the light wherewith Christ inlightens every man that cometh into the world Ans That being a created work of light it is not the object of faith we are no where warranted to believe in a creature but threatned with a curse if we do it 3. He saith that we deny that men are to know their justification or that they are in a justified estate by the immediate testimony of the spirit and so do Papists Ans It is by us lookt upon as an errour in Papists that they are against the certaine knowledge and assurance of Justification and do so much cry up doubtings but though Papists should oppose the knowledge of justification by an immediat testimony of the spirit this will not prove it to be Popery Every thing that Papists mantaine is not Popery for it is known they hold some truths in common with the Orthodox Popery is their super added inventions and corrupt additions to the truth amongst which is their and your doctrine of justification by inherent righteousness SECT III. We are not justified by good and Gracious Works wrought in us He saith that Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 The works of the law are excluded but not the works of Christ in us Ans Either the works of the law which in these scriptures are excluded from justification must be evil and sinful works or else good and gracious works they are not evil and sinful for here the Apostle confutes such among the Romans and Galatians as had corrupted the doctrine of justification but it would be irrational to think that their opinion was that sinful works did justify could they imagine that to be the cause of justification which deserveth and bringeth on condemnation And therefore the Apostle excludeth from justifition good and gracious works and consequently the works of Christ in us as not being the meritorious cause of justification Further we shal find that works simply and in general are excluded from justification and this is notably proved in the case of Abraham who though a gracious and godly man yet was not justified by works Rom. 4.2.3.4.5 For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but what saith the scripture Abraham believed GOD and it was counted to him for righteousness now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth in him who justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Likewise works without that limitation of the law are excluded Tit. 3.5 which scripture was cited by me in opposition to justification by works as the meritorious cause thereof verse 7. that being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternal life and indeed works in us and done by us neither merit justification nor salvation though they be the qualification of the persons that are justified and shal be saved for all such are regenerate and renewed by the Holy Ghost It is a known saying good works are the way to the Kingdome and not the cause of reigning and we onely deny them to be meritorious causes of blessedness in this respect the Apostle excludes works generally And therefore the Gentle-man might have kept in his insulting triumphing words why should he be at so much paines to make to himself a man of straw and then take pleasure to undress him There is no hazard to exclude the merit of works in justification and yet to affirme them necessarily requisite in the subject justified He telleth us page 38. That they justly cast off the accusation of Popery having express testimony of scripture that we are justified by workes Jam. 2.24 Answer Papists alledge the same scripture for justification by vvorks and therefore one ansvvere shal serve you both vve must distinguish betvveen justification before GOD and justification before men if vve speake of GOD and being justified in his sight and before his Tribunal then vvorks cannot serve the turne Job 9.2.3 But how should man be just with GOD if he will contend with him he cannot answere him one of a thousand Yet vvorks are useful in respect of men to declare and clear our Justification as to them thus Abraham was justified by works Jam. 2.21 that is declared to be just hereby he was approved as just and righteous in his own conscience and before the World He saith that good works are not ours in that signification as where it is said Hebrews 4 10. he that hath entered to his rest hath ceased from his own works Answer None of us do affirme that that good and gracious works are ours in that way that sinful works are and therefore his answere is but a shift he cannot deny good works of Christ in us to be called ours for though we be enabled to them by Christ and so efficiently his yet they are subjectivly our own our own faith and our own repentance it is not Christ but we who repent and believe Hence it is evident that if justification be by good works of Christ in us then our good works justify us for these are ours in respect of subject and inherency He addeth that faith may be excluded from justification if it were granted to be imperfect Answer This is his groundless assertion for the matter and substance of our justification is not faith but the perfect righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith and upon the account of this object of faith to wit Christs perfect righteousness Which faith applyeth therefore faith is said to be accounted for righteousness Rom. 4.5 He saith that little faith is perfect in the measure of it and though the Disciples had doubting yet the faith was not doubting Answer According to this he might as well say that light in the Aire at the very first breaking in and dawning of the day is perfect light for though the Aire then be partly light and partly dark yet the light is not darkness yea he might call gold attended and mingled with a great deale of dross perfect gold because the gold is not dross And page 39. he reasoneth no better alledging that though we know but in part yet our knowledge is not imperfect we may know a thing in part and that which we know of it we may know perfectly Ans It is needful to enquire what is meant by imperfection is not that imperfection when there is not that degree of grace in us which ought to be Now when our faith is but little and our knowledge in part have we all that faith and knowledge that we ought to have Or rather have we not cause to complaine that we come short of the command Who can say they know GOD believe in him and love him in the highest degree that they are bound to do if not then these graceâ— must be imperfect Object It is said of Abraham that his faith was perfected by works Jam. 2.22 Answer This comes to no more but that his faith was made known and
the same for G. Keiths expresse vvords are that we are justified by a work of righteousness wrought by Christ in us as the formal cause And therefore when in their Printed book they say that they rely on Christ himself revealed in them indwelling in them as the ground and foundation of their Justification What can their meaning be though they blind the eyes of the simple by using words inoffensive in themselvs but as G. Keith explaineth it to wit that Christ by his obedience and suffering was the procuring cause of that grace and power of his revealed in us which produceth a work of righteousness wrought in us by which we are formally righteous Now is not this a manifest coincidency with Papists For even they make the obedience and sufferings of Christ the procuring cause of that grace and righteousness wrought in them which they own as the formal cause of their first Justification So that both Papists and Quakers deny the imputed righteousness of Christ to be the very thing by which a Believer stands pardoned so just before God for which he is pronounced righteous or absolved from the cōdemnation of the law and accepted unto eternal life which is look'd upon as carrying with it such danger that some PROTESTANTS are of opinion that hereby the Church of Rome doth rase the very foundation And upon this ground Mr. Samuel Hammond undertakes to demonstrate the impossibility of Salvation in and by the principles of Quakers in his book called The Quakers house built upon the sand SECT II. That Works are not Meritorious of Iustification He addeth that he may not deny Justification by works but plead for it according to the true sense and mind of the spirit Answ Let him hold there and we shall go along with him for we readily yeeld that by works a man is declared and manifested to be a justified person so that good works justify our justification being notable evidences thereof and signs of that faith whereby we are justified for we are not justified by a barren faith but by a faith which is fruitful in good works and this is that which the Apostle drives at Iam. 2. But justification by works such as the Quakers plead for is not according to the true sense and mind of the spirit Is it the mind of the spirit that good works are the meritorious cause of Justification Which Sam. Fisher one of the Quakers ring-leaders plainly asserts exercit 1. page 84. and page 88. he saith there are good works which in different respects are called truely enough both Christs and ours viz. ours as done in and by our persons Christs as done only by his Power in us and by these call them as ye will Christs or ours is the justification of all that ever were or shal be justified both deserved and effected Object We understand it not any other way then thus that all their merit or worth is from Christ Ans Where doth the scriptures say that works wrought in us have merit in them from Christ to deserve justification This is a Doctrine of your owne forging and not of Christs teaching Though good works shall not want a reward yet they do not merit It is false to say that reward and merit inferre one another PROTESTANTS use to distinguish between a reward of merit and a reward of grace which distinction is grounded on scripture compare the original words in Matth. 5.46 with Luk. 6.32 and in that you affirme the reward to be of grace then it is not merited by works the Apostle opposeth these two making them incompatible Rom. 11.6 And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work We acknowledge that God of his rich mercy and goodness hath promised to reward good works and being faithful he will not deny himself 2. Tim. 2.13 But a reward given by promise doth not import merit and desert the reward proceedeth from the bountie of the Giver and not from the merit of the receiver Now the Quakers wisdome is much to be observed in that they refuse to owne the grossest sort of Papists for then their draught would be found out and their tendency sufficiently known but they under the specious name of new lights can creep towards the moderate sort of them who say that works are not meritorious but as they proceed from grace and by vertue of Gods promise when as indeed if works be of and flow from the free grace of God this inferrs that they are not meritorious for that which doth merit must not be done by the strength of another especially his at whose hands we look to merit It is evident that the Gentle-man is of a higher straine then to be onely for a reward or merit as he phraseth it of free grace and upon the account of the promise Else how shal he be able to reconcile himself to his brother Sam. Fisher who exerc 1. page 90. maketh use of this Popish argument namely evil works are the meritorious cause of our condemnation therfore good works are the meritorious cause of our justification insinuating that there is a meritorious dignity in good works even as there is a meritorious indignity and sinfulness in evil works this argument hath been often answered by a denyal of the consequence because our evil works are perfectly evil but our good works are but imperfectly good And giving but not granting that our works were perfectly good yet all the requisits to make a work meritorious would not agree to them He addeth that the works that Papists seek to be justified by are such as they believe none can be justified by Ans Though they do not go along with Papists in some of their practises yet they owne their principle as hath been abundantly cleared and therefore their correspondence with Rome being manifest we must conclude that in stead of coming out of Babylon they are rather running to it His next work page 36. Is to make people believe that we are near a kin to Papists But none who know what Popery is are like to give him credit yet if any be of such an easie faith as to take upon trust what he saith then no wonder if the blind leading the blind both fall into the ditch We shal consider wherein he chargeth us as guilty of Popery which he brancheth forth into several particulars 1. Because we deny that we are justified by Christ dwelling in us Ans We affirme that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ and when this righteousness is believingly applyed and laid hold on then Christ dwels in us is this Popery Or can any that know the difference between Papists and us think that we agree with them in the matter of our Justification 2. He saith according to us the way to attaine to a state of Justification is not by believing in
likewise confuted what was said proving it to be so Is not the Apostle more to be believed then any Quaker who expounds that more sure word of prophesie calling it verse 20 not the word in the heart but the prophesie rf Scripture or Scripture prophesie which is said to more 〈◊〉 sure then a voice froÌ„ heaven not as if there could be any uncertainty of the Lords voice speaking from Heaven this is sure enough in it self but yet Scripture prophesie is more sure quoad nos as to us because a transâ—ient voice is more easily mistaken or forgotten then a standing record VI. HEAD Concerning Iustification SECT I. Wherein is cleared the Quakers agreement with Papists in the Doctrine of Iustification Page 32. He raiseth a great storme against me as displaying the banner of disingenuity venting filthy imaginations discovering vanity and malice extending my self in a foolish and vaine excursion Ans I wish the Gentle-man would reflect how much his pen spirit hath been dipt in the gall of Asps and remember that causa firma est semper querula I have not leasure to answere his bitter revilings and railings and therefore passing them I shal endeavour to trace him according to the method he hath proposed in giving as he pretends an honest and plaine and true account of their belief in the matter of Justification He saith page 33. That we are justified by Iesus Christ both as he appeared and was manifest in the flesh at Ierusalem and also as he is made manifest and revealed in us and thus Christ and his righteousness without are not divided from his righteousness within but we do receive him wholly and undivided the Lord our righteousness in the sight of God and which ought not nor cannot be divided Ans Here he insinuats that our opinion is to divide the the righteousness of Chirst without from his righteousness within which is the calumny of Papists against us as if we held that because Christs righteousness is imputed to men there needed no other righteousness When as we mantaine that inherent righteousness and imputed are inseparably annexed so that every one that is justified hath holiness and righteousness wrought in him We may not confound Justification and Sanctification seeing the Scripture distinguisheth them and yet we must not divide them Now that the Quakers fraud and cheatry which I supect he is guilty of in this thing may be discovered it will be necessary to enquire how the word justifie in the present affaire namely as it imports the sinners Justification before God is used in scripture and in this PROTESTANTS and Papists are at variance Papists say that it signifies to make inherently just and righteous as calefaction signifies to make inherently hot on the other hand PROTESTANTS affirme that it signifies not the making of a man just by infused inherent righteousness but to absolve account and pronounce a man righteous Prov. 17.15 he that justifies the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. Marke to justify is not to make inherently just and holy for this would not be abominable but acceptable to God but it is to absolve and pronounce a man righteous as to condemne is to declare a man guilty and accordingly sentence him to punishment Now in that he saith that they are justified by Christ revealed in them by which he understands grace and holiness wrought in them by Christ for he afterwards explains it to be that which in scripture is called Christ formed within Here he falls in with the Popish sense of Justification by righteousness infused And his more full agreement with Papists will appear even in that wherein page 34. 35. he saith that they greatly differ from them To make good this I shal do two things 1. Set down the words of G. Keith in his paper to me which Mr. Barclay acknowledges to be in substance the same with that which he hath written Saith he I perceive that by the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed by which thou queries if we be justified thou understandest not his work of righteousness he worketh in his Saints but his obedience and sufferings even unto death in the flesh not excluding but including his souls sufferings at Jerusalem To which I thus Reply that we are even iustified by the righteousness of his obedience and sufferings in that Vessel or Man-hood not formally but causally forasmuch as by his obedience and sufferings therein he was the procuring cause of that grace and power of his revealed in us which produceth a work of righteousness wrought in us by which we are formally as the School-men speake righteous and this inward righteousnesse wrought by him in us is truely and properly his Righteousnesse and that on a twofold account 1. For that by his obedience and sufferings he procured an enterance to mens hearts to become a Prince and a Saviour in them Secondly In that he is not onely the remote procuring cause in the manner aforesaid but the immediat worker of it in us by his immediate Arme and Power so that he is well called the LORD our righteousness Now that there is no inconsistency between these two to be justified by the obedience of Jesus Christ in the flesh at Jerusalem as the remote procuring cause and to be justified by the work of Righteousness wrought by him in us as the formal cause is manifest being causes of different kinds vvhich do not repugne one to another but sweetly concurre to the producing their effect Thus far G. Keith Second thing to be done is to shew wherein PROTESTANTS differ from Papists in the matter of Justification which will be notably seen by the answer both of PROTESTANTS and Papists to this important and weighty question viz. what is that very thing which causeth a poor believing sinner stand pardoned and so just before GOD and for which he is pronounced righteous or absolved from the accusation and condemnation of the law and accepted unto eternal life Now the Papists in answering this question have recourse to infused inherent righteousness asse ting this to be the thing whereby they are justified in the sight of GOD. But PROTESTANTS though they look upon a principle of Grace within as an excellent gift of GOD yet they cannot leane to that for Justification but think their onely refuge to be the imputed righteousness of CHRIST namely the satisfaction and merit of his Death Passion and Obedience in fulfilling the law judging this to be the very thing by which Believers may appeare before GOD and in the confidence whereof they may live and die And for which they are accounted righteous absolved from death and accepted unto eternal life Now let us hear the Quakers answere to the aforementioned question and it will be found that as Papists make the formal cause of Justification to be an inherent righteousness wrought in us and inspired into us by the Spirit of GOD so the Quakers do
and priviledges which he enjoyed and disclaiming them in the matter of Justification Paul durst not lean to any work of grace in him the best mans graces being imperfect as that which can endure GODS sight his exact and severe tryal and therefore is that word 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justifyed Notwithstanding his holy course of life and obedience performed to the law yet he saw a necessity to look after a more perfect righteousness then this such as God himself cannot refuse as imperfect and insufficient namely the righteousness which is of GOD by faith Then in the following verse there are the excellent fruits and advantages which redound to them who renouncing confidence in themselves lay hold on Christ for righteousness Such as 1. Increase of Knowledge 2. Mortification of the Old-man 3. Resurrection to newness of Life To make these things the righteousnesse whereby we are justified as the Quaker doth is to confound Justification with Sanctification for here the parts of Sanctification namely Mortification and Vivification are expresly mentioned He saith My last argument from 2. Cor. 5.21 is most absurd and impious for accordingly it would follow that as Christ was made sin for us who of himself knew no sin no not in the lest so we may be made righteous before GOD though we have no holyness no faith no good thing wrought in us Answ He indeed impudently and absurdly wrests my argument the strength of which lyeth in this that as our sins are inherent in us and imputed to Christ so his righteousness is inherent in him and imputed to us Or as Christ was made sin for us by the imputation of our sins to him Isa 53.6 so we are made righteous before GOD by the imputation of his righteousness to us he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him upon which words one thus excellently glosseth he sin and we righteousness and not ours but the righteousness of GOD and not in us but in him Even as he sin not his own but ours nor in himself but in us so therefore are we the righteousness of GOD in him as he is sin in us The Quakers inference is impious and absurd to imagine that GOD considering his purity and justice should accept one as righteous in his fight and yet his person remaine abhored of GOD as an unholy sinner for the righteousness of Justification and Sanctification are twin blessings which go together in regard of GODS actual application of them And therefore it is a mistake arysing to speak fairest from ignorance to insinuate that we are against inward righteousness and holyness seeing we profess that without this no man shal see the Lord. And though we plead for the imputation of Christs tighteousness as to Justification yet we do nor hold that there needs no other righteousness at all We assert Justification and Sanctification to be inseparable companions and that whosoever is justified hath inherent godliness and righteousness And therefore it is false to say that we strengthen the profane and wicked in their presumption for we declare to them that while they continue wicked they are without hope and can lay no just claim to Christs righteousness and that they must be new creatures of they can never come to the New Jerusalem He asketh page 43. Whether the Apostles did sin in writting the Scriptures Answer There are two things that shal be said to satisfy this demand 1. That this was a singular extraordinary case and no doubt but GOD he that made an immaculate Conception in the womb of her that was a sinner can preserve extraordinarily some singular action from impurity such as the penning of the scriptures was But what is this to us who can pretēd to no such thing 2. Though the matter contained and delivered in the Scriptures remaines inviolable and without the least defilment yet what hazard is it to affirme that the Apostles in penning the Scriptures were nor inflamed with love and zeal According to the utmost extent of the Law though being tall Cedars their love and zeale was far above the love and zeale of others VII HEAD Concerning the Quakers groundless magnifying of their Sect. I meane to be thrifty of my paper in answering the Quakers self-advancing and exalting words He saith page 44. The flock of Christ is like to him and can it be an unsutable thing for one who supposeth himself to be of Christs flock to say the flock with whom he is it likest to Christ Answer What though the flock of Christ be likest to him Should the Quakers therefore set up themselves above all the people of GOD on Earth Are none of Christs flock but they Oh! It is intolerable pride to vilifie all the Saints and Servants of GOD in the world and to shut them out from being of Christs flock for if this be their priviledge then Quakers are not the most Christ like people others may call themselves so as well as they He saith that Christianity stands not in flying the society of men but the matter is for people to have their occasions and business in the world using it as if they were not using it Answer This indeed is the great work and business but can it be inferred from hence that the true power and life of holiness is more truely known to Quakers and eminently held forth by them then by any people else that have come forth since the Apostles dayes It were good that that parable were remembred Luke 18.9 And he spake this parable unto certaine which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despysed others And truely what ever thoughts the Gentleman hath of the PROTESTANT CHURCHES which in disdaine he calleth our Flocks there are many in them who live in the world very much dead to the world and their communication and habitual course of life holdeth forth their conversations to be in Heaven some of them have professed it were ill for them if they lived not every day as if it should prove their dying day We are far from commending the way of Monks and Hermits but their example was brought to give chek to ignorant well meaning people who are apt to be too much taken with an outward shew of mortification He saith page 45. such as have had so much of the fear of God upon their hearts that they durst not adventure upon sin would they not love to be perfect Answer Yes surely perfection is their aime and the white that they shoot at and therefore they long to be in Heaven where they shal sin no more for ever but they know that the Saints while on Earth shall be clogged with sin and that the question is not whether GOD can by the singular assistance of his grace keep any in this bodily life totally pure from sin But whether GOD hath not declared and revealed his mind
such as are keept by the power of GOD it is through faith but as they abide not in that power through faith but wander from it they fall and cannot but fall Answer A goodly reply forsooth which is as if he had said if the Saints fall from faith they must fall and cannot but fall Remonstrants grant that a Believer quatalis as a Believer cannot fall away but qui talis est he that is a Believer may fall away Now the designe of that Scripture 1. Pet. 1.5 is to shew that there are two things concurring to prevent the Saints total and final fall namely faith and the power of GOD both work together to keep the Saints unto Salvation that Lord who gives faith unto his people helps them to persevere in it for he is not onely the authour but the finisher of their faith Heb. 12.2 In answering Ierem. 32.40 He saith it should be translated thus I will put my fear in their hearts that they may not depart from me Answer The words in the Hebrew are lebilti sur megnalai which will as well carry shal not as may not depart from me But granting that the words were translated according to his own desire yet they are full enough to prove the Saints perseverance the Lord putting his fear into them for this end GODS love will not suffer him to depart from the Saints and fear will not let them depart from GOD GOD principles their hearts with such a measure of his dread and fear as stayes them from an utter departur from him He maketh short work with these other Scriptures Ioh. 10.27.28 Ioh. 13.1.1 Ioh. 2.19 saying that they speak of those who were to come to a through regeneration Answer This is a bare affirmation without any proof There is no mention in the texts themselves of a through regeneration and if it be onely throughly regenerate or perfectly sanctified persons that shal persevere then perseverance is the priviledge onely of Saints in Heaven whose attainment this perfection is and not of Saints on earth who groan under their imperfections Now seeing that Saints who have true and saving grace are the Regeneat Children of GOD when by faith they receive Christ GOD ownes them for his children and they are truely regenerat Gal. 3.26 Ioh. 1.12.13 On the other hand graceless persons are branded as being the children of the Devil Ioh. 8.44 Is it not then manifest that to mantain the total and final Apostasy of the Saints from grace will inferre that they who are the children of GOD by true regeneration this day may the next day become the children of the Devil Because the grace that they have now they may utterly lose it erre to morrow He asketh whether I look upon the Quakers as having fallen away Answer His book containing nor onely his privat sentiments but the common opinions of Quakers is a sufficient proof that they have apostatized and fallen from the truth and such of them as have felt a gracious operation on their hearts but in this houre of temptation are under a sad snare I trust the Lord will convince them and grant them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that by their rysing againe they may edify and rejoice those Souls whom they have wounded and stumbled by their fall HEAD XVI Concerning the hazard and danger of Quakerism SECT I. It tends to the neglect of that Worship which is due to GOD. He saith page 67. That they deny not true worship but onely our Idolatrous worship Answer If our Worship were Idolatrous they had reason to deny it but it is unreasonable to call our Worship Idolatrous when they have not a shadow of reason to prove it to be so unless the Gentle-man think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Quakers naked affirmation is a sufficient reason Now it is manifest that Quakers refuse GOD the worship which is due to him in the use of the creatures in that they can and do adventure to use these without seeking GODS Blessing upon them which hath been by former Saints accounted a profane custome utterly unfit to be heard of among Christians professing the knowledge and fear of GOD Are we not commanded to eat and drink to the glory of GOD 1. Cor. 10.31 And must we not then look up to GOD and desire his help to improve the creatures to his glory Besids the creatures of themselves cannot nourish us if GOD deny his blessing our eating and drinking can do us no good and therefore we have need to address our selves to GOD by prayer for by this means the blessing is obtained and the creatures come to be sanctified to us 1. Tim. 4.4 Object To receive the benefits and gifts of GOD with thanksgiving and to witness it sanctified to us by the word and prayer is owned by us Answer Do Quakers witness the creatures sanctified to them by prayer when yet they do not pray for the sanctified use of them Pray observe the way that Christ tooke his example is worth our imitation at the receiving of the creatures he lookt up to Heaven for a blessing Mark 6.14 and gave thanks Matth. 15.36 and this appeares to have been his ordinary practise he was knowne of his Disciples in breaking bread it being his ordinary manner to bless the bread in some special way which he break whereby he was discerned and differenced from others Luk. 24.30.31 Object It is usual among us when we sit down to waite upon the Lord for sometime that we may know our selves stated in his fear and as there we stand outward expressions may be uttered by us Answer When they are not thus stated in GODS fear yet they have liberty and freedom to fall to meat so it would seeme though they will not pray without fear yet they can eate without fear which is the character of wicked persons Jude verse 12. As for their waiting its but an engine to overthrow Scripture precepts seeing it hath reference to a new inward command without which they do not hold themselves obliged to express their desire in words but as they are thus required of them He addeth page 68. That to say that a man cannot nor ought not to pray without an impulse the spirits drawing and motion hath no bad tendency because all such prayers as are performed without the help of the spirit are abomination not true prayers but hypocritical and deceitful Answer We grant these things First That the spirit teacheth and helpeth the Saints to pray sometimes they are so stirred and moved to prayer that they cannot be at quiet but they must to some secret corner and there poure out their complaints before the LORD Gal. 4.6 Secondly That the season when the spirit moveth to duty should be laid hold on Psal 27.8 when thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face I will seek Thirdly When the spirit moveth the wâ—ek is sweetest then the Christian is cheerful in the exercise
discovered by his works like that expression where GODS strength is said ro be perfected in our weakness 2. Cor. 12.9 In answering that place Eccl. 7.20 he brings scriptures to prove that there are righteous men who do good But this was not the thing denyed he should have proved that righteous men on earth do good so purely that there is not the least fault or blemish cleaving thereunto As for that scripture 1. Ioh. 3.9 he that is born of GOD sinneth not it doth not prove an absolute freedom from sin for this is contrary to the experiences of the Regenerat and Saints in all Ages who have bitterly bewailed and ruefully mourned under the sense of their sins the words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he maketh not sin sin is not his trade Now a man makes a trade of sin when in sinning he is in his Element where he would be there is no work so pleasing to him as the work of sin But this is not the disposition of a Regenerate Person He addeth that the Prophet Isaiah 64.6 saith not all our righteousness which is of thy working in us who are Saints is as filthy rags Answ Neither doth the Prophet say as the Quaker brings him in speaking all our righteousness which we even the best of the Saints can performe of and from themselves are as filthy rags The Prophet speaketh in general and plurally of righteousnessess and that in the person of the whole Church and not relating onely to the wicked and ungodly therefore he useth the word all and our righteousness To affirme the Saints righteousness to be filthy rags is no just ground to make us ashamed for we do not reflect on the holy Spirit of GOD as if filthiness did proceed from him he is good in giving us the least degree of grace not being bound to give us any his work of grace and holiness in us is a special ornament to the soul making it in beauty to resemble GOD but in respect of us imperfection cleaveth to this grace in that it is not all the grace which the Law of GOD requireth of us being commanded to love GOD with all our hearts souls and minds Matth. 22.37 The best action and works done and performed by us as instruments have something of the taint of sin adhering to them where is the soul that is carried out in prayer and other spiritual duties with that love and delight with that purity and fervency of spirit which the spiritualness of the law doth call for Now it is the sin which cleaveth to the Saints good works which is to be throwne away this indeed is not an ornament but a deformity for which we should be humbled and ashamed in the sight of God He saith page 40. 41. that the Saints are subordinate coworkers with Christ but yet it followeth not that his works in them and by them are defiled and though it be said who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean this hinders not but that the Lord can and doth make clean those who have been unclean and so out of them who are made clean can bring forth clean things Answere 1. We grant that there are thousands in Heaven whom the Lord hath made perfectly clean and their actings have not the least impurity in them Heb. 12.23 Revel 21.27 2. We grant that there be many on Earth who are sanctified and cleansed yet their cleansing and sanctification is but in part they are not throughly cleansed and perfectly sanctified there is yet an unclean part in them they have in them flesh as well as spirit and however this unclean part viz. the flesh should be chained and kept down Yet GODS People to their smart and grief find the stirrings and rysings of it and the resistance and opposition it makes whereby they are hindred from doing good perfectly Gal. 5.17 the flesh lasteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Rom. 7.19 the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now men being but in part holy and in part carnal therefore the works which proceed from them have some filth and taint of sin cleaving to them there is sin in the best men to undo them if GOD should deale with them in rigour Psalm 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity O Lord who shal stand 1. King 8.46 for there is no man that sinneth not And yet we deny not but by degrees the clean part encreaseth and the unclean is diminished yea and at last all the uncleanness shal be wrought out there is a happy time coming when the children of GOD shal not have spot or wrinkle or any such thing but this priviledge is reserved for them till they come to Heaven for there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7.20 Intimating that the just mans doing good is attended with sin sinfulness cleaveth to his good actions as was formerly cleared by that similitude which the Quaker hath not in the lest weakened of clean water passing through an unclean pipe and thereby receiving a tincture of uncleanness The Gentleman that supposeth himself so well skilled in the outward creation should have instructed me what that outward water is which is not capable of defilment And having first done this he might then the more freely have come to his supercilious application SECT IV. Iustification is not by inherent Righteousness but by the imputed Righteousness of IESUS CHRIST He addeth that justification is taken for the making a man righteous and then it is all one with sanctification Answer Is not this to confound what the scripture distinguisheth Now justification and sanctification in scripture are alwayes spoken of as distinct benefits 1. Cor. 6.11 But ye are sanctified but ye are justified Rom. 8.30 whom he called namely to a conformity to the Image of his Son them he also justified And it is to be observed that we need not contest with Quakers or Papists whether the word justifie signify to make righteous or no Onely we say that the righteousness which doth make a man just or justifyeth him is not inherent in him And to assert justification to be the making of a man righteous by infused inherent righteousness or righteousness wrought in him is to confound what GOD distinguisheth and to alter the scripture sense of the word justify He addeth page 42. that admitting the Apostle Phil. 3.9 speaketh not of his righteousness whilest he was a Pharisee yet he was stil to deny the work and righteousness which was to proceed from his own will and spirit Answere The Apostle in the preceeding verses disclaimed righteousness proceeding from his own will and spirit but verses 8.9 he ryseth higher and goeth a step further even to the present time I account all things intending the present graces