5. Therefore they set up the Name of Christ against his Government Is his Name Jehovah our Righteousness against his Government See whether Paul is one of those Ignorant Advancers of Christ Gal. 2.8 9. Neonom I believe many Abettors of these Mistakes are honestly zealous for the Honour of Free Grace but have not sufficient Light to see how God hath provided for this in his Rectoral Distribution of Benefits by a Gospel Rule Antinom We are beholding to you Sir for a Drop of Charity mingled with your supercilious Contempt of Holy Protestant Reformers who in my poor Judgment were knowing and learned Men that asserted both the Grace and Government of Christ against your new Law you esteem them but ignorant honest Men that meant well but ignorantly zealous for the Grace of God carried on only by a blind Devotion and did not understand the Mystery of God's Rectoral Distribution The Apostle tells us who are ignorant Rom. 10.3 They that are ignorant of God's Righteousness and go about to establish their own What do you think of the Mythologists of the Late Athenian Society I hope you esteem them Learned and Knowing as well as Honest Neonom Indeed I am bound to give them a high Character because they have given so ample a Testimony to my Scheme After their Learned Defence that somebody took Care of that it should be well done they give me and my Book this Character The Book is worth Perusal of all sorts of Persons for the Antidote which is annexed to each Argument and we must deliver our Opinions that Mr. Williams hath without Passion plainly learnedly and solidly established the Truth with incomparable Brevity and Criticism upon many Texts Antinom But I suppose they have wronged you in one thing viz. Branding you for a Critick upon Texts of Scripture I would do you right I believe you were never guilty of that As to what they say besides of you and your Book I leave others to judge when the matters are impartially tryed Neonom You may say what you please you see it passed the Judgement of those Wise Learned and Judicious Men Divines and others that were Eyes to the Nation in all Points of Difficulty both in Policy Law Divinity Matrimony and something else Antinom As to the Politicks or the Oeconomicks or what else you will call it their Skill failed tho to their Fatal Ruine But I meddle not with those Points I am most concerned at the Inscription upon their Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God which they ignorantly worship Neonom What do you mean by that Antinom I mean they are ignorant of God according to the Articles of the Church of England Neonom It 's Impossible I am sure they give no such ground of suspition by the Credit they have given my Scheme Antinom That may be Bona Ingenia jumpunt I doubt not but they are of your Opinion in Doctrinals Neonom But you say they know not God according to the Church of England Prove that Charge we will both fall together sure if you make not that good I can't but take you for a wicked Slanderer and Backbiter of a worthy solid learned Society of men Antinom If I do not prove my Charge let me be accounted so Sc. As to the Doctrine of Election in answer to this Q. Does the Scripture any where affirm an Election of a determinate Number of men to Eternal Life and Happiness Vol. 7. Athen. Merc. Num. 26. July 26. 1692. They make this Answer I must confess as Men to be pitied for their Ignorance It 's an easie thing to be mistaken in matters of this nature howsoever if we are so we 'll profess our selves ready to change our Opinion this is modest and Ingenuous on the producing better Reason and in the mean time not to have angry and uncharitable thoughts of those who are of a different Judgment Now thus far they set you a Pattern for you forsooth must Dogmatize and Anathematize all men that are not of your Opinion But to the Question We cannot be satisfied by any of those Scriptures which are brought for that purpose that there is any such an Election of a determinate number as either puts a Force to their Natures and Irresistibly saves them or absolutely excludes all the rest of Mankind from Salvation Not to stand upon the fotching in some words improperly brought as forcing Mens Natures which is so much like your way of Canons and Articles that I have a great suspicion that they drew up this Answer by your Direction I shall for all your shifting and shuffling that I see you are prepared for and I am as ready to answer for brevity sake say thus much That these Gentlemen do in this Opinion of theirs deny Absolute Election which you will also be found to do at the long run and that this assertion in denyal of Absolute Election is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Art 17. Predestination to Life is the Everlasting Purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Now your Servant Sir I think I have proved what I promised I am sure this Article intends an absolute and unconditional Election of some and such an Election as excludes all others Eventually which I am ready to make good But this is not all yet there is another Question concerning the Salvation of the Heathens you advance in order to that Text There is a Qu. Vol. 7. No. 29. There 's no other Name under Heaven given That if we believe in God we believe vertually in Christ I desire to know what 's meant by a Vertual Belief A. The Jews were under the Dispensation of believing Our Father having Faith in the Messiah and whereas the Heathens were under the Dispensation of the Law of Nature the Divine Light written in Man which is the ordinary Voice of the Spirit in every man to restrain him from Murder Idolatry c. if they kept to that Law they should receive the Vertue of the Lamb of God slain before the Foundation of the World by the Fathers Decree for the sins of all men contrary to the Article 18. of the C. of E. They also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his Life according to that Law and the Light of Nature For Holy Scripture hath set out to us only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby men may be saved Neonom You are under many mistakes you neither understand those learned Mythologists nor the Articles for the Articles speak Old English and the Mythologist the New Divinity but they both mean the same thing
begets Faith Phil. 10. The Apostle James ch 1.15 useth the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning Sin when it is finished or compleated brings forth Death i. e. Sin when it appears as it is it 's Death and Condemnation in the Conscience So the Word brought thus by the Spirit into the Heart the Soul is freed from Condemnation it thereby hath Life he believes to the saving of the Soul And can this be denied to be good Faith and true Faith and all the Essence of our Divine Faith it being the believing of the Word so as to close with it and receive it according to the Nature and End of it The Apostle Heb. 11.1 describes Faith by two Words Marvellous Significent in our Sence by * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illud quo subsistunt Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persuasio Syr. It notes Confidence or Presence of Mind without fear So Polyb. It 's rendred Confident or confident Perswasion 2 Cor. 9.4 ch 11.17 and Heb. 3 14. where it signifies and is rendred Confident Perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Subsistance The Word is besides used concerning the Person of the Father Heb. 1.3 where Christ is said to be the Character of the Father's Hypostacy we read it Personality So here Faith is said to Personate the Truth or to be the Image of it as it were in the Heart or rather things hoped for it makes them as it were present ecchoing them in the Heart the Eccho speaking the same things the Voice doth and he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Evidence or rather Demonstration of things not seen it takes up a Demonstration from God's Authority not from Sence or Reason Here Argumentum Inartific Divine Testimony is of greater Force than any Artificial Arguments can be There is also another Word whereby Faith is express'd and it's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persuasio plena certioratio Stev It 's said of Abraham He was strong in Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persuasae Intelligentiae Stev And what was his strength of Faith It was his Fulness of Perswasion or Confidence ver 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was fully perswaded of what God had promised The Word is used for Faith Col. 2.2 To all riches of the full assurance of understanding Denoting that Faith is primarily an Act of the Understanding this Word is often used for it 1 Thess 1.5 Heb. 6.11 10.22 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for plenam fidem vel persuasionem habeo Luke 1.1 Rom. 14.5 The very Greek Word for Perswasion is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.5 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am perswaded i. e. Do believe that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life c. i. e. This was his strong Faith Rom. 14.14 I am perswaded in the Lord Jesus that there 's nothing unclean of it self This was his Faith I will but name one place more Heb. 11.13 it 's said of those eminent Believers mentioned in that Chapter That they received not the Promises in the fulfilling of them by performance but saw them afar off and being perswaded of them saluted them in their own Hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calvin You must own Saving Faith to be a Saving Perswasion you see or else you must deny the Scriptures and according to the Weakness and Strength of Perswasion we account our Faith is weaker or stronger yet hath it's Forma Differentia from its proper Adjuncts and Object Neonom When he puts a Man to examine his Faith he hath these Words D. W. p. 73. How do I know I believe in Christ He answers Do I rest my Heart upon his Truth Do I receive it as a Truth that I do believe Or do I reject it and will not receive it Then I do not believe it But if thou sit down and rest upon this Truth and receive it and do in reality believe it then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours D. C. p. 107. Antinom I am sorry to see that you should have such an Aversion to these things I was preaching from Isa 42.6 7. and shewing how Christ receiveth Sinners as Sinners he never shuts out one of those Thousands that come upon the Tender of the Gospel Dr. C. p. 107. and if there be no Example of any shut out in the whole Scripture from whence fetch you that bitterness of your own Spirit that you may not that you dare not close with Christ But you will say If this taking Christ be the best Security how shall I know whether I believe or no Or how shall I know that this my taking is not counterfeit but solid and real Answ I answer by the reality of the thing Do you it indeed If you do it indeed it 's a real taking Do you not bid Men believe sincerely and indeed If a Man should ask you How do you know the Sun shines The light of the Sun doth shew it self and by it's light we know it shines How shall I know I believe There is a light in Faith that doth discover it self unto Men. The Soul that doth really close with Christ may conclude he doth so If you give 6 d. to a poor man and you say to him How do you know I have given you 6 d He will answer I have it in my Hand and feel I have it So ask your Hearts this Question How do I know I believe in Christ Do I rest my Heart upon this Truth Do I receive it as a Truth c Calvin What can you Mr. Neonomian with any face except against this Doctrine Doth not the Apostle say 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son hath a witness in himself Is there any clearer Evidence of an Action than the doing it Ask a Man how he knows he can eat saith he I do eat I do taste and swallow what I eat So that Instance of the Sun shining which he gives there 's no doubt but the first Evidence the Soul hath is in Believing it self tho he tries his Faith by it's Fruits also and receives Evidence therefrom Is not Faith illustrated in Scripture by all our Senses Hearing Tasting Smelling Feeling or Touching Seeing And is there not Perception in the Exercise of all the Senses And how shall I know better that I do exercise them than by perceiving their Objects which is a Witness an Evidence a Demonstration to my self above all others that it is so The Natural Man indeed receiveth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of the Spirit by Faith 1 Cor. 2.14 and therefore they are foolishness to him But the Spiritual Man doth i. e. by Faith Neonom He says If the Lord give to any to believe this Truth D. W. p. 74. Dr. C. p. 296. that it is his
Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man and he makes a difference between a strong Believer and a weak to consist in the degree of his Perswasion Dr. C. p. 158. Antinom This was a Use that I made upon that Point of laying Sin on Christ If God have laid our Iniquity upon Christ then whosoever thou art to whom the Lord will be pleased to give the believing of this Truth that the Lord hath laid thine Iniquity on Christ that laying thine Iniquity upon him is an absolute and full Discharge to thee that there neither is nor can be any Iniquity for the present nor for hereafter that can be laid to thy Charge and then follows what he hath rehearsed And if this be not true Doctrine that every Believer that by the Grace of God sees his Sins laid on Christ hath a full pardon of all Sins past present and to come so that Sin shall never be charged on him for Condemnation before God I am to seek for the Doctrine of the Gospel I quote that place Rom. 8.33 to me a very full Proof And I do affirm that the Degrees of our Faith doth stand in the Degrees of the sight of Christ's Glory and the Perswasion we have in our Hearts of our part in him And I do not say That he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me to say so there are that are Believers that are weak in the Faith and there are Believers that are strong in the Faith the more the Light and Glory of the Gospel shines in the true Intention of God to his People the more shall they return to their rest the more shall they have Joy and Gladness Why may not a Believer then say as David did The Lord hath been very bountiful to me that I may return to my rest God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Dr. C. p. 158. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonom let us have your Description of Saving Faith Neonom I shall express it in the Assemblies Words ch 14. A. 2. D. W. p. 72 73. By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word from the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Gentlemen weigh this Account of Faith well which if it were regarded and no essential part excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-benefit One would think no man need prove that it is not saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting and that it must be saving Faith when we mention Faith as a Condition Antinom That Reverend Assembly do here express the Essential Parts of Faith and something more as the Effects of it I take it not to be intended for a Definition wherein only Essentials are put but a Description that takes in Subjects Adjuncts Effects c. The Definition is first given A. 1. That the Grace of Faith is whereby the Elect are enabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls After they proceed to shew the Causes of it the Word and Spirit and after that its several ways of Acting and it's Effects They do in the shorter Catechism give a briefer Account of it which may be more properly called a Definition Quest 86. What is Faith in Jesus Christ Answ Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel And if you please to turn to Quest 31. you shall see what they mean by receiving and resting There they say Effectual Calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our Wills he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel And in the Larger Catechism you have a full Description of Faith as Justifying Quest 72. wherein there is the Genus of it a saving Grace the principal efficient Cause the Spirit the Causa ministrant the subservient efficient Cause the Word Both Causae procreantes The Subject in whom it is wrought a sinful miserable and lost Creature really so and in his own Eyes And then you have the Material Cause the truth of the Promise of the Gospel In the Confession wherein it's more largely express'd it's whatever is revealed in the Word this is the Objective part of it and Material The Form of Saving Faith is an Impression wrought upon the Soul from the proper Efficacy of the Spirit by the Word according to the acceptable Nature and Evidence thereof The Truth must have Goodness in it because we believe many things that we fear and are averse to The Word works objectively upon the Understanding perswading it to assent and set to it's Seal that the Word is Truth and from the Goodness in that Truth it perswades the Will to embrace because Voluntas sequitur ultimum dictamen intellectus and the consenting of the Will is an Effect of the assenting of the Understanding Hence then it 's not barely believing without Ground but upon some Authority In the Confession 't is said For the Authority of God himself speaking in the Word which is believing on Christ believing in God from whence follows an awful Reverence and Regard to his Word as also the resting and depending of the Soul thereon And when it 's determined to the Grace of Justification it 's as in the Larger and Shorter Catechism it receiveth Christ and his Righteousness in the Promise and resteth thereon for Pardon of Sin Justifying Grace through the Righteousness of Christ is the Object and that which it aims at is the accepting and accounting of a Mans Person Righteous in the sight of God for Salvation which is fuller express'd in the Confession shewing what saving Faith in the largest Sence designs viz. accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone excluding all other Foederal Conditions for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Now you see how clearly they make Faith a Perswasion and that it doth all objectively by taking in the Truth and receiving it for the Understanding receiveth and embraceth by being perswaded it takes in the Light of Truth and the Will embraceth by being perswaded and the great procatarctick Cause is the Covenant of Grace Now I see you have a clean contrary Notion of making it a Condition and moral Instrument i. e. A moral Condition of the Covenant and so a Work and as such
to reach the End of the Covenant which I utterly deny for that would destroy it's own Nature and Use and also the Covenant of Grace it self Neonom The Question is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as an effect of Faith D. W. p. 74. Antinom A Perswasion of Truth and certainty thereof is Assurance and so far as I do believe there is this in the Act of Faith though a weak Faith hath Doubtings attending but not therefore commendable And there can be no Faith without some degree of Perswasion concerning the Truth of the Object You speak here of an Assurance which must be reckoned of the highest Degree of Perswasion and therefore you deal not fairly to change your Terms from Perswasion to Assurance There is a two-fold Assurance the Plerophory of Faith and an Assurance that I have true Faith which is Spiritual Sence and Argumentation from it's Nature and Effects one is by the proper direct Act of believing the other by reflex Acts of the Soul upon it self Neonom Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel for upon a true acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in vertue of the Gospel-promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept him as he is proposed for our acceptance Antinom You are very dark and obscure in what you here speak 1. By Personal Application I understand particular Application and so it 's your Sense that a Sinner ought to make a particular Application of the general Offers of Christ and Life in the very Act of believing and so far I joyn with you and that his thus believing is his Compliance the Gospel's Work being perswading my Compliance is to be perswaded and there 's nothing else expected which you call Terms the Terms is that we put in no Terms but accepting Christ freely offered And you say he is yours in vertue of the Gospel-Promise you must intend in the vertue of the Gospel-Promise believed or else you have no right but as you had before believing an Intentional Right only if it be a claimable Right it 's in a Promise believed for whatever Right is real in the Promise none will plead any but what he believes And it is in vertue of the Promise to give Christ and Life to many that do not yet accept of him For it 's the vertue of the Promise to give Life to dead Sinners that they may actively and comfortably receive and accept him Neonom Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath a more special Regard at first of the Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty state Antinom I understand not what you mean by Priestly Offices as if Christ had more Priestly Offices than one Christ doth exercise his Priestly Office in the state of Humiliation and Exaltation but I have not seen any before that ascribes to Christ two Priestly Offices And if you mean Justifying Faith it 's Office is to lay hold on and apply the Person of Christ in his Priestly Office Neonom Nor whether every thing recorded in Scripture must be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life Antinom You mean here Faith as to the general Nature of it you do not distinguish it from Faith in the Justifying Nature all along Neonom Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as our only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm Antinom You acknowledge then that Faith contains in it 1. A Reliance on Christ as an only Saviour How can this be without some perswasion A rational Man never rests and leans upon a thing that he hath not some ground of Perswasion that it 's strong enough to bear him 2. You own it includes a realizing Assent to the Truth and this is a very high Perswasion of a Truth with a particular Application of it to a Man's self as belonging to him 3. You say there 's an unfeigned Fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of Christ and all his Offices This is strong Confidence when the Soul is so far perswaded of the reality of the Tender of Christ made in the Promise that he doth not only take him but with boldness questions not but he hath the Son and hath Life in this very Act of Believing You say we rely on Christ's Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance This is true in a true Sence but we easily see what you mean by what you speak before Neonom The real difference is whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an inward Perswasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This you affirm and I deny Yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith D. W. p. 75. Antinom What I said and you charge for my Errour I stand to it and have made it appear to be Truth I said the whole Essence of Faith is the Eccho of the Heart answering the Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace and thereby it 's the Obedience of Faith The Soul believes and closeth with Truth according to the nature of it and in such a manner as is required You wrong me to say I used the Words Perswasion or Assurance I said If you receive Truth and in reality believe it and rely upon it you may conclude that Christ is yours and this is now a Conclusion made upon my believing too I pray would you not say so to a poor Sinner If thou dost believe on the Lord Jesus with all thy Heart thou shalt be saved and you ought to conclude you shall be saved And this is a perswasion of my state upon believing Calvin Mr. Neonom It 's indeed a marvellous thing that you should say and unsay a thing in the same Breath to own Faith a reliance on Christ that it carries a realizing Assent to the Truth and an unseigned Fiducial Consent and now to say Perswasion is not at all of the Essence of Faith Neonom I said it contained and it included it I said not they were of the Essence Antinom This is just like your wonted way of Dodging How doth Faith contain and include these things As in a Box which contains and includes things of a Specifick Nature different from it self Well we will attend your Proof Neonom The second thing in difference is Whether Saving Faith includes not in it's Nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting to acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the
be a Scripture Expression concerning Christ yea and of Christ under his Sufferings of Wrath and Curse for Sin for tho' God never hated his Person in the highest of his Suffering neither is it necessary any Judge passing Sentence on the worst Criminal should hate his Person yet his Father dealing with him in a judicial way by the eye and hand of Justice in this present state and standing under the Charge of Sin and thereby cloathed as it were with filthy Garments is said to be as it were abhorred of God and it s not only included in the word forsaken the Syriack word Sabactani and taken from Psal 22. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used signifying dereliquit deseruit and so rendred by the LXXII and the Evangelist Abhorrere being used by Classick Authors in the sense of being averse to a state or condition Cic. Abborret ab auribus vulgi it s not agreeable to the Peoples Ear abhorrere a nuptiis to be averse to Marriage and from that aversion to turn away from it or a Person in it so God having purer Eyes than in his Justice to behold or endure Iniquity forsook and turned away as it were abhorring his Son standing under the charge of Sin in that state and condition And accordingly as Christ considered in this respect and state of Guilt and Condemnation is brought in prophetically by the Prophet speaking those words Psal 22. and are actually applied to himself by himself on the Cross Mat. 27.46 So we see in another famous Prophecy of this same state of his Suffering this word Abhor is used by our Interpreters most properly Psal 89.38 Thou hast cast off thou hast abhorred thou hast been wrath with thine Anointed The Hebrew hath it with thy Messias and the 72. hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred abhorred Sign sprevit reprobavit aspernatus est and by the 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast contemned or despised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dereliquit absecit deseruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprevit Resâ—â—nt reprobavit aspernatus aversatus est abhoruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exconduit Furere percitus And it 's observable that three such highly significant words should he here used in one Verse as expressive of the unspeakable weight of God's Wrath and Curse that lay upon him Thou hast deserted thou hast abhorred thou hast dealt in fury of wrath with thy Messiah In Dr. Abbot's Defence of the Reformed Catholick p. 428. we have the following Passages The Prophet saith The Lord did lay upon him our Iniquities the Lord would break him and make him Subject to Infirmities that we may understand that God did not only leave him to the hands of Men but himself counted him with sinners by the bearing of our sins and therefore dealt with him himself accordingly So that he had cause to cry out Thine Indignation lieth borâ— upon me and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms Lord why abhorrest thou my Soul and hidest thy Face from me thy wrathful Displeasure goeth over me and the Fear of thee hath undone me Yet as touching the Person of Christ we acknowledge that he was excepted from Sin In the Margin he qoutes Psal 89.38 applied to Christ by Athenas Interp. Psal by Arnob and Hierom. on Psal 87. As to the rest of the Mis-representations of the said Doctor which wâ—â—â— take up too much Time and Paper to rehearse I refer you to the particular Debates And as to your charging the Truths that he affirms and insists on for Error I shall mention briefly some principal ones under the next Head As to the second thing in which just Exceptions lie against your Book we have this to charge That you have not in all that is material fully and rightly stated Truths and Errors For 1. You have not rightly divided Truth from Error but confounded them one with another 2. You have condemned Truth for Error and asserted Error to be Truth 3. You have stuffed your Positions with ambiguous Words and Terms that instead of stating you have perplexed them and so that when you seem to speak one thing it 's most apparent you mean another Let me but give a few Instances of many that are more largely and particularly demonstrated in the Debates 1. According to this threefold falseness you state Truth and Error in your 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chapters in the Doctrins of Christ's bearing our Sins and Punishment for them 2. In the Doctrin of Imputation of Christ's Righteousness you plainly deny it to be any other than as to Effects which is no Imputation at all That there was no change of Person betwixt Christ and us That he suffered not in our stead That Spots remain in justified ones as they stand justified before God and therefore not perfectly justified and then imputed Righteousness must be imperfect C. 7. 3. You condemn it for an Error to say The Covenant of Grace as to us is not conditional and that Faith is not a Federal Condition of it And to say The Covenant of Grace was made between the Father and Son as the second Adam and with the Elect in him Or that this Covenant-Transaction is pleadable by us If all this be Error what Truth is there in the Scripture and the Assembly C. 8. p. 53 58. 4. You condemn this for an Error to say Christ is to be offered to the worst of sinners before they are willing to deny themselves and renounce all their Sins and Idols C. 10. p. 81. 5. You insinuate a Condemnation of all Union to Christ before an Act of Faith C. 11. p. 91. 6. You insinuate Perswasion not to belong to the Nature of Faith C. 9. p. 73. and make Faith and Repentance to justifie as qualifying Conditions C. 12. p. 102 114. 7. You insinuate a Condemnation of this great Truth asserted by our Lord Jesus Christ himself That he is the Way Truth and Life in Justification Sanctification and Glory Joh. 14.6 C. 13. p. 121. 8. The Sum of what you design in C. 14. is to condemn this great Gospel-Truth for Error that a Believer is not to work from Life but for Life p. 153. 9. You condemn all Ways of Assurance besides By-Signs and Marks found in us among which Perseverance is the greatest Here you condemn Assurance arising from the direct Act of Faith and immediate Witness of the Spirit by it self or in and by the Word C. 15 160 161. 10. You charge that great Truth to be an Error That God sees no Sin in justified ones C. 16. p. 170. And to say that Sin cannot hurt them in a way of condemnation C. 17. p. 181. And that the Afflictions of God's People are Effects of God's Vindicative-Justice and his Displeasure against their Persons C. 18. p. 150. 11. You condemn the Protestant true Acceptation and Interpretation of Phil. 3.8 9. C. 19. p. 196. 3. To these I shall name
And is it not strange Gentlemen that after he had said this he should affirm a Separation Antinom And is it not strange that you cannot distinguish between Separations I may separate from a thing in one respect and not in another I may separate from another as to Communion but not as to Relation let it be Son Wife Brother c. and it 's strange you cannot understand forsaking to be but of a Relation Neonom The Lord Jesus could not be abhorred or odious to God for in him God was always well-pleased Isa 42.1 Matth. 17.5 Antinom We say the same Christ's Person in his Eternal Sonship was so All the Indignation that was testified towards him in his Humane Nature in which only he was capable of Suffering in that he became a Curse as well as Sin God saith it Neonom Mr. Calvin How horrid a Sound hath it to the Ear to say that Christ is odious to God and abhorred by the Father Calvin Methinks those new Words applyed to Christ do not sound so well and some Ears are offended at them I think it 's better to use the Scripture-Expressions Christ made Sin and Christ made a Curse for us Let us but have the thing Mr. Neonomian we will part with any Word that 's not Scriptural if you give us another that will express it as well Antinom Doth not this make as horrid a Sound in a Christian Ear that God manifested his wrathful Indignation against sin in the Person of Christ in a most awful and dreadful manner Calvin But that 's his way of expressing it he doth not like yours Antinom Then I will abdicate those Words Odious and Abhorrence and use his Words I be not fond of mine Neonom 5. Christ could not be separated from God or abhorred while his Body lay in the Grave his Soul went into Paradise Antinom No his Hypostatical Union was not dissolved nor God's Fatherly Love removed from his Person but yet at the same time he was under the Suffering of Death which was Penal for sin he finished his Soul-sufferings on the Cross but was under the Separation of Body and Soul which was part of the Threatned Indignation against Sin as also the lying of his Body in the Grave Neonom I will shew you your mistakes You do not distinguish between the Affection of Wrath and Effects of Wrath because God forsook Christ as to the usual Degrees of Comfort he thinks Christ was separated from God Antinom Sure this is a soul Mistake if he should mistake his Logick as to take the Cause to be the Effect and the Effect the Cause But I doubt you mistake your Divinity as to ascribe an affection of Wrath to God But I pray where there 's an Effect of Wrath in the Creature is not Wrath the Cause of it He that lies under the Effects of Wrath is he not under Wrath If Christ suffereth the Effects of Wrath he suffereth Wrath. I know not how any one should suffer Wrath any other way As to my Thoughts about Separation from God they are only your Imposition of Thoughts and Meanings upon me as I have told you Neonom Because he that is formally a Sinner is odious to God therefore he thinks Christ was odious to God who had on him the Punishment of Sin with the Guilt or Obligation to bear Punishment by his own Consent neither of which have any thing of the Loathsomness of Sin Antinom I will not use the Word Odious because you love not the smell of it I say therefore because a formal Sinner or Committer of sin unpardoned is the Object of God's threatned Indignation bearing the Effects of Wrath therefore an imputed Sinner is also the Object of God's threatned Indignation bearing the Effects of Wrath. You will be at the old Socinian Notion still That Christ bore but the Punishment for Sin and Guilt is only Obligation to Punishment which is absolutely false unless you mean reatus culpae for nothing is a Demerit of Punishment but reatus culpae Neonom I know not why you think Christ came not near God from the time of his Death to his Resurrection unless because of your Conceit for the Loathsomness of Sin God could not bear the sight of him Antinom Your frequent Banter and Scoffs at the Scripture-Account of the Nature of Christ's Satisfaction and of Sin I am sure is very odious and a horrid Sound to a Christian Ear. I shall not think such reasoning worthy of any thing but a Note of Contempt Calvin Mr. Neonomian you must know we can't part with this Article of our Faith That Christ was made a Curse for us no more than that That he was made Sin That Christ bore the Curse of the Law and was made a Curse for us is such a gospel-Gospel-Truth that we need no other Authority for it than what is contained in the Scripture being so expresly declared which all sound Protestants always understood of bearing the Wrath of God in his Soul and Body especially in his Soul undergoing Poena Damni and Sensus the first whereof I look to be the greatest and Cause of the other and also fully enough express'd by our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross Take Mr. Calvin in his Harmony on the Evangelists Altho' there appeared more than Humane Courage in Christ's Outcry yet it 's certain it was uttered from Extremity of Grief Verily this was his chiefest Conflict and more grievous than all his other Torments because that in his Anguishes he was not so refreshed with his Fathers Holy Favour that he did in some respect perceive him alienated from him for neither did he offer his Body only as the Price of our Reconciliation with God but in his Soul he bore the Punishment due to us and they are Men of unsavoury Spirits that slighting this part of Redemption do insist only on the external Punishments of the Flesh for as Christ satisfied for us so it was requisite that he should be set as guilty before God's Tribunal For nothing is more horrible than to perceive God as a Judge whose Wrath exceeds all Deaths Neither doth he complain Feignedly or Theatrically that he was deserted of God according to the insipid Cavils of some For the inward Grief of his Soul from the Depth of Anguish compelled him to break forth into this Outcry He did perfectly fulfill the Law endured most grievous Torments immediately in his Soul Conf. Assemb c. 8. § 4. He bore the Weight of God's Wrath and laid down his Life an Offering for sin Large Catceh p. 249. Quest What Death did Christ suffer when he Sacrificed himself Mr. Perkin's Catech. Answ A Death upon the Cross peculiar to himself alone For besides the Separation of Body and Soul he felt also the Pangs of Hell in that the whole Wrath of God due to the Sin of Man was poured forth upon him The Apostle doth not say that Christ was cursed but a Curse Calv. on Gal. 3.13 which is more for
insisted so much upon the Conditionality of Works and wherein it 's said they continued not viz. In the Mount Sinai Covenant which God gave them when he brought them out of Egypt Heb. 8.9 4. In regard of that sort of Promises which they stood encouraged by to the performance of this External Obedience they were usually Temporal Blessings only and the Threats and Curses denounced against Disobedience was usually in rsepect of outward things though under all this Cloudiness and Conditionality the Covenant of Promise was applied in its Absolute Nature as at first revealed to Adam and Abraham which was to all the Elect living before Christ the Ministry of the quickning Spirit and a Savour of Life 15. The Original Contract of this Covenant before the World was is by some called the Covenant of Redemption and distinguisht from the Covenant of Grace but such do greatly mistake for both the Original Contract and the Manifestation thereof are one and the same Covenant there 's no Specifick Difference that which is is but secundum adjuncta Ordinis Manifestationis Neonom Next to the Doctrine of Imputation which I think I have sufficiently cleared up according to my Scheme and fully and rightly stated Truths and Errours in those Points Let us now Debate the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace This being a Point of Great Concern I shall premise an Enquiry nto some particulars for the explaining this Subject Q. 1. What is the Covenant of Grace D. W. C. 8. p. 53. A. 1. It is not the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and Spirit as one Party and the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus as the other Party Antinom Who ever put the Father and Spirit on one Party in the Covenant of Grace it's New Divinity and secondly you are very Magisterial in this Negative Position Quadam confidentia non est Virtus ut audacia Methinks the Judgment of the Reverend Divines should have weighed so much with you as not to have blowed it off at one Puff In the Larger Catechism Q. 30. Doth God leave Mankind to perish in a state of Sin and Misery A. God doth not leave all Mankind to perish in the Estate of Sin and Misery into which they fell by the Breach of the first Covenant commonly called the Covenant of Works but of his meer Love and Mercy delivereth his Elect out of it and bringeth them into a state of Salvation by the second Covenant commonly called a Covenant of Grace Q. 31. VVith whom was the Covenant of Grace made A. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as the second Adam and in him with all the Elect as his Seed You say That the Covenant Agreement made with Christ was not the Covenant of Grace You call it a Covenant of Redemption as another thing from the Covenant of Grace I acknowledge the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant you call the Covenant of Redemption is the Covenant of Grace and therefore shall not incumber our Discourse with a Debate about Names but shall affirm that there is no such thing as an Essential Difference between the Covenant of Grace and Redemption the distinction made between them is but Novel at least that it was but lately so generally received for it appears by what is here spoken in this Answer of the Assembly so plainly and positively that they owned but two Covenants that of Works and that of Grace They are only distinguished between the making and manifesting this Covenant of Grace A Covenant hidden or secret and manifest is but distributio ex adjunctis therefore after they had told us that this Covenant of Grace was made with Christ the second Adam and with all the Elect as his Seed They enquire next Q. 32. How is the Grace of God manifest in the second Covenant A. The Grace of God is manifested in the second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him c. So that the Covenant of Grace contains all Grace and Mercy Redemption and the offer and application thereof Neonom Were this Covenant understood I think many well meaning People would be undeceived In that Covenant i. e. of Redemption all the Causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured all Satisfaction and Merit are on Christ as his undertaking c. Antinom It seems then this well-meaning Assembly was deceived and many Able Divines besides who have not admitted of this Novel Distinction between the Covenant of Redemption and that of Grace 2. You talk at least very improperly that the causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured in the Covenant of Redemption which placeth it before Election for I take the Grace of Election to be the first adjusting and securing cause of Mens Salvation and not so only but of the Covenant it self made with Christ I thought all the causes were sufficiently adjusted in the Councel of God's Will and that by the purpose of Grace they were secured to us and Redemption too Christ's Undertaking the charge of Satisfaction and Merit is a cause of our Salvation not adjusting and securing it they were adjusted and secured before Neonom Yea it 's provided there that the Elect shall obey the terms of Life and certainly possess Salvation Antinom 1. It 's manifest that you esteem not Redemption one of the Terms of Life but some other Terms distinct from it I had thought that Christ's Righteousness had been the great condition of our Life and Salvation but it seems it 's but provision for the performing the Terms of Life 2. I thought it had been provided in Election that all the Elect should certainly believe and obey the Gospel but it seems by what you say here they were only conditionally Elected and provision made in the Covenant of Redemption that they should perform the Condition and obey the Term very improper it's to perform the Terms Now what is in such a Covenant of Grace more than Adam's would have had if he had stood for God must have provided that he should obey or perform the Terms of Life which were to him very small and easie no more than giving a Pepper-corn or not so much only to forbear plucking and eating an Apple when he had enough besides There 's no Essential Difference in your Opinion for where-ever the Creature performs a Condition of a Covenant of God's making God must provide for that performance by Grace given and confirmed Neonom Yea as that Covenant was not made with the Elect though for the Elect so they have nothing to do as a Condition of this Covenant Antinom Rare Divinity Mens tua sublimis supra genus eminet ipsum 1. You say that Covenant was not made with the Elect. The Assembly say it was made with the second Adam and his Seed but you I suppose deny Christ to be a second Adam a publick Person and a Spiritual or Mystical Root 2. I would fain
that in the Covenant of Works the Righteousness which was the Condition was in Man himself that was to be Justified In the Covenant of Grace the conditional Righteousness is in another Not only the Promise but the Condition is freely given and is in another If we must provide the Condition nay if it must be inherent in us though wrought by God it makes our Covenant-standing no otherwise than the first and old Covenant-standing Besides the Design of God in the Covenant of Grace is not only to save graciously so he doth save Elect Angels but to save mercifully to take them into Covenant with him that not only are without good Qualifications but such as are most sinful and miserable and not to qualifie them with meriting or dignifying Righteousness first but to save them so that neither they themselves nor God himself will see any Federal Conditions of Righteousness in them The design of Grace is to save the Creature in the highest Degree of Abasement in himself and far from boasting or seeing any reason in himself to do it 6. The great and Evangelical Promulgations of this Covenant of Grace was always in absolute Promises and no mention made of Federal Conditions in us Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.25 Hos 2.18 19 20. See Zanch. upon the place He doth not say If thou wilt repent I will receive thee into favour and betroth thee but absolutely Tom. 5. fol in Hos p. 4â— 55. I will betroth thee It is therefore a most absolute Covenant wherein God without any Condition doth promise that he will receive his People into Favour and save them The first Promise to Adam was absolute and was not those repeated Promises of it to Abraham and the Patriarchs absolute The forenamed Author speaking of the Covenant made with Abraham Gen. 17.7 notes that this Promise is altogether free absolute and without Condition because in the Words of the Covenant we find no Condition 7. That which is a New Covenant Condition to some saved ones is to all for it 's not to be supposed that the New Covenant hath divers sorts of Conditions but faith or Evangelical Obedience cannot be a condition to some Ergo not the condition Minor It cannot be the condition to saved Infants nor Ideots but it is not to be doubted but God saves many of them by the Covenant of Grace 8. If Jesus Christ himself be the Sole Condition of the New Covenant then Faith nor no other Grace of the Spirit is not the condition The Spirit it self is not the foederal condition of the Covenant but promised to work Faith and Holiness in us But Christ is the only condition 1. His Righteousness is our Condition in Satisfaction of the Law both as to Active and Passive Obedience Rom. 10.4 He is the Condition in whom it is through whom Eternal Life is conveyed to us 1 John 5.11 He is the condition through whom all the Benefits flow Eph. 1.3 Redemption Forgiveness ver 7. He is the Condition of all Good in him through him and by him we have 1 Cor. 1.30 Reconciliation Col. 1.21 Of him we have our Faith Heb. 12. beg That Christ is the only Foederal condition of the Covenant is so clear and plain a Truth thoroughout all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that he must deny the Sun in the Firmament that denies this Truth Christ himself is the Sole Condition of the Covenant 1. It 's impossible any thing else should be the Condition c. 1. There 's nothing else can reconcile Sinners to God in bearing Sin and Curse he only was our Condition for Reconciliation 2. There 's nothing else pleadable with God 1. Christ can plead nothing else in his Intercession but his own Righteousness 2. We can plead nothing else with God not our Faith or Obedience when be come before God in Prayer Dan. 9.18 3. Our best Holiness cannot have any satisfying Vertue for Sin committed II. Christ must be the only Condition that the Covenant of Grace might be free to us That Grace might be free Grace III. He that is the Condition of bestowing the Spirit which works Grace is the condition of all Grace that ensues but Christ is the condition of the bestowing the Spirit Ergo He hath purchased this Gift he sends the Spirit it is his Spirit he had it for this end without measure Neonom I will tell you what is intended by the Benefits of the Covenant A. The Good Things or Priviledges promised to such as by Grace are enabled to comply with the Terms of the Covenant especially whatever is Essential to our Felicity D. W. p. 56. Antinom I pray to what doth that Grace that doth enable a Man to comply with the Terms belong Is it any Priviledge or Benefit of the Covenant Or hath he it out of Covenant And what is that Benefit that he hath in changing his Heart in turning him from Darkness to Light Is not this the performance of the Promise of Eternal Life What condition have you to Premise to this Gift of God You talk of the Grace of God enabling a Sinner to comply just as if he were to keep his Old State and the Grace of God did only help and assist him by some Moral Perswasion I pray tell me 1. Is not the first Life of Grace a good Thing and Priviledge What in us is the condition of it 2. Nay Is not the Preaching of the Gospel a good Thing and Priviledge And doth not Faith come by Hearing You should make Hearing a condition of the Covenant for every Duty to be performed Antecedaneous to another in Order thereunto or as a Means for it is it's condition but not a Federal condition dressing Meat is such a condition to the eating of it making a Suit of Cloaths to the putting it on c. Neonom It 's needful that I acquaint you wherein the conditions of the Covenant of Grace differ from conditions in the Covenant of Innocency or Works as vulgarly called for both lye in doing something though not the same thing nor to the same end p. 56. Antinom We are like to have Excellent Doctrine now here 's a plain declaration that the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of Works though it 's not the same individual thing and something else designed but it lyes in doing Neonom 1. The conditions of the Covenant of Grace are performed by the Grace of Christ freely given to Sinners The conditions of the Covenant of Innocency were performed by a strength due to and inherent in our Innocent Nature D. W. p. 57. Antinom To say the conditions of the Covenant of Grace are performed by the Grace of Christ freely given to Sinners and that any Act of ours is a condition I affirm to be a contradiction 1. Whatever is freely given to a Sinner is no part of a Federal condition as such but of a Promise 2. That which is to be ascribed wholly as to all its Good to
with them he is Bone of their Bone and is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 12. Psal 22.22 2. It presuppones a Legal Union between Christ and them that God made the Debtor and Surety one in Law and the Sum one so far as he laid our Debts on Christ Isa 53.6 2 Cor. 6.21 3. It presuppones an Union Federal God making Christ our Surety and to Assume not only our Nature in a Personal Union but also our State Condition and made our Cause his Cause our Sins his Sins not to defend them but to suffer Punishment for them and our Faith makes the fourth Union betwixt Christ and us whether Natural as betwixt Head and Members the Branches and Vine-tree or Mystical as that of the Spouse and Beloved Wife or Artificial as the Foundation and Building or mixed as that of the Imp and Tree or Legal between the Surety and Debtor Advocate and Client or rather a Union above all hard to determine for these are but Comparisons and this Christ prays for John 2.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And something to this purpose Mr. Norton Norton p. 292. speaks The Efficacy of this Relation springs from its Foundation which is first by the Absolute Grace of God in Election and thence flowing down in the Promise according to the Merit of Christ by the Effectual Operation of the Spirit Needs must the River of Life be full ever overflowing and quickning that ariseth from and is maintained by such Fountains Norton p. 287. And he shews the form of this Union 1. In the Tertium wherein it is 2. The Bands on Christ's part and the Believers 3. The manner as to the Tertium's 1. Sameness of Spirit He that 's joined to the Lord is one Spirit 1 John 4.13 Rom. 8.9 2 Pet. 1.4 2. One Mystical Body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. The third A Spiritual Marryed Estate Eph. 5.32 Isa 54.5 Ch 62.4 4th A State of Glory John 17.22 23. See more But you will see all along how he makes Christ first in this Personal Union to Christ by the Spirit and Faith Dr. Ames Ames Med. lib. 1. c. 26. Receptio respectu hominuÌ„ est vel Passiva vel Activa Phil. 3.11 The Passive is the Reception of Christ whereby the Spiritual Principle of Grace is Ingenerate in the Will of Man Ephes 2.5 This Grace is the Foundation of that Relation whereby a Man is united unto Christ John 3.5 Neonom I 'll tell you what I take to be Truth in these Points Every Man is without Christ or not united to Christ until he be Effectually called but when by this call the Spirit of God enclineth and enableth him willingly to accept of Christ as a Head and Saviour a Man becomes united to him and partaker of those Influences and Priviledges which are peculiar to the Members of Jesus Christ D. W. p. 90. Antinom I except against what you have asserted in these Particulars 1. You say a Man is not united to Christ before Effectual Calling thereby I understand you that he is not united to Christ in any sence whereas I affirm he is united to Christ before Effectual Calling in the Senses which Mâ—â— Râ—therford doth assert before mentioned 2. I understand you mean that in Effectual Calling a Man is not united to Christ till he doth Actually accept of Christ the Head by an Act of Faith whereas the Head unites the Members to it self before they can reach up to the Head 3. You make Union to be the same with Communion and to consist in a participation of Priviledges Now as to the second thing That in Effectual Calling there is a compleat Union with Christ before the Act of Faith I do affirm upon these Reasons 1. From the utter Impotency of the Soul without and before Union with Christ to any good Act for Union standeth in indivisibili it 's a conjunction of two in one an half one is none if we put forth an Act of Faith to lay hold on Christ before we be compleatly united to him we put forth a good Act and bring forth good Fruit before we be in him and before we be good Trees but we cannot bring forth good Fruit before we be good Trees and we cannot be good Trees before we be in Christ Mat. 7.18 John 15.4 5. Therefore we do not put forth an Act of Faith before we be so compleatly united to Christ so united to Christ as to live by him John 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye c. Arg. 2. In our Regeneration we are meerly Passive our Faith is not then Active but in our Regeneration we are compleatly united to Christ Ergo we are compleatly united to Christ before the Act of Faith The major is proved from Eph. 2.1 2 3. Dead Men are Passive to Regeneration and Dead Men we are till we are Regenerated The Minor is proved from the joint concurrence of Regeneration Conversion and Union with Christ which are all wrought together simul semel Arg. 3. If we be united first to Christ by an Active Faith then an Active Faith is the cause of our Union with Christ but an Active Faith is not the cause of our Union with Christ therefore by an Active Faith we are not first united to Christ Min. If Active Faith were not the cause of the Union of the Humane Nature of Christ with the Divine then it is not the cause of our Union with Christ but Active Faith is not the cause of the Union of the Humane Nature of Christ with the Divine Ergo Maj. No other cause can be assigned of our true Union with Christ than of the Union of our Nature with the Second Person viz. Divine Assumption Isa 42.1 6. As the Divine Nature assumed ours John 1. so the Person of Christ takes us to Mystical Union with him Arg. 4. If our Union with Christ be first by an Act of Faith then it is by a Work of ours though a Work of Grace but it is not by a Work of ours Ergo Min. If it be by a Work of ours it is not of Grace but it 's of Grace Ergo Maj. Rom. 11.6 These are Mr. Cotton's Arguments Neonom I 'll answer your Arguments another time pray hear mine now to confirm the Truth 1. The Scriptures expresly affirm Vncalled Vnconverted ones to be ununited to Christ Eph. 2.12 Rom. 16.7 Rom. 11.17 Antinom It 's true in respect of the Union in Effectual Calling but yet not in respect of their Hidden Federal and Relative Union which Mr. Rutherford speaks of Neonom 2. The Spirit of Christ and Faith in him are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be Vnited with Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Ephes 3.17 Antinom We grant it in respect of our Union to Christ in Effectual Calling Neonom I see you will throw off all my Arguments by Mr. Rutherford 's unhappy distinction of Vnions therefore
is Actually and Absolutely procured for the Elect before Faith and shall infallibly be applyed to them all in time seemeth to reach the Scope intended by the Godly Learned whose Spirits have more particularly laboured to hold forth the whole Truth in this precious part of Soul-Reconciling Doctrine and Soul-Supporting Mystery of the Gospel To say That we are Justified by vertue of a singular Promise in the Court of Conscience and in our own Persons in which sence the Scripture constantly saith We are Justified by Faith is not that I know of affirmed by any And for this he quotes Chamier Cham. Tom. 3. lib. 12 13. Sect. 18. Nobis persuasissinum est remissa esse peccata antequam Credidimus We are verily perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for we deny that Infants do believe And Perkins Perkins on Gal. 3.16 who saith Christ is first Justified i. e. Acquit of our Sins and we Justified in him And Dr. Ames saith The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous application of Redemption and our discharge unto our Suâ—ety Ames Medul lib. 1. c. 24. § 3. and unto us in him which to that secondary Application to be performed in us hath the respect of a kind of Efficacious pattern so that that the Application to him is the Representation of this Application to us and this is produced by vertue of that And he saith § 3. Hence our discharge liberatio nostra from Sin and Death was not only established in God's Decree but also in Christ and granted and communicated to us in him before it could be perceived by us Rom. 5.10 11. Hence the Father and the Son are said to send the Spirit to the performing of this Application John 14.16 and 16.7 And in the Chapter of Justification Am. Med. c. 27. §. 9. He tells us what the sentence of Justification is 1. It was in the Mind of God as it were conceived by him by his Decree of Justifying Gal. 3.8 2. It was in the Christ our Head pronounced when he rose from the Dead 2 Cor. 5.19 3. Virtually pronounced in that first relation which ariseth from Faith ingenerated in the Heart Rom. 8.1 4. Expresly pronounced by the Spirit witnessing with our Spirits our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.5 Hence it appears that the Doctrine of our Justification before Faith is not an Errour but a Great and Glorious Truth and it is no prejudice to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith but the Foundation Ground and Reason of it neither is it any Door opened to Licentiousness an unbeliever having no more Confirmation or Encouragement to persist in Sin thereby than by the Doctrine of Election which gives none but as Mr. Norton saith It 's no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation that God Imputed to Christ the Sins of the Elect before they did believe and will never Impute them unto the Elect. Neither is my speaking of Faith's taking hold of Christ's Righteousness and saying That it brings not Christ's Righteousness to us but presupposeth it given and granted such an absurdity as you would make it For Dr. Ames saith very distinctly Justifying Faith precedes Justification it self as a cause of its Effect but Faith apprehending Justification necessarily presupposeth and follows Justification as the Aâ—â— doth the Object about which it is Conversant and this I take to be the true Notion of Justification That Great Man for Holiness and Learning Chamier saith I deny that Faith is the cause of our Justification for then our Justification would not be of Grace Cham. Parstrat Tom. 3. l. 13. c. 10. Sect. 18. but of our selves but Faith is said to justifie not because it effecteth Justification but because it is effected in the Justified Person and in another place he saith Faith doth neither merit obtain or begin our Justification Lib. 22. c. 12. Sect. 5. and Sect. 9. for if it did then Faith should go before Justification both in nature and time which may in no wise be granted for Faith it self is a part of Sanctification now there is no Sanctification but after Justification which really and in its own nature is before it I think Sir I have cleared my self sufficiently from the Charge of Errour in this Point viz. That our Justification is in being before Faith And now Sir before we proceed to the other part of your Charge concerning the manner of Faith's Justifying let us hear your Arguments against Justification in any sense going before Faith Neonom One Real Difference between us is Whether we are Justified before we believe Which I deny for 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Gal. 2.16 D. W. p. 105. Antinom We own it and say too that we are Justified by Faith and this doth not prejudice but confirm what we assert Neon Faith is enjoyned as an effectual means of Justification by Christ Antinom We deny not that Faith required in the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit is as an effectual means of Application of Justification but therefore it follows not that it 's in being before That which is not in being cannot be applyed Neonom The Gospel denounceth and declareth all condemned till they do believe Antinom The Gospel declares only their state of Condemnation under the Law the Gospel properly condemns not and we own that every one by nature is a Child of Wrath and in the sense of the Law is a condemned Person and every one is shut up under the Law as the Apostle saith till Faith comes his New-Covenant Blessedness belonging to him is not yet made manifest nor is his Nature and State changed Neonom Vnbelief is the Cause why men are barred from Justification and remain obnoxious to Misery Antinom It is God that justifies and no Sin can barr God's Act of free Mercy in pardon of a Sinner in the Pardon of Unbelief as well as of other Sins when God will justifie It 's very absurd to say Sin barrs God's Act of Pardon It 's true Unbelief influenceth a Sinner as to his own Acts and will be charged upon him as his Fault and will aggravate that Condemnation which he hath under the Law because from his own corrupt Will and Affection he will not receive Pardon and Life that is offered in the General and Indefinite Tender thereof made in the Gospel And therefore Christ saith John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that you may have Life Heb. 3.18 19. They could not enter by reason of unbelief Unbelief on our part doth keep us from Christ but hinders not on God's part that effectually draws all the Elect justifying of them and working Faith in them Rom. 8.29 30. Eph. 1. The whole Unregenerate state is a Barr till God break it by Regeneration which is a free Work of Grace as Justification is an Act of Grace and must be found where-ever a Sinner is Justifyed by Faith and that in
Saved Do we not obtain all Salvation in Christ We are Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works but I find you 'll have nothing to be Salvation but Glorification and that must be Earn'd at our Fingers ends and we may lose all at last for all Christ if we do not look the better to it to perform sincere persevering Works till the last Breath the first Justification though by Works gives no Evidence for Heaven you 'll be sure to be far enough from the Errour as you call it of Faith Justifying Evidentially We say Christ is the Way John 14 6. and Holiness our business in that way Neonom Or whether Heaven is promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue Wicked and Disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates Antinom Observe what Doctrine here is 1. Here his Discourse is limited to the Elect. 2. He supposes the Elect may lose Heaven 3. That their Obedience and Perseverance are the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation you take him for any Salvation for that of the first Justification which he makes to be by Works and Perseverance the obtaining condition of his Second Justification But I pray what 's the Condition of Persevering Sanctification which is Salvation too 4. He doth not only suggest but express falling away from Grace for what is that when he suggests an Elect Person may fall away from Grace turn Apostate and lose Heaven 5. He suggests that the Elect Person before Faith must perform these Works before he can be saved by Justification but this Doctrine is nothing with him this Doctrine I deny from the bottom of my Heart notwithstanding his affirming of it Is this right stating of Truth and Errour Neonom The Question is Whether the good Works of a Believer are Rewardable of Grace for Christ's sake Antinom The Question hath been clearer stated to your purpose long ago between the Papists and we Whether Christ hath Merited that we may Merit Whether you 'll call your Doctrine the Doctrine of Merit or not We 'll call a Spade a Spade and Antichrist must not creep in amongst us again with his Serpentine Tricks to beguile us as the Devil did into Paradise to Rob us of our first Righteousness Neonom Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judâ—ment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient altogether wilfully neglectful of good Works shall be condemned this I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. The Gospel is no Law as it hath to do with the Unbelieving Wicked World 2. It is no Rule of Judgment that 's the Law only 3. The Gospel did never condemn any Elect Person to Eternal Death neither is any Elect Person as such under a contingency of Salvation whether he be holy or unholy though as Sinners unholy and wicked Persons they are for as such they may be saved and they may not but it 's not so with the Elect as such Neonom Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from Eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performances of several Duties as to the Improvement of Grace c. This you deny and I affirm Antinom We ask all outward Mercies for the sake of Christ with submission to his Will we reckon them not due to us because of our Duties performed and the Connexion of Blessing as you say and Duty is but the Connexing two Blessings in the Promise upon the same Condition for Duty is a Blessing to the Saints and part of that Salvation purchased by Christ and promised in the Covenant I divide not what God hath joined together and call Duty not a Condition and Outward or Spiritual Good Things the Salvation for I look upon the Service of God to be the great Thing we are Redeemed to the Salvation bestowed on us and not the Condition of it Neonom Whether upon the acting such Graces and upright performing such Duties a Christian may not in the vertue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This you deny and I affirm Antinom And you affirm and teach a low servile Spirit and too bold to set aside Christ out of the Promise and challenge any Mercy at the Hands of God upon the account of Duty I think the best of the Saints have always thought themselves less than the least of God's Mercies and all their Righteousness i. e. their sincere Obedience and Perseverance to be but filthy Rags but that 's false Doctrine with you as I suppose we shall hear of e're long Neonom Yet allowing that God may sometime exert his Sovereignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and he may exchange a Blessing of a lower Nature Antinom i. e. Rules of distributive Justice in rewarding him according to his Works and if God must do it he must fly to his Sovereignty for Permission to go beside this Rule and no more than in exchanging one good thing for another there 's no such Dispensation in the Covenant of Grace What if God should deny to give the Blessing workt for and give no Succedaneum Neonom Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm Antinom Let me ask you Do you mean in a way of Benevolence or Complacency in respect of his Person or his Services And do you mean He is pleased for the Duties sake or for Christ's sake Neonom Now I shall proceed to confirm the Truth and the Points are too many to admit Enlargement and many carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgone when they are denyed Can two or three wrested Texts over-turn the constant Language of the Scriptures Antinom You should have first stated the Question in clear Terms and let it have been but one and not reserve to your self your principal Intention and give us out 20 Whethers and Neithers delivered forth in a Heap of Amphibologies which having been sufficiently demonstrated to you it signifies little for the Discovery of Truth to joyn issue with you upon such rambling Discourses as you make and it 's easier to call Scriptures brought against you wrested Texts than to prove them so Neonom And it is strange that all Religion and Humane Nature it self in a state of Tryal should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceipt that the Infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule D. W. p. 128. Antinom Here is nothing but Huff and Bounce to talk at this rate of wrested Texts overturning the Language of Scripture and Humane Nature gross Concelâ—s of God c. Now let me tell you one of the wrested Texts which in it's plain Literal Sence must overthrow your whole Scheme of Distribution of Rewards
still the consideration of these Sins thus upon them must needs draw them out on these Services till some way be sought out to clear themselves of them Where is now that sincerity and singleness of Heart that Men ought to have in the Service of the Lord If he could be but once resolved of this thing that ail this Business of his is already dispatched to his Hands viz. Sin pardoned and Wrath removed then all this Selfishness would quickly die then you would serve God sincerely the End of your Duties would be the glorifying of God then you would see that your Prayers Tears Fastings and Performances were not appointed to Rob God of his Service by serving your selves and Christ of his Glory by putting your Services in the place of his Blood which only taketh away Sin Calvin You have now given very good satisfaction of your Intention and Meaning in those Expressions Mr. Neonomian chargeth upon you as unsound tho some of your Expressions barely taken may give some offence which I think might have been spared and the truth you intend cloathed with more unexceptionable words and on the other side Mr. Neonomian I think you may expose and banter most Sermons of Orthodox Divines if you will pick out here and there a Sentence and not give an account of the Connexion upon what account such were spoken But I pray Mr. Neonomian let us have the positive Truth from you in this matter and the state of the Question Neonom You shall Sir Truth Though we ought to intend God's Glory as our Supream End in all our Duties and Design therein expressing our Love and Gratitude to God for his Benefits with a great regard to publick Good Yet we also lawfully may and ought to strive after Grace grow in it and perform Holy Duties and Services with an Eve to and concern for our own Spiritual and Eternal Advantage D. W. p. 152. Antinom You have delivered your Opinion in a discreet Proposition wherein you say the same thing as I do in the first part but yet the second part doth not run full enough it should run thus From this Motive of the Love of God the Promise of Grace and the procurement made by Jesus Christ entitling us to all the Blessings of the Gospel we ought to perform Holy Duties and Services growing in all Grace with an Eye to the Enjoyment of that full Inheritance provided for us in Grace and Glory ascribing all to the Glory of Free Grace and nothing to the procurements of our own Works And therefore I say none ought to propose advantage to himself in respect of Title to the Blessings of the Covenant by any Duty he performs being Heir of the Promise by Faith in Jesus Christ all the Promises being in him Yea and Amen neither ought he to propound profit from any Duty as such only but in and thorough Christ and in whom every Duty is accepted and from whom we receive the Benefit for whatever we ask it 's in his Name and for his sake alone not for our Duties sake we receive it And that it is vain and unlawful to do any thing with an Eye to our Spiritual or Eternal good as a proper Effect by way of Remuneration of our Duty performed for that cannot be in Subordination to God's Glory in Christ but a Robbing of him Neonom I will tell you then wherein we differ not 1. It 's not whether we should principally aim at God's Glory in what we do Antinom Is it not But I will tell you more we should not only principally but altogether aim at God's Glory in all we do 1 Cor. 10.31 According to your Position many Sins will be Justified as he that doth evil that good may come of it And Paul's Persecution in his Unregeneracy wherein he principally aimed at the Glory of God thinking that thereby he did God good Service Neonom Nor whether we should aim at Publick Good with great concern nor whether Gratitude to God deserves our utmost Service and Love to him should Influence our Aims and Labours Antinom Gratitude to God should not only Influence but be the very procatarctick Moving Cause to us in all Neonom Nor whether we ought to renounce every Thought of purchasing from God any Benefit for what we do Antinom Therefore not to think to have the Benefit for the Work sake at all for if so it 's purchasing in a Law Sence to have it upon Federal Conditionâ—lity of the Work done is to have upon Bargain and Purchasing Terms either in respect of the first right or as to continuation of right therefore we ought not to tertain but renounce the least thought of this Neonom Nor whether Carnal Selfishness or seeking of Pleasures Riches Honour c. above Spiritual and Eternal good be the undoing Sin of the World Antinom Nor whether it be not the undoing Sin of Professors there 's no other to be expected from the World and there 's multitudes of Sins more of a grosser Nature undoing to the World Neonom The real difference is 1. Whether the Spiritual Improving and Saving our Souls may be a Motive with us to our Religious Endeavours This you deny and I affirm Antinom Not upon the grounds afore-mentioned Neonom Whether our Souls advantage be not so joined with God's Glory that we ought to intend both as the Scope of our Life and Labours Antinom Our Souls advantage is so provided for in the Promise of Grace that we intend it as the great thing bestowed on us for the Glory of God and not to be obtained by us or gained by Works and Services The true Question betwixt us is Whether we should do Works as entitling us to and gaining of life and Salvation in Subordination to the Glory of God this you and the Papists affirm but I deny because they are inconsistent and can never be truely so according to the Gospel whatever is pretended or Men may think of themselves as Paul did in his Vnregenerate State Neonom To confirm the Truth 1. I have proved before that God hath appointed Graces and Duties for that end that we obtain those Benefits and if so we then despise God's Ordination in not intending our obtaining the Benefits when we Act those Graces and Duties and we obey his Will in doing them for that end D. W. p. 155. Antinom We have shewed that you have not proved it yet in your sence by way of entitling us to and continuing us in a Covenant state or standing 2. We have shewed that you make Graces and Duties nothing but a piece of Drudgery and Slavery for a Man to work as for his Wages and to be paid as he doth his Work but make them none of the Benefits of the Covenant of Promise which they are in an Eminent manner And therefore 3. You despise the Ordination of God and his Constitution of the Covenant of Grace who never gave them such a place in the Covenant nor ordained
that which the Spirit of the Lord reveals and manifests and gives to a Person or as it doth enter upon the Deed of Gift that the Spirit of the Lord doth bring to the Heart Possession is a good Evidence in Law they say it 's an eleven Points let a Man prove he hath Lawful Possession and he proves his Title good The Spirit indeed makes the Title good but Faith makes good the Entry and Possession so clears the Title to us though good in it self before Faith is nothing else but the receiving of Christ and that enters upon the Possession of him and thus I proceeded to apply this to our purpose as he hath mentioned Calvin I suppose you refer to what is spoken by the Apostle John Ep. 1. c. 5. where he tells of God's Records ver 11. This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Now our Assurance that this Life is mine or thine in particular is the Spirits working by Faith whereby the Soul of a particular Sinner doth appropriate this Record or Deed of Gift to himself Faith doth two things whereby it arrives at Assurance 1. It is a Witness of the Truth of God ver 10. It Attests the Truth of this Record and Deed of Gift 1 John 5.9 10. 2. It receives and takes Possession of it and saith I have received the Son and I have Life Faith being a Receiving Act of the Soul as you your self acknowledge Mr. Neonomian Ver. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life c. This is so clear and plain from the Word that he who will deny it must deny the Scriptures John 1.12 Neonom Your Sermon p. 15. is to prove that Love to the Brethren Vniversal Obedience Sincerity c. are not signs by which we should judge our State Antinom I say they are signs that are not sufficiently satisfactory in themselves to full Assurance without this that proceeds from Faith for if you have never so many Signs 1. They may be true or they may not without a Witness of the Spirit to it though you declaim so much against it you cannot come to an Assurance but only to a probability and you have not a certitude of Judgment only an Opinion 2. If they be true you must believe them to be true or else you have no Assurance A Man hath no Assurance of the Truth if he believe it not and then how should you believe the Truth of your Signs but by the Truth of the Word revealed and believed The Word tells you your Obedience Love Sincerity must be so and so you believe the Word but in comparing your Qualifications with the Word and the descriptions given of them there you will find them fall so short that unless the Spirit assure you there is the Truth of Grace in your Hearts you will be as much at a loss as to Assurance as ever I propounded this Question How a Person may know in particular his own Interest in Christ Dr. Cr. p. 478 479. First I discovered the litigiousness and dubiousness of the way that many Persons go for the satisfying and resolving of this case I Instanced in three marks Universal Obedience Sincerity of Heart and Love of the Brethren and some have conceived that in the Discourse I have directly struck at the Heart of these particulars as if I did attempt the overthrow of them But mistake not I spake only of their Insufficiency that they are weak through the Flesh to give a Satisfactory Resolution of the great case depending they are of excellent use in their own kind Sphere and Orb but when they are set on work to do those things that are beyond their power Men do but entangle themselves instead of getting themselves loose I shewed as to Universal Obedience Dr. Cr. p. 480 481. according to propriety of Speech there is none of it in the World and as it is practised to this end it leaves the case very doubtful in respect of many Imperfections that attend and in respect of the purposes of the Heart which are many times extreamly corrupt and that there is so much in our Obedience common to Unbelievers and Hypocrites As for Sincerity which as the Apostle describes is Simplicity and Singleness of Heart towards God that we find the Jews that were Enemies to Christ's Righteousness had a Zeal for God and you know what Paul saith of himself what designs he had undoubtedly in singleness of Heart to do God Service And besides I shew how false and deceitful we find our Hearts upon Self-examination I spoke also as to Love of the Brethren which the Apostle John speaks so much of if we understand how the Apostle describes it 1 Cor. 13. And if a Man examine his Heart by these particulars I know his Heart cannot but tell him he is exceeding faulty in all these But I do not determine peremptorily that a man cannot by way of Evidence receive any comfort from his Sanctification and I will give you somewhat further for clearing my Judgment to you which I know is according to Truth viz. That the Spirit of the Lord must first reveal the gracious Mind of God to our Spirits and give us Faith to receive that Testimony of the Spirit and to sit down as satisfied with his Testimony before ever any Work of Sanctification can possibly give any Evidence But when the Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is received by Faith and the Soul sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also all the Gifts of God's Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer So that I do not deny the use of signs and marks in Sanctification you see as you suggest Neonom Sermon 16. He calls it the revealing Evidence of the Spirit and endeavours to prove this immediate Revelation Antinom That the Spirit is a Revealing Evidence and works immediately as it is the Spirit or Grace in all God's Children is not to be denied and yet works immediately by the Word and Means of Grace too and it works immediately so ordinarily I do not mean that it works immediately by way of extraordinary Revelation and Inspiration when it works in this kind But its way of ordinary working is mediately by the Word and immediately in the Word I put this Question Is there any Evidences in the World by which Persons may comfortably claim their Interest in the Priviledges of Christ Dr. Cr. p. 465. A. Yes there are two 1. The Revealing Evidence 2. The Receiving Evidence The Revealing Evidence is the Voice of the Spirit to a Man 's own Spirit saying Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee And this will overcome all Objections and till the Spirit of the Lord come immediately himself and speak this to the Soul all the World shall never be able to satisfie and resolve that Soul and till then all signs and marks
a particular application thereof to our selves and so we become by the Witness of the Spirit to be the Children of God by Faith in the same sence we are Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 Now therefore the Spirit must witness first as the Worker of this Assurance by the Promise that Faith may witness and you your self said but now that the Spirit witnesseth as a Worker of Grace therefore as the Worker of the Grace of Assurance You say it is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits I suppose you mean from our Spirits Testimony your meaning I take to be that they both witness one and the same thing but that they are two distinct Witnesses is evident from the Text that which witnesseth with another is distinct from that other and you say it concurrs with our Spirit i. e. Conveniunt in uno tertio Testimonio ergo inter se And you say our Spirits witness in the Light of the Spirit i. e. in the Light of its Manifestation and Evidence and therefore the Spirit must witness first or else our Spirits must witness without Evidence which is impossible So that all you have been saying in this Argument is against your self and for us Neonom A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners it is not as meer Sinners the Word pardoneth but it flatly condemneth and leaves guilt on all Impenitent Vnbelievers as I have proved Antinom I marvel a Divine should speak at such a rate as if an Evidence of Pardon were not an Evidence of Grace Is not Pardon the highest degree of Grace is not the Word of Grace therefore so because it is a Word of Pardon to Sinners And if you mean Inherent Grace why may not the Spirit give evidence of Pardon to a Sinners evidence of it in an act of Believing before there can be any Fruits of Faith Was it not so with the Thief upon the Cross and many that God pardons just upon the last moment of their Lives And is it not so with many of Gods Children that can see no Evidences in themselves the Spirit strips them of all grounds in themselves and that gives a full satisfaction in objective Grace with the full Assurance of Faith that the Creature may be laid low and Christ may be glorified I must tell you that a meer Sinner is the Object of Pardon and not a Sinner considered under any holy Qualifications The whole need not the Physician Christ finds and pardons lost Sinners and there 's no Sinner applies pardon aright but as a meer Sinner tho he hath Faith But of this I have spoken before in our Eighth Conference and Twelfth Neonom Therefore if there be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying its own evidence saying Thy sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel Antinom A true Voice witnessing the Forgiveness of sins doth consequently witness to the truth of Grace in our Hearrs for the closing with the Evidence in a way of Comfort witnessed by the Spirit doth de facto witness to the truth of our Faith there 's Lord I believe Likewise it witnesseth that Christ is ours and we Christs and if so we are New Creatures and this we may be and must be before we can bring forth any Fruits besides Faith it self But it 's not for the reason you alledge which is as much as to say Christ saves none but them that are saved already Neonom If the Spirit should say to an Impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel c. Antinom Is there no promise in the Gospel to take away the heart of stone to give repentance and neither of these is found till pardoning mercy make the way and are never savingly found till Forgiveness is given and in some measure of Believing closed with but you rove from the Point of Assurance that we are upon go on to your next Argument Neonom To have the Ordinary way of Assurance as it 's stated by the opposite Errour is of dangerous Consequence D. W. p. 167. Antinom i. e. By the Witness of the Spirit and by the Evidence of Faith I pray let us hear those dangerous Consequences what they be Neonom 1. Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurances for they never had this Voice tho they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this Antinom If any Saints have Hopes and Assurance that is good in some degree they need not quit them in betaking themselves to better firmer and more lasting grounds of Hope and Assurance the Assurance may be the same tho better grounded and built But they never had this Voice what mean you by this Is there any true Believer that never heard what the Spirit saith to Sinners is there any that hears not what God saith in his Word Do they not hear that are in their spiritual Graves the Voice of Christ and live Do you so impose as to stretch our meaning to an extraordinary Audible Voice Then you do but like your self But yet you say they have stamps of the Spirit I pray how doth the Spirit make a Stamp and Impression upon a Sinners Heart but by the Application of the Grace of the Gospel in Believing Is it not as many as received Christ to them is the Priviledge of being the Sons of God And you say greater Stamps than any you know pretend to this you speak you know not what in a scornfull manner as if you knew little your self what belongs to a rrue Gospel Spirit I am sure if you did you would not run out in this loose manner as you do in a way of Contempt of others See Phil. 2.3 4. Neonom It makes all Examination useless and vain Antinom It makes Examination most usefull and necessary yea hereby becomes more profitable advantageous and comfortable when by sounding we find good bottom we find we have not only Life but have it more abundantly Neonom It overturneth one of the great 〈◊〉 God hath assigned to the work of all Grace on the Heart Antinom What shall I call this Assertion Mr. Calvin Calvin For shame Mr. Neonom leave off what will you say Gods own Spirit witnessing in our Hearts to the full Assurance of Faith overturns his work of Grace in our Hearts I am sorry to hear this evil Communication come out of your Mouth Neonom It makes Assurance impossible without this Miraculous Voice Antinom Are you again upon the High Ropes and Tenter-hooks Is this intended to be any way a miraculous Voice only the Voice of the Spirit as Comforter in the Heart according to the Word Is it a miraculous Voice
strong or weak so our Assurance is strong or weak Now that Faith still carries with it a Hypostasis or Demonstration of the thing believed grounded upon the Certainty Truth and Infallibility of God I am fully satisfied from that Portion of Scripture that evinces it undeniably Heb. 11.1 And as now for other grounds of Comfort and Assurance which arise from the Visibility of the Grace of God and the Fruits of the Spirit in the Heart and Life I highly value them as subordinate grounds of Comfort and Confirmation in Assurance these are seen by the reflection of the Soul upon it self being able in regenerate man to reason in a spiritual manner from Causes Effects Subjects and Adjuncts c. which he finds in himself according to the Rule of the Word of God This I call Experimental Assurance and this is that which is so long attaining to and when it is had may be lost again in a great measure as Comfort therefore And because many Believers take this to be all the Assurance they must look for and their Teachers tell them so therefore they go mourning all their dayes and are only supported by what degrees of Assurance is in their Faith which they take not to be any and their Teachers tell them that Faith hath nothing of Assurance in it but do suggest as if it were but the roving of the Mind in uncertainties and Probability and that it is Presumption for them to believe to Confidence and Assurance though the Spirit of God doth command and encourage it again and again and that doubting is rather their Vertue than Sin whereas so much as there is of Doubting mingled with their Faith so much there is of Sin and Unbelief In true Faith there is the Promise more or less believed i. e. the Truth and Goodness because a Promise reached forth a Truth which carries Goodness in it to us-ward is received the â—eason of which reception is the certain Truth and Faithfulneâ—â— of him that promiseth Hence there is believing a Word and believing a Person Hence believing hath three things in it according to the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. The Object falls not under the measure of Sense and Reason therefore called Things not seen and Things hoped for 2. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an express Image Heb. 1. of the things not seen and hoped for brought to us in the Promise 3. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Demonstration or Argument of the Reality and Certainty of those things and intention of bestowing them taken from the Truth and Faithfulness of him that promiseth Faithful is he that hath promised Now that God hath promised in general and indefinitely to save Sinners and that he is able and willing to perform it in his time and to whom he pleaseth may be a common Faith only and such as the Devils have But for a Sinner to take up with the Promise for himself is the work of the Spirit peculiarly Because there is no man spoken to by Name in the Promise which advantage Abraham had and the want thereof must be supplyed by the Spirit 's â—aying to the Soul more or less plainly This Promise belongeth â—nto thee whereby the Soul is enabled to exert fiducially a believing the Promise and staying on the Promiser for himself And here lyes the difficulty of Believing and the usual workings of Unbelief It 's a marvellous thing to me Mr. Neonomian that you can have the Impudency to quote the Assembly for your Assertion Confess Ch. 18. viz. That there is no other grounds of Assurance but Signs and Marks Whereas they say so expressly That a Believer may be assured in this Life that he is in a State of Grace and this Certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded on a fallible Hope but an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded on the Divine Truth of the Promises of Salvation the inward evidence of those Graces unto which those Promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits So that they make three grounds of Assurance 1. The infallible Assurance of Faith 2. The inward Evidences of Graces 3. The Witness of the Spirit of Adoption When you quoted this place you had either forgot what you had wrote or you quote it retaining the Assembly first least it should be brought against you There are three great Graces spoken of by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 Faith Hope Love Mr. Caryl on Job 13.13 And the Scripture holds forth an Assurance in reference to every one of these First The Assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith This Assurance of Faith hath a double respect 1. To our Persons 2. To our Services that in both we are pleasing to God Secondly There 's an Assurance of Hope Heb. 6.11 Faith hath an Eye to the Truth of the Promise Hope to the Good of the Promise and the Assurance of Hope is that we shall certainly receive that Good Thirdly There 's an Assurance of Love 1 Joh. 4.48 Perfect Love casts out Fear How is Love made Perfect and how doth it cast out Fear v. 17. Herein saith he is love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in the World i. e. As his Love is sincere to us so is ours to him according to our measure even in this life and this gives us boldness our Assurance that all shall go well with us in the day of Judgment so this Love casteth out all fear of Condemnation in that day which Fear where it remains hath Torment than which nothing is more contrary to Assurance In perfect Love there is no Torment because there is no Fear and there is no Fear because there is an Assurance of the Love of God in this love the Soul doth repose rest and delight it self There is a Fourth thing spoken of which is a full assurance of Vnderstanding This is Clearness of our apprehension about the things which we do believe and upon which we fasten by Faith and Love The Light of the Understanding shining upon the Mysteries of the Gospel and mixing with our other Graces bottoms the Soul upon the strongest Foundation and raiseth it up to the highest Pinnacle of Assurance We may say of Assurance in reference to these four Graces as Philosophers do of the Heavens in reference to the four Elements That they are neither of the four Elements but a Quintessence of a fisth Essence So we may say of Assurance it is neither Faith nor Hope nor Love nor Knowledge but it is a fifth thing sublimated and raised either out of or above all those i. e. when Assurance is raised to the highest pitch that it is a full Assurance from whence our Joy is full all a Christians Sails are filled being under a full gale and having fair weather Rom. 8.16 The Spirit
say he means not this Hurt in respect of the Nature of Sin and if so it must be in respect of the real pernicious Effects of Sin for a Believer sees Hurt in Sin and complains of it but as to its Nature which is odious in itself or to its Effects 2. It appears that you judge his meaning is such because you say that by his Doctrin of Christ beaâ—ing Sin he makes Sin innocent to the Elect Whereby 1. You make the nocency of Sin to lye in the punishment of it and thereby justifie Dr. Crisp's Expression how unproper soever it be or erroneous 2. You say totidem verbis that Penal Effects of Sin are most of the hurt that comes by it according to what Doctrin we have already charged you with supra The great sign of the truth of Grace that is usually given is the fear and hatred of Sin from the very nature of it its contrariety to God and his Law and that its the greatest sign of an Hypocrite to abstain from it only for fear of Wrath and Hell And 3. You tell us upon what Principles he goes 1. That God hath no Sin to charge upon an Elect Person tho' a Man sins God reckons not his Sin to him c. Whereby you shew where your grudge is it 's against the Doctrin of Imputation more than against the Doctor for any thing he hath said As for your Instance about poisoned Wine you say yourself he speaks not by way of Exhortation but Doctrinally therefore exhorts none to take poisoned Wine but cautions them against it again and again and as for any that have through weakness and inadvertency he tells them their Antidote as the Apostle John 1st Epist c. 2. 1. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins DEBATE XVIII Of God's Displeasure for Sin in the Afflictions of his People Neonom THE next great Antinomian Errour is That none of the Afflictions of Believers have in them the least of God's displeasure against their Persons for their Sins D. W. p. 190 191. Antinom We must proceed in our ordinary Method let us know what you ground your Charge upon Neonom He affirmeth p. 15. Except God will be offended when there is no cause to be offended he will not be offended with Believers because he doth not find the Sin of a Believer to be his own Sin but the Sin of Christ Antinom But he in the next words quotes places of Scripture to prove what he saith He hath made him Sin for us he hath laid upon him the Iniquities of us all the Blood of Jâ—sus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin he bare our Sins in his Body c. and from these he Argues thus If he bear our Sins he must bear the displeasure for them and he did bear the Indignation of the Lord and if so he did bear it all or but part If he did not bear all the Indignation of the Lord then he doth not save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him as Heb. 4. I say not to the uttermost because here is some Indignation and Displeasure left behind and for lack of taking this Indignation upon himself it lights and falls upon Believers So that either you must say Christ is an imperfect Saviour having left some scattering of Wrath behind that will fall on the head of a Believer Or else you will say he is a perfect Saviour and takes away all God's displeasure then there remains none of it upon the person of a Believer Now why had you not Answered his Argument for what he said yea why had you not brought in the next Objection made to clear up his meaning but quote only so much as may leave your Reader under Prejudice Object Yet you will say Is not God displeased and offended at the Sins of Believers when they do commit them Hath Christ taken away the offence of Sin by his Death Answ No therefore do not mistake your self there may be easily a mistake for lack of serious pondering the words I speak I have not said God is not offended with the Sins a Believer doth commit but that God stands not offended with the Persons of Believers for the Sins committed by them he hath that everlasting Indignation against Sin as ever And as there is the same contrariety in Sin against his nature so there is the same contrariety in God's nature unto Sin All contrarieties have a mutual contrariety against each other as Water and Fire c. As Sin is contrary to the nature of God so there is an Abhorrency of God to that Sinfulness here see with what ground you could say that Dr. C. makes Sin Innocent but there is no Offence of God to the Person that commits that Sin because the Offence of God for that Sin hath spent it self upon the Person of Christ there remains none of it to light upon the person of a Believer Christ having born all this Offence for Sin Tho' in our Natures and in the Sinfulness of them there is matter of displeasure yet in Christ for all this God is well pleased with us And yet there is none of God's Indignation against Sin lost in all this for he is satisfied for this his Offence in his Son more than in our own Persons Neonom And he saith p. 18. But are not the Afflictions for their Sins Antinom Come I will tell you he Answers that Objection He saith I Answer No Afflictions are unto Believers fâ—om Sin but not for Sin What is the meaning of that will you say This God in Afflicting Believers doth not intend to punish them as now laying on them the desert of their Sin for that is laid upon Christ but he doth Afflict them in part to be a help to preserve them from Sin I say all Afflictions to Believers are to keep them from Sin rather than Punishment unto them for Sin Neonom P. 170. He saith That at that Instant when God brings Afflictions upon them he doth not remember any Sins of theirs they are not in his Thoughts Antinom That which he Asserts is from plain Texts of Scripture how dare you Banter and Expose so great a Truth as this it is in that great place Jer. 31.33 declared to be the great promise of the Gospel by the Spirit of God Heb. 10.16 17. God saith He remembers our Sins no more you say he doth who are we to believe God or you Neonom He saith Christ being Chastened for our our Sins there 's nothing but Peace belongs to us P. 170. Antinom The Words were thus I see the Scripture runs wholy in this strain and is so full in nothing as in this that he hath generally discharged the Sins of Believers Oh then take heed of falling into the Errour of the Papists that say that God hath taken
away the Sin but not the Wrath of God due to Sin but that he hath forgiven our Sins but not the Punishment of Sin but consider that as our Sins were then upon Christ he was so Bruised for our Iniquities as that by his Stripes we are healed and the Chastisement of our Peace was so upon him that he being Chastised for our Sins there is nothing but Peace belongs to us And can you deny the Truth of a plain place of Scripture The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him Doth it plainly appear that this is true meaning that our Peace was fully made by Christ and accordingly he is called our Peace Christ saith in the World we shall have Trouble yet this full and compleat Peace of Reconciliation is made and Christ promiseth the Comforts of it in Believing Peace I give unto you c. Neonom He saith If we tell Believers c. Except they perform such and such Duties D. W. p. 191. except they walk thus and thus Holily and do these and these good Works they shall come under Wrath at least God will be Angry with them What do we in this but Abuse the Scriptures we undo all that Christ hath done we injure Believers we tell God Lies to his Face Dr. C. p. 170. Antinom It is not for you to Expose a Man's Words when they are proved from Scripture and sound Reason why had you not taken his Argument he brings to prove that God will not be Angry and be Wroth with his People that are true Believers Isa 54. God saith he hath made such an Oath that the Earth shall be drowned with Water before it be broken Dr. C. p. 160. that he will not be Wroth with his People nor Rebuke them any more and upon this account it is he saith that such as tell Believers Except they do this or that c. they will come under Wrath and Condemnation do abuse the Scriptures and give God the Lie nay he saith we do not only so much as lies in us to make God a Liar the Scripture saith Unbelief doth so 1 John 5. but we offer an insufferable Affront unto Jesus Christ and strike at the very heart of the Office of Christ's Mediatorship If we say God is Wroth with Believers for whom Christ died for what end did Christ suffer Death I say that if this Principle be truth that God will be Wroth with his People then Christ died in vain for God could have been but Wroth and Angry with his People if Christ had not died to bring the People of God under Wrath and Vengeance again is to take away all the Vertue of the Death of Christ and to make it of none effect Now why do you not Answer this Argument this is the Childishest thing in the World to say he saith so and he saith so why do you not tell People why he saith so and Confute his Reasons but you think you have done enough if you have Exposed a Doctrin by saying this or that Man that professeth to hold it saith so and so therefore what if a Man speak truth never so weakly and absurdly must the truth be reckoned errour therefore Calv. Mr. Neonom you have sixt your Anathema upon Mr. Antinomian's Opinion in this Point viz. For holding that the Afflictions of Believers do not proceed from the judicial or vindictive Displeasure of God against their Persons for their sins You hear he saith God is displeased with their sins and doth afflict them to purge out sin from them that they may be Partakers of his Holiness c. which seems to me to be very sound and orthodox Doctrin agreeable to the Scripture and the Analogy of Faith Neonom Truth Tho' God is not so angry with his People for their sins as to cast them out of his Covenant-favour yet by their sins he is so displeased as for them to correct his Children tho' he speak Instructions by his Rebukes D. W. 190. Antinom You say Tho' he be not so angry you make degrees of Anger in God thereby as if God were partly pleased and partly displeased with his Children and if so at one time then at another we speak of the Persons of Believers there being always sin in them for a reason here and if so Christ was not our full Peace he did not reconcile God fully to us therefore made imperfect satisfaction for if there remains some part of the Debt yet unpaid Christ did not pay all Again to be under the Penalty of the Law for sin and the execution thereof tho' but in part is so far to be under the Curse but there 's no Believers in whole or in part under the Curse Again God you say is not so displeased with them as to cast them out of Covenant if not then they continue in Covenant with God if in Covenant then he hath always a Covenant-love towards them then he always acts in a way of Covenant-love towards them even for their amendment and not destruction when he afflicts them not in a way of wrathful displeasure for their sins But if you say against their sins we allow it and God is always angry with sin sin itself was never pleasing to God and therefore he purgeth it out in Sanctification every day and hence spends many a Rod upon them for their Profit as a good Father upon a Child that he dearly loves Some earthly Fathers may correct for their pleasure that is to vent their Anger and Passion but God the Apostle saith Corrects for our Profit Heb. 12.10 And he saith Whom he loveth he chastneth v. 6. i. e. loveth at the very same time God's divine love to the Persons of Believers cannot be abated in the least It 's true God may alter his Carriage towards them and deal so with them as to make them consider their ways and to humble them or to point out some Corruption God will have mortifyed this is all love in God and not displeasure God's seeming displeasure is a fruit of his unchangeable loving kindness towards them and whatever you say if I stand secured of God's Covenant favour I am sure God cannot be angry with me whatever his sensible Carriages are God's People whatever God's dealings are with them they do not take any thing to be done in displeasure till through Temptation they begin to suspect their Covenant-state Do but clear up to an afflicted Person God's Covenant-favour and I 'll warrant you he will not say God hath afflicted him in his displeasure and therefore you will say God is displeased with their Persons for their sins i. e. punisheth them for their sins to satisfie his displeasure thereby i. e. his Justice if so it 's clear the consequence is unavoidable as to so much of my punishment for sin that I bear Christ did not bear besides it must be in its degree expiatory and satisfactory to God Neonom You mistake my meaning still I will tell you where
Soul out of Hell So you see the difference that still we have it and yet we have it not But why is our own Righteousness that is inherent in us to be disclaimed 1. Because it is a way impossible for a Sinner to go to Heaven by or to be Righteous by that Ladder is too short tho' it seem long enough to you that have some Fragments of the Law 2. Not having it why Because there is another Righteousness and not this which is called the Righteousness of God There is another Adam and that Adam hath another Righteousness for all to believe in a Gospel Righteousness which is not of the Law There is another Covenant God hath appointed whereby a Sinner must be just now because there is another not this 3. Because one of these voids the other if I have the Righteousness of God then mine own is void if mine own then the Righteousness of God is void As the Apostle saith of Grace if Works not Grace and if Grace not Works p. 192 193 194 195. Calvin Reverend Sir we must from the bottom of Hearts most sincerely acknowledge That it is a great piece of Service that you have done to Christ his Gospel Church and poor lost Sinners in this ample and distinct Testimony which you have born to the Truth not only in plainly discovering Mr. Neonomian's corrupt and illiterate Interpretation of this great Portion of Scripture and vindicating of it but also in that you have subverted his whole Scheme laid open the rottenness of the Principles he hath so boldly asserted in his Book and shew'd the dangerous tendency of them Neonom This Gentleman is much mistaken and I could shew where his Mistakes lies Antinom You shew his Mistakes Quid Rectum dignoscere curbo Neonom I believe him an able Man and that sometimes he was of my Judgment because Mr. B. dedicated his Aphorisms to him and acknowledged that he was a fit Censor of his Doctrin Antinom It 's true one would think that piece of Flattery and many others had been enough to engage Mr. R. Vines to subscribe to Mr. B.'s Opinion but it was sufficiently known that instead of so doing Mr. Vines seldom preached a Sermon wherein he did not make a strict Inquisition after the Neonomianism that lay in his way and crackt it as a Man will crack a Louse DEBATE XX. Of Gospel and Legal Preaching Neonom I Have this Error further to charge upon Mr. Antinom viz. Gospel Preaching he saith Is to teach Men that they were as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when they were Regenerate and while they are Vngodly they had the same Interest in God and Christ as when they believe neither can Sin any way hinder their Salvation or their Peacc nor have they any thing to do further either of them Christ having done all for them before any holy qualification or endeavour D. W. p. 208. Antinom Here is a long Charge whether it be true or no in part or whole it will appear by the Proof Neonom Page 159. he saith The more Light and Glory of the Gospel shineth in the true Intention of God to his People the more should they have Joy and Gladness why may not then a Believer say The Lord hath been bountiful to me God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Antinom What is this to prove your Charge What is this to prove that I say a Man is as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when Regenerate while he is Ungodly c There 's not any part of your Charge here proved for I speak of a Believer and that God hath done all for him in Christ and dare you say otherwise But hear what I said which you hide lest your Charge should appear false at the first sight you take only the concluding Words of my Sermon on Rom. x. 2 3 4. just before that p. 158. Object You will say you know many of the People of the Lord Jesus that walk sadly and disconsolately not having this joy and gladness I answer There is nothing hinders the Joy of God's People but their Sins those as they conceive stand as a separation betwixt God and them Oh they stand as a cooling Card in all their Joys and Mirth But when they return to Zion they shall rejoice in that they see that the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God hath taken away all their Sins the Scape-goat having carried them away into the Land of Forgetfulness in that they see that all their Transgressions are blotted out as a Cloud c. When they shall come by the sight of the Glory of the Gospel and the Light thereof to behold this state that Christ hath brought them into then all matter of Sorrow and Sighing shall fly away and the bitterness of it shall be taken away and then that which was the occasion of that bitterness shall vanish too I do not say that he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me so to say there are that are Believers that are weak in Faith and there are Believers strong in Faith the more the Light of the glorious Gospel shines c. Calvin Mr. Neonomian I wonder what a Gospel you Preach or would have others Preach Is not Sin the Hindering-Cause of Spiritual Joy Is it not God that blots out our Sins and remembers them no more Is not the Faith of this the Ground-work of all true Joy Have not some Believers less and some more according as their Faith is and the Light of the Gospel shines into their Hearts And do they not by virtue of this Joy and Peace in believing return to their rest And may they not say The Lord hath dealt bountifully with me as David did May they not return to their rest and sit down in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost The Lord hath done all for me in Christ who hath made him Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Is there any thing you can rejoice in but what is done for us or wrought in us by Christ That Sin is taken away in the attonement and satisfaction of Christ the great cause of my disturbance Neonom He saith p. 186. Here is first Deliverance and then Service is the Fruit of this Deliverance not Deliverance the Fruit of Service The Tenor of the Law runs thus First do and then live The Gospel saith First live and then do do not think God gives Christ upon condition Antinom What 's all this to the proving of your Charge of Error 1. It reacheth not the Terms of your Charge if it were Error But 2dly Where is the Error Doth he not clear it from plain Scripture which you take no notice of viz. Zacharias's Song Luke 1.74 75 Do we serve God acceptably before we are delivered from Sin and Satan through Redemption and Application Can we serve God in Holiness and