selves had been and done what he was and did as righteous Ans This being the very heart of all the Controversie should be decided only by Scripture and nothing added or diminished That Christ is the second Adam and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sponsor Surety or Interposer and a Mediator between God and Man that suffered for us the just for the unjust a price and a sacrifice is all found in scripture Wise and peaceable men here will be as fearful of humane Inventions and Additions as in Discipline or Ceremonies at least But because all are not such we must speak to men as they are There are several sorts of Sureties or Sponsors Few represent the very person at least not all If men will needs impose on us their own word of Representation for peace sake we accept it in a sound sense In a limited sense it is true that Christ represented us that is he suffered in our stead that we might not suffer He obeyed and was perfectly righteous as Mediator in our Natures and so far in our stead as that such perfect Righteousness should not in our selves be necessary to our Justification But he did not absolutely represent us he was not our Delegate Our persons did not in a Law-sense do in and by Christ what he
when yet sincerity of Obedience is necessary and those Acts if done have their place with the rest as means of Salvation so here But Saving Faith is denominated from the essential part The nature of Faith is in order of nature antecedent to its Office The nature of it in genere is to believe all that God saith The nature of it in specie is to believe in Christ and consent to his Covenant The integrity of it is to believe all that we find revealed The Office of it as the Means of Justification is to be the condition of the Justifying Covenant or Law That which some call the Instrumentality is the very nature of the Act the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere in specie Believing in Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere and that 's it that they call an Instrument of receiving him as such But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere even in specie Faith in Christ doth not justifie quâ talis as that Faith but as it is that qualifying Condition which the Promise annexeth Justification to without which it would not have done it Had the Promise been absolute it had pardoned us before and without Faith The nature of the Act is like the metal of Gold or Silver and the tenor of the Justifying Covenant is as the Kings Stamp that maketh it currant Coin It is Faith in order of nature before it is the Justifying Condition The quâ justificans therefore should speak not a distinct Act from the other Acts of the Christian Faith as such but the relation of the same Acts to the benefit Omnis fidei actus qui justificat considerari potest quatenus justificat Contr. 19. Whether we are justified by the Law of Innocency saying Obey perfectly and live Ans This is one of the chief points of all our difference Some say that because Christ fulfilled it for us we are justified by that Law as fulfillers of it This is it that Mr. Anthony Wotton hath bestowed most of his Learned Treatise de Reconciliatione to confute The Law justified Christ but not us for it never said Thou or another for thee shalt obey Nor doth it know a Vicarius obedientiae aut poenae nor take Christs Person and ours for the same Therefore we are not justified by that Law but condemned by it And it cannot condemn and justifie the same man But we are justified by another Law Covenant or Promise by Christs fulfilling the Law of Innocency and making over to us the benefits Contr. 20. Whether by Works be meant Acts in general or â—nly such Acts as are adverse to Faith in Christ and make the reward to be of debt and not of grace Ans The last is the Apostles Exposition of them Christ saith we are justified by our words James by our works and all the Scripture that speaketh of Justification ascribeth it to some Acts It is according to our works And Faith is an Act yea many Acts. Obj. But it justifieth not as an Act but as an Instrument Ans That is not as an Act or good Act in genere but as this Act in specie viz. Believing on Christs Righteousness But that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere that is As this Act But it is not so unless you add As it is this congruous Act or Acts authorized by Gods Covenant to this Office So we will grant that no Act justifieth as an Act or as a good Act but as a congruous good Act appointed thereto As is said before To believe in God and in Christ as Christ and in the Promise of Salvation and to believe the evil of sin and the need of a Saviour and to desire him and be thankful for him and pray for pardon are not the works that Paul speaketh against but some belong to the Essence and some to the Integrity and Accidents of that Faith by which we are justified Yet a foolish person may contradict himself and hold his own Faith as well as his Love or Desire or Prayer to be meritorious as making the reward not of grace Such mad contradiction may suppose Faith to be the works which it denieth Cont. 21. Are any works of man meritorious Ans Not in point of Commutative Justice that giveth one thing for another to the commodity of each as in buying and selling 2. Nor yet in distributive Governing Justice as making any good due to us by the Law of Innocency or Works 3. But as God hath freely given us Christ and Life by a Law of Grace on condition of suitable acceptance and use so he that performeth this condition is called worthy and the contrary unworthy in the Gospel and did not men abuse it they might with all the ancient Chuâ—ches use the word merit in the same sense â—s 〈◊〉 As a good natured Child that humbly and thâ—nkfully taketh money or meat when his Father giâ—eth it him is said to deserve it of him better than he that scorneth it and him So â—ur merit is but of â—aternal â—overning Justice in the Kingdom of Love according to Gods Law of Grace in Christ Cont. 12. â—hâ—ther oâ—edience be a part of Faith or we aâ—e justifiâ—d by obedience Ans 1. To beliâ—ve in Christ at first is an act of obedience to God who commandeth us so to do But it is but Subjectiâ—n to Christ which that act includeth that is taking him for our Lord and Saviour to be obeyed which iâ— virtually all future obedience as its root but not actually 2. Actual obedience to Christ is not faith but the fruit of faith and part of our performâ—nce of the Covenant which we made with him and necessary to the câ—ntinuance of our â—ustification and to our Salvation as all the Scripture fully sheweth Cont. 23. Whether any 〈◊〉 bâ—â—â—cessâ—ry t◠〈◊〉 continuance or not losiâ—g our jusâ—ifâ—catioâ— than to 〈◊〉 bâ—ginning of it Ans Yes 1. More acts of the same faith 2. Praying for pardon 3 Forgiving others as Christ expresly tells us 4. Sincere Love and Obedience to Christ unto the end Cont. 24. Is Pardon and Justification perfect the first moment Ans No. 1. All the punishment is not yet taken off We have yet much penal want of Grace and the Spirits Operations and Communion with God 2. We have not right to the present removal of all the punishment 3. Many more sins hereafter must be pardoned 4. Much means is yet to be used for final Justification 5. That final Justification only is perfect Cont. 25 〈◊〉 nolle punire or non punire a pardoning of sin It 's Dr. Tâ—isses Controversy Ans Yes In some degree to a capable person that iâ— to a sinner But not to one that is no sinner 〈◊〉 before one hath a being Cont. 26. Is future sin pardoned before hand Ans Fuâ—ure sin is not sin and therefore not capabâ—e of pardon nor the person for it But it may be pardoned virtually though not actually A general grant of pardon may be
Teach us Guide us give out his Spirit and to Justifie and Sanctifie and Glorifie his chosen So that it was part of his Undertaking and Performance to do all this for us and this may well be called his becoming a Sponsor for us and to be made to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption In our Covenant with Christ he is the Imposer and Stipulator and we are to Promise for our part to be done by his promised help But on Gods part it is in this that he is the Sponsor and not in the former where God the Father is the Promiser to Christ and not Christ to himself as a Covenanter So that it is in one Covenant that he promiseth to God for Man and in another that he promiseth for God to Man And the question is which of these Covenants it is that the Apostle calleth him the Surety of If you say that the Apostle taketh both here as parts of One and so meaneth both I find no proof of this in the Text And if it were so it is all one for it were then spoken of the whole but respectively to what Christ did in the two which are the parts Indeed it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Covenant mentioned in the Text and as Grotius in praesat ad notas in N.T. hath copiously shewed it is a Divine Disposal Law Imposition or Statute containing the terms of Life that is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And cap. 7.22 as it is said yet Jeâ—us was made a surety of a better Testament And c. 8.6 He hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was stablished on better Promises It is the same thing which our Translators call a Testament in one Chapter and a Covenant in the other and it seems that a Surety and a Mediator here do mean the same thing in Christ And the whole context sheweth that it is Gods Promise or Covenant and Law of Grace made to man that is here meant and that Christs Office and Undertaking and Performance is presupposed And so it is the Fathers Sponsor and Mediator to man that is meant here directly and mans Sponsor and Mediator towards God by Connotation but so as in other Texts as Cap. 9.15 that part also is directly expressed and Christs death made a part of his Mediation § 4. The Question being not then whether Christ be Mediator or Sponsor or the Second Adam but what these words signifie that which is to be noted by the Reader is 1. What it is hereon that we assert and whether that be enough 2. And what it is that we deny as too much and false § 5.1 And for the first I explained it here and more fully in my Treat of Juâ—tifying Righteousness And to repeat as oft as any one will call for it that hath not leisure to read it already done is tedious In short Christ in the Common Nature of man made under the Law of Innocency of Moses and that proper to the Mediator did in the undertaken Person of a Mediator Sponsor for interposing Friend and Saviour perfectly fulfil all these and give up himself to suffering as a Sacrifice for Mans Sin that by the Merit and Satisfaction of him that was God and Man and Mans undertaking Mediator and Sponsor doing and suffering because we had sinned and deserved suffering and that for our sakes and partly â—n our stead the ends of God as Governour by the Law of Innocency and Mosâ—s might be obtained to his Glory without our fulfilling of those Laws or Suffering the deserved Penalty and God in consistency with his Wisdom Holiness and Justice might for these Merits and Satisfaction of Christ give all things into his Hands as the Redeemer even all Power in Heaven and Earth and make him Lord of the Dead and Living and Head over all things to the Church and give him the Keys and commit all Judgment to him that by the will of the Father he might make with faln redeemed Man a Law and Covenant of â—race giving them Himself in incomprehensible Union and with himself his indwelling sanctifying comforting Spirit of Adoption with a Covenant Right to Pardon â—ustification Adoption and Glory if they will penitently accept it by a siducial practical belief And calling Sinners to this Faith and Repentance and effectually drawing his Elect might by this Covenant give them as soon as they so believe an actual right to that impunity Grace and Glory which was antecedently given conditionally to all And might finally perform all this to them In plain and full words this is that we assert â—nd the Office which by the Word Sponsor Mediâ—â—or and Second Adam we mean § 5. I have elsewhere told you that there are many sorts of Sponsors 1. There is one that Antecedently maketh himself a Party in the Covenant and Bond As when my Friend is bound with me in the same bond for a Debt or Duty If the Law to Adam had been such as this took in Christ also into the same bond and had meant Ore of you shall perfectly obey or suffer Then that Law would have had nothing against Adam at all because all was fulfiâ—led by Christ And it bound but disjunctively one or the other Then Christs Obedience or Suffering would not have been satiâ—factio which is solutio aequivalentis alias indebiti solutio reâ—usabtits but it would have been solutio ejusdem non recusabilis according to the bond 2. There is a subsequent Sponsor that was not before bound but as a Friend after interposeth and offereth not in the Person of the debtor but yet in his stead to pay the debt and this upon such terms as to the Debtors deliverance as he thinks best and so may take him as Debtor to himself and put various limits and Conditions upon his Discharge And such a Sponsor is Christ for Man Many more distinctions of Sureties are here considerable 3. But some men take a Surety here to be the same Persona civilis quamvis non naturalis witâ— the Offender and Debtor as if we did Legally Morally or Civilly that which Christ did naturally As indeed an allowed Representative Servant or Agent and Attourney is If I be bound to pay an hundred pound the Law and Bond meanâ— not that I must needs do it with my own hands but if I send my Servant or Friend with the Money it is Civilly Legally and Morally done by me because he was my lawfull Instrument I diâ— it by him II. The Doctrine then which I deny as subverting the Christian Religion is especially these three errours following I. That the true meaning of Adams Law or Covenant was to bind him or his surety disjunctively viz. Thou shalt obey thy self or another Christ for thee or else thou shalt die or Christ for thee 1. Gods Word saith no such thing 2. Then Christ had been an Antecedent
personality that is the question for so Christ himself had many Persons as one and the same man may have the Person of a Father of a Husband of a Master of a King c. But it is Physical or Substantial Personality which Mr. Crispe saith is more than natural we being one Spirit and Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh And if this be so I shall grant that we are as righteous as Christ and Christ now in Heaven and nâ—t on the Cross only is guilty of all our sins and was indeed as they call him the greatest blasphemer hater of God adulterer c. in the World But 1. If all the Elect be really many distinct Persons tâ—en either Christ must be also as many distâ—nct Persons or not be the same Person with them aâ—l or any of them But the Elect are many distinct Persons and shall be so for ever Peter was not Paul or John They do not the same Acts They be not guilty of the same numerical sins Every man shall answer for all that he hath done in the Body and not for all that all others of the Elect have done All the Elect shall not sit on the twelve Thrones as Apâ—stles All did not Preach the Gospel as Paul did nor Persecute as Paul did Overthrow distinct iâ—dividuation here or in Heaven and how dismal will be the consequence And here will not each man have right to anothers House Wife Food Goods if they are but one Person To be one in Spirit is no more to be one Person than seeing by the same Sun-light maketh all Lyes to be one Eye For the Spirit is not our personality And if you make Christ to be many Millions of Persons where is his Vnity in himself or with any 2. If Christ and the Elect be all one and the same Person then the Elect are really God himself For the Person of Christ is God These men are unfit to confute the Schools who have long maintained that the very human nature of Christ is not a part of his Person but an accident of it because he is but one Person which is the second in Trinity from Eternity and is God of which see Derodon de Supposito And if we are all one God then God suffers when we suffer and God judgeth himself when he judgeth us May not Men pray to such then and Worship them as Gods and Trust in them as Gods Is not this Idolatry worse than Image-Worship or than Anti-christianity 3. If Christ and the Elect be one and the same Person then Christ sinneth when ever they sin And Christ suffered for his own sin even that which he by them committed And then he pardoneth his own sin or who pardoneth him But all this is false 4. And it would follow that all the Elect are Mediators to themselves and dyed for their own sins and pardon their own sins and justify themselves and believe in themselves and save themselves 5. And are all Christ's threatnings against himself which are against us Doth Satan overcome him when ever he overcometh us Is his Law made for himself that is made for us Doth he command a Father to correct Christ when he commandeth him to correct his Children Doth the Magistrate hang Christ when he hangeth a Malefactor tho' Elect that sinneth by surprize 6. Where there are divers Bodies and divers Souls and divers Vnderstandings and divers Wills there are divers Persons But of all these in Christ and us there is a diversity I believe that the Vnion between Christ and the Glorified will be neerer than we can well now conceive But not such as will make us one and the same Person with Christ I have read in Phanatick Fryers such as Barbanson and Benedictus de Benedictis and in Gibienf the Oratorian of our Deification and being Goded with God and that it is the only perfection to know no being but God And I have read of such Heathen as Worshipped Demon-Gods that once were men And it is the top of the now prevalent Bruitism or Sadducism to believe that all Souls are but one God and as Candles that are individuate by the Oily Matter when extinct are all one in the common Air and that there is nothing but God and Matter But I hope few good Christians will so far lose the knowledge of themselves as to take themselves to be the same Person with him that is God Angels forbad John to Worship them tho' he took them not for God Do those Churches exercise Discipline upon such as are one Person with Christ Do they Excommunicate Christ for sin No wonder that Dr. Crispe chargeth David as speaking untruth for complaining of his sin and Gods displeasure tho' John says He is a Lyar that saith he hath no sin and all God's Saints have profess'd Repentance but I read not that Christ did ever Repent of sin I doubt some will think that I feign Mr. Crispe to say what he doth not his words are these First He accuseth me as saying To say our Union with Christ so makes us Flesh of his Flesh that we are the same PERSON with Christ this is so gross that I will not bestow time to confute it He answers Nor cannot as long as that Text is in our Bibles we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Ephes 5 God saith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit which is more than a Political Member or a Natural Member either I believe that it is more than Political but not such as maketh us one Person with Christ Andrew Osiander is condemned by Protestants for feigning that the Essence of God is our Righteousness Nestorius was condemned by General Councils as supposed to feign Christ to have two Persons What would these Councils have judged of them that feign him to have Million of Persons or Millions to be all one Person with him As to Mr. Crispes Epistle it calleth more for Pitty than Confutation He pretendeth out of his Notes to tell what I Preached at Pinners Hall Jan. 17. 1673. and Aug. 11. 1674. so long since And he begins with a gross untruth that I said A mans first believing is by external Arguments not by the Operation of the Spirit but his after believing is by the Spirit I do not believe that the man purposed to lye but trusted hâ—s false Ears and Notes The World knoweth how voluminously I have written to the contrary Never such an Opinion came into my head But contrarily I have copiously proved that even common Faith much more the first justifying Faith is the work of Gods Spirit My Catholick Theology proveth it all at large I doubt not but both first and second Faith is by Scripture Argument but never dream'd that it was not the Work of the Spirit Indeed I find few of his accusing Notes that be not falsificâ—tious by his defective or patcht Recital I am sorry that he hath wronged the Memory of such
justifying is not making Righteous therefore making Righteous is no Justifying nor any part of it It s a shame to stay to cite many â—â—xts â—gaiâ—st these men where the whole Bible but especially all Christ's own Preaching and Parables are so expresly against thâ—m that I admire with what fâ—ce thâ—se men prâ—fess to believe the Scripture And I wâ—nâ—er not that some of them say that all the wâ—â—ttâ—â— Word is a Covenant of Works aâ—d oâ—ly the Spirits iâ—waâ—d Work is the Covenant of Grace And whâ—n they tell us as Crispe p. 242. Vol. 1. Ed. 1. That for any hurt that such sins can do us it is not possible for Christ hath made satisfaction I wonder why they preach against that which doth no hurt and why tâ—ey excommunicate men for sin and why they scruple Perjury Liturgies Parish-Communion or any Point of Conformity yea why some of them will suffer rather than conform when it is impossible for any sin to hurt them Why do your hearers pay you for Preaching against a harmless thing Why make you so much Complaint against Vnreformeâ—ness Sin doth God no hurt it doth not the Elect any hurt by your Doctrine for Christ hath satisfied and born all And the Reprobate are uncapable of good for want of satisfaction for them I pray you do not speak out this Doctrine to the World If you do I shall be glad that you are confined to your seduced ignorant Congregations If you will tell the World If you are elect no sin can possibly hurt you whatever Murders Adulteries Perjuries you commit it is none of your sin but Christs It cannot be his and yours too and if not elect you have no hope and if you be elect you will be never the better for praying considering charity or any Act of Religion or Justice which you do nor must once think to gain any thing by it How many Converts is this like to make And what would such a Nation come to I hope few of the publick Preachers that you call scandalous preach so scandalously as this I have one Request to you that if you or any other be questioned by the judges for Murder Adultery False-witness Perjury or Robbery you will not say as Dr. Crispe hath taught you I am no Murderer Adulterer perjured Robber c. It is Christ that is such a one and not I it cannot be my sin when he hath made it his for I doubt neither the Judges or Jury well believe you If you believe not we ask the Judges whether it be you or Christ that is the sinner I doubt it is you that will be hang'd If you say for what may not ignorance say That it is not at the Bar of man but of God only that Christ is the sinner and not we I Answer Know you not that Judges and Princes are God's Officers and that the Judgment is the Lords and that what they do according to his Will he doth by them He doth not command Rulers to hang men for a sin that is none of theirs All mens Judgments are Nullities that are against the fore-known Judgment of God It is the King that punisheth when the hangman executeth God punisheth men by Rulers and doth it righteously I write all this the rather because Mr. Cokain in his Preface exhorteth Preachers to go on where the Dr. left I humbly beseech them first to read and believe Mat. 5. 6. and 7 8. and 13.18.25 and all the Sermons and Parables of Christ and not downright to give him the Lie and call it exalting him And for them that report that there are no such Words in Dr. Crispe as I report I wonder not while they think that lying can do them no hurt and is not their sin but Christs And they that believe they are under no Law may believe that they have no Transgression nor Christ for them when they had never any And to them that talk of inherent Righteousness as less necessary than God hath made it I desire them but to mark what Christ saith of it and to remember that sin is much of Hell and holiness of Heaven And that Christ came to save his People from their sins as more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees inhâ—rently and to make them a peculiar People zealous of good Works and holy as God is holy and to bethink them whether to disgrace the Building be to honour the Architect and whether the â—orth or the worthlesness of the Work more honour the Work-men and whether the Cure of the Sick dishonour the Physitian And whether to say that my Clock or Watch will go by artificial means or only no longer than the Work mans-Finger only moveth it do more honour the Artist And whether the Psalms would so much call us to glorifie God for his Works if all that is ascribed to his Works were taken from his Honour The Lord teach us better to understand that Word that maketh the simple wise and not to set Christ against himself and against his own Honours Government and Laws A Defence of Christ AND Free Grace c. Chap. 1. Prefatory Ortho. Sir Having my self and the Congregation which I am Related to been in danger of the Errours called Antinomian I wrote to you to intreat you who have done so much heretofore to Conquer and Extirpate those Errours to get the London Ministers to publish their Judgments against Dr. Crispe 's Book and such others now Re-printed and rising up with re-newed danger Reconcil You did so and I answered you 1. That I thought it not seasonable till the acceptance and success of that Book and such others made our danger so notorious and great as would clearly justify our Confutation I have written on that Subject so much already 1. In my Confession of Faith 2. In my Apologies against Mr. Craudâ—n Mr. Aaires and others 3. In my Disputations of Justification 4. In my Life of Faith 5. In my Justifying Righteousness and there against Dr. Tully and my last Animadversions on Mr. Cartwright 6. In my Catholâ—ck Theolâ—gy especially the five last Chapters 7. And in my Methodus Theologiae All which are unanswered to this day that I know not why I should be forward to write much more For they that will not read this that hath been so long written are not like to read it if I yet write more And I am so fearful of stirring up the hidden spark of this mischief that having written Fourteen Years ago a short Decision of a multitude of these Controversies I suspended it lest it should kindle New Oppositions 2. And I told you that we have now such publick and dangerous Controversies about Royalty Prelacy Conformity c. that it is very unseasonable to make a noise of the Errours and Factions among the Tolerated though they should somewhat increase by advantage of our silence till we see what publick settlement there will be 3. And I confess I have an opinion that accidentally the Books
which you fear will so effectually confute themselves that they will occasion more good among sober knowing Christians than hurt to the ignorant professors that will be tost up and down with every wind of Doctrine For 1. The whole tenour of the Bible is against them And will not Christians read the Bible 2. The Divine Nature on the Soul and all Christian Experience is against them And will not Christians know that Work and Doctrine of Gods Spirit in them For Insâ—ance 1. Will they that are saved from Atheism ever believe that the most Holy God is the maker of sins yea and mâ—de his own Son the greateâ—â— sinner in the World when the Devil himself cannot make one man a sinner but only tempt him â—o be suâ—â— yea that God made himself in the second Person a sinner 2. Will Christianâ— easâ—ly believe that our Saviour came to delâ—ver us â—rom sinâ— by making himself worse 〈…〉 becoming the greatest haâ—er of God aâ—d Gâ—â—â—ness the greatest Infidel Atheist Blasphemer Murderer Adulterer Lyar Thief c. in all the World and consequently like the Devil hated of God and having a Hell in himself All Christians believe that our sins were laid upon Christ as to their penalty that he was Vicarius poenae that he suffered for us the just for the unjust to reconcile us to God and that he was made for us a Sacrifice for sin that we might be healed by his stripes and washed in his Blood But what Christian can believe Dr. Crispe and his Sectaries that Christ took not only the punishment and guilt reatum poenae but all the very sins themselves of all the Elect habitual and actual privative and positive of omission and commission and so really became the most wicked man in all the World and that lie saveth us from sin by becoming a thousand times worse himself than any of us when it cannot be proved that any one Devil had so great a hand in mans sin as to make all our sins his own And Dr. Crispe well vindicateth God from false Imputation of that sin to Christ which was not his But it is by Blasphemy making that his which was never his even the very sins of all the Elect. 3. And do you think any Soul that hath the Spirit of God and readeth and believeth the Scriptures can believe this Dr. that no sin can possibly hurt the Elect because they are fully saved already by Christ And that it is against Christ and his Grace to intend our Salvation or any good to our selves by any Duty we do or to look to be ever the better for praying obeying believing but must do all only in thankfulness and for the good of others 4. Do you think that a man not to say a Christian can believe that the torments of the Stone Gout Collick Convulsion c. are no hurt or no castigatory Penalty And that it is no hurt or punishment for an Elect Person to be under decays of Holiness increase of Sin prevalency of Temptations the terrours of God and loss of his Consolations and fears of Death He that can believe all this may believe Transubstantiation against all the senses of mankind A Hundred of such Instances may be named which have so ugly a countenance that men that loved their Souls will be affrighted from Antinomianism by the reading of them And I further tell you that too sudden and eager disputing against Heresy doth but engage men to stretch their wits to find out what to say to defend it and to take those for Enemys to God and them who shame their folly And I must confess that tho' I am much for Ministers associations and consultations in order to Concord and mutual Edification I am not much for the way of deciding doctrinal Controversies by majority of Votes remembring what Councils have done that way these 1300 Years and how often either errour or unskilful decissions have the greater number so that tho' now with us they will consent against errours it may be taken for a precedent for erroneous pluralities to Tyrannize or tread down truth hereafter Ortho. But shall we therefore let Heresy spread unresisted Reconcil No But you will let it pass uncured whether you will or not You let not ignorance and pride go unresisted But if it were not uncured there would be no such Heresies If all the Ministers in England subscribe a detestation of gross ignorance and pride do you think it would cure them Doth it cure Atheism Infidelity Drunkeness Lust though all Preachers condemn them If you can prevail with these men to read and consider but one half of that which I have written on these Subjects instead of reviling that which they never read or tryed you will not need to call for more Confutations of them Ortho. But a Confutation short and newly published will be read by those that will not read Books old and large Reconcil I have staid since your first motion to see whether there be like to be any apparent necessity of any renewed opposition to this infection and I acknowledge that now some necessity appeareth to me in the new and zealous attempts of the erroneous But God in great mercy hath raised up many that are fitter to oppose them than I that in pain and languishing weakness have time little enough to meditate on my approaching change But because the erroneous have learn'd of the transformed Angel of Light and his pretended Ministers of Righteousness to call their Errours the Preaching of Christ and Free Grace and to say that all they Preach not Christ but the Righteousness of man that wrong not Christ as much as they I shall by God's help attempt briefly to try whether indeed they Preach Christ or Preach against him and whether they Exalt him or Deny him and whether they Preach up Free Grace or as Enemies Reproach it And I shall publish a brief Decision of the many Controversies of Justification which I cast by these Fourteen Years lest I should provoke any to revive the allay'd quarrels But their new and earnest Attempts do now call it out by telling us that this evil Spirit is again at work and calleth us to a renewed Defence of Truth CHAP. II. An Enumeration of the Errours which have corrupted Christianity and subverted the Gospel Reconcil BEfore I give you a Confutation of the Errours of the Anti-Gospellers I will promise these two things 1. I will here give you a Catalogue of their Errours which I am Confute 2. I think it needful to caution you what to think of the Persons that you Censure them not too hardly tho' the Errours as worded be very great I. And 1. As the general Fault of their Errours is the confounding of things which greatly differ so by this they corrupt the Doctrine of Adams Communication of sin and guilt to his posterity and thereby raise more dangerous Errours They feign that God made a Covenant with Adam and all his
Dyet and Rest and not to work or eat or sleep till the Spirit moveth them And God maketh use of Reason and Order in things Spiritual as well as in things Natural And the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets LXXVI They reprove us for perswading Unconverted Men to Pray because the Prayer of the Wicked is abominable and they â—â—ould stay till they have the Spirit of Prayer And is a Tavern or a Whore-house a sitter plâ—ce to get that Spirit than on their knees by Prayer when God himself saith To thee shall aâ—l flâ—sh câ—me seâ—k the Lord while he may â—e founâ— call upon him wâ—ile he is near Let the Wickâ—d â—â—â—sak his way c. wicked Prayers of wicked men that are but to quiet them in sin are abominable and no prayer of an Impenitent unbeliever hath any promise of certain success But Aâ—ab and Niâ—eve and millions of Sinners have found that there are some prayers of the unregenerate that are better than none Aâ—d do they think when we perswade them to Pray that we perswade them to continue Impenitent No it is but perswading them to Turn and Live For praying is a returniâ—â— motion and we say but as Peter Repent and Pray if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgâ—â—â—â— thee Not to exhort men to Pray is not to exhort them to desire Grace and true Conversion Common Grace and Natural Self-love have their desires which are not all in vain it s better to be near the Kingdom of God than to be dispisers of it God hath fixed the time of the Lord's day and the undisposed must not say we will not keep it till the Spirit move us As it is a dutâ— to Relieve the Poor so it is to Pray as soon as God commandeth it and none must say I will not Give or Pray till the Spirit move me but wait for more help of the Spirit in the way of duty LXXVII That because no man can come to Christ too soon therefore no man can too soon believe that he is Elect and Justified though he have no evidence to prove it and though he know not God or Christ or the Spirit or the Gospel LXXVIII That men are bound to Believe that Christ Believed for them and Repented for them and must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question Christ as Saltmarsh speaketh as if Christ had had Sin to repent of or a Saviour to save him from it and as if this were no Covenant-Condition required of our selves as necessary to our Justification They may next say Christ that is Holy for them shall be Saved in stead of them LXXIX That to Believe that we are Elect and Justified is fides Divina a Believing the word of God because his Spirit 's witness of it by inspiration is his word LXXX That nothing done by an unregenerate man by common Grace maketh him any fitter to Believe and be Converted that if he were without it because it is sin LXXXI That it is no Grace which is not unresistible and because we cannot Merit it we cannot resist and forfeit it LXXXII That Pardon and Justification being perfect the first Moment of our Faith therefore it is only one momentous Act of Faith only that Justifieth us and no Act of Faith it self Justifieth us after that hour This is held by the more moderate sort who say not that we are Justified before Faith LXXXIII That we must act from Lâ—â—â— but not â—or Life as if Natural Life were not to be used for Spiritual Life LXXXIV They hold That Sin being all past present and future Pardoned at first we must not ask Pardon any more but only the fuller Belief and Sense of Pardon LXXXV They hold that no Sin or declining of a Justified Person should ever make him doubt of his Justification LXXXVI They hold that the meaning of Rom. 8.28 is That all the sin that an Elect or Justified man committeth shall certainly work for his greater good when the Text speaketh but of Enemies and Sufferings and all the Providences of God As if it were the way of God's Wise and Holy Government so far to encourage men to sin as to assure all that love God beforehand that the more they sin the better it shall be for them whereas he hath filled the Scripture with so many terrible threatnings against Sin and Backsliding And as if â—o â—ustiâ—ied person by sin did ever gnow worâ—e than â—efore or love God lâ—â—â— or at all displeâ—se him Or it were for our good to be worse and love God less or displease him or lose aâ—y meâ—sures of Grace and Glory 〈◊〉 Title LXXXVII They take Justification in the Great day of Judâ—mâ—â—t to be none of our proper Justification by Faith because that was done before but a Declaâ—â—â—â—â—â— of â—â— As if Justification had but one degree and the word but one sence or any were persectâ—r Justification than that and a Deâ—isive Sentential Declaration were not the most eminent LXXXVIII Those that confess works of Obedience to Christ to be the Condition of Glorification yet deny it to be a Condition of Justification in Judgment when as to Justifie us in Judgment is to Justifie our right to Impurity and Glory and so the Condition must be the same LXXXIX Though God oft and plainly saith That all men shall be judged according to their works and according to what they have done in the Body good or evil and to judge is either by decisive sentence to Justifie or to Condemn or executively to Reward and Glorify on to Punish yet many that Confess that men shall be so Judged do deny that they shall be so Justified though Justifying be Judging XC Though the word According to their works do plainly signify The Cause to be then decided in order to the sentence of Salvation or Damnation and Christ Mat. 25. and elsewhere hath largely enumerated the parts of the Cause and call it Righteousness and that with a Caâ—â—al particle and though the Scripture mention our inherent and acted Righteousness in terms of the same signification above Six â—undred times and that as the thing that pleaseth God and that he loveth hateing the contrary telling us that the unrighteous shall not enter into Heaven c. Yet do they feign that all that Godliness which hath the promise of this Life and That to come and which God is said as a Righteous Judge to Reward and Crown is mentioned only as a sign of the Elect and Rightâ—ous and of Faith and not as the Cause to be then decided or as a Rewarded thing And for whom is this sâ—â—n so solemnly produced God knoweth us without Signs His Light in our Consciences will make us know our selves by Internal Perâ—eption And if it be to confute the Devil and his servants that slander us it is for want of Righteousness and not only for want of siâ—â—s of it that we are accused and it is more than