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work_n	believe_v	faith_n	impute_v	4,506	5	10.0193	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30904	Truth cleared of calumnies wherein a book intituled, A dialogue betwixt a Quaker and a stable Christian (printed at Aberdeen, and upon good ground judged to be writ by William Mitchell ...) is examined, and the disingenuity of the author, in his representing the Quakers is discovered : here is also their case truly stated, cleared, demonstrated, and the objections of their opposers answered according to truth, Scripture, and right reason / by Robert Barclay.	Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.	1670 (1670)	Wing B738; ESTC R22049	63,242	72

Scriptures cited by thee for all these Scriptures speake of works with a limitation as Rom. 3. 20 by the deeds of the law there shall no fllesh be justified and Gal. 2. 16. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law here the works of the law are excluded but not the works of Christinus which are not of the law for the law or first Covenant was weak and gave not strength to them who wer under it to fulfill righteousnes but these who were in Christ Iesus witnessed the righteousnes of the law fulfilled in them who walked not after the flesh but after the spirit And as for that other Scripture Tit. 3. 5. though it exclude works of mens doing as of themselves yet it excluds not all works nor inward righteousnes of Christ but expressely includs it according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy holy Ghost thou cauldest not have brought a more plaine proof against thy selfe for thou citest this Scripture as holding forth justification Now the Apostle sayeth he saved us according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost and is not the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost a vvork which comprehends many particular works of the Spirit of Christ in the Saints And is not regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost a righteousnes wrought in us How is it then that thou art not ashamed to charge us with rank Popery for saying wee are justified by a righteousnes wrought in us seeing the very Scripture cited by thee is expresly for it May wee not pertinently returne these words upon thee which thou misappliest to us Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askelon c. That a man who pretends to teach others aright in the matter of justification hath so confounded himselfe that to prove that justification is not by a righteousnes wrought vvithin bring a Scripture which speaks expresly of a righteousnes vvithin to wit that of regeneration and renovation by which wee are saved And if any should say the vvords doe not say vve are justified by the vvashing of regeneration and renevving of the holy Ghost but vvee are saved therby as intending sanctification and not justification I answer This helps not the Author out of the ditch for he brings this Scripture forth applying it to the matter of justification But againe if these vvords exclude all works generally and vvithout any limitation then they exclude all works vvhich are vvrought by the Spirit of Christ from sanctification as if men vvere sanctified by no vvorks of the Spirit of Christ within them or if it be said that vvorks of our ovvne doing selfe-righteousnes are only excluded from having place in our sanctification but not the vvorks vvrought in and by the Spirit of Christ then I say vvhy may not the same distinction have place in all these other Scriptures vvhich say vvee are not justified by vvorks c. and indeed in all these Scriptures it holds true no lesse concerning sanctification then concerning justification As thus by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be sanctified knovving that a man is not sanctified by the works of the Law c. but it vvere vaine to infer from this that men at Sanctified by no vvorks of righteousnes wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ therefore it is as vaine to infer that men are justified by no vvorks of righteousnes wrought in them by his Spirit Pag 22. Thou sayest wee can shift of popery with this that they are not our good works which deserve and merit justification but the good works of Christs working in us yea I say wee doe justly cast of the accusation of Popery as having the expresse testimony of Scripture that wee are justified by works to wit such as are wrought in Christ and by him in us Iames. 2. 24. you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only compared with Tit. 3. 5. before-mentioned and as for the Papists works by which they seeke to be justified wee doe not acknowledge them to be such works as whereby or wherein any can be justified And vvhereas thou pleadest that the good vvorks of Christs vvorking in us are ours citing Isai. 26. 12. Matth. 5. 16. c. Wee grant it but they are not ours in that signification as vvhere it is said hee that is entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne works Hebr. 4. 10. There are works which are so ours that they are not the works of the sanctifiing renevving Spirit of Christ in us and such are works both of open unrighteousnes and of selfe fained righteousnes vvhich has no better root to bring them forth then mans ovvne will and Spirit and by such vvorks vvee deny to be justified yea vve deny all such vvorks and the justification by them and desire to stand in a continual denyal unto them and forbearance from them But againe there are such vvorks vvhich are so ours that they are Christs also vvho vvorks them in us and by us and are ours by his free grace and by such works vvee affirme men are justified Pag. 23. Thou pleadest That men cannot be justified by any works of Christs working in them because they are imperfect And for their imperfection thou instancest 1. Faith becaus it is said O yee of litle faith why doubt yee Answ. By this thou mayst as well exclude faith from justification every way as vvorks if it vvere granted that their faith vvas imperfect but that Scripture nor no other speaks not of imperfect faith but of little faith Novv little Faith is perfect in the measure of it as a little Gold is perfect Gold And though the Disciples had doubting yet the faith vvas not the doubting nor vvas it made impure by it for the least measure of true faith can never be defiled othervvise it could not purify the heart it is like the fire vvhich cannot be defiled vvith the impurities of those things it vvorks upon And as for the Disciples at that time as they vverein part justified or approved by the Lord in relation to their faith so were they reproved and not justified of him in relation unto or becaus of their doubting But this Scripture nor none other provs not that faith was or is alwayes accompanied with doubting Abraham beleived Gods promise without doubting and was strong in the faith giving glory to God and it was imputed to him for Righteousnes Rom. 4. 20. 21. 22. And said James His faith was perfected by works Chap 2. 22. For that which is perfect in a lesse measure can be further perfected in a greater Secondly Thou pleadest that knowledge is imperfect becaus the Apostle saith VVe know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9 But the Apostle does not say our knovvledge is imperfect or impure Wee may knovv a thing in part and yet that

the distinct knovvledge of it be not had The knovvledge of Christ his crosse within vvhich is his povver that crucifies unto the vvorld is more then the knovvledge of the outward and to knovv Christ after the Spirit is more then to knovv him after the flesh as is clear from the vvords of Paul though I have knovvne Christ after the fllesh yet hence forth know I him so no more The Apostle Peter knevv vvell that God vvas not so narrovv hearted as yee vvould have him to be therefore hee said that hee had seene that with God there was no respect of persons but in every nation hee that loveth righteousnes and feareth God is accepted of him You your selves dare not deny but that some infants and deaf persons are saved by Christ vvithout the externall knovvledge If you say they are not in a capacity to knovv these things I ansvver so neither are many of the Gentiles vvho never had these things revealed unto them But if the externall knowledge be necessary to the one vvhy not to the other And it thou sayest that some infants are in the decree of election I aske at thee or any of you vvho of you has seene the decrees of God and hovv knovvest thou that none of the Heathen are inrolled into them And vvheras thou sayest Is not the application of Christ his blood and sufferings necessary to them that would profit and get good thereby For though the blood of Christ be a healing plaister yet the plaister must be applyed ere the sore can ●e healed Now what application can the soul make of Christs blood who knowes no such thing the blood of Christ is applyed by faith but true faith is not a blind faith Answer It is granted but this blood is knovvne and felt within to wash and purge the conscience for Christ as hee is within is not without his blood which is spirituall even the pure blood of the vine and is that wine of the kingdome which is inwardly felt to wash and to refresh which hee givs to them who know not distinctly the outward sheding of the blood as it was many hundred years agoe and which many are ignorant of who have heard much of the outward shedding of his blood but know not the blood as shed and poured forth in them to sprinkle their consciences from dead works for it is a mistery sealed up from all who stand in opposition to his light within But there marke thy owne words The plaister must be applyed ere the sore can de healed Must not then saving grace be applyed ere the soul be converted or healed Contrary to thy other assertion Pag. 7. that having of saving light and grace presupposeth conversion that is healing As for thy deceitful insinuation to render us odious That if our principles were generally owned the nations in one age or two would be overspread with as palpable darknes as the heathen nations at this day are Seeing it has no just ground wee returne it upon thee as false and malicious for It is the owning the light other principles held by us therein which will make these nations and all others who owne it and them to overflow with the true and saving knowledge of God and Christ but so long as they follow such blind guides as thy selfe who oppose the light darknes will cover them as at this day notwithstanding all their professions and confessions of him while in works they deny him and remaine estranged from his light in them The reason thou addest is blind and unreasonable For according to you thou sayest the light within us is a sufficient teacher take heed to this and there needs no more For wee say the light within must not only be taken heed unto but beleived and obeyed and walked in which who doe it will lead them to read and make use of the Scriptures and will lead them to the assemblies of Gods people and to heare and receive the ministrie of those whom God sends yea to love and esteem them greatly for their works sake and it will lead them to owne Christ and the benefits of his death and sufferings in the outward and give them an understanding how to conceive and use a right those things as opportunity is given them Pag. 10. Thou sayst Christ is a light who communicateth light to all men but where find you that the light communicated to all men is Christ himselfe wee must not confound the light giver with the Light or enlightening given Answ. Wee doe not confound them but wee must not divide or separate them as thou and you doe for where the light or enlightening from Christ is there is Christ himselfe hee is not separated from it but is in it and with it wee must not be so grosse as to conceive that Christ enlightens men in such a way of outward distance as the body of the Sun being so many thousand miles above the clouds enlightens our naturall eyes but comes not neare us otherwise then by its influence and rayes for Christ is near unto every one no lesse then his influence for in him wee live and move and have our being And this nearenes of his unto all men in a day is more then that generall presence in respect vvhereof hee abides vvith all the works of his hands for as much as hee is in them to enlighten them that they may beleive Joh. 1. 9. compared vvith 7. Verse Pag. 11. Here because thou canst not deny but that there is light in all men thou sayest it is commonly called the light of nature and that some remainders of knowledge and principles of good remaine in man after the ruins of Gods Image in him as when a city is demolished some foundation of houses doe still romaine But how is this consistent with what you say to wit that there is no good thing at all in men unconverted and that man fell wholly from God and that Adams fall was not in part but wholly as to all things that are good And that wee derive nothing from him but that which is corrupted and defiled But the Scriptures testimony is plaine that since the fall the free gift or grace of God is come upon all unto justification of life It is not said justification is come upon all but the free gift or grace of God is come upon all unto justification so that all may be justified if they did close with it Rom. 5. 8. And God so loved the VVorld Iohn 3. 16. And this is the condemnation of the VVorld that Light is come into it Vers. 19. Which is after the fall And what ever any may conceive that remained in man of the Image of God after the fall that could not have any povver to convince man of evil or enable him to doe any thing that is good if it were not visited and influenced a new from the fountain of Light and Life but it would remaine as a thing without all Life

hee humbled himselfe unto death even unto the death of the crosse tasting death for every man This is an honest and plaine and true account of our beleife in this matter and is in substance one and the same with that which at sundry tymes thou and thy brethren hast received from us notwithstanding the bare scanty and disingenuous account thou givest of us in this matter Secondly As to the vast difference that lyeth betwixt us and the Papists any who are not willfully blind may see it who know their Doctrine and ours in this thing It is not the works of Christ wrought in us nor the works which wee work in his Spirit and power that wee rest and relye upon as the Ground and foundation of our justification but it is Christ himselfe the worker revealed in us indwelling in us his life and Spirit covering us that is the Ground of our justification and wee feeling our selvs in him feeling him in us and his Spirit his life covering us wee feel our justification and peace with God in him and through him the alone Mediatour betwixt God and Man Now this manner of justification by the indwelling of Christ in the Saints and of his Spirit is not held by the Papists but is expressly denied by them and disputed against particularly by Bellarmine And Christ Iesus himselfe is both first and last our justification and foundation of it and as to being justified by works the Scripture is plaine for it and so wee may not deny it but plead for it according to the true sence and mind of the Spirit as wee are taught of him But to be justified by him is more then to be justified by works and therefore are wee justified in our works which wee work in him because wee are in him and work them in him and because the Lord accepteth and justifieth us in him therefore hee accepteth and justifieth our works wrought in him and accepteth and justifieth us in relation to these works and though it hath beene said by us that Good works which are wrought in Christ and are rather his then ours are meritorious yet wee understand it not any otherwayes then thus that all their Merit or worth is from Christ and seing they are said in Scripture to have their reward and Reward and Merit are relative terms inferring one another in that sence wherin they are said to be rewarded they may also be said to be meritorious which yet hinders not the freedome of Gods grace in justification for wee doe verily beleive and confesse that both the VVorks and the Reward are of the free grace of God and that the Lord giveth us all things not of Debt or as being in our Debt but of free gift and his infinite goodnes and VVisdome hath seene it meet to promise a Reward to good works and so hee doth reward them becaus of his goodnes and faithfulnes and not because he is addebted unto any of us otherwise then as hee hath bound himselfe by his promise And this is contrary to that ●alse Popish Doctrine which affirms that men deserve a Reward from God for good works upon the account of strict justice without respect to the Promise And if it be answered that all Papists doe not say so but are more moderate well then I say If some of them be moderate and passe from the erronious opinion of Popery and speake that which is true if others speake what is true also in that particular should the truth be accused and condemned for ranck Popery because some Papists at times confesse to it You your selvs know that Papists contradict one another in divers things and where men directly contradict one another one of the sides must speake true But as to that wherin the justification stands and on which it is grounded to wit Christ himselfe as in dwelling in the Saints none of all the Papists for ought wee ever heard or read doe owne it but are against it Againe as to the works by vvhich the Papists seeke to be justified they are such as vve beleive none can be justified by viz. their outward observations their invocation of Saints bovving to images saying Ave maries telling their Beads their Pilgrimages their whipping themselvs their keeping Lent and many other such like works of voluntary humility by which they seeke to be justified though they are evill vvorks as not done in the faith and povver of God nor does it serve thy turne to say that Papists think not that vvorks considered as evill and sinfull are sufficient to justify them for that is not the question vvhether the Papists think to be justified by vvorks sinfull and evill but this is the Question vvhether the Papists think to be justified by VVorks vvhich are really sinfull and evill hovvever they may imagine them to be good and herein I say vvee differ vastly from Papists they think and seek to be justified by such VVorks as are evill in the sight of God vvhereas vvee beleive that by no such vvorks can any man be justified Other vveighty differences cold be shevved in relation to this matter but vvhat is here in short declared may suffice to evince that vvee differ vvidely from the Papists concerning justification Thirdly looke hovv near a kin yee are to Papists as in many other things So in these relating to justification First doe yee not say that yee are not justified by Christ in dvvelling in you so say the Papists Secondly Doe yee not say that the vvay to attaine to a state of justification is not by beleiving in the VVord of faith vvhich is in every man and in the Light vvhere vvith Christ has enlightned every man that coms into the vvorld And so say the Papists vvho though they talk of universall Grace yet they deny that this Vniversall Grace is an Evangelicall principle of Light by beleiving in which men can attaine unto a state of justification immediatly 3. Doe yee not say that Gods act of justification is not an immediat testimony of his Spirit declaring or pronouncing men righteous And so say the Papists 4. Doe yee not say that men are not to know their justification or that they are in a justified state by an immediate testimony of the Spirit in them by vvay of object for this vvere to assert immediate revelation so doe the Papists So by these fevv instances given here and by many other instances given by others in other particulars try your selvs and first clear your selvs of Popery before you or thou doest throvv it upon us Now wher as thou alledgest that the Apostle in the matter of justification excluds all works even those of Christ his working in the Saints and which they work in him 'T is falfe nor doe the Scriptures cited by thee prove thy intent as Rom. 3. 20 gal 2. 16. Tit. 3. 5. thou sayest the Apostle speaks of works in generall without any limitation But herein thou contradictest the very expresse

seeketh after miracles and though Miracles should be given they who will not beleive the testimony of the Spirit of God in their consciences bearing witnesse to the truth will not also beleive becaus of Miracles as wee see plainly in the Jewes And whereas thou sayest Iohns immediate call is evident by the special predictions both of Malachy and Isayas concerning him So are there many speciall predictions concerning the Lord his pouring forth of his Spirit upon many in these latter dayes to prophecy or minister as the Spirit should putt words into their mouths And as for these Scripturs Tit. 1. 5. Ast. 14. 23. which thou bringst in the Fifth place they prove not that those Elders had not the Authority and call of the Spirit of God in themselves And whereas in the Sixth place thou sayest though Ministers be set apart and ordained by men yet their Ministry is not from men but from God I answer where the inward call and Authority of the Spirit of God is not witnessed it cannot be said to be of God And though Moses be said to consecrate Aaron yet it doth not follovv that Aaron had no immediat call from God Seventhly thou sayest The ministry is so necessary that it is the will of Iesus Christ that it should continue unto the end of the VVorld Eph. 5. 12. 13. But thy proofe from that Scripture is altogether impertinent as to you vvho believe not that the Saints can be perfected in this life seeing the Ministry is given for the perfecting of them And that this perfection is on Earth is clear from the follovving verse That hence forth wee be no more as Children tossed to and fro for in the other life there is no hazard of being so tossed And if the Ministry perfected not men in this life it no where perfecteth them for in the other life it hath no operation upon them The Law and Priesthood therof was abolished becaus it made nothing perfect and if the Gospell Ministrie should not make perfect it should also be abolished And seeing your Ministrie perfecteth not it is not the true Ministrie of the Gospell as indeed it is not for it standeth not in the power of God nor is it exercised in the will motion of God your Ministrie being such that the whole ESSE or BEING of it may be without saving grace or true holines you expresly affirming that holines is not necessary to the being of a Minister but that a man may be a Minister of the Gospell who ought to be received and heard though hee have not the least graine of holines Eighthly thou sayest they who cast off the Ministerie of the word wrong their owne soules c. Ansvv. if it be understood of the Ministry of Christ it is granted but of yours it is denyed In the Fifth place Pag. 44 Thou vvouldst prove that the Lords people are under a tye engagement to keep the first day of the vveek for a Sabbath For a First Reason thou sayest the Fourth commandement requires the keeping holy of one day of seven but as it requires the observation of one day of seven so it expresly instanceth that day to be the seventh vvhich day yee keep not vvherfor as to the Second Reason If the command be morall and perpetuall as thou callest it it ought to be kept in every point of it vvhich yee not doing therein condemne your selves but the outvvard Sabbath or the keeping one day of the vveek for a Sabbath is not perpetuall but abolished together vvith the new moons and other feasts of the Jevves see Coloss. 2. 16. 17. Let no man judge y●u in meat or drink or holy day or new moone or sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come See also Rom. 14. vvhich plainly holds forth all dayes under the Gospel to be alike and said Paul to the Galathians yee observe dayes c. I am afrayd of you For a Third Reason thou sayest that Iesus Christ plainly intimates the continuance of a Sabbath becaus that speaking of the desolation of Ierusalem he said pray ●hat your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Ansvv. but that Sabbath day is neither here nor else vvhere said to be the first day of the vveke The Jevves vvere to fly at that time and Christ holds forth their difficulties that it should be grievo●s unto them to be put to it to fly on their Sabbath day or be killed For they kept it in the strictnesse of it but as for any of your Sabbath keepers they are not so strait-laced but they will doe lesse necessary things then to fly from a danger on that day And as the outward Jew de●ireth that hee may not be putt to fly on his outward Sabbath so the inward Iew in Spirit desireth much more that hee may keep his Sabbath which is his Spirituall rest in Christ that the enemy oft seeketh to breake to cause him to fly on his Sabbath day but this to you is a Mistery Viz. what the Sabbath of them who beleive is Heb. 4. 9. 10. There remaineth therfor a Sabbatism to the people of God and hee that is entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his And that this Sabbath or rest is not an outward day is plaine becaus in the next verse hee saith let us labour therefore to enter into that rest But if it were an outward day it might be easily entred into but this is such a rest as none can enter into who hearken not to the voice of the Lord by beleiving and obeying it For a Fourth Reason thou sayest though yee keep not the same day the Iewes did yee have the same authority for keeping your day that they had for theirs Hence this day that wee keep sayest thou is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. it being set apart by the Lord for his service and as a Special memorial of his Resurrection Answ. but for all this here is no probation at all but meer assertions If yee have the same Authority produce it and let us see it Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day therfor the first day of the week ought to be kept how hangs this together Prove that Iohn meant the first day of the week wee read much in Scripture of the day of the Lord which is the Lords day but no where doe find it called the first day of the week or any other naturall day For it is spirituall and as God called the naturall light day so hee calleth the Spirituall light of his appearance where the Sun of righteousnes ariseth with healing under his wings Day And this is the day of the Lord wherin his people rejoice and are glad And whereas thou sayest it is set apart by the Lord as a Speciall memoriall of his resurrection This is thy naked assertion without any shadow of proofe if thou wilt say that therefore it is to be a holy