the Nature of it The Understanding essentially includes the VVill and the VVill the Understanding wherefore the Oâ—ject of the Understanding and VVill are one and the same Truth and Goodness are essentially the same Faith is General or Particular P. 124. General that which is Assent to all Divine Revelations as good and true in regard of our selves Here comes in the common Work of the Spirit Particular Assent of Faith is when all things revealed by God are assented to as most true and excellent in regard of our selves when they are particularly applyed to our proper occasion and compared with all Desires and Provocations whatsoever to the contrary when we know and believe these things that are generally delivered P. 131. for our selves in application to our own use and practice as Job was counselled by his Friends so that we believe in this particular as well as that at this time as well as another 1. The Root and Fountain of this Blessed Assent is the Grace of Sanctification And 2. The Object is Twofold P. 133. The whole Will of God revealed in his Word containing all Histories Doctrine Commands Threatnings Promises c. 2. The particular Promise of Remission of Sin and everlasting Life by the Death of Christ which in one Word we call the Gospel tho both be one and the same infused Grace which respects both yet Faith as it respects these Objects the whole Will of God and a particular Promise of the Gospel admitteth of divers Considerations Names and Use Faith as it assents to the whole Will of God I call Legal because it is such a Vertue as is immediately required by the Moral Law in the same manner as Duties of the Moral Law are and as all other Moral Duties are required of us in their Degrees as parts of our inward and outward Sanctity necessary to Salvation so is this Faith commanded as a principal Grace and prime part of our Obedience to the first Command so in this respect it may be saving namely as other Graces are Faith as it assents unto the Special Promise of Grace I call Evangelical because it 's such an Act as is expresly commanded in the Gospel not revealed by the Moral Law It is called properly Saving and Justifying in regard of the Use of it through God's gracious appointment to be the only Instrument of our Justification and Salvation by Christ He defines it thus It is a Grace of Sanctification wrought by the Holy Ghost in every Regenerate Man P. 140. whereby for his own particular he trusteth perfectly on the Promise of Remission of Sins and Salvation by Christ's Righteousness The proper Act of Faith as it justifies it consisteth in Trust and Reliance for our own particular To believe the Truth of a particular Promise is to trust upon the Performance of it to me and that assent of Faith which is given to such a Promise is properly called Fiducia or Trust To assent unto such a Promise is not barely to believe that there is such a thing in the World as Remission of Sins by Christ to be bestowed upon God knows who for this is to believe the Promise not as a Promise but a History but this Assent is of the whole Heart in Trust Reliance Adherence c. That Fiducia is the Essence of Justifying Faith 1. From the Phrase of Scripture used in this business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe in upon into God Christ c. 2. From the opposition between Faith and Distrust Jam. 1.16 Rom. 2.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. From that excellent place 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded he is able to keep c. Wherefore to believe the Promise is with Confidence and Trust to rely upon it P. 140. which Assent of Faith is wrought in this manner 1. A Man is enlightned to see his Sin and Misery 2. The Promise of Grace is proposed and freely offered unto him 3. Whence the Heart touched by the Spirit of Grace draws near to Christ casts himself into his Arms c. It bespeaks Christ in all Terms of Confidence and Affiance My Lord my God my Hâ—pe This Work of Faith as it doth greatly glorifie God in ascribing the whole Honour of our Salvation only to Free Grace in Christ so God doth highly honour it above all Fellow-Graces by making it the blessed Instrument of all the Comfort we enjoy in this World thereby giving us assurance of our Justification in his sight by Christ's Righteousness and a double Comfort 1. Peace of Conscience resting it self secure upon the Stability of God's Promise against the Severities of Justice the Accusations of the Law it hath wherewithall to answer even an All-sufficient Righteousness in Christ 2. That kind of Fiducia which we call Assurance of full pardon of our Sins This is the fruit of that Fiducia or trusting unto the Promise it self wherein stands the proper Act of Justifying Faith Many do stedfastly believe and rest themselves only upon Christ for Salvation who yet would give a World to be assured and fully perswaded that their sins are pardoned Whereupon they will be apt to fall back and say They do not nor can't believe at all A great mistake and that which casteth many a Conscience upon the Rack It 's a false Argument for Justifying Faith is not to be assured of Pardon but to trust wholly upon the Promise for Pardon What is Essential unto Faith is manifest That which in order of Nature seems to have the Precedency Dr. O. of Justific p. 135. is the Assent of the Mind unto that which the Psalmist betakes himself unto in the first place for relief under a sense of Sin and Trouble Psal 130.3 4. It 's declared in the Gospel that God in his Love and Grace will Pardon and Justifie guilty Sinners through the Blood and Mediation of Christ so it 's proposed Rom. 3.23.24 The Assent of the Mind hereunto as proposed in the Promise of the Gospel is the Root of Faith the Foundation of all that the Soul doth in believing nor is there any Evangelical Faith without it yet consider it Abstractedly as a meer Act of the Mind the Essence of Justifying Faith doth not consist solely therein 2. This is accompanied in sincere believing with an approbation of the way of Deliverance and Salvation proposed c. This Assent and Approbation causing the Heart to rest upon Divine Grace Wisdom and Love and apply it self thereto according to the Mind of God is the Faith whereby we are Justified and concludes in it Renunciation of all other Ways and Means of attaining Righteousness the Consent of the Will Acquiescence of the Heart in God Trust and Confidence c. Peter Martyr saith Faith is an Assent and that a firm Assent unto the words of God obtained not by Reason or Natural Demonstration but by the Authority of the Speaker and by the Power of the Holy Ghost Com. pl. part 3. p. 58. We must now declare what
look upon this as a Justification of this Child it being a declared Sentence of God concerning it's standing in his Favour and unchangeable Love 2. The Text is particular in the Reason of this Declaration to Rebecka ver 11. that we may see that God accomplish'd his purpose of Election in the applying of the Grace thereof without Works not so much as upon the Account of Faith as a Work because the Children were not capable of doing Good or Evil the Application of his distinguishing Love could not be upon that Account viz. Of any Condition found in them nor could the Foresight of any such thing in them be the Cause of God's Purpose in Election and shews it's one and the same Righteousness that an Infant and Adult Person is Justified by Neonom Because an Eldest Son is an Heir in the Womb therefore an Elect Person who is in time to he Adopted is an Heir in the Womb. Calvin There 's a Difference between an Heir and Adoption If you know there is an Elect Person in the Womb as Rebecka did he is a more sure Heir to Heaven than ever any great Man's Son was to an outward Estate And as to Adoption that may not be till some time after For that is the Grace of Sonship It 's one thing to be a Son and another to have the Grace of Sonship And is the calling them the Sons of God manifestly taking them into the number and endowing them with the Priviledges of the Sons of God The Relation of an Heir and the state of Adoption admit of different Considerations The State of Adoption is the grown state of an Elect Person he is put into Possession of the Estate and all Priviledges sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places as a Coheir And thus we are the Children of God by Faith Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bearing Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God and so Heirs ex abundanti Joynt-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Let us now hear what our approved Calvinists say in this Point that speak most particularly and distinctly to it Speak Dr. Amesius Dr. Ames The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous Application of our Redemption and Discharge to our Surety and to us in him which hath the Nature of a certain efficacious Pattern to that Secondary manner of Application which is compleated in us so that this is the representation of that this is produced by vertue of that Now it 's inferred hence That our Freedom from Sin and Death was not only determined in God's Decree but also granted and communicated to us in Christ before it is perceived by us Chap. 24. § 3. Mr. Rutherford pray speak you wrote against Antinomianism Sane priusque electus credit c. Certainly before an Elect Person doth believe the Wrath of God and all the Effects of his Wrath are removed from the Persons by vertue of Christ's Satisfaction Exercit. Apologet. per gratiâ p. 45. Mr. Pemble That God doth actually love the Elect before they are Regenerate or can actually believe may appear further by these Reasons 1. Where God is actually reconciled there he actually loveth for Love and Reconciliation are inseparable but with the Elect before they are converted and believe God is Actually Reconciled Ergo he loves them before Faith and Conversion The Minor is evident because before they are Born a full Atonement and Satisfaction is made for their Sins by Christ and accepted on God's part whereupon all Actual Reconciliation must needs follow 2. God did Actually Love the Elect before Christ's time when Actual Reconciliation was not yet made much more therefore after the Atonement made 3. Justification Effectual Vocation and Faith are Fruits of God's Actual Love c. De gratiâ fide p. 22. Chamier Persuasissimum est c. We are most fully perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for certainly we deny Infants to act Faith and yet their Sins are forgiven them And although it be true that our Sins be forgiven before we believe i. e. before we know it as Actual Believers we do believe the Remission of our Sins because this is proposed to us yea promised to us in the same words which we relye upon by Faith and it 's Sealed by the same Spirit whereby that word is Truth Panstr Tom. 3. lib. 13. c. 10. Antinom I think I see Mr. Baxter appear in this Cause though I suppose he is seldom in this Society Calvin I pray let us hear Sir what you say to this Point Mr. Baxter The Anabaptists bring Eph. 2.3 against Baptism of Infants and say Because they are by Nature Children of Wrath the Promise belongs not to them Ans What though we are by Nature Children of Wrath doth it follow that we may not be otherwise by Grace the state of Wrath goes first in order of Nature and whether in order of time also is not worth our disputing but may not a state of Grace immediately succeed Jeremy was Sanctified in the Womb and John Baptist and the Infants that Christ Blessed were all by Nature Children of Wrath and yet by Grace were in a better state As they come from old Adam they are Children of VVrath but as they receive of the Grace procured by the Second Adam so they are not Children of wrath If a Prince should Entail some Honours upon all your Children you might well say by Nature or as they were your Children they were not Honourable or Noble and yet by the Favour of the Prince they might be all Honourable from the VVomb The Godly at Age may say that they are still by Nature Children of wrath even when they are sure they are Children of God by Grace and they use in their Confessions to say That we by Nature are Enemies to God Fire-brands of Hell R. Baxter of Inf. Bapt. p. 110 111. Calvin I would willingly hear what the Learned and Judicious Mr. J. Cotton saith Mr. J. Cotton in Answer to that Objection made by the Anabaptist against Infant Baptism Faith comes by Hearing Ergo Infants have not Faith Ans It is no Extraordinary thing which Christ speaks concerning Infants when he saith Except you receive the Kingdom of God as little Children c. and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without Faith in Christ and yet received not Christ nor Faith by their own immediate Hearing of the Word and for the second thing which you make Essential to Union with Christ viz. a Heart fitly disposed to apprehend and receive Christ be not unwilling to understand that which is Truth The Heart is fitly disposed by Faith to apprehend or apply Christ when Faith is begotten in the Heart for by this Gift of Faith begotten in us Christ apprehends us and by the same Gift of Faith the Heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in Infants for when Faith is wrought in Infants the Heart is quickned with Spiritual Life and made a
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
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
Truth above-mentioned doth express This you deny and I affirm Antinom Now we are for filling up the Box and this Assent or Perswasion and Consent or Reliance is put in but not as the Essence of Faith and among the rest there is obediential Regards And why comes in this but only because he would make up Faith into a moral Condition I speak of the Essence of Faith you talk of containing including and tell us those things that are contained and included I told you not what was necessarily concomitant to Faith I did not speak of Love Sicerity Hope c. which are Concomitants to Faith and inseparable from it but yet be not Faith in the Essential Consideration Neonom I will now confirm the Truth 1. Faith is not an Assurance or inward Perswasion that Christ is ours and our Sins are pardoned Antinom I say Faith is a Perswasion of Truth propounded unto me upon credible grounds You should first state the Question concerning Faith in general Whether it be Humane Faith or Divine and then Divine Faith is that which takes all Divine things in general for it's Object or that which hath some more particular Divine Truth for it's Object as Justifying Faith There is also a particular Divine Faith which is not saving in it's special Nature as Faith of Miracles Historical c. Neonom That which I will prove is that Saving Faith is not Perswasion Antinom Very well i. e. That Perswasion is not the general Nature of Faith We are not to meddle here with the distinguishing Specifick Form of one Faith from another Let us joyn issue there Neonom Yes but I will have my Liberty to dispute of what I please whether it be the Question or no. 1. Men may have this Faith tho' they do not savingly believe Matth. 7.22 Ch. 25.1 2. Nay the most profligate Sinners grow secure by it Antinom Your Argument runs two ways or should 1. Against Perswasion as not being the Genus of Faith and it stands thus If they that do not savingly believe may have Perswasion then Perswasion is not of the Essence of Faith but they that do not savingly believe may have Perswasion Ergo. Negatur consequ Homo est Animal Ergo Brutum non est Animal There 's two Species of Believers those that have a Faith not saving as meerly Historical Temporary or Faith of Miracles and those that have Saving Faith is the Genus of both those Species which is Perswasion Now you argue because such as have not a Saving Faith have Perswasion therefore they that have Saving Faith have not Perswasion Non sequitur but rather quite contrary that they have for the Genus communicates it's common Nature to both Species Neonom No no I don't mean so I mean that Faith is not an inward Perswasion that Christ is ours Antinom I thought so I was going to speak that No indeed it 's not a distinction of Faith but a particular Instance of one thing believed by us If you should ask me what Faith is and I should tell you it 's believing Peter betray'd Christ or that Paul was converted you would take me to be very ridiculous Or I should say it is not believing that I am a rich Man So that if you will have the Question run in a particular Instance it 's easily decided for all true Rules of Art must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true de omni Therefore I acknowledge to say Faith is a Perswasion that Christ is mine is no more a Definition of Faith than to say Animal est rationalis creatura is a Definition of Animals But this is true if you affirm the Genus of the Species Creatura rationalis est animal and it holds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not reciprocè This therefore I affirm that he that believes that Christ is his and his Sins are forgiven doth believe it by a Perswasion You say those that said Lord Lord and the Foolish Virgins had a Faith of Perswasion and many profligate Sinners have a presumptuous Perswasion but not true Believers Therefore say you Faith is not a Perswasion that their Sins are forgiven You might as well say because some have a false Faith therefore none have a true because one Man that trades is perswaded his Stock is good and deceives himself and breaks doth it follow that no Merchant must perswade himself that his Stock is good These are mighty Inconsequences Neonom Many true Believers have not this Perswasion Antinom Give an Instance of a Believer that hath not a Perswasion of the thing he professeth to believe and so far as he is not perswaded he doth not believe Doth any one believe the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 1 John 5.11 if he doth he is perswaded of it But you 'll say He doth not believe Christ is his He ought confidently to believe there is Pardon and Acceptance from him and to get this Witness of Faith in his own Heart You 'll grant he ought to have the Son How shall he have him but by receiving him in the Promise Believing on him as the Faithful Witness depending on the Truth of the Promise and the reality of the Purpose and Intention of Christ towards us and there is not the weakest true Believers but have a Perswasion such as their Faith is tho' it may not so properly be called Assurance because that denotes a strong and high degree of Faith but it 's a Perswasion accompanied with much doubting a staggering Faith Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I I believe help my Vnbelief Lord I am perswaded in some measure help my doubting Neonom Such as had assurance do by this Doctors Opinion fall into the Sin of damning Vnbelief whenever they doubt their Interest in Christ and especially if they conclude that they have no interest in him Antinom Vix dignus sum hâc contumeliä ac tu indignus qui feceris Do you in your Conscience judge that I hold falling away from Grace Is not Unbelief of a damning Nature of it self and so far as it prevails brings the Consciences of the best under Guilt And wherein consists the Doubts and Fears of God's People but in the prevailing of Unbelief which shakes their Faith and darkens their Perswasion is my Doctrine the more condemnable because I hold as Experience and God's Word witnesseth that Faith as other Graces have their Ebbings or Flowings And do not you hold Unbelief to be a damning Sin in it self But is there not a great difference between the degrees of Faith yea of Assurance as you you self grant elsewhere And what degrees of Unbelief and doubting a Child of God may fall into even to the making very dangerous Conclusions concerning himself and not fall totally from faith it 's beyond us to judge There are great Instances in Scripture and we have seen some Neonom This Perswasion should suppose an Interest in Christ doth not give it it
is a false Conclusion that Christ is mine before he is so and must the great Terms of Life be a Lie We are to examine our selves whether we are in the Faith or not 2 Cor. 13.5 Where hath God made this Proposition My sins are laid on Christ Vnless you are for general Redemption the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer and the Spirit speaks to none but a Believer Antinom In all things we receive of Gift there must be a right of Donation first if we take before it 's given it 's Theft and unless I am perswaded that the giving Hand is reached out I can't receive We have our first Earnest for Blessedness in the Perswasion of Faith in the very Act of it and it 's Non sence to talk any way of partaking of Christ but by the Spirit and Faith And he that in an Act of believing at first finds Christ in the true Perswasion of Faith doth not nor cannot say of Christ he is his before he is so The Soul cannot be too nimble for Christ and if he that believeth not makes God a Liar what are those that perswade to Unbelief That Faith in it's very Act is an Evidence is no hinderance to the Trial and Examination of our selves by the Fruit of Faith besides And though the Proposition in the Gospel be an indefinite Proposition yet the Application by Faith in a Sinner ought to be particular and fiducial or else the Faith of Believers will be no more than that of others that believe only that Christ came to save Sinners and if the Promise of Pardon were not to Sinners as such it were not Pardon and if a Man upon Trial must first find by Signs that he doth believe before he lay claim to Pardon Sinners would be in a sad condition But this is the comfort that as the Promise of Pardon is the great Encouragement to believing so believing it self is the receiving and perceiving of it And the Soul saith or should by Faith He loved me and gave himself for me At the sight of Christ it saith My Lord and my God If the Lord speak to a Believer in believing by his Word and Spirit Thy Sins are forgiven it 's not said so to one that is a Believer first Relata are simul naturâ The Promise of Paternity is not a Promise or Gift to one that 's a Father first nor Sonship to one that is a Son first God promiseth himself to be a Father to them that are Loammi And how gross is that Assertion That the Spirit speaks it to none but to a Believer as a Believer Doth not the Spirit speak Peace before we receive it by an Act of Faith Doth not this cause us to believe it 's the Light causeth the Eye to see It 's the Light shining into the dark Unbelieving Heart that perswades the Heart it 's God that saith to the Soul I am thy Salvation before we can believe it Neonom The Second thing that I will prove is that Saving Faith hath the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. Antinom You said before that Inward Perswasion of the Pardon of Sin was no Part of Saving Faith And said in the next that it contained Assent to the Word Fiducial Consent and Acceptance of Christ A Man therefore may understand you that tho it contained it yet it was not of it's Essence Now you seem to say these are Essentials if you do not you hide your self again in the Word Include If you say These be Essentials which you name we say so too but allow not yours c. and all these Essentials are in the Word Perswasion Assent is the Perswasion of the Understanding Consent the Perswasion of the Will to the Truths and good things propounded the Promise whereby the Soul relies upon Christ therein for himself particularizeth Christ and all Blessings to himself as his and now go on and prove all that you said before to be false Neonom You are mistaken I will prove my Position true and then see where your Errour will be 1. Faith can be no less than the Souls Answer to the Call of God c. Antinom We say it is so and he bids us believe but it 's not Faith as such for all Obedience is an answer to the Call of God Neonom The Scripture describes Saving Faith by all these Acts it 's the evidence of things not seen Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Receiving of Christ John 1.12 Isa 55.4 Acts 13.26 Rom. 15.12 Isa 44.5 Antinom This we say it is Evidence and Substance of things at a distance is a full Perswasion of them according to the Nature of them such a Perswasion as carries the whole Soul forth to God to rest and rely upon him having Union with Christ thereby bringing him in all his Excellencies into our Souls and taking him for our own Doth a Man believe any good thing promised and doth not he catch at it for himself if he have any savour of it If the Promise of Pardon present it self to us doth a Man believe till he appropriate it to himself saying It is mine though an unworthy Sinner If a condemned Prisoner hears a Pardon is come out for some he may believe that but till he believes he is one it 's no Comfort to him tho there may be hopes at least he is in it Neonom Christ can't be received as a Saviour without these Antinom It 's very true he is never received as such till I receive him as my Saviour and believe him to be so in some measure and this I am bound to do to receive him by confident Perswasion and resting upon him Neonom A Faith without these Essentials could never produce those great Effects as are ascribed to Faith to purifie the Heart Acts 15.9 to be a shield against Temptations Eph. 6.16 works by Love Gal. 5.6 sanctifies us Acts 26.18 By Faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2.12 Antinom It 's certain that no Faith can do it but such as makes a particular Application by a perswasion of the Love of God or Interest in Christ Pardon of Sins and Reconciliation to God through him that can produce the Effects spoken of this will purifie the Heart from an evil guilty Conscience to serve the Living God this will be a Shield against the most Mortal Darts of Satan that he shoots at our state by bringing in Law Condemnations Hereby Love to God is produced in the Soul and we Act towards God and our Neighbours in Love hereby we are brought to true Obedience such as the Law required at first for the Principle to Love the Lord our God with all our Hearts Soul and Strength and therefore the Apostle saith Love is the Sum of all Obedience as our Saviour said It 's the fulfilling of the Law through this Grace of the Spirit for by receiving Forgiveness of Sin we
have an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified Pardon believed is the Root of Sanctification and this cannot be without it for by Faith we are risen with Christ we are planted in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection and Faith in this Point of Christ's Resurrection is that which sets us above the Charge of Sin and Condemnation By the Resurrection of Christ Preached we are begotten to this lively believing hope and we are risen with him through this Faith of the Operation of God hence the Body of Sin is destroyed Death abolished Life and Immortality brought to light Christ by his Resurrection being discharged and justified from the Iniquities of us all which were laid upon him and which he bore in his Body upon the Tree Neonom An Inlightned Regenerate Soul cannot Act towards Christ when he is first presented to its view below these Instances Antinom No it 's the sight of Christ and taste of Christ that carries him forth to all Duties of Sanctification he having Christ in all his fulness he hath done with all his Conditions all his Righteousness is filthy Rags A Soul truely instated by a lively Faith is far above padling with his own little poor sinful Duties as conditions between him and Christ he can serve Christ obey him and his Commandments are not grievous to him neither will he think they have any such Vertue in them as to give him Right to Christ in any way of Foederal Conditionality Neonom His mistakes are because Faith is the Evidence of things unseen i. e. it assents unto unseen realities therefore he thinks that our Faith is nothing but our assent Antinom I think I understand the Import of those words as I have told you but I shewed you it 's such a work of the Spirit and Word whereby the Heart Ecchoes to the Word by such perswasion of the Truth whereby Christ and the Truth is as it were formed in us and your selves can give no account of Faith that reacheth the Essentials thereof but what we have done from the Word of God Neonom Because the Word of Grace promiseth Justification unto all true Believers therefore an assurance of my being Justified is believing whereas I must first be a Believer in order to Pardon before I justly can or ought to believe that I am pardoned Antinom The word Assurance is a word you Impose it was not in the words you alledge against me what is it the Gospel would have us believe if it be not Forgiveness of Sins Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are justified c. What do they believe It 's Forgiveness of Sins and in this Act of Faith is the Justification by Faith in that they believe forgiveness of Sins and as they are weakly or strongly perswaded through the Spirit of Grace working the Promise upon their Souls In Justification by Faith Faith is not nor cannot be before it but they are Relata quae mutua alterius constant affectione Popish School Divines do dream that Faith is a Quality cleaving in the Heart Luth. on Gal. c. 3. v. 8. without Christ This is a Devilish Errour But Christ should be so set forth that thou shouldest see nothing besides him and shouldest think that nothing can be more near unto thee or more present within thy Heart than he is for he sitteth not Idly in Heaven but is present in us C. 2. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And here likewise you have put on Christ Faith therefore is a certain stedfast beholding which looketh upon nothing else but Christ the Conqueror of Sin and Death and the Giver of Righteousness Salvation and Eternal Life this is the cause that Paul nameth Jesus Christ so often in his Epistles almost in every Verse but he setteth him forth by the Word For otherwise he cannot be comprehended but by the Word This was lively and notably set sorth by the Brazen Serpent for Moses commanded them that were stung to do nothing else but stedfastly behold the Brazen Serpent they that did so were healed Read with great vehemency this word me and for me and so inwardly practise with thy self Id. on Gal. 2.20 that thou with a sure Faith maist conceive and print this me in thy Heart and apply it unto thy self not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this 〈◊〉 belongeth Also that Christ hath not only loved Peter and Paul and given himselfe for them but that the same Grace also which is comprehended in this me as well appertaineth and cometh unto us as unto them When I feel and confess my self a Sinner through Adam's Transgression why should I not say that I am made Righteous through the Righteousness of Christ especially when I hear that he loved me and gave himself for me This did Paul most stedfastly believe and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemency and full assurance which God grant unto us in some part at the least who hath loved us and given himself for us What is Faith The first part of Religion whereby from Knowledge I believe in God Yates Divin The first Act of Faith is passive in receiving what God gives Here may we justly say it is a poorer and meaner Act to believe than to love nay rather Passion than Action for we are first apprehended of God before we apprehend him again Phil. 3.12 This Grace is most freely Graced that it might the more frankly reflect all on God again No doubt Faith receives a full discharge makes it not we rather by Faith receive an Acquittance Sealed in the Blood of Christ than the Blood of Christ to make our own Works Meritorious which we may offer to God in payment for our selves Here lyes the Errour of Papists even in Faith iâ— self and other Graces If God will â—â—t bear half the Charges by his Co-operation Man shall undertake to Merit his own Glory and fulfill the Royal Law so abundantly that he shall have something over and above Works are the Effects of Sanctification Sanctification is the Effect of Justification P. 23. The Object of the Understanding is Truth of the Will Goodness Temble of Grace and Faith P. 111. Faith is an Assent to the Truth and Goodness of Divine Revelation wherefore we affirm that this Faith is an Act of the Understanding and of the Will both together approving and allowing the Truth and Goodness of Divine Things In which Asserâ—ion you are to note that we do not make the habit of Faith to be inherent in two Faculties but we affirm the subject is but one and the same viz the Intellectual Nature for I take it with divers of the Lerrned that these Speculations about the real distinction of Faculties in Spiritual Substances of Angels and Souls of Men are but meer subtilties in the Schools without any true ground in
I will name no more of them for the present Antinom The Assembly is full on this Point that our Union to Christ is before the Act of Faith Shorter Catechism Q. 29. How are we made Partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By the Effectual Application of it to us by his Holy Spirit Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our Effectual Calling The Spirit first comes as a Bond of Union and works Faith to Unite by its Act in the first Union by the Spirit we are passive made new Creatures new Born receive Spiritual Life In the second we are Active put forth lively Acts and lay hold on Jesus Christ and all Gospel Grace And if the Confessions say we are United to Christ by his Spirit and by Faith as you acknowledge then there is a Union by the Spirit which is effective of that which is by Faith You say my mistake is in thinking all Grace is wrought by Christ as an Actual Head you mean Grace comes not at first from Christ as our Head but as a designed Head therefore you find fault with my founding our Union on Christ as our Head Where I say P. 104. Christ is the Head of his Church i. e. the Fountain of all Spiritual Sense and Motion A Man cannot have Spiritual Eyes of Faith unless he have this Spiritual Head c. I am not alone here for Mr. Norton and others make Christ as our Head the Fountain and Spring of all Spiritual Life and Motion Evan. P. 249. The Person of Christ Mediator is the first Saving Gift actually applyed to any Elect Person The motion of the Spirit upon the Soul is from Christ the Head See p. 250. DEBATE XII Of Justification by Faith Neonom VVE having formerly discussed the Doctrine of Justifying Righteousness I desire we may now enquire into the Nature of Justification by Faith for Mr. Antinomian hath this Errour among the rest That the whole use of Faith in Justification is only to manifest that we were Justified before and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State nor at all useful to that end D. W. p. 103. Antinom I must hear your proof Sir before I enter upon my defence Neonom You put this Objection Is not believing required unto the Justification of the ungodly Answ An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth believe but you will say it is an Act of Christ by Faith Answ Then Christ doth not Justifie alone c. Nay I say more Christ doth Justifie a Person before he doth believe c. He cannot believe that which is not but he is first Justified before he believes then he believes he is Justified Dr. C. p. 85. Antinom My words were these An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth believe But you must understand it it is not the Faith of the Person that doth simply and properly Justifie but it is that Christ in whom he doth believe he believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly It is he that Justifieth that is Christ It is not believing that justifieth mark well that Phrase he that justifieth Justification is an Act of Christ not an Act of Faith How often is it said it 's God that Justifieth Justification is an Act of God and not of ours Faith is an Act of ours it 's God by his Grace efficiently Justifies and imputeth the Righteousness of Christ we are materially and objectively Justified by the Righteousness of Christ and by that alone and this I say is before a Sinner believes efficiently because the Object must be before the Act of the Recipient Organ A Man sees because there is Light to see which illuminates the Organ especially such a Light as takes off a privation of sight and restores the Habit so that Justification in regard of Application must be before believing the first Application in ordine naturae saltem is to an ungodly Man eo nomine that he may believe who is thereby made to believe that he may be Justifyed for in Justification we are both Passive and Active as Maccovius saith Calvin Mr. Norton Norton p. 214. hath this Objection If we are Justified by Faith then Faith is in order before Justification and consequently the Act is before the Object whereas on the contrary the Act depends on the Object and not the Object on the Act to this Effect Bellarmine Answ 1. We distinguish between the Being of Justification and our being Justified i. e. between Justification as taken in an Abstract Sence viz. without the receiving Subject thereof viz. a Believer and a Justification taken in a Concrete Sence i. e. together with the Believer Justification considered in the Actstract Sence taken simply and in it self which signifieth Remission of Sins and Righteousness to Acceptation prepared for though not yet conferred upon the Elect hath before Faith a Being not only in the purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father and Mediator and in the purchase of Christ This Truth held forth in the Gospel makes the Object of Faith and thus the Object is before the Act. The Grounds of this distinction or distinguishing between Justification actually procured and actually applyed Justification was in God's Decree before Faith P. 315 316. before Sin yea from all Eternity Gal. 3.8 Rom 3.25 The Actual procuring of Justification as considered in it self gives a Being to Justifying Faith Justification is compared to a Garment our being Justified to a Garment put on Justification of the Elect is absolutely and actually procured for them by Christ's Satisfaction before Faith Col. 2.14 The Hand writing of Ordinances cannot be limited to the Ceremonial Law only because it had respect unto the Gentiles then Living to whom the Ceremonial Law belonged not God hath declared his Acceptation of Christ So Calvin on the place P. 216. whereby he hath actually procured Justification for the Elect before Faith It is no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation That God Imputed unto Christ the Sins of the World of the Elect before they did believe and will not impute them unto the Elect 2 Cor. 5.18 19. This great Gospel Truth is of special use to beget Justifying Faith in the Heart of a Sinner The same the Apostle confirms concerning their Reconciliation Rom. 5.10 That it was wrought for them when they were Enemies i. e. Unbelievers Here is a Twofold Reconciliation mentioned one at the Death of Christ before Paul or the Romans some of them at least were Believers the other at Conversion The first Reconciliation though it was vertually wrought before by the Lamb slain in God's Appointment and Acceptance togethr with his own consent from the beginning of the World Rev. 13.8 yet it was not Actually wrought until the Death of Christ for this Satisfaction sake God Imputes not Sin unto the Redeemed for he
order thereunto Neonom The other Question in difference between us is Whether the Vse of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This you affirm and I deny And add That Faith justifies by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to justifie the Believer by application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious effect of it upon a guilty Soul D. W. p. 105. Antinom You alter the Terms of my Expression to make for your own turn My Words were these Quest What doth Faith serve for Dr. C. p. 85. Answ It serves for the manifestation of that Justification which Christ puts upon a Person by himself alone that you by believing on him may have the Declaration and Manifestation of your Justification And I say That it is not the Condition without which we receive no benefit from Christ but rather a manifestation thereof My Words are not That the use of Faith is only a manifestation but I say Rather a manifestation of Benefits received than a condition of receiving benefits And I say it is a Declaration and Manifestation And what is the Promise in the hand of Faith but a Declaration of the Grace of God in Justification of a Sinner and thereby a manifestation of it unto the Conscience Whereby Justification comes to be in foro Conscientiae For I say Where the Condemnation of a Sinner is by the Law there the Absolution of the Sinner is by the Gospel but Condemnation of a Sinner is in Conscience by the Law therefore there his Absolution is by the Gospel and that 's by a Gospel-Sentence pronounced and believed which Sentence is God's Declaration and Faith sealing to the Truth of it applies it and is the Eccho of the said Declaration in the Soul And you say Faith justifies as receiving Christ and you say well Christ is received in the believing of the Gospel-Declaration The Declaration in the Gospel is Life by Christ See 1 John 2.25 This is the Promise that he hath promised us evrn eternal Life 1 John 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son and this is the witness of God which he hath testifi'd of his Son Ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself It should be Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This very believing is a Testimony of the Truth of the Promise and his part in it as by the latter part of the 10th Verse appears He that believeth not makes God a Liar and as the truth of the Promise concerns himself ver 12. He that hath the Son hath Life this believing he saith is having the Son as declared in the Promise and Record that takes in the Declaration believingly And this is apprehending and applying and relying on the Promise and Christ in it both as Truth and Goodness Believing is our modus recipiendi or manner of receiving and we do believe that we may receive and apprehend him unto Justification You add and say first Faith justifies by receiving of Christ but you say it 's Application of Christ's Righteousness as to gracious Effects you mean only You do not deal above-board you are not for the application of Christ's Righteousness it self imputed to us and put on by us in believing We have noted your Error in this kind already you 'll not have Christ's Righteousness imputed to us for our Righteousness according to all the Language of the Scripture but only the Effects given us as effectual Calling Sanctification and Glorification So that the Righteousness of Christ justifies no otherwise than it sanctifies and glorifies for it doth these as Effects But I pray express your self more clearly how Faith Justifies or what part Faith hath in Justification according to your Sense without so much ambiguity Neonom The difference is not Whether Faith or any other Grace be a Jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are justified D.W. p. 104. Antinom But it is whether Faith or any other Grace be a qualifying Condition for Justification if it be so let me alone to prove it a meriting Righteousness whether you call it so or no. Neonom Nor whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the vaine of Christ's Merits These I deny D. W. p. 104. Antinom No wonder for you have rated Christ's Merits S. Clara dicit omnes convenire scientium de causa efficicate meritorià Justificationis efficiens est Deus meritoria Christus solum ergo controversitur de formuli De Justif Peccatoris how much their Value shall be Valeant quantum valere possunt But there are other things quasi merita at least that must give right to the Benefits procured by Christ's Merits which you call your subordinate Righteousness Neonom Yea I add that if Christ's Righteousness could be applyed for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he believes it would justifie him but God hath declared that it shall not be applied to Vnbelievers Antinom That 's not for God hath declared the contrary that he justifies the ungodly and if Justification as God's Act be not applied to us first before we are Believers there would never be any Believers for Justification is the cause of Sanctification and not Vice versa But Justification by Faith i. e. Justification as applied by a sensible gracious Act of ours is after Sanctification and we must distinguish in Application of Righteousness between Gods Acts and ours for God must apply Grace before we can partake of it Neonom Nor whether we are Justified the same Moment as we truely believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will justifie him that believes Antinom You 'll own then that we shall not stay for the Benefit if we perform the Condition God will pay ready Mony but the Qualification must be first in us by Nature But why I pray Is it not manners at least to give God the Honour of being first in this Work and say We believe in that moment we are justified 2. I find now you will not have Faith to be the Instrument of Justification but have found out another whereas you find fault with me that I will not have Faith the Instrumental Cause of Justification in its being no more than a passive receiving Instrument and you 'll have the Promise to be the Instrument declaring Justification and what can Faith do but receive this Declaration and thereby declare to the Conscience of the Sinner what the Gospel-Instrument declares Neonom Nor whether an Elect Person once justified by Christ shall be kept by Christ's Care in a justified state Antinom You do not suppose then that Justification is certainly durable in it's one Nature that it is an everlasting Righteousness but that it is loosable
Question if it be not Faith it self that is meant The Context is so far from relieving our Understandings that it contributeth to our unavoidable Deceit and Ignorance Read over the Texts and put but Christ's Righteousness every where instead of the word Faith and see what a Scandalous Paraphrase you will make the Scripture is not so audaciously to be corrected Calvin Now I shall shew you how by the Orthodox Protestants this Doctrine of Neonomanism hath been opposed as Antichristian and Destructive to the Grace of God Pemble's Treat of Justif c. 2. p. 164. fol. The Learned Mr. Pemble gives the Anatomy of this Doctrine after that he had shewed that Faustus Socinus Michael Servetus Christophorus Ostodorus and Arminius were the Forgers next to the Jesuits and Propagators of this Doctrine Armin. saith he branches out his Opinion in three distinct Propositions 1. Justitia Christi Imputata nobis Christ's Righteousness is Imputed to us 2. Justitia Christi non Imputata in Justitiam the Righteousness of Christ is not Imputed for Righteousness 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere Imputatur in Justitiam Believing it self is Imputed for Righteousness We now meddle with the last more roundly expressed Ipsum fidei Actum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere Dito Imputari in Justitiam Armin. Epist ad Hippolitum idque sensu proprio non Metonymecè The same is the Opinion of his Fellows the Remonstrants of Voetius Peter Bertius Episcopius c. with whom Bellarmine agrees in the Interp. of Rom. 4. de Justific c. 17. lib. 1. In summ their Opinion runs thus God in the Legal Covenant required exact Gbedience of his Commandment but now in the Covenant of Grace he requires Faith which in his gracious estimations stands instead of that Obedience to the Moral Law which we ought to perform Which comes to pass by the Merit of Christ for whose sake God accounts our imperfect Faith to be perfect Obedience This Assertion exactly Neonomianism and in place thereof we defend this Proposition God doth not Justifie a Man by Faith properly imputing unto him Faith in Christ for his perfect Obedience to the Law and therefore accounting him Just and Innocent in his sight which we prove by these Reasons I 'll but name them 1. We are not Justified by any Work of our own though given by Grace but believing is an act of our own Ergo not by believing The Major is manifest by Scripture which teach we are saved by Grace Eph. 2.5 Tit. 3.6 Rom. 11.6 The Minor is evident that Faith is a Work of ours for though John 6.29 Christ saith this is the Work of God c. yet our Adversaries will not conclude thence that Faith is God's Work within us and not our Work by his help for they 'l say It 's not God believes and Christ repents c. They have two shifts 1. We are not Justified by any Work of our own done by our own strength but by the Aid of Grace A. This distinction of Works done without Grace and Works done by Grace was devised by one that had neither Wit nor Grace being a trick to elude the force of such Scriptures as exclude them indefinitely to our Justification c. Wherefore it s without all ground in Scripture thus to Interpret these Propositions A Man is not Justified by Works i. e. by Works done by the Power of Nature before and without Grace A Man is Justified by Grace i. e. by Works done by Aid of Grace 2. They say We are not Justified by any Works of our own i. e. by any Works of the Law but by a Work of the Gospel such as Faith is we may be Justified by there 's no ground in Scripture for this distinction nor in reason for both tell us that Works commanded in the Law and in the Gospel are one and the same for the substance of them Luke 10.27 Deut. 6.5 What Sin against the Gospel that is not a Transgression of the Law Is Charity one doth not the Law command it Is Faith one doth not the Law enjoyn the same Obj. But it commands not Faith in Christ A. It doth for that which commands us in general to believe commands us to believe whatever God shall make known to us Arg. 2. God only accounts that perfect Righteousness of the Law which is so in deed and in truth but Faith is not the perfect fulfilling of the Law Ergo Here our Neonomians will except and say They differ from the Arminians in saying That Christ only hath merited that our Imperfect Righteousness shall be accepted instead of perfect which hath worser absurdity in it as shall appear Arg. 3. We are not Justified by two Righteousnesses existing in two divers Subjects but if we are Justified by Christ's Righteousness and the VVork of Faith we are Justified by two Righteousnesses existing in two Subjects Ergo. I shall only leave with you the Opinion of the Orthodox Protestants concerning Justification by Faith who have strenuosly opposed the Papists Socinians Arminians and Neonomians in this Point He is Justified by Faith who excludes the Righteousness of VVorks Calv. Instit lib. 3. c. 111 de Justific fidei and apprehends the Righteousness of Christ wherewith being cloathed in the sight of God he appears not as a Sinner but Justified So that we Interpret Justification simply an Acceptance whereby God doth account us for Righteous Ones who are received into his Favour and we say That it i. e. Acceptio Acceptance is placed in the Remission of Sins and Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ Justification hath two parts Remission of Sins and Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Mr. Perkins in the Order and Causes of Salv. c. 37. p. 81. Remission of Sins is that part of Justification whereby he that believes is freed from the Guilt and Punishment by the Passion of Christ Colos 1.21 22. 1 Pet. 2.24 Imputation of Righteousness is the other part of Justification whereby such as believe having the Guilt of their Sins covered are accounted Just in the fight of God through the Righteousness of Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 Psal 32.1 Rom. 4. tot cap. Phil. 3.8 9. The form of Justification is as it were a kind of Translation of the Believers Sins unto Christ and again Christ's Righteousness unto the Believer by a Reciprocal and Mutual Imputation Justification is the Gracious Sentence of God whereby for the sake of Christ apprehended by Faith Ames Medul c. 27. he absolves a Believer from Sin and Death and counts him Righteous Rom. 3.22 24. § 17 18. Christ is the adequate Object of Faith as it justifies Faith also upon no other account justifies but as it apprehends that Righteousness for which we are justified and that Righteousness is not in the Truth of any Axiom to which we give Assent but in Christ alone who was made Sin for us that we may be the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Hence those Sermons in
the New Testament are so often repeated which shew Justification to be sought only in the Person of Christ John 1.12 and 3.15 16. and 6.40 47. and 14.1 54. Rom. 4.5 and 3.26 Acts 10.43 and 25.18 Rom. 3.26 A Sinner is justified by Faith not properly as it is a Quality or Action Pemble of Justific ch 11. § 2. which by its own Dignity and Merit deserves at God's Hands Remission of Sins or is by God's favourable Acceptance taken for the whole and perfect Righteousness of the Law which is otherwise required of a Sinner but only in Relation unto the Object of it the Righteousness of Christ which it embraceth and resteth upon Justification is a Gracious Act of God upon a Believer whereby for the Righteousness sake of Christ Imputed by God Nortons Eang p. 300. and applyed by Faith he doth freely discharge him from Sin and Curse and accept him as Righteous in the Righteousness of Christ and acknowledge him to have a Right unto Eternal Life Q. 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Faith justifies a Sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces that do always accompany it Assemb Large Catech. or of good Works which are the Fruits thereof nor as if the Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were Imputed to him for Justification only as it is an Instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness Q. 32. What is Justification A. Justification is an Act of God's Free Grace whereby he pardoneth all our Sins Shorter Catech. and accepteth us as Righteous in his sight only for the Righteousness of Christ received by Faith alone Whom God effectually calleth he freely justifieth not by Infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins Confess c. 11. and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone not by Imputing Faith it self the Act of Believing nor any other Evangelical Obedience as their Righteousness but by Imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the Gift of God We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith Artic. 11. of the Church of Engl. and not for our own Merits and Deservings wherefore that we are Justified by Faith only is a most wholesom Doctrine and very full of Comfort c. The Righteousness of Christ as it 's Christ's and performed by him so it is ours as it 's Meritorious of Grace Efficacious of Faith it self that is to be wrought in us it 's ours therefore I say by way of Right because by the Decree of the Father and Purpose of the Son it 's wrought for us tho' not in our Possession as to Sense and Acknowledgment of so great a Benefit bestowed Haec enim agnitio this Acknowledgment ariseth from Faith The Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us and his Merits to be applyed by Faith not before God but in our Consciences as there is a Sense of it begotten in our Hearts by Faith and an Acknowledgment of the Saving Application from the Love of God which we taste by Faith and Spiritually perceive Justifying of us and Adopting us to be his Sons from whence ariseth Peace of Conscience Whence the Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us by Faith because it is not known but by Faith that it is Imputed to us by God and then at length we are said to be Justified by that kind of Justification and Absolution from our Sins which begets or produceth peace of Conscience Dr. Twiss C. 1. p. 2. de Elect. He speaks of Justification in a double Acceptation 1. As the Righteousness of Christ is applyed to us before Faith and Repentance by reason of which Righteousness we obtain Efficacious Grace to believe in Christ and Repent 2. He understands Justification to be that Notification that is by Faith made to our Consciences or in the Court of Conscience and this is saith he that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Remission of Sin Justification and Absolution which follows Faith There 's none of us saith he say that wicked vitious Person allowing themselves to live in their Sins are bound to believe Christ dyed for them for my part I think otherwise that whilst all are commanded to believe in Christ they are not bid presently to believe that Christ dyed for them but rather to rest themselves upon Christ by Faith to renounce themselves and their own Works and cast themselves down at the Feet of Mercy this is only properly called Faith on Christ fides in Christum the other is only Faith concerning Christ Hence Mr. Norton hath these words Orthod p. 315. These are both Truths 1. Justification hath a Being before the Elect do believe 2. That the Elect are not Justified before they do believe Justification is the Object Faith is the Act or being actually Justified is an Effect Faith is the Instrumental Cause the Cause is before the Effect Maccovius Disput XVI distinguishes Justification into Active and Passive Active Justification signifies God's Absolution of a Guilty Person from Guilt for the sake of Christ's Satisfaction and accounting him Righteous for his Righteousness Imputed The Differences between this and Passive Justification by Faith are 1. This is one undivided Act of God Absolution by Faith is repeated 2. Active precedes Faith Passive follows c. A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness Neonom GEntlemen if you please for a Diversion after this Arduous Attempt that I have made to bring in the true Doctrine of the Catholick Church let us make a little digression for our Recreation and treat upon a Point that hath not so much difficulty in it for having got in Faith to justifie as a qualifying Act I doubt not now but to pleasure some of its Relations and find them a place in Justification too Antinom Stay not so hasty I do not find you have yet attained your End about Faith festina lentè cry not Victoria yet but however Gentlemen seeing he is for a digression let him have it for he hath been in digression from Truth all along I know not how he can digress from the way he hath been in hitherto but by coming into Truth Neonom You judging we are justified before we do believe it 's no wonder if you tell us We are forgiven before we confess Sin p. 255. and repent and therefore I would enquire of the necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness D. W. p. 113. Antinom As a Qualifying Condition Gentlemen this is no digression for it 's the Right Line and Method that Bellarmine and all the Papists have taken in handling the Doctrine of Justification first to bring in Faith to justifie as
required to examine our selves but where lyes the Critical Point It 's in Christ being in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 try or see by tryal whether Christ be in you how look after the true Evidence of it by finding out the thing it self i. e. Christ received by Faith and witnessed by his Spirit for Christ is in us these ways 1. By his Spirit 2. By Faith 3. By our Mystical Union I in them John 17. Now this Tryal is by Faith for it is thus Do we see the things that are Invisible But suppose you say the Tryal is by the Fruits of Faith we deny it not but we say they are not only here but to be understood therefore the place concludes not against us nor that place 2 Pet. 1.10 The Apostle there tells us We have all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue and if all things then Assurance too for it 's through great and precious Promises that we are partakers of the Divine Nature and through them as the Spirit is bestowed so it Comforts and Ensures Life and Salvation to us And as it works many gracious Vertues and Fruits in us so it excites and stirs us up to Encrease and Growth in Grace ver 5 6 7. And where these things are not it is a sign that a Man hath no true savour of Pardoning Grace lying under senlesness of the great Reason of Christ's Death and Satisfaction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ purging away of Sin i. e. by Sacrifice of his bearing of Sin of old so long ago and it 's no doubt but the real total absence of the Fruits of Faith is a sign there is no Faith if these things be wanting such an one is Purblind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or false-sighted thinks he is something when there 's nothing but the difficulty is this a Man saith he hath upon tryal these Vertues but is short-sighted he looks close to himself and passeth a wrong Judgment how shall he be convinced that he hath them not or he saith he hath them not how shall he come to be satisfied that he hath them Who must resolve these difficulties Is it not the Word and Spirit that must resolve it in believing Therefore the rather give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure and how is that done Why not in believing Doth not Faith make our Calling sure Is Election to be known any way but by believing And how is our Calling i. e. Invitation to believe How is that made good but by answering the Call For he saith doing these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. making Calling and Election sure by getting a sure footing and standing in Christ by Faith you shall not fall or stumble so as to fall and an entrance shall be abundantly ministred the words are so an entrance into his Eternal Kingdom shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministred to you Now Christ he is the Door and a Rich Entrance into his Kingdom ministred to every one that believeth so that the Crisis of our State that the Spirit of God puts us upon in both places is especially about our Faith in Christ which Faith is a Witness in our selves and the Spirit witnessing with it and all ways and means causing our Faith to witness and giving us Light and Evidence from the Word believed to see the Graces of God and Fruits of the Spirit in our Hearts Neonom This is the way whereby the Scripture Saints were assured They concluding their Justication by their Sanctification and a state of Peace by the Truth of Grace 1 John 3.14 ver 9. ver 18. Thus David Paul and other Saints concluded the safety of their state D. W. p. 165. Antinom This is one way but not the only or principal way The Apostle John tells often that Love if it be true and from a true Principle and Root is an Argument of our Regenerate state but that it may be known to be such it must be traced to the Head it being but a stream to see how it flows from the Love of Christ apprehended by Faith whereby we have our Radical hold and standing And as he saith ver 14. Hereby we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Yet lest he should leave us in the dark and we should take false Love for true he tells us there is another Judgment to pass upon our Love before we can argue from it we must find that it flows from our perception of the Love of God in laying down his Life for us and from thence should proceed our readiness to lay down our Life for the Brethren ver 16. In this we know or are assured of God's Love in that he laid down his Life for us The Love of God believed gives the Original Ground of Assurance and is the greatest and the Touchstone to an other A Witness from Men from what is found in us is something but the Witness of God is greater 1 John 5.9 And the witness that he hath given to us in the Gospel concerning his Son testified by the Spirit and applyed by Faith is that Evidence upon which all firm Assurance is Radically Built And you shall plainly see that John doth not found our Assurance Radically upon Love but in Justifying Faith he saith ver 18. Let us be sincere in Love and I will tell you whereby you shall attain to good Assurance ver 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this i. e. in what follows in this refers not to the foregoing Verse but to what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used as the Causal Particle for For in this we shall know or be assured that we are of the Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall perswade our Hearts it 's rendred well assure our Hearts bring our Hearts to Assurance by believing that whereby Condemnation is removed for saith he if this be not whatever Judgment we have of what is in our selves it may deceive us and God knows enough in us to condemn us for if our Hearts labour under unbelief and condemn us whatever we find in our selves will not give us peace and God is greater than our Hearts therefore we must assure our Hearts that way which will hold good in the Eye of God's Justice i. e. by Faith in Jesus Christ ver 21. and saith he if our Heart condemn us not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have chearfulness and boldness towards God and how is it possible that the Condemnation of our Hearts should be taken off but by believing and thereby perswading our Hearts But you will say it may be that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used for to express our believing But I will shew you it is See Heb. 11.13 They all died in Faith having not received the Promises but saw them afar off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were perswaded of them
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
chargeable for them and Imputed to him Hence 3. If they bear their own Sins till they Actually Believe there must be an Hatred of God to such Persons till they Believe Actually which is Death and a Person may perform a Vital Act in a state wherein he is Actually Dead and at the same time 4. This must follow that there 's Believing before Union with Christ and then there must be some other Root from which this Fruit of Faith doth spring and it 's said Heb. 12. expresly Christ is the Author of our Faith I have received this Principle meerly for the vindication of the Glorious Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to Christ alone and therefore refer the being of Faith it self to Christ to this end I deliver that Elect Persons have a participation and share in Christ himself even before they do believe neither would I thereby diminish the Prerogative of Believing for there are glorious things done by Faith in Believers God hath honoured it above all meer Creatures in the World he hath made it the Conduit-pipe for the conveyance of all Peace and Comfort nay of all that strength which believers have all their Lives no Faith no Comfort no Faith no Peace of Conscience no Faith no Pleasure to walk with God The Soul lyes in Darkness while in Unbelief But still that which is proper and peculiar to Christ alone is not to be ascribed to Believing D. Cr. p. 616 617 618. Calvin Mr. Neonom We shall be the better able to take our measures if you will be pleased to state this Point aright and tell us what we may receive for undoubted Truth and what is to be Anathematized for Errour in your Judgment Neonom I 'le tell you then first what is Truth Truth The Atonement made by Christ by the Appointment of God is that for which alone the Elect are pardoned when it is applyed to them D. W. c. 3. p. 15. Antinom Pray Sir give me leave to make my Remarks as you dictate because my Memory is but short 1. You grant then that there is a compleat Atonement wrought finished and accepted by God if so there is a Fundamental Life of Justification laid up and reserved for them in Christ 2. That this precedes their Actual Justification by Faith 3. That this influenceth to Justification by Faith and is objective to Faith and Meritorious of Faith and of the Work of the Spirit working Faith Neonom But the Elect are not immediately pardoned upon Christ's being appointed to suffer for them nor as soon as the Atonement was made Antinom The Question is Whether there is not upon Christ's Atonement Pardon with God that he may be feared Or whether there be not a Life laid up for them in Christ which needs no addition to it There is a difference between Pardon and Pardoned one is the Abstract and the other the Concrete We say where there is Atonement for any there is Pardon but it follows not that because there is Pardon for any that therefore they are pardoned there may be a Pardon Sealed for a Traytor by the King and yet he not pardoned but the Law proceeds against him till the Pardon is sent down and read in Court So the Pardon is certain and finished for all the Elect but they have not the particular Pardons taken out nor pardoned till they believe Neonom Nor is that Act of laying Sins on Christ God's forgiving Act by which we are personally discharged Antinom I doubt you are too presumptuous to prescribe to God which shall be his forgiving Acts and which not if God's laying Sin on Christ be not of a pardoning and forgiving Nature to us I know not what it was did he not do it as a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin was it not his casting our Iniquities behind his Back And is it not this Act of God which reacheth every Elect Person unto Actual Pardon and Forgiveness Yea are we not Justified by this Act of God apprehended and applyed by Faith For is not an Act of God removing Sin from us and laying them on a Surety a Pardoning Act. Calvin I pray Sir deliver your self more distinctly for you do darken and confound things extreamly Neonom I will tell you what is not in Dispute between us in diverse particulars that you may not take up a wrong sense 1. The Question is not Whether Christ made a full Atonement for Sin Antinom Give me but the right scent of you which is hard to keep you make so many banks and turns and I will follow you as close at the Heels as I can You grant Christ made full Atonement for Sin there 's Pardon in that Atonement without Question for all God's Elect. Atonement always carries Pardon in it as its formal Nature or else it 's no Atonement Neonom 2. Nor whether that shall in time be applyed to the Elect for their Actual Remission as the Effect of it D. W. p. 16. Antinom Then there is Atonement wherein is Pardon eventually certain i. e. shall certainly be applyed and being applyed is actual Remission as the Effect therefore this Atonement is the Remission as the Cause and as the Object to be applyed Neonom 3. Nor whether we be so far Released thereupon as that God can demand no Atonement from any who shall submit to the Gospel way of Application of it Antinom It seems then if they will not submit to the Gospel way of Application God can demand some other Atonement from them I never understood before that the Suffering of the Damned was Atonement for where there 's Atonement God is at last appeased but he will never be appeased toward the Damned 2. You said but now that the application of the Atonement to the Elect in time should be I understood you certain but now you make it only conditional in case of their submission to the Gospel way of Application Neonom Nor 4thly Whether the Law be answered and God's Honour so vindicated thereby that the Sins of Men cannot hinder an Offer and Promise of Forgiveness and Life Antinom There 's a great Theological Intriegue here we must endeavour to unravel it What do you mean by answering the Law is it by Active or Passive Obedience or both and for whom for some absolutely or conditionally you tell us of a conditional Atonement and such an Atonement the Scripture is a stranger to 2. You would have us to understand the end and use of Atonement is to fence and secure God against his Law that so he might be at liberty to save Men this is to make an Atonement to Sin and not for Sin your suggestion is that God cannot in Honour offer Life and Salvation till his Law be vindicated i. e. I suppose he took out of the way and abolished that Law so another Law more practicable might be set up in the room of it this is a fine way of vindicating a Law to Abrogate it Neonom Nor whether
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
without one desire to be rid of them D. W. p. 88. Calvin Do you think there will be any Fellowship between Christ and Belial One must be gone When Christ comes in unto the Heart he binds the strong man armed and spoils him of his Goods I am sorry to hear you banter a poor Sinner's believing in Christ under the sense of the Vileness and Sinfulness of his Disposition and the Enmity of his Heart or that you should suppose or suggest to the World that there is any way under Heaven to change the Heart and Disposition savingly or heal the Conscience but by bringing a poor Creature to Jesus Christ and him Crucify'd and saying to him Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved There is Pardon Forgiveness Cleansing in the Blood of Christ therefore the Course that I take always is to endeavour to set the Lord Jesus Christ in all his fulness before an awakened Sinner and if he be yet secure and going on in his evil ways I bring him as near to Christ as I can I endeavour to convince him that he sins against Christ as well as the Law the precicious Blood of Christ that was shed for Sinners I do what I can to bring him to Christ to be taught to be invited overcome by the Sweetness and Amiableness of Jesus Christ and let him know the danger if he persist obstinate Neonom But some degrees of Convictions and Humiliations of Soul are necessary prerequisites to the Souls Acceptation of Christ for Pardon weary and heavy laden that Christ invites Mat. 11.28 I came not to call the Righteous i. e. conceited and secure but Sinners to Repentance Luke 5.31 32. They in Acts 2.37 were pricked to the Heart the Gaoler felt some Humbling concern Acts 16.30 Paul knew what this trembling was so Zacheus and the Prodigal Luke 15.14 15. D. W. p. 87. Calvin All his humblings prickings weariness awakenings were by the Power of Gospel Grace and by the preaching of Jesus Christ Christ's Ministry is enough with his Power to save Souls he needs no prerequisites The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation therewith he wounds and therewith he makes whole Christ makes weary and gives rest he convinceth Sinners and gives Repentance the preaching Christ Crucified pricked those Converts to the Heart and healed those Wounds It was the same Hand of Grace that awakened the Gaoler and when he had a Knife in his Hand even to Murder Christ in his Members and when he saw that was wrinched out of his Hand took a Knife to Murder himself in the height of that desperate Villany he was commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he should be saved The case plainly is this That Jesus Christ himself the Minister of the true Sanctuary and the preaching of him is the only and sufficient Remedy to change and save the worst of Sinners through the effectual working of the Spirit the order and method is various it 's as the Spirit listeth we are not to prescribe any methods or measures of Humblings much less to say such and such Moral Vertues or Duties are necessary Prerequisites and Qualifications before a Sinner comes to Christ The Apostle Paul said That he determined to know nothing i. e. so as to Preach among them but Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 I am for working Humiliations by setting Christ before the most refractory Sinners ' for all Salvation true Mourning and Humiliation proceeds from looking on him whom a poor Sinner hath pierced I am for the bringing of the most Leprous Sinner I cannot engage he will come to wash in this Spirtiual Jordan though I find you are rather for washing off his Leprosie first in the Rivers of Abana and Pharfar Rivers of Damascus Neonom I am not for bringing such foul filthy Sinners to Jesus Christ it sounds very ill in the Ear to say Christ saves Murderers Adulterers Persecutors c. and to invite them to come to Christ reaking in their Sins and under the Reigning Enmity of their Hearts it 's fit that they should be civilized first and this wicked profligate disposition removed and that they have new Hearts before they come to Christ for I tell you Christ will not pardon them else Antinom You mistake the whole sence of the Gospel or will not understand it that you may seem to have a plausible pretence to oppose it When Sinners are invited to come to Christ it 's not meerly under the Notion of Pardon but of all Salvation he is offered and the Sinner is invited to come unto him as having given himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar People Zealous of good Works A Sinner is by the Gospel called to Christ in all states of his Unregeneracy whether openly Prophane or Morally Vertuous one is as easily saved by Christ as the other the former ordinarily sooner easier converted seemingly than the latter neither is the latter better qualified and fitted for the Grace of God than the other That place quoted by you 1 Cor. 14.24 25. is a clear proof how the Word of God's Grace works these true Convictions in the Saving Work and that your Humblings in the state of Unregeneracy are no necessary Prerequisites to the Grace of God Neonom I will discover your Mistakes in these things Because they that truely come to Christ shall have an Interest in Christ therefore he thinks whosoever can perswade himself that he hath an Interest in Christ doth come to him Antinom It would have been well if it had been my Happiness to have attain'd to your degree of Learning and had so great a Capacity for it as you that I might not have fallen under so gross mistakes I confess it's pity a Doctor should be so silly a John-an-Oaks as you represent me But what shall I say to it It 's not every Man's Portion to be Learned or Wise only there 's one Proverb I remember that is some satisfaction to an empty Skull Non est datum cuivis Corinthum appellere But methinks you mistake about my Thoughts if I have Wit enough to tell my own Thoughts It is strange I should be so stupid as Credere quod habeo habeo as to believe that I have when I have not and to call that Perswasion my having I spake of having Christ by coming to Christ and then of our knowing that we have Christ If you will examine what I think I will tell you I think coming to Christ is by believing and appropriating Christ and what is generally delivered of him and by him unto my self if it be by way of Promise offer or command and that this believing is such perswasion of the Goodness and Truth of Christ and his Gospel Salvation that it carries me forth to rest and stay my self confidently thereon and that I can perswade my self of the Truth of my Faith from its Act on its proper Object and
should have excepted some and reserved them for good Works but as to those Essential how comes it that a Man can have no more than is of a contingent Proposition the Judgment whereof is Opinion Neonom Nor whether it be the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good Work D. W. p. 125. Antinom Nor would it have been the question if Adam had persevered in the performance of the Conditions of the Law Covenant he would have done all by the Influence of the Spirit Neonom Nor whether it is for the sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free Grace that any Grace or Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the means of any Benefit these I affirm Antinom Yes for it was through these Merits and Grace that God would suffer us to try for Life in another Covenant of Works he might have taken the advantage of our breaking of the first Covenant as he did upon the Fallen Angels but Christ hath Merited and Grace hath been so far free as to set up another Covenant of Works that we may try for it once more as for your affirming or denying it signifies not much Men that are used to speak always with Mental Reservation will resolve Cases of Conscience like the Oracle of Apollo that you 'll come from them as wise as you went Neonom Nor whether any Holiness internal or external any Obedience Work or Duty do at all Merit the Promise or is the Meritorious Cause of Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed this I deny Antinom It seems you abdicate the word Merit but if it be an Honest Reward as due Debt it is as good the Catholicks will bate you the word if you allow the thing though you put a Fools Coat upon it Neonom I own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our condition in a state of Tryal Antinom So was Creation and Created Holiness in Adam and God's taking him into Covenant in an Order suitable to his Condition in a state of Tryal but you see what his Tryal came to We are miserable if our state in Grace be such a state of Tryal Neonom Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This I affirm and you too though you deny any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. D. W. p. 126. Antinom We affirm it to be not only a Rule of Duty but to stand in full force as to all its Promises and Threatnings that it still promiseth Life to perfect Obedience and threatens Death to the least Disobedience in all without distinction therefore we deny not Threatnings and Promises to back God's Law as to the Elect. Neonom Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy this you own but you place it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care Antinom Gentlemen observe now after all this noise he owns that I say the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy but saith I place it wrong can I place it better than on Christ's Care I think in all our Fears and Doubtings we should cast all our Care upon him by believing his Truth and Faithfulness in the Promise because he careth for us and hath said He will never leave nor forsake us I desire to have no better Security for Holiness and Perseverance in it than the Love of God and the Care of Christ is this a fault Neonom You deny that God hath required as it indispensibly necessary to our Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect. Antinom In your sence I do and if you stand so much on those Terms I shall justly call them into question so far as is necessary in my sence by works you here chiefly understand as I take it works after Faith and Repentance are such Works indispensibly necessary to the Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect Is not Union with Christ Faith c. Blessings promised to the Elect What Works was done before and after the Saving Union with Christ if they were indispensibly necessary how could Infants be saved And how do they Inherit Blessings that Repent and Believe just before they go out of the World And how came the Thief upon the Cross to be Saved Neonom You judge Christ hath done all for us and enjoineth nothing for us to do in order to any good thing Antinom He hath done all in the way of Covenant Condition and doth not admit us to be Rivals or Partners with him in our best Works and how can I think that he enjoineth us nothing when I own we ought to be Holy and shall be Holy From what should it be but from Christ's Commands and Care to furnish us with Rules Principles and Strength to be Holy Doth he not work in us to will and to do Neonom Nor whether a Penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Antinom Then your indispensible Necessity falls to the ground and it seems the first Law of Grace will save a Man and the second is not indispensibly necessary nay it may be a kindness to die upon the fulfilling the condition of the first Law by Faith and Repentance before he comes to run the risk of fulfilling the Condition of the second Law by persevering Works lest he lose all again I am glad I have done with your Whethers let 's come next to your Neithers for we are as wise as we were before about our Question Neonom I 'll tell you then the real difference Whether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required that we may be Justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness Antinom Gentlemen do but take notice how fond he is of his first Justification by Works which we dispatcht t'other day and do declare we are not Justified by Faith and Repentance in your Sence and that to be justified by Faith and Repentance as Conditionating Federal Qualifications though Merited by Christ is downright Popery whether you call such Conditions Merits or no and therefore in affirming it you assert Popish Doctrine and that will stand to though all the Divines in Town affirm it with you and if what 's done already will not be enough we 'll have t'other touch upon that Point when you please Neonom It 's whether Holiness or sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation Antinom You should have told us what you mean by a Way whether the first way or second Remote or next Antecedent or Consequent Conditions what Salvation you mean whether the Salvation of Justification Sanctification or Glorification there 's as much reason good Works should qualifie us for the Salvation of Sanctification as for Justification and Glorification how comes it to pass that all Salvation is not obtained the same way If we must obtain Salvation by good Works we must do good Works before we are
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
not any just Exception you can have against this Divinity there being so clear Evidence for what is here delivered from the Word of God Neonom He saith Faith is the Eccho of the Heart to the Voice of the Spirit Calvin In the Continuation of Pool 's Annotations one of your Vouchers hath this on 1 John 5.10 He that truly believes hath the effectual Impress of this Testimony upon his Soul What is that but the Eccho of it speaking the same thing Neonom He means that Faith doth not evidence our Pardon as it is a Grace wrought in the Soul by the Spirit or a holy Qualification but only as it doth assent to and rest in this inward Voice D. W. p. 163. Antinom No he doth not place this Evidencing Nature of Faith which he speaks of in it as an Act or Qualification for as such it evidenceth no more than any other Grace but Faith hath a peculiar evidencing Nature in it because it is a receiving Grace he speaks not now of Assent it takes Possession of the Promise And would not you have Faith to be assenting to and resting on the Voice of the Spirit in the Word what would you have it be nothing at all Neonom He seems to own that Sanctification is some Evidence Antinom He doth so as was observed before Calvin I pray what is your Sence concerning the way of attaining Assurance Neonom Truth The ordinary way whereby a Man attaineth a well-grounded assurance is not by immediate objective Revelation or an inward Voice saying Thy Sins are forgiven D. W. p. 160. Antinom I judge by this Negation you set by these things from Assurance as having nothing to do ordinarily in it 1. That no Voice is heard any way by the Soul Thy Sins are forgiven that is not to be believed by a direct Act of Faith 2. That Forgiveness of Sin is not revealed to a Believer by the Word of Promise believed 3. That the Spirit of God hath nothing to do in bringing the Soul to appropriate and apply the general Promise particularly to his own Soul So that here as to our believing Forgiveness of Sin neither the Spirit nor the Objective Revelation of the Gospel nor indeed Faith it self in it's receiving Nature hath any thing to do but only as a Sign and Mark set upon the Soul Neonom But when a Believer is examining his Heaert and Life by the Word the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind there to discern Faith and Love and such other Qualifications which the Gospel declareth to be the infallible Signs of Regeneration And he adds such Power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in a Soul a joyful sense of it's comfortable state and some comfortable Freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian And according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak Antinom I observe now though you would let the Spirit have no hand in the Evidence of Faith yet you need its help to enlighten about Signs and Qualifications I pray how doth the Spirit enlighten here Is it by any objective Revelation or by any inward Dictate or Intimation And cannot the Spirit as well enlighten the Mind to behold Christ in the Promise by an Act of Faith as to behold Faith and Love in our selves 2. You will not admit the Declaration of the Gospel received and embraced by Faith to evidence but that it seems the Heart and Life must be examined by the Word as a Rule So that Assurance must be wrought by the Word as a Law not as a Gospel so far as you are come up to a Conformity to the Rule not a Testimony of your Interest in the Grace of the Gospel 3. You had need have the Light of the Spirit to find an infallible Sign in you too though they be declared in the Gospel Hypocrites pretend to them and you cannot tell whether you are any better than a Hypocrite without an infallible Voice of the Spirit according to your Doctrine for you must know that you shall persevere in those Qualifications and it 's impossible for a Man to be assured till Death or can be assured of his Perseverance till then all other Signs will signifie nothing without an Infallible Witness 4. You must have a Power added by the Spirit to the Testimony of Conscience that it may witness the Truth and In-being of Graces What 's the Reason it cannot witness the Truth of our In-being in Christ and add a Power to our Faith to believe even unto Assurance 5. All this Examination Illumination of the Spirit Gospel-Declaration c. may at last beget a joyful Sense or a reconciled State you say but according to you it cannot be Assurance because you cannot yet try by Perseverance the Soul is in a little hopes it 's in a probable way to Salvation but cannot be assured he is in a sure state or shall certainly be saved because he must continue his Justified State by his Works and therefore it 's impossible for him to try and find so far as to Assurance because he hath not persevered you 'l say it may be He must believe his Perseverance and be assured of it by Faith then I say there 's as much ground to believe and be assured by Faith of all our Salvation 6. You speak not of an Assurance in all you have said but of some comfortable Freedom from Doubtings i. e. upon some probable Grounds This amounts to more than Opinion at last the only Judgment of a contingent Axiom and you tell us elsewhere our State here is but of Tryal not decided therefore there can be no Assurance at all in this Life 7. You do well to add at last that according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak And may not that Assurance be so which we call the Assurance of Faith May it not be strong or weak according to the Evidence that Faith gives in being strong or weak Faith But now go on to your Whethers and Neithers Neonom I will shew you wherein the difference is not D.W. p. 164. Antinom So you may and enumerate all things in the World by Sea and by Land besides It is not whether the Sun be the Element of Fire nor how many Regions in the Air nor whether Spirits are material nor whether Anima be ex traduce c. Neonom It is not whether the Spirit witnesseth by his Miraculous Operations to Christ and the Gospel which is a Truth and the meaning of many of the Texts which you quote Antinom I do not know that we were like to stumble there for we speak only of the Spirits witnessing in its ordinary way and so are all the Texts to be understood so far as they have been applyed to our purpose Neonom Nor whether the Spirit as a Worker of Grace in the Heart be an Earnest of Glory and Witness to our state
Antinom Very good then sure if the Spirit be an Earnest of Glory it 's an Evidence of Glory for what is a greater Evidence of a state than an Earnest Yea you say it 's also a Witness of our state if it be a Witness it is by a Testimony and if it bear Testimony and such an one as we take to be a Witness to our state it is something to this purpose Christ is thine thy Sins are Forgiven it must witness something that may beget in the Soul a joyful sence of its reconciled state there contrary to you Assurance must come in the immediate objective Revelation of the Spirit by the Spirits speaking in the Promise believed God is thy God Christ is thine thy Sins are taken away or something to this purpose Neither is this absurd to say the Spirit speaks thus ordinarily by a Voice because it is so interpretatively the Lord speaks when he causeth his Word to speak effectually unto the Heart and whatever Truth of God is made efficacious by the Spirit the Spirit speaks by it If any word of Promise become a truely comforting Word the Spirit as Comforter speaks by it you have granted us here in a manner as much as we can desire in this Point excepting an Equivocating Expression viz. as a Worker of Grace and whatever Evasion you have there this I will say that you make the Spirit an Evidence in its Efficiency it self as an Efficient whereas Signs and Marks are but Evidences as Effects And is not the Spirit received in its first sensible Efficiency in and by the Promise a great Evidence Gal. 3.3 2 Pet. 1.3 Neonom Nor whether the Spirit witnesseth by and with the Conscience in the manifestation of our Graces for Assurance Calvin It is a strange thing that you should make such a loud Cry in the World against a Man for Errour when you in a manner say the same thing and the Word of God asserts it so positively that the Spirit is the Comforter and witnesseth with our Spirits that we are his Children and you say as the Worker of Grace i. e. of all Grace and therefore of this Grace and if it works it must be by some Word of Peace that it speaks and is believed and you say it witnesses by and with the Conscience the Conscience speaking in and by the Spirit and how is the Conscience made to speak Peace more than by the sprinkling of the Blood of Christ whereby an Evil Condemning Conscience is taken away what manifestation of Grace works Peace most the manifestation of the Grace of Christ or of our Graces And these must appear to be the Graces of Christ and slow from him or else they are no Graces the Witness of the Spirit and the Intelligible believed Voice of the Spirit particularly applying the Declaration of the Gospel of Peace must be in all and is the most settled ground of all comfortable Assurance Neonom Nor whether the Spirit of God may in some Extraordinary Cases give an immediate Testimony by a Voice or some Equivalent Impressions D. W. p. 164. Antinom 1. You grant that sometimes the Spirit may witness by Voice or Equivalent Impressions 2. The Extraordinary Cases you here speak of must be meant of some not so usual in an ordinary way 3. I would know whether then the Spirit is to be believed and how its Voice may be distinguished from the Voice of a False Spirit 4. Whether when you speak of a Voice you mean an Articulate sound or such a still Voice as the Spirit speaks by which is an Impression of Gospel Truth with a particular application to the Soul this as you say is Equivalent to a Voice and it is the Eccho of the Word of Promise in the Heart and this is not an Extraordinary nor unusual way bringing Souls to settled Peace and Comfort Neonom But then there was the Truth of Grace though it was doubted before and nothing utterly inconsistent with true Grace either in the Heart nor then appeareth to the Conscience Antinom So that there is first a Witness from our selves before there 's Witness from the Spirit but how comes it that this Witness from our selves hath not Credit enough with it to be believed For if it hath whence comes doubting Here 's truth of Grace and nothing appears to the contrary and yet the Person doubts Doth any Man doubt of any thing when he apprehends nothing to the contrary And you say there 's the Truth of Grace before the Spirit witnesseth who wrought this truth of Grace do you not say that it witnesseth to our state as a Worker of Grace Neonom I will tell you where the true difference lyes 1. Whether none attain Assurance but by the Inward Voice of the Spirit pronouncing the Actual Forgiveness of Sins without manifesting their true Grace and Sanctification This you affirm and I deny Antinom You should have made the first Question whether any Assurance is attainable till Death because Perseverance is one of your Infallible Marks and all others signifie nothing unless we can take up upon that and that must run out to the last moment before we can 2. We affirm that there can be no Assurance without knowledge that our Sins are Forgiven assign an Assurance without it if you can and your Assurance from marks must come to this if it be Assurance 3. This must be by the Spirits pronouncing of it or no way when you have found all that you can it 's God must speak peace or else it will never be and Peace of Reconciliation however you Banter God's Reconciling the World and the Spirits bringing home the Word of Reconciliation 4. Who ever spake of the Spirits manifesting Forgiveness without manifestation of the whole Grace of God that brings Salvation in Sanctification as well as Justification both comes under the Witness of the Spirit and therefore you are besides the Question and state it not right Neonom The next Question is Whether the usual way of attaining Assurance is by the Conscience upon Tryal discerning and concluding through the help of the Spirit that a Man hath those Graces or Signs which describe a Man Blessed and Pardoned according to the Gospel This I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. That I deny Sanctification to be a sign of Justification is false for that which is an undoubted Effect is a sign of the Cause and an Argument of it to conclude it by 2. It 's not the Question whether it be not the usual way of attaining Assurance de facto such Gospel Preachers as you are still putting them upon this way and telling them there 's no other safe way 3. The Question is whether this be the only way Whether another way ought not to go first Neonom I will now confirm the Truth by some Arguments 1. This is the way that God appoints to attain Assurance 2 Cor. 13.5 2 Pet. 1.10 Antinom This is one way who denies it and a Duty
find it otherwise c. Answ There is not one Fit of Sadness in any Believer whatsoever but he is out of the way of Christ to which I add as follows which he mentions not I mean in his Fits of Sadness in respect of his jealousness of his present and future State he is out of the way of Christ he enjoys not him as he ought while he is in such fits therefore the Apostle puts Believers upon rejoycing always Phil. 4.4 There is matter of nothing but joy in him while theâ—e is mournings in Believers there is meltings in those mournings and more joy in mourning of a Believer than in all the mirth of a wicked Man Believers weep for joy according to the Proverb and never mourn more kindly than when they see the joy of the Holy Ghost in the freeness and fulness of the Lord Christ poured out upon them there is never any more kindly mourning for sin than that mourning when the Soul is satisfied of forgiveness of sins I say the Soul is first satiâ—fied with forgiveness of sins i. e. it ought to mourn in the faith of forgiveness if the mourning be kindly and of a Gospel-nature before there is that real kindly mouring in those that are Believers Gentlemen I crave your Pardon that I give you the trouble of hearing me repeat so much of my former Discourses but I am fain to do it for my vindication he having so rent and tore my Sermons in sunder on purpose to expose them and my Name yea I wish that were all that it be not the very Gospel-grace itself that he bears such a spleen to else sure he would never make such a scorn of solemn and serious Truths of Christ Neonom I shall not spare you for your Whining you say God doth no longer stand offended nor displeased though a Believer after he is a Believer sin often Dr. C. p. 15. Antinom I was shewing from John 14.6 that Christ is the way the only and effectual and infallible way from all the wrath of God to all that do receive him 1. From the affection of Wrath Let me tell you would to God you could receive it according to the manifest evidence of Scripture God doth no longer stand offended with a Believer tho' a Believer after he be a Believer doth sin often And where is the Believer that doth not sin often when he hath once received Christ and unto them God saith Anger is not in me Isa 47.4 and Isa 53. He shall see of the travel of his soul and he shall be satisfied i. e. pacified The travel of the Soul of Christ makes God such amends for the sinfulness of all Believers that he can no longer stand offended and displeased with them if God remain offended with them there is yet some of their sinfulness to be taken away Except God will be offended where there is no cause to be offended which is Blasphemy to speâ—k he will not be offended with Believers for I say he hath no cause to be offended with a Believer You must understand always quoad Deum as to God he being satisfied because he doth not find the sin of a Believer to be the Believer's own sin but he finds it the sin of Christ i. e. by way of Imputation so I always mean He was made Sin for us he laid the Iniquities of us all upon him the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all Sin he bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree but if he bear our Sins he must bear the displeasure for them nay he did bear the Displeasure the Indignation of the Lord and if he did bear the Indignation of the Lord either he did bear all or but a part if he did not bear all the Indignation of the Lord then he doth not save to the uttermost those that come to God by him Heb. 4. I say not to the uttermost because here is some offence some indignation left behind and for lack of taking of this indignation upon himself it lights and falls upon Believers so that you must say Christ is an imperfect Saviour and hath left some scattering Wrath behind that will light on the head of a Believer c. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonomian what is the Truth in this Point It is you must set us right and shew us all our Mistakes Neonom Truth The Sins of Believers have the loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God sees and accounts the committers guilty thereby D. W. p. 170. Antinom What do you mean by the loathsomness of Sin Is not Sin in all its respects loathsom and is it not loathsom as it is contrary to the preceptive part of the Holy Law Is there any fine sweet precious part of Sin Did not Christ bear Sin of the deepest die most loathsom Sins Is it any otherwise loathsom than as a Transgression of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Christ took away 1 Joh. 3. But how not that they were subjectively removed from us but that the inherency of them in great measure remains in us and God knows it but before the eye of Justice all sin of a Believer as he stands under the Sanction of the Law is taken away i. e. as to the Condemnation and Wrath that belongs unto him he is freed from it by the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ Neonom And they ought to charge themselves with it so as to stir up themselves to repentance and renew their actings of Faith on Christ for forgiveness Antinom They ought to be always sensible of and humbled for the constant indwelling and frequent breaking forth of their Sins and Corruptions but always beginning in the Faith of the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ and therefrom exercise Repentance and Humiliation or else their Humiliation and Repentance will not be of a right nature nor attain a right end and we own such Actings of Faith and Repentance ought often to be renewed by the best of God's Children Neonom Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a justified state Antinom Therefore to believe they are in a justified estate and not to cast off the spirit of adoption and betake themselves to a spirit of bondage and if they ought to believe their justified state then they ought to believe their freedom from condemnation for a justified state and a state of condemnation are the highest in opposition indeed privantia the one totally expels the other Neonom They must not fear their justification further than their faults give them just cause of suspecting that sin hath dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere Antinom As to suspicion of the truth of believing our way is not to charge sin upon ourselves as lying under the Wrath of God for it this will work in us the highest despair or such degrees of unbelief as tend thereto but in case of such
this Society the Overseers of my Will with this Proviso That if Mr. Neonomian do refuse or do not well and truly execute this my last Will and Testament in the agreed Judgment of this Society that then the whole Trust shall devolve upon the said Society which I doubt not but they will endeavour faithfully to perform Calv. Mr. Neonom Will you accept of this Executorship Neonom I do not know what Power he hath to dispose of the Goods of other Men I take it to be great presumption in him if not dishonesty to dispose of other Mens Proprieties seeing he renounceth them all Antinom Sir I crave your Pardon I must confess Mr. Calvin he hath given me a just Rebuke for when we met in the Eutopian Fields finding me Anonymus he was so courteous as to lend me or rather impose upon me the Name of Mr. Antinomian during my short Converse here he having two Names himself he could lend me one for a little while which as you see for Conversation sake I have made use of with an Intention to return it yea in the mean time did declare and did plead it against all Men that it was Mr. Neonomian's Propriety and therefore I now return it to him accordingly Neonom No no Sir I gave you that Name as your Propriety it best expressing your Opinions Antinom Then Sir you 'l grant I have Power to bequeath it in my last Will and I bequeath it to you Calv. But by your favour Sir it 's a judged Case and therefore you have not Power to bequeath it if you borrowed it it 's Honesty to return it before you depart Neonom What do you mean by a judged Case Calv. I mean that Mr. Neonomian hath before this Society sufficiently given us to understand that his Opinion is that the moral Law is vacated and a new Law brought into the room of it Antinom And more than that there are certain Divines in this City great Friends to this Society that have excepted against his Principles as highly Antinomian Therefore take it as your own by Law Vale. Antinomus Exit Anonymus Calv. Now Sir your great Antagonist is withdrawn I shall deal plainly with you and briefly sum up the Heads of these things wherein it hath manifestly appeared by the foregoing Debates that you have given abundant cause of just offence by your late Writings 1. That you have unjustly charged and misrepresented Dr. Crisp by your self owned to have been a holy Man 2. That you have falsly stated those things which you call Truths and Errors 3. That you have vented your own erroneous Tenents and endeavoured to prove them agreeable to the Articles Confessions and our Orthodox Protestant Writers by perverting their Sense or misapplying what they say when as they are most repugnant to you 1. As to the said Doctor you charge him unjustly with those things which are directly false I shall give an Instance or two of it You say this is one of his Errors chap. 1. that he saith That if the Elect should die before they believe yea when they are under the Dominion of Sin and in the Practice of the grossest Villanies they are as much the Sons of God and justified as the Saints in Glory Whereas he expresly denies the truth of this Charge in his Vindication he makes of himself against some who in his Life-time had reproached his Doctrin and Ministry as you do now p. 637. They say that I should affirm that if an elect Person should die a Whoremonger and Adulterer c. in all kind of Prophaneness he shall be saved He appeals to his Hearers whether ever they heard him Preach any such Doctrin and declares it a gross notorious and groundless Slander And his following words are I said before and say again That there is no elect Person suppose him to be capable and come to years shall die before he is called i. e. before the Lord give Faith to this Person to believe and in some measure frame him to walk by the Spirit according to the Rule of the Gospel The second false Charge is Chap. 2. Err. 2. That he should make Christ the real Blasphemer Murderer c. and that he was so accounted of the Father Whereas he asserts and vindicates the Innocency of Christ's Person he saith only that Christ was accounted a Transgressor from a real Transaction or Imputation of our Sins to him in which Doctrin the Scriptures are most full and express 3. You charge this Error upon him Chap. 10. That Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murderers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this only by concluding in their own minds upon this offer that Christ is theirs That Christ ought to be offered to the vilest of Sinners and they invited to come unto him is sound Gospel-truth tho' you condemn it for an Error And is it possible a Man of Conscience can slander a Man whom he owneth to be holy with such a notorious Falshood That he should assert that Christ is offered to Men that they remaining ignorant unconvinced and resolved in their purpose to continue such might be assured of their Interest in Christ concluding only in their minds that Christ is theirs this we have proved to be a notorious Slander Many other Falshoods have been proved 2. As for Misrepresentations they run thorow the whole Book 1. Of Dr. C. that you may abuse and expose him 2. Of other noted Writers and Confessions you have horridly misrepresented them to serve your turn in asserting Error and condemning of Truth In misrepresenting Dr. Crisp you have either perverted his meaning and partially rehearsed his Expressions or else condemned what Truth he asserts and defends as great Errors As to the first we have sufficiently made it manifest in some Instances in the first part and it hath abundantly been proved in the whole progress of our Debates And here it is not amiss to add a word or two to what is said to your Error in the sixth Debate that you make a great Cry and Noise about viz. That Dr. C. should say That Christ while he bore Sin and was under the Punishment thereof was the Object of God's abhorrence The Doctor 's words are p. 180. All that hatefulness and loathsomness of Sin is put upon Christ that he stands as it were the abhorred of the Father for a time 1. You leave out as it were 2. You improve this to a hatred of the Person of Christ and a separation of his Natures upon his using the word Separation as Exegetick of forsaking both Scripture Expressions concerning Sin and Christ 3. You hereby manage your design of beating down the Doctrin of Christ's bearing God's Wrath and Curse for us as you do the Doctrin of his bearing Sin 4. As to the word abhorred upon a diligent Enquiry we find it to