to work in us that Internal Holiness and Purity which is the Perfection and Accomplishment of the Figurative and Typical Righteousness of the Law which he gives us in other words p. 267. What the Law could not do i. e. govern our Minds and Passions this God effected by sending Christ into the World to publish the Gospel to us and to confirm all those great Promises and Threatnings contained in it with his own Blood This is indeed a parcel of excellent Divinity but that it 's wholly destitute of truth For 1. he supposes That that Law whose weakness the Apostle assigns as the Reason of Gods sending his Son was only the Ceremonial Law the Falshood whereof I shall demonstrate if that be not too great a word for any mans Mouth besides his own by and by 2. He insinuates that the whole of Christs being a Sacrifice for our Sins lay in confirming the New-Covenant the Falshood whereof the next Section will give us direct occasion to evince 3. He makes the whole business of the Ceremonial Law to represent inward purity and perhaps to effect it whereas though some of the Ceremonies did represent inward purity yet the main of their design was to lead to Jesus Christ and particularly Sacrifices which represented that Atonement and Reconciliation which Christ in due time should make with God on the behalf of Sinners Col. 2. 17. The Law had a shadow of good things to come but the Body is of Christ. 4. He scandalously charges it upon God that he appointed a means to an end which was found too weak to reach his End As if God must try conclusions and make experiments before he could be certain whether his design would take and his appointments reach their End 5. He renders Christ's Coming into the World unnecessary for what though the Ceremonial Law could not effect that inward Purity yet I hope God had means to effect it unless he will say all the World till Christ's Coming were whited-Walls and painted-Sepulchres For what was become of the Moral Law all this while had it no power to effect that End 6. He tells us p. 269. That the Reason why the Law of Moses was abrogated was because it could not make men good But then the Moral Law was either able to make men good or it was not If it was not why was not that abrogated also If it was able and had its effect then what need of Christ to come into the World to effect that which the Moral Law was able to effect without him But the true Reason why the Ceremonial Law is expired is because the Lord Jesus Christ has answered and fulfilled all that is represented When the Sun is risen the Shadows fly away there was no formal abrogation either made or necessary to be made it expired of course when Christ had made good what-ever the Ceremonies had exhibited to their Faith 7. He tells that Christ came to work in us that inward Purity represented by the Ceremonial Law but for all his good-morrows when he is throughly catechifed Christ's working is no more than those sufficient arguments and motives to excite their own wits whereby they might work it themselves and I cannot tell whether he will deny that the Jews had sufficient motives and arguments for that end under their Law 8. He contradicts himself which is no news for whereas he had said p. 265. That the Law was designed to work in them inward purity He says p. 269. That the Law nursed them up in a ritual and external Religion and taught them to serve God in the Letter by Circumcision and Sacrifices or an external Conformity to the Letter of the Law And then I hope God could not justly blame them much less damn them for being Hypocrites if they did as well as and no better than his own Law taught them Nay he adds That the Gospel of Christ alone teaches us to worship God with the Spirit and to offer a reasonable Sacrifice to him This is strange Doctrine but it 's less matter for that if it be but true But was not God always a Spirit and did he not always teach his People to worship him with their Spirits How osten does God complain that they drew nigh him with their Lips when their Hearts were far from him which he could not well do if he taught them no better It 's a Riddle to me that these Ceremonies should represent inward purity and yet not teach it when they had no way to teach that Purity but by representing it 'T is true the Gospel teaches us to worship God in the Spirit in opposition to Ceremonies but God always taught his People to worship him with their Spirits in opposition to Hypocrisie Psal. 51. 6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts Did God institute a Law a Law so chargeable and burdensome and all to teach his People to worship like Parrots to mumble over their Mattens and like Puppets to make an outward noise without a rational Principle to guide it If they had no reasonable Service why were they reasonable Creatures But a little more reverence of the Divine Majesty would confute a great deal of such blasphemy Let us now seriously consider the Text and 1. It will be necessary to enquire what that Law is whose weakness the Apostle assigns as the reason of God's sending his own Son And for all the Authors presumptions I am well satisfied it was not the Ceremonial Law for what if the Ceremonial had proved weak what if it had been resolved into its first nothing the Moral stood still where it always did and what need of Christ's Coming into the World upon that account There was a time when the Ceremonial Law was not created and what if it had been again repealed and annihilated things had been but in statu quo But that the Law here mentioned is the Moral Law the Connexion of the Apostle's Words his Premises out of which he draws his Conclusion will abundantly manifest In Chap. 7. v. 7 He tells us he had not known sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet But sin taking occasion from that Law wrought in him all manner of Concupiscence v. 8. Nevertheless he clears the Law v. 12. The Commandment was holy and just and good had an intrinsick goodness righteousness in it and this he calls v. 25. The Law of God Now the Apostle having said v. 10. That this Commandment of the Moral Law which was unto life in God's Original Institution he found to be unto death Nevertheless Chap. 8. v. 1. he assures us That there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and he shews how Sinners are brought from under that Condemnation v. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That impossible thing of the Law where the Apostle adding the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
than the Gofpel allows The Question then shall never be stated by me thus Whether we must Obey or no Keep the Commandments of Christ or no And that upon Peril of Eternal Damnation But whether out of this Obedience of ours may be gathered that righteousness in which we may safely venture to appear before the Iudge of all the Earth in the great day as that which we resolve to stand and abide by venturing our all upon it This is that the Doctor thinks the Apostle reproved Rom. 9. 31 32. Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law Where the Apostle Intimates that though we do not directly seek a righteousness by the Works of the Law yet to do it Obliquely and Indirectly is destructive and that the Doctor intends no more no other than this is evident from the words our Author calls in And though I would have walkt according to my own mind yet now I give up my self to be wholly guided by thy Spirit This Netled our Authors Conscience and he takes Sanctuary in the most wretched Subterfuge that ever betrayed it's Confider What a pretty Complement does the Soul make to Christ We are now sheer gone from the Truth of the Principle to the Truth of the Heart in receiving it If it proves a Complement in the Mouth of an Hypocrite yet in Thesi its a Truth That whoever receives Christ upon his own Terms does renouncing his own will and way give up himself wholly to be ruled by the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures At this wiâ—…d rate I have often heard a silly Quaker answer this Proposition Iesus Christ that Died at Jerusalem is the Saviour of the World Ay says he but doest thou witness that from the Light within 2. Others make Obedience necessary upon the account of Christs Fulness But this he says makes it no otherwise necessary then as we are necessarily passive in it However if it be necessary upon any account it 's enough to make him blush that flatly Charges it upon them to say it 's not necessary But to be passive in our Obedience is all the Soul means in giving up it self to be ruled by the Spirit of Christ. Then the Soul means Nonsence For to give it self to be ruled by the Spirit has something of Activity in it Our help and asistance to give up our selves is from the Spirit but the giving up is an an act of the Souls 'T is the Believer that obeys and yet the ability to obey is from the Holy Ghost It 's the Creature that works and yet its God that works in him to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Phil. 2. 13. It 's the man that believes and yet he believes according to the working of Gods mighty Power Ephes. 1. 19 20. What is it else that he prays to the Spirit for O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon us miserable sinners But all this might have been Superseded had our Author duly Recollected what he has Subscribed and openly given his Assent and Consent to in the 10th Art of the Church of England We have no power to do Good works acceptable to God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good Will and Working with us when we have that good Will Allow but the Doctor the Benefit of the Clergie and he will need no more to bring him off though that very Article would prove our Authors Neck-verse In the Work of Grace the Spirit Acts according to the Nature of the Subject which is here the Rational Creature He gives not new Natural Powers but a new Moral ability to Exercise them he bestows not a new Will Physically but enlarges it from its Fetters discharges it from its Slavery and powerfully though Gently enclines it to Gods Testimonies not destroying its radical self-determining Power and hence I conclude our Author is but sorrily Skilled in the true meaning of souls when they Profess a subjection to Christ. The Soul meant honestly she had no Mental reservation none of these Quirks and Tricks but plainly and sincerely Designed to give up her self in all Obedience to her Lord and Saviour She in her Text intended very singly but our Author has Commented upon it Knavishly I said so indeed in haste another would have said perhaps Foolishly for what more Idle Chat could he have Learn't from the good Women his Neighbours at Billings-gate than a willingness to obey against ones Will. This is all our Author is willing to own of the Grounds of our Obedience but I shall help his weak and frail Memory a little though to his great Regret Doctor O. Com. pag. 212. Obedience says the Doctor is necessary as a Means to the End N. B. God hath appointed that Holiness shall be the Means the Way to that Eternal Life which as in it self and Originally is his Gift by Jesus Christ so with regard to his Constitution of our Obedience as the Means of attaining it is a Reward and God in bestowing of it a Rewarder though it be neither the Cause Matter nor Condition of our Justification yet it is the Way appointed of God for us to walk in for the obtaining of Salvation And therefore he that hath hope of Eternal Life Purifies himself as he is Pure and none shall ever come to that End who walketh not in that Way for without Holiness it is impossible to see God The bare Repitition of which words are as plain and full a Rebuke to all our Authors Dirty Nasty Reflections as a reasonable Creature can desire But these things we shall meet withall anon and therefore here they shall lie ready in Banco till our Authors Leisure shall call for them I had now eased my self and my Reader of any further Vexation in this Section had I not unhappily overseen one Passage in Mr. Watson from which our Author thinks he has some Advantage The words are these Evangelical Truths will not down with a Natural Heart such a one had rather hear some quaint Point of some Vertue or Vice stood upon than any thing in Christ c. Which he thus Canvasses Such sanctified Souls and Ears loath all Dull Insipid Moral Discourses which are perpetually Inculcating their Duty on them and Troubling them with a great many Rules and Directions for a good Life which he is pleased to call the Quaint Points of Vertue and Vice Good Sir be not angry have but a little Patience and all will be well to your Hearts Content Mr. Watson does not Inveigh against your Poynant Invictives against the one or your most Elaborate Encomiums of the other Run down sin at the highest rate of Zeal and Fervency you can render Prophaneness as Odious and expose her for a Fulsomè sâ—…urvy Baggage if you please Invent new Names for her
with that Reverend Divine and tell her to her Teeth she is a Tatter-de-mallion and a Rapscallion And let Vertue Duty and a good Life be Urged and Pressed upon the Conscience with the most Cogent Arguments that Reason and Scripture will afford you Mr. Watson will Live and Sleep and Love you They are only these Quaint Nice Finical points of Vice and Vertue which he and all Judicious Christians who had rather have their Hearts and Lives better'd than their Ears tickled do Disgust A Quaint point of Vice at which your Jesuites are so Excellent that they have acquainted the World with more Sublimated and Speculatives Rogueries than perhaps else the Devil himself had ever thought of Such we meet with in their Books of Casuistical Divinity where men are Taught an Art of sinning to be Villanous in Mood and Figure and as some have reacht the perfection of Poysoning by Smells at a distance so have these Infected the World with their Theories of Monstrous Debaucheries They have started Game for unclean hearts to Hunt down and set unsanctified Nature agog for those Pollutions of which it had else lived in a blessed Ignorance There are Quaint points of Vertue too which will not down with any sanctified Souls and Ears who desire to hear of their Redeemer and their Obligations to him upon the Account of what he has Purchased and Procured for them When one that suppâ—…ies the place of the Minister but more fit to fill up the room of the Ideot shall with a starched Gravity Dress you up a Vertue A-la-mode like a Morice-dancer with a comely Feather in her Cap Ribands at her Ears and Tuneable Bells at her Heels and then come off with a Flourish Oh what a goodly thing is this Madam Vertue Let him that speaks speak as becomes the Oracles of God let him without affected Quaintness with a serious Spirit in the Words which the Holy Ghost teacheth open the Excellency demonstrate the Necessity of any Vertue and Mr. Watson is very well contented Having now made an Essay towards the Reconciling Mr. W. and our Author I hope I may without Offence proceed Before our Author takes his leave of his Reader which he does with much Civility he lets him know what he has had for his Money First he tells him He has given him an entire Scheme of a New Religion resulting from an acquaintance with Christs Person But we crave leave to Demur to that It 's neither a Scheme much less an entire Scheme of any Religion New or Old only a Wispe that he set up to himself to Scold at Next he lifts up his Masque that we may see the full Face of his Design for hitherto he has been in Masquerade and that he tells us was to Expose these Mens Principles to Scorn But that we saw through his Vizor and needed not his Gazet to give us an Advertisment that his chiefest Talent lies in Misrepresenting mens Persons their Expressions and Intentions in casting Dirt upon the the sincerest Actions and Invidiously traducing the greatest Truth of the Gospel Thirdly He tells us That every considering Person cannot but discover how Inconsistent the Religion of Christs Person and of his Gospel are But this Distinction was but the Superfoetation of his own Parturient Brain we own one God and one Mediator between God and man one holy Spirit one Faith one Baptism delivered to us in the Scriptures of Truth And further than the Scriptures have a Tongue to Speak we have no Ear to Hear Whereas therefore a certain Vagrant Principle concerning the difference betwixt the Religion of the Person and Gospel of Christ has been taken Begging at our Doors and would have Father'd it self upon us Now know all men whom it may Concern that we have Executed the Law upon it have Stript and Whipt it and do hereby send it from Constable to Constable till it shall come at the Parish of St. George ButtolphsLane and the Rectory there where the Brat was Born and Bred and there 't is most fitting it should be Maintained The Reader cannot but Observe that how Hotly soever our Author is Engaged in the Pursuit of his Design yet he can always find leisure to have a Fling at the Acquaintance of Christs Person If there were but two things in all the World to Rail at one of them should be Acquaintance of Christs Person Hence it is that he has not got a finer Nick-name for those he would Vilifie than the Acquaintances of Christ. Thus pag. 56. As these bold acquaintance and familiars of Christ use to speak p. 68. As another great acquaintance of Christ speaks which though it be perfect Nonsence yet serves to express his Scolding Humour well enough Now I confess I cannot Divine what should thus give Fire to his Choler and enflame his Passion against acquaintance with Christ. It must be either the Name or the thing it self that I am satisfied in 1. Then Is it that Term that disliks him Alas poor Word What harm had it ever done him I could wish that to prevent Quarrels and keep the Peace he may have liberty to make some other word its Substitute and Surrogate Let it be the Knowledge of Christ the Understanding of Christ or what ever other Synonima his Sylva will furnish him with rather than to have such a continual Peal rung in our Ears with this Acquaintance And yet he might have known that the Word is no worse than what the Learned Translators of our English Bible saw or thought they saw Reason to employ It has now lain so long Mellowing in that Version that it might be presumed to have lost the Austerity of its Nature and to have been Sweetned to his Curious and Judicious Palate In Iob 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the word signifies to Familiarize our selves to a Thing or Person And the same word is used to express Gods own Knowledge of and Acquaintance with his Creatures and all their ways Psal. 139. 3. Thou art acquainted with all my ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it s opposed to a strange overâ—…y Carriage when we live at a distance from another as if there was no good and clear Correspondence between us and the truth is it implies a thing called Communion and therein lies its Guilt But 2. I suspect that it is acquaintance with Christs Person that has provoked all this Rage Acquaintance with any Thing or Person else might have scaped a Scouring and yet under Correction 1. The Scripture presses it as our Duty to Study Understand and get a through Knowledge of the Personof Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. But grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to him be Glory both now and for ever Amen And 2. We find holy Men to have made it their business to get an acquaintance with Christs Person which this Gentleman makes it his business to Reproach
in Question but hear his proof 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body In which says he the Apostle seems to allude to Baptism which conferres the same Holy Spirit on us All and thereby makes us all Members of that one Body which is his Church I think he is resolved never to produce a pertinent Scripture to prove the plainest Truth For 1. here 's but an Allusion at most and has he scolded all this while against Allusions Allegories and must he lay the main stress of his Argument upon an Allusion 2. It but seems to Allude neither and that weakens the Credit of it exceedingly An Allusion a seeming Allusion A shadow the dream of a shadow Any thing or Nothing will serve his turn for plain demonstration when a Mans Name is up for a demonstrative Man he may lye in bed till noon 3. This Baptisme says he conferres the same Holy Spirit upon us all But the Apostle sayes no such matter but the contrary by the Spirit we are baptized and not by Baptism receive the Spirit Thus the Spirit Unites us to Christ then comes Baptism which looks backward as a Seal of what we have received and forward to our visible state in the Church and hence it appears that our Union to Christ is the Reason of our Union to the Church and not our Union to the Church the Means to unite us to Christ. 4. Baptism admitts not into a particular Church but the visible Church at large and then it will be harder still for our Author to prove from thence that the Union of particular Christians to Christ is by Means of their union with a particular Church under the Bishops and Pastors But if Allusions will not pass currant Then sayes he more expressely in Eph. 4. 4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit as you are called in one hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism That is the Christian Baptism is but one and is A Sacrament of Union making us all the Members of that one Body of Christ this is called being Baptized into Christ i. e. Admitted into the Christian Church by a visible Profession of our Faith in Christ Now for a small matter I could grant him all this and yet despair of seeing his Conclusion Baptism is but one be it so It 's a Sacrament of Union take it for granted It makes us all Members of that one Body of Christ which is his visible Church let it be supposed But still I wait for proof of this That by Baptism we are all really united to Christ. But here are some things very pretty 1. Baptism is but one and is a Sacrament of Union Very good and so is the Spirit but one and therefore he is the Means of Union 2. By Baptism we are made Members of the one Body of Christ that is of the Visible Church but is there no means to make us Members of the Invisible Church 3. This is called being Baptized into Christ. But is there no other way of uniting us to Christ but by Baptism 4. We are admitted into the Christian Church by a publick Profession of our Faith in Christ Very true we are solemnly admitted into a Visible Station in the Visible Church thereby alwayes supposing Repentance whereby we forsake sin and Faith whereby we steadfastly believe the Promises of God made to us in that Sacrament which has already united us to Christ. 2. The Lords Supper is a Sacrament of Union and signifies that neer Conjunction between Christ and Christians Signifies it It presupposes an Union both with Christ and a particular Church All are supposed in one sence or other to be in the Church to be in Christ that are admitted to it Read over the Exhortation in the Liturgy at your best leisure My duty is to exhort you to consider the Dignity of this Mystery And so to search and examine your Consciences that you should come holy and clean to a most Holy Feast for otherwise receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but encrease your Damnation Again in the other Exhortation For as the benefit is great if with a true penitent heart and lively Faith we receive that holy Sacrament for Then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood Then we dwell in Christ and he in us so the danger is great c. and therefore if any of you be a Blasphemer of God N. B. an hinderer or a slanderer of his Word N. B. an Adulterer or be in Malice N. B. or Envy or any other grievous crime bewail your sins and come not to this holy Table least the Devil enter into you as he did into Iudas But what can be more evident our Author supposes we are united to the Church united to Christ by Baptism and therefore surely this other Sacrament confirms our Union and does not first Create it I have long waited for an Argument to enforce his Conclusion and now we shall have it The Intention of our Lord and Saviour in what he did and suffer'd for us was not to reform and save some single Persons but to erect a Church and to combine all his Disciples into a publick Society A fairer Truth never dropt from his Pen which some will like the better because it is so handsom and proper a Confutation of the whole Section For if this be Christs design to combine all his Disciples into a publick Society then sure they were his Disciples related to him as their Lord and Master before such combination Now to be a true Disciple of Christ is no such slighty and trivial matter that we may be such a one and yet not united really to Christ It implyes Self-denyal taking up the Cross and following Christ and that will go a great way to an Union with Christ and yet of such as these it 's granted the Christian Society must be composed But he copes up all this with a little Reason And therefore our Saviour does not own any Relation to particular men as such but as they are Members of his Body As such Now for an Explication of the Quà He owns no Relation to particular men as such that is as particular men No I am very well satisfied of that for then he should own a Relation to all particular men for à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia But does he own a Relation to particular Believers as Believers will he own a Relation to a Disciple as a Disciple I am sure he has promis'd to own those that own them as Disciples and I am as sure that if a particular Church be a combination of Disciples he will own his Disciples wherever he finds them so that I was just a concluding the clear contrary if our Author had not given me timely Notice That because Christ does combine all his Disciples into publick Societies that therefore he does own and is so related to united with and will have
Church believed at all adventures right or wrong he has introduced another full as easie The Belief of the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead A Faith happily contrived for the Genius of this sparing Age which saves us two parts in three of Christ's Offices and eleven parts in twelve of our very Creed 3. Let it be modestly examined also whether To be justified through Faith in the Blood of Christ and to be justified by believing that God raised up Christ from the Dead â—…e expressions of the same importance If they be then we may be said to be reconciled to God by the Resurrection and that Christ in being raised from the Dead was made sin for us a Sacrifice for sin and it 's something strange that none of the Apostles could hit upon such expressions as might recommend them and their writings to our Author's Charity 4. Let it be considered also whether Christ's Resurrection was the last Argument he gave to confirm the Truth of the Gospel I think his visible Appearance to his Disciples after his Resurrection and those Miraculous Operations he then put forth his Ascension into Heaven whilst his Disciples looked on his pouring out the Spirit upon the Apostles enabling them to speak with Tongues his empowering them to work Miracles many years after his Resurrection and Ascension were all Confirmations of the Truth of his Gospel and all subsequent to his Resurrection 5. Let it have a place in our Thoughts too seeing Christ's Resurrection was the great Confirmation of his Doctrine without which all the rest and especially his Death had been no Confirmation of it and yet Atonement Propitiation Reconciliation Redemption are not ascribed to it whether the Death of Christ to which all these are ascribed have an Influence upon our Acceptance with God only as it confirms his Doctrine It is strange that the Apostles should word matters so crosly to attribute those things to the Death of Christ which do most properly belong to the Resurrection and those things to the Resurrection which do most properly belong to his Death And all-out as strange that our Author should make such a noise with Atonement Reconciliation Redemption and ascribe all these to his Death when-as upon the sole-Reason of his Ascribing them to that Death they are much more rationally applicable to his Resurrection There are some well-meaning Souls no doubt that have read our Author's Book who finding such Glorious things ascribed to the Death of Christ Iustification by his Blood Redemption by his Blood Reconciliation by his Blood lift up their Eyes and cry out What pitty it is that such a sweet young Gentleman that has written such a precious Piece of Union Communion Sacrifice Atonement Redemption and Reconciliation stuft so full with Orthodox Propositions should be taken upon suspicion for a Socinian and yet when we come to scan these fine words they prove nothing but a company of sweet Flowers stuck about his Dead Body And to be justified by Faith in the Blood of Christ is no more but to believe that Christ is a Prophet sent to reveal God's Will to us The Conclusion of the whole Matter then will be this If the Death of Christ has no other influence upon our Acceptance with God but that it confirms to us this Truth That God will pardon and save them that believe and obey the Gospel it has no influence at all upon God for that End for which I refer my self to the Reader and the Reader to the foregoing Discourse He goes on Hence is it also that the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant and therefore all the Blessings of the Gospel are owing to the Blood of Christ because the Gospel-Covenant it self was procured and confirmed by the Blood of Christ. I am now perfectly cured of my Ambition to be one of the Corporation of your Rational Divines and if this be Reason I do by these presents renounce it for ever Here are two words Hence and Therefore which always pretend to inference and conclusion I shall examine how well they make good their Pretences First Hence I pray whence Out of what Premises is this Conclusion deduced That the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the Proper and Immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant Let us look back as far as fairly we may To be justified by Faith by the Faith of Christ by Christ by his Blood c. signifie one and the same thing and Hence it is that the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ c. And really turn it quite backwards and it will conclude as strongly The Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel Covenant and 〈◊〉 it is that To be justified by Faith by the Faith of Christ by Christ by his Blood c. signify one and the same thing Now when he can once bring matters into this Posture he is safe and out of the Gun-shot of Reply for which way soever you come to attaque him you must deny the Conclusion But let us leave out the Hence and consider the words absolutely The Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant To which I answer 1. It 's just as easie for another if he had but a Licence to say The Apostles attribute such things to the Gospel-Covenant as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Blood of Christ and with better Reason because whatever acceptation our Services and Duties our Repentance and Obedidience find with God is clearly assigned to the Blood of Christ. But 2. This is a foul scandalous slander which he throws upon the Apostles they give to the Blood of Christ it s own proper and immediate Effects they rob not Repentance and Obedience to adorn the Sacrifice of Christ with borrowed Plumes They give to Christ the things that are Christ's and to Faith Repentance and Obedience the things that are Theirs They ascribe our Redemption to the Blood of Christ as a proper Price paid to God and they ascribe to Faith it s own Efficiency to interest us in the Benefits of that Redemption They ascribe Reconciliation to the Blood of Christ as its immediate proper Effect without any intervening Act of the Creature for that End and they ascribe to Faith Repentance and Obedience their proper and immediate Concerns to put us into the actual and full Possession of all the Fruits of that Reconciliation made with God They attribute Pardon of Sin to the Blood of Christ who was made sin for us an expiatory Sacrifice to remove guilt that is the Obligation of the Sinner to punishment and they attribute the Application of that Pardon unto Individuals unto Faith as that whereby we receive Christ and all his Benefits 3. If these be the proper and
reputed the onely Children of God He removes that small Objection telling them Christ had already removed them in his Flesh in his Person he was the summe and substance of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having already in his Flesh or Person made void the Law of Ordinances and already dissolved that Partition Wall He that has Reconciled you to one God has also brought you into one Church which he repeats again ver 16. That he might Reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the Enemy thereby or in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are first the Parties Reconciled Jews and Gentles Secondly to whom they are Reconciled to God Thirdly the Fruit of this Reconciliation to God They are brought into one Church amongst themselves Fourthly The Means whereby they are Reconciled to God that so they might be capable of being United into one Church and that is by the Cross of Christ or by himself on the Cross who bare our sins on the Tree 4. The Apostle shews the way and means of promulgating this Peace which he had made with God and that was by the publick Preaching of the Gospel ver 17. He Preached Peace he made Peace with God and then Preached it to the Gentile World He that had procured good will towards men Preaches Peace on Earth How little ground now had our Author to say That we are said to be Redeemed by the Preaching of the Gospel when the Preaching of the Gospel is nothing but a Declaration of that Redemption which Christ has made of Jew and Gentile with God and the way and Method to be partakers of the benefit of it And now to draw to a close of this Matter let us re-view our Authors Doctrine of Redemption The Redemption of Iew and Gentile he makes to differ as much as the Faith of Abraham and that of Christians 1. They differ in the matter of Redemption that which they were Redeemed from The Jews they were Redeemed from the Ceremonial Law the Gentiles they were Redemed from Idolatry and impure practises 2. They differ in the manner of procurement for the Jews Christ says he by his Death put an end to that Legal Dispensation and so their turn is served that little Redemption that they needed which is all our Author can afford them was Actually accomplisht by the Death of Christ which was a proper and immediate cause of their Redemption such a one as it was but then the Gentiles they were Redemed after another fashion by the Preaching of the Gospel whereby they were turned from Idolatry and impure practises And this shall be called Redemption because it were dangerous to ascribe it to the blood of Christ for an Obvious Reason that he knows of but because the Scripture says we are Redeemed by the Blood of Christ and gives that Blood a concernment therein therefore to stop the â—…uth of the Scripture it shall be said we owe the Preaching of the Gospel to the blood of Christ. 3. There is one thing more from whence our Author flatters himself with hopes of great success and that is by mis-representing the Analogy between the Iewish Sacrifices and the Sacrifices of Christ Two things he attempts 1. To shew what it is under the Law to which the Death of Christ his Ascention into Heaven and presenting his Blood to God does Answer 2. What it is under the Law to which his Intercession Answers Which project of our Authors has been contrived and managed with a great deal more subtilty by those who would storm or blush to see their Arguments thus miserably abased 1. To the former of these he expresses himself thus Now as the Death of Christ upon the Cross and his Ascention into Heaven and presenting his Blood to God in that most Holy place did answer to the first sprinkling of the Blood under the Law which confirmed the Mosaical Covenant as the Apostle Discourses in Heb. 9. c. In which few words he has heaped up more absurdities and follies than another must hope to bring into twice as many For 1. Here is a supposition of Christs presenting his Blood to God in Heaven distinct from his Intercession which when he shall offer to prove it may be time to consider it 2. He supposes that Christs Ascention into Heaven answered the first sprinkling of blood under the Law A most ridiculous supposition For what is there in sprinkling that answers to Ascention or bears the least Analogy to it Surely these Gentlemen that create such parallels and fancy such uncouth resemblances must have some mad design in their Heads which nothing will subserve but such forced allusions And I do not now wonder that he should so tediously rail at the use of Allusions in others for they will deserve the most of scorn that can be thrown upon them if they be all like his own 3. That the Death of Christ upon the Cross did Answer the sprinkling of Blood under the Law which confirmed the Covenant is very true but then 1. It must be remembred in what respect it confirmed the Covenant not meerly as a witnessing to the Truth of what he has preach'd but as Answering the demands and claims of the Governing Iustice of God as we have before shewed 2. It must be remembred also that it was not such a Covenant as he has imposed upon us but the true Covenant of Grace wherein God promises to give that which our Author will not own the New Heart New Spirit and New Obedience 3. That to confirm a Covenant was not all the design of it's sprinkling but diverting of the wrath of God procuring his favour c. So the Blood of Christ has greater ends than confirming of the Truth he taught viz. the appeasing Gods just displeasure procuring his Actual Love pacifying of the Conscience cleansing the Soul 4. He supposes also that the Apostle Discourses to this purpose Rom. 9. which is to make the Apostle accessory to his own groundless fopperies who is indeed perfectly innocent of these crimes For 1. The sprinkling of the blood which the Apostle mentions Heb. 9. 9. in that mentioned Exod. 24. 6. Now there was another sprinkling of blood Antecedent to that which we read of Exod. 12. to which the blood of Christ did Answer and to which the Apostle refers as is evident from Heb. 11. 28. Heb. 12. 24. 2. The sprinkling of Blood Heb. 9. 19. being the same with that Exod. 24. 6. shews evidently that as the whole concern of the blood sprinkled at that time was not confirming a Covenant but Atoning God So the whole concern of the blood of Christ is not taken up in confirming a Covenant much less such a thing as he will mis-call a Covenant but in Reconciling God to Man paying a price of Redemption to God c. 3. That the Apostle carries another Argument is evident For 1. The Typical Interest which those Sacrifices had in Redemption were accomplish'd before the