Mr. Frith have insisted on No manner of Works make us right wise and no works make us unright-wise and all good Works must be utterly excluded and stand apart that grace may appear free Now are not Repentance Holiness new Obedience perseverance and Mr. Williams his c. Good works yet they must stand apart and be far from such a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in our salvation as Perfect Obedience was to the Rule of the Precept O that God would teach Men to lower their high towering Opinions of our Holiness concurring to our Salvation and cry Grace grace to all from the Foundation to th◠Top-stone still not of works though this galls proud Flesh lest any boast For a farther satisfaction in this great point let us see what our great Men presently after the down-fall of Popery in this Nation have said as to our works in the matter of Salvation The Homilists say in fol. 27. All good Works spring from Faith and cannot be done without Faith then I argue if they spring from Faith and that we are justifyed by Faith then good works have no hand in our Justification because that is over in order of nature before a good work sprung up then what have we to do with Mr. Williams Gospel Obedience conforming to the Promise in order to pardon The Homilists say farther from those words without me you can do nothing That what work is done without Faith is sin and without Faith all done of us is dead and Austin saith fol. 31. Whether thou will or no that work that comes not of Faith is naught There is one work in which is all good Works that 's Faith This is the Work of God to believe in him so that Christ called Faith the work of God and as soon as a man hath Faith anon he shall flourish in good Works Thus Holy Austin was for Faith alone without the Trumpery of our Obedience with c. in order to pardon Mr. W. fixeth Repentance and Faith with Holiness c. to be the Terms of Pardon How far this c goes it may be Mr. Williams may tell us in the next Edition or by the Athenian Mercury but for the consolation of humble Enquirers into the truth I 'll tell them what our Homilists say of this great grace of Repentance which Mr. W. puts before Faith and which he makes one of the terms of Pardon with his c. in fol. 258. these Homilists say We must return to the Lord yea to him alone and never rest till we have taken bold upon him but this must be done by Faith and he himself in his Gospel doth cry out I am the way the Truth and the Life therefore they are greatly deceived who preach Repentance without Christ so that with the Homilists 't is first Christs ours by Faith then Repentance they that think they have done much of themselves towards Repentance are so much more the farther from God This is not like our new Gospel Truth stated that a man without saving Faith in Jesus may repent of his sins yet say the Homilists but 't is such a Repentance as Judas's such as puts him farther from God and in fol. 263. they confirm their Doctrine of no sound Repentance without Faith in Jesus the way to it and say We must beware we in no wise imagin we can repent aright hy our own strength for this must be verifyed in all Men without me you can do nothing Mr. W. will say he owns that Christ enables us to repent 't is true but doth he own a Man is in Christ believes in Christ before he repent if he do not own that then he comes not up to the Text where Christ speaking of all his to the Branches in him he saith upon that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without me or out of me you can do nothing you cannot repent or do new Obedience if not a branch in me by Faith Again in fol. 268 they say They that preach Repentance without a lively Faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ do teach Judas his Repentance It is evident tho' we be never so earnestly Sorry for our sins acknowledge and confess them all these are but means to bring us to utter despair except we do stedfastly believe that God our heavenly Father will for his Son Jesus Christ's sake pardon and forgive us our Offences To them I add the Testimony of as great a Scholar and as sound a Protestant as Mr. Williams who above 100 years ago gave a better account of Faith and Holiness than Mr. W. doth and that is Mr. Perkins no Antinomian who saith in fol. 236. The law promises life to him that performs Obedience perfect The Gospel promises Salvation to him that doth nothing in the cause of his Salvation but only Believes in Christ yet not for this Faith or for any work else but for the merit of Christ this is a big word what do nothing in the cause of Salvation but believe no nothing saith Mr. Perkins and before Mr. Williams can confute him he must prove Christs Righteousness ours by Faith is meant of our Gospel Holiness that is God saith 't is Christ's Righteousness but he means quite otherwise viz. 't is our Gospel Holiness Mr. Perkins is in good earnest that we are to do nothing for Salvation but believe and answer several Objections as follow Objection 4th saith Mr. Perkins To believe is a work therefore one work is commanded in the Gospel and is necessary to Salvation Answer The Gospel considers not Faith as a Vertue or Work but as a Hand to apprehend Christ for Faith doth not Cause or effect or procure our Justification and Salvation but as the Beggars Hand receives them being wholly wrought and given of God and in fol. 247 he saith we must first be Justified before we can do a good work and in fol. 287. Paul teaches that works set up as Causes of Salvation with Christ make void the grace of God And is not this making them causes of Salvation with Christ to say Christ purchased this Grace that our Sincere Obedience Faith Holiness Perseverance should be accepted to answer the rule of the Gospel Promise for pardon Well doth Mr. Perkins proceed to reject our Righteousness in the matter of Salvation and Saith in fol. 955 of vol. 1st A mans Conscience must in some sort be settled touching his reconciliation with God before he can begin to Repent wherefore Justification and Sanctification in order of Nature go before Repentance but if we respect time then Grace and Repentance are together This is intelligible Doctrine and strenuous for the advancement of Christ alone and the same in effect as Mr. Perkins had asserted contrary to Mr. Williams in fol. 84. Saying From Sanctification Repentance is derived because no man can earnestly repent except he denying himself do hate sin and embrace Righteousness this no man can perform but such an one as is in the sight of God
Christ alone Exalted IN Dr. Crisp's Sermons Partly confirmed in Answering Mr. Daniel Williams's Preface to his Gospel Truth stated by alledging Testimonies from Scripture and the Doctrine of the Church of England in the Book of Homilies establish'd by Law and other Orthodox Authorities SHEWING How he hath wronged as well the Truth as the said Doctor in the great Point of Justification by the Neonomian Doctrine Hom. of Salvation fol. 17. Justification is not the Office of Man but of God we be justified freely by Faith without Works not that this our Faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us that were to count our selves justified by some Act within our selves Of Fasting fol. 82. Good Works go not before in him which shall afterward be Justified but good Works do follow after when a Man is first Justified and are Testimonies of our Justification this spoyls Neonomianism on the Sacrament fol. 200. It followeth for Communicants to have a sure and constant Faith that he Christ hath made upon his Cross a full and sufficient Sacrifice for thee a Perfect cleansing of thy sins Where is the sin of a Believer now Passion Serm. 177. for in this death of Christ standeth the continual pardon of our daily Offences in this resteth our Justification If so then Faith doth not procure it but only receive and evidence it and so away flies Neomanism with Arminianism Humbly offer'd by S. C. an unworthy Son of the said Doctor Author of a Book Entituled Christ made Sin Reflected on by Mr. Williams London Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate street And Henry Barnard at the Bible in the Poultry 1693. Where is to be Sold at the same place the same Authors Book Entituled Christ made Sin Errors besides false Pointings to be amended Folio 2 Line 47. for assume read affirm 12 36. for or read our 24 40. for of sin read if sin  41. for participation read propitiation 26 5. for thus read this 28 24. for as read of at the last as 32 22. for other read object 34 7. for faces read fails 38 47. for pampering read tampering 40 38. read But saith 42 33. f. God's Righteousness r. our sanctification 43 20. Blot out that 44 last line put in is after Holiness 47 34. for Mercies read Mines 47 45. read 1642. 48 20. read then God believes To the Eminent Assertors of the Free Grace of God in Christ whereby Christ alone is exalted in the Salvation of Sinners viz. To the Reverends Mr. Cole Mr. Griffith Mr. Mather Mr. Beverly Mr. Barker Mr. Mead Mr. Chauncey Mr. Trail Mr. Woodcock Mr. Laurence of Stepney Mr. Brag. Mr. Bearman Mr. Terry Mr. Crusoe Mr. James of Wapping Mr. White Mr. Moor Mr. Wavel Mr. Tailor of Pinners-Hall Mr. Cross Mr. Grace Mr. Nisbet Mr. Fincher Mr. Lob Mr. Glascock Mr. Mence Mr. Ford Mr. Owen Mr. Jennings Mr. Roe Mr. Wressel Mr. Clark Mr. Goodwin Mr. Gamon Mr. Powel Also to several of the surprized Subscribers to Mr. Williams late Book as Dr. Bates Mr. How Mr. Alsop Mr. Bures and others Also to those of the Episcopal Clergy who preach the Doctrine of Justification as it is established by Christ in the Gospel and by our Statute Law in the Homilies as Mr. Meriton of Old Fish-street and others REjoyce thou Heaven the Church of Christ and ye holy Apostles and Prophets Rev. 18. The Evangelical Preachers that blessed be God there are many Seven thousands that have not bowed to the Bayal of Man's Holiness joyning with Christ to Justification But Mr. Williams having in the judgment of many in his Gospel Truth stated warped that way witnâ—ss his interpreting the Righteousness of Christ in Phil. 3.9 to be a Believers Gospel Holiness I hereby appeal to your Consciences if such a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of the Scriptures ought with the silence of the By-standers to be so obfuscated Though in many respects I look on my self one of the unworthiest of those that name the Name of our blessed Lord Jesus in sincerity yet I cannot but bear my Testimony against the Preface of the said Book as unsound according to my sence of the Truth after above 50 Years investigating it and tasting a sweet Relish in Divine Things and I humbly apprehend I have in the ensuing Collection made it so appear which I leave to the Spirit of the Prophets in the Prophets to judge and hope you will all agree to declare he hath much wronged the said Text. As for his stigmatizing my dear Father as a dethroner of Christ because he exalted him alone without Works in the business of our Salvation I beseech the Lord Mr. Williams may see his Mistake and that God would forgive him as I and I hope all mine freely do This I pass by But when the Mother of us all the Truth as it is in Jesus is wounded by him when not of Works lest any Man should boast Eph. 2.9 is turned by him into God promiseth Liâ—e to imperfect Man by Forgiveness yet insists on some degree of Obedience And hence the use of Faith Holiness c. To these Benefiâ—s is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Then on such an invasion all from 16 to â—0 should be alarum'd then all hearts and heads that love the Lord Jesus should be engaged iâ— vindicating his Royalties that he is Alpha and Omega Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption all and in all in our Salvation that no Flesh should glory In particular I find my self though the meanest obliged to bear witness against this piece being censured by many for my silence in regard my Preface to my Fathers reprinted Sermons they say occasioned this Pudder What I did therein was in the simplicity of my heart to exalt the Lord Jesus and refresh Souls thereby which I still desire by taking off Mr. William's Evidence against the said Sermons by shewing his disagreeing from Scripture and Orthodox Authority as well as from my Father I hope you will all candidly accept this Service and upon this occasion give me leave to beg that as the Lord Jesus hath sent you to preach the everlasting Gospel glad Tidings to sinners through Christ in which many of you have been renowned so that ye abound more and more That you will determine to know nothing among your people but Christ and him Crucified that he may be magnified in your Bodies by life and by death that you may shew in every Sermon that to you to live is Christ and not to labour with a Scheme of some degree of Obedience in the business of our Salvation and this supposes the death of Christ as if his death were only a Sub-intelligitur business in his Rectorship O that we could be more warm for our Lord Jesus who poured out his Soul and warm Blood for us and if when warm you please to remember me a poor worm at the Throne
conformity to the Gospel Promise even as perfect obedience had in conformity to the Precept or Covenant of works I shall shew farther by the opinion of sound Orthodox Writers and begin with that famous Martyr in Scotland burned Anno 1532. for adhering to salvation by Jesus Christ without works in his Treatise set forth by Mr. John Frith an English Martyr in the same Cause Burned in 1533. he hath these Expressions viz. No manner of works make us right wise and no works make us unright wise if any evil works make us unrighteous then the contrary works should make us righteous the proof is we believe that a man shall be justifyed without works Rom. 3. and we believe in Jesus Christ that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the Law good works make not a good man nor evil works an evil Man but a good man bringeth forth good works and an evil man evil works good Fruit makes not the Tree good nor evil Fruit the Tree evil but a good Tree beareth good Fruit and an evil Tree evil fruit If works make us neither righteous nor unrighteous then thou wilt say it maketh no matter what we do I answer if thou do evil it is a sure Argument thou art evil and wantest Faith if thou do good it is a sure Argument thou art good and hast Faith Here is no sophistication of Faith Holiness Obedience c. answering the Rule of the Gospel promise as perfect Obedience answered the Law and moreover he gives the reason why we are so saved by Christ Because saith he Thou madest the fault and he suffered the pain and that for the love he had for thee before thou wast born now sith he was punished for thee thou shalt not be punished Finally he hath delivered thee from Condemnation all evil and desireth nought of thee mark that but that thou wilt acknowledge what he hath done for thee and bear it in mind and help others for his sake as he hath helped thee for nought Thou wilt say Shall we then do no good deeds I say not so but I say we should do no good works for the intent to get the Inheritance of Heaven or the remission of sin Thus this blessed Martyr asserted the Gospel in these truths worth laying down ones life for but I hope none will be put to lay down their life for asserting our imperfect Obedience answers the Gospel as Adams perfect Obedience If he had had it would have answered the Law for any to die upon such a point would be to be a Martyr for his own Righteousness not for asserting Christs now comes Mr. Frith and gives his Observations as full of Antinomianism as his Author Mr. Hamilton or as Dr. Crisp and just such an Antinomian as the A. Paul was and saith Therefore wheresoever any question or doubt ariseth of Salvation or our justifying before God there the Law and All good Works must be utterly excluded and stand apart that grace may appear free the Promise simple and that Faith may stand alone which faith alone without Law or Works worketh to every Man particularly his Salvation through meer promise and the free grace of God this word particularly I add for the particular certifying of every Mans heart privately and particularly that believeth in Christ so Faith is the instrumental Cause by which every Man applyeth the Body of Christ particularly to his own Salvation so that in the action and office of Justification both Law and Works all good Works above be here utterly secluded and exempted as things having nothing to do in this behalf The reason is this for seeing that all our Redemption universally springeth only from the body of the Son of God Crucified then is there nothing that can stand us in stead but that only wherewith this body of Christ is apprehended now for so much as neither the Law nor Works but Faith only is the thing that apprehendeth the Body and death of Christ therefore Faith only is that matter which Justifieth every Soul before God through the strength of that Object which it doth apprehend for the Object only of our Faith is the body of Christ like as the brazen Serpent was the other only of the Israelites looking by the strength of which Object through the promise of God immediately proceeded health to the Beholders so the Body of Christ being the Object of our Faith striketh righteousness to our Souls Thus far Mr. Frith Here 's good sound strong home-spun Divinity that came from the heart of an early English Martyr in the days of Hen. VIII It came not from Rome or Amsterdam or Poland and because the Book of our blessed Martyrs is in few hands I 'll transcribe some more of Mr. Frith's contrariety to our new way of stating Gospel Truth hoping it may tend to the establishing Souls whom the Sophistry of some Men may amuse with their Connexions of c. to Faith and Holiness in the business of pardon of sin to which Mr. Frith saith as follows In a Christian mans life there 's the Law there 's Repentance there is Hope Charity all which in mans Life and Doctrine are joyned and yet in the action of justifying there is nothing else in man that hath any Part or Place but only Faith apprehending the Object which is the body of Christ Jesus for us Crucified in whom consisteth all the worthiness of our Salvation by Faith that is by our apprehending and receiving of him according as it is written John 1. Whosoever received him he gave them Power to be made the Sons of God even all such as believed in his Name For so much therefore as the Truth of the Scripture in express words hath included our Salvation in Faith only we are enforced necessarily to Exclude all other causes and Means in our Justification and to make this difference between the Law and Gospel between Faith and Works affirming with the Scripture and Word of God that the Law condemneth us our Works of all sorts do not avail us and that Faith in Christ doth only justifie us and this ought diligently to be learned of all Christians especially in all conflicts of Conscience between the Law and the Gospel Faith and Works Grace and Merits Promise and Condition Gods Free Election and Mans free Will so that the light of the Free grace of God in our Salvation may appear to all Consciences to the Immortal glory of Gods holy Name Amen Thus said this blessed Servant of the Lord Jesus and this he sealed with his Blood and this was good Doctrine in those days among the Reformed this was thought worthy to be inserted in our famous Book of Martyrs and approved by the whole Body of Christians in the Nation and not scandalized as the same expressions are in Dr. Crisp's Sermons I would fain know what more stabbing words can be said against Mr. Williams Thesis or Position than both Mr. Hamilton and
Faith gains admittance to day 't is nay to morrow now persevering Holiness doth it This is giving an uncertain Sound whereas the Promises are the same to day yesterday and for ever and all yea and Amen in Christ Jesus If true Faith be the Wedding Garment our wearing Christs Righteousness the same true Faith is that which receives the Oyl into our Vessels the blood or righteousness of Jesus ours by Faith or the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus Rom 8.2 This Christ dwelling in our Hearts by Faith Christ dwelling in us by the holy Spirit is the true Oyl that the Wise Virgins gain admittance by His next Clause is the advancing into our Justification God's terms of forgiving adopting glorifying as Rector by believing c. This c. hath a great hand in forgiving I suppose it wonderful to every Judicious Râ—ader that a Gentleman of great Parts and sense should blend the Gospel thus as to make the Gospel Blessings to be disperst by God with regard to our being Believers c. that is to our being Believers and performing all the Duties prescribed in the Gospel he puts it only God hath a regard to it but the plain English must be God doth so regard our performing this Act of believing c. and that till death and not only so but all other Gospel Duties that if we do not perform them God dispenses no gospel Blessing so that we are still under a Covenant of Works but let us see the true lineaments of this new Gospel which is in these words of Mr. Williams Thus Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the conveyance of every other promised Benefit given on Gods terms are not Judicial acts of God as Rector if so doth he dispense these blindly and promiscuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no I suppose Mr. W. will be accounted more hold than becomes him to insinuate that God dispenses his Blessings blindly if he do not bestow them in his way upon his terms of our being Believers c. O that men were humble and in pretending to oppose Dr. Crisp they did not speak indecently of God by calling him a blind giver of Benefits if he give them not according to our prescriptions of his rectoral Government God gives freely God gives before we have done good or Evil God shews mercy because he will shew mercy God saves the chief of sinners in the Career of sin God therefore speaks comfortably because Israel went after her Lovers and pardons sin because it is great his ways in shewing mercy are past finding out justifying the Ungodly and not calling the Righteous and yet God dispenses not blindly and promiscuously though he do not do it in Mr. W. way of having some regard to our being Believers Repenters Perseverers c. Vain man would be wiser than God when God saith Not for your sakes do I this be it known unto you but for mine holy Names sake which ye have prophaned among the Heathen Will Mr. W. be so bold as to think God dispenses his Blessings blindly because he doth not give them on those terms he hath prescribed We see Gods terms here are for his Names sake which they prophaned prophaning Gods Name was all that God had regard to on their part it was his own holy name was his only inducement his holy free gratious Covenant in which his holy name was engaged not our being believers Perseverers in spiritual Duties c. The like ground God looks at and regards in his delivering Israel in Deut. 7.7 not their being more excellent than other People but his own love of them The Lord did not set his love upon you and châ—se you because you were more than other people for you were the fewest of all People but because the Lord loved you these are Gods Terms he loved and chose because he loved Sure Mr. Williams will not say God had regard to their holiness in dispensing his blâ—ssings to them before the gospel shined in its lustre through our Lord Jesus and must God be charged with blind promiscuous dispensing blessings now under clear gospel light if he now shew mercy in a soveraign way of grace to gross sinners without regard to any good they do while he suffer the Righteous in their own Eyes to perish in their own righteousness O let us not prescribe rules and terms to God for his bestowing mercy but thankfully accept his grace and mercy in our Lord Jesus freely given because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens Well but Mr. W. will confirm his Position and that by Scripture too though strained thus With respect to what 's above declared the gospel is called a Law of Faith a law of liberty It is true the gospel is called in opposition to the Law of works a Law of Faith but I think in the stream of the whole Bible David could not find a fitter stone to sling into the Head of this great Goliath mans righteousness to joyn with Christs than this Scripture Mr. Williams is setting up a righteousness of Works or gospel Holiness for ushering in pardon and to prove it saith the gospel is called a Law of Faith but let us see how 't is so called in Rom. 3.26 27. To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works Nay but by the law of Faith Here the Apostle setly and solemnly treats of excluding works and of our being justified by Faith without works of all sorts and positively asserts God is just in justifying the Believer God could not be just in justifying according to the Arminian way for our imperfect holiness or having any regard to it in the matter of Justifying but God is just in justifying a Believer because the Believer hath a perfect compleat righteousness of Christ put upon him to answer the Law by and God looking upon him compleat in Christ is just in Justifying him The Apostle having laid this ground work to damn all self-righteousness or works even Faith as a work in the matter of Justification he comes and makes a challenge directly against Mr. Williams's Doctrine of our sincere holiness concurring to pardon and saith where is boasting then Where are all these great Advancers of mans righteousness which tends to boasting and he gives the stabbing answer It is excluded God hath not lest the least Crevice for it to enter by 't is wholly excluded 't is shut out from ever having any thing to do in our salvation yet may one say 't is shut out by the Law of Works the old Moral Law do and live we grant that but there is a gospel holiness will let in boasting again I must repent believe be sincerely holy and persevere therein all my days and God hath regard to this in my Justification no no 't
Co-workers with him for Justification and Salvation Though by his Spirit he makes all his Regenerate ones Co-workers with him in the carrying on the Work of Sanctification Not to multiply Scriptures in a matter so strenuously contended against by the Apostle of our Works concurring to our Salvation I shall only add at present that great Text 2 Tim. 1.9 who hath saved us and called us not according to our Works Here 's a perfect Renunciation of VVorks even VVorks of all sorts before Faith and after Faith He don't say VVho saved us not for our VVorks but not according to our VVorks our VVorks have no accordingness in them to our Salvation they have no concurrence in that point they are left quite out Here 's no room for Gospel Obedience in complying with Gospel Rule to obtain life No not a word of that 't is so far from being for our Works that 't is not according to our works God hath no regard to them in saving and calling He hath saved How He saved by calling us How is that Did he not call us to Salvation upon seeing us comply with the Gospel Rule No he saved us and called us not according to our Works How then Then it is in a way that amazes the Scholastick World a way that will not go down with the wise and prudent of this world It is according to his grace not our grace according I say to his own grace given us in Christ before the world began O be amazed and confounded all that would state Gospel Truth any other way than God hath stated it for the everlasting comfort of all those blessed ones whom God hath shewed their Election to by their effectual Call to come to Christ he hath saved 't is already done and that not according to humane stating Gospel Truth not according to our Works that way would leave us always under Suspitions and Jealousies to our dying day but according to his ancient everlasting Love and that given to us as lookt upon in Christ when chosen in him before they had done good or evil before the world began that the purpose of God according to Election might stand Here the Apostle leaves it and so will I as to Scripture Confutation of his Gospel Ordination and because Mr. Williams may not say This is but one Doctors Opinion when he saith Doctor Crisp Dethrones Christ by rejecting holy Works from concurring to Salvation I shall spend some pains and time begging it may be acceptable Service in the Lord in shewing what several Servants of God of good Name say to this point I begin with Mr. Veale a Gentleman not in the least inclining to Antinomians in his Sermon against Merits Morn Lect. fol. 437. He shuts out gratious Works from having any hand or concurrence in our Salvation by this expression viz. It is muche that he God doth not damn you for your good Works seeing they are all defiled and have something of Sin cleaving to them What becomes of our Gospel Holiness now and sincere Obedience in the case of Salvation What all good works sin then they are dung Well but hath not Christ merited such a Gospel Ordination as our answering the Gospel Rule of holy Obedience though imperfect it shall interest us in Gospel Blessings To this Mr. Veale saith in fol. 417. It is in vain to say that Christ hath merited for the Saints a power of meriting The Papists can never prove that Christ merited any such Power for Believers It is really more for his honour to purchase all for them himself but Mr. Williams will say I do not say Christ merited that we should merit no but he saith Christ merited God should regard our works in Justification and in our Salvation What 's that but coming in as it were by Works not with a down-right rejecting of Christ but with a side-wind bringing in our works Christ merited that we should do something in our salvation And what 's that In plain English they give us a right to the Gospel Benefits which in some sense is worse than down-right Popery in as much as Popery makes our works meritorious of life in that Christ hath put an infinite value on them by his merits and so makes our works so valuable as to compensate the Justice of God for our sins and so still maintain the honour of God's Righteousness in forgiving sin on a valuable consideration of our works made by Christ meritorious of it Whereas the middle way found out by some makes God so gracious as by virtue of Christ's Mediation God accepts of imperfect defective gospel Holiness as perfect for Christ's sake and thereupon Forgives How near this comes to Mr. W's stating the gospel Ordination may be easily be judged Mr. Veale leaves Mr. Williams to stand by himself as to Gospel Holiness giving an Interest in the Blessings and saith 't is only an evidence of Faith and gives no Title in fol. 421. Hope of Life saith he may be helped on by Obedience and good Works because they are an Evidence of his Faith and so of his Interest in Christ but there is a vast difference between a man's taking comfort in his Obedience as the evidence of his Title to glory and Trusting in it as that which gives him Title I come next to Mr. Doelittle fol. 195. of Morning Lecture who gives an account of the Protestants and Papists Doctrine of Justification First he sums up the Apostles Doctrine of Justification not to him that works as Dâ—vid describes the blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputes Righteousness not imputing their Trespasses to them for he made him to be sin for us that we might be the Righteousness of God Then he quotes the Protestant Doctrine thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our Works Those whom God effectually calls he freely justifies not by infusing Righteousness into them mark that against the Gospel Ordination of God's regarding our Holiness but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their Persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ to them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith I think nothing can be more opposite than this Account of Protestant Faith where is not a word of our Holiness to Justification and Mr. Williams's which is made up of Gospel Obedience Gospel Rule Gospel Ordination of sincere Holiness regarded by God in our Justification This Protestant Doctrine he confirms by referring to a cloud of Witnesses against our new Divinity viz. The Helvetian Confession the Bohemian Gallican Augustane Belgick Wittemberg and Basil Then follows the Popish Trent Justification Justification is not only forgiveness of sin but also Sanctification of the sinner whereby a Man of unjust is made just and Mr. Williams like this complying
with gospel Rule gives right to gospel Blessing The Papists go on and say the only formal Cause of Justification is the Righteousness of God not wherewith be himself is righteouâ— but whereby he makes us righteous I know Mr. Williams in words denies our Sanctification to be a part of our Justification but in the whole scope of his Argument he makes our gospel Holiness to be lookt upon by God as having a concurrence in our Justification and this is his gospel Ordination and in full conformity to the Popish Justification by God's Righteousness whereby we are renewed His last clause of the Popish Article about Justification suits extremely with Mr. Williams's fling at Doctor Crisp as dethroning Christ for making Christ the alone cause of our Salvation without any thing of our works concurring And thus saith the Council of Trent If any one shall say that a Man is justified by the sâ—le imputation of the Righteousness of Christ or in the sole remission of sin excluding grace and charity which is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Spirit and is inherent in him or that the grace whereby we are justified is only the savour of God let him be accursed This I take to be asserted by the Papists in opposition to the Protestant Doctrine so that the Protestant Doctrine was what they accurst and what Mr. Williams in effect accurseth saying the holding it is dethroning Christ VVell then the Papists curse those that say a man is justified by the sole imputation of Christ's Righteousness without any grace or charity VVhat 's become then of Mr. Williams's gospel Holiness sincere Obedience that God looks at in the gospel Rule to obtain the gospel Promise again they curse those that say our Justification is by the alone savour of God or freely by his grace Rom. 3.25 VVhat doth Mr. Williams less in falling foul on Doctor Crisp and all that wholly exclude every thing of man in the business of Justification and say they enervâ—te Christ's government and open a door to all Licentiousness Whereas the contrary is most true that the grace of God appearing teaches to deny all ungodliness My next Opposer of Mr. W's Gospel Ordination is a great maul to Arminianism that is the Learned Pious Mr. Perkins who saith in fol. 576 of Vol. 1. Thus the Papists say Christ merited that our good Works merit And answers This is a dotage of their devising for Christ merited pardon for sin impuation of his Righteousness and Life eternal And fol. 104. To say Christ merited that our works merit this takes away Christ's Intercession I may add to say our Holiness comes in toward our Justification doth the same Mr. Perkins comes closer in Vol. 2 fol. 205. It may be objected saith he there is a co-operation of works and faith I answer That this co-operation is not in the Act of Justification nor in the Work of our Salvation but in the manifestation of the truth and sincerity of our Faith and for the declaration of this Faith and Works jointly concur Here then is a pestilent and damnable Doctrine of the Papists when they teach Justification by the Woâ—ks of the Law And what is it to teach Justification by the Works of the Gospel which never had a Promise of Justification to it whereas the Works of the Law once had before Adam's Fall In Fol. 236. He turns perfect Antimonian with our Homilists if some men may censure him and saith thus The Gospel promises Life to him that doth nothing in the cause of his Salvation but only Believes in Christ This is dangerous Doctrine in Doctor Crisp because it spoils Mr. W's Gospel Ordination of Works and Faith going together in Justification but hath for this 100 years been good sound Doctrine in Perkins and the Homilies too He proceeds in fol. 237. and saith thus Believing and doing are opposed in the Article of our Justification In our good Conversation they agree Faith goes before and doing follows but in the Work of Justification they are as Fire and Water This is a fatal stroke to the new Gospel Ordination and a full concurrence with Dr. Crisp though Mr. Williams call this a dethroning Christ Mr. Perkins could not expect to be taken for an Oracle so that by his ipse Dixit that every one should receive his Positions tho' he grounded them on plain Scripture therefore he strengthens his Assertion by the sayings of the Fathers with which I farther oppose Mr. W's Gospel Ordination and confirm Dr. C. in fol. 537. Mr. Perkins saith The Fathers do hold Faith only to be requisite to Justification even without the Works of Grace Chrysostom saith in Hom. 7. in Cap. 3. Rom. What is the Law of Faith saith he To be saved by Grace here he sheweth the Power of God in that he not only saved us and that without use of any works exacting only Faith of us And Theodoret on Eph. 2. We have not believed of our own accord but came being called and when we are come he doth not exact Purity and Innocency of Life but hath Pardoned our sins accepting of Faith only And Basil Ser. de hum This it is to glory in the Lord when a man is not puffed up with his own righteousness but acknowledgeth himself destitute of all true righteousness and Justified by Faith alone in Jesus Christ They are justifyed before God saith Ambrose on Rom. 4. Without any labour or Toyl by only Faith no Works of Penitence being hereto required but only that they believe This Cloud of Witnesses is enough to cover and wholly extinguish the Gospel Ordination of Mr. Williams without any Comment on them Mr. Williams next Assertion is a Chip of the same block thus His Christs Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are Justified when we do answer the Gospel Rule Here 's no mincing the matter of bringing in our Sanctification into our Justification for Mr. Williams tells us plainly what our answering the Gospel Rule is viz. Some degrees of Obedience Repentance Love imperfect Faith Persevering c. Thus while in words he pretends to separate Sanctification from Justification yet here he really joyns them and confounds them making our justification to be by Christs Righteousness imputed when we are holy when we be sanctifyed inferring that it is not till then and not only so but that that is the Condition of our justification Is this the Apostles justifying the Ungodly to be justified when we answer Mr. Williams Gospel Rule Whereas the Gospel makes no such Rule as he lays down of our sincere Obedience concurring to justification or God's having regard to our Gospel Holiness which is Mr. Williams own word I will not stand to refell this but do aver nothing can be clearer to me than this that by this expression we are justified when we answer that Gospel Rule which Mr. Williams laid down there is a downright mingling our Sanctification with our justification which the Apostle strenuously