in our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 We may well rest satisfied that he who hath said it can doe it without cavilling or nice inquiring How can these things be And the like when God threatens to harden Pharaoh's heart Exod. 4.21 and 7.3 or to make the heart of the people fat that hearing they may hear but not understand Isai. 6.9 10. and seeing they may see but not perceive Mat. 13.14 15. To wit by leaving them to their natural hardness and blindness without correcting it by his Spirit Now that which hereby we prove is this Not that God forces us to will against our wills for that in sensu composito as to the Elicite Act is impossible as implying a contradiction in the terms for as to what we will we are so far willing But that by the Spirit we are born again that is that God by his Spirit works in us a new Nativity a new Nature that is a new Habit of Grace whereby we are inclined to Love and Delight in Good as by the habitual Corruption of our Nature we are inclined to Evil. And this is the concurrent doctrine of the Schools Who I think do generally allow that our Souls are capable of Infused Habits as well as acquired And if by derivation from our first parents we be capable of habitual Corruption I see not why we should doubt but that we are alike capable of habitual Grace And of this for ought I know as early as of that For like as there may be habitual Corruption before we be in a capacity for want of the use of Reason to commit Actual Sin So may God as early put into our hearts the Seeds of Grace which may afterwards when occasion shall serve bring forth the Fruits of good living He may I say when he please not that he alwaies so doth We reade of Isaiah that he was called from the womb Isai. 49.1 and of Jeremiah Jer. 1.5 Before thou camest out of the womb I Sanctified thee and of John the Baptist that he should be filled with the holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Luk. 1.15 And our Church presumes of Infants that they be at least some of them Regenerate when Baptized And therefore For as much as all men are conceived and born in Sin and that our Saviour Jesus Christ says None can enter into the Kingdome of God except he be Regenerate and Born anew of Water and of the holy Ghost doth direct us to call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to this Child that thing which by Nature he cannot have And doth pray accordingly that God will Wash him and Sanctifie him with the holy Ghost And that he may receive remission of Sins by Spiritual Regeneration Nor is the Holy Ghost less able to work effectually afterwards Else why are we taught to pray to God to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit that the things may please him which we doe at present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy That all our doings may be ordered by his Government to doe alwaies that which is righteous in his sight And for the King's Majesty That God will replenish him with the grace of his Spirit that he may alwaies incline to God's will and walk in his waies and to endue him plenteously with heavenly Gifts And for the Royal Family That God will endue them with his holy Spirit and enrich them with his heavenly Grace And for the Clergy That God will send upon our Bishops and Curates and all Congregations committed to their charge the healthfull Spirit of his Grace And for our selves That being Regenerate and made his Children by Adoption and Grace we may be daily renewed by his holy Spirit That as by his special Grace Preventing us he puts into our minds good Desires so by his continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect That by his holy Inspiration we may Think those things that be good and by his mercifull Guiding we may Perform the same That God who did teach the hearts of his faithfull people by sending them the light of his holy Spirit will grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things That because by the weakness of our mortal nature we can doe no good thing without him he will grant us the help of his Grace that in keeping his commandments we may please him both in Will and Deed. That God who is the Author and Giver of all good things will graft in our heart the Love of his Name That he will Grant us the Spirit to Think and Doe alwaies such things as be rightfull that we who cannot doe any thing without him may by him be enabled to live according to his will That because the frailty of Man without him cannot but fall he will keep us ever by his help That his Grace may alwaies Prevent and Follow us and make us continually to be given to all good works That Almighty God will cleanse the Thoughts of our Hearts by the inspiration of his holy Spirit that we may perfectly love him and worthily magnify his holy Name With much more in the Prayers of our Church to the same purpose All which implies that there is a power in God to work in our Souls by his Spirit such a gracious frame and temper of Heart inclining it to Good as before it was to Evil as without it would not have been And truly if we do allow that the Wisdome of man by moral Arguments and rational Discourse may without doing violence to his Will perswade another to Think otherwise than before he did and to Doe what otherwise he would not have done which yet when he doth he doth Freely Nay more if a Glass of Wine though taken moderately and without excess may give a man that Life Vigour and Alacrity as to make him almost another man to Speak Think and Doe what else he would not or at least not in such a Manner and to such a Degree Surely we may allow the Wisdome of God and the Efficacy of his Spirit without intrenching upon our Freedome to doe as much or more than so And either without or in concurrence with such moral Swasions to put that Warmth into our hearts as to act beyond what without it we should have done Nor is there any reason to fear that such Inclination to Good from the Spirit of God should prejudice the Freedome of our Will any more if so much as the Inclination to Evil from our own Corruption or the Temptations of Sathan Especially since that the Blessed Angels and the Glorified Saints in Heaven where Sorrow and Sin shall be no more shall as Freely Love God and Praise him as we on Earth can do Notwithstanding that they shall be
little more at present than to Repeat these words of Christ Joh. 3.3 5. Except a man be born again of Water and of the Spirit He cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And that of the Apostle Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. A Wicked Life will never bring us to Heaven And then what is like to be their condition themselves may judge The other Enemy to this Doctrine is the Papist For though they talk much of Good Works yea Works of Supererogation Works better than they need to be Yet are they no friends to the doctrine of Sanctification and a holy Life Their first Artifice is to confound Justification and Sanctification For so they doe when they tell us we are Justified by Inherent Righteousness Now what is Inherent Righteousness but Holiness and a Good Life Next this Holiness or Inherent Righteousness doth silently pass into the term of Good Works And here the Opus operatum as they call it shall serve the turn without much troubling themselves about the Habite of Grace or Holiness from whence these Good Works should proceed and without which our Church tells us Good Works Works materially good cannot be acceptable unto God And 't is craftily done to annex Justification to Good Works Else there would be no need for those who have no Good Works of their own to purchase out of the Churches treasury the Good Works of other men and so the Market of Indulgences would fail Next these Good Works are Signally though not only to be understood of Alms-deeds And these principally to the Church that is to their Priests or other Ecclesiasticks as they be contradistinguished from the Laicks or to some of their Religious Orders For Alms-deeds will hardly pass for meritorious unless to some of these Then these Good Works are to be commuted for Penance and the Priests Absolution For though they have nothing of Good Works at all nay though they be guilty of very great Immoralities Yet if they Confess to a Priest and receive Absolution which may be had at an easy rate they are then declared as Innocent as the Child that is New-born Especially if they perform the Penance imposed that is for the most part if they say so many Pater-nosters and so many Ave-Maries or if it be for a great Offence say over the seven Penetential Psalms for that is a great Penance or at least get some body to say it for them Nor is it necessary to this Absolution that they should be Contrite or heartily sorry For Attrition with Auricular Confession shall pass in stead of Contrition That is in effect if they be but sorry for the Penance though they be not sorry for the Sin Or if all this should fail it is but being at the charge of an Indulgence or Popes Pardon That is to purchase so many penyworth of other mens Merits having none of their own out of that Surplusage which those others have had to spare more than to serve their own turn which remain Stored up in the Churches Treasury to be dispensed at the Popes pleasure to those who will give so much Money for them Or lastly if they leave a Legacy at their Death or their Friends will be at that Charge when they are gone to purchase so many Masses to be said for them as shall be thought necessary to deliver their Souls out of Purgatory And in case they purchase more than are necessary for that occasion the Surplusage shall remain in the Churches Treasury for the Benefit of others to be dispensed as was aforesaid And this is what they require by way of Commutation in stead of Regeneration Sanctification Holiness and a Godly Life But I shall leave them And Exhort those of our Own Communion who desire truly to please God to seek after real Holiness in their Hearts and the Practice of it in their Lives First I say Real Holiness in the Heart Mat. 7.16 Men do not gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Ver. 18. A good Tree cannot bring forth Evil fruit nor a corrupt Tree Good fruit Mat. 12.33 Therefore make the Tree good that the Fruit may be good also Ver. 34. O generation of Vipers saith Christ how can ye being Evil speak Good things For out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh 'T is not enough to lop off some of the Branches in practice so long as there remains a Root of Bitterness in the Heart Heb. 12.15 My Son give me thy Heart saith Solomon Pro. 23.26 And 't is out of the good treasure of the Heart that the Good man bringeth forth Good things Mat. 12.35 'T was Hezekiah's great Comfort that he had walked before God in Truth and with a perfect Heart 2 King 20.3 And contrariwise a Blemish on Amaziah's Good Actions that he did what was Right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect Heart 2 Chron. 25.2 Without which Bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4.8 'T was for want of this that God complains of the Solemn Services of his own people Isai. 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices I am full of your Burnt-offerings of Rams and the Fat of fed Beasts I delight not in the bloud of Bullocks or of Lambs or of Hee goats Ver. 13. Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an Abomination to me Ver. 14. Your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth They are a Trouble to me I am Weary to bear them Because though these were Good Things they were Ill done And God will not accept of Outward Services in lieu of Holiness I know 't is a Fancy that some have taken up That of those before Christ God required only Outward Services And therefore promised only Temporal Rewards Whereas say they if he had required Spiritual Services the Rewards promised would have been sutable thereunto But sure as to the Services David was of another mind Psal. 51.16 Thou delightest not in Sacrifice else would I give it Thou delightest not in Burnt-Offerings that is comparatively Ver. 17. But the Sacrifices of God are a Broken Spirit A Broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Ver. 19. Then shalt thou be pleased with Sacrifices of Righteousness with Burnt-Offering and whole Burnt-Offering But not till then And as to the Rewards promised our Church is positive in her Seventh Article The Old Testament is not contrary to the New For both in the Old and New Testament Everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ who is the onely Mediator between God and Man being both God and Man Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the Old Fathers looked only for Transitory Promises And truely they might as well say That when God Threatens In the day that thou Eatest thereof thou shalt Dye the Death Gen. 2.17 't was meant only of a Temporal Death and how comes he then to Punish with Hell As That when he Promiseth The
to inherit the Kingdome of God there must be a New Nature wrought in us and those Propensions changed for better a new Principle must be instilled which shall render us inclinable to Righteousness as before we were to Sin And this is that which the Text calls A being born again Nor is this so harsh a Trope or uncouth Form of Speech as at first view it may seem to be But very usual with some little alteration in all Languages For denuo nasci or de novo nasci to be born again or born anew is all one as to have novam naturam a new nature Natura being but a Verbal of Nascor Like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And we know 't is very usual to speak of Good natures Better natures New natures c. when we intend only different Qualities or habitual Propensions and Inclinations though without an Essential diversity 'T is not indeed so obvious to observe that Equivalency in our own Language because the Noun and Verb are not Conjugates as in the Greek and Latine The word Nature coming by a French Extraction from Nascor But to Bear and to be Born by a Saxon from Pario But both are words of the same import For Nascor doth but supply the Passive voice of Pario And they are so rendered in English Pario to Bear and Nascor to be Born So that to be born again or born anew is the same as to have another nature a new nature to become as we use to say another Kind of Man for kind or kin is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nascor to become a better natur'd Man And to be born of God is but what we say in another Phrase to be made partakers of the Divine Nature which the Greeks would not scruple to express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So to be born of the Spirit is to have a spiritual Nature Born of the Flesh a fleshly Nature All the difference is this That what according to the common Idioms is expressed by Natura is according to the Idiom of the Hebrews expressed by Natus a Son a Child or being Born which Idiom the Writers of the New Testament do frequently follow as being much conversant with the Jews and accustomed to their forms of Speech Thus John 8.39 If ye were the Children of Abraham ye would doe the works of Abraham is as much as to say If ye had Abraham's nature ye would doe Abraham's works And again ver 42 45. If God were your Father ye would love me because I came from God But ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will doe That is If ye were of a Godly nature ye would love him that comes from God But because your nature is Devilish your designs are so too Thus Mat. 12.34 Sons of Belial a generation of Vipers Isa. 1.4 A seed of Evil-doers 1 Sam. 20.30 Thou Son of the Perverse Woman Ezek. 16.3 Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite with the like expressions import such a Nature such a Disposition as that of those whose Children they are said to be And all upon that general Notion That the Off-spring or Progeny are frequently observed to Imitate those from whom they proceed Whence that of St. Paul Ephes. 5.1 Be ye followers of God as dear Children But for the better understanding of this Phrase We are to consider further That we are in Scripture called the Children of God or Sons of God in at least a twofold acceptation Sons of God by Adoption And Sons of God by Regeneration Which though they both belong to the same Persons yet in a very different Notion The one imports a Relative change The other a Real That relates to the business of Justification This to that of Sanctification Adoption is a Forensick word and implies an act of Grace or Favour by which those that by nature are not Sons come to be so Reputed and are put into a like condition as if they were Sons and are thereby intituled to the Inheritance It implies therefore a change of State not a change of Nature a Relative not a Real change It doth without conferring a new Nature create at least a new Relation But a Son by Birth receives from his Parent not a Relation only but his very Nature and Being And the Scripture in calling us the Sons of God hath respect to both these notions That of Adoption we have in Gal. 4.4 5 7. In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons wherefore thou art no more a servant but a Son And if a Son then an Heir c. And Ephes. 1.5 Having proedestinated us to the adoption of Children And if Children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ as in Rom. 8.17 And this I take it is the same which by some Divines is called Positive Justification relating to what they call Christ's Active Obedience Which they do contradistinguish to what they call Negative Justification which they refer to the Passive Obedience of Christ. What Christ hath done and suffered for us considered as a satisfaction to Divine Justice which they call his Passive Obedience doth Ransome us from the Curse of the Law done to us for Sin and puts us in a condition of Not guilty which they call Negative Justification or Absolution And by this we are excused from Hell But what he hath done or suffered by way of Purchase Meriting a Reward for us which they call his Active Obedience gives us a title to Heaven or as it is called Eph. 1.14 the Inheritance of that Purchased Possession And this they call Possitive Justification and is in Scripture language called Adoption Which yet need not be so understood as if some parts of Christ's Obedience were only Satisfactory and not Meritorious others Meritorious only and not Satisfactory But the same obedience may sustain both Considerations Considered as Satisfactory it Frees us from Hell Considered as Meritorious it Entitles us to Heaven Now 't is one thing for a Prince to Acquit a Traitor of all Crimes as well of Omission as of Commission which Absolves him from Punishment Another thing to Adopt him moreover as a Prince and entitle him to a Crown And though both be coincident on the same Person yet under a different notion The one as an act of Pardon the other of Bounty And if a third person by what he doth or suffereth procure Both for him 'T is as to the one a Satisfaction as to the other a Purchase Now Whether we call That Negative Justification and This Possitive Justification Or call That Justification and This Adoption Is but a difference of Words the Notions are still the same But neither of these whether that of
then not only Inclined to but Confirmed in Good and not in a capacity to Sin Not for want of Freedome but as having no Inclination to Evil. All which is not said to incourage any man in Sloth or Idleness in doing what is his Duty upon pretence of waiting on the Spirit of God to doe all for him But rather to a diligent use of all the Means of Grace in hope of his concurrence and to Implore withall the Divine Goodness to Assist us mercifully To Prevent us in all our doings with his most gracious Favour and further us with his continual help that in all our Works Begun Continued and Ended in him we may have his blessing on them According to Solomon's advice in a like case Eccl. 11.6 In the Morning sow thy Seed and in Evening withold not thy hand For thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they shall both be alike Good And St. Paul makes the like Inference from the same Premises Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation with Fear and Trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to Will and to Doe of his good pleasure And if we be not failing on our part we have great incouragement to believe that God though a Free Agent will not be wanting to give his holy Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11.13 Now for Application this Doctrine concerning the Necessity of Regeneration in those who shall see the Kingdome of God doth vindicate our Church whose Doctrine it is from the Reproach and Calumny cast upon her Doctrine As if when she says that we are Justified by Faith only she taught a Loose and Easy way of coming to Heaven without Regeneration Sanctification or Good Works the Effect of both 'T is very true she saith in her 11 th Article We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Good Works or Deservings Wherefore That we are Justified by Faith only is a most Wholesome Doctrine and very Comfortable And more to the same purpose in the Homily to which that Article refers But though she say We are Justified by Faith only she doth not say there is nothing more requisite to Salvation For we must be Sanctified as well as Justified if ever we be Saved And therefore that we may not possibly mistake her Doctrine unless wilfully she adds in the Next words which are her Twelfth Article Albeit that Good Works which are the fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and indure the severity of God's Judgment Yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith In so much as by them a lively Faith may be evidently known as a Tree discerned by the Fruit. But which is her Tirteenth Article Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God Forasmuch as they spring not from Faith in Jesus Christ. Neither do they make man Meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say Deserve Grace of Congruity Our Church therefore in teaching Justification by Faith only doth not teach us That we need no more to carry us to Heaven but only a Sanguine Belief that we shall come there and may thenceforth live as we list without Holiness or a Godly Righteous and sober Life For she makes this Necessary to bring us to Heaven as well as Faith or Justification it self And a pretence of Faith without this she doth not own for Faith but Presumption She owns none for a true and lively Faith but what is attended herewith as the Necessary Fruit thereof only she doth distinguish what of this belongs to Justification and what to Sanctification Which others labour studiously to Confound If any please to Cavil That if we be Justified by Faith only then there need no more to Save us because God Saves all that he Justifies I say This Cavil might seem to have some weight in it if God did Justify any whom he doth not Sanctify also A Prince I confess may sometimes Pardon a Male-factour and so Justify him or put him inâ—o a Condition of Not-guilty without making him an Honest Man But God never Justifies any whom he doth not also Sanctify And therefore 't is here the same thing to infer That a man may be Sanctified without Holiness as That he may be Saved without it if Justified by Faith only But if any indeed there be I confess I know none except the Papist that hold a man may be Justified and Saved without being Sanctified I have nothing to say in the defence of such Nor is this the Doctrine of our Church when she says We are Justified by Faith only And for any to load her Doctrine with such Consequences is great Ignorance or somewhat Worse But I proceed The two great Enemies to the Doctrine before us the necessity of Regeneration and Sanctification in order to Salvation and consequently of Good Works the effect thereof are the Atheist and the Papist With whom we may join those who Symbolise with either so far as they so do With the Atheist who thinks there is no God I join the Profane Debauched Person who so lives as if there were none Such as Profess that they know God but in Works Deny him being Abominable and Disobedient and to every good Work Reprobate Tit. 1 16. These men have as little veneration for Heaven and Holiness as the Papists have for the Word of God Which they can make use of as a Nose of Wax as they Phrase it to serve a present turn so far as it makes for them but as to much of it they had rather it were not at all And therefore care not how little it be known And when it is they would have it Truckle under their Churches Interpretation as if Insignificant without it And in like manner the Profane Atheist as to a Holy Life and a Future State He could wish perhaps with Balaam to Dye the Death of the Righteous and that his latter end might be like his Num. 32.10 But finding so little Hopes of that doth rather Wish there were no such thing And Thinks it his great Unhappiness That he is not a Beast That since he Lives like a Beast he cannot Dye like a Beast too without Hopes or Fears of Heaven or Hell For since he so Lives as to have Little hopes of Heaven he heartily Wisheth there were no fear of Hell With such as these if any man presseth for Regeneration Sanctification and a holy Life He was to pass heretofore for a Puritan then a Roundhead and now for a Damn'd Fanatick Nor shall he scape this Censure though never so great a Church-man and do exactly Conform to the Church as now Established For 't is Holiness they hate more than Non-conformity To these men I shall say