attribute the Work to Christ in such a manner as may not in the least savour of Sin or carry in it the least absurdity or contradiction But now Christ can no ways be chargeable with Sin in bringing a Soul from Sin nor is it the least contradiction to say a Man of unwilling is now changed and made willing or for a Dead Man when made alive to act and move it would have been strange to see Lazarus have risen and walked while Dead but not strange at all to see him walk when Christ had quickened him So in this case 3. But say some when we press Sinners to come to Christ in their Sins we do not mean that they can so come but that they ought so to come And forasmuch as this Reply hath the fairest shew of truth I shall consider what of truth it really hath in it Now to this I answer by making this necessary distinction 't is one thing for it to be the Duty of Sinners to come to Christ another thing to come in their Sins to Christ And though I readily grant 't is the Duty of such as are in their Sins to come that is to cease to do Evil and to learn to do Well and by the strength of God's Grace to leave the Sins they now are in yet I absolutely deny 't is their Duty to come in their Sins Though I do not expect all should reach this who are not used to distinctions I shall endeavour therefore to illustrate this to you thus t is one thing for it to be the Duty of an unchanged Person to come another for that Person to come unchanged 'T is the Duty of Sinners to keep the Law but not to keep it in their Sins 'T is the Duty of a Man Drunk to praise God because he is not in Hell but 't is not his Duty to praise him Drunk His praising denotes the Work his praising of him Drunk would denote the manner how he should perform the Work and if this should be granted it would as much be such a Person 's Duty to be Drunk when engaged in that Work as to be engaged in that Work To illustrate this God hath made it our Duty to Praise him and to Worship him in Spirit and Truth the Worship denotes the Work to do it in Spirit is the manner of Working and one is a Duty as well as the other so that tho' it is the Duty of a carnal Man to Worship God yet not to Worship him carnally So though it is the Duty of Sinners to come yet not to come in their Sins for this would make Sin a Duty there may be a great difference in Sence when there may be but little in Sound To give you an Instance whole Christ is one thing the whole of Christ is another thing the Protestants own whole Christ to be every-where but Hundreds have chose rather to burn at a Stake than to own the whole of Christ to be every-where But I suppose the Patrons of this Opinion will never suffer much for Truths no clearer distinguished than thus though to any understanding Person the difference is exceeding great but unless a Man can find some Mens Understandings as well as Truths the Truths they prepare and explain to them will be but assom any Pearls cast before Swine which will rather Enrage them make them turn again and rend them than be profitable unto them So Christ assumed the Nature that was Polluted but not the Pollution of that Nature But to put all out of doubt I shall come in a more familiar Stile to prove that though it is undoubtedly the Duty of Sinners to come to Christ or believe in Christ yet it is not so much as their Duty to come in their Sins to Christ the great difference between which I hope by what hath been said you now will understand For as I have hinted when I say 't is the Duty of a Sinner to come it denotes no more than thus that it is his Duty to come from Sin to Christ but for any to come in their Sins to Christ denotes they must bring their Sins to Christ which is as impossible as to bring the East and West into one Point the disagreement between Christ and Sin not being so little as many do imagine What Communion hath Light with Darkness Christ is well pleased to see a Soul come from Sin but it is impossible for a Soul to come in Sin nor is it his Duty so to come which I prove from these following Arguments Argument 1. That which no Man was ever able to do is not so much as our Duty to do but no Man was ever able to come to Christ in his Sins therefore 't is not so much as our Duty so to do My Major I conceive will be granted only carefully observe I say that which no Man ever was able to do I do not say that which no Man is now able to do is not his Duty For if we consider Man in his fallen State so many things are his Duty to which he hath no strength to do and God may justly condemn him for not doing them because his Inability was procured by himself but God commands us to do nothing now but what Adam had Power to perform if God had but made it known to be his Duty And for any to deny my Major Proposition would be to affirm that God hath given Man a Law which was absolutely impossible to be kept and damns his Creatures for not obeying of it which hath too harsh a sound to be received for a Truth Minor Proposition But no Man ever was able to come to Christ in his Sins That we who are in a fallen and unregenerate State cannot come to Christ while such I hope I have sufficiently proved and it is impossible that Adam should have Power to come in Sin before he had committed Sin Therefore I conclude that tho' it is the Duty of Sinners to come from Sin to Christ or to believe in Christ because Thousands have by Grace been so enabled to come and Adam had once a Power to believe any thing that God should reveal yet because never any was able to come to Christ in his Sins therefore 't is not so much as a Duty so to do for tho' God hath sent many Sinners to Hell for not coming to Christ yet I am confident he never sent one Soul to Hell for not coming to Christ in his Sins for this would be to damn Souls for not continuing in Sin Argument 2. He that ought to come to Christ in a sinful State ought to continue in him in the same State but no Man can continue in Christ and a sinful State Therefore no Man ought to come in a sinful unrenewed State to Christ The former part of my Argument is clear from Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Now you know the present Enquiry is what
by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them An Answer no doubt pleasing to the Ignorant sort that will Swallow down any thing true or false that hath but the Name of Christ or the Righteousness of Christ annexed to it But sure this bold Asserter had forgotten that Text Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if any Man an Anabaptist not excepted walk not according to this Rule 't is because there is no Light in him or rather I have reason to judge he was resolved his own Fancy should guide him in this Matter Now I would fain know where this Author can prove from Scripture any imputation of Christ's Righteousness to any but Believers I am sure he cannot and till he can however fond he or his Brethren may be of his Notion it not agreeing with the Rule in God's Word we are bound to look upon it as arising from the Darkness his own deluded Fancy Since I have been a Student in Divinity I have been taught both out of God's Word and from our most Worthy Authors that the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ had respect to the removal of our Guilt and that it was the Work of the Spirit within us to remove the Filth and destroy the Power of Sin Tit. 3.5 By the washing of Regeneration and renewings of the Hely Ghost Hence we are said to be born of the Spirit Justification and Sanctification though inseparable yet are widely distinguished by all but Papists and such as do adhere to them Sure this Gentleman had strangely forgot the great difference between our Title to Heaven and our Meetness for Heaven unless he looks upon our Claim to rise from our Meetness The Righteousness of Christ though it gives us a Title to Heaven as we do apprehend the Person of Christ by Faith yet it doth not take away our Filth any other way than by way of Purchase 'T is the Spirit of God in us that is the Efficient and that is the thing we are enquiring into VVhy then doth this Author thus beguile his unwary Reader when he is enquiring how Sin comes to be subdued he tells him how Sin comes to be pardoned As if a Pardon to a Malefactor would change his Heart or as if that Promise of a new Heart added to Forgiveness was a Promise of little worth I know not what it is to him I am sure 't is precious to all Saints what doth this imply but that the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to Infants to the end they may go to Heaven reeking in Sin and that they might be exempted from Regeneration But to put all out of doubt I come now to prove there is a Necessity for Infants to have Faith in the Sence aforesaid if ever they get to Heaven whatever such bold Men may say to the contrary who care not how much they say and how little they prove Let God be true tho' all such are found Liars Now there is a twofold Necessity for Infants to have Faith in order to their getting to Heaven one arising from God's Ordination and Appointment the other from the Corruption of our Natures as we come into the VVorld First From God's Appointment and Ordination he hath made this the way and the only way to Heaven Mark 16.16 He that believes not shall be damned I think that is plain Scripture since 't is so defired by the Anabaptists and the Expression being Indefinite is equivolent to a Universe He that is any he High or Low Rich or Poor Adult or Infant So John 3.3,5 Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And then adds by way of Explanation Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Now Regeneration is an Infusing the Principles of all Grace into the Soul as the Learned Pemble observes one Grace not being the Cause of another and if of all Grace then of Faith for that is a Grace But perhaps the Anabaptists may object that by the Word Man we are to understand Adult only yet at best this is but a bare Conjecture which in others Cases is contemned by them and therefore with their Leave or without it I shall tye them up to the same Measures For it seems unreasonable to contemn this in others which we allow in our selves especially in Matters of Religion may we not by the same Rule exclude Women And then I know no Scripture to prove a Necessity for them to be regenerated But lest this should not suffice for by this time I may suppose the Anabaptists to be like a Man drowning that catches hold of every Straw to keep him from sinking I shall therefore prove from Scripture that the Word Man oft takes in Women and Children without Distinction of Age or Sex and to this end I might multiply Texts but I shall only give you Two for many The first is Gen. 6.7 I will destroy Man Now it is well known that all the old World was destroyed both Men Women and Children excepting those few in the Ark and yet only Man is mentioned So John 16.21 A Woman when she is in Travail hath Sorrow because her Hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more her Anguish for Joy that a Man is born Mind that which in the beginning was called a Child is after called a Man nor can we once suppose that we come grown Men immediately out of the Womb and yet this may be as easily proved as the former And as the Word Man sometimes is of this extent so 't is most evident it is so here For the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek signifies any one Beza renders it Aliquis any Body or any one But notwithstandstanding all that hath been said I lately saw a Piece put out by one of the Ablest of the Anabaptists in which he will prove that Christ in that Place meant Adult only and he proves it thus It must be so because Nicodemus understood him so but to me it seems strange that any unless one as ignorant as Nicodemus of the new Birth should think such a blind Idiot as he a meet Judge of Christ's Meaning and infallibly to conclude it must be so because he understood him so as if Nicedomus was an infallible Judge of this Matter That Nicedomus understood him so I cannot deny but if that must be his meaning because he understood him so then we must conclude Christ meant a natural Birth also for so Nicodemus understood him Verse 4. Can he enter the second time into his Mother's Womb and be born which was a gross Mistake as is clear from Verse 5. Which Words are a Reproof of his Ignorance and Carnal Conceptions and an Interpretation of Christ's own Words and might he not mistake as to the Subject as well as concerning the Nature of the thing Sure I am that Cause
be found in the Great Day to be but as Hay Wood Stubble or if possible some more Cumbustible Matter Notwithstanding I have thus clearly stated and proved this to be a Truth from Scripture that none can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins yet I doubt not but many who never were led into the Knowledge of their own Hearts to see their Natural Enmity against Christ and Utter Inability to perform any Duty Spiritually will be so far from setting to their Seal that this is true that they will be but the more exasperated We read in Acts 7.54 that when the Apostle had reproved those Jews for their Sin in Crucifying Christ to the end it might not be their ruin they were cut to the Heart but instead of Blessing God for such a Faithful Reprover 't is said they gnashed on him with their Teeth Man is Naturally prone to set up himself and when he cannot make himself the Purchaser of his Salvation he would have a Hand in the Application and how unwelcome shall a Faithful Minister be to such when they come to beat down their Carnal Confidence and to spoil their Glorying in the Flesh And how hard for a Minister who shuns not to declare the whole Counsel of God and whose design is that Christ alone may be exalted to Preach such Doctrine as this but by and by some will be offended Such Doctrine as this would not be received from Christ himself by some was he now on Earth John 6.65,66 And he said Therefore said I unto you that no Man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Mind no sooner had he told them in plain words what I have been proving but from that time many went back and walked no more with him Now if I am judged Erroneous yet I hope such as differ from me in this Point will not judge Christ so yet why Christ should be judged a true Witness and I a false Witness for relating his very Words I see not but if I am yet it more encourages me that Christ is on my side than it shall discourage me though all the Devils in Hell wore against me being fully satisfied that he will be the Judge at the Great Day not only of our Lives but of our Doctrines nor will any Doctrines pass for Truth then if they have not a Divine Stamp upon them and sure I am this Doctrine I oppose hath none I am satisfied if those search the Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation they can find no Text written to prove that Sinners can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins though many Texts prove it the Duty of Sinners to come But to take a review of the forecited Text and to see who they were that forsook Christ for delivering such Doctrine you may see Verse 64. Such as believed not none else Christ turns him to the Twelve Will ye also go away Peter on the behalf of the rest replies Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life As if he had said Lord dost thou think we are so unacquainted with our own Hearts as to go from thee for delivering that Truth that 〈◊〉 who have but tasted thou art Gracious have experienced These are the Words of Eternal Life and therefore thou mayest as well ask us whether we are willing to miss of Life as forsake thee for these Truths sake Thus you see however contemptible this Doctrine was then to those that believed not or may be to such whose Eyes are not yet opened or at least who see no clearer into Divine Mysteries than he who saw Men as Trees yet this was judged such a Fundamental Truth to the Twelve that it behoved them as they tendred the Salvation of their Souls to receive it In a word and I shall close Tho' those that differ from me in this Point may for my good-will become my Enemies because I tell them the Truth yet in love to their Souls I would have them consider whether this Doctrine they defend doth not exclude the Spirit of God from having any hand in the Application of the Benefits purchased by Christ to the Soul And if it doth I hope you will see it to be an Error indeed Now I think none dare deny but that upon our coming to Christ his Benefits are applied to all Now the Question is how or by what power the Soul is enabled to come Say I as renewed and born of the Spirit Tit. 3.3,5 say they though without one Syllable in Scripture to prove it no the Soul comes wreeking in all his Sins unchanged unrenewed and if so then judge if this is not to exclude the Spirit wholly from having any hand in this Work For if such as come to Christ have the Spirit then they do not come as they are in their Sins Let me close all with a Word to you my Auditors and especially to you my Brethren I chiefly designed what is contained in this Book for you that you may be established in the Truth as it is in Jesus Take you heed of rejecting Sound Doctrine lest God give you over to believe a Lie 'T is the Truth must make you free Stand you therefore and Enquire for the good Old Way and walk therein and you shall find rest to your Souls Contend you earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Beware of such pretended Lights as do not shine forth in God's Word In a word if I have delivered nothing in this Book but what I have proved from Scripture then I hope you will see it your Duty to receive these Truths 'T is sad when any Love Darkness rather than Light But if any of you after all my Labour for your sakes should reject these Truths I leave this Book not as a Legacy but as a Witness against you at the Great Day FINIS