into a State Condition Use nor End not given it of God nor any Reason Cause Motive End Necessity of it on the other hand taken away weakned or impaired is a matter of great importance Some make our Obedience the works of Faith our Works the Matter or Cause of our Justification some the Condition of the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ sâ—â—â— tâ—e Qualification of the person Justified on the one hand some exclude all the necessity of them and turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness on the other To debate these Differences is not my present Business only I say on this and other Accounts the right stating of our Obedience is of great importance as to our walking with God 2. We do by no means assign the same Place Condition State and Use to the Obedience of Christ imputed to us and our Obedience performed to God If we did they were really inconsistent And therefore those who affirm that our Obedience is the Condition or Cause of our Justification do all of them deny the Imputation of the Obedience of Christ unto us The Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us as that on the account whereof we are Accepted and esteemed Râ—ghteous before God and are really so though not inherently We are as truly Righteous with the Obedience of Christ imputed to us as Adam was or could have been by a compleat Righteousness of his own performance So Rom. 5.18 By his Obedience we are made Righteous made so truly and so accepted as by the Disobedience of Adam we are truely made Trespassers and so accounted And this is that which the Apostle desires to be found in in opposition to his own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 But our own Obedience is not the Righteousness whereupon we are accepted and justified before God although it be acceptable to God that we should abound therein And this Distinction the Apostle doth evidently deliver and confirm so as nothing can be more clearly revealed Eph. 2.8 9 10. For by Grace we are saved through Faith and this not of our selves It is the Gift of God Not of works lest any Man should boast For we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them We are saved or Justified for that it is whereof the Apostle treats by Grace through Faith which receives Jesus Christ and his Obedience not of Works lest any Man should Boast but what Works are they which the Apostle intends The Works of Believers as in the very beginning of the next words is manifest for we are we Believers with our Obedience and our Works of whom I speak yea but what need then of Works need still there is We are the Workmanship c. Two things the Apostle intimates in these words 1. A Reason why we cannot be saved by Works Namely because we do them not in or by our own strength which is necessary we should do if we will be saved by them or Justified by them but this is not so saith the Apostle for We are the Workmanship of God c. all our Works are wrought in us by full and effectual undeserved Grace 2. An Assertion of the Ncessity of good Works notwithstanding that we are not saved by them and that is that God has Ordained that we shall walk in them which is a sufficient Ground of our Obedience whatever be the Use of it If you will say then what are the true and proper Gospel-Grounds Reasons Uses and Motives of our Obedience whence the Necessity thereof may be demonstrated and our Souls be stirred up to abound and be fruitful therein I say they are so many and ly so deep in the Mystery of the Gospel and Dispensation of Grace spread themselves so throughout the whole Revelation of the Will of God unto us that to handle them fully and distinctly and to give them their due weight is a thing that I cannot engage in lest I should be turned aside from what I principally intend I shall only give you some brief heads of what might at large be insisted on 1. Our universal Obedience and good Works are indispensibly Necessary from the Soveraign Appointment and Will of God Father Son and Holy Ghost 1. In General This is the Will of God even our Sanctification or Holiness 1 Thes. 4.3 This is that which God Wills which he requires of us that we be Holy that we be Obedient that we do his Will as the Angels do in Heaven The Equity Necessity Profit and Advantage of this ground of our Obedience might at large be insisted on And were there no more this might suffice alone If it be the Will of God it is our Duty 1. The Father hath Ordained or appointed it It is the Will of the Father Ephes. â— 10 The Father is spoken of Personally Christ being mentioned as Mediator 2. The Son hath ordained and appointed it as Mediator John 15.16 I have Ordained you that you should bring forth Fruit of Obedience and that it should remain And 3. The Holy Ghost appoints and Ordains Believers to Works of Obedience and Holiness and to work Holiness in others so in particular Acts 13.2 He appoints and designs Men to the great Work of Obedience in preaching the Gospel and in sinning Men sin against him 2. Our Holiness our Obedience Work of Righteousness is one Eminent and Especial End of the peculiar Dispensation of Father Son and Spirit in the Business of Exalting the Glory of God in our Salvation of the Electing Love of the Father the purchasing Love of the Son and the Operative Love of the Spirit 1. It is a peculiar End of the Electing Love of the Father Ephes. 1.4 He hath chosen us that we should be Holy unblameable So Isa. 4.3 4. His aim and design in choosing of us was that we should be Holy and unblameable before him in Love This he is to accomplish and will bring about in them that are his He chooses us to Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.12 This the Father designed as the first and immediate End of Electing Love And proposes the consideration of that Love as a Motive to Holiness 1 John 4.8 9 10. 2. It is so also of the Exceeding Love of the Son whereof the Testimonies are innumerable I shall give but one or two Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works This was his Aim his Design in giving himself for us as Ephes. 5.26 27. Christ Loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word that he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish 2 Cor. 5.15 Rom. 6.5 3. It is the very work of the
Christ these are they that I own whom you so despised and abhorred and see their Works following them this and that they have done when you wallowed in your Abominations Math. 25.42 43. 2. The Conversion of others 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that wherein they speak against you as Evil Doers beholding your good works they may Glorify God in the day of Visitation Mat. 5.17 Even Revilers Persecutors Evil speakers have been overcome by the Constant holy walking of Professors and when their Day of Visitation hath come have Glorified God on that Account 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 3. The Benefit of all Partly in keeping of Judgments from the Residue of Men as ten good Men would have preserved Sodom Partly by their real Communication of Good to them with whom they have to do in their Generation Holiness makes a man a Good Man Useful to all and others eat of the Fruits of the Spirit that he brings forth continually 4. It is Necessary in respect of the State and Condition of Justified Persons and that whether you consider their Relative State of acceptation or their State of Sanctification 1. They are Accepted and received into Friendship with an Holy God a God of Purer Eys than to behold Iniquity who hates every unclean thing And is it not Necessary that they should be Holy who are admitted into his Presence walk in his Sight yea lie in his Bosom should they not with all Diligence cleanse themselves from all Pollution of Flesh and Spirit and perfect Holiness in the fear of the Lord. 2. In respect of Sanctification we have in us a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 This New Creature is fed cherished nourished kept alive by the Fruits of Holiness to what End hath God given us New Hearts and New Creatures Is it that we should kill them stifle the Creature that is found in us in the Womb That we should give him to the Old Man to be devoured 5. It is necessary in respect of the proper place of Holiness in the New Covenant and that is twofold 1. Of the Means unto the End God hath appointed that Holiness shall be the Means the Way to that Eternal Life which as in it self and Originally is his Gift by Jesus Christ so with regard to his Constitution of our Obedience as the Means of attaining it is a reward and God in bestowing of it a Rewarder Though it be neither the Cause Matter nor Condition of our Justification yet it is the Way appointed of God for us to Walk in for the obtaining of Salvation And therefore he that hath hope of Eternal Life purifies himself as He is pure and none shall ever come to that End who walketh not in the Way for without Holiness it is impossible to see God 2. It is a Testimony and Pledge of Adoption a sign and Evidence of Grace that is of Acceptation with God And 3. The whole Expression of our Thankfulness Now there is not one of all these Causes and Reasons of the Necessity the indispensible necessity of our Obedience good Works and Personal Righteousness but would require a more large Discourse to unfold and explain than I have allotted to the Proposal of them all And innumerable others there are of the same import that I cannot name He that upon these Accounts doth not think Universal Holiness and Obedience to be of indispensible necessity unless also it be exalted into the Room of the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ let him be filthy still I confess this whole Discourse proceedeth on the Supposition of the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us for our Justification And herein I have as good Company as the Prelacy and whole Church of England can afford Sundry from among them having written large Discourses in its Confirmation and the rest having till of late approved of it in others I wish this Man or any of his Companions in Design would undertake the answering of Bishop Downham on this Subject No Man ever carried this Matter higher than Luther nor did he in all his writings more positively and plainly contend for it than in his Comment on the Epistle to the Galatians Yet was that Book translated into English by the Approbation of the then Bishop of London who also prefixed himself a Commendatory Epistle unto it The judgment of Hooker we have heard before But what need I mention in particular any of the rest of those Great and Learned Names who have made famous the profession of the Church of England by their writings throughout the World Had this Man in their days treated this Doctrine with his present scoffing Petulancy he had scarce been Rector of St. George Buttolph-Lane much less filled with such hopes and expectations of future Advancements as it is not impossible that he is now possessed with upon his memorable Atchievments But on this supposition I do first appeal to the Judgment of the Church of England it self as to the Truth of the Doctrine delivered in my Discourse and the Principles which this Man proceedeth on in his Exceptions against it 2. Though it be but a part of a Popular Discourse and never intended for Scholastick Accuracy yet as to the Assertions contained in it I challenge this Author to take and allow the ordinary usual sence of the Words with the open Design of them and to answer them when he can And. 3. In the mean time I appeal unto every indifferent Reader whether the mere perusal of this whole Passage do not cast this Man's Futilous Cavils out of all Consideration so that I shall content my self with very few Remarques upon them First upon my asserting the necessity of Good Works he adds A very suspicious Word which methinks these Men should be afraid to name And why so We do acknowledge that we do not seek for Righteousness by the Works of the Law We design not our Personal Justification by them nor to merit Life or Salvation but betake our selves unto what even Bellarmine himself came to at Last as the safest Retreat namely the Merits and Righteousness of Christ. But for Attendance unto them Performance of them and fruitfulness in them we are not afraid nor ashamed at any Time to enter into Judgment with them by whom we are traduc'd And as I have nothing to say unto this Author who is known unto me only by that Portraicture and Character which he hath given of himself in this Book which I could have wished for his own sake had been drawn with a mixture of more Lines of Truth and Modesty so I know there are not a few who in the Course of a Vain Worldly Conversation whilst there is scarce a Back or Belly of a Disciple of Christ that blesseth God upon the account of their Bounty or Charity the Footsteps of Levity Vanity Scurrility and Prophaneness being moreover left upon all the Paths of their haunt are wont to declaim about Holiness
Good Works and Justification by them which is a ready way to instruct men to Atheism or the scorn of every thing that is professed in Religion But yet 2. He shews how impotent and impertinent our Arguments are for the Proof of the Necessity of Holiness And as to the first of them from the Commands of God he saith that if after all these Commands God hath left it indifferent whether we obey him or no I hope such Commands cannot make Obedience Necessary Wonderful Divinity A Man must needs be well acquainted with God and himself who can suppose that any of his Commands shall leave it indifferent whether we will obey them or no. Yea but will he damn Men if they do not obey his Commands for Holiness Yes yes no doubt he will do so Yea but we may be notwithstanding this Command Justified and Saved without this Holiness False and Impertinent We are neither Justified nor saved without them though we are not Justified by them nor saved for them Unto my Inforcement of the Necessity of Holiness from the Ends of God in Election and Redemption he Replies page 127. The Father hath Elected us to be Holy and the Son Redeemed us to be Holy But will the Father Elect and the Son Redeem none but those who are Holy and Reject and Reprobate all others Doth this Election and Redemption suppose Holiness in us or is it without any regard to it For if we be Elected and Redeemed without any regard unto our own being Holy our Election and Redemption is secure whether we be Holy or not Wonderful Divinity again Election and Redemption suppose Holiness in us We are Elected and Redeemed with regard unto our own Holiness that is antecedently unto our Election and Redemption For Holiness being the Effect and Fruit of them is that which he opposeth Not many Pages after this he falls into a great Admiration of the Catechism of the Church of England which none blamed that I know of as to what is contained in it But it were to be wished that he had been well instructed in some others that he might not have divulged obtruded on the World such Crude and Palpable Mistakes For this Respect of Redemption at least unto an Antecedent Holiness in us that is antecedent unto it is such a piece of Foppery in Religion as a Man would wonder how any one could be guilty of who hath almost pored out his Eyes in Reading the Scripture All the remaining Cavils of this Chapter are but the Effects of the like fulsom Ignorance For out of some Passages scraped together from several parts of my Discourse and those not only cut off from their proper scope and End which is not mentioned by him at all but also mangled in their Representation he would frame the Appearance of a Contradiction between what I say on the one hand that there is no Peace with God to be obtained by and for Sinners but by the Atonement that is made for them in the Blood of Jesus Christ with the Remission of Sin and Justification by Faith which ensue thereon which I hope I shall not live to hear denyed by the Church of England and the Necessity of Holiness and Fruitfulness in Obedience to maintain in our own Souls a sence of that Peace with God which we have being Justified by Faith And he who understands not the Consistency of those things hath little Reason to despise good Catechisms what-ever thoughts he hath had of his own Sufficiency The whole Design of what remains of this Section is to insinuate that there can be no Necessity of Holiness or Obedience unto God unless we are Justified and saved thereby which I knew not before to to have been nor indeed do yet know it to be the Doctrine of the Church of England But be it whose it will I am sure it is not that of the Scripture and I have so disproved it in other Discourses which this Man may now see if he please as that I shall not here again reassume the same Argument And although I am weary of consulting this woful mixture of Disingenuity and Ignorance yet I shall mark somewhat on one or two Passages more and leave him if he please unto a due Apprehension that what remains is unanswerable Scoffing The First is that of Page 131. But however Holiness is Necessary with respect to Sanctification we have in us a New Creature 2. Cor. 5.17 This new Creature is fed Cherished Nourished and kept alive by the Fruits of Holiness To what End hath God given us new Hearts and New Natures Is it that we should Kill them stifle the Creature that is formed in us in the Womb That we should give him to the old Man to be devoured The Phrase of this is admirable and the Reasoning unanswerable For if Men be New Creatures they will certainly live new Lives and this makes Holiness absolutely necessary by the same Reason that every thing necessarily is what it is but still we enquire after a Necessary Obligation to the Practice of Holiness and that we cannot yet discover The Reader will see easily how this is pickt out of the whole Discourse as that which he imagined would yield some Advantage to reflect upon For let him pretend what he please to the Contrary he hath laid this End too open to be denied and I am no way solicitous what will be his success therein Had he aimed at the Discovery of Truth he ought to have examined the whole of the Discourse and not thus have rent one piece of it from the another As to the Phrase of Speech which I use it is I acknowledge Metaphorical but yet being used only in a Popular way of Instruction is sufficiently warranted from the Scripture which administers occasion and gives Countenance unto every Expression in it the whole being full well understood by those who are Exercised in the Life of God And for the Reasoning of it it is such as I know this man cannot Answer For the New Creature whatever he may fancy is not a new Conversation nor a Living Holily but it is the Principle and Spiritual Ability produced in Believers by the Power and Grace of the Holy Ghost enabling them to walk in newness of Life and Holiness of Conversation And this Principle being bestowed on us wrought in us for that very End it is necessary for us unless we will neglect and despise the Grace which we have received that we walk in Holiness and abound in the Fruits of Righteousness whereunto it leads and tends Let him answer this if he can and when he hath done so answer the Apostle in like manner or scoff not only at me but at him also The last passage I shall remarque upon in this Section is what he gives us as the sum of the whole Pag. 135. The sum of all is that to know Christ is not to be thus acquainted with his Person but to understand his Gospel in