believingly to sue out his Pardon And as with Pardoning so likewise will it sit with Preventing and strengthning Grace Free-will makes the one Desperate and the other Vselesse For what need I pray for that which I have already by me nay which I am sure shall never so long as I am a man be taken from me No man prayes for the Money that is in his Chest nor for those goods that he stands possessed of So neither can we without being guilty of Vain-babling pray for strength to do Gods will if we think every man Naturally hath a power to do it I will pray said one of the most learned Assertors of Free-will Tully for Fortune and Riches for these are in Gods Gift but not for Virtue for that I can give my self Whereas he that knows he stands by Grace that he cannot doe any thing well but as the Spirit of God doth act him and that the Actings of the Spirit are Arbitrary not at ours but at his own Disposal he will find a Necessity upon him to be often begging for that strength which he sees he wants and God alone can furnish him with Thirdly Another Inconvenience of this Opinion of Free-will is that it must needs betray poor Sinners to a delaying and putting off their Repentance For he that finds it written how ready God is to pardon upon Repentance and is told withall that it lies in his power to Repent whenever he pleases cannot be wrought upon by any Argument that I know of to forbear his sinfull pleasures for the Moment At least why he should make such haste as the Scripture doth presse us to there can be no Imaginable Motive For if I live according to this Doctrine I shall be sure to give my self Repentance because I have a Natural Ability to do it and that any man now living should be so suddenly strook as not to have time enough for that Work which whenever it is done it is done in a moment though it may perhaps not be evidenced so soon is so much ods that any Sinner may safely venture to try a little longer the pleasures of Sinne before he resolves by too sudden a Repentance to leave them Whereas he that owns every good Motion inviting that way to be not the Impulse of his own Heart but the Calling of Gods Spirit which like light may shine for a time and suddenly be withdrawn again he will find himself engaged to Answer at the first Call least while he tarries God leaves off to call him and gives him over as unworthy of Mercy because of his Stubborn Refusall 4. It is impossible but those who are leavened with this Doctrine must needs be swelled with Pride and puffed up with conceit of themselves above all other men since they imagin all their Graces to be purely the result of their own well managing and improving their Naturall Abilities This was the Temper of the Pharisees heretofore who justified themselves and despised others for as Josephus tells us they were extremely addicted to the Opinion of Free-will and it appears in that they so much overvalued their own Power that they would needs be more Holy and Righteous than the Law of God commanded and therefore found out New Ceremonies and many self-invented Forms of Devotion which were their Works of Supererogation which Humour still reignes as a Naturall Effect of it among all those severall Parties where the Opinion of Free-will is entertained Whereas the Acknowledging that Gods Grace onely fills the Soul and we like Empty Vessels have nothing but what we daily receive will keep the Mind humble and Thankfull as to God and likewise Tender and Compassionate towards others who may for the present want the same Mercy which we enjoy Lastly I might adde that the whole Practice of Will-worship whether it relates to the Inventing of uncommanded Methods in Divine Worship or to the Imposing of such usages upon others is altogether founded upon a supposition that every Man hath Free-will and therefore Magistrates conceiving it doth not arise from Tenderness of Conscience but meerly from an Affected Obstinacy that Men submit not to their Injunctions it makes them more Harsh and Rigorous in exacting Obedience than otherwise they would ever attempt to doe which thing alone makes the Belief of Free-will in Religious matters altogether inconsistent with and destructive of the Peace of Christian societies as every age wherein there hath been the least dawings of Spirituall Light doth abundantly evidence All the sufferings of the Saints having been inflicted upon them upon this single account in that when they refused to Worship the Beast or his Image their Persecutors thought it lay in their Power to doe him that Homage whereas indeed it did not it being impossible for any to avoid or forbear acting according to the Dictates of a Well-grounded and Conscientious Perswasion But when as in opposition to all this the maintainers of Free-will doe urge that the Contrary Doctrine of Free Grace doth open a door to all manner of Licentiousness since by leaving nothing in mans power it leaves them free to doe nothing and likewise that it makes void and Ineffectuall all Gods Commands which suppose a Power of Obeying in us or else they had been given in vain which Objections being managed by persons of much Rhetorick and outward Sanctity doe make a great Impression upon a Slight and Vnwary Reader I have therefore in this Treatise fully at least to my own satisfaction answered both those Objections and have as I hope sufficiently demonstrated that nothing doth more incline the soul to a Cheerfull Obedience than a right Vnderstanding of the Doctrine of Free-grace which because it is the business of this Book to evidence I will no longer detain the Reader from it but recommend It for its Success and Issue to the same Grace which first gave it Birth and Beginning June 11 1662. Edward Bagshawe Errata Page 4. line 24. dele but. p. 19. l. 28. read but by the. p. 30. l. 23 24. dele p. 35. l. 4. r. Affections ib. l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Doctrine of FREE-GRACE no Doctrine of Licentiousness Rom. 6.1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that Grace may abound Farre be it How shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein THese are the words of the Apostle Paul brought in by way of Objection against and of Answer for that Doctrine of Free-Grace which he doth in this Epistle expresly handle For the understanding of his Discourse we must have recourse unto Chap. 3. where after a long and accurate handling of this Question vers 28. How a man comes to be Justified in the sight of God the Apostle concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We inferre therefore or Argue from the Premises as the word signifies that a Man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law The reason and ground or which Assertion is this
vers 20. Because by the Law is the knowledge of sinne i. e. A strict and impartiall view of the Law in its latitude and spirituall significancy and comparing of our Lives with it is so farre from discovering the Rectitude of our Nature and Actions that it rather serves to manifest the Obliquity and sinfullness of them both And therefore there must be some other expedient found out to Acquit or Justifie men in the sight of God vers 27. than an appeal unto the Law of Works and that is the Law of Faith as the Apostle speaks The Righteousness of God i. e. which avails before God vers 22. and is accepted by him is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God whereby is meant either the Graces which God requires or the Happiness which he promises Men were not of themselves able to perform the one and therefore had no Right or Title unto the other whereupon it follows that all such as are Justified are Justified Freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in or by Jesus This Doctrine which doth so levell the Pride of man by putting his Salvation quite out of himself and therein is utterly contradictory to humane conception the Apostle foresaw would meet with great opposition and therefore that he might Assert and Clear this Fundamentall Truth from all possibility of Cavill he urges and answers three of the main Objections which either are or can be alleaged against it Object 1 The first Objection is taken from the Example of Abraham concerning whom the common opinion of the Jews was that he was Justified by Works which they gathered from Gods renewing his Blessing upon him after his signall obedience in attempting to offer his sonne For now I know Gen. 22.12 saith God that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne from me And again Because thou hast done this thing vers 16 17. and hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne In blessing I will bless thee Whereupon the Apostle James seems clearly to Affirm that Abraham was justified by his Works in that Question Was not Abraham our Father Justified by Works when he had offered Isaac his sonne upon the Altar To this Instance Answ the Apostle answers by directly denying that Abraham was Justified by Works for proof of which he quotes a place out of the Old Testament Gen. 13.6 That Abraham believed in God and it i. e. that Faith of his was imputed to him for Righteousness Which was spoken of Abraham long before he had received Circumcision and done that Signall and Heroick Action by which the Sincerity and Truth of his Faith was evidenced So that the Apostle James words cannot be understood as if he intended to decide whether Faith or Works did Justifie but onely that he determins what kind of Faith it was which Justified viz. not a Naked and Barren but an Effectuall and Working Faith And that Abrahams was such a kind of Faith he manifested afterwards in undertaking so Perillous and Dangerous a Task meerly in obedience to Gods Command From whence it follows that if Abraham who is stiled the Friend of God did attain to the esteem of being reputed Righteous before God meerly upon the account of his Faith then all others whose highest commendation is onely to be the Followers and Imitators of Abraham have no other way of obteining True Righteousness but by treading in the same footsteps of Faith which the Patriark Abraham walked in as the Apostle concludes Rom. 4.23 24. It was not written for him i. e. for Abraham alone that it was imputed to him But to us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead Object 2 The second Objection against this Doctrine is taken from that seeming Absurdity and Contradiction which would follow should men think of being saved by the Righteousness of another For as every man is to be condemned onely for his own sinnes so it seems to be most Just and Equall that every man should be saved onely for his own Righteousness according to the Reasoning of God himself who doth not onely say that the Wickedness of the Wicked Ezek. 18.20 but likewise that the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him Answ 2. To this Objection the Apostle excellently answers throughout the whole fifth Chapter of this Epistle by drawing a parallel between Adam and Christ who were the two great Heads and Representatives of all Mankind in their severall Estates Now if it shall appear that Adam destroyed his Race by the Imputation of his sinne then it cannot be Unreasonable to believe that Christ may save his Race by the Imputation of his Righteousness But that Adam destroyed his Race by the Imputation of his sinne appears clearly from hence in that Death which is the Wages of sinne vers 14. doth actually ceaze those who never Actually sinned and therefore could be but liable to it onely upon the Account of Transmitted Derivative and Imputed sinne as he Argues Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression i. e. over Infants From whence he inferres As by one mans disobedience Many i. e. All who descend from him by Naturall Generation were made sinners so by the obedience of one man Many i. e. all who are related to him by Faith and supernaturall Regeneration shall be made Righteous Nay by how much Christ is a greater Person than Adam the one being formed from Earth the other 1 Cor. 15.47 being the Lord from Heaven by so much shall the Obedience and Righteousness of that One more avail to Save than the Unrighteousness and Sinne of the other did to Destroy And this the Apostle clears in two Particulars 1. In Extent of the Pardon which is to many sinnes whereas the Condemnation was onely for One. For saith he the Judgment or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guilt was by one i. e. Offence to Condemnation but the free-gift is of many Offences vers 16. unto Justification In Adam one sinne and that of the lesser sort stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a slip or so was sufficient to undoe a World But in Christ Many sins how aggravated and circumstanced soever shall not be sufficient to destroy one Soul 2. In the Excellence of the purchase Adam by his Sinne purchased Death and Damnation which is like a Motion down-hill very Naturall and easie to be conceived For that a Creature should die that a Sinner should be sentenced may without any Difficulty be imagined But Christ purchased Life Eternall which is like a Motion up-hill very Hard and exceeding Difficult to be comprehended From whence the Apostle concludes that where Sinne i. e. the Guilt or Demerit of Adams Sinne
Liberality of the Invitation There is no condition so sad but there is some word of Invitation or other which particularly concerns that condition Prov. 9.4 5. Isa 55.1 Mat. 11.29 Rev. 22.17 The Foolish and simple in Proverbs The Hungry and Thirsty in Isay The Weary and Heavy-laden in Matthew and which is beyond all Whoever will in the Revelations Whoever will let him come and drink of the Water of Life freely There cannot be any thing more free and more inviting than this that whoever will may be sure of Well-come I doe not say that any Man hath this will of or from himself but this I say that he who hath a Will hath a Warrant and may boldly come to Christ and claim the benefit of his Promise Especially since Justification dependeth not at all upon our Working but upon our Willing as the Apostle hath it to him that worketh not that is that bringeth no meritorious works along with him but believeth on him that justifies the Ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Lastly Consider the Tender and the Compassionate Nature of Christ how he never refused any that came unto him And therefore Lepers the Blind and Lame Publicans and Sinners had on earth most both of his Presence and Power The same Promises which brought them he hath left to encourage us when he sayes Every one that my Father giveth me will come unto me and He that cometh to me Joh. 6.37 I will in no wise cast out He that saith of himself He came not onely to save but likewise to seek that which was lost will not be harsh to any who are now upon the point of returning to him Hence we read that Peter who denied Paul who persecuted the three thousand in the Acts who crucified him were all upon their Repentance received by him Our Saviour hath the same Bowels still and though he hath changed his Place yet he hath not changed his Nature Heb. 4.15 16. Wherefore in the Apostles words since we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with our infirmities Let us come with boldness unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in a time of Need. And so much for the first Point Doct. 2 The second Point to be handled was this That Nothing is more effectuall to mortifie the power of In-dwelling Sinne than to consider how Free and Absolute Gods Grace is in pardoning it By Free here that I may repeat what I mentioned a little before I doe not mean Free as excluding Christ in consideration of whom God is thus Free to Pardon as the expressions run 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus And In whom i. e. in Christ we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of Sinnes according to the Riches of his Grace But I mean Free as excluding our selves or any thing we can doe either as a Cause procuring or as a Condition qualifying us for receiving this Grace In this sense that the Freeness of Gods Grace is the best way to mortifie the Power of In-dwelling Sinne will appear 1. From Instances 2. From Reason 1. For Instances here is one occurres in the Text How shall we i. e. Believers who are dead to Sinne live any longer therein i. e. In us this Doctrine being rightly understood hath wrought to the killing of Sinne since we now learn how much we are indebted to Christ and therefore something must be done to express our Thankfullness which he prosecutes throughout the following Chapter and uses an Argument to draw them off from sinning which at first sight may seem Harsh and Inconsequent but indeed is most demonstrably efficacious Ye shall not sinne or sinne shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law which like Pharaohs Task-masters requires the whole tale of Brick and allows no straw but ye are under Grace ye now stand in those termes with God that he gives strength and accepts of what you doe in proportion to that Ability which he bestows and for this Reason Sinne shall not have dominion over you So again the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians handling the same subject he layes down this Position Gal. 2.16 That a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ Against which he brings an Objection But if saith he while we seek to be justified by Jesus Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne i. e. If we who profess to be justified by Christ alone doe notwithstanding sinne daily will it not thence follow that this Doctrine makes men careless as if thereby they might take occasion to sinne more freely To this the Apostle answers as he doth here first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Farre be it and then he urgeth to the contrary his own example I am crucified together with Christ Gal. 6.14 and in another place Farre be it that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ by which the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World And what he affirms of himself we find him in another place ascribing unto all Believers of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who are Christs Gal. 5.24 i. e. who by Faith have received and are united to him have crucified the Flesh i. e. their corrupt and sinfull Nature with the Affections and Lusts i. e. have rooted up as it were the very Fibres and lesser particles by which sinne was fastned and incorporated into them And the Reason of this is clear Reason Because He who is once truly in Christ i. e. who hath rightly apprehended him forthwith becomes a New creature as the Apostle argues Christ saith he 2 Cor. 5.15 17 died for All i. e. Believers that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them From whence he inferres Therefore if any man be in Christ be is a New Creature i. e. he is altogether another kind of person than he was before What the meaning of those words New Creature are will best appear by comparing two places of Scripture together In one place it is Gal. 6.15 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature which in another place runs In Jesus Christ Gal. 5.6 neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love From whence it appears that in the Apostles sense to be a New Creature is nothing else but to have a Faith working by Love which our old Nature is no more capable of than Darkness is of Light but as soon as ever the Spirit of God begets Faith in the Heart of any that Faith presently produceth Love as Fire begets Heat and then Love enflames and