inherent holiness Or if the truth of the Charge cannot be denied Justice demanding What hast thou to say for thy self why thou shouldest not be condemned the only defence is by pleading Though I am guilty yet satisfaction hath been made for that guilt Because therefore the same fault cannot be twice punished after satisfaction 't is as if it never were This is the only way of Defence we have at Gods Tribunal We cannot plead we never broke the Law for we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God But we must plead Satisfaction made to the Law and Justice of God for our guilt by our Surety the Lord Jesus Christ and evidence our right to the benefit of this Satisfaction by our Faith in his Blood even such a Faith as hath wrought by Love 3. Justification doth formally denote a Declaration that the Party accused is Just or Innocent and an Acquittance of him by the Sentence of the Judge But this Acquittance as to us fallen Creatures is a proper Absolution or Pardon Had Adam in Innocency been accused his Justification had been a Declaration of him Innocent in his own person and an Acquittance of him from all penalty of the Law as not deserved Our Justification is a Declaration of us who have been guilty in our own persons just or innocent through the Satisfaction or Righteousness of Christ our Surety made over and reckoned to us through Gods free Grace upon our delieving and an acquitting of us from all penalty of the Law though deserved which is properly Absolution or Pardon So that though Adam in Innocency or a good Angel could be justified without a Pardon yet 't is impossible we should be justified any other way but by being pardoned To sum up our Doctrine If the Question be What is it to be justified The Answer is to be declared just and to be absolved If the Question be Who is it that doth justifie or pronounce us just and absolve us The Apostle answers it Rom. 8. It is God that justifieth If the Question be We are guilty in our own persons for what is it that God doth justifie us The Answer is for the Satisfaction or Righteousness of Christ Rom. 5.18 By the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification and Life If the Question be What is it that gives us interest in Christs Righteousness or upon which it is imputed or reckoned to us The Answer is Our Faith Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness If the Question be What will evidence our Faith to be living and sound Faith The Answer is Our sincere Obedience to the Law Jam. 2.24 You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by Faith only We are justified by works as evidencing our Faith living by Faith as giving Interest in Christs Righteousness by Christs Righteousness imputed to us as constituting us righteous and satisfying for our Guilt for the sake of which God doth impute us righteous and absolve us This is the Doctrine we teach G. W. on the contrary teacheth that Justification is by Faith in Christ and by the Works that follow Faith without Christs Righteousness imputed In this we agree there must be a working Faith or no Justification And we must believe in Christ for Sanctification In this we differ whereas according to the Law of God this Charge is and will be brought against us You have not from the beginning of your Life to the end perfectly obeyed the Law It is therefore demanded what have you to say why you should not bear the Curse He saith Faith in Christ and the Works that follow without any mention of Christs holy Life and Sufferings is our sufficient defence against this Charge is that which constitutes us righteous before God as the Law requires and for which consequently God doth declare us righteous and acquit us in Judgment We say that Christs holy Life and Sufferings is our only Defence or Apologie against this Charge the only thing that can constitute us righteous according to what the Law requires the only thing for which God doth declare us righteous in Law and for which he absolves and frees us from the Curse of the Law as being imputed and made ours upon believing And again Christs holy Life and Sufferings being the only thing for which God doth justifie us We say that Faith in Christs Blood and Righteousness as the only thing that can satisfie the Demands of the Law and Justice of God is the only justifying Faith and that Faith that overlooks this Object Christs Obedience to the Death as the only thing that can satisfie the Demands of the Law and Justice of God is but a Soul-destroying Faith whatever it be He on the contrary holds that Faith in Christ for Sanctification only is enough to bring him to Heaven The Controversie thus stated I come now to prove we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed and not without it From which if I make it good the other point clearly appears That that Faith which carries not out the Soul to Christs Righteousness to have it imputed is but a Soul-destroying Faith Arg. 1. No man can be declared Righteous in a Legal sense but who hath the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him But every one that God doth justifie he declareth righteous in a Legal sense Therefore there is no man justified but who hath Christs Righteousness imputed to him The Minor is proved from what hath been already manifested To justifie is to declare just to declare just in a Legal sense because it is to discharge him from the accusation of the Law and in justifying God doth judge us by the Law though by the Gospel also The Major will easily appear if we consider what 't is to be righteous in a Legal sense It is to be invested with a sinless Righteousness from the beginning of Life to the end thereof for this the Law requires It doth require perfection not only in the end of our Lives but in the middle also and in the beginning It never allows us to sin If at ten years of age a person commits Murder and then lives according to the Law of the Land in every tittle forty years then arraigned for this he pleads that after that Offence he continued to live exactly according to the Law the Judge cannot pronounce him innocent and so acquit him because the Law did not allow him to commit Murder any part of his Life In regard God wants not knowledge and proof of our Offences if we have had but one evil thought or have committed but one sin only all our dayes if he looks not on us in his Son reckoning his sinless Righteousness to us how should he declare us righteous in a Legal sense For the Judgment of God is always according to truth Rom. 2.2 Having Christs Righteousness imputed we are invested with an everlasting Righteousness he did not sin nor
was there any guile in his mouth a spotless Lamb. We have that on which is a through conformity to the Law from the beginning of Life to the end of Life But this Righteousness not put on by Faith we are not invested with any thing for which God should declare and pronounce us righteous in the sense of the Law for every mouth must be stopped all the world is become guilty before God Arg. 2. If we are justified or pardoned upon the imputation of Righteousness without works then by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness But so we are Rom. 4.6 7. David describes the blessedness of the Man to whom God imputes Righteousness without works saying Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven The former Proposition appears hence because there are but two ways whereby a Creature who hath a Law given him Do this and live failand dye may be justified either by pleading he hath done this and not failed from the beginning of life to the end and so he is to be justified by his works as Angels are justifiable Or if he hath not such works by pleading the Righteousness of a Surety It follows therefore since we have no such works and yet Righteousness is imputed it must be our Saviours for he is our Surety Obj. G. W. Divin of Christ p. 64. saith This Righteousness is not without the works of true living Faith but without the works of the Law of works which in the following Page he explains to be the Ceremonial Law requiring Circumcision For saith he if it should be without the works of Faith Paul and James would clash Answ 1. He knows we hold that he who hath Christs Righteousness imputed hath works of sincere Obedience also that Faith which gives interest therein is a working Faith This James contends for and that works manifest our Justification because they manifest the soundness of our Faith A person is arrested for a Debt of one hundred pounds which he hath borrowed and paid and received an Acquittance for the Judge clears him It might be said he was cleared by his Acquittance as evidencing Payment for which the Judge cleared him Thus according to James Abraham was justified by Works as evidencing his Interest in Christs Righteousness for which God justified him 2. He acknowledgeth that Righteousness is imputed without works of the Law of works This is all I contend for For hence I conclude that Righteousness which is imputed must needs be Christs sinless Obedience from the beginning of Life to the end because God being true who hath said Do this and live fail and die and we having all failed there is no way for us to be justified without the Imputation of Christs never-failing righteousness 3. He errs calling the Ceremonial Law a Law of Works in giving this the Lord gave a Law of Grace to his people that which supposed them fallen and so unable ever by their works to attain to Righteousness and pointed at Christ their Remedy 4. I suppose he looks on the works of Faith as constituting that Righteousness which God is said to impute But then 1. He would make the Scripture speak thus that God imputes works wrought by us without works wrought by us 2. And if the works of Faith be our justifying Righteousness then either the works of Faith before we are perfect or after only If before it follows imperfect works are justifying Righteousness and that God will declare them righteous or conform to his Law who are not so for imperfection is not conformity to Gods Law and that God will acquit them as innocent who are breakers of his Law for imperfection is a breach of Gods Law How can this consist with Gods truth who hath said Cursed is he that continueth not in all Imperfection is no such continuance If works of Faith only after we are perfect be our justifying Righteousness according to this Doctrine all the people called Quakers must look on themselves as in a state of Condemnation for none of them are yet perfect end not having reached perfection they have not a justifying Righteousness so are not yet justifiable and dying in their present state they must all look for damnation and to perish for ever a most sad and uncomfortable Doctrine 3. But were the works of Faith perfect yet could they not be a justifying Righteousness because not a perfect obedience to the Law from the beginning of life to the end thereof Who dares say Gods Law doth not require this And if this be the thing Gods Law requires and God saith Cursed be he that confirme th not all the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 Shew how it consists with the vearcity of God to justifie him that hath not in the beginning of Life as well as in the end done all the works of the Law nor is yet invested with the sinless everlasting Righteousness of Jesus Christ 4. He himself excludes the works of Faith from constituting out justifying Righteousness For he excludes the works of the Ceremonial Law And will he say that Abraham did not in Faith circumcise his Son 5. Since it is not said he imputes any thing we have performed for Righteousness but he imputes Righteousness and since Righteousness in point of Justification is exact conformity to the Law of God from the beginning of life to the end it necessarily follows that the Righteousness imputed is something granted distinct from whatever hath been performed by us and that Christs Obedience to the Law whilst on earth is the thing granted for this only can be called Righteousness in point of Justification Arg. 3. As we are made sinners and condemnable by the Disobedience of Adam so are we made righteous and justifiable by the Obedience of Christ Rom. 5.19 As by one mans Disobedience many were made sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous But the former is by Imputation therefore so is the latter G. W. in answer to Mr. Danson's Synopsis p. 20. tells us We are made Sinners not by any imputation but by a real participation of Adams Sin Answ As if these were inconsistent whereas We could not be partakers of Adams sin were there no Imputation Adams sin was his eating the forbidden fruit we are not partakers of this by our actual commission of it it must be therefore by Gods imputation It cannot be said we are partakers of Adams sin in that we are personal Offenders Let the words be weighed By one mans Disobedience many were made sinners It is not here said By many personal Disobediences we are made sinners though this be true Adams sin of eating the forbidden fruit is really ours by it are we made sinners and this must needs be through imputation The 12th verse clears it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom we all have sinned Children are not excepted and yet many of them never committed actual Transgression If it be said through Adams sin we are deprived of Gods Image our
their whole bodies be full of darkness it follows that there no true Light at all in them the Light that is is real darkness It therefore is added If the Light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Luke 11.35 Take heed that the Light which is in thee be not darkness If there were no danger that a mans Light should be darkness what room were there for this warning It is therefore uudeniable that there is a Light in man which is but darkness And I ask what Light is that Not Christ himself in the Saints not his holy Spirit that dwelleth in them not the Light of the Gospel taken in by Faith not the special illumination of the Holy Ghost Tell us then what Light can it be but the Light we brought with us into the world the Light that is in every man He that hath no more but this Light is all Darkness Therefore it is said Eph. 5 8. Ye were sometimes Darkness All darkness Ye had then not one Drachm of Light in you the Light you had was but Darkness Q. But how can this be If it be Light 't is Light how can it be and not be the same thing Ans It can of it self without Scripture teach Moral Duties that God is to be worshipped Parents obeyed c. as hath been hinted often and in this respect 't is Light But it cannot reveal Christ of it self When he is revealed by the Striptures and preaching of the Gospel it cannot discern him nor any other spiritual Mystery of the Gospel for they are spiritually discerned the Natural man with all his Light cannot reach to this And in these two respects 't is meer darkness no more able to guide a man to Salvation than darkness it self Obj. We may not put Light for Darkness Ans When Christ evidently hints the Light within may be darkness must he be thus reproved You may not put Light for Darkness That which in respect of Morals is Light he calls Light and the same being in respect of Spirituals real Darkness he properly calls it so He doth not therefore put Light for Darkness And G. W. himself acknowledgeth Div. of Christ in Answer to Mr. Dawson p. 42. That the Natural man bath not power to discern spiritual things Is not his Light darkness then What he adds yet he hath a power to receive them is very odd For how do men receive spiritual things into their Souls but first by discerning them then approving and embracing them His Reason is miserable for after Conversion he doth saith he receive them He might as well have said the Unconverted hath power to receive spiritual things for after Conversion he doth discern them 'T is as if he should have said When Sampson was an Infant he had power to carry the Gates of a City up the Hill for when he was a man he did it In Conversion we receive a new Light and a new Heart which is a new power to receive spiritual things This Light that is wrought in us by the Spirit of God when put upon it to direct us how to obtain Pardon and Justification bids us seek it by the works of the Law never pointing to Christ therefore at least being forced to speak through our fault where it should be silent as being unable to direct herein it both can and doth misguide It will be yielded in terms I think that there is no Pardon or Justification without Faith in Christ And it hath been proved that this light of it self cannot speak one Syllable of Christ therefore it cannot tell us how to obtain Pardon and Justification If then we will force it to speak in this point it must needs speak Falshood if any thing See it thus directing Rom. 2.13 14. The doers of the Law shall be justified for when the Gintiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves The Apostle lays down the way of Justification by the Law of works The Doers of the Law shall be justified He proves it for the Light of Nature puts the Gentiles upon doing of the works of the Law that they may be justified having no knowledge of the Law of Grace which direct to Christ by Faith for Justification they walk by the Law of works which is no way to Heaven for a fallen Creature The like we may see in several of the Israelites Rom. 9.32 They sought for Righteousness not by Faith but by the works of the Law And that the Light within them did put them upon this we may see chap. 10.2 I bear them Record that they have a zeal of God This they did then in a zeal for God designing his Glory and to do his will But never doth a man any thing in zeal to Gods glory but when his Reason his Judgment his Conscience his best Understanding the best Light he hath puts him on And that this is not the way to obtain Justification is evident chap. 9.32 The works of the Law are called a stumbling Stone It is a truth indeed that the Doers of the Law shall be justified but no man can possibly be a Doer He that hath once in thought word or deed in all his life broken the Law is not a Doer of the Law but a Transgressor therefore this is no way for our Justification because in our hearts are motions of darkness and errour because Satan hath access to insinuate evil into us because the Light we brought into the world doth not reveal all necessary Truths because we have not an infallible Spirit to discern these few Truths it doth reveal from Errours suggested in our hearts and because 't is possible for this very light it self to suggest errour we are not sure upon good grounds that all Counsels out of our hearts are from God as werare sure all Counsels out of the Scriptures are from God No can we so safely walk after Counsels out of our own hearts for the Counsels of the light within come out of our own hearts as we can safely walk after Counsels out of the Scripture These are infallible to us the other not Before I end I must answer what he brings to prove this Light an infallible Rule Arg. 1. p. 17. l. ult Christ bids us believe in the Light He would not have us believe in that that might deceive us Answ John 12.36 Whilst ye have the Light believe in the Light The words intimate they were like to lose the Light according to the Threat Matth. 21.43 The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you The true sense here is Whilst ye have the Gospel believe in me the Light of the world 'T is not Believe in the Light you brought with you into the World Nor was this to be taken from them Not believing in Christ they were to cary this to Hell with them to torment them for their Sin Arg. 2. The
Natures are corrupt It is true this confirms our Doctrine for this is the punishmem of the first Transgression but how can it be that we should be conceived in sin brought forth unclean and deprived of Gods Image and thus bear the punishment of Adams first sin before we were ever capable of actual Transgression but that we sinned in Adam God reckoned that first sin to us as ours God doth not punish that person in whom he doth not first see a transgression We conclude therefore we are made sinners not only by personal evil but by imputation of Adams sin also And because we are made righteous by Christs Obedience as we are made sinners by Adams Disobedience it follows this is by imputation also and not by conversion only as G. W. p. 21. would have it This Text saith not We are made righteous by the Obedience of many that it should be understood of every mans own Conversion but of one As the Disobedience Adam wrought in his own person on earth makes us sinners so the Obedience Christ wrought in his own person on the earth makes us righteous which must needs be by Gods imputing reckoning and making over to us when Believers Arg. 4. For what God frees us from the Curse of the Law for that doth God justifie us But for Christs Sufferings imputed doth God free us from the Curse of the Law Therefore for Christs sufferings imputed doth he justifie us The Major is evident for to be justified implies an acquittance or freedom from the Curse of the Law The Minor also Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us It is for the sake of Christ sufferings we are freed And if it be not imputed and so made ours and reekoned to us as under gone for us how should any of us reap the benefit of it or one more then another And if we were not discharged from the Curse for the sake of Christs sufferings imputed but for faith and the works that follow without the imputation of Christs sufferings then Christ bore the Curse of the Law for us in vain Arg. 5. What was Typified in the Ceremonial Law is certainly accomplished But the imputation of Christs sufferings was Typified in the Ceremonial Law Exod. 24.8 Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenam Heb. 9. The Holy Ghost tells us this was in order to remission What did this sprinkling Typisie but the imputation or application of Christ sufferings to us There is no pardon no justification without it 1 John 1.7 Christs blood cleanseth from all sin Yet if it be not applyed how can it cleanse Gods promise therefore is Isa 52.17 He shall sprirkle many Nations And Heb. 12.24 Christs blood is called the blood of sprinkling Ye are come to the blood of sprinkling because it cleanseth only as it is applyed unto us Arg. 6. For what we are freed from condemnation for that we are justified But for the death of Christ imputed or reckoned to us are we freed from Condemnation Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Therefore for Christ death imputed are we justified Arg. 7. From the express testimony of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood shall we be saved from wrath through him Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Arg. 8. For what God doth pardon and accept us for the same doth he justifie us For to be justified is to be pardoned and the ground of justification is the ground of acceptation But we are pardoned for the sake of Christs death imputed Col. 1.14 We have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our sins Eph. 1.6 We have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins We are accepted for the sake of Christ our surety whose sufferings and righteousness are imputed and so made ours Eph. 1.6 We are accepted in the Beloved 2 Cor. 5.19 21. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we may be made the righteousness of God in him It is evident that for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered we are pardoned and accepted And indeed there is no other way to obtain pardon Heb. 9.22 Without sheding of blood there is no remission Nor to be accepted Exod. 17.3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth an Ox or a Lamb or a Goat ver 4. and bringeth it not to the door of the Tabernacle blood shall be imputed to that man he hath shed blood and that man shall be cut off from his people v. 5. to the end the Children of Israel may bring their sacrifices to the Priest This Typifies that if we think to have the best services that we are enabled to perform accepted immediately as from us and not for the sake of Christ our Priest presenting them to the Father for us in the merit of that sacrifice he offered once for all they are so far from acceptation that for this God will cut us off from his people He will as soon accept of Murther from us as such a service It remains therefore that Christs obedience to the death of the Cross is the only righteousness for which made ours God doth justifie us Arg. 9. I did argue by a similitude in the second dispute for explication sake because they do so much detest to hear of a righteousness wrought without us and will be justified by no righteousness but what is wrought within them Thus I form my Argument If the Righteousness we are justified by is a garment a Robe even the best Robe then we are justified by a Righteousness wrought without us For our Garments are not wrought within us but without us and we may well conceive that the Holy Ghost makes use of this similitude as for other ends so for this in point of justification to illustrate how that Righteousness for which we are justified is wrought without us even by our Saviour Christ when he was upon the earth here obeying his Father to the death But the Righteousness we are justified by is a Garment c. In this Dispute I found nothing at all of solidity in my Adversary so much as in his Answer to this The upright put on Zeal for a Cloak and Rightcousness for a Garment which is true of the Righteousness of Sanctification and is this Righteousness wrought without them Answ Hence it follows the Holy Ghost doth not alwaies using this similitude intimate to us that that Righteousness which is put on is wrought without us However he may sometimes And that he doth Luke 15.22 Bring forth the best
if Sanctification and Holiness without Christs dying for thee could suffice to redeem thy lost soul Christ gave his Life a ransom in vain 2. Christs sufferings are of that worth that they are abundantly sufficient to redeeâ— our lost souls If not I am willing mine should perish everlastingly But he is God blessed for ever who purchased the Church with his blood Act. 20.28 In his sufferings then there is worth enough worth abundantly enough to redeem our souls for ever Heb. 9.12 He hath obtained eternal Redemption for us We may be as confident of it as we are that we live Our soul is pretious and Christs blood is as pretious and far more pretious 1 Pet. 1.17 18. We are not redeemed with corruptible things but with the pretious blood of Christ Let us then with Paul abhor all sanctification in us all Holiness all works of Faith whatever is wrought by us in comparison of what we spie by faith in Christ And let us put our whole trust in Christs sufferings for the redemption and acquittance or discharge of our lost souls from whatever damnation they are by sin exposed unto that is for justification Arg. 12. For that only doth God justifie us which doth suffice to turn away his wrath from us But Christs sufferings only not any thing done or suffered by us is that for which God doth justifie us This Argument was also pressed the first dispute and enlarged And there not being one word of answer pertinent in his book I proceed and prove the former Proposition Gods wrath hath been kindled against us A Fire saith God Deut. 32.22 is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell Tophet is prepared Adam unto whom God said in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death sinned and kindled Gods wrath against himself and all his posterity for we are by Nature the Children of wrath In our own persons likewise we have failed of continuing in all and hence is Gods wrath up against us for the Law worketh wrath If Gods wrath hath been stirred up against us it cannot be that we should be justified till his wrath be turned away God burning in his wrath is ready to condemn us to take vengeance on us to consume us as fire not to justifie and acquit us from our ill deserts That therefore for which we are justified must suffice to turn away Gods wrath from us The next Proposition consists of two parts 1. Nothing done or suffered by us sufficeth to turn away Gods wrath Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not Isa 40.16 Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for aburnt offering ver 15. The Nations are but as a drop of the Bucket How can it be that we poor nothings should be able by doing or suffering any thing turn away the wrath of this Great self-sufficient Soveraign offended with us Can fallen Angels do or suffer any thing When we are made to suffer in our own persons it is for ever for ever that we suffer because miserable worms we never can suffer enough that his wrath should be turned away from us And if burning Ten thousand Millions of years in Hell is not enough to turn his wrath away how little reason is there to imagine that a little faith and the works that follow should suffice If this were enough then in vain did Christ say Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy will O God In vain was Christ our Passover sacrificed for us for what end did he come for what end was he sacrificed for us but that he might make attonement for us that he might make Reconciliation for the sins of the People that he might turn away wrath and so the destroying Angel might pass over us 2. Christs sufferings do suffice to turn away Gods wrath from us 1 Jo. 2.1 2. We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Heb. 13.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God Eph. 5.2 Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and asacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Let us then place no confidence in sanctification holiness faith and the works that follow as if these saying aside Christs death on the Cross could turn away Gods wrath and render God so well pleased with us as to discharge acquit justifie us but let us by true faith repose all our trust in Jesus who offered himself a sacrifice for us for justification deliverance from wrath to come He is the only hiding place from the storm the only covert from the tempest Arg. 13. That for which God justifies us must suffice to satisfie his justice for our transgression But Christs sufferings only nothing done or suffered by us can suffice to satisfie Gods justice for our transgression Therefore Christs sufferings and not any thing done or suffered by us is that for which God doth justifie us Justice is satisfied upon transgression when it hath duely punished it This premised I prove the Major We having not continued in all God will not justifie us without satisfaction to his justice for our sin 1. We may judge of this by Gods dealing with fallen Angels there being no provision made for the satisfaction of Justice for their fall God will never justifie them but they are to be condemned and bear their deserved punishment for ever Why should we imagine that God will justifie any of us who have fallen as well as they never punishing our fall as justice doth require 2. We may conclude it from Gods Law the contents whereof are all equal holy just and good In the Law we may take notice of three things each of which are conclusive of the point in hand 1. Gods Judgement which is alwaies according to truth and he hath judged that whoever of us in the least tittle do break so equal so holy just and good a Law we do deserve his Curse If he had not thus judged he would not have added this sanction to his Law and said Cursed is he that continues not in all God judgeth this but a meet and deserved punishment And shall we imagine that God will not do what is meet to be done That God should not act according to his own Judgement Hence I think we may conclude God justifieth none of us without punishing our sins 2. Gods Truth God having said in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death and cursed is he that continues not in all doth not his truth engage him to execute his justice in punishing sin should mercy offer to pronounce any man absolved his sin unpunished Truth would stop the mouth of mercy and say hold I have said Cursed is he that continues not in all and I cannot but be true Hence I conclude no offender is justified but his sin is punished to the full 3.
from sin for when Paul in this sense did no iniquity sin dwelled in him Nor will G. W. say I suppose no man is regenerate but who is perfectly free from sin Otherwise though he boasts of being in the Light he must be unregenerate for he confessed he had not yet reached perfection Ob. 7. But guilt cannot be taken away whilst the being of sin remains It was answered it can Ro. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit This intimates there is flesh in such though guilt is removed The Apostle speaks of himself who was then regenerate and in Christ and so had guilt gone yet acknowledged a Law of sin in his members In the Second Dispute this being asserted Eccles 7.20 was urged There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth not The Just person is one that is justified his guilt gone yet he sinneth To this there was no answer given It was said in the first dispute Job 9.19 If I sin thou will not acquit me Answ If I sin as do the wicked with allowance Thus he that is born of God doth not commit sin and God will by no means clear such as are thus guilty Ob. 8. Heb. 12.22.23 You are to come to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect Answ This speaks of spiritual comeing by faith whereby the Saints on earth enjoy communion with God and the Saints in heaven not at their having attained unto the perfection of the Saints in heaven Will he say they have attained to the perfection of God himself For 't is said ye are come to God Will he say every of the Hebrews had attained to be perfectly free from all sin so as to have no evil thought in them any more for ever as it is with the Saints in heaven p. 20. The Scriptures saith he speaks not of any perfection of the body Yet he goes on and would fain prove such a perfection from hence that it ought to be It seems then he asserts a perfection that he grants the Scripture speaks not of But his Argument is weakness it self Duty is one thing Power or Possession another These Eight Objections were all answered in the first Dispute so that he had nothing more to say in vindication of either of them He was not so ingenuous as to write my Answers lest he should discover the sandiness of the foundation he builds his doctrine on I find other objections in his Divin of Christ 1. In the Epistle He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Answ Meritoriously The sanctified need no other sacrifice to fly to all their dayes Will he say none are sanctified that have any sin in them 2. Christ cleanseth from all sin He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Answ What sin is cleansed is cleansed by Christs blood Christ blood from time to time cleanseth away all guilt from Believers It cleanseth away the reigning power of sin in this Life the being in the next not in this for John washed and cleansed confesseth 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves 3. He will througly purge his Flooer Answ Separate the ungodly from the Righteous 4. Can the work of faith and grace be sinful Answ Faith it self can be imperfect therefore the work of faith Lord I believe help my unbelief Imperfection is sin for perfection is duty 5. Page 20. He that is born of God overcomes the World God hath made my way perfect 2 Sam. 22.23 Answ Though he hath his failings his course of Life is holy notwithstanding all opposition from the world or other enemies Will they say none is born of God but who is free from the being of sin then no Quaker is born of God for the man cannot be brought that is perfectly free from all sin Nor can it be proved that by perfect is meant free from all sin David had failings in the end of his dayes and he acknowledged his house was not so with God but David asserts the Perfection of his warlike attempts not of his graces as the context sheweth 6. Such as are in Christ have cast off the old man Answ The Reigning power of sin Have crucified the flesh Answ It is dying a lingring death Faith Purifies the Heart Answ Casts out the reigning power of sin from time to time delivers from an evil frame purgeth out evil thoughts and motions though still others succeed It is said Rom. 6.6 That the body of sin might be destroyed Answ In the other Life it shall in this our work is vers 12. Not to let sin reign not to obey it in the lusts thereof 7. In whose spirit is no guile Answ Who having sin doth not cloak it but confesseth it plainly and is sincere desiring mercy as appears in the next verse Psal 32.2 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old 8. Are not all the Works of the Spirit of God perfect They glory much in this Objection but there is nothing in it For Answ 1. The Operation or working of the spirit is alwayes perfect he works in infinite wisdom by infinite power 2. The Work or thing wrought is alwayes perfect for its part nature or kind a bud is a perfect bud An Embrio is a perfect Embrio The least Drachm of grace true and not counterfeit 3. Every saving grace though but like a grain of Mustard-seed shall be perfect in degree also in Gods time As was the work of Creation 4. But every saving work of the spirit is not presently perfect in all those degrees of perfection it is to attain unto 1 Thes 3.10 Praying that he might see your face and perfect that which is lacking in the Faith 5. Nor doth every saving grace wrought by the spirit of God forthwith exclude the being of all sin Which is the perfection enquired after To affirm this is to say in whomsoever is any sin in him Gods spirit never wrought any grace that since Moses chode at the waters of Meribah God never wrought meekness in him 9. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Answ 1. Sometimes the word fulfil signifies no more then sincerely to obey the Law whether in part or in whole In part Ja. 2 8. If ye fulfll the Royal Law according to the Scripture thou shalt love thy Neighbour This is but part for there is another part of the Law requiring Love to God So Gal. 6.2 Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ That is that part of the Law which requires this duty In whole 1 Chro. 22.13 If thou takest heed to fulfil the Statutes and Judgments which the Lord charged Moses then thou shalt prosper Be strong And in this Life we receive grace thus to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law that is sincerely to obey every precept so far as we attain to
Robe and put it on him I thus prove By this Robe the Holy Ghost understands Christs Righteousness even obedience unto death For not to speak of increated Righteousness even the essential and incommunicable Righteousness of God which never was wrought within or without but is the Eternal God-head There is a four fold Righteousness 1. The sincere obedience of an upright man 2. The perfect but loosable Righteousness of the first man in Innocency 3. The perfect but confirmed obedience of the blessed Angels 4. The perfect everlasting and infinitely pretious obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ when he was in our Nature on the earth doing alwayes those things that pleased the Father This last must necessarily be understood by the best Robe For this Righteousness of Christ is better than the first because that was not a Continuance in all from the beginning of Life Then the second because that was not a Continuance in all to the end of Life Then the third because that is but the Righteousness of a Creature whereas this is the Righteousness of God himself For God in our Nature obeyed God and this is Righteousness of infinite value and excellency the very best Robe It would be horrid blasphemy for any to say his own Righteousness that which he himself is enabled to perform in his own person is a better Robe then this Righteousness of the Son of God Since then God bestows Righteousness on a returning Prodigal and stiles it the best Robe he would have us to understand by it a Righteousness wrought without us There being none wrought within us so good We are justified then by that Righteousness of Christ which he wrought without us Arg. 10. Either we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed and so made ours upon believing or we are justified by the Deeds of the Law the Apostle knew no Medium nor is there any revealed For either we must be justified by our own personal obeying Gods Law or Will or by our sureties obeying it for us Our own personal obediences to Gods will are the deeds of the Law Whether we obey in our own strength or Gods strength they are the deeds of the Law whether we obey from Faith or without Faith they are the deeds of the Law For the Law requires what we do otherwise it were not obedience But how sull is the Scripture telling us by the Deeds of the Law shall no flesh living be justified The only way of justification then is by our Sureties obedience for us which must therefore be imputed to us and so made ours how otherwise should we reap benefit by it Arg. 11. That for which we are justified must be of that worth as to redeen our lost souls But Christs sufferings only no Righteousness wrought by us is of that worth as to redeem our lost souls Therefore for the sufferings of Christ and not for any Righteousness wrought by us are we justified This Argument God enabled me the first Dispute to press with full enlargement on the Consciences of the People to secure them from the soul-destroying error of this man He hints it p. 23. And all he answers is such away of ustification shuts out sanctification and holiness which is indeed no Answer but an Objection To which I answer it shuts it out from being our justifying Righteousness For if Sanctification and Holiness were it which redeems our lost Soul and for which we are acquitted in vain did Christ suffer for us that we might be redeemed and acquitted thereby But it doth not shut it out either as inconsistent or as a needless thing Rom. 3.31 Do we make void the Law through Faith God forbid Yea we establish the Law It is so far from being inconsistent that they are inseparable and the one a means to the other Flying out of our selves as seeing nothing but matter of condemnation in our selves to Jesus Christ by Faith and apprehending the purity and holiness of our Saviours heart and life the sufficiency of his sufferings to redeem our souls from wrath and that on his account God is ready to forgive and receive us to favour hereupon our hearts turn to God we dislike our sins we are sweetly engaged to please God in all things Thus God purifies our hearts by Faith Thus are we sanctified by Faith which is in Christ And a lively Faith will work by love And though Holiness be not needful to constitute a justifying Righteousness yet is it needful to testifie our love to God and Christ for providing such a Righteousness for us and to please God and to honour God and that we may be a good example to our neighbour and that we might have a good evidence of the foundness of our Faith and to testifie our subjection to God who requires it of us But to return I prove the Major Our souls were lost Luke 19.10 The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost 2 Cor. 5.15 All were dead Matth. 20.28 The Son of man is come to give his life a Ransome for many If our souls were not lost and undone what need this we were lyable to the Curse because we had not continued in all this is to be lost And if we were lost that for which we are justified must needs have worth in it to redeem lost souls What is not sufficient to redeem our lost souls cannot be sufficient to justifie us It is impossible to be justified and yet left in a lost condition The Minor hath two parts 1. No Righteousness wrought by us is of worth to redeem our lost souls Consider the worth of our souls The Body is more then raiment the natural life is more to us then all the world Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life How precious is the soul capable of an everlasting fruition of God capable of everlasting torments in hell what can we give to God worth our souls Consider what it is to have our souls lost it is to have them obnoxious to Gods curse which if we have it will be an everlasting destruction from the glorious presence of God an everlasting torment in the flames of hell Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Now what can we give to God proportionable to so great a loss to so great sufferings Sanctification and Holiness or a little faith and the works that follow This is likely to do There is no real Sanctification no real Holiness till by Faith a person flies out of himself to Christ for redemption But if it were otherwise could this redeem our lost souls At Dice a man looseth an estate of Ten thousand a year he to whom it is lost gives the Looser a Cottage the Looser would fain give this Cottage to have his estate again Thus sillily thou actest who thinkest that thy lost soul may be redeemed with any thing of thine without the merit of Christs blood and sufferings If Faith and the works that follow