God being Judge and Witness and consequently Matter of Justification for they differ but in this that Justification presupposes the Charge of a Crime or Suspition of one Praising or Glorying doth not So that Praising and Justifying differ only as Comfort and Joy and Grotius himself being Judge on John 1.1 this is the Sense of the Phrase 2. Glorying in God is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.17 And makest thy boast of God 1 Cor. 1.41 He that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord Psal 34.2 My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord. These two are vastly different to have Matter of Glorying in our selves in our Actions towards God God himself being our Judge and Witness and to Glory in God his Favour and Kindness when we have deserved nothing but Wrath. A second Grammatical Error is to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ in Scripture for we find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorying is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter of Glory 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience Rom. 15.17 I have therefore whereof I may Glory in things that pertain to God And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Act of Glorying 1 Cor. 5.6 Your glorying is not good 9.15 Make my glorying void 2 Cor. 5.12 Occasion to glory on our behalf But beside if Man had Matter of Glorying there might be justly glorying where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God doth never deny any man his due The deepest Degrees of Humility God requires are but suitable Apprehensions and Conversations to what we are And Lastly a Man's Works affords Matter of Glorying as well as his Faith Heb. 11.17 James 2.20 God praises Abraham's Works as well as his Faith 6. The Criticks generally are against this Translation and so the Ancient Versions as the Ethiopick which puts a Reward here in place of Glorying and the Arabick which says If he was Justified by Works he should have Glory in them Lastly It is the making of a Neutral Verb active without any Authentick Examples to Countenance it But I come to the second thing which is the Truth of the Argument That Abraham had no Matter of Glorying before God I shall form it into this general Doctrine That no meer Man has any Matter of Glorying before God This I shall Confirm and Illustrate from these four general Topicks 1. From Mans Existence and Being 2. From his Constitution or Essence 3. From his Undoing of himself his ruining and destroying his Soul by Sin his guilt which not only affords matter for Humility but of mixing it with Sorrow Shame and Confusion of Face 4. From our Impotence to restore our selves from this Fall tho' there is matter in it to remove our Sorrow none to remove our Humility or lay a Foundation of our Glorying I shall begin with the first of these Topicks First Our Being or Existence this has seven Properties that are inseparable from it or from any Creature whether Angels above us or Beasts below us They are the seven Properties of a Creature as a Creature and the just Consideration of them is that which makes Angels never Mind themselves but be unwearied and without Intermission taken up with the Praises and Contemplations of a God These are the things which make Seraphims cover their Face and their Feet with their Wings The first is Creatures Contingency that is tho it now is it might not have been and may not be again there is no repugnancy to not Being in its Constitution which I shall thus Illustrate Before our Birth we were not Men Atheists that pretend our matter to have been from Eternity and that when we dye we only dissolve into that Common Mass yet they grant that we begin to be Men and cease to be Men and that every individual Man hath a beginning 1. If there is no Necessity of our being Men there is no Necessity of our being any thing especially Inferiour to Man as Matter is owned to be for Necessity of Existence is a high Perfection Contingency that borders next to nothing is a great Imperfection and therefore the greater Perfection is to be placed in the more perfect Being Therefore if no Necessity of his Being man there is no Necessity of being any thing Inferiour to him Necessary Existence must be the Attribute of something for since something now is something always has been and that which hath been always doth Exist by the Intrinsick Perfection of its own Essence for what suffers nothing to be before it admits of no External Cause But 2. That which hath the least Imperfection of any kind it wants this Perfection of necessary Existence whatever has any Imperfection is but a Contingent thing For if there be not a reality of Perfection to exclude a little Imperfection there cannot be a sufficient reality to exclude a greater Imperfection If the fulness of the Beings Perfections do not include a lesser Perfection they cannot include a greater for instance if Matter cannot include among its Perfections these lesser ones of Thinking Reasoning Speaking Feeling it cannot include a more Noble Perfection of Necessary Existence for not to be is a greater Imperfection than not to be Reasonable or not to be Sensitive Necessary Existence is at the greatest distance from not Being that is possible and therefore since not Being is the greatest Imperfection necessary Being is the greatest Perfection and whatever has it must want no Perfection and whatever wants it is but a Contingent thing 3. All that own a God own that necessary Existence is his incommunicable Attribute and does contain an incomparable an incomprehensible Perfection it is the highest Degree of removal from nothing a grain of Dust is better than nothing all Creatures are in a middle State between Nothing and a necessary Being Nothing is not Gods Name is Being Exod. 3.14 I am what I am his Name alone is Jehovah But Creatures are indifferent to be and not to be there is no repugnancy in us against Being nor no impossibility in our Constitution to hinder us from not Being Christ himself bears a Similitudinary Image of Independency because having once a Life given he is said to have Life in himself in his own Power but there is no Image of this Necessary Existence Atheism is very unreasonable to place this Perfection in Matter which as the Reverend Mr. Howe says is next to Nothing for it can do nothing and shall we place the Attribute that is most distant from Nothing in the Subject which is next to nothing What great ground of Humility doth this afford that I am more than a Fly it is of God not of me that I differ from the Dust or the Dirt I tread on I owe it to God I am not so much as one Breath yea the smallest particle of the most subtil Air of my self that I am more than
The Goodness of God would not suffer our Justification to be sooner for he would not keep us out of Possession of what is our Right if as a just Judge he Justified us as a Merciful Governour he would Treat us as such and let us have the Common Priviledge of Free Subjects which is his Spirit Not the later for his Justice could not give to a condemned Criminal without the Imputation of Mediatorial Satisfaction the greatest of the Favours and best of the Blessings of his Kingdom but whatever Arguments proved the former Proposition proves this As for the Antinomian Notion of Justification from Eternity it seems more absurd than the Eternity of the World There is a Threefold Use this Doctrine affords of Tryal to the Doubtfull of Support to the Dejected and of Conviction to the Carnal secure Person As to the First Whatever doth prove the Sincerity of a mans Faith the Reality of his Regeneration may be to him a sure Index and Token of his Pardon since Regeneration it self is the Justificatory Sentence As to the Second Whether the dejection or despair of Mind arise from the greatness of Sin the Violence of Temptations the strength of Lust the multitude of Backslidings or long continuance in that comfortless State or from such speculative Doctrines as the Fewness of the Chosen and fixedness of the Number of them for whom Christ died yet this one thing may support the Soul and fill it with the Joy of a pardon'd Criminal that if there be the least dram of Grace though small as a Mustard-seed Mat. 17.20 thy State is secur'd whatever come of others or however uneasie our present Condition be For the Third It is a vain thing for that man to live in Hopes and trust in Gods Mercy and Christs Satisfaction without any inward Change in the Temper of his Mind for the Sentence of Justification is never pass'd upon him untill he be Regenerate Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 6. obviating that Objection If Grace be glorified in the Pardon of Sin let us continue in sin that Grace may abound He answers How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He that is dead is justified from sin These two are inseparable a Justification from the Guilt of sin and a Mortication from the Power and Pollution of sin I come now to the other Term of the Proposition Works which I shall first Explain by several distinguishing Characters and then secondly come to the Proposition and shew in what sense the one is deny'd Of the other how far Works are excluded from Justification For the first 1. They are Good Works neither Jews nor Gentiles ever pretended that God would justifie us for bad Works that the same should be matter of Condemnation and Justification that what needs a Pardon should deserve a pardon 2. Not meerly Good in Mens Opinions the Pharisees thought their Works better than they were Luke 16.15 they did highly esteem what God did abominate and justified themselves for it for Paul might then and should have brought Arguments to prove they would be Condemn'd for their Works And 2ly would have Corrected their Error as Christ did Mat. 5. by shewing their Works were not good they came not up to the Extent and Spirituality of the Law 3. The Apostle argues against the Works of the Law Rom. 3.20 and the Law it self v. 27. and 4.13 not against a misinterpretation of the Law Christ calls that Mat. 5. said of old and said of them the Opinion and Tradition of Rabbins not the Law and Works of the Law It 's a sandy Foundation which some lay for their Comments Systems and Sermons that only the works here meant are Mosaical in the Pharisaical sense of them without one word of proof for it for then the fault or defect would be in the Law not in the Works by the Law for this Law say some of them had only Temporal Rewards and Punishments 3. All Humane Actions works in general not as Grotius only External Works Aristotle and his Followers distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Works and Actions But Divinity that has only the Morality of Actions for its formal Object cannot exclude Internal where all Morality lyes The External works of the Apostles are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Acts as their famous and Sacred History is entituled and 1 Thes 1.3 Faith and Love are styl'd Works Besides we find Obedience Righteousness and Works of the same import through the Scripture and especially in this Epistle Rom. 6.16 of Obedience unto Righteousness and without Works and without a Man 's own Righteousness are of the same import 4. Good Works are the Fruits of the Spirit Ephâ—s 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness rigbteousness and truth Galat. 5.22 5. Good Works are wrought by a Righteous Man Mat. 7.18 A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither c. Ephes 2.10 The Apostle proves that we are saved not of Works because Good Works follow our being God's Workmanship 6. Good Works must be according to Divine Command for that is the Rule and Standard between Good and Bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 3.4 is the formal Nature of Sin so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the formal Nature of Good Works Deut. 4.2 Good Works are call'd Righteousness because according to the Law that is the measure of the Creators right to his Creatures and of the fellow Creatures to one another Hence we are always sent to the Law and to the Testimonies if not according to these there is neither Truth nor Goodness in them Johannes Agricola the Ring-leader of Antinomians is usually condemn'd amongst Divines and it s said was Converted by Luther from this Error That Repentance was taught by the Gospel and not by the Law for the Law is the Rule of all Obedience the Gospel is a Doctrine of Joy Luke 2.10 A word of Grace Acts 20.29 because it brings the tydings of pardon to guilty Persons The Law teaches Man's Righteousness but the Gospel teaches God's Righteousness Rom. 1.17.3.21 And hence our State being mixed of Law and Gospel no Works are truly good and acceptable to God by the Law alone Not from a defect in the Law but a defect in us that cannot fulfill it Hence 7. No work is good without Faith Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14. last There is some deformity in every action by reason of some defect or want of its Conformity to the Law And 8 Its action needs a Pardon as well as every Person and therefore are only acceptable in the Name of Christ Coloss 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The doing in Faith and the doing in his Name are all One so 't is a Justifying Faith that 's needed to justifie every action and this Composition makes the Actions truly good and as acceptable to God as those that were no ways deficient
either in Matter or Manner The Use I shall make of this is of Refutation for since none can pretend to be justified by any Works but such as are good and acceptable in the sight of God and none are such that want the foremention'd Qualifications all the distinctions of Adversaries about the Kinds of Works are to no purpose That this may be more evident I shall rank them under these four Kinds 1. The Socinians who say that the Apostle means Works in their Perfection that are excluded from a divine condescendency to our Impotency he will not require what we cannot perform but will justifie us for what we can Resp 1. If we did and always had perfectly fulfill'd the Law we should have been justifi'd by its Works Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified 2 Tit. 3.7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done 2. It would heinously reflect on the Holiness of God as a Law-giver or Judge to make an Imperfect Law or to Judge a Man just for Imperfect Performance of a Perfect Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continues not in all things c. The Second Opinion is of them who exclude the Mosaical Law and these of two and may be more sorts 1. Some exclude only Ceremonies and indeed the Controversie began about them Act. 15. the Instances by Paul most mention'd are of that kind Gal. 2.14 16. and by their resemblance of a Remedying Nature the Jews mistook them for the thing it self Thus Lombard and the Schoolmen Alphons a Cast Dom. a Soto But the Law the Apostle speaks of as the Rule of the Works he excludes cannot be Confin'd so narrowly for Rom. 2.15 it 's a Law that the Gentiles had Rom. 3.20 28. a Law that bound all Flesh a Law by which the Knowledge of sin Rom. 4.14 a Law that worketh Wrath. 2. By others the whole Works of the Mosaical Law are excluded in the Pharisaical Sense of them that is as separated from the Essential Duties of the Covenant as given to Adam Noah and Abraham Respon 1. I grant that the Pharisees did mistake the Law in its Extent and Intent too the former Christ corrects Mat. 5. but it 's very reasonable to think that they who had now embraced Christ to whom the Apostle writes had forsaken that Error for the Apostle's Dispute is of another kind not what was their Duty or Work but what place this Work or Duty had with respect to its Reward Whether or not it was truly Meriting and his Business is to prove that let their Works be what they would they could never serve for this Use and the Apostle tells them Rom. 10.4 5. that they did not know Christ compleatly viz. that he was the End of the Law who would put such a Value on their own Works Sir Nor. Knat Observes on Rom. 2.14 that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of the Law signifies the Office of the Law this was to Convince a Man of Sin that he might fly to Christ as Galat. 3. 't is called a School-master to bring us to Christ The Law is the Mean He is the End The Moral Law was a Mean to make them sensible of their Need of Christ and the Ceremonial was a Mean to represent him as the End of the other as One who was a Sacrifice and gave satisfaction for their Breach of the Law 2. The Apostle gives no Countenance to this Opinion in his Phrase for Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given c. There is an Impossibility in any Law or its Works prescribed to Adam Noah or Abraham since Man was a Sinner to Merit in any sense Justification at the Hand of God 3. Romans 3.20 21 22. The Apostle calls the Works he excludes Works of the Law not in any abstracted sense but Works that the Law required and the Mosaical Law comprehended all the former Laws under it as Joh. 7.32 Ye received Circumcision of Moses not that it was of him but of the Fathers And when the Mâ—saical and the Christian Constitution are opposed Mosâ—ical comprehends the whole Old Testament State 4. The Righteousnesses that are in this Epistle opposed are God's and Mâ—n's not Adam's essential Duties in the first Edition of the Naked Covenant and Moses his in the Political Administration of it Rom. 3.22 The Syriac renders it thus The Righteousness of God by the hand of Faith on that Jesus Christ Not a Righteousness that is God's Gift and is acceptable to God by Virtue of his prescribing it as the Condition he required a Righteousness that lay in the Fruits of Faith or in the Nature of Faith from its Conformity to the Law of the Covenant but a Righteousness that Faith as a Hand takes hold of 5. This Law the Apostle speaks of comprehends all inward Obedience all Righteousness Vid. Ch. 3. and 7. of this Epistle nay the Pharisee Mat. 22. did conclude Love to God to be the great Duty of the Law 3. The third Opinion is of Grotius who if the Writings that go under his Name and have so much Corrupted the Age be his own he was both a Papist and Apostate or if Mr. Baxter's Grotian Errors and that other Book called Grotius Papizans or Walleus in N. T. Preface be to be Credited indeed his Doctrine on this very Point of Justification is a very great Proof it as his Comments on the Epistles doth testifie especially this for tho' they are as Corrupt as he in their Disputes yet rarely in their Expositions are any Papists so Corrupt His Doctrine is thus 1. Works that are only External Civil deserving Praise of Men and by Humane Strength performable are excluded from an Interest in Justification 2. Faith of God is an Esteem of his Attributes and Faith of Christ is the Knowledge of him and his Doctrine 3. To Justifie is to Purifie to Cleanse from Vice so the Works are hypocritical the Faith historical and that which Devils has the Justification papistical Resp 1. It 's very improbable that the Apostle should Dispute so Nervously that a Man cannot be Internally Sanctified by External Works and as improbable that any should be so absurd to maintain it that a Man may become Just by Hypocritical Performances that external Civility is internal Holiness 2. That Law Rom. 7.7 14. requir'd more than external Works 3. Abraham had better Works than External and Paul when he knew nothing by himself yet not thereby Justified did not mean only External 4. They were what Works the Law requir'd and the God that searcheth Hearts nevâ—r made a meer External Law to Judge Men by 4. The fourth Opinion is that which is common among Papists 1. Works before Faith are excluded but not after Faith Sorrow for Sin without the Aids of Grace doth not Merit Preparatory Works to Grace doth not Merit though some and that generally allow a Congruity and Fitness to them others as Becanus deny it This is no more true
than the others for v. 3. Abraham had Believ'd for Ten Years and yet his Works not Imputed to him and so Paul Gal. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.4 2. If Works after Faith be most Meritorious then there is most Matter of Boasting from them but Abraham had none to boast of therefore none that could Merit 3. The Works of Believers 1. Are Due 2. Not our own 3. Imperfect therefore cannot Merit But tho' there are different Opinions about what Works are excluded there is an Agreement about what Works are included Faith as a Work as the Matrimonial Consent pregnant of all the Duties of Marriage Repentance is included Sincere Obedience is included which I shall endeavour to refute on the fourth Verse The Second thing proposed was In what Sense they are Excluded I shall Treat this 1. Positively 2. Comparatively 3. Give Account of the different Notions and Respects under which others think they may be Included For the First the Text excludes them indefinitely in all respects that may be brought under the Particles with of or by for not by Works without works are the Apostle's Terms For tho' Works are the Effects Evidences Concomitants Properties of our Justification yet Justification is not by them for by denotes some Causal Influence either by Efficacy or Dignity and Works have no such Influence on our Justification 2. Comparatively they are more excluded from our Justification here on Earth before God than at the great Day of Judgment Works have a less Influence on our being Called and Entered a Member of the Church Militant here below than on our Entering the Triumphant State in Heaven for the former is meerly a Matter of Right and our Works have neither Being nor Dignity for that End but the latter is Matter of Possession and many things are requisite to Possession that are not to Purchase Our Justification at the Great Day requires Proof of our being Justified here and many things are Necessary to the Proof of Justification that are not Necessary to the first being of it Yet I much doubt any formal Process the bare appearance of the Persons in Sanctity and Glory is evidence enough 1. In Order to our going to Heaven besides the Necessity of Precept Gratitude For Right good Works are real Means of Order Preparation of our selves and helping of others thither 2. Good Works have a real Efficacy in them as all Actions have to beget and strengthen a Habit. 3. Good Works have a real Congruity in them to make us meet and fit for that Holy Fellowship and Communion above 4. Good Works are the Necessary Effects of Justification and Sanctification the Spirit of God cannot dwell in a Soul without transforming it more and more into a Likeness to Christ 5. Good Works have a real Utility in 'em for heightning our Reward in Heaven Not that they can from their own dignity Merit Degrees of Happiness more than the Being of Happiness but from the beautiful and harmonious Order of Divine Providence in advancing us from one step to another and not Conferring Degrees per saltum there is no End of the Encrease of Christ's Kingdom as to its Blessings but its Encrease is by way of a Life in a perpetual and gradual Growth 6. Heaven is truly a Reward to our Holiness here by Virtue of Divine Order and Connexion from Divine Condescendency as Basil says Manet requies sempiterna non tanquam debitum operibus redditum sed secundum munificentissimi Dei gratiam Hysichius The Kingdom of Heaven is not the Reward of Works but is the prepared Grace of God And as another says It 's proposed as a Reward more to attract us to Duty than a due Debt of our Duty and it is rather the Righteousness of Christ by which all our Actions are rendered acceptable that is Rewarded than our Actions themselves Lastly Our good Works are Necessary to Heaven as the Beginning and Growth of a thing is Necessary to its Perfection as Sowing in the Spring is Necessary to Reaping in Harvest and our being Children in Order to our being Men. Perfect Holiness is as much the Condition of Heaven as Faith is of Justification and Ordinances of Conversion and rather more for there are Exceptions in the last but none in the first The Third thing proposed was the several respects that several Persons plead Works to be necessary in Order to our Justification and herein there is a greater Variety of Terms viz. A Tenor or Hold a Plea the Form or Matter Preparations Dispositions Conditions Moral Means Merits of Dignity or Congruity than there is in Thought and Opinion and so a greater variety of Persons Professions Names and Ages of the World than there is in the thing it self for all these very different Sentiments we may find amongst the Papists themselves 1. The grossest of them as Vasquez and Cajetan fay Our Works Merit from their own Dignity that God in strict Justice could not but Reward such Pains such Mortifications such Fastings and Prayers with Heaven or Eternal Happiness this not true of Adams Covenant But a second and more Moderate sort as Marsilius Leonardus c. admit of a Tripple Allay to render them Meritorious And the first is That Christ hath merited that our Works may Merit Ours as subordinate Conditions to an Interest in his The second is from Divine Ordination because though our Actions are not worth a Pardon yet he hath Promised both a Pardon and a Heaven for them A third that lays Foundation for the former is a natural Congruity and Aptness that the diligent Worker should have a Reward and the sincere Endeavourer should not be slighted when the Bounty doth not Empoverish but Honour the Donor and that a Penitent Person should be pardoned And ever since the Interim at the first Birth of the Reformation there has been a party amongst Protestants in little or nothing differing from them called sometimes Interimists Cassandrians Majorists Conditionalists Calixtians and others that have run as far to a no less dangerous extream as Amsdorfius who said Good Works were so far from being necessary to Justification that they were pernicious and hurtful to it I do not comprehend under Conditionalists all who have asserted the Covenant to be Conditional for they have explain'd themselves that they mean no more by it than the immediate and nearest means of these Blessings viz. Justification and Glory And add many Cautious and Negative Senses that destroy the proper Nature of a Condition some five some ten but I see no Reason for their Zeal against them who say it 's not Conditional since they say it 's three to one five to one more not Conditional than Conditional viz. it 's not Conditional Antecedently it 's not Conditional Naturally it 's not Conditinal Meritoriously it 's not Conditional Legally it 's not Conditional Uncertainly and yet cry Error Error if another say it 's not Conditional and call it a Disposition of Grace thorough means to a
certain end if we take the Word Condition in its vulgar use for the whole stipulated part of the Bargain or Bond to be perform'd wholly by the restipulating party it s more apt to deceive vulgar People who have that Idaea of Condition to say its Conditional without Limitation than to say it 's not Conditional and do they think their Brethren have neither Power nor Skill to add Limitations to their not Conditional as well as they to their Conditional and fewer are Necessary viz. tho' Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace yet they are Duties and tho' the Lord calls effectually where he will and when yet our Consent is courted and wooed not forc'd we freely yield to the Spirits Conduct though our yielding is the Spirit 's Effect and Effects bear not the Name of Conditions The Sense then of the Apostle is this That no Works Ceremonial Moral with Faith or without it by the Spirit of Grace or Strength of Nature external or internal perfect or sincere no Works of any Law perform'd by us are either Merits Matter Form Legal Condition or Plea c. for our Justification before God they neither by Efficacy do Constitute it nor by Dignity deserve it What the Apostle has excluded without Limits we should The Arguments for the Truth of this follows next in the Text. So I come now to the second Part of the Verse which is the first Argument that proves we are not Justified by Works He hath whereof to glory but not before God The Argument is from the Topick of Impossibility or Absurdity the Matter is impossible and the Action is absurd that such a Worm as Man or any thing that is a Creature should boast or have ground of boasting before its Maker Much more absurd is it for this Creature becoming a Rebel and a Transgressor to boast of its Meritting a Pardon or rendring its Pardon a Justification If a Slave should break a Vessel of great worth and boast he could restore it or fatisfie for the Dammage when he is not his own it would be unbecoming but too mean a Type of this There are three things to be Treated in the Argument 1. The Form of it 2. The Truth of it 3. The Strength of it 1. The Form of the Argument is thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he has Matter of glorying Min. But Abraham has no Matter of glorying at least before God Concl. Ergo Abraham is not Justified by Works This is the general Interpretation of Protestants and some others Erasmus Vatablus Calvin Zegerus Beza Piscator Paraeus Dickson Hyperus Melancton Sclater Tuckney But there are Interpreters of great Number and Note that form the Argument in a contrary Method thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he would have no Matter of Glorying before God Min. But Abraham had Matter of Glorying before God viz. His Faith Concl. Therefore not Justified by Works Origen the first Interpreter says if Faith had not been a real Glory before God he would not have Imputed it to him in place of Works but there is no Reason to Impute this Error to Origen but his Popish Translator for we have no other Origen on this Epistle that I know Rufinus as we may read in his Preface to that Epistle p. 634. Basil They say there is so much of this work thy own that thou shouldst entitle it with thy own Name not Origens But tho' I have had an Herculean Labour in adding diminishing and altering yet I will not steal his Title that laid the Foundation but let the Reader ascribe the Merit of the Work to whom he will to him or to me I shall put both our Names in the Title They who form the Argument thus are of two kinds either 1. Those who differ both in Form of the Argument and in the Truth as the Papist Aquin. Sasbout Estius c. who say that Free-will affords a Man Matter of Glorying by it he has made himself differ from others Converted himself Prepared himself perform'd the Conditions of the Covenant May not a Work-man glory in his Work 2. Those who only differ in Grammar and Form as First The Fathers Chrys Faith thinks highly of God and so glorifies him Therefore he gloried not that he loved God but that God loved him Secondly Some Protestants as Bucer P. Mart. and also L. de Diu. His glorying before God was glorying in God 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glories let him glory in the Lord. Faith sends a Man out of himself to glory in God and in Christ I reject this Form of the Argument and embrace the former for these Arguments 1. The Propositions of the latter Argument are not in the Text but the contrary are the Text says not If Justified by Works he has no Matter of glorying but quite contrary He has Matter of glorying if justified by Works the Text says not He has Matter of glorying before God but Not before God so nothing of their Syllogism in the Text all the other is 2. Both the Propositions of their Argument are false The first is false That Works afford no Matter of glorying for Rom. 3.27 Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works Eph. 2.9 If we were Sav'd by Works we would boast An Innocent Man has more Matter of Glorying in his Works that deserve a Justification than a Pardoned one whose Works deserve Damnation The Second is false That Abraham had any Matter of glorying for 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ what hast thou that thou didst not receive if thou didst receive why dost thou glory 3. We find the same Apostle forming the Argument according to the first Eph. 2.9 We are not Sav'd by Works that we may not glory v. 10. 1. Because we are God's Work 2. Thorough Christ so a Relation there before 3. Good Works the End Ergo not the Mean Christ the Mean to our Good Works not Good Works the Mean of an Interest in him 4. From the following Argument v. 3. that Faith is imputed to Abraham for Righteousness proves no matter of glorying in Faith For 1. It is a Gift Eph. 2.8 Heb. 12.2 no glorying in a Gift 1 Cor. 4.7 2. Faith put for its Object or containing its Object makes glorying in God not before God 3. For the Exercise of Faith which is receiving trusting depending affords no more Matter of boasting before God than the Beggar 's glorying of his Receiving before his Benefactor and his Bounty 5. Those who do not Err as to the Matter commit a double Fault in the Grammar of the Words 1. To translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before God or with God in God or from God as we may see from Parallel places 2 Cor. 2.17 As of God in the sight of God speak we Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 1 John 3.21 If our Hearts Condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God So that the Sense is to have Matter of glorying
this be if we consider how many things of far greater Moment and worse Influence this is a foundation to in each of us since in Ephes 2.2 to follow the fashion of the World is a certain sign of a Child of Disobedience I come now to the Last thing in the Verse the strength of the Argument or necessary Connexion between Justification by Works and Glorying what is just ground for the one is just ground for the other also they have a reciprocal Relation Ch. 3.27 28. if no matter of Glorying not justifieed by Works in this Verse not justified by Works because no Matter of Glorying The Reasons of the Connexion are 1. The Sameness and Identity of the Matter the difference between Praising and Justifying lyes only in Circumstances the one is before a Populacy the other is in a Court of Authority the one is a Panegyrick the other a Juridical Transaction the one supposes an Accusation or Suspicion the other not they differ as Comfort and Joy Repentance and Obedience they are of the same Intrinsical Nature Comfort and Joy are the same motion of Blood and Spirits the same Temper of Mind the Acts of Obedience and Repentance are Works of the same Law only the one supposes the Course of Obedience interrupted it 's a repeated or renew'd Obedience after Transgression as Comfort renew'd Joy after Sorrow Justification is a Vindication of Honour and Credit by Authority after some Cloud on it it is renew'd Praise or Glory Among Men there is usually another difference in degree Men are prais'd for Heroick Acts Acts of great advantage to Learning Religion or Countrey but justify'd for obeying Orders doing no Evil or Injury to them But this has no place with God for we are unprofitable Servants at best 2. Humility is the Test of all true Doctrine and therefore a proper Test for this Doctrine of Justification Whatever Doctrine tends to the debasing of a Sinner and humbling of a Creature is sound Doctrine To walk humbly with our God is the summ of our Religion and Rom. 10.3 their going about to establish their own Righteousness is called the want of Submission to God The humble Publican went home justified while the proud Pharisee standing upon his Personal Differences was rejected of God Luke 18.14 The Papists thô in Dispute with Protestants do seem to deny a Glorying to their Works yet Necessary Connexion makes the contrary Conclusion appear in their own Writings against their Will Bell. lib. 5. Ch. 3. De Just says Because it is more honourable to have somewhat of Merit than of Grace alone therefore God that he might the more Honour his Children has done this for them that they might prepare Eternal Life to themselves by their own Merits and yet more proudly Ruard Tap. in Art Lev. God forbid that the Righteous should expect Life Eternal as a poor Man doth Alms for its much more Glorious for them to possess Heaven as Victors and Triumphers do a Palm of Glory due to their own Sweats But the Scripture teaches us Psalm 115.1 to say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Rom. 3.19 Every mouth must be stopt before God for we have not one word to say in our own defence 3. God doth never deny Man his due Humility is the true Sentiment or Value of a Man 's own self in his own Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are only required not to think of our selves above what 's meet or not to think of our selves more highly than we ought Rom. 12.3 yea 't is added positively that we may think of our selves soberly according to the measure of Faith God has given us And because Scripture is a true Rule to our Judgment we are bid to think not above what 's written If therefore we had any Works to be justified by or any Ground to plead from as of our selves our Glorying so far would not be a Sin God ascrib'd to Abraham Glorying before Men because his due 4. Glorying is a Species of Pride but Self-justifying is a Glorying We can never be justify'd thrô the Exercise of what is most abominable to God Luke 16.15 and 18.12 God resists the proud they are Sins of the same kind and suppose a Diabolical Temper of Mind 1 Tim. 3.6 and a Mind very ignorant of it's own Condition Job 42. he owns he had utter'd what he understood not since more acquainted with God his Judgment is alter'd Paul says thô he were so sinless as to know nothing by himself he durst not adventure a Tryal upon that score yet I am not thereby justify'd 5. To be Justify'd by Sincerity would afford us as much Glorying as Adam by Perfection because his strength proportion'd It 's as much Glory for a Child to do a little thing as a Man a greater that we have receiv'd the Grace thrô a Mediator doth not abate any Glorying Adam's was Free Gift this our Sureties and Brothers Purchase nor that ours subordinate to Christ's for it 's reckon'd the sole Condition of the Covenant of Grace that gives right to Christ's Merits Christ's Merits are no Conditions of that Covenant Works Faith and Repentance are not Lex Negotio addita but Negotium it self in it This is the sense of them who would bring in Evangelical Works as giving a right to Remission of Sin or Glory It 's true the Angels are justifi'd by their Works yet Rev. 5. they ascribe all Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ But that is the Glory of those Works they could not perform the Work of Redemption and saving of sinful Man but we do not find them denying themselves to the Glory of not Confederating with the false fallen Ones tho' they deriv'd the Grace by which they stood from God If our Sincerity were the proper Condition or Matter of our Justification Man might Glory of God's yielding to him and coming to lower Terms All own the Works of the Innocent deserves praise but if a Nocent and Guilty Person should bring forth Works worthy of a Justificacion he should deserve more praise than the Innocent because Works of an higher value necessary to it nay more praise than the Works of our Lord Jesus Christ far easier to be Mediator for another than themselves easier for an Innocent to Merit than a guilty Person to Merit Sinlesness was a necessary Qualification in the Mediator but if one sinful could Merit the more Worth must be in the Work Therefore suppose it be granted a Working Meriting Glorying under Christ it may be equal to Adam's for if he had stood as Angels it must have been by freely given Grace but this cannot be allow'd because a more low Humility is required of us than Adam by Repentance Sorrow Grief c. Therefore I add 6. There is no Kind of Works but affords some Matter of Glory in them Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then it is excuded By what
Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So where-ever there is place for Works as the Condition of our Justification there is place for some boasting but the Scripture every where stops Man's mouth Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God And it ascribes all the Glory to him Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace 7. All kind of Works affords some Plea and pleading is a Glorying for it is a standing upon our own defence and this is another way of addressing God than either the Example of the Saints or the Rules of Holy Writ teach us Petition and Confession Deprecation and Lamentation with Praise and Thanksgiving on the Receipt of Mercies are the only ways we are taught to approach God The lowest kind of pleading is one of these four First By way of Comparison as when a Man can say I must have either done that or worse either to have neglected a Parent or a Wife either to have fled or suffered the Army to be cut off there was no room for this Excuse in Adam's Sin Secondly Relation when we throw the fault upon them that accuse us this did but aggravate Adam's Crime and add to the Sin when he said The Woman whom thou gavest me Thirdly When we remove the Evil of the Fact upon some other Person as Eve did the eating of the Apple upon the Serpent and Adam upon Eve Lastly A Purgation when we acknowledge the Fact but diminish it thrô some necessary Circumstances or Ignorance We do not find any of these ways usual or acceptable at the Throne of Grace but rather an aggravating of our own Guilt like Poreus when he was Converted from the Pelagian Error to the Catholick Truth What I shall first condemn in my self I know not wherein to excuse my self I know not Petition or Deprecation says the Learned Vossius out of Cicero is no pleading except for a Person whose former Actions have highly merited and therefore it becomes not a Court of Justice as Cicero for Ligarius before Caesar O Caesar I have brought many Pleas and that before thee when in Court where thy Honour and Authority was concerned but never as now when privately and before a Parent then I pleaded the Crime is a Fiction the Witnesses are false he never did it he never thought it But now O Father he has erred he has fallen he will never do the like But a Justifying Defence must be made before Authority Juridical I shall conclude this with Answering some Objections briefly that are brought as Arguments to prove that since no Works are excluded but what affords occasion of Glorying then some Works may have room for an Interest in our Justification For instance 1. God may freely first give Grace to work give Faith and Repentance and then justifie us for the Exercise of them whereof we cannot Glory because the Grace is receiv'd and they are the Fruits of Grace 2. God gives a Gracious Law a New Law the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 that excludes Glorying and therefore we may be justified by the Works thereof 3. These Works come not in as the Meriting Cause of Justification but as the Condition of it Resp. In general this Contrivance of the Method of Justification is such a Fruit of Divine Wisdom that it is the special Glory thereof and therefore there is no wonder that the feeble Beam of our Light cannot show us the depth of it or pierce into all the Harmonies and Connexions of it's parts or their mutual Relations and Influence and consequently no wonder Divines do not agree about such things and the Disagreement ought to be born with Meekness Patience and mutual Endeavour to instruct one another I profess my self a Seeker and a Learner in many of these mysterious Points and I am never satisfied with a Sermon except I receive some Edification to my Understanding by it And if Divisions and bitter Language unbecoming Christians Scholars or Men were not the sad Fruits of these Disputants not the Disputes they ought to be encourag'd I bless God for the Sparks I have already receiv'd from them and I hope to receive more and that my Heart is as much united in Love to both Parties as ever and I am as much at a Loss as the poor Children when ask'd whether they Love Father or Mother best But in particular I shall begin with the first Objection Resp. 1. It is inconsistent with what I have before prov'd viz. that the Gift of absolute and distinguishing Grace the Spirit a New Heart c. that beside its absolute and sanctifying Vertue it is of a Relative Nature both to signifie and entitle as the Ring in Marriage or other Earnests and entitling Symbols Phil. Melanct. in his Annotat. on this Epistle in Comparison of which Luther says that Jerom and Origens Commentaries are but Merae nugae Ineptiae says Deus solus Justificat transfundens in nos Spiritum suum p. 17. We must either reckon him a Papist who was the first Protestant this Book I have is Printed 1522. or else say that Gift was the Sentence or its declarative Sign Mr. Baxter says When a Person is Converted the Angels rejoyce and therefore have some Notification of it and they who know our Conversion cannot be ignorant of our Justification which they cannot know without some Divine Manifestation A second part of the express'd or declar'd Sentence of our Justification he says is the illustration of our Minds with the Holy Spirit althò often obscure I think there is great Reason to unite these two in one thus The Angels who are so well acquainted with our Minds and the Language of Divine Operations know our Justification from the ruling of the Spirit in us after such a special manner Eph. 1.17 Who is the earnest of our Inheritance and so the Earnest of total and Compleat Pardon Now if Absolute Grace bear the Nature of a Title or Sentence the Exercise cannot be the Cause tho' it may be the Condition that is orderly Connexion for tho' it procure it 's own Confent it is not receiv'd except complyed with and yielded to Our Confession of Faith says We are not justifyjd until the Holy Spirit apply Christ to us and confirms it from Tit. 3.6 7. which Text seems to shew a greater Connexion between them than that of Time By the renewing of the Holy Ghost that being justified c. Resp. 2. All Glorying of boasting is not excluded by this half-workers should receive half-wages and half Credit Now when Grace is exercised the Work is ours Believing Repenting c. Tho' this is not Pelagian it is Popish Suppose a Man have a broken Arm or Leg and do some great or Heroick Act after it's Cur'd he will not ascribe the Glory of the
Action to the Physician or the Medicine tho' he own them Author and Cause of the Cure Mr. Sclater is large on this Subject against Bellarm. Resp. 3. Such a Special Gift as the Spirit is the Grace of Faith and Repentance is supposes the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness tho' such Gifts as Men in Common receive viz. A Reprieve from Hell and outward Benefits may not yet such as Spiritual Life cannot be given without it A Prisoner for Treason may have Conveniencies allow'd him and some Favours but Places of Trust cannot be bestow'd on him there is a necessary Connexion among all Spiritual Blessings in due order to be possess'd whereof Faith is the first and therefore the Argument is good from the first to the last if Faith Justification Adoption Eternal Life It is of Faith that it might be of Grace Thus Poieret argues It is not Consistent with our Soveraign Lord and Governour to forgive Impenitent Persons for that were to let them have all the Glory for by yielding he should lose his own Authority and it is as inconsistent to give the best of his Blessings to them to deal equally with Friends and Foes Rebels and Obedient Subjects but to give his Spirit is to give the richest Fruit of his Love How shall then Man be saved He Answers By providing a Mediator and granting to them an Interest in his Satisfaction therefore this Interest is first in order to be enjoyed Faith and Repentance are Fruits of his Death and inseparably united with the others The first Fountain is Mercy and Favour on the Mediators Account Pardon of our Sin follows Imputation of his Righteousness immediately therefore as soon as such Gifts are Pardon is Resp. 4. That Exercise of Faith needs a Pardon being imperfect and must first be accepted before it can render us acceptable It is common Doctrine That the Person must be justifi'd before the Actions The Tree must be good then the Fruits A Cause must be before the Effect so these two things prevents this Order the Posteriority and Pollutedness of our Actions Tho' Grace is pure as from the Spirit sinful Infirmity accompanies every Action of ours and so there must be an Interest in Christ antecedently for the Pardon of these Actions Resp. 5. This would make the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works for our Ability to obey was from God then as is mention'd Argument 5. before Obj. 2. That we may be justilled by Obedience to the Law of Faith without boasting Rom. 3.27 Resp 1. It is the Common sence of Interpreters that the word Law here is put in figuratively for Faith or the Doctrine of Faith because it comes in the room of the Law as Christ's Satisfaction is call'd a Righteousness because it comes in place of ours for suffering is a bearing of the Threatning of the Law and not properly Righteousness 2. Beside the Name of a Law being honourable in the Jews esteem and frequently in their Mouths as the Foundation of all their distinguishing Priviledges the Apostle in imitation of them calls Faith a Law 3. From the Likeness of Faith to a Law it being a powerful productive principle of Good Works On the same account we read of the Law of the Mind the Law of the Spirit of Life may be Faith is meant by both so we read of the Law of our Members which is Flesh or our fleshly Disposition Thâ—s Chrys and Theophil Ambros and Austin among the Fathers Expound it Among Modern Divines Philip. Melanct. Calvin Pet. Mart. Gr. Gom. Pisc Beza Willet Zaegerus Pareus who say Glorying is excluded by the Law of Faith because that is to be justified by anothers Righteousness to wit Christ's which Faith apprehends Wilson adds Faith is the hand by which we receive Christ's Righteousness it is the Gift received enriches not the stretching out of the hand the poor Leper may remain poor all his days tho' he stretch out his hand as long as he is able he may starve for want if nothing be given him The Gift and the Giver is to be Gloried in and not the extended Palm Sclater thus The Law of Faith is the Gospel Law and Christ's Righteousness is the Gospel Righteousness his fulfilling of the Law for us is our Gospel Righteousness So much for Authority But to come more particularly to the Text it being the Foundation of one of our Late Controversies I am willing to shew my self not unconcerned in Sions Afflictions and throw all the Water upon that Fire I can to extinguish the Heat not the Light that may be received from it The Text is thus The APPENDIX ROM III. 27. Where is Boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith ALL the valuable Translations agree with ours and all to the Original except the Vulgar Latin which adds Thy Where is Thy boasting then And the Ethiopick who read it thus Wherein shall ye Glory in what law shall ye work there is not another law but by Faith But these are of no value to oppose others The Syriack for excluded has Aethbatela useless in vain to no purpose the word is but once in the Old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 12.3 The grinders cease but often in the New Ver. 31. Is the Law made void It 's the same word there it 's an Emphatical Explication because Works afford a Ground for Glorying therefore if a Man be justified by the Law he would have Matter of boasting in it The Papists add thy because they think Glorying is only excluded from Works entirely our own the Fruit of our Free-will The sense of the Aethiopick seems to be that the Works of no Law will bring us to Glory but thro' Faith without Faith the Work of no Law is acceptable The Substance of the Text lyes in this Syllogism Major Sinful Man must be Justified in such a way as must exclude all Matter of Glorying The Minor is express'd by way of a Rhetorical Dialogism by which as Calvin says the Apostle insults over his Adversaries having demonstrated the Truth he thunders against Pride the Foundation of their Error Where is boasting then The Law of Faith not of Works does exclude boasting The Conclusion is in the 28th Verse That therefore a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law the very same Argument that is in the Text I have been treating of And because of the Affinity or rather Identity with the former I shall the more amply discourse of it and to begin with the Major Proposition I may call it the Fifth Principle of the Apostles accurately connexed Discourse the first is That Salvation Forgiveness of Sin Justification is a possible thing it is vain to preach what is not attainable Despair plucks up the very Roots of Diligence Hope is the very Spring to Vertue The second is that there is no Justification without a Righteousness God cannot be just and justifie the unjust too that is an
is to represent a Cure We only see the Malignity of the Distemper by the Strength and Power of the Medicine the first Edition of the Natural Law was to direct to Duty and to prevent sinning but the principal end of this Edition is to make Trangressors sensible of the Number and Aggravations of their Sin and so to be a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ 2. That Law is excluded that worketh Wrath Rom. 4.15 For the same Law cannot bring a Man both under the Curse and under a Blessing both to be a Ministration of Death and Life the same cannot be both matter of Justification and Condemnation and there is no Law renders a Man liable to Wrath as this doth for being Guilty Wrath is unavoidable by it 3. The particular Vices nominate from the 9th verse to the 19th which hinders Men from being justified by this Law discovers this Law to be Moral whereof they are Transgressors The Fear of God that comprehends inward spiritual Worship not following the Way of Peace that shews want of Love to their Neighbour and what can be more Spiritual than Vnderstanding of God and Seeking of God and in the second Chapter Theft Murther and Sacriledge and want of Heart Circumcision are mentioned as Reasons why they could not be justified by the Law 4. That Law and its Works are excluded which is of universal Extension Chap. 3. 19. That all the World may become Guilty before God but that 's only the Moral which is but circumstantially distinct from the Natural 5. All Works that we have done are excluded Titus 3. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but all own Moral Obedience to be our Works 4. The Mosaical Law is excluded for farther Explication of this we may find it meet with a double Acceptation as it is a Politick or Spiritual concerning the Soul or Civil a Type or Antitype for their whole State was significant for the former as it was their Common-wealth Law it did comprehend Ceremonies the Judicial Law and the External part of the Moral this made up their Civil Constitution and its faults were punishable by the Magistrate It had only Temporal Promises and Penalties and it was twofold either most severe as the Common Law threatning Death for Non-performance to a Tittle and this did 1. Represent the Moral Law or 2. It was remedial for smaller faults for Types must not be enlarged to have overthrown the Common-Wealth and therefore there were no Sacrifices for Murther and Adultery and the like Lev. 20. But 2. There was a Chancery or a Remedying Law to prevent these Penalties in many Cases Acts 13.39 If there had been in all Cases the Order of the Common-wealth had been turn'd into Confusion This we may see in Heb. 7.8 9 10 Chap. This was the Ceremonial Law Levit. 15. A Man for burying the Dead was liable to perpetuâ—l Exile which was a necessary Moral Duty had it not been for this Relief Now all grant this Law literally taken is excluded from our Justification and some lay the stress meerly here viz. in the Insufficiency of the Law as that which God never intended to justifie any Man as to Aeternal concerns by but we see on the contrary it was the insufficiency of the Obedience that did prevent it not the Law it self 2. The Mosaical Law is to be taken Spiritually and this in Correspondence to the Type must be twofold also Either as a most severe Law requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience in Thought Word and Deed and Threatning Death for every offence I have proved already this Law is excluded or 2. As a Remedy for all Transgressions and Failures against that exact Law for the Parallel of a Remedy as to some offences Acts 13.39 is excepted and this was the Law as fulfilled by Christ Jesus for us for he it was and his Obedience who was obedient to the Death that was represented by all these Ceremonies that were Tipifying Remedies under the Law he was the City of Refuge he was the Propitiating Sacrifice his Blood sprinkles both Book and People and only Purifies as to Conscience and this is the Gospel or Law of Faith by which we are justified and by which our Mouth is stopt as to all boasting we being no ways fulfillers of it For he alone did tread the Wine-press of the Fathers Wrath of all the People there was none with him he built the House and he ought to bear the Glory by one Sacrifice he hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified They who plead for a Remedying Law to be obey'd by us ought to find Scriptures interpreting the Typical Remedying Law to represent it but they all Terminate and End in Christ and therefore the Law is remedial as satisfi'd or obey'd by him the Mediatorial Law is the Remedying Law Indeed the Quietists Interpret a Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit to be typifi'd by the Sacrifices because called Sacrifices that God will not despise but then they deny Christs Sacrifice for the Type must Point at one thing else it would be of an uncertain sound other things are by Allusion but nothing is more plain in all the Scripture than that he is the Antitype of all that Remedying Law The Armin. System by Limbourgh says The Dedication of our selves to God as living Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 Or Alms and Charity were represented by the Thanksgiving Offerings not the expiatory Sacrifices we must be Priests in a justifi'd State a fellow of the High-Priests before we can offer acceptably This was the Gospel and Law of Faith and differ'd from ours only as symbols from express Words a gradual difference in Clearness and Obscurity and rendred the promis'd Seed of the Woman bruis'd after the manner of an Expiatory Sacrifice the Object of the Old Testament Faith 5. The Evangelical Law and its Works are here comprehended under the Law of Works for the Distinction lies more in the Manner of Obedience and Acceptance of the Works than in the Preceptive or Sanctive Nature of the Law 1. The Works of all Men are excluded by the deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Rom. 3.20 The Expression seems to be borrowed from the 143d. Psalm v. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified They to whom Paul writes were Saints Rom. 1.7 Beloved of God called to be Saints Galat. 1.2 4. They were the Churches of Galatia in whose State Paul enrolls himself Ver. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins Abram is brought in here as an Example having his Works excluded from giving any Right to Justification and David who was a Man according to Gods own Heart is brought in as another Instance expecting Gods imputing Righteousness without Works And indeed the Apostles Arguments for Justification without Works would be of small Strength against any Man except Believers in Christ Galat. 2.21 If Righteousness câ—me by the Law then is Christ dead
in Vain They who did not believe in Christ would grant all his Arguments viz. that Christ died in Vain with respect to that End of Redemption of Sinners under the Law Galat. 4.5 And not only Professors of Faith but real Saints being sanctified in Heart and Life as may be seen by the Apostles answer to that Objection Rom. 6.1 The Objection lies thus If Grace be glorified in pardoning of Sin and our own Works have no Interest in obtaining the Right of Pardon then our Works are useless but our Sin useful Let 's continue in Sin that Grace may abound and the like Rom. 3.5 If our Vnrighteousness commend the Righteousness of God how can God be Righteous in punishing man Had it been the Works of any one kind of Law that the Apostle had been here excluding the most proper Answer had been by Distinction of Laws and Righteousness viz. thô Ceremonial Works be excluded yet Moral Obedience is requisite or thô the Moral Law be excluded and its Works yet Evangelical Obedience is not exâ—luded But the Apostles answer is of another kind viz. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein and he that 's dead is justified from Sin The Strength of his Answer is founded on the necessâ—ry Connexion between Justification and Sanctification the Blâ—ssing of the one is the Badge of the other Bellarmine's Answer to this Argument savours neither of Honesty nor Subtlety viz. Saints do many things that are not Evangelical Obedience many of their Works have neither Faith as a Principle nor Gods Glory as their End but who did ever expect to be justified before God on the account of their Sins and Transgressions The very Pagans supplicate for the Pardon of such Crimes and here the Apostle is disputing against a Company of seduced Christians 2. Arg. As the Works of all Men are excluded so all kind of Works are excluded There is no Man can do any Works that can be ground of Right to Pardon or Glory We have Apostolical Testimony for this Ephes 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast There are in that Text four Arguments excluding Works from our Salvation 1. An Opposite Principle Grace By Grace are we saved therefore not by Woâ—ks By Gods Gift not your Merit 2. The ill consequent that would follow our Works being exalted to such a Dignity vsz Boasting lest any Man should Boast A third is from the distorting of Divine Order in the Method of our Salvation by putting Works before the Promise We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God had before ordained The Divine Order lies thus 1. A Pre-ordination unto Holiness 2. An Union with Christ as the great mean thrô whom its consistent wiâ—h a just God to bestow Blessings on Man 3. There is the Blessing it self our being new moulded by a New Creation for New Ends Lastly comes in the result of all good Works unto good Works Holiness is a Possession it 's a begun Heaven and the Right of Title must be before the Possession Fourthly The Reason is added why they might be occasion of Boasting because we are the Subjects of that Grace Should Boast for we are his workmanship that we should walk in them What is in us is ours as shall be prov'd which is directly contrary to what is asserted by the Adversaries that Works from Grace will not give occasion to Glory The like is asserted of the Text A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law and Galat. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ I cannot here pass Bellarmine's Exception to this last Text from the Vulgar Translation which renders it thus Nisi Except by the Faith of Jesus Christ so he would make the Sence run thus A Man is not justified by the Works of the Law except these Works flow from Faith so that Evangelical Works here have room in the Matter of Justification For the Refutation of which I shall rejoin these Considerations Nisi signifies sometimes But Cic. De re nihil judicare possum nisi mihi certè persuadeo te talem virum nihil temere facere Ter. Nescio nisi mihi Deos satis scio iratos fuisse The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which often in the New Testament must be translated but and signifies adversatively Matth. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away from me except I drink it The Opposition is there Adversative And Matth 12.4 And did eat the Shew-bread which was not lawful for him to eat but only for the Priest John 5.19 The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Synonymon of it and that is most frequently in the Septuagint and also in the New Testament put adversatively 4. The Syriack in this Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from it is the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which signifies but so thô the Apostle wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather took 'em both in one Sence 5. These proves that it may be as properly translated but as except but Scripture Interpreting it self shews that it must be translated but and therefore our Translation is preferable to the Vulgar For 1. Other Texts in express Terms put Faith and Works Adversatively and not Conditionally and therefore if it contradict not it self must be so understood here Rom. 3.28 A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Without cannot signifie a Condition 2. The Text shews that the form of the Argument is Disjunctive thus A Man is either to be justified by the Works of the Law or by the Faith in Jesus Christ but a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ as we may see Thirdly In the Applicatory Conclusion Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law Any new Law must suppose an Abrogation of the old but that was impossible and thereâ—ore there was a necessity of Christs fulfilling it for us but he having fulfill'd it for us by a kind of Equity our imperfect Obedience is accepted for Duty but not for a Condition of Life which I shall enlarge on the second part of the Text. 3 Arg. As all Mens Works and all Works of all Men are excluded so all Law is requiring Works of us Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But this has been spoken to under the third Head 4 All Evangelical Obedience being imperfect it can never be the Matter of our Justification for what needs a Pardon for it self cannot Merit a Pardon for another If it cannot stand the Test of the
Condition Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace if the Intention was Free why not the Execution Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth Rom. 11.6 There is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace and if by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise Works are no more Works This Opposition is not between Grace and External Works but between the very Nature of Grace and Works they are repugnant they can no more be the Moral Causes or Motives of any one Action than one individual thing can be White and Black in the same part So our Calling is Free 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath sav'd us and call'd us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace as Purpose gives Measure to Calling so Calling gives Measure to Justification Rom. 8.13 Whom he did predestinate them he also Call'd but it is equally free Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace What is wrought in the Soul by Calling has no more Influence in our Justification than our Justification has on our being Glorified Whom he Justified them he Glorified But Justification can never merit Glory being Gods Act but is only a Prior Blessing in Order this Equality of Freedom solves an Objection which is to many in appearance a great Argument for Admission of our Evangelical Obedience unto a Subordinate Merit or ground of Right to our Justification The Objection is founded on these Scriptures Rom. 4.14 If they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise is of none Effect Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in Vain Chap. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace The Objection is thus formed Our Works are no farther excluded from Justification than they exclude Faith Christ and the Promise from Justification but Evangelical Obedience Gospel or gracious Works do not exclude Grace for they are the Fruits of Grace nor Faith for they flow from it nor the Death of Christ for that has purchas'd it nor the Promise for they are conveyed through it therefore Gospel Obedience is not excluded from Justification Resp 1. This Evangelical Obedience does not exclude Grace Faith Christ and the Promise from our Sanctification thus explain'd Because it owns good Works to flow orderly from them all but it does not suffer them to have an equal Freedom in our Justification because these Works though the Fruits of Grace they are as much ours as Adams Works were For God was the Author of the Ability by which they were wrought therefore when what is ours truely and properly is a Legal or Federal Condition in order to enjoying the one and not the other makes a great difference between the Freedom of the one and the other All Christians Experience witnesses the Labour Pains and Sweat that is necessary to Mortification of Lusts and Exercise of Grace and by this Opinion we must look on Justification as the Reward of our own Labour thô we must look on Sanctification as a Free Gift 1. In particular there is a Derogation from the Fulness of Christ his Satisfaction to the Law was not Compleat if our Obedience to the Law be one Penny of the Price 2. From Grace that will be all or nothing in this Affair according to Rom. 11.6 it will admit of no Composition if Works come any way in as a Plea they must either be perfect or we must be condemned for there is no Law in Scripture requires less than Perfection the Law that requires Faith requires perfect Faith and the Law that requires Patience requires perfect Patience Therefore we must fall from Grace that is be certainly Condemned if justified by the Law So Works won't admit of Grace more than Grace will admit of Works Grace will have nothing the Law will have Perfection the Composition is a Contradiction 3. It derogates from Faith that is from its Office which is alone in this Work and that as receiving not as doing we are justified by Faith as we are nourished by our Appetite Hence is it call'd Eating Drinking Hungring Thirsting it is the Food not the Appetite that nourishes us 4. It derogates from the Promise because it Promises Remission of Sin Inheritance of Life freely but this puts in an exceptive Clause of something on our part first to be done Faith will be only Applicative alone in the Office tho' not in the Subject or not at all Christ will be alone the Meriting Cause or not at all Grace alone the End and Motive or not at all and therefore these Arguments are as strong against Compounders of Grace and Works as against Opposers because the Compounding is an Opposing Divine Wisdom and Order A Man that Digs tho' the Spade be borrow'd of his Master will not think his Wages Charity at Night but on as exact Justice due as he that digg'd with his own A Man that walks twenty Miles a day after his Lame Leg restor'd will never impute the Journey to the Physician And thus Christ and Free Grace tho' inabling us to Work would lose their Honour and Glory in Justification I am now come to the last part of the Text viz. The Law we may be justified by without ground and danger of boasting which is the Law of Faith All Christians are generally agreed that this Law is the Evangelical Law the Law of Chancery or Equity but all are not agreed about the Nature and Kind of that All agree that there can be no Salvation or Justification by the Moral Law in its full Rigour requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience requiring the Righteousness of our Persons as well as our Works since Sin There must be some Room for Equity or none for Hopes there is a Triple Application of this Equity some applies it to the Sanction of the Law some to the Duty of the Law and some to the Persons subject to the Law The first is Originisme saying the Equity lies in the Mitigation of the Punishment an Eternal Death by Desert is turned into a Temporary by Justice of Equity and a Perpetual Hell into a Transitory Purgatory The second Opinion applies it to the Duty and Works of the Law before there was required Perfect Obedience now imperfect will serve if it be Sincere Divine Government is content to take a Penny in a Pound and of this Way there are several Explications The Socinians who deny Christs Deity and Satisfaction do hold that it 's of meer Soveraign Mercy but Arminians and Papists hold the Merits of Christ as the Fruit of that Soveraign Mercy to be the immediate Foundation of this Justice of Equity They say he
true I am under a Guilt and made a Curse but I call thee to Witness from whose sight nothing is hid that the least of 'em is not mine not the smallest Sins of Folly and Infirmity I restored that which I took not away I never contracted the debt I paid others robbed thee of thy Glory and the World of its Harmony and Beauty but I have restored it all again thô they were mine by Imputation they were never mine by Inherency 4. He has Divine Approbation bearing Testimony that he did so tho' he was condemned in the Flesh yet he was Justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 The Deity justifi'd what Man condemn'd Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me who will contend with me All the Miracles wrought by him were Divine Testimonies but especially his Resurrection Rom. 1.4 And declar'd to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead Then he was visibly discharg'd out of the Prison of the Grave having satisfi'd Divine Justice and paid the Price of Redemption to the utmost demand Never was there such a Miracle as a Man having the Iniquity of us all laid upon him and yet compleatly give Satisfaction and receive an Acquittance He was rais'd again for our Justification all the Elect virtually rose in him Hence Eph. 1.19 it is reckon'd one of the greatest Effects of Divine Power that ever was 5. By this Work he receives the Title of a Servant and Surety 1. He was a Servant Isa 49.6 It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob his Service is describ'd to Enlighten the Gentiles to be a Salvation to the ends of the Earth c. It was hard Service Soul Travel Isa 53. It was great Service to bring them that sate in Darkness to the Glorious Light of Heaven and the Chain'd Prisoners to the Liberty of the Sons of God 2. He was a Surety and this is evident from the other Title Heb. 7.22 By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament 6. His Service bears all the Denominations due and Properties that a Law uses to what is regulated by it It 's call'd Work I must work the works of him that sent me it was to him a Law of Works tho' to us a Law of Faith Obedience Rom. 5.29 By the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous and Righteousness often his temper of Mind under it is call'd fear Heb. 5.7 And was heard in that he fear'd and Phil. 2. The Form of a Servant 7. The Rule of his Life and Offices is call'd a Law Gal. 4.4 He was made under the Law and Command Joh. 10.18 This Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father He was under the Mosaical Law He was Circumcis'd He was under the Evangelical for He was Baptiz'd He was under the Moral for He was Holy Harmless and Vndefil'd He was under the Sanction of that Law as well as its Precept Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeem'd us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us And all this was but a part of his Subjection to the Mediatorial Law There is a Noble Criticism on 2 Sam. 7.19 The English has it thus And is this the Manner of Man O Lord God But it may be translated thus This is the Law of the Man the Lord God as Dorscheus says on the 2d Psal O Wonderful O all together wonderful Law by which God and Man should be united and according to which an unexpected Divine Dispensation should make that this should be the Prerogative of some individual of the Posterity of David that he should be the Lord God! Oseander inferrs a Reason out of the Context the sence of which he renders thus I understand thee to have spoken of that Messiah whose Law requires that he should be God and Man And it does not want Reason for what is said in the 12 13 14. vers agrees best to this Messiah for it is spoken of a Seed that should rise up after his Death which should proceed out of his Bowels but Solomon was both Born and set upon the Throne before David died yea 't is particularly noted in the 19. ver That this Prophesie was of his House a great way off Secondly It is said vers 13 16. That this Kingdom should endure for ever which is expounded Psal 89.7 by the Duration of the Sun Moon and Heaven Thirdly He shall be to me a Son vers 14. he notes his peculiar Subject as Psal 2.7 12. Heb. 1.5 Gods first born Psal 89.28 This is the Interpretation of Calovius Gerard Thilo and Piscator Secondly As to the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness 1. For the Law it differs much from any other Law 1. In Subject Meer-man and God-man differ very far 2. In the Precept the principal thing it requires is Suffering Joh. 10. I have Power to lay down my Life this Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father Suffering is but in Case of failure in other Laws to make them obey annex'd by Sanction to the Law 3. In the Work it is the greatest Work that ever was commanded by Law Isa 61.1 To bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim Liberty to the Captive and open the Prison-doors to them that are bound Act. 3.21 To restore all things to reconcile such Enemies as a Holy God and his Creature become his Enemies to Justifie the Guilty Adopt Aliens to turn an Hell into a Heaven an extensive Work Earth Heaven and Hell he is to be employ'd about he is to Rehead or Recapitulate all things which are in Heaven and Earth a Work of the greatest Trust ever any was in Isa 22.14 They shall hang upon him all the Glory of his Fathers House the Off-spring and Issue All Vessels hang on that Nail that is a Glorious Throne to his Fathers House 4. In that it has no Legal Sanction no Threatnings there was no need of any since he was so sufficient and faithful nor no possibility for the greatest Penalty was the Duty of the Precept 5. The Promises a Name above every Name at his Name every knee must bow Angels Adore and Worship him he is at the Right Hand of the Throne of God 2. * There is a Distinction of Christs Righteousness by Divines us'd 1. Into Divine Righteousness as he is God his has no Law but the Divine Nature to act becoming 〈◊〉 Official proper to the Office of the Mediator 3. Is â—carious common to Men 〈◊〉 Men and therefore shall 〈◊〉 treated under the Head of â—â—putation but I think both â—ay be Comprehended under 〈◊〉 Law of Faith As to the Works or Righteousness of this Law Rom. 3.21 22. It is describ'd to be 1. Righteousness of God 2. Without the Law 3. Witness'd to by the Law and Prophets 4. It is by Faith As to the first Character of it it is on a fourfold account the Righteousness of God
Law may meet with external Changes in its Administration either by Dispensation when positive only as the Ceremonial or an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abatement of the Rigor in Words but the Law the same that suffers the change 3. The Law may suffer some Change in particular Precepts which are its Integral Parts A Man is the same Man still thô he lose his Thumb Collective Bodies are capable of Increase or Decrease so Jus Collectum of Derogation Surrogation or Erogation but Abrogation or Obrogation alters the Essence and until the Moral Law is Abrogate we cannot expect one specifically distinct from it But the Opposition is perspicuous thus A Law that requires your Works a Law to be obey'd by you and a Law that requires your Faith a Law fulfill'd by another for you which you ought to believe and it thus Answers the Argument we are justified by most perfect Obedience but we perform'd it not it was Christ Fourthly It is manifest from the Context and Harmony of the Apostles Discourse he had all along join'd the Laws and the Works together which he excluded from Justification First The pure Natural Law among the Gentiles Secondly The manifold Mosaical now he tells us of a Righteousness and a Law that we may and must be justified by if at all is it reasonable or possible to separate these two Ver. 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God is manifested Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ If the one be the Righteousness of Christ the Mediator surely the other is the Law of it shall we separate the Righteousness of Faith and the Law of Faith The Text would not be a good Conclusion from what precedes without this that which he had prov'd was there is no Justification by the Deeds of the Law but only by the Righteousness of God Well says he if the Case be so Where is your Boasting it is excluded He draws his Conclusion Triumphing over them How By the Law of Faith You are justifi'd by the Righteousness of God you are justifi'd in a way that excludes Boasting the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and the Righteousness of God justifies you do not then these two Coincide the one as the Work the other as the Command if it were another Law requiring a new kind of Obedience and Righteousness distinct from what he had spoken of he had drawn a Conclusion without any Premises There are two things should have been enlarged on First To prove that this Righteousness is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator The Second Whether or not this Law of Faith referrs to the Righteousness as the Rule of it or the Faith by which it is applied Both which I must deferr to some proper Verses in the fourth Chapter only at present as to the first that 2 Pet. 1.1 may perswade any unprejudic'd Person Thorough the Rsghteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ As to the second our Confession of Faith says We are not justifi'd by Faith or that is not imputed to us it self as an Act nor any other Evangelical Obedience But this is to be treated in ver 3. Fifthly This Law is a Law we can be justifi'd by and it is before prov'd that we cannot be by any Law requiring Obedience of us Sixthly The difficulties that attend the Explication of it by Socinians Arminians aliis melioris notae who say this Law is the Law of Christ the Mediator not as made under it but as a Law-giver requiring Faith and Repentance of us as the Condition of an Interest in his Merits and Justification by them I say the difficulties that attend it render it the less credible 1. This Gospel-law or Law of Faith must be a perfect Law requiring Faith in Perfection Repentance in Perfection and so other Evangelical Obedience Mr. Bull in his Examination who is Zealous for this New Law and who as Mr. Pitcarn one of his many Adversaries says is of the greatest Acumen of the kind he not only owns it but proves it from Christs own Words Mat. 5.48 when he was Promulgating his Law Be ye perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On which he thus Acutely Comments The Commands of growth have no Bounds nor Limits until we come to the Unity of the Faith and the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ and it is a certain Truth that there is no Duty in the Gospel wherein Gods Law only requires sincere and not perfect Obedience Patience should have its perfect Work and that 's a special part of Evangelical Obedience Either the Gospel Law or Law of Faith must require Perfection of Obedience in these Duties or some other Divine Law else God would become an Indulger of Sin by Law if it be by another Law viz. the Moral that he requires perfect Obedience and by this sincere only then these two Laws differ but in Degree not in Specie or Kind because both require the same Duties or Works and so this Gospel Law would be no Distinct Law but only the Measure of sincere Obedience would receive a new use which we own it has to wit to be an Index and Mark of our Justification tho' we cannot own that use of its giving Right but to proceed a distinct Law they must hold or quit their Cause or this Foundation of it for the Text sets the Law of Faith down as an opposite Law to that of Works and that they hold 1. Then if it be a perfect Law requiring perfect Obedience there is no possibility of Justification in this Life Poppius the Arminian grants the Conclusion that our Obedience must be consummate before our Assurance and others distinguish between a Compleat and Partial Justification the former is not they say until the day of Judgment But this is not all the difficulty for it 's the adding a Load to a Burden Is this Gospel to a Man that is unable to perform the least part of the Moral Law to tell him that God or the Mediator requires perfect Obedience to it for the Future and another too Or is this Gospel to say you shall perish Aeternally and have the Fire of Hell seven times heated if you obey not this Gospel It s indeed a Conditional Hell but it 's more dreadful than the Law-Hell and the Condition is more impossible because we have less Power to shun this difficulty of two perfect Laws Mr. Bull owns no other perfect Law but this Gospel-Law since Man fell but by shunning one difficulty he falls into two as great 1. Then the Moral Law is abrogated beside the falsness of the Doctrine it self for it is impossible that should cease to be our Duty to love God with all our Heart and Soul what Advantage brings Christs Death To abrogate one perfct Law and
for his Work trust him he is surely faithfull but never trust his Enemies you may gain your own personal Foes by Favours but never think to make God's Foes your Friends if you intend to act for God you may sooner lose ten Friends than gain one of them all your Favours will only make them Ridicule you if not put them in a Capacity to Injure you Not only may the things expected but the Expectation it self encourage you in the Administration of your Office for they who truly hope for such things at your hand will be constant Supplicants at the Throne of Grace for Piety Prudence Patience Candor and Courage for you That you may not only have a Power Faithfully to discharge your Trust but with Ease Pleasure and Success you may perform every Duty of the Station and at last descend from the Chair with an Honour greater than the Hope and Joy of your Friends at your Ascension to it in this Catalogue he counts it his Honour to be who is Your Humble Servant Walt. Cross THE HYPOTYPOSIS OR Schematical INDEX ROM 4.1 1. THe Supposition all Sinners are Justified one way whereof Abraham was a famous Pattern Page 1. 2. The Prerogatives of Abraham Prince of the Fathers p. 2. 3. The Grammatical Syntax asserted and proved viz. That according to the Flesh belongs to finding not to Abraham p. 5. 4. The Comprehensiveness of the word Flesh and sense of finding as to the Flesh 5. The Importance of the Rhetorical way of expressing this sense What shall we say then p. 12. ROM 4.2 I. An Introduction from the Momentuousness of the Doctrine of Justification p. 15. II. The Proposition that Abraham was not Justified by Works which contains four Material Parts 1. The Subject Abraham before spoken to the other three are in the Predicate or Attribute 1. Justification 2. Works 3. By. As to the first 1. The Forensical Sense of the word Justifie is asserted and proved p. 20. 2. The Correlative Priviledges are explained 1. Redemption p. 24. 2. Reconciliation p. 25. 3. Adoption p. 26. 3. The Sentence or Index of Justification viz. 4. Regeneration p. 28. 4. The Time of Justification p. 36. As to the second part Works 1. The Nature and Properties of Evangelically good Works are explain'd p. 37. 2. The Erroneous Limitations of Works refuted p. 39. As to the third part By in every Causal or Meritorious sense Works are affirm'd to be excluded p. 42. III. The Discourse on the first Argument because no Matter of Glorying has three principal parts 1. The Formation of it p. 45. 2. The Minor or Truth of it prov'd from 1. Man's Being p. 49. 2. Man's Nature Free-will p. 55. 3. Man's Guilt p. 77. 4. Man's Impotence p. 87. 3. The Major or Strength of the Argument that all Works affords ground of Glorying p. 99. ROM 3.27 I. The Litteral Explication of the Text. p. 107. II. The Supposition or Axiom the Justification of a Sinner must be in such a way as excludes boasting III. The Negative Proposition that Boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works contains 1. The Nature of the Evangelical Law p. 110. 2. The Pharisaical sense of the Law when Christians p. 116. 3. That all Laws requiring Works of us are excluded from Justification because they exclude not Boasting therefore there is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in general p. 126. 2. The Natural Law p. 129. 3. The Moral Law p. 132. 4. The Mosaical p. 134. 5. The Evangelical p. 136. IV. The Affirmative Proposition that the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and therefore by it we are Justified contains 1. The Nature of an equal Interpretation or Exposition of a rigid Law p. 142. 2. That Christ was under a Law p. 149. 3. The Nature of that Law and its Righteousness p. 152. 4. That he Obeyed it in our room p. 155. 5. That the Law of Faith is this Mediatorial Law p. 157. Correct Page 1. line 21. for when justified r. who was justified Pag. 165. line 23. in some Copies for it 's right r. taught ADVERTISEMENT A Compend of the Covenant of Grace By Walt. Cross M A. Sold by H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey Price 6 d. ROMANS IV. 2. For if Abraham were Justified by Works he hath whereof to glory but not before God THe Doctrine contain'd in this Verse is of great Moment and requires our most earnest Attention and most narrow search and enquiry into its Nature and all its Circumstances for it is How shall we be Justified before God how shall we behave our selves before such an awful Tribunal When he riseth up what shall I do and when he Visiteth what shall I answer says Holy Job Wherewith shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most High will he be pleas'd with thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my First-born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul That God would plead with Isâ—ael made her Mountains tremble and the Foundations of her Earth to shake Mic. 6. It 's David's Deprecation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal 143. How can Man be just or Justified with God for if he will Contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 But it is a most certain thing That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 14.12 Psal 139. and that every one of us must give an Account of himself to God We cannot decline it Darkness cannot hide from his sight nor Distance remove from his Presence We cannot flye from his Spirit tho' we had the Wings of the Morning He is higher than the Heaven what can we do lower than Hell whether can we go from the Depth of the Sea or the uttermost End of the Earth his Hand can bring us back He has appointed a Day Act. 17. wherein he will judge the World in righteousness Eccl. 12. and he will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil 1 Cor. 4. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Heb. All things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do If there be a God there is a Governour and if there be a Governour there must be a Judgment Can we be his Creatures and his Subjects and will he be so Careless as not to take an Account of us Humane Government is but an Image of his There can be no Shaddow without a Substance Doth a Summons from Man fright us Doth the very Name of an Arraignment a Court a Judge an Appearance at a Humane Barr shake off our Security and rouse our Phlegmatick Constitution and put us into a most serious thinking frame and shall not the certain Warning of this
Estates and may forfeit the one sometimes without the other 7. There is a Priority in Justification to Adoption tho' not in Time yet in Order of Nature this follows consequentially from all the rest John 1.12 The right to Sonship follows Justifying Faith Tit. 3.7 being Heirs follows being Justified Rom. 8.17 We are first Children then Heirs and a Spirit of Prayer and Divine Conduct for a Holy Life answers Adoption First Life then Estate in Order of Nature The Arguments brought against it by the Learn'd Forbesius are answerable First To Adopt is the Act of a Father and the Acts of the Father in the Trinity are before the Acts of the Son and Spirit Resp That Order holds more in their Concurrence to one Act than in distinct Acts for Justification is the Act of the whole Trinity so is Adoption 2. That Order holds more in Antelapsarian than Sublapsarian Actions for in the latter Redemption which is Christ's Act is first for there Actions flow not from God immediately as God The Second What is first in Christ is first in us but Christ is a Son first before Justified as a Redeemer Resp This is true in the Order of Intention for we are first design'd Sons to be the Companions and Fellows of that only begotten but 't is not true in Order of Execution 3. We are Christs Brethren by Adoption Resp He is a Brother by Incarnation and fitted for being our Redeemer by it It is not our Brotherhood by Adoption fitted Christ for Redemption but his becoming our Brother by Incarnation The relation of the absolute Blessings Regeneration Sanctification c. may be understood by the following head A Second Help for more distinct Knowledge of this Blessing is what supplies the room or place of the Justificatory Sentence By Virtue of what Act of God upon the Arraign'd Person doth he become formally free from the Curse of the Law By what doth he publickly manifest such a particular Person pardon'd Resp There are four apparent Competitors for this place 1. The Voice of the Gospel declaring all that believe are justified Act. 13.39 but the Voice of the Law and the Voice of the Judge are of distinct Natures The Gospel is in room of the Law it 's the Constitution of Christ's Kingdom and it is also in room of the Records of a Court it shews in general what is Constitutive of Justification Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous and is Decisive of them that are Justified or to be Justified and them that are not or shall not be Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not shall not see Life But the Judg's part is to make an Authoritative Application of this Law or Constitution to an individual Person this the Scripture doth not All that Christ dy'd for are Justifiable by the Gospel Constitution but they often live a considerable time before they be actually Justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Mr. Baxt. Confes p. 40. There is a treble Pardon constitutive by God as a Law-giver declarative by God as a Judge determining our Right and Executive in not inflicting the Poenalty The Gospel doth the first the second is that in question There are others such as the Testimony of the Spirit in a Person 's own Conscience and the solemn Sentence at the Day of Judgment which I referr to the several Courts our Cause is try'd in That which I shall conclude on as bearing nighest resemblance to it is God's Act of Regeneration his first Gift of Saving Faith and Sanctifying Grace that beside its absolute Nature in Conforming the Soul to Christ and raising his Image in it it has a relative signification of Divine Favour that is better than Life God by that Deed or speaking Action says All thy sins are blotted out thy Iniquiâ—ies forgiven thou art a Freeman in the State 1. 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed Orig. justifi'd from sin 2. As soon as ever man sinned Gen. 3. he became guilty and as soon as guilty the Punishment of spiritual Death followed so if as soon as sinn'd condemn'd as soon as Christ's Righteousness applyed he is justifi'd the receiving such a blessed Fruit of it as the Spirit is a sure Application of it there is as present and effectual Vertue in the Medicinal Potion for Life as there was in the Poyson to Death 3. Eph. 1.14 The Spirit of the Lord is an Earnest of the Inheritance wherever he is and since he ensures Adoption much more he ensures Justfication 4. Regeneration makes us Sons and the Priviledge of a Son is more than that of a Subject 5. Rom. 5.10 11. Whenever we are reconciled we are justifi'd for they are but different representations of the same Priviledge and Sanctification takes away the Enmity 6. When the Spirit is given to us we receive a great Trust many Talents and called to a great Office in Christs Kingdom to praise and glorifie him to propagate his Kingdom created unto all good Works Sir Walter Raleigh and with him all Lawyers judg'd his being put in a place of Office and Trust did virtually contain a Pardon in it It implies much weakness in Government or Governours to employ Traytors Rebels and Criminals in places of Trust who must strive for their Lives to hinder the just administration of the Government which would take away their own Life 7. Mat. 9.2 When Christ the Judge of the World verbally pronounces Forgiveness he signifies all imports one thing Arise and walk Eyes be ye open Be thou healed Or Thy sins be forgiven thee His gifts are in a comprehensive Cluster there is a strong Chain of connexion among them and he may name what is most easie hence are they so united and involved into one another by Scripture Titus 3.5.7 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.30 Act. 5.31 And 8. There is not only the Example of Christs Justifying but the Example of his being justify'd Who was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 All the Works of the Spirit on him and by him were God's justifying him His Resurrection was his declared Justification Rom. 4.25 It was the Pattern of ours besides other great Influences on ours By it was he taken from the Prison of the Grave and acquitted from the Judgment where try'd therefore our spiritual Resurrection Rom. 6.7 is call'd Justification 9. Ancient Custom shews that Authority did intimate their Sentence by symbolical Actions and things as well as words Ovid. Albis atrisque Lapillis The White Stone was sent as a Symbol of Absolution to the Person whose Name they wrote upon it Pierius in his Egyptian Hierogliphicks gives this Account of the Rights of a Slaves Manumission That he was Cloath'd in White Raiment and his Patron 's Ring put upon his Finger and did eat at his Master's Table The Scripture
makes use of all these as Symbols of our Freedom from the Bondage of Corruption and Servitude of Sin Luk. 15. The Ring is made mention of Revel 19.8 there 's the White Raiment Rev. 2.17 there 's the Manna the Food of our Lord's Table and the White Stone with our Names upon it This expressing of a Sentence by an Action is becoming of the Divine Majesty with whom to do and to say are the same his great Work of Creation requir'd no more to its production but God's saying Let there be a Light a Firmament c. and it was so This great Work of Regeneration it 's a begetting by his Word Hos 2.14 A speaking Comfortably to the Heart and frequently a Calling Whom he Call'd he Justified his Vocation put them in a Justified State 10. Sanctification or Regeneration removes a Punishment as well as a Crime the giving of a spiritual Life takes away a spiritual Death which is the worst of Punishments The Desertion by the Spirit is the greatest Curse and that is removed by the Gift of the Spirit and what takes away the Punishment does necessarily remove the Guilt or suppose it remov'd for the greater Mercy does comprehend the lesser Lastly From the Nature of Faith Isa 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many it may either be by the Gift of Knowledge or by the Act of Knowledge upon him for Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Evidence of things not seen it is no sooner in being than it is in exercise The Seed of Grace is not like Material Seed to need a Time of Corruption and intermixture with the Earth before it grow but like the Beams of the Sun that act as they are received The Gift of Faith is the Idea of Heavenly things suggested into the Soul and there manifesting themselves by their own Light so that we are Receivers of the Objects of Faith when we act Faith Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear Hence Regeneration's being the Sentence does not pecede the Exercise of Faith as a Mean This might afford more Arguments for this Truth because then the Union between us Debtors and Christ as Surety is Compleated which is not 'till we apprehend him by Faith 2. Then the Soul actually Pleads and thereâ—ore it 's Term-time the acceptable Day of our Salvation the Court sits on our Case and all the Causes of our Salvation are Cloath'd with a forensical Form from this Exercise of Faith by which we look on God as our Judge on Christ's Righteousness as our Plea on Satan as our Accuser on Christ as our Advocate and his Spirit our Council on the Law as an Indictment drawn up against us and on its Constitution and Divine Justice as a Tribunal from which we Appeal to the Chancery of the Gospel founded on Goodness and Equity Object There are some Objections against this Doctrine 1. Sanctification is a gradual thing Justification is one Act. 2. That this would Confirm the Popish Error that Justification is not a forensical or relative Act but a Physical and Absolute one To both which I Answer 1. That the Sentence of Justification is not Justification but the Declaration of it and the Gift of the Spirit for Sanctification the Sign of that Faith is an Absolute Act by which we are justified but Justification is the relative Result of all the Causes and Foundations Fatherhood or Sonship are Relative things but to be Born or to be Begotten is an absolute thing 2. In all Similitudes there is somewhat of Unlikeness and so in this For 1. He who is Judge is both Law-giver and supream Governour too in other Cases in this 2. In others we have done with the Judge when the Sentence is past but not in this 2. In others we need but one Act because we can abstain from the like Crimes but in this we need a Continual Justification or Remission Hence we daily Pray Forgive us our Sins and we have daily Encouragement that if any Man sin there is an Advocate with the Father The Court constantly sits we are always on our Knees before the Bar our Faith perpetually Pleads and Christ's always interceding and he is always heard hence a constant continued Stream of Justification Dan. 9.9 call'd Forgivenesses and Revel 19.9 the Righteousnesses or Justifications for it is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.19 is translated Justification and thus may be expounded Revel 22.16 He that is Justified let him be Justified still and in this very Chapter Rom. 4. Abraham is said to be Justified by Acts of Faith several Years after his first Conversion Gen. 15.6 it was at least Ten Years after his first Faith Our Case is a continued State of Justifying or Pardoning That which recommends this Opinion to me is not only its Appearance of Truth but its Medicinalness for Reconciling the different Opinions of Persons so lately on foot for the Subscribers Apology grants 1. That Faith and Repentance are absolutely given to the Ungodly for what is Man else before that Gift 2. That Faith and Repentance are only given to the Elect. Are they not then 1. The Gifts Blessings Tokens of special Favour Symbols of divine distinguishing Love though they may be long unintelligible to the Person under the Exercise of them as the Inscription of Mene Tekel on the Wall was to the Chaldeans yet ex Natura rei intentione Authoris it imports a Person 's being Reconcil'd to God Fellowship with Heaven is begun and two cannot walk together and not be agreed Effects alway signifie their Cause Rom. 5.15 2. Can a Person be under special Favour and not Pardon'd or Reconcil'd and not Pardon'd Call'd and not Justifi'd not under Wrath and yet under Guilt or else under Divine Love and Wrath at once or that the Punishment to wit want of the Spirit spiritual Death is remov'd and not the Guilt or lyableness to the Punishment although so remov'd as eventually never to return again from the Vigour of Divine Love fix'd on that Person Rom. 5. 6. the Apostle describes a State of Grace and Justification as necessarily united But I need not inferr this from them since the Reverend Mr. Baxt. Conf. p. 40. saith To Sanctifie is to Pardon that is executively because it takes away the greatest Punishment Spiritual Death and the Sentence of Pardon must go before the Execution And further our Pardon is subservient to our Renovation by Sanctity as imperfectly now begun for being imperfect the Defect of every Act deserves Condemnation and needs Pardon and yet this Pardon is a particular Pardon following the general Pardon of our Persons by which we escape Wrath and are capable of Acceptable Obedience for the future By this the Pardon of our Persons should precede every Act of Faith and Repentance for a following particular Pardon accompanies every Act of them But the greatest difficulty is how Faith and Repentance should
the Power of Heaven except the Fear of Heaven that is Religion There is a difficulty of reconciling their Opinions about this Point because they also owned a Fate which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josephus who was one of them says lib. 2. chap. 7. that they attributed all things to God and Fate but it is no wonder for wherever Error is there is Contradiction for every Man holds some Truth and whatever Error he holds is repugnant to the Truth he holds but Camero thus explains their Sense from Josephus his own words That by Faith is meant God's Providential Help but most is to be placed in Man and lib. 18. chap. 2. We are not to separate Man's Will from enclining Fate so that the Sense of it is Providence gives Occasion to Work but the Work it self is wholly Man's own 3. The Pelagians are not inferiour in this Pride to any of the former who confine all God's Grace to Man in giving of this Noble and Natural Endowment of Free-Will by which a Man is able to do all good Commanded They say none can give a Man spiritual Riches but himself for these he is justly Praised and jure Preferred to others for these can have no Being but in himself and from himself hence he taught this Form of Prayer Lord behold the Purity of my Lips by which I Pray to thee and the Innocency of my Hands which I stretch forth before thee 4. The Papists especially Jesuites and Molinists tho' others seem to diminish the Power of Free-Will when they write on that Head yet when they come to the Point of Merit they again extoll it Bel de Just lib. 5. chap. 3. because it is more honourable to obtain a thing by Merit than by Grace alone therefore that God might Honour his Children he has granted that they might prepare Eternal Life to themselves by their Merits and more proudly Ruard in Top. Art Lov. God forbid that the Righteous should expect Eternal Life as a Poor Man doth an Alms since it is more glorious for them as Victors and Triumphants to possess it as the Crown and Palm due to their Sâ—eats and Labours and their Common Doctrine is that by the strength of Nature preparing our selves we Merit ex Congruo special Grace and afterwards being made just by it we can so perfectly fulfill the Law that we Merit Heaven ex Condigno and why may not a Workman glory in his Work 5. Socinians and Arminians who hold the Freedom of the Will inconsistent with any Necessity and that it is out of the Power of God effectually to Call a Sinner when he will or according to the Terms in Dispute Grace is always resistable but the Will of Man unconquerable 6. We find many others and more ancient too much extolling Man on this account as Prudentius in his Poems on that Subject Insubjecte potens rerum arbiter arbiter idem judex Mentis propriae Powerfull being subject to none Lord of all things Lord also and Judge of thy own Mind And elsewhere He that made thee Lord of all things would he not make thy self free He that made thee King of the World would he not make thee King of thy self would he so Curtail thine Honour and Matter of glorying Besides the common Definition of it signifies no less that supposing all things in act that are fit or have Power to move or encline it it may Act or not Act or act the contrary as it will Neither God nor Angels Men or Devils have Poweâ— certainly to determine it 7. They who have their Minds better instructed yet have Practical Sentiments secretly latent in their Minds of this kind which we may learn from our Observation of our selves As 1. When Men adventure on sin because they think they can make amends by Repentance 2. When Peâ—sons delay Repentance upon this ground that they can do it afterwards 3. When Persons stifle Convictions and quench the Spirit because they think they can enjoy it again when they will 4. When Persons do not Pray from this latent Error that they have a Power to Accomplish their Designs themselves 5. When men Neglect the outward Ordinances and Means of Salvation which God has appointed not only as Means between Us and the End but as Means between our Can and our Cannot because we cannot do any thing of the Essentials of Salvation Meriting Pardon Enlightning the Understanding or Sanctifying our Wills God has prescribed these Means that we can do and has Promised to Perform that which we cannot Phil. 3. Work in and about your own Salvation with fear and trembling for he worketh in you to will and to do Now that which many Neglect the Means for is because they think they can go about the thing it self The Security that destroys the most of perishing Souls is founded on this corrupt Root that we have a Power in a very short time to do all the Business of our Salvation Were it not for this Sinners Despairing wholly in themselves wou'd be rolling themselves in the Dust and prostrating themselves before a Father of Mercies and God of Grace and constantly Watching for the Angels troubling of the Waters they would be daily waiting at Wisdoms Gates for the Spirit promised to Attendants upon appointed Means In opposition to all this I shall lay down these Eight Propositions with their several Confirmations to prove that this Noble Principle that God hath endowed Man with though it hath exalted him above Brutes it affords him no ground of Pride or glorying before God four are Positive and four Negative 1. Free-Will is a part of that Excellency by which Man is the Image of God All in Man by which he excells meer Animals he therein is God's Image This is a great Dignity to be in the Image of God but this should humble Man before God because he is but an Image tho' in respect of inferiour Creatures they being only a Vestigium or a Print of some one perfection as the Print of a Man's Foot represents but one part of him an Image represents the whole or most principal Parts Free-will is founded in Wisdom and Power and in these Man is God's Image but this Excellency affords no Matter of glorying 1. From the Scriptures own Expression Psalm 39.6 there is a Reason given why Man in his best Estate that is in the Purity of his Nature in the unfaded and unstained flower of all his Senses and spiritual Faculties is but Vanity because every Man walks in a Vain shew so we Translate it but the Original is Bezalim the same Word which in Gen. 1. is used for the Image of God Man is Vanity because at best but an Image Our greatest Perfections by Nature did not free us from Defectibility 2. Indifferency doth not represent the Will of God as terminate upon himself but as terminate upon the Creatures to him it was indifferent whether they should be or not
of God neither as to Law or Fact as to the former there is no dispute the latter these Arguments may Confirm 1. Man would be then an ungovernable Creature which is a great Absurdity for God intended the Care and Government of the Creatures he made he could not make him Happy or Miserable in Spirit if not free his Will and would he make one that might disorder his Harmony and frustrate his Designs whether God would or no 2. Such a Power in Man would limit an Infinite Being it would limit his Will he worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will Eph. 1.11 The distinction has Absurdity enough in it of those who say 't is true in Natural things but not in things Moral 3. It limits God's Power as to all Civil Affairs in the World for still his designs must depend on the Inclination of Man 4. The Knowledge of God This Conclusion is so apparent for what is uncertain in it self cannot certainly be known that Poieret denies God's foreknowledge of Sin and that until it came to pass there was not one Thought or Idea of it in God And Pomponatius denies his Knowledge of Future Contingencies 5. It would both rob God of much Praise and Glory and rob poor Sinners of much Hope and Comfort For 1. The Doctrine of Perseverance is undetermined by it No Person could have any Assurance from his highest Attainments in Grace Paul could not have had any Confidence of God's perfecting the begun Work of Grace Phil. 1.6 if that had been true Nor Peter have concluded God's establishing strengthning and settling the dispersed Jews from their being called 1 Pet. 5.10 Those Chains of Grace between Predestination Calling Justification and Glory would be very easily solvible 2. God's Providential Care Mat. 6.31 If God so cloath the Grass of the field shall he not much more cloath you Oh ye of little Faith is overthrown by it 3. The Work of Conversion Luke 11.25 I thank thee O Father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed unto Babes is derogated from Goâ— by i. 4. The Scripture positively asserts the contrary both in Morals and Spirituals Exod. 34.24 Neither shall any Man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year There was then a brave opportunity for the Enemies to invade Israel when all the Males were at Jerusalem and not one Man in all the Land not one Man in all the Countrey left to defend any Fort Passage City or Castle the Lord promiseth not only that he would protect it which he could have done by many miraculous ways but he promiseth though they should fight against it all the Year over yet at that time they should not desire it John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Phil. 2. He worketh to will and to do Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Jer. 20.9 Thou art stronger than I and hast prevailed the manner how is expressed before O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived But the Original is Thou hast enticed or overperswaded me Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his Name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay 5. The Efficacy of Effectual Calling is ascribed to the Efficacy of Divine Influence on the Heart of Man and not to Man's Will or the Rethorick of Ministers 1 Cor. 2.4 that Efficacy is call'd a Powerful Spiritual Demonstration there is a tripple Demonstration the one is to our Sense when we see with our Eye and hear with our Ear the other is to Reason when the Connection between Terms or Properties of things are clear and evident but this third Kind seems to be the Lords immediate proposing clear Apprehensions of the thing to the Soul of Man which is called a speaking to the Heart Hos 2.14 I will allure her and will spâ—ak to her Heart which is particularly described 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. There is first the Image or Idea which is a Glorious and ravishing Apprehension of God Secondly There is the Glass wherein this Idea is represented which is either the Scripture as the Mean of Conveyance or rather the Intellect of Man because it is by an immediate Efficiency of the Spirit and the Apostle is discoursing of the Jews who had that Glass of the Scripture but could not receive this Idea into their Minds from it by reason of a Vail on their Minds they were blinded but this Vail is done away in Christ So there is a double operation the first is a disposing of the Mind so as these Objects may be suited to it for there is no Love but where there is a Likeness Different Pallats reliâ—h different Dishes the Eye cannot be made to see by outward light without a due Disposition for receiving and reflecting this Light the Pharisees could see no takingness in the Doctrine of Humility while they received Honour one of another nor any goodness in Charity while they remained Covetous The Gentiles thought the Gospel foolishness while they judged their own imperfect Rigeteousness acceptable to God or their Sins so small that the loss of a Beast in a Sacrifice could make a sufficient recompense And so it is said of every Natural Man that the things of God are foolishness unto them and that they cannot discern them because they are spiritually discerned But when he is Spiritual he discerneth all things So this subjective Influence is the making of a Man Spiritual which is call'd a New Creation a Regeneration a Resurrection The third thing is the Author of this Perswasion or of this Image raised in the Mind the Spirit of the Lord. The fourth thing is the inflâ—ence it hath upon the Soul we are changed into the same Image So that whether the Objective Operation or the Subjective have the precedency is a Question among Divines But this Text sets the amiable and most perswading and charming Object of God presented to the Soul as that which moulds the Soul in a likeness to its self as we see in Bodily things passionately seen marks a Child in the Womb of the Motâ—er This is call'd A drawing with the Cords of a Man that is not by Violence as with Cart-ropes but with bands of Love Hos 11.4 and the constraining Power of Love 2 Cor. 5.14 And when the Word is blest to be an Instrument of it it is called an ingrafted Word or a Divine Seed Lastly This Doctrine of Denying God an Absolute Empire and Government over the Will of Man to turn it which way
in the Mind So as the Seed of Grace in a Regenerate Man is called the Divine Nature So this Flesh or Carnal Disposition it is our Corrupt Nature and it is called Flesh from its opposition to the Spirit for as Substances Flesh and Spirit are opposite in the Scripture so also Spiritual and Carnal Disposition untill a Man hath a higher principle he only can converse about Carnal things Carnal and Earthly things are equivalent they did partake of your Carnal things So Galat. 6.12 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 The strength of the Argument lies thus That since by our Birth and by our Natural Disposition we are Carnal therefore by our Birth and Natural Disposition we are liable to Wrath. By our Birth we are Flesh John 3.3 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and the Text says this Flesh renders us liable to Wrath. 2. We are liable to Wrath from all the successful Temptations of the Prince of the Air for all the results saith the Context are Disobedience Now Satan both can and doth act us before any acquired Custom or Habit and according to the Common Notions of the Soul there is no apparent repugnancy why his suggestions may not be thrown into the Soul and succeed too before we are born 3. Nature and Grace here are opposed as Comprehending the two entire States of Man by Nature you are the Children of Wrath but by Grace you are saved So Nature comprehends the whole of a Mans Life before Grace else he may be sav'd without Grace except Nature were taken in this sense his Argument would be in two considerable Points defectible 1. In shewing as to Eternal Concerns that by Birth and Nature the Jews and Gentiles condition were alike as well as by Conversation 2. In depressing the Jews false grounded Pride who reckon'd all the Seed of Abraham in a sinless Condition untill adult Gal. 2.15 Is it supposable that when the former is so true and the latter so dangerously false and both the Apostles design in the very place that there should be nothing in his Argument to signifie them or that when no word more proper than this word Nature could be thought on that that word should be us'd in a most improper sense I might add four more to enforce this 1. Authority Austin and Prosper did interpret this Text of Original Sin 2. Etymology the word Children is changed it is not the same that in the second is called Children of Disobedience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies our Birth 3. The other Texts of Scripture Psal 5. and Job I was conceived in Sin and born in Iniquity Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean 4. Matter of Fact Infants dye suffer Miseries Pains that are the Effects of Wrath in Scripture Language if they were not lyable to them how should they generally and frequently suffer them 2ly We are personally guilty To prove that all Men are guilty is because the Scripture describing the Heraldry of our Sinfulness doth not derive it from our Actions but derives the Evil of our Actions from our Persons We are Corrupt trees and therefore bring forth Corrupt fruit That which cometh out of a man defiles a man and Satan like when he speaks a lye speaks his Own John 8 44. If God from a Man's Birth do determine his Will and so sanctifie him it may stop this Course but being left to himself he cannot but sin for Nature will follow its own Course For the Wicked drink in Iniquity as the fish do the water they go astray from the Womb speaking lyes and being left to himself as soon brings shame as Wise Solomon observes Mat. 12.3 4. being evil ye cannot speak good An evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are defil'd every thing is impure Prov. 21.4.27 the plowing and praying of the Wicked are Sins Hag. 2.12 they defile whatever they touch the dead Carkass and other defiling things under the Law did typifie them The Nature of God is the Rule of ours antecedently to his Will being the Rule of our Actions and the want of Conformity to the Rule is a Sin and where the want of his Image is there is the want of a Likeness or Conformity to him this may be called a Personal Guilt antecedent to our Guilt by Actions and is a Confirmation of the former and much of the same Nature with it 3dly We are universally Guilty This is the Apostles great and demonstrative Argument to prove that we are not justified by Works 1. He supposes Salvation possible attainable 2. That a Righteousness was necessary to it for the Judge could not be just in justifying the Unjust 3. This Righteousness must be inherent or imputed a Righteousness to be believ'd or a Righteousness to be done by us a Righteousness by Works or Faith by our own Righteousness or anothers by a proper Righteousness or Vicarious what Soveraign Authority in Justice might accept in its room the former is by the Law the latter is by the Gospel the former is that the Apostle rejects with most industrious pains and strenuous proof For it 's a disjunction that admits of no Medium if guilty by the Law only sav'd by the Gospel 4. He proves that we are universally guilty as to the Law 1. The Gentiles are from Chap. 1.18 to Chap. 2.17 Because they knew God but did not glorifie him they detain'd the truth in unrighteousness they condemn'd in others what they did themselves their Conscience accus'd them for transgressing the Law wrote on their minds 2. He proves the Jews guilty and that in measure above the Gentiles from Ch. 2.17 to Ch. 3. From their having more Knowledge and worse Lives by which they made the Gentiles blaspheme their Religion and the Author of it 2. By doing the same things or things of like Nature they taught from the Law of God was not to be done After the obviating of an Objection against that Argument from Ch. 3. to v. 9. he there begins a New Argument to prove all guilty to v. 20. by the Authority of the Old Testament the Jews and Christians only owns the strength of the Argument but it 's Conclusive Universality doth not only prove the Jews are guilty but all v. 9. both Jews and Gentiles v. 10. None righteous no not one v. 19. All the World guilty before God The Citations are so interwoven as to guard against all Exceptions Negatively None righteous Positively All gone out of the way Subjectively understanding none understandeth Will none seeketh after God Words v. 13.14 Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. Works v. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood Objectively against Men v. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways Against God viz. There is no fear of God before their eyes Which may sufficiently discover the unreasonableness of their Opinions who to limit this Guilt and make some room for Works in
Abomination next to the Condemning of Innocent Thirdly No Man has any inherent Righteousness of his own whether Jew or Gentile Fourthly That all Righteousness is by a Law on this Subject he shews there is a Tripple Law The Natural Law and it's Righteousness from Chap. 1.17 to Chap. 2.17 he excludes both the Law and it's Righteousness from any Ability of this kind 2. The Mosaical and Moral Law from that Verse 17. to the 21st of the third Chapter he also excludes that Law and it's Righteousness from being able to justifie Sinners From Verse 21. he begins positively to assert and explain a third Righteousness which he calls the Righteousness of God or Righteousness of Faith and a third Law a Law of Faith All which is Evangelical for in the beginning of the Epistle he had described the Gospel and his own separation to the Office of preaching it and laid down this Doctrine Chap. 1.16 17. That it was the Power of God unto Salvation to every Believer and the Reason it is so is because therein is the Righteousness of God revealed This Righteousness after having excluded the Law with it's Works he most accurately explains from Verse 21. to the Text where he begins a Discourse which is a Conclusion from the former and a Proposition to the latter part of the Context built upon this fifth Axiom That there is a Necessity of the Justification of Sinners being in such a Method that may utterly stop their Mouth from either Glorying or Boasting God has his Glory for his ultimate End in all his Actions but there is a particular Reason that the Glory be entirely his in this great Action for a Sinner is Gods Enemy there is a Controversie between them if the Peace or Reconciliation should be so made up as Man should have any thing to brag of God were so far the Yielder and conquer'd party Man were the Victor and Triumpher in this Affair whatever Glory we ascribe to Man we derogate so much from God This may be clearly illustrated by the Transactions of Peace between Armies Nations Besiegers and Besieged they contend as much for having the Glory of the Peace on their side as for having the Victory of the War on their side And we find the Scripture punctual in ascribing the Glory to God in all the particular parts and points of this great Contrivance 1. Election Eph. 1.4 2. Permission the very letting of Man fall in Sin Strangius says Sin is none of Gods Mediums but the Permission of Sin is Rom. 11.22 Gal. 3.22 3. The Calling of Man Tit. 3.5 4. The sending of the Son into the World 5. The ordaining of such weak Ordinances for means of Conversion and Edification 6. The Calling of Men when they stand at greatest disadvantage for Conversion and so all the other parts of this whole Project and likewise we find the Scripture in nothing more punctual than in describing Man's Guilt and Impotency his Wickedness and his weakness and every thing that may contribute to humble and vilifie him in the sight of God And Satan is in nothing more diligent than to propagate this Lust of Pride it was his own first Sin and the Foundation of his Kingdom and he maintains it as the principal Pillar thereof Carnal Pride is a very strong Hold in his Kingdom it is a very difficult thing to be denied to Credit Honour and Reputation among Men But Spiritual Pride is a more subtil Sin and not easily discernable far less conquerable And if Satan can maintain this one hold we are never like to be sound about this Doctrine of Justification whatever may be our Speculative Opinions in Profession if we retain a Practical Sentiment of a Self-distinguishing Work we run a very great Danger as to our Souls Therefore as ever we would obtain this incomparable Priviledge we would endeavour to walk humbly with God and to get Self-abasing Sentiments of our Selves I come now to the Minor Proposition or second Doctrine which the Text expresses by way of Dialogism What is not and what is the way of Justification that excludes Glorying I shall begin with the Negative part viz. That Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works The Sence of it is That if a Person can be justified by Works he doth not want Matter of Glorying for God doth not require Humility of a Man beyond his due if his own Works can answer for him before the Tribunal of God he has in Justice viz. Distributive merited his Life and where there is Matter of Merit there is Matter of Glory There are a great many attempts to diminish this Proposition viz. If a Man be justified by Works he has Matter to Glory by the Law of Works 1. Some say it is only the Ceremonial Law and it's Works 2. Others say it is only the Judicial Law and External part of the Moral which made up the Jews Civil Law 3. Others say only the Moral Law is excluded so far as obeyed without Grace 4. Others say it 's the Mosaical Law in the Pharisaical sense thereof 5. Others say 'T is the Law as requiring Perfection 6. Others as Meriting But 7. It has been the most Universal Sentiment among Protestants that all Law is excluded and all Inherent Works in sinful Men as Righteousness or being conformed to that Law It is more easie to fix upon this Question Whether or not the Evangelical Law and it's Works be excluded yea or not For though all these six Ways differ in what Law is excluded yet they generally agree that the Evangelical Law with it's Evangelical Obedience are not here excluded but put in opposition to the former and comprehended under this Notion of the Law of Faith The first thing Needfull is to enquire into the Nature of this Evangelical Law which is the Influence of the Gospel upon the Law The Moral Law and the Gospel are the two Ingredients whereof our Christian Religion is Constituted and being thus Compounded have an Influence one upon another and the Law by reason of the New Modes and Relations it receives from this blessed Yoak-fellow in the Covenant of Grace is called a New Law and a New Commandment and an easie Yoak and light Burden The New Constitution of the Law that we are under is one of the blessed Fruits of Christ's Death and this makes the Preaching of the Law Gospel to us for the Gospel strictly taken Rom. 1. to the 17. v. and Rom. 3. from the 21. to the 26. v. is a Narrative of Christ his Nature Person Offices States with the blessed Fruits thereof to us and the Manner of Application to us by the Power of the Holy Sprit But in particular the Moral Law is by the Gospel a New Law that is a Renewed Law after Man's Fall Jure the Law was quite Obliterated but he who is the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the World has re-wrote some Fundamental Parts of this Law in their Consciences
John 1.1 Rom. 2.14 But it has received a newer and later Edition under Moses and yet a Newer under the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles and a Newer still when the Spirit writes a Clear and Regular Copy thereof from the Law upon the Hearts of Men which is called The engrafted Word 1 John 2.7 8. You may find the same Law called New and Old and it 's usual in Scripture to call that that is renewed New 2. The Gospel brings the Law under a New Authority The Reverend Mr. Baxter says well That ever since the Fall the very Law of Nature has been in the hand of Christ Psal 75.3 The Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the Pillars of it Selah All things had turned into a meer Chaos if he had not stept in to preserve an Order upon a New Bottom and there is no Order without a Law or Rule Ver. 31. of the Context it is said Faith that is the Gospel doth Establish the Law Christ could not be King or Governour of the World without a Law and his Law must reach as far as his Government is extended He could not Judge the World but by a Law Psal 93. 97. The Earth's Commanded to Rejoyce and the multitude of Isles to be Glad because such a Lord Reigns and from the 7th of the Acts 31 to 39. we may see 't was Christ that Delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai for he is said to be the God of Abraham and yet to be an Angel and more fully and particularly Mat. 5.17 he Delivers the same Law Mat. 28. Gospel-Ordinances are solely founded upon his Authority 1 Cor. 5. Church-Censures to be administred in his Name 3. The Gospel gives to the Law a New-Spring or Principles of Obedience Adam received Ability from God to obey but the Ability was due and it is now forfeited and lost We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works The End of the Commandment is Charity out of a Pure Heart and of a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Rom. 8.3 The Law of the Spirit of Life It is this Living Sprit that enables us to fulfill the Law I might add to this the Newness of Security it being by Promise Jer. 32.40 I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me And the Newness of the Order the Promises stand here first and then the Precepts God puts his Law in our Hearts before we Obey 4. The Gospel gives to the Law New Ends This is a Common End with the former that it directs our Duty and acquaints us with the Nature of God but it doth not now stand as that which we are to be justified or Condemned by There is a Righteousness of Faith that now comes in Room of that Righteousness of the Law so as it hath lost that Old End it has gained some New Ones 1. To teach us the knowledge of Sin 2. What Christ has done for us And 3. What Need we have of him 4. What we have Received from him And 5. Fits and Prepares us to be Fellow-Companions of his and though it's Obedience doth not give Right to Heaven it serves for a certain Mark of the Right to Heaven Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life The Text says not that doing gives a Right but that all have a Right who do 5. The Law receives from the Gospel New Motives Ends and Motives differ as Future and Past Creation Provision and Providence were the Motives of our First Duty but now Christs Redeeming us and the Spirits Callng us are Great Motives to obey the Law We see Dilivery from the Bondage of Egypt was a Motive to the Isralites 6. There is a New Manner of Acceptance Acceptance was formerly Bottomed upon the Exact Conformity of our Rightousness to the Law but Now Faith is the Reason of Acceptance Without Faith 't is impossible to please God What soever is not of Faith is Sin All is to be done and accepted in the Name of Christ Works before were Accepted for their being a Fulfilling of a Law now they are for Christs Fulfilling the Law for us the Imperfection or Sinfulness of the Action is Pardoned on his Accompt 7. The Gospel Renders a New Measure of Law Obedience Acceptable not that the Law is Altered in its Perfection for Perfection in Faith is still required and Perfection in Patience Let Patience have its Perfect Work but the Work is made up between the Spirit and the Son the Defects in Measure Manner or Circumstances are Forgiven if it be the Sprits Work I may add here Repentance because Perpetuity was one of the Measures of former Obedience and Repentance Comprehends the whole Duty of the Law but it only Implies an Interruption that our Obedience has been for a considerable Time stopt it is to be wise after Folly and to be Obedient after Rebellion The Chief Circumstance it differs in from former Obedience is a leavihg off to do Ill so Repentance must be Obendience to the same Law was Broken 8. The Gospel adds many New Objects to the Duties of the Law By the Law we were to have no Gods for our God but one Now we are also to have No Mediator but one There is but one God and one Mediator between God and Men so that Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me says also Thou shalt have no other Mediator The Apostle Paul says There are many called Gods and called Lords but to us there is but One God and One Lord. We are to love our Brethren by the Law of Nature but Now we are to sympathize with them from that Change that is made in Nature by Sin Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ The Angels have now new Objects of their Duty since the Fall for they serve the Mediator they protect and defend his Church We were to trust in a Righteousness of our Own for Life by the first Law but the Righteousness of another is a New Object the Gospel brings in 9. There are many positive Precepts added to the Law by the Gospel The Law of Nature is so large as to comprehend all Duty under this Axiom That we are to do whatsoever God enjoyns or reveals but beside it has subdivided Axioms in particular to which all Kind of Duties are specifically reducible The Fourth Command doth now as well require the Observation of the First day of the Week as it did formerly of the Seventh for the Injunction and the Blessing are both annexed to the Sabbath not the seventh and the Jews themselves reduce all the Sacred Time to it The Second Command doth Now comprehend all positive Ordinances under the Gospel Baptism Lords Supper Ministry Church Order and all other external Worship they are as justly reducible to that Command as Circumcision Sacrifices and Legal Washings were Mr. Baxter says acutely That
saying She had tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars she was molested with them not corrupted From the Third of Philippians we find that Church was corrupted by 'em for he calls such Teachers Dogs evil Workers the Concision and from his own Experience tells 'em he was once such an one that trusted in the Flesh but now solely in Christ and his Righteousness It is against both these Parties that the Apostle here disputes but principally against these latter sort as we may see by the state of the Question Ver. 28. Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law His Disputes with the former were of another Kind viz. To convince the Gentiles that Christ was the and the only Mediator against the Jews that Jesus was the Promised Messias But here the Question is If we be justified by Faith mixt with the Deeds of the Law or without it And therefore we may conclude That whatever Truth the unconverted Pharisees held these Converts much more held and that they did not plead these Works of the Law intentionally to exclude Christ or his Righteousness whom they had embraced Partly from the Scripture and partly from their own Writings I find this Account of their Doctrine of the Law 1. They were very zealous and laborious in all External Worship they kept the Sabbath to a height of Superstition and their Prayers were very long Matt. 23.14 2. In Justice between Man and Man they were so exact as to tythe Mint Annise and Cummin 3. And tho Christ in every thing blames them for Hypocrisie yet he owns their Charity and Alms but their Hypocrisie was more in Practice than Profession For 4. In Mat. 22.37 they owned Love to God and their Neighbour with all their Heart Soul and Mind to be the first and great Commandment Which includes a 5th That Sincerity was in great value with them as Sephar Ikkarim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God has greatest respect to the Intention of the Heart as David says Create in me a clean Heart So the Lawyer Luk. 10.28 Sir thou hast answered right and St. Paul Act. 23.1 lived in all good Conscience 6. Their own Writings speak much of the Excellency and Vertue of Faith the Author of Nitzakon says He that believes not as he ought his Circumcision makes him not a Jew but he that believes as he ought he is a Jew And in Michlaz Jophi Abram said to be the Father of all Men that followed him in his Faith The Talmud says When Abram was Father of the Syrians only he was called Abram but when he shall be the Father of all the World he is called Abraham The former Nitzakon says Faith consists not in Circumcision but in the Heart And the Author of Sepher Ikkarim says Faith is the Cause of Blessedness and therefore of Life Eternal And again in the same 1 Lib. and 21 Chap. Abraham is praised for his Faith as the Scripture says Abraham believed God and 't was imputed to him for Righteousness And Mat. 23. they were accused by Christ for neglecting Judgment Mercy and Faith It was their practical Omission was reprehended not their Ignorance for these are called the weightier Matters of the Law Since they who did not own Christ speak so much of the Commendation of Faith in Gods Mercy for that was the Object of their Faith as we may see from Sepher Ikkarim on those words in Daniel 9.18 Not for our Righteousness but thy great Mercy The Mercies of the Blessed God are upon all his Creatures from pure Grace not Merit for which the Author further cites Job thus Whâ— hath given to me that it may be repayed Much more must we conceive â—hem to say of Faith and Faith in Christ who own Christ for their only propitiatory Sacrifice and Saviour and such were they against whom Paul disputes And tho the others believed not Jesus to be the Messias yet they believed the Messias to be the Redeemer from Death and Hell by the Merit of his Sufferings as may be seen at large in Raymundus Pugio Fidei Jos Voisin Theologia Judaica Porchet Galatinus Pseiferus and their own Midrashes on the Prophetical Texts of the Messias 7. They highly praise the Confâ—ssion of Sin their Writers on Isaiah 45.22 Vnto Me every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess say That a four-â—old Confession is to be made to God A Confession with the Mouth a Conâ—ession in Works a Confession with the Heart and with all together and they call the 100 Psalm Mizmor Letodah a Psalm of Confession Bereshet Ketannah says They who overcome their Lusts and confess their Deeds are worthy of the Future Age but he that confesses not is Cursed as Cain who denyed and hid his Sin but Achan Josh 7.29 tho he was troubled in this World he was not in the other because he confessed his Sin From which they gathered a Necessity of particular Confession And in the Conclusion of Reschet Chocme All that dye let them Confess if they cannot let them say Let my Death be an Expiation of my Crimes They own we may see not only a Confession but joyn'd with Forsaking a Mortification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original Lust that begins as they say in our first Formation 8. Repentance is a Duty of great Esteem Midrash Shirhâ—shirim 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Love says thus Open to me one Crevice of Repentance and I will open the wide Gates of Glory to thee Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God that is Cease to do evil and let thy Repentance be but as the Twinkling of an Eye and thou shalt know me if Israel could but repent one day they would be immediately redeemed and the Son of David would come On Zach. 9.1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord in the Land of Hadrach It 's askt what 's Hadrach And answer'd It is the Messias who is to bring all the World to the Face of God by Repentance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies who and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Way or to lead he leads by the Way of Repentance Others thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sharp and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tender for the Lord is bitter to the Impenitent but tender and Mercifull to the Penitent The Talmud on Psal 25.8 Therefore will he teach sinners in the way that is the way of Repentance for poena peccatoris est poenitentia about which there is a hard Expression of theirs on the 14th of Hosea That they say In two things the Mercy of God exceeds man One is He will be pleased with Words so not Man Another is when All have offended he is reconciled with the Repentance of One. So that all Christs Sufferings by them are called Repentance Lam. 3.43 v. The Midrash Tillim says The Gates of Prayer are sometimes shut but the Gates of Repentance never Repentance is like the Sea that any at any time may go in to wash
undertake all these Tribulations on this Condition that in my day thou shalt raise the Dead even all who have died from the first Adam until now and all those that shall be Created and shall save them c. The Conclusion I draw from this large Narrative is That no part of Evangelical Obedience is here wanting Faith and Repentance the influence of the Spirit Jesus a Lawgiver and Principal Meriter Sincerity an acceptable Measure c. And suppose them not all of a Mind yet Charity will ever make us conclude the Believers to be of the best Mind among them And the Error here oppos'd in this Church at Rome by the Apostle is the same that now in the Church of Rome is oppos'd by the Protestants 2 Thes 2.7 This was that wherein the Mystery of Iniquity did already Work the Doctrine of Merit was already begun and no other Error can be found to have such a fair appearance when the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians the Church at Thessalonica was free of the Error and she of all the Churches only was and may be therefore the Mystery of it was reveal'd to them Mr. Squire of Shore-ditch says on this Epistle to the Thessalonians That the placing of Faith between Mercy and Merits is like the Infant between the two Mothers if divided it must be destroyed It s like the Pale Horse Death sits on it and Hell follows it is a damnable Assertion without peradventure and a Bellarmine after his long Dispute for Merits concludes that it is most safe to trust in Mercy alone And what way Rome had her first beginning by that way she is most likely to attempt her Restauration and by opposing Merit our first Reformation began which has this for its Glory it s a Restauration of Christianity to its Primitive Purity and while we preserve this Doctrine she will never corrupt or stain our Souls however she may prevail to oppress our Bodies But it is to be lamented that so many bearing the Name of Protestants are so deeply tinctur'd with this Doctrine of Opera Tincta Works Meriting because tinctur'd with Christs Merits The Third Enquiry shall be a more close Examination of the Extensiveness and Comprehensiveness of this Law of Wâ—rks that is excluded from being the Rule or Law of our Justification Because boasting would not be excluded from us by it if justified by it and on the most sincere Scrutiny I can make I find all Laws and all Works as perform'd by us are excluded the Arguments for Proof of it I shall reduce to these five Heads 1. The Nature of a Law in general is excluded 2. The Natural Law is 3. The Moral Law is 4. The Mosaical Law is And 5. The Evangelical and our Evangelical Obedience to it is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in General is for every Law is a Law of Works and a Law of Works is excluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law signifies either in general Doctrine as Isa 2.3 Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Joh. 10.34 Is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods That is no Precept See Joh. 15.25 Gal. 4.21 Or it is taken properly and then it signifies a Doctrine of Works hence Works and Law are reciprocal without Law Rom. 3.21 is the same with 4.6 without Works We are justified not only without the Law of Works but by a Righteousness without the Law Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law Works is no Distinctive Addition as Dr. Tuck of Cambtidge says but Explicative Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justifi'd to do the Law and Works are the same in the Apostles style they are of so nigh kindred he adds it to tell us what he means by Righteousness of the Law viz. Works Commanded by and Conform to the Law the whole Constituent parts of the Description of a Law manifests this first its generical Nature it s a just Act of a Superiors Will. We call Statutes or Laws Acts of Parliament it s their Will what the Subject should do Psal 33.8 He commanded and it stood fast Psal 143. Teach me to do thy Will and in the Lords Prayer Thy Will be done 2. The Author of a Law is the most Supream Power Dominative Power as the Master over the Servant the Father Husband Tutor c. Juridical Power is not Judges are but Administrators Applyers of the Law to particular Cases and Persons they are Jussa Populi rogante Magistratu the Peoples Commands ratified by the Supream Magistrate It 's very diminutive English of Jussa when it 's called Votes that is only Wishes the old Saxon word is Lowe Consent because a Covenant between Prince and People is the Spring of Laws But why all this Authority The Command needs it it 's to Work hard Work is required and we need Awe to put us on hence Exod. 19. 20. God sets an Emblem of his Power and Authority before his Law 3. The Effects are 1. Obligation 2. Command and Prohibition 3. Punishment or Impunity by permission but all terminate in Works And tho' the Mediatorial Law which was the most severe Penal Law that ever was Sufferings being the great Duty yet the Fruit of it is called Work and Doing I come to do thy Will and to work the Work of his Father 4. The Subjects of the Law are by way of Eminency call'd Subjects Rom. 3.19 They that are under the Law are call'd so from its Energy and working Efficacy in them And therefore tho' only a rational Creature is a doer of a Law mov'd reasonably by Fear or Hope yet the Efficacy occasions Metaphors in mute Creatures Job 38. Hast thou commanded the Morning since thy Day and our Inclinations to Wickedness are call'd the Law of the Members and Rules of Art are call'd Laws Custom which is a Habit of working is call'd a Law 5. The Matter or Object is Work something to be done Th. A. A Law is a Rule directing our Acts what is to be done and what not And again It 's Divine Wisdom as directive of all our Acts and Motions Biel. It 's a sign of Right Reason dictating what we are obliged to do and what not 6. The Properties are Rom. 7.12 Holy Just and Good 1. Holy from the Matter it distinguishes between Holy Actions and the Vile ones 2. Just from the Manner not to give Laws where not Subjects or where they neither Protect nor can Punish The Law-giver must be able to Save or Destroy what he gives Laws to Jam. 4. therefore it 's ridiculous for Man to give Laws to a Spirit or Conscience in Matters religious and where he has Power he must distribute Burdens and Works by Proportion according to Ability to bring one part of a Nation under Penal Laws and another under Priviledges is not an equal distribution except
when Offenders or highly meriting Mat. 23. It was a great sin in the Pharisees to bind Burdens on others they touch'd not themselves 3. Good Salus Populi suprema Lex Plato says a Law is a Manner of Governing by fit Means to the best End No Priviledges that is Privae Leges ought to be granted without this Prospect Knowledge of Sin and Wrath are the Consequents of Divine Law but neither End nor Fruit of them but of the Transgressors 4. Publickly Proclaim'd 5. Firmly ratified by Sanction Laws are made that the Innocent may be safe among the Wicked that the Wicked's Boldness may be bridled the Law is not for a righteous Man 7. There is no kind of Law but what requires Works as its Object the Negative forbids Works the irritating make void Works according to the kind of Works they are distinguish'd Natural of Nations Civil Canonical Priviledges Poenal Customs Counsels Moral Judicial Ceremonial Evangelical and consequently the Law of Faith is not meant the Law requiring Faith for then it would be a Law of Works for Joh. 6.29 To believe is to work the work of God Gal. 5.6 Faith works by Love and the Pharisees even before Conversion as is before prov'd own'd Faith as a most acceptable Work to God so there would neither be fit distinguishing Terms of the opposite Propositions nor any Refutation ot the Apostle's Adversaries by this Sense of it it must therefore either be taken largely for the Doctrine of Faith that is the Gospel the Object of our Faith according to the Cloud of Protestant Commentators or which is Materially the same the Law that is the Object of our Faith and as such he had been before describing the Righteousness we are Sav'd by and Justifi'd by to be a Righteousness Rom. 1.17 3.22 Reveal'd to Faith to be believ'd in now this Righteousness must have a Law which is the Mediatorial Law as the other is the Mediator's Righteousness He was made under the Law to redeem us from under it Gal. 4.5 Mat. 5. He came to fulfill the Law we are Justified by his Obedience to the Law for us So by the Law of Faith is not by the Law as Directing and Commanding our Works but by the Law as believ'd to be fulfill'd by Christ in our room There can be no Pretence or shew of Reason for the other Opinion but on this bottom that by Works and Faith are meant different kind of Works But then why should the general term Comprehending all kind of Works be us'd for one Species Would that be a good Division to say God governs the Earth not by an Animal but by a Man or not by a Spirit but by an Angel and there is no ground in the Context to take the word thus by Synecdoche as shall next be prov'd For there is no Divine Law under which we are but what we may find excluded by the Apostles Arguments 1. The Natural Law and its Works are excluded Rom. 3.9 We have before proved both Jew and Gentile that they are all under sin V. 19. All the World is guilty before God not from insufficiency of the Law for Rom. 2.26 If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for the Law of Nature now is the same with that in Innocence only there is a Change in the Matter Positive Laws do not bind ad semper and the Negative Laws are all the same still the Law says one thing to a married Person and another to an unmarried So tho' the Law command other things to fallen Man than to innocent Man it is not another Natural Law All the Natural Law Tertullian says was broken in Eating the Forbidden Fruit there was Theft yea Sacriledge in stealing God's Proprium there was Murder of himself and his Posterity there was Coveting there was want of Love to God and Obedience too yea Idolatry to an Incarniz'd Devil having more esteeming and adoring Thoughts of the Devil than God So the Matter of the Law is the same and the Measure of it too viz. what Reason observes or may observe to be its Duty from Divine Providence Rom. 2.5 The goodness and forbearance of God leads to Repentance The Author God the Principle Love to God the End God's glory and our good is still the same its Sanction is Perishing and Salvation Rom. 2.12 They that sin without Law perish without Law and if they observe it it shall be Circumcision to them but all are Sinners all have broken it their Conscience accuse them they detain the Truth in Vnrighteousness they did what they knew deserv'd Death Rom. 1.32 2. The Natural Law being excluded all Law is excluded for they are all reduceable to it and consequently it is comprehensive of them Mr. Baxt. Method p. 392. In illo tamen omnes eaedem fuere virtualiter aut eminenter It is the Mother and Root of them all but the further the Branches are removed from the Root the lesser they are and the more invisible and stand at a greater distance from it 1. These are its Primitive Axioms That good is to be chosen and evil to be refused and the greater the good is for Weight or Duration with the greater Desire and Endeavour to be pursued That we are to do that which is becoming us and to do as we would be done by in the like Circumstances The second Order is more determined to wit God is to be worshipped by true loving trusting adoring and Obediential Thoughts that the Innocent is not to be Hurt the Honest Man is to be Befriended the Superior to be Reverenced the Inferior to be Condescended to and the Indigent to be Supplied and many other Laws about Patience Fortitude Sobriety and Temperance The third Order is more particular Vices and Vertues are specified by which Theft Adultery Murder and the like are forbid The fourth Order is less apparent and evident to wit about Revenge Fornication Usury and Self-Murderers in some Cases which gives occasion to Civil and in some sence Canonical Laws also These are two ways reduced to the Natural Law First because both Civil and Religious Society and consequently Government is constituted by this Natural Law Rom. 13.1 There is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Their Authority is both established and limited by his and therefore their Laws ought to be subordinate to his which is the second Connexion For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the Evil. Hence a Penal Law obliging to Sin or to suffer is a most unjust thing for it is a Terror to good yet a Conformity to the Laws of God is pretended to by all Law-givers even under Paganism The Moral Law is more properly this Law it self than reductively belonging to it for where Moral and Natural is opposed it is in Sciences not in Laws for what 's Moral as to the Object to wit Praise-worthy or Blame-worthy Vice
exercise of Faith on Christ his Solicitude and Care least he should be found with a wrong Plea at the Day of Judgment that I may be found He had once been deceiv'd by trusting to a Righteousness It can hardly be thought he was jealous of his Relapse into Pharisaism But there is a greater Danger of relying on Evangelical Righteousness that needed more Watchfulness and Care least he should over-value what he ought to Value 5. This Experience and Care he expresses to be a Pattern and Example to the Philippians V. 17. Be ye followers of me Every Man is apt to value himself on the Righteousness he has Rom. 10.3 the Pharisees in theirs and the Christians to whom he wrote in theirs it allures the Eyes of every Creature and Act. 10.35 is accepted of God according to the measure of its Conformity In every Nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted 6. The Apostle would hardly dignifie Pharisaical Righteousness now since Conversion with that Name for the Pinnacle of it Persecuting the Church was a sin and he diminishes it when speaking of it he calls it a blamelesness that is before Men so Bishop Downam 7. Ver. 9. All the Properties and Epithets of Christs Righteousness imputed by God and apply'd by Faith to us for our Justification are here express'd 1. A Righteousness by Faith and thorough Faith not of Faith as Fruit of the Tree 2. By the Faith of Christ a Righteousness that comes from Christ thorough Faith the Righteousness is Christs and the true Office of Faith in Justification is described 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God this Word added as distinct from Christ by Divines is Interpreted of God the Father this Righteousness is by his Gift his Contrivance his Imputation he is the Spring and Fountain of it Christ is made of God unto us Wisdom c. He set him forth to be a Propitiation God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 8. The Native Analysis and Coherence of the Apostles Discourse in this Chapter further proves it which is always to me an Argument of great Moment and the Members of Division are here as evident as in any Writings of this Apostle and suitable to his Custom and Way of Writing After an Introduction in the 1st ver in the 2d ver there is a Caution given about some bitter Enemies of the Gospel and a Triple Character of them Dogs Evil-workers Concision by which it seems they were the old Enemies the Pharisees 2. In Opposition to them ver 3. there is a Character of a true Christian in three contrary Epithets 1. They Worship God in the Spirit 2. Rejoice in the Lord. And 3. Have no Confidence in the Flesh This triple Character to the 15. ver he enlarges and illustrates by the Example of his own Person in a retrograde Order 1. That he had no Confidence in the Flesh ver 4 5 6. 2. That he rejoiced in the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus and thô he put this in its proper Place it was the Principal thing in his aim ver 1. his last Use and Application from the Character of Christ in his Humiliation and Exaltation finally my Brethren rejoice in the Lord and might as the Principal Subject given Method to the Chapter as Branches to flow from it But then one harmony would have been lost the Character of Christ in the second Chapter and Character of a Christian in the third yet when he comes to it it becomes on this account a new Spring to all that follows for he divides the Reasons of our Rejoycing in the Knowledge of Christ and highly valuing it under these two Heads 1. Justification ver 7 8 9. And 2. Sanctification ver 10 11 12 13 14. For ver 10. he repeats the Knowledge of Christ as Root to another Blessing the former was from the value of his Death this from the Power of his Resurrection So in this 10th ver the Third Member of the Christians Character begins Their Worshipping God in the Spirit their inward Holiness but treated with a likeness to its Relation to the second Member or Character to which it was immediately United from the 15th ver follows the Application pressing and exhorting the Philippians to true Christianity as exemplifi'd by and in him And I think they who would jostle Christs Righteousness out of this Discourse may with as great Confidence attempt to jostle it out of the Bible and out of the Christian Doctrine The hard Names and rough Language given to the Adversaries is no sufficient ground of concluding they profess'd not Christianity but rather the contrary for 2 Cor. 11.13 he calls the false Apostles who preach'd Christ Deceitful Workers and compares them not only to Dogs but Devils who had chang'd themselves into Angels of Light their shining Lustre lay in this They preach'd Free Grace Christs Meritorious Death but the Satanicalness was in a Merit of their own praerequisite to an Interest in it Their Light lay in denying Pharisaical Righteousness alone but the Devil lay in placing a legal Right in their Gospel Obedience Hence v. 14. it 's said they transform'd themselves into Ministers of Righteousness they did exalt Holiness and Righteousness more highly than Paul did and afford it a more honourable Office viz. the giving a right to Justification Adoption and Glory 2 Cor. 11.4 This was a departing from the Simplicity that is of Christ they preach'd not a simple but double Righteousness one of Christs another of their own and hence room for this Currish and Doggish Temper barking against the Apostle as an Enemy to Holiness They were Ministers of Righteousness not He and They preach'd the Spirit the Gospel and Christ as well as He but a greater value They put on inhaerent Righteousness than He. And thus as the Serpent that incarnate Devil deceiv'd Eve so These did the Corinthian and Philippian Churches they were a Concision the Word signifies Renters they made Schisms in the Church by this New Doctrine about Inhaerent Righteousness 5 Arg. Is from the Order of receiving Divine Blessings and the Equality in the freeness of the Gift For the first There is a common saying of Austin's Bona opera sequuntur Justificatum non praecedunt Justificandum Good Works follow a justified Person they do not go before in him to be justified according to Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly Mat. 7.18 A good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit. John 15.5 The Branch must be in the Vine before it can bring forth Fruit. As to the second There is no Reason why Justification and Glorification should not be as freely given and Grace as much glorified in the Gift as Sanctification which is own'd to be an absolute Gift necessary Connection or Posteriousness in Order does not derogate from Freedom But when the Posteriousness is by a depending Suspension on our Performance there is a Derogation Election is Free without
our Righteousness together by Apposition asserts both his Divinity and Office to bring in a Righteousness Other Jews also as the Talmud and Midrash Tillim So Dan. 9.24 To bring in Everlasting Righteousness it was brought in in the Time of the Humiliation of Christ but was Eternal as to its Efficacy as his Redemption is called Heb. 9.10 Having obtained Eternal Redemption and so is the Gospel called Everlasting and likewise in Isa 53.11 He shall justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquity And Psal 32. Blessed is he to whom the Lord will not impute Iniquity And as all the Prophets testifie this so the Law both Ceremonial and Judicial were Types of it I come to the third thing That Christ obey'd this Law for us I shall leave the Examination of both Extreams to a more proper place and only Confirm the Truth of it in a Scripture style from these four Arguments 1. The Metaphors 2. The Types representing it 3. The Particles signifying Legal Change of Places And 4. From the Assertions and Reasonings of Scripture For the First He is called a Mediator One God and one Mediator Satan was a Make-bate but Christ was Peace-maker a Mediator acts in the Room of both Persons at distance as a King and Prophet he Acts on Gods part as a Priest he Acts on our Part. Secondly He is an Advocate and Intercessor only for us it 's a Part of his Priestly Office 3. I shall omit what the Reverend Mr. Brinsley says That Christ was our Attorney and only a little explain the Title of a Surety Heb. 7. The great Questions are 1. What Covenant Christ was Surety in And 2. On which side he is The Socinians say He is Surety for God to us but both against the Text which makes Suretiship belong to his Priestly Office And 2ly Reason Would any believe a Man more than God But in which Covenant shall we believe him plac'd a Surety in the Mediatorial he is Party so not Surety but the being Party in that makes him Surety in ours The end of Security is to give ground of Trust when the one Party is not responsible or the other distrustful And I think in both but with a difference according to their Nature In the first by way of Satisfaction in the second by way of Caution The first is a Law the second a Testament he became a Sacrifice by the first and as a Testator made the second as to the first Mr. Rutherford says The Legal Bond wherein he put his Name made a five-fold Union between him and us 1. One Legal Object the Law equally obliges both 2. One Debt he restor'd what he took not away it became his Debt tho' of our Contracting 3. One Payment our Suffering is no Satisfaction the Law can pursue none united to Christ 4. One Acceptance by the Governour or Creditor 5. One Legal Effect what the one doth stands for both we rose in him and dy'd in him he takes our Legal Condition he was made under the Law and under that part we were under to wit the Curse and our Names are put in his discharge we share of his Reward He was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him it is an Accessary Obligation when the Surety is subsequent and so doth not free us we are bound to obey still The manner of Payment was by Satisfaction The Socinians find fault with the Word but it is Scriptural Numb 30.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is there translated Satisfaction is the same that 's translated Ransome Attonement Lev. 16. and Numb 5.8 and the Greek answering it is appli'd to Christ Rom. 3.25 A Propitiation and Chap. 5.11 an Atonement for these are but different Respects expiating the Crime ransoming of the Offender and attoning or propitiating the Governour offended 2. In the Covenant of Grace he is Surety by way of Caution and Bail for performing of Conditions renewing our Obedience He became Hostage that we should lay down Arms and submit our selves if he would forgive us All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Joh. 6.37 We are by the Covenant of Grace bound to keep all the Moral Law and he is engaged before we go to Heaven we shall be perfect in it he doth not believe and repent for us but has engaged we shall the Condition is not to be perform'd before we be in Covenant but by the Covenant which Christ by his Spirit has brought us into we are bound to perform it But the Book overgrowing the design'd Bulk I shall come to the Fourth and last Head that this is a Law of Faith which I shall confirm from these six Arguments First From the Denomination Law of Faith that is a Law of Faith that is the Object of our Faith the Phrase is usual Rom. 10.8 The Word of Faith which we Preach Gal. 3.2 The hearing of Faith And Rom. 4.13 The Righteousness of Faith and 1.17 Therein is the Righteousness of God reveal'd from Faith to Faith That is says Sir M. Knat in his Critical Observations the Righteousness that we are interested in by Faith is reveal'd to our Faith that we may believe it and be interested in it and there is great Reason for this Title for the Mediatorial Law is not known by the Light of Nature or Reason but only by the Light of Faith Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of Faith it 's founded in Natural Light but this Law is not it is of Faith 2. If the Righteousness we are justifi'd by be the Righteousness of Faith then the Law of that Righteousness is the Righteousness of Faith but the Mediatorial Righteousness is granted to be so 3. If the Gospel be the Narration of all Christ did for us in himself by his Spirit or Apostles all with the offer of it to us and all this is call'd Faith being the Object of it Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came we were under the Law then justly the Law by which he was regulated in all that Affair was the Law of Faith 4. Since that Law is â—o otherwise to us a Law but to our Faith not to our Works what we should do the Mediatorial Office is too great Work for us but it is a Measure to our Faith we may and ought to believe that Christ did as much for us as that Law requir'd and there are as great things provided and prepared for us as the Promises annex'd to that Law did contain 5. It is a most Pathetical distinguishing Character for all others requir'd Works of Man Secondly It is very agreeable in Matter tho' not in Words to the Interpretation of the Text by Protestant Commentators who say that Law is taken largely for Doctrine and not without Reason for the Jews call all Divine Doctrine Law Hence are these Titles of their Theology Legal Science Doctrine of the Law the Divine Law and Medrilta that is according to Hottinger a Comment on Exodus about two hundred
and ten Years after Christ oh the 12th Chap. 3. he cites Deuteronomy 29.1 These are the Words of the Covenant and thus expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Covenant is nothing else but a Law and the Midrash on Leviticus distinguishes thus between Statutes Judgments and Laws in Chap. 26.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine Learning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statutes are Midrashoth Glosses Expositions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgments are Hadaenin Decisions of Cases in Law and Aben Ezra on psal 19.8 gives this Etymon of it the Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law because it shows the Right way and Converts Souls by taking away their Doubts and Fears But since they mean by Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and the Gospel being regulated by this Mediatorial Law Law of Faith and Doctrine of Faith are the same things and it is usual in Scripture to use a Law and its Works of Righteousness promiscuously Hence without the Law and without Works are the same and so the Law of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith are the same for it 's a Doctrine of what was done in Conformity to this Law Thirdly The Opposition between the two Members in this Text doth Confirm it for Law of Faith cannot be here understood a Law requiring Evangelical Faith as a specifical distinct Duty from the Works the other Law did require For first Faith it self is a Work 2 Thes 1.11 The Work of Faith with Power 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring your Work of Faith and in John To Work the Work of God is to Believe For thus there would be no Distinction betwixt the Law of Works and Law of Faith for the Moral Law required Faith in God and the Ceremonial Law required Faith in him that was Typified by their Sacrifices But to come nigher to this Opposition as it is explained by the Socinians and Arminians it must either lie in the Object or in the Precept or Duty but in none of them As to the Object God and Christ there is no Essential difference there for either it must be between the Persons and then there must be three Faiths specifically distinct Or it must be between the Office and Nature and we cannot say there is any greater Distinction there between God and Mediator than between God and Creator God and Preserver or Governor or Sanctifier all which are Incitements and Motives of our Faith or Love or as Mr. Durham calls it Objectum Considerationis or as Cloppenburgh Objectum Formale sub qua but not Ratio formalis quae vel propter quam and such distinct Formalities make no distinct Worship or Faith We see the Lords bringing the People out of Egypt is set down as an Incitement to their Observation of the Moral Law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt it is far from making a new Law distinct from the Moral so Gods becoming our Redeemer and delivering us out of the Regions of Darkness and Prisons of Bondage is the strongest Motive that ever was and this Sinning against such a Motive which is a Sin against the Gospel is the greatest Sin and as there is no specifically distinct Object in the first Table so there is none in the second to render our Evangelical Obedience to it distinct from our Moral For the Sympathizing with our Neighbour under Adversity as it s said Bear you one anothers Burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ it is no farther remote from Loving our Brother being only Charity denominated from his Condition than not stealing of his goods from him killing of him bearing false Witness against him or those other Precepts are but it 's called the Law of Christ because that kind of Love was the Spring of all his Obedience to the Mediatorial Law the principal part of his Work was to bear our Burden but the Socinians are in a greater difficulty here than others who deny the Deity of Christ and yet do Religiously Worship him Their Work should be how to find out a new Table not how to find out a new Law to place a kind of Obedience in that is neither proper to God nor Man nor are they altogether free of this Task who thô they own the Mediator to be God yet as such talk of a specifical distinct Law of Duties to him from what we owe to God as to Repentance the Ability to perform it and the Acceptance of it being interrupted and imperfect Duty flows from the Gospel yet there is a Necessity that the Law it is regulated by be the same Law that was broken It was Mans Duty to Love God to fear him to have Faith in him and to obey him he has now by Sin omitted these Duties what is else the Essence of his Repentance but the repeating and renewing of it again that he that broke the Law now keep it If he observe not the Law he did violate it is no Repentance Repentance and Primitive Obedience differ no more than the Image of God that Man was created in and Regeneration which is a renewing of him to the same likeness of Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness as the Divine Nature is the rule of this Image both in one and the other else it were no Image so that Holy and perfect Law of God founded on what is his due from what he has been and is to the Creature called the Moral Law is the same Rule to our Actions distinct Formalities in Objects make distinct Sciences and Arts and may occasion distinct Precepts or Acts for it is an imperfect Law if it reach not to every Condition of the Subject Hence Suarez says The Law of Nature before and after the fall differ only as the Acts of the same Law in Time of Peace and War The Law says one thing to a Married Man and another to an Unmarried it has distinct Statutes to every Condition but the Law is one A Law meets with many changes and yet remains the same as a Man doth and is yet the same Man in Essence 1. In Use it may serve for directing the Obedient convincing and condemning the Guilty and be the same Law still So the Moral Law was that we were to be justified or condemn'd by in the Primitive State that use of it ceases when the Soveraign Prince Pardons then the Dignity of the Intercessor or his own Bowels of Mercy is his Measure So God now proceeds with us according to what our Mediator has done for us that is the Law of Faith not according to what we have done It is strange to say Faith in a Mediator will justifie and not Faith in God or that Faith in God belongs not to the Moral Law or that it s now having a Pardon for its Object and before a Reward brings it under another Law the Angels have many a new Duty and new Object of Faith but their Law remains the same 2. The