Beloved in whom we are created again unto good Works How can Christ's sinless Obedience from the beginning of Life to the end which takes in his Conformity to the Law be imputed to the Guilty and fallen Creature or that Conformity be the Everlasting Righteousness wherewith the true Believer is invested when as 't is not the Works of the Law but the Righteousness of Faith that Justifies and Recommends to God And this is inwardly possâ—…ssed where true Faith and the Obedience thereof is injoyed and Lived in it is not Christ's Conformity to the Law that Justifies us but his making us conformable to his own Image and Partakers of his Everlasting Righteousness for which God pronounceth us just for men are not imputatively Righteous or Just when actually condemned as Guilty Sinful Fallen Creatures And further I deny that Christ's Conformity to the Law whilst on Earth doth either constitute or reckon us righteous from the Beginning of Life to the End for that God according to his Grace and Mercy forgiveth Sins that are past before Faith and after his Visitation and Mercy is received the Law and Righteousness of Faith enjoyns us to Newness and Holiness of Life without which he will not acquit us He will not acquit the Wicked If I sin thou markest me and wilt acquit me from mine Iniquity Job 10. And then shall we sin because we are no more under the Law but under Grace God forbid c. His saying But were the Works of Faith perfect yet could they not be a justifying Righteousness p. 95. Though Righteousness in the Abstract and as it is everlasting doth not consist or is not made up of any Work outward or temporal Acts yet to conclude that the Works of Faith â—…hough perfect cannot be justiâ—…ing is contrary to the Apostle's Testimony of being justified by Faith whereby we have Peace with God and you see â—…hou that â—…Y WOâ—…KS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED and nâ—…t by Faith only Was not our Father Abraham justified by Wâ—…ks when he offered up his Son Isaac Aâ—…d God will ordain Peace for us for he hath wrought all â—…ur Works in us Isa. 26. and then are not his Works in us â—…ding to our Justification and Acceptance being reckoâ—…d ours as wrought in us Are not these accounted of witâ—… the Lord from the Dignity of himself that worketh them For to him it is said thou hast also wrought all eur Works in us To that Question Will he say that Abraham did not in Faith circumcise his Son Answ. But he was Justified before that for Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness when he was in Uncircumcision Though every Act of true and living Obedience both before under and since the Law was done in Faith yet are they not made Righteous by the meer Works but by that Power and Spirit of Faith that works them And If A S we are made Sinners and condemnable by One Man's Disobedience we be S O made Righteous and Justifiable by the Obedience of One then we must be as really made Righteous in the second Adam as we were Sinners in the first Adam A S in Adam all dye S O in Christ shall all be made alive A S we have born the Image of the Earthly S O we must bear the Image of the Heavenly which is not from a meer Imputation oâ—… either without a real Participation They are not Innocent or Clear in themselves who are either made or reckoned Sinners by one Man's Disobedience nor are they without the Participation of Christ's Righteousness in themselves who are made Righteous by his Obedience They that receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reign in Life by Jesus Christ Death hath passed upon all men for that all have sinned Sin hath really reigned in man unto Death and so must Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life God's Imputations or Reckonings to Man are true whom he reckons Sinners are inherently such and whom he reckons Righteous are so likewise but the Hypocrite who can Justifie the Wicked is an Abomination unto God Howbeit contrary to what I have said S. S. reasons viz. We are not Partakers of this by our actual Commission of it Iâ—… cannot be said we are Parâ—…ers of Adam's Sin in that we are personal Offenders it must be therefore by Goâ—…â—…mputation Obs. By this he hath explained his â—…se of the Imputation of Adaâ—…'s Sin and Christ's 〈◊〉 and sâ—… of 〈◊〉 and Justification and â—…o by this Rom. 〈◊〉 â—…9 is thus to be read AS by One man's Disobeâ—…ience many were made Siâ—…ners that were not actual Sinners SO by the Obedience of One many are made Righteous who never actually obeyed an easy pleasant and Sin-pleasing Doctrine for the Ungodly Sinners and Hypocrites â—…rom whence also it follows that they are condemnable by Adam ' s Disobedience Children are not excepted he saith who never committed actual Transgression and so they are Justified by Christ's intire Obedience who never actually obeâ—…yed him and what 's this but still the old Abomination to Condemn the Innocent and Justifie the Guilty or Wicked S. S. adds Let the words be weighed by one man's Disobedience many were made Sinners it is not here said By many Personal Disobediences we are made Sinners though this be true c. p. 96. Rep. By one man Sin entered into the World Death by Sin yet it is not Adam's Sin intirely as a particular Person that is imputed though from one Offence sprung many â—…or Death reigning in Man is an Effect of his own sinning being in the Nature and Image of the first Man in whom all dye Death hath passed over all Men for that all have sinned even over as many as have not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression which still implies they have sinned after some Similitude or Manner yea many in a more gross Manner then Adam sinned that yet think themselves Imputatively Righteous It was not only the Offence as committed by him alone but the Offence or Sin and Nature of Enmity continued and committed by men themselves and also springing up into many Offences which makes many Sinners As it is not the Father's eating sower Grapes alone that sets the Childrens Teeth an Edge but every Man that eateth the sower Grape his Teeth shall be set on Edge the Soul that sinneth it shall dye every man shall dye for his own Iniquity And further Why should Adam as a particular Person be so very much exclaimed against and blamed whereby many Hypocrites think to ease themselves and over look their own Iniquities seeing that you know not but that Adam found Repentance and Forgiveness However since Adam sinned there were Righteous Generations left namely Seth whom God appointed unto Adam as another Seed in stead of Abel Gen. 4. 25 26. and 5. 3. and afterward Enoch came forth who walked with God Gen. 5. 24. and Noah and his Family with whom God renewed
tender Mercy can and doth afford Remission upon true Repentance and his Justice can pronounce him â—…nocent that is purged from the Nature Root of Sin washed from Iniquity Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving Kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercy blot out my Transgressions wash me throughly from mine Iniquity c. Psa 51. 1 2. They whose Transgressions are thus blotted ouâ—… who come thus to be washed and saved through the Washing of Regeneration such come thus to be justified by his Grace can be pronounced Innocent as being washed and sanctified and such have the Demand of a good Conscience And though Pardon and Justification look not back at the unconverted State with Severity but with Remission upon Conversion yet they require what God's Covenant doth afterward to the End of our Dayes that is not to live in Sin but in Christ's Righteousness The Grace or Favour of God teacheth us that denying Ungodliness and wordly Lusts that we should live godly and soberly in this present World Tit. 2. 12. To be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness p. 93. is the very Thing I plead for and if in Reality the Man stood to this the Controversie would soon have an End And he further assents to Truth viz. If this Righteousness be not put on by Faith we are not invested with any Thing for which God should declare or pronounce us Righteous From whence observe That we must be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness if God pronounce us Righteous Take Justification and Imputation in this Sense and then we differ not in this Matter but how well this agrees with imputing and reckoning Guilty Condemned Fallen Creature JUST or INNOCENT only on the Account of Christ's Sufferings and Death while such condemned Creatures are invested with Sin and Guilt and not with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness Will his telling us of Christ's Death imputed p. 97. make up the Matter 'T is true Christ is our Surety and that of the new Testament or Covenant 1st For that without him we can pay no Debt nor truly obey or fulfil the Terms thereof on our Parts but in and through him that strengthneth us 2dly Of the New Testament also in fulfilling the Promises belonging thereto for all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in him David describes the Blessedness of the Man to whom God imputes Righteousness without Works saying Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven But then S. S. is not pleased to take notice of but overlooks the following Words viz. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is NO GUILE See Psal. 32. 1 2. If it were only a Man thus qualified that the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Justification were pleaded for we should not have this Controversie but should agree That the Man in whose Spirit is NO GUILE is blessed He is the Man whom God pronounceth Just and Innocent his Transgression is forgiven his Sin is covered And though it is said God imputes Righteousness to him without Works yet 't is to be understood it is not without a sincere Obedience because that in his Spirit there is no Guile and then without what Works 1. Not without the Work of living Faith 2. Not without yielding true Subjection or Obedience unto God in his spiritual Requirings or Law of Faith for Abraham did not only believe God but by Faith yielded â—…o obey him Without what Works then but the Work of the Law of Works as wrought by the Flesh or stâ—…nly Jew by which no Flesh shall be justified I mentioned Câ—…rcumcision and others that were Types or Signs wherein the Righteousness of Faith doth not consist see Divin of Christ p. 64 65. in which this Point is opened and cleared But to this S. S. objects viz. He errs calling the Ceremonial Law a Law of Works in giving this the Lord gave a Law of Grace to his People p. 94. Rep. If the Ceremonial Law be not a Law of Works but a Law of Grace he should have been so Ingenuous as to have told us what the Law of Works is which the Apostle distinguisheth from the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. as he dâ—…th between justifying Faith and the Deeds of the Law as wrought and boasted in by the literal Jews And whether the Law of Works be some Law inferiour to that of Circumcision other Types But to shew S. S. his Error in denying the Ceremonial Law as he calls it to be the Law of Works let him consider that after the Apostle excludes Boasting not by the Law of Works and concludes a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law he saith Is Hâ—… the God of the Jews only Is He not also of the Gentiles and that it is by Faith that God justifies both the Circumcision and the Uncircumciâ—…on and that Faith was reckoned to Abraham â—…or Righteousness not in Circumcision but in 〈◊〉 and that he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being Uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that beâ—…ieve though they be not Circumcised c. See Rom. 3. 28 29. and Ch. 4. 10 11. Gal. 2. 16. and 3. 2 5. and 4. 10. And â—…urther If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing ch 5 2. From all which 't is plain 't is no Error to say the Law of Works as opposed to the Law of Faith is that enjoyning Circumcision and other Signs and Shadows these the Works which are not imputed unto Justification nay I shall further grant that all Man's Works or working whatsoever before a living Faith are neither available nor accountable unto his Justification with God and on the other Hand that a true and sanctifying Faith and believing in God from a Sence of his living Word or holy Command in the Heart is accounted for Righteousness to him that so believeâ—…h before he hath performed his actual Obedience even while in the Faith he is passively waiting upon God as being ceased to do Evil that he may receive Strength to act Good even while he is so believing and waiting and breathing to the Lord and saying draw me and I will come after thee lead me and I will follow give me Strength and I will walk in thy Wayes come let us walk in the Light of the Lord c. knowing that it is the Power of God that begets living Faith and thereby changes and sanctifieth the Mind unto a living and sincere Obedience and this Faith is the Giâ—…t of God a Fruit of his own Spirit and therefore accounted of by him and reckoned unto us I would not make the Scriptures speak that God imputes Works wrought by us without Works by us as S. S. falsly accuseth me p. 94. But rather that God imputes his own Works in us without any self-Works wrought by us and accepts us in the
Sacrifice for Sin is not any Matter in Question or Doubâ—… with me but that God obeyed God by way of a rigid or strict Payment made to himself as a Satisfaction to absolute Revenge or vindictive Justice thereby to acquit Man continuing in his Sin and Imperfections This I utterly deny as repugnant to the very Language and Tenour of the holy Scriptures and Testimonies of the holy Men which require Obedience and Faithfulness to God and a walking in his Light on our Parts 3. As also your Continuance in Sin and yet thinking your selves absolved or justified by Christ's Dying for you is contrary to the very Intent of Christ's Dying for all which was that as many as live should not live unto themselves but unto him that dyed and rose again 4. While he shuts out Justification as done or effected by God obeying God as he saith how is the Creature to put this on as a Robe seeing these Men like not to be concerned in Christ's inherent Righteousness or Holiness as a Matter of Justification Which while they are not Partakers of nor cloathed with they are cloathed with Sin and Iniquity the Rags of old Adam and self-Righteousness â—…vered with a Covering but not of God's Spirit and how then should they be invested with the best Robe upon these filthy Garments or while unstript of those old Rags Surely they will find it otherwise 5. For they will find that if they appear before the Lord not having on the Wedding-Garment the white Linnen the Righteousness of Saints they will be found speechless and be turned out as unmeet Guests their own Guilt will stop their Mouths that they will not be able to plead and say O God thou hast obeyed thy self in our Nature for us or Christ's Obedience Suffering and Death is imputed to us for our Justification we are very fit Guests only on that Account though we be all our Dayes disobedient polluted and sinful in our best Actions This will be no Plea for you neither will God say then bring forth the best Robe and put upon these mens filthy Rags and polluted Garments but Friend how camest thou hither not having on the Wedding-Garment take this evil Servant and cast him into utter Darkness Devart ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not God will take Vengeance on all them that know him not who obey not the Gospel but obey Unrighteousness and Tribulation and Anguish will be upon their Souls 6. The Prodigal's coming to himself and returning to his Father's House with Regreet and Bewailing himself to his Father saying Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy Sight I am not worthy to be called thy Son and the Father's meeting him with Compassion and then calling for the best Robe to put upon him and allowing him sumptuous and joyful Entertainment upon his Return and Repentance This makes for our Purpose The Prodigal did not remain in his Extravagancy nor among the Swine from his Father's House confidently telling his Fellows That though I be an Unfaithful and Disobedient Son and thereby am become poor and ragged 't is sufficient that I believe and apply my Father's best Robe and Entertainment that he hath in his House at this Distance and in this my Rebellion Nor did he say to his Father when he met him Father thou hast been faithful and hast perfectly obeyed and fully paid thy self in my stead for me which I must look upon as my Absolution and Acquitment from all thy Anger Frowns and future Punishments though I continue a Disobedient Rebellious Son all my Dayes thy Obeying thy self is my whole Discharge for all my Iniquities past present and to come c. Surely this was not the returning penitent Prodigal 's Song though it be the impenitent Presbyter's but Father I have Sinned c. make me as one of thy hired Servants His inward Remorse and Penitency spake sorth it self as his acceptable Plea and there is Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth not over impenitent unmortified Hypocrites and Boasters of Christ's Righteousness without them and they living in the World without it or him either I have often granted and confest that neither by the Deeds of the Law nor by mens own Actions are any justified with God But the Man's concluding that our personal Obediences to God's Will and in God's Strength are the Deeds of the Law whether we obey from Faith or without Faith they are the Deeds of the Law and what is the Consequence Therefore not justifying or our Obedience by Faith to the Will of God and that by his own Strength is not concerned in our Justification And both these I must deny as unsound and unscriptural for 1. The Deeds or Works of the Law by which no Flesh shall be justified are not that Obedience of Faith which the Apostles preached which was and is acceptablâ—… to God nor that justifying Faith or Belief in God which is Obedience itself and without which it is impossible to please God or be justified Dare he deny that this believing is Obeying 2. To conclude obeying the Will of God from Faith not to be of a justifying Tendence is repugnant to plain Scripture Jam. 2. 24. And note that if all Works and obeying God even from Faith must be counted the Deeds of the Law by which none be justified then this makes the Apostle James's Testimony void as thwarting Paul's where James said Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works c. And Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness Jam. 2. 21. 23. And was not this Believing of God a real Obeying though not those Deeds of the Law spoken of Rom. 3. 20. For the Obedience or Works of living Faith which justifie in James his Sense and the Works of the Law not of Faith which Paul mentions are two differing States and Things otherwise there would be a Clash between them Again If Abraham's believing God was imputed to him for Righteousness and so the Righteousness of true andliving Faith be imputed to them also who walk in the Steps of the Faith of Abraham who was faithful obedient for any to oppose the Imputation of this Righteousness as to its being within or endeavour to exclude this Righteousness of Christ and Faith from true Believers as only wrought without them and not within them because imputed or reckoned theirs it were as good Doctrine to exclude true Faith and Obedience of it as all wrought without us not within us and yet say t is imputed to us for living Faith which worketh by Love and the Righteousness of it are inseparable But the Man is greatly confounded in a self Contradiction where he grants that Christ's Justifying Righteousness that is Imputed is the same that redeems our lost Souls p. 100. which is true And yet he shuts out not only Believers personal Obedience to the Will of God through Faith and God's own Strength but also Sanctification and
was further urged against him And he that abideth in Christ sinneth not doth not commit Sin in whose Spirit is no Guile To this he answer So far as Regenerate and acting from the Regenerate part they do no Iniquity This is such Tautologie or as good sense as to say they do no Iniquity so far as they do no Iniquity whereas the Words are positive and plain They are undefiled in the way they keep his Testimonies they walk in his wayes Whereas he still insers the Saints are not perfectly free from Sin for when Paul did NO Iniquity Sin dwelt in him and yet in that State Paul said The Evil that I do I would not Did he do Evil and yet no Iniquity or was Victory over and Freedom from that Evil not attainable by him in this Life What Evil did he live and dye in or what Sin must remain in him now being deceased till the End of the World S. S. Nor will G. W. say I suppose no Man is Regenerate but who is perfectly free from Sin To this I say according to his own words before As while the Saints are Persecting they are not perfected so there is a Regenerating and a Travailing in Birth before Regenerated and born again Of Rom. 8. 1. he saith This intimates there is Flesh in such though Guilt is Removed Herein is a two-fold Error couched 1st Implying the Guilt removed while the Sin it self remains as if a Man could commit Sin and not be Guilty of it 2dly He confounds Sin and Flesh and renders them Inseparable whereas he grants in the Scripture before there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not aâ—…ter the Flesh but after the Spirit He perverts Job 9. 19. and 1 Jâ—…h 3. saying If I sin as do the wicked with Allowance here he adds WITH ALLOWANCE for it is plain if I Sin then thou markest me whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin It is not Doth not commit Sin with Allowance as do the Wicked And the Saints on Earth enjoying Communion with God and Saints in Heaven as he saith is not a Communion in Sin neither is the Being of Sin according to the Will of God in Heaven which is prayed for so to be done in Earth If he grant it our Duty to be Perfect or perfectly to obey while he denyes Power or Possession for that End his Work is Weakness it self and inconsistent with it self God is no such Hard Master as to enjoyn Impossibilities upon us or to require Obedience beyond the Power he gives Will he say None are Sanctified that have any Sin in them I say according to his Concession before There is a Time of Sanctifying as well as Perfecting before the Work be effected which ought to be throughout in Body Soul and Spirit If he cleanseth away all Guilt from Believers and the reigning Power of Sin in this Life Why should the Being of Sin remain till the next He hath waâ—…hed us from our Sins in his own Blood before which there is a time of having Sin 1 Joh. 1. 8. yet said he My little Children These Things write I unto you that ye sin not chap. 2. 1. Can the Work of Faith and Grace be sinful He answers Faith it self can be imperfect therefore the Work of Faith Lord I believe help my Unbelief Imperfection is Sin Perfection is Duty p. 67. Rep. By the same Reason Unbelief is Sin but Faith is Duty They ought not thus to be confounded nor Unbelief which is the Creatures Defect imputed to Faith which is the Gift of God a Fruit of his Spirit therefore pure as he confesseth to his own plain Confutation The Work or Thing wrought is alwayes perfect for its Part Nature or Kind the least Draghm of Grace true p. 68. From whence it follows that true Faith is pure in its kind and not sinful nor having Sin mixt with it though it doth grow and encrease Degrees of that which is of a pure or perfect Nature do not alter its Property And the saving Work of the Spirit is carried on by degrees His citing 1 Thes. 3. 10. praying that we might see your Face and perfect that which is lacking in your Faith p. 68. This proves not true Faith to have Sin in it but that in some there might be something lacking in it as to Growth and Increase of Effects and which some read thus FULFILL that which is lacking It is not that we might add more Purity to your Faith but more Joy Comfort Refreshment Edification c. unto you in the Faith for Imperfection where it imports only the Want of full Growth or Maturity of that which in its kind is pure is not Sin and Imperfection and Sin have not the same Signification for Imperfection as it relates to a Thing or Work not fulfilled or finished it implies a Work begun and they who have known the Work of God begun in them and Faith in his Power they dare not plead for Sin nor cast it upon God as his good Pleasure that the Being of Sin should not be removed in this Life but know that the good Pleasure and Will of God is their Sanctification and therefore wait upon him for the perfecting of it His accusing David with having Failings in the End of his Dayes and asserting the Perfection of his War-like Attempts not of his Graces p. 68. This Accusation against David he hath neither proved by Scripture nor shewed what Failings he had in the End of his Dayes nor yet that his Graces were imperfect for God was the Lise and Grace of all his Graces and he said God is my Strength and Power and he maketh my Way perfect 2 Sam. 22. 23. And were not his inward War-like Attempts against his Soul's Enemy both perfect and succesful as well as his outward Did he not confess to the Lord Thou hast also given me the Shield of Salvation and said He is the Tower of Salvation and in his last Words He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation 〈◊〉 Sam. 23. The Means for a Man to have his Way made perâ—…ect is to know the Lord to be his Strength and Power a strong Tower and Salvation Thus he is known to them that truly wait upon him If in this Life our Work be not to let Sin reign not to obey it in the Lusts thereof p. 68. why should we either commit Sin or the Being of it remain in us when we have received Power so far to subdue it and bring it under And if the Lusts of it be not obeyed but watched against they will be subdued so far as Sin may neither be brought forth nor have a Being If the Operation or working of the Spirit â—…e alwayes perfect he working by infinite Wisdom and Power p. 68. though the saving Work thereof be not presently fulfilled in all those Degrees of Perfection it is to attain unto
here inserted testifie X. ANTISTHENES one of Socrates's School expressing himself as it were Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5 That thou mayst know that there is none like Me in all the Earth saith God Exod. 9. 14. 8. 10. Who in Heaven can be Compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be Likened unto the Lord Psal. 89. 6. by way of Paraphrase that Prophetick Saying Whom have ye likened me unto saith the Lord thus speaks He is like none because no Man can know him from a Likeness or Image By which we may perceive he did not believe him to be an Image who could not be known by an Image nor any thing that could be seen with Carnal Eyes a Step beyond the Romanists that teach the Knowledge of as they darkly Fancy by Images XI PLATO also Schollar to Socrates and whom the Greeks for his Heavenly Contemplation and Pious Life surnam'd Divine gives us his Faith of God in these words God is FIRST ETERNAL I am the Alpha and the Omega the First the Last Rev. 22. 13. Thou art the Everlasting God Isa. 40 The Way of the Lord is Perfect Psal. 80 30. He is a Rock his Work is Perfect for all his Ways are Judgment A God of Truth and without Iniquity Just Right is he Deutr. 23. 4 For I am the Lord Isa. 45. 5 I Change not Mal. 3. 6. INEFFABLE PERFECT IN HIMSELF that is needing none and ever Perfect that is absolute in all Times and every way perfect that is absolute in every part Divinity Essence Truth Harmony Good Neither do we so name these to distinguish one from the other but rather by them all to understand one He is said to be GOOD because he bestows his Benefits upon all according to their several Capacities and so is the Cause of all Good FAIR because he is in Essence both More Better and Equal TRUTH because he is the Principle of all Truth as the Sun is of all Light Moreover God not having many Parts can neither be locally mov'd nor alter'd by Qualities For if he be alter'd it must be done by himself or some other if by some other that Other must be of greater Power then he if by Himself it must be either to Better or to Worse both which are Absurd From all these it Follows That God is Incorporeal and by all which it is evident how True and how Reasonable and how Firm a Belief Plato had of One Eternal Being and Father of all XII And Lyricus MELANIPPIDES praying saith Clem. Alex. Hear me O Father thou Wonder of Strom. L. 5. Exod. 1. 15 11. Psalm 136. 4 5 6. Men who alwayes Covernest the Living Soul This plainly preaches to us their Belief of One Eternal God XIII PARMENEDES Magnus as saith Plato in Clem. Alex. Sophista writes concerning God on Strom. L. 5. Thy Throne is establisht of Old thou art from Everlasting Psal. 93. 2. Jehovah is Everlasting Isa. 26. 4. this wise He is not Begotten neither is he lyable to any Death like a Chain whose Links are Whole Round and alwayes Firm and Void of a Beginning What was this but the Eternal God by whom all things were made the First and the Last XIV ZENO a Grave and Wise Philosopher who instituted the Way of the Stoicks but not of Vertue both the Cynicks and Stoicks mostly teaching such Doctrine as tended to good Life may well be said to have been the Followers of Socrates the ExcellentMan of his time only they a little differed themselves by some particular Severities too Voluntary which the Mild Serious and Unaffected Piety of Socrates gave them no Encouragement to though none of them trod in a more Self-denying Path then History tells us he walkt in This Zeno and his Disciples were Vigorous â—…sserters of One Infinite and Eternal God as by their Doctrines may appear Zeno tells us That God is an Immortal Being Rational Laert. Perfect or Intellectual in Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the Only Wise God be Honour and Glory forever 1 Tim. 1. 17. The Rich and Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all Pro. 22. 2. Come now let us Reason together saith the Lord Isa. 1. 18. Be ye Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy Levit. 11. 44. One God and Father of all of whom are all things Ephes. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 8. 16. Who is a God like Aristot. de Xen. unto thee Exod. 15. 4. The Almighty is Excellent in Power Job 37. 23. And his Kingdom rules over all Psal. 103. 19. Beatitude void of all Evil provident over the World and things in the World Not of Humane Form MAKER OF ALL AS IT WERE FATHER OF ALL. Again God and the Power of God is such as that it governs but is not governed It governeth all things so that if there were any thing more Excellent He could not possibly be God This was Zeno's Faith of God which I cannot believe that Tho. Hicks himself has so far abandon'd all Reason as to censure for False or Idolatrous that he Taught It as well as Thought It. Let us hear some of his Followers XV. CHRYSIPPUS also avers as his Belief of a Laert. de Ira Dei c. 10. God that the World was made by him consequently he believed there was one For if Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and all that in them is Acts 4. 24. God that made the World Psal. 90. 2. All Nations are unto God but as a Drop to the Bucket and the Dust to the Ballance Isa. 40. 11 15. saith he there be any thing which can procrâ—…ate such Beings as Man indued with Reason is unable to produce that doubtless must needs be Stronger and Greater and Wiser then Man but a Man cannot make the Celestial things therefore that which made them transcended Man in Art Counsel Prudence and Power And what can that be but GOD Thus far Chrysippus the Stoick in reference to God But again XVI ANTIPATER a Famous Serious and Accute Stoick in his Discourse of God and the World declares Plut. himself to us after this manner Plat. phaed. God is a Spirit John Antip. de Mund. l. 7. 4. 24. In whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom Knowledg Col. 2..8 Of the Incorruptible God Rom. 1. 23. The Lord is Good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works Psal. 85. 9. God is not far away from every one of us Acts 17. 27. We understand by that which we call God A SPIRIT full of INTELLIGENCE or WISDOM a Living Nature or DIVINE SUBSTANCE Blessed and INCORRUPTIBLE doing good to Mankind PRESENT THROUGH THE WHOLE WORLD receiving several Denominations from the DIVERSITY OF HIS APPEARANCES and the various Operations and Effects of his Divine Power shewn therein Which kind of Evangelical Definition may very rightly induce us to
throughout all the Generations of the Righteous since the World began being the Rock of Ages that spiritual Rock whereof all Israel drank 1 Cor. 10. 4. who said before Abraham was I am this great and most eminent Prophet God promised to raise up unto Israel of their Brethren which was in a more familiar Appearance even in the Flesh though his spiritual Out-goings were before from of old and he was called the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3. 14. who faith behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me ver 20. Now I ask what and where is that Door that he so universally knocks at And is not this the true Christ that thus knocketh And was not his Light or Word in Israels Hearts and his Spirit in the Holy Prophets by which they fore-saw his Coming in the Flesh his Sufferings and Glory that should follow Now though the pure Light and Glory of the Father was more fully eminently and signally then ever before manifest and shining forth in him as coming in the fulness of time to consummate and end the Types and Shadows of the first Covenant whereby he gave a more eminent and signal Testimony of God's Universal Love and Power to man this is no Argument to prove that either the true Christ or his Universal Light was not in being and in some degree discovered before for without this no Soul could ever be saved it was his divine Light that could minister Life unto the Soul and not Shadows Sect. IX The Dipper plung'd in a Laborinth of self-Contradictions and the Light within proved a Rule above the Scriptures T. H. IT will be our Wisdom yea our Duty not only to attend the Light within but specially to those Revelations of God's Mind and Will in the Holy Scriptures p. 13. Answ. In thy granting its part of our Duty to attend to the Light within thou hast plainly contradicted thy Blasphemy in opposing it in other places as a mis-guiding Light and comparing it with the Man of Sin Mahomet c. and judging our following its Conduct as a subverting and anihilating the Covenant of Grace and that this Light doth directly oppose it and ought to be rejected as appears p. 38. Is it part of our Duty to attend upon that that subverteth and opposeth the Covenant of Grace O! that thou wouldst consider and see thy Blasphemy and what a Laborinth of Contradictions thou art fallen into as also in thy Concession of attending to the Light within thou art defective whilst thou dost not place the special Attention to be upon it but upon the Scriptures whereas the Light within is specially to be attended to as that which both opens the Understanding in the Scriptures and discovers the several Conditions which they relate to otherwise men are apt to pervert and mis-apply the Scriptures to their own Destruction turning the Truth of God into a Lye as they did who turned their Backs upon the Manifestation of God in them Rom. 1. 19 21 25. T. H. I conceive enough hath been said to evince that the Light in every man neither is the true Christ nor a sufficient Rule to guide us unto Salvation p. 13. Answ. While Thou are following thy own Conceptions thou dost not follow the Guidance of the Light of Christ within and therefore conceivest amiss of it for it is a true and perfect Rule unto which he that loveth doth truth cometh and bringeth his Deeds that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. it is a convincing Rule that pure and inward Law or Light which converts the Soul It doth not onely convict man of Sin but upon Repentance evidenceth unto him Remission And this doth not the Scriptures without to men particularly though they testify of the several Conditions which the Light guides the Soul through The Scriptures testifie against all Sin but do not shew unto men their particular Sins many read the Scriptures who over-look the Deceits of their own Hearts but if they Eye this Light of the Son of God within it will manifest unto them their particular Evils and shew them their Thoughts Motions and Actions and the Tendance of each so do not the Scriptures they cannot of themselves convince any as the divine Light can And this divine Light within discovers all the Temptations and mysterious Workings and Depths of Satan to that Soul that waits in it as they are met withall and as Satan attempts to insnare that the Soul may shun his Snares and Wiles upon all Occasions and in all Tryals and this does not the Letter without This Light within also as a perfect and immediate Rule of Faith directs the Soul in all the Operations of Faith against all the Innumerable Temptations and Tryals and Besetments of the Enemy and it opens an Inward Eye of Faith and is the Immediate Guide to see him who is Invisible through all but so is not the Scripture All which being seriously considered the Light within is the Rule of Faith and not the Scripture But if it be objected That the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith is not intended without the Help of the Spirit or divine Light in the Soul I answer This granteth that the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith alone therefore that they are not to be taken as the Intire Rule of Faith they not being effectual without the Spirit whereas the Spirit is effectual without the Scriptutes and able of it self to lead into all Truth The Spirit or Heavenly Unction considered as a higher Degree Gift or Effusion of divine Life than that degree of Light that is given in common to all is attained unto only by those that faithfully improve the Life or Light in its less Appearance which in some degree appears in every man's Conscience T. H. I query whether all the Generations of Christians since Christ's time until within these very few Years be not eertainly lost and damned forasmuch as they acknowledged not this Light within as the true Christ p. 12. Answ. This shews thou hast very little Sense of all the Christians and their Acknowledgments who thus queriest of them Did not they acknowledge Christ in them the Immortal Word of Life and Light in them And was not Christ both their Life Light and Salvation And was not the Apostle Paul sent to turn the Gentiles from Darkness to Light And did not all the true Ministers preach Christ as God's Covenant given for a Light and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth But in thy dark Thoughts thou seest not the Drift of rheir Testimony but queriest whether all the Generations of Christians till within these few Years be not certainly lost and damned And yet thou wouldst be accounted a Christian in this thy Unchristian Work Sect. X. The Subject Understanding and Obeying
Sincere and Upright accompanied with an earnest reaching after Perfection as Paul did p. 51. Answ. What ever Perfection with respect to a full Apprehension or Knowledge was prest after by Paul as Phil. 3. 12 13. yet this his Perfection granted of Sincerity and Uprightness was sinless it was pure in Nature wherein he was capable of attaining a perfect Growth in spiritual Understanding And this is implyed in his pressing after Perfection while he was perfect as appears in his own Words But if in this Sence sincere and upright Men do earnestly reach after a sinless Perfection and that Paul did so then it is attainable otherwise both Paul and the rest did â—…rnestly strive after an Impossibility and this renders both their Praying Striving and Preaching in valid as yours is who put on People earnestly to reach after Perâ—…ction and yet tell them it is not attainable Upon Mat. 5. 〈◊〉 Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect thou presumest We intend not that we should be perfectly powerful wise and good as God is Answ. 1st We do not intend that we should be God but holy just and good men renewed after his own Image which is perfect 2ly Though not so perfectly powerful and wise as God is yet while thou withal excludes being good as God is thou art contradictory in saying the meaning of the Text is Be Merciful as your Heavenly Father is Merciful that is Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you p. 51. these are not intelligibly consistent That we must not be good as God is and yet Merciful as he is that is love our Enemies c. I would know if that Soul is not endued with the Goodness of God that is endued with his Mercy and Love so as to do good to enemies Was it not a plain Caracter of being his Children when they did so love their Enemies and do good to them that did hate them See Math. 5. 44 45. But this perfect Resemblance of the Heavenly Father such Sin-pleasers and pleaders as T. H. will not admit of in this Life who is so far from this Love and Goodness towards Enemies that his Enmity leads him to abuse bespaâ—…ter and defame such of us who never owed him or his Friends ever any ill-will in the World But when doth he expect this divine Resemblance of God or sinless Perfection to be brought forth It doth appear in Answer to the Question stated by him thus viz. Where wouldst thou be perfectly free from Sin if not in this Life His Answer is in Heaven p. 50. Reply He would be perfectly free from Sin in Heaven as he pretends but opposeth Perfection being attainable in this Life accounting that it causeth much Pride Presumption hinders all holy Fear Humility Watchfulness and industrious Endeavours to Persons in a holy Course whereas this all tends to a perfect Life But sufficiently hath he contradicted this his sinful Doctrine against a perfect Freedom where he confesses p. 24 That Christ came to carry on in the World the Design of insinite Grace and Love in being a Saviour of Sâ—…ers from Sin Death and Hell Note here he hath given a deadly Blow to his own Imperfect lame and Sinfull Cause for if Christ came into the World to save Sinners from Sin and to redeem us from all Iniquity then to be so saved is attainable in this Life for Christ is able perfectly to do the Work which he came for that is to save from Sin and to redeem from all Iniquity Again T. H. in his Forgery deals very corruptly according to his â—…onted manner in stating the Christian and the Quaker thus speaking viz. Chr. If thou canst prove a perfect Freedom from Sin 's Inherency c. remember thou must prove it by Scriptures or Instances Qua. I will prove it by both First By Scriptures Phil. 3. 15. Math. 5. 48. Secondly By Instances Many of our Friends do witness it p. 50 51. Reply Herein most falsly and abusively he hath acted the Quakers speaking his own Notorious Forgery as Prooâ—… They have no Reason to chuse him for their mouth for what needed they bring any Instances of themselves for any Proof when they are left to prove Perfection by Scriptures or Instances while the Scriptures plainly prove it And let me tell him it is not our manner of arguing with our Opposers to tell them that many of our Friends do witness Perfection knowing not only that to be the thing which they seek to reproach us by but also that to plead the Verity of Principles from the meer Credit of Persons asserting them to be no prevalent Proof nor Effect any Conviction while the Persons themselves are slited and abused But our Adversary having thus falsly acted the Quaker as before as saying many of our Friends witness Perfection he declines the Scriptures for it and falls upon personal reviling and to express to the World some wrong Expressions and Mistakes of Persons If he rightly state them which I much question because his many notorious Abuses Sect. XXII Tho. Hicks his groundless Calumny and malitious Railing against G. Whitehead NOw we come to his Railing and Slaâ—…der against G. Whitehead viz. That he is guilty of Deceit and Falshood in matter of Fact and that he told him he was a Knave that is he was a false deceitful man p. 53. Answ. Here I shall take leave to answer for my self therefore understand Reader what he pretends as his Reason for this abusive Language to me I find two things he pretends for it First He accuseth me with denying mine Opinions when charged with them 2ly He that shall give a false Relation of what another man asserts and does it wifully is false and Deceitful But thâ—…s he accuseth me and why so But because I acknowledged Explicatioâ—…s to be given to his Propositions yet gives not the least him what tâ—…ose Explications were p. 53. Reply To the first what I did deny I still do deny as none of my Opinions as stated by T. H. in his accusing the Quakers That they deny the Person of Christ his Offices Satiâ—…action and the Râ—…surrection of the Body I do recharge these upon him as his Lyes and Slanders forged and brought forth in Envy and Darkness as I did in the Paper and publick Debate between us and in so doing I do not deny any Opinion or Tenent of mine or my Friends And he dealt most dis-ingenuously in not laying down my own Words to prove that I denyed the Person of Christ or his Offices Satisfaction and the Resurrection But instead thereof was it either ingenuous or honest to bring my â—…dversary T. D. his Pamphlet stiled a Sinopsis which falsly accuseth me with saying there is no Resurrection from the Dead for Proof Most falsly instancing my Answer to W. Burnet in which Answer quite contrary to what I am accused oâ—… I have given a plain Confession to the man Christ his Offices Satisfaction and the Resurrection
or without but is the eternal Godhead pag. 99. Rep. However he hath sufficiently confessed that the Righteousness by which we are Justified must be put on but while he denies it either to be within or Essential he denies our Participation of the divine Nature which is essential to God himself or of Christ who is God's Righteousness who was delivered up for us all and with whom the Father will give us all things Is He then Incommunicable or not to be given whenas they that are Christ's have put on Christ Is not He the best Robe And is not He then within us And He that obeyed and suffered for us who wrought Righteousness Greater then the Act of Obedience Is not the Worker above and Greater then the Work But while this Opposer endeavours to exclude or shut Christ and his Righteousness or the Robe which the Saints put on all out of his Members and counts Christs Obedience unto Death without them this Robe and not a Robe within them because a Robe put on as he argues we are to understand that by Put on he must â—…ean Christ's Obedience without unto Death is imputed 〈◊〉 reckoned theirs when there is nothing of it in them either of the Nature Spirit Virtue or Effects of it unto the Crucifying of the Old Man or mortifying of Sin or else own that Men are not accounted Righteous nor Justified only by Christ's Dying or Obedience without them but through the Operation of his Spirit within them who dyed for our Sins but was raised for our Justification and then only they that dye and live with him are accounted Righteous and blessed with God being Partakers of the Heart-purifying Faith and not they that live to themselves without the Possession or Enjoyment of Christ's Nature and Life in them which is Divine and Increated But he tells us of a four fold Righteousness 1st The sincere Obedience of an upright man 2dly The perfect but loosable Righteousness of the first man in Innocency 3dly The perfect but confirmed Obedience of blessed Angels 4thly The perfect everlasting and Infinitely Pretious Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ this last the best Robe the Righteousness of God himself p. 99. Rep. What is it we contend for but Man's being invested with the perfect and everlasting Righteousness of God himself his own Nature and Image And is not this in the renewed Man 1st Was not this in Man while in Innocency in the Image of God though he then not Immoveably Confirmed in it however accepted while he stood in it 2dly Doth not the fincere Obedience of an upright Man in Christ flow from his Inward Participation of the Divine Nature and Image in him and therefore accepted from the Excellency of that Divine Root and Seed from whence his Fruit Springs 3dly Are not the blessed Angels accepted in their Obedience to God which from a Sence of his divine power they are exercised in Still the everlasting Righteousness is but one and the Life and Excellency thereof is infinite both in Christ and in his Members who are of his Flesh and of his Bone as he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one and Christ is the First and the Last and in all things must have the Preheminence 4thly The man mistakes if he suppose that we plead either the Righteousness of a Creature or man 's own Righteousness which he himself is inabled to perform as the Cause of Our Justification for Christ that strengthens us and enables us by his Power and Spirit dwelling in us to do the Fathers Will He is the Ground and Cause of our Justification and in him who is the Beloved are we accepted not meerly for our Works or Obedience but for his sake who worketh in us and enables us to do those things which are well-pleasing in his Sight That God bestows Righteousness on a returning Pâ—…odigal as the best Robe is true but to exclude this Righteousness or best Robe that God bestows as not to be within but only without because to be put on is not true for if the Mind Heart or Soul within be not cloathed therewith how is it put on or how should good or acceptable Fruits be brought forth to God if not from an inward and Everlasting Righteousness And though Man doth not partake thereof from the beginning of Life Can this Man think that Christ's Death or Obedience without doth Justifie Men or make them be deem'd Righteous from the beginning of Life to the End howbeit when Men are converted and become the Righteousness of God in Christ and come to Live and Dye or end their Dayes in him they are accepted and blessed yea blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord for their Works follow them Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Upright for the End of that man is Peace But all this Man's Imputation of a Righteousness and best Robe which he sayes is a Righteousness wrought without us there being none wrought within us so God c. p. 99. depends upon his Doctrine for Sin and Imperfection term of Life which he his Brethren have not only concluded must continue in the best of Men and their best Actions all their Dayes but Imperfection even in Christ's Work or Righteousness wrought in his People which therefore he disclaims from being concerned in our Justification but sayes we are Justified by that Righteousness which Christ wrought without us though he cannot deny but that Christ wrought the Righteousness of the Law without us and conformed to the Law in the Dayes of His Flesh which I suppose will not be deemed our Justification But if I ask By and to Whom was this Obedience Righteousness or Satisfaction made without us to be Imputed unto us as ours or men thereby Justified while Unjust Imperfect and Sinful without the Robe of Righteousness in themselves or rather accounted Just from the beginning of Life to the End whether all or some of these for whom Christ dyed he tells us not You may take this for his Answer viz. God in our Nature obeyed God and this is Righteousness of Infinite Value the very best Robe p. 99. Rep. 1. Is this the Compensation Payment and Satisfaction in our stead to vindictive Justice so much pleaded by our Opposers Were it good Doctrine to say either that God obeyed and satisfied his own Revenge by obeying himself as if he were divided and at Variance with himself or that he was revenged on himself considered as Christ in our Nature or Flesh I cannot own this Doctrine that such a rigid Payment and Satisfaction could be required in the Nature of the great Propitiation and Sacrifice for Sin but a Pacification or Attonement and a Condescension to Forgiveness of Sin past to be receiv'd on true Faith and Repentance 2. That Christ in the Flesh did by his divine Power perfectly obey the Father agendo patiendo i. e. by doing and suffering and therein was an acceptable and satisfactory
Who notwithstanding after that said I keep my Body under and bring it into Subjection left that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast away 1 Cor. 9. 27. and those whom the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle calls Elect in his second Epistle he exhorts to give all Dâ—…ligence to make their Calling and Election sure that so they might never fall 2 Peter 1. 10. Exhorting or warning them from divers Examples of them that fell from Grace denyed the Lord that bought them backslid and became Enemies Chap. 2. throughout And this second Epistle was to stir up their pure minds Chap. 3. 1. 2dly Election in the heighth or perfection of it as attained to in the full Growth of the Elect Seed and Establishment of the Children of Light in and by the Grace of God through Diligence and Faithfulness on their parts this admits not of being deceived nor of falling nor of backsliding as Christ intimates an Impossibility that the very Elect should be deceived Mat. 24. 24. And they who through Diligence have made their Calling and Election sure shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. 10. being grown up in the Life Nature aâ—…d Image of the Elect Seed which the Prince of the World hath nothing in Oh! All you in whom there yet remains a Sincerity and Breathing after the Lord labour in the Light of Christ by the Assistance of his Grace in you to make your Calling and Election sure in this Elect Seed and none conceit your selves secure out of it For God's Fore-knowledge and Fore-appointment of his People sect 4 unto Life and Glory is in this his own Seed in this they are known of him related to him in this chosen of him and Choice to him and in his sight as his peculiar Treasure in this he did fore-know and doth predestinate or appoint them to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the First-Born in many Brethren Rom. 8. 29. yea and the sanctified Children of believing Parents Their Growth and Security was to be in this Elect Seed of Life or otherwise they might degenerate as Israel of old did after they were planted of a Noble Vine and an holy right Seed If it should be said that this of Rom. 8. intimates some special Fore-knowledge and Purpose of God concerning these many Brethren thus Conformed as unto Witnesses chosen before of God Christ s Resurrection was manifest for them to preach Act. 10. 40 41. To this I say Grant it doth We confess both God's Fore-sight and Fore-knowledge of his own and deny not his Omnisciencâ—… nor limit his Power or Omnipotency from shewing forth it self both how after what manner at what time and in whom soever he pleaseth as sometimes he doth miraculously upon Eminent Occasions and for peculiar Works Ends and special Services as is that of true Prophets Apostles Ministers of Righteousness or those many Brethren unto whom in their Day Christ was first manifest and in whom he was first revealed formed and born who in their Day were first raised up to witness forth his Power as the Prophet Jeremiah was sanctified before he came forth of the Womb for his peculiar Service as an Eminent Prophet and John was filled with the holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb that he might be a Witness to the Messiah and Paul was miraculously stopt from Persecution by a Heavenly Vision which he obeyed and was called into the Work of a Faithful Apostle God having separated him from his Mothers Womb and called him by his Grace to shew forth his Universal Kindness and Love to others to turn People from Darkness to the Light and many other Instances might be shewn of God's taking particular notice of his Witnesses and Servants for peculiar Services yet the Growth standing and Security of all was by Faith and Obedience in the Power of God who though in their Age and Times were as the first and so Choice Fruits to God yet this neither hinders his second Fruits but rather to further them and his Work so as his Name might be the more spread Nor do these Instances prove any Limitation of God's universal Love in Christ as only to a few Nor frustrate the free extent of his Grace nor yet hinder Salvation from being common in the Freeness and free Tenders of it to Mankind CHAP. VI. Whether PERFECTION that is a State sreed from all Sin be attainable in this Life Let the Reader observe the State of the Question which is not Whether the Saints had Failings or upon extream Tryals might not be tempted into Impatiency but Whether such a State of Perfection be attainable in this Life which we affirm Attainable chiefly because of the Aid and Assistance of God's Power afforded unto them who wait upon him and trust in his Name and Power for Greater is He that is in us then he that is in the World Christ is stronger then the Devil therefore the Devil is not an invincible Enemy and we can do all things through Christ that strengthneth us 2. A Sinless State is attainable by true Believers because God hath commanded it who doth not command Impossibilities to Abraham and his Seed and said I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect Sin not Be ye perfect aâ—… y ur hâ—…avenly Father is perfect 3. Because he hath promised it to his peculiar People Thy People shall be aâ—…l Righteous they shall do no Iniquity that trust in the Name of the Lord Christ shall thorowly Purge his Floor 4. Christ's Work and Ministry is to destroy the Work of the Devil to present men perfect to bring them to a perfect man in him to subject every Thought unto his Obedience c. Therefore to affirm the contrary or that a State free from all Sin is not attainable in this Life is to oppose the all-Sufficiency of God's Almighty Power and tâ—… set the Devil's Power above it as also to oppose the Ends of God's Command Promise the Work of Christ and his Ministry which to oppose or render frustratious by pleading or arguing for Sins Continuance in this Life is Impious and Antichristian And how far this Opposer is herein concerned will further appear Whereas he puts two differing Senses on the word Perfection viz. a State free from all Sin as that of the Spirits of Just men Heb. 12. 23. And yet that it doth not alwayes sigâ—…ifie free from all Sin c. I ask then What Christ maketh true Believers perfect in Is it in any thing consistent with Sin or in himself in whom is no Sin whom he that abideth in sinneth not I cannot understand that Perfection as it is the Effect of Christ's Work in true Believers can admit of the Continuance of Sin all their Dayes while it signifies both the Reality and Compleatness of his Works His Instance for Pâ—…rfection not free from all Sin is Job 1. 1. Job was a Perfect man yet not without Sin
for he Cursed his Day It is evident that Job's Perfection had none of this Extream in it nor did it consist with Sin for it is thus explained He feared God eschewed Evil. And upon his Loss of Goods and Children being told him it s said of him in all this Job sinned not nor Chargâ—…d God Foolishly Chap. 1. 22. and when smitten with sore Boyls and tempted by his Wise it is also said in all this did not Job siâ—… with his Lips Chap. 2. 10. But he Cursed his Day Chap. 3. He was then under an extream Tryal and Grief divers wayes aggravated the most that can be reasonably inferred from thence is that a Perfect or Upright Man that fears God aâ—…d eschews Evil may possibly through great Tryals Temptations or Provocations be drawn into an extream to express his Grief but this only if God suffers Satan so to affict or deeply to try for he could not have so afflicted Job if God had not suffered him in that he saw the Lord had hedged him about From whence observe that what is granted hereupon and what he argues is not in pursuance of the State of the Question as to grant that a Perfect Job may be tempted into some extream Expressions if God Suffer Satan so deeply to afflict him but Whether it be not possible for such a one to be delivered as well from all Failings or Sin as from the Tryal or Temptation For was not Job a Perfect Man both before and after his Deep Affliction and is not his Patience highly commended of who said when I am tried I shall come forth as Gold Now when I affirm that this refined State was attainable in this Life were it not absurd to object that it is not because Job cursed his Day for did Job do so all his Life time or did his Perfection reach no higher His Instance That God took six Dayes to create the World when he could have done it in a Moment is no Proof that he is only a mortifying Sin more and more in this Life and that he will remove its Being in the next pag. 63. Neither do the Scriptures any where say that the Being of Sin yet mortified in part shall remain in the Saints till the next Liâ—…e though we grant God took six Dayes to create the World and rested the seventh and so he carrieth on his Work gradually in the true Believer for the perfecting of the new Creation the six I ayes Work thereof as also the Seventh Day of Rest are to be experienced in this Life the Work oâ—… Holiness is to be perfected while in the Body and he that believeth enters into his Rest or Sabbath to injoy the holy Day in that inward retired waiting upon the Lord in his own Light wherein Man must not think his own Thoughts nor speak his own Words And as for God's Work it is perfect each Day 's Work was perfect as such the first Day 's Work not mended on the sixth Day and he that hath begun a good Work in the Soul is able to perfect it Whereas S. S. states the Question and Answer thus viz. Quest. But why will he not in this Life viz. remove the Being oâ—… Sin He answers It is his good Pleasure I Reply A damnable Doctrine to affirm that it is God's Good Pleasure that the Being of Sin should remain in his Saints all their Life time or till the next when he hath no Pleasure in Evil therefore doth prohibit all Sin Quest. Can he see the Continuance of Evil good or that his Command should not be kept To this he answers He sees good to suffer Corruptions in par 〈◊〉 in his Saints to keep them humble drive them to his Blood and Righteousness c. Reply Let the soâ—…er Reader mark the Nature and Tendency of this Doâ—…rine First How Impiously he reflects upon God as seeing it Good to suffer Corruptions either but in part mortified or in part unmortified in his Saints in this Life for his Doctrine bears the same Sense on both Hands as that God sees it good to suffer Corruptions if but in part mortified then in part unmortified in his Saints And then 2dly What a great Use and Service doth he place upon the remaining of Corruptions in the Saints as namely to keep them humble exercise and drive them to his Blood and Righteousness which is as good Doctrine as to say There is a Necessity for the Saints to sin that they may be humbled to do Evil that Good may come of it and by this the more they sin the more humble the more Unrighteous or Corrupt the more Partakers of the Blood Righteousness of Christ which are gross Iâ—…consistencies Shall we sin that Grace may abound God forbid Christ's Blood cleanseth us from all Sin as we walk in the Light and his Righteousness admitteth of no Iniquity to continue For us to feel the Remission of Sins past through the Blood and Righteousness of Christ when we are come to the lively Act and Operation of Faith therein doth sufficiently render the infinite Perfection of Pardoning Grace both splendent and glorious and not to say That God sees good that Corruptions in part should continue in his Saints to keep them humble for this is a manifest pleading for Sin and a Commendation given to it as to those good Effects vainly supposed of Corruptions viz. To keep the Saints humble to drive them to his Blood whereas when they are truly humbled and Partakers of the Blood and Righteousness of Christ and living in the Sence thereof they withstand all Sin and Iniquity and dare not give way thereto that they may be righteous They that will teach men true Humility must not teach them to be Proud that they may be Humble nor tell them that it is God's good Pleasure that the Being of Sin and Corruptions must remain in them all their dayes or till the Life to come to keep them humble neither is a perfect or holy State so void of true Humility as this Sin-pleasing Doctrine implyeth But this is something like the Papists high Commendation of Man's Fall where in their Saturday-Mass in the Deacon's Hymn are these words O 〈◊〉 necessarium Adae peccatum quod Christi morte deletum est O felix culpa quae talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem O vere 〈◊〉 nox quae sola meruisti scire tempus horam in qua Christ us ab inferis resurrexit i. e. O surely the Sin of Adam was necessary which by Christ's Death was blotted out O blessed Fault that hast deserv'd to have so great and such a Redeemer O truly blessed Night which alone hast deserv'd to know the Time and Hour wherein Christ rose from the Hells Again To prove it God's good Pleasure not to remove the Being of Sin in this Liâ—…e that he sees good to suffer Corruptions c. And in answer to my Objection That his Pleasure is not contrary to his
nor the Being of Sin forthwith excluded p. 68. yet by Degrees it comes fully to be effected and Sin put an End to as there is a waiting in Patience and Diligence upon him who hath begun a good Work who will also perfect it That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us on this he thus paraphraseth Fulfill signifies sincerely to obey the Law 1 Chron. 22. 13. that is sincerely to obey every Precept so far as we attain to understand it Thus far he contradicts his pleading for the Being of Sin and Corruptions in the Saints and his denying perfect Obedience to be attainable in this Life yet I assert that Man in his own Will Strength cannot attain sincerely to obey the Law of God but through the Power and Aid of Christ Jesus he may attain to the Righteousness or Substance of the Law to be fulfilled in him being led by the Spirit of Life for the Law thereof in Christ makes free from the Law of Sin and Death But when this Opposer adds Thus in the other World God's People shall attain to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law p. 69. Herein he perverts Scripture and puts Christ's Work afar off who is the End of the Law for Righteousness not to indulge Men in Sin to them that believe and he came to condemn Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which State the Apostle did not put off to the other World And if the Gospel or Law of the Spirit of Life free us from the Law of Sin and Death and Christ was sent to condemn Sin in the 〈◊〉 which Words he turns thus viz. Condemned our Sin in him I say First Why should we be subject to the Law of Sin aâ—…d Death or 〈◊〉 believe a Freedom from the Being of Sin when its Power Law and Rule is taken away These are inconsistent Must Men needs subject themselves to that which is brought under by the Power of Christ and Law of Life in him His saying He condemned our Sin in him will not excuse him from being condemned with Sin if he doth not come to find Sin condemned and destroyed in himself and Man's Disobedience to the Law of God within will not be excused by what Christ hath done and suffered without neither will your Application cause you to be lookt on as if from the Beginning of Life to the End to have obeyed the Law as Creatures to have satisfied it as Sinners p. 69. Surely God doth not so look upon you while you continue in Sin and his Spirit striving with you and reproving of you for Sin and Corruption God and his Spirit do not so oppose on another and yet he is Gratious and Merciful ready to pardon and forgive Sins past upon true Repentance and that for Christ's sake who is the Propitiation c. but the Notion of Satisfaction as it is taken in the severe Sense of strict Payment in Law by undergoing the full Punishment It is not consistent with the Gratiousness of God in forgiving Sins past on unfeigned Repentance but sufficient is said to that Point He is offended that we should say to him and his Brethren You plead for Sin he calls this an opprobrious and gross Slander but hath not cleared himself thereof but verified it as appears in this Discourse of his And his saying Who do more call Men off from sinning then we If he had added Who tell People that to come off or be free from Sin is not attainable in this Life and that it is God's good Pleasure not to destroy the Being of Sin in this Life and that he sees good Corruptions should remain in his Saints to keep them humble Then the World might easily have judged how heartily they call Men off from Sin or rather how they impiously plead for Sin as necessary He sayes Their Light without the Scriptures will help to call men off from Lying Injustice Uncleanness c. They should then obey it for then it necessarily calls unto Truth Justice Purity c. and consequently to Heaven Depart from â—…vil and do Good and dwell for evermore We urge Men to the Observance of the Christian Sabbath p. 69. And what is that Christian Sabbath And how do you urge men to Observe it Was not the Jews Sabbath a Type of the Christians Sabbath or Rest And do they not cease from their own Works and Thoughts being not to think their own Thoughts on this Sabbath or holy Day We press to repent of the very Being of an evil Thought in us But do you press it in the Faith Do you believe that the Being of evil Thoughts can be remov'd in this Life else what signifies your pressing to repent thereof Your Denouncing against men's Allowing themselves in Sin Wickedness Your saying It is the Duty of all to be Perfect to Press after it to watch against all even the least Sins p. 70. What avails all this when you press and preach thus in your Unbelief You unsay what you here pretend when you tell people It is God's Good Pleasure that the Being of Sin and Corruption should remain in his Saints to keep them humble What Incouragement do you here give People to press after Perfection and to watch against all Sin when you tell them A Sinless Perfection is not attainable But he brings an Instance for their Encouragement as he thinks viz. If two Companies of Children were to run a Race and one should say to this Company There are strong Men at the End of the Race if you run as strong and as fast as they can run you are to enjoy a rich Inheritance but if not you are to dy By the way observe he very egregiously doth mistate the Case and Doctrine of those called Quakers for they do not propose Heaven and Salvation upon these Terms as for Children to run as fast as Men but that Children may become Men and in the mean time act according to their Abilities beyond which God doth not impose upon them nor require of them but that the Race that is set before us may be run with Patience which ought to have her perfect Work that we may be perfect and intire wanting nothing It is certain that they who have begun in the Spirit and spiritual Journey who are diligent using their best Endeavours and hold out shall enjoy an Everlasting Inheritance And this is not to cut off their Endeavours by Despair as falsly is supposed against the Quakers upon the said Mistating of their Case but your Preaching tends to Despair when you press People after Purity and Perfection and then tell them It is Not attainable in this Life He further adds against us There must be no Sin at all in you and then you shall obtain Salvation 〈◊〉 I must be quite free from all Sin here or burn in Hell to all Eternity pag.
cast out why doth he conclude they may not be kept out or that the keeping them out is not attainable in this Life unless he will charge a Want of Diligence upon all the Faithful or accuse them with neglecting their Watch for I affirm that to keep out evil Thoughts is attainable through Diligence and Watchfulness in the same Light and Power that discovers them prevails against thâ—…m and cast's them out To prove that such a State as to be wholy free from all evil Principles is not attainable in this Life 〈◊〉 cites John 15. 2. Every Branch in me that beareth Fruit he 〈◊〉 it from whence he argues If the Father purgeth him he hath evil Principles to be purged out p. 73. Rep. What I said to this doth not yet appear to be answerable by him which was because it is the Father's purging out Sin or evil Principles they must needs be perfectly purged out by Degrees though it is true a Man is not perfectly purged while he is a purging I did not conclude as he saith that Freedom from all Sin is instantly but in God's due time who is the Purger and who perfects his own Work In the same Scripture before cited Christ saith Now are you clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you Joh. 15. 3. 4. Without me or severed from me ye can do nothing ver 6. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you ver 7. 16. From hence observe here is enough to confute S. S. his concluding that Evil Principles cannot be wholy purged out in this Life for in Christ there is both Power and Sufficiency and if his Followers ask in his Name to be throughly purged it shall be done or if they sincerely pray that the Will of God may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven It shall be answered Now I would ask S. S. if it be not a Duty of true Believers when they see any thing that is to be removed or purged out to pray to the Father in Christ's Name to remove it and throughly to be purged and their Hearts made clean in this Life And shall they not then be answered herein Did not Christ say What soever you ask in my Name believe that you shall have it and you shall receive it or it shall be given you And he that abidâ—…th in Christ sinneth not and is not the Branch of the Nature of the Vine He answers We are Partakers of the divine Nature and how do we partake thereof but by escaping the Corruptions of the World But as without Christ we can do nothing so it is not our Phrase to say I have made my Heart clean for it is he that worketh all our Works in us His concluding that no Man hath perfect Knowledge viz. either of the Will of God or of his own Errors and that this Ignorance remaineth during Life from Psal. 19. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 9 11. and therefore that there cannot be perfect Practice p. 74. We have Reason to conclude he is very imperfect and mistaken herein for 1st The Will of God with respect to our Duty to him is to be known It is revealed by his Spirit that it may be obeyed and he that will do the Will shall know the Doctrine 2dly Both secret Errors and Faults are discernable and to be known by the Light which makes manifest whatsoever Things are reproved and therefore secret Faults are not alwayes to remain in this Life if David and others when sensible thereof prayed not in vain when they prayed to be cleansed from secret Faults that secret Sins Errors are to be discovered known is evident that the Lord at his Appearance or Coming will bring to Light the hidden things of Darkness and will make manisest the Counsels of the Hearts and it is he that reproves the Wicked sets man's Sins in order before him he that telleth unto Man what his Thought is the Lord God of Hosts is his Name Therefore as he doth perfectly shew Man his Sin and by Degrees maniâ—…est his Duty and afford Light and Power sufficient to forsake Sin and obey fully both are attainable in this â—…ife though gradually Still his concludiâ—…g that the perfect Man if on Earth he sinneth â—…rom 1 Kings 8. 46. There is no man that sinneth not and Ecclesiast 7. 20. There is not a just Man upon the Earth that doth Good and sinneth not I ask him then If there be no higher Attainment in this Life then for the best of Men to sin in doing Good as some of his Brethren interpret those last Words But if he will please to read D. Gill's Essay to the Amendment of the last Translation of the Bible he will find that he doth not render the Words in the Indicative Mood That sinneth not but in the Potential That may not sin as there is no man that may not sin or but that he may sin there is no man just in the Earth that doth Good and may not sin which much differs from positively concluding that every just man sinneth in doing Good And he further intimates it to be but in a legal State of Justness wherein a legal just Man may sin and not in an Evangelical or Gospel-State in Christ. Neither do the Words as renâ—…ered in 1 King 8. 46. There is no Man that sineth not agree with the Words before If they sin against thee but rather there is no Man but that he may sin and then it is possible for them not to sin and for a good Man that is one in Christ beyond the State of the Law to act and speak and walk in Christ the true Light and not to sin in doing Good but as of Sincerity but as of God in the Sight of God so speak we in Christ Such are not sinning in their Preaching and Praying nor do they bring forth wandering Prayers or Dreams as you do who are pleading and diâ—…puting â—…or Sin Term of Life because it is said the Imagination of Man's Heart is Evil from his Youth S. S. saith This is not spoken of the Old Wicked 〈◊〉 bâ—…t of Noah and his Family p. 74. If he intend this according to the Tenour of his Discourse as the State of Noah and his Family and that all their Life time I must tell him that it is contrary to the Testimony given of Noah viz. That he was a Just Man and Perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God which was not with an Evil Heart or evil Imaginations for that is not a State of walking with God His saying that this is not spoken of the old World but of Noah is a Mistake for God saw that the Wickedness oâ—… Man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually This is as well mentioned in Genâ—…sis 6.