Life as a Reward of work for this was the Tenour of the Covenant of Works but from Life received being dead in our selves by Nature and in respect of the Law Condemned Persons we must work not to obtain Eternal Life by working but having received Life from it to work Christ saith He is the Life the Resurrection and the Life Where 's the Man that can work without Life to work from Neonom But he understands this you 'l say only of External Duties but not of the Actings of Grace no I could shew you how he saith the same of all Graces Antinom You need not have troubled your selves with that Objection for I do intend all Graces and Duties for they must all be performed from a Principle of Life received and not for Mercenary Designs and Ends thinking that thereby we deserve any thing of the Lord for when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants Neonom He saith That is the proper Work that God hath given to Belleving D. W. p. 124. D. Cr. p. 326. not to effect any thing to the good of Man but only to be the witness of that good to the Spirit of Man and so give light to that which was hidden before Antinom You know my Opinion and it 's with other Divines That there is Justification in Heaven and Justification in a Man's Conscience and Spirit D. G. â— 3â—â— Justification in Consciences and Spirits of Men is the manifestation of that Act of God to a Man 's own Spirit by which a Man comes to know and consequently to rejoice in the Justification of God and so you may read the words Rom 5.1 Bring Justified by Faith i. e. through Faith having the Justification of God evidenced and manifested to our Spirits we have peace with God I contend not with them that say It Justifies Virtute objecti or Instrumentaliter So that I ascribeâ— all the Efficacy to Christ's Righteousness and not to the Act of Faith as a Quolifying Condition to Justifie sensu proprio as you and the Arminian's do and in that sence I spake against its doing us good that is in your sence of Justification Neonom He saith If you have more Ability than others in doing let it not come into your Thoughts D. W. p. 125. D. C. p. 429. as an Inducement to think better of your self as if you were more accepted of God or pleasing in his sight Antinom I believe it is or should be the Spirit of the best of God's Children that they prefer others above themselves Phil. 3. viz. That fear the Lord and think not that there 's any thing in them that makes them more accepted than others but that all that have true Faith are equally accepted in the Beloved and that Paul's Usefulness and Apostleship rendred him no more Justified than the meanest of the Disciples of Christ Calvin You see Mr. Antinom as he is for the exalting Christ so he speaks highly in the Commendation yea and usefulness of Holiness and good Works those diminutive Terms that he useth is in respect of Purchase obtaining Pardon or being qualifying Conditions for the bestowing of Benefits He holds Christ is the great Condition both of Grace here and glory hereafter tho' I confess I wish Mr. Antinom you had spared many Expressions for which I fear the Truth suffers from the ignorant and more learned of perverse Minds that make it their business to load the Doctrine of Free-Grace with all Scorn and Contempt and take all occasions to wound the Truth because of some rash or over-zealous Expressions used by you and others which it may be had you foreseen you would have prevented by not using them or had you printed your own Sermons you would not have sent to the Press Mr. Neonom I pray let us have this Doctrine delivered in your own Words and Expressions Neonom The Truth is this That though neither Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works do make any Atonement for sin or are in the least meritorious Righteousness whereby Salvation is caused or for which this or any Blessing becomes due to us by Debt yet as the Spirit of God freely worketh all Holiness and enableth to sincere Obedience and good Works so the Lord Jesus hath of his own Grace and for his own Merits promised to bring to Heaven such as are Partakers of true Holiness perform his sincere Obedience and do those good Works perseveringly Antinom You allow Christ the Honour of Atonement for Sin but how far I know not by what follows his Atonement reacheth not the Breach of the new Law Conditions but only so far as refers to Sins against the Old Law of which you will not allow Impenitency and Unbelief be a breach so that there must be some way in the new Law found out to expiate and appease God for them without Christ's Atonement Beside the Conditions of it it being only imperfect Obedience there will need nothing but the Performance of the constituted Condition which whether perfect or imperfect being performed as well as is required tho' sinfully imperfect leaves no place for Sacrifice or Atonement hence you allow Christ's Righteousness to have merited Blessings with the same Reserve which you are not willing to speak out viz. That Christ hath purchased and merited that we shall come under new and milder Terms with God or God rather with us We thank you no more than we do the Papists for saying Christ hath merited all and is a cause even as the Creation was of the Covenant of Works God's the Cause of all for he made all so Christ hath merited all that follows whatever new Laws and Conditions follow and upon which Terms Benefits become due to us you should have said to Mankind by Debt We may challenge the Priviledges of compounding with God upon such Terms as we like better than the former but our Failure in performing those Terms that Christ agreed for will bring us under new Arrearages to God And for your saying the holy Spirit worketh freely the said conditional Holiness it helps not which notwithstanding your setting aside the Word Merit is truly fo virtute compacti tho' not valoris intrinseci as much as Adam's would have been And as to the Spirit you ascribe the free giving and working of it you give no more to it than Adam had in the state of Innocency and not so much for God had given and wrought in Adam that Perfection and Strength of Grace whereby he might have stood if he would You say There is a Promise made by Christ of Glory upon Condition of their good Works and Perseverance Your Suggestion to us is of two Covenants of Grace procured by Christ for us One the Promise of the state of Grace and Justification provided we fulfil the Conditions of Faith and Repentance whereby we have the first Justification The Second Covenant is of a state of Glory upon condition of Perseverance in good Works which condition if we
should have excepted some and reserved them for good Works but as to those Essential how comes it that a Man can have no more than is of a contingent Proposition the Judgment whereof is Opinion Neonom Nor whether it be the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good Work D. W. p. 125. Antinom Nor would it have been the question if Adam had persevered in the performance of the Conditions of the Law Covenant he would have done all by the Influence of the Spirit Neonom Nor whether it is for the sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free Grace that any Grace or Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the means of any Benefit these I affirm Antinom Yes for it was through these Merits and Grace that God would suffer us to try for Life in another Covenant of Works he might have taken the advantage of our breaking of the first Covenant as he did upon the Fallen Angels but Christ hath Merited and Grace hath been so far free as to set up another Covenant of Works that we may try for it once more as for your affirming or denying it signifies not much Men that are used to speak always with Mental Reservation will resolve Cases of Conscience like the Oracle of Apollo that you 'll come from them as wise as you went Neonom Nor whether any Holiness internal or external any Obedience Work or Duty do at all Merit the Promise or is the Meritorious Cause of Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed this I deny Antinom It seems you abdicate the word Merit but if it be an Honest Reward as due Debt it is as good the Catholicks will bate you the word if you allow the thing though you put a Fools Coat upon it Neonom I own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our condition in a state of Tryal Antinom So was Creation and Created Holiness in Adam and God's taking him into Covenant in an Order suitable to his Condition in a state of Tryal but you see what his Tryal came to We are miserable if our state in Grace be such a state of Tryal Neonom Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This I affirm and you too though you deny any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. D. W. p. 126. Antinom We affirm it to be not only a Rule of Duty but to stand in full force as to all its Promises and Threatnings that it still promiseth Life to perfect Obedience and threatens Death to the least Disobedience in all without distinction therefore we deny not Threatnings and Promises to back God's Law as to the Elect. Neonom Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy this you own but you place it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care Antinom Gentlemen observe now after all this noise he owns that I say the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy but saith I place it wrong can I place it better than on Christ's Care I think in all our Fears and Doubtings we should cast all our Care upon him by believing his Truth and Faithfulness in the Promise because he careth for us and hath said He will never leave nor forsake us I desire to have no better Security for Holiness and Perseverance in it than the Love of God and the Care of Christ is this a fault Neonom You deny that God hath required as it indispensibly necessary to our Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect. Antinom In your sence I do and if you stand so much on those Terms I shall justly call them into question so far as is necessary in my sence by works you here chiefly understand as I take it works after Faith and Repentance are such Works indispensibly necessary to the Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect Is not Union with Christ Faith c. Blessings promised to the Elect What Works was done before and after the Saving Union with Christ if they were indispensibly necessary how could Infants be saved And how do they Inherit Blessings that Repent and Believe just before they go out of the World And how came the Thief upon the Cross to be Saved Neonom You judge Christ hath done all for us and enjoineth nothing for us to do in order to any good thing Antinom He hath done all in the way of Covenant Condition and doth not admit us to be Rivals or Partners with him in our best Works and how can I think that he enjoineth us nothing when I own we ought to be Holy and shall be Holy From what should it be but from Christ's Commands and Care to furnish us with Rules Principles and Strength to be Holy Doth he not work in us to will and to do Neonom Nor whether a Penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Antinom Then your indispensible Necessity falls to the ground and it seems the first Law of Grace will save a Man and the second is not indispensibly necessary nay it may be a kindness to die upon the fulfilling the condition of the first Law by Faith and Repentance before he comes to run the risk of fulfilling the Condition of the second Law by persevering Works lest he lose all again I am glad I have done with your Whethers let 's come next to your Neithers for we are as wise as we were before about our Question Neonom I 'll tell you then the real difference Whether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required that we may be Justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness Antinom Gentlemen do but take notice how fond he is of his first Justification by Works which we dispatcht t'other day and do declare we are not Justified by Faith and Repentance in your Sence and that to be justified by Faith and Repentance as Conditionating Federal Qualifications though Merited by Christ is downright Popery whether you call such Conditions Merits or no and therefore in affirming it you assert Popish Doctrine and that will stand to though all the Divines in Town affirm it with you and if what 's done already will not be enough we 'll have t'other touch upon that Point when you please Neonom It 's whether Holiness or sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation Antinom You should have told us what you mean by a Way whether the first way or second Remote or next Antecedent or Consequent Conditions what Salvation you mean whether the Salvation of Justification Sanctification or Glorification there 's as much reason good Works should qualifie us for the Salvation of Sanctification as for Justification and Glorification how comes it to pass that all Salvation is not obtained the same way If we must obtain Salvation by good Works we must do good Works before we are
Saved Do we not obtain all Salvation in Christ We are Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works but I find you 'll have nothing to be Salvation but Glorification and that must be Earn'd at our Fingers ends and we may lose all at last for all Christ if we do not look the better to it to perform sincere persevering Works till the last Breath the first Justification though by Works gives no Evidence for Heaven you 'll be sure to be far enough from the Errour as you call it of Faith Justifying Evidentially We say Christ is the Way John 14 6. and Holiness our business in that way Neonom Or whether Heaven is promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue Wicked and Disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates Antinom Observe what Doctrine here is 1. Here his Discourse is limited to the Elect. 2. He supposes the Elect may lose Heaven 3. That their Obedience and Perseverance are the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation you take him for any Salvation for that of the first Justification which he makes to be by Works and Perseverance the obtaining condition of his Second Justification But I pray what 's the Condition of Persevering Sanctification which is Salvation too 4. He doth not only suggest but express falling away from Grace for what is that when he suggests an Elect Person may fall away from Grace turn Apostate and lose Heaven 5. He suggests that the Elect Person before Faith must perform these Works before he can be saved by Justification but this Doctrine is nothing with him this Doctrine I deny from the bottom of my Heart notwithstanding his affirming of it Is this right stating of Truth and Errour Neonom The Question is Whether the good Works of a Believer are Rewardable of Grace for Christ's sake Antinom The Question hath been clearer stated to your purpose long ago between the Papists and we Whether Christ hath Merited that we may Merit Whether you 'll call your Doctrine the Doctrine of Merit or not We 'll call a Spade a Spade and Antichrist must not creep in amongst us again with his Serpentine Tricks to beguile us as the Devil did into Paradise to Rob us of our first Righteousness Neonom Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judâ—ment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient altogether wilfully neglectful of good Works shall be condemned this I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. The Gospel is no Law as it hath to do with the Unbelieving Wicked World 2. It is no Rule of Judgment that 's the Law only 3. The Gospel did never condemn any Elect Person to Eternal Death neither is any Elect Person as such under a contingency of Salvation whether he be holy or unholy though as Sinners unholy and wicked Persons they are for as such they may be saved and they may not but it 's not so with the Elect as such Neonom Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from Eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performances of several Duties as to the Improvement of Grace c. This you deny and I affirm Antinom We ask all outward Mercies for the sake of Christ with submission to his Will we reckon them not due to us because of our Duties performed and the Connexion of Blessing as you say and Duty is but the Connexing two Blessings in the Promise upon the same Condition for Duty is a Blessing to the Saints and part of that Salvation purchased by Christ and promised in the Covenant I divide not what God hath joined together and call Duty not a Condition and Outward or Spiritual Good Things the Salvation for I look upon the Service of God to be the great Thing we are Redeemed to the Salvation bestowed on us and not the Condition of it Neonom Whether upon the acting such Graces and upright performing such Duties a Christian may not in the vertue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This you deny and I affirm Antinom And you affirm and teach a low servile Spirit and too bold to set aside Christ out of the Promise and challenge any Mercy at the Hands of God upon the account of Duty I think the best of the Saints have always thought themselves less than the least of God's Mercies and all their Righteousness i. e. their sincere Obedience and Perseverance to be but filthy Rags but that 's false Doctrine with you as I suppose we shall hear of e're long Neonom Yet allowing that God may sometime exert his Sovereignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and he may exchange a Blessing of a lower Nature Antinom i. e. Rules of distributive Justice in rewarding him according to his Works and if God must do it he must fly to his Sovereignty for Permission to go beside this Rule and no more than in exchanging one good thing for another there 's no such Dispensation in the Covenant of Grace What if God should deny to give the Blessing workt for and give no Succedaneum Neonom Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm Antinom Let me ask you Do you mean in a way of Benevolence or Complacency in respect of his Person or his Services And do you mean He is pleased for the Duties sake or for Christ's sake Neonom Now I shall proceed to confirm the Truth and the Points are too many to admit Enlargement and many carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgone when they are denyed Can two or three wrested Texts over-turn the constant Language of the Scriptures Antinom You should have first stated the Question in clear Terms and let it have been but one and not reserve to your self your principal Intention and give us out 20 Whethers and Neithers delivered forth in a Heap of Amphibologies which having been sufficiently demonstrated to you it signifies little for the Discovery of Truth to joyn issue with you upon such rambling Discourses as you make and it 's easier to call Scriptures brought against you wrested Texts than to prove them so Neonom And it is strange that all Religion and Humane Nature it self in a state of Tryal should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceipt that the Infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule D. W. p. 128. Antinom Here is nothing but Huff and Bounce to talk at this rate of wrested Texts overturning the Language of Scripture and Humane Nature gross Concelâ—s of God c. Now let me tell you one of the wrested Texts which in it's plain Literal Sence must overthrow your whole Scheme of Distribution of Rewards
God but unto the Faith of Believers 2. He makes no distinction that Works are of two sorts some excluded from Justification and not others but he expresly rejects his own Righteousness i. e. his personal inherent Righteousness whatever it be and however it be wrought 3. He makes a plain distinction of his twofold Estate 1. That of Judaism before Conversion 2. He proceeds to give an account of himself and Estate after Conversion The words of Davenant on this Passage in my Judgment are sober and weighty The Apostle here teacheth what that Righteousness is whereby we are accepted before God viz. which is apprehended by Faith He shews the cause why it is ours by right i. e. the Apostle shews it in this place because we are inserted into his Body and coalesce with him into one Person therefore his Righteousness is reputed ours De Justisic hab c. 38. For whereas some begin to interpret our being in Christ and being found in him so as to intend no more but our Profession of the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of the Catholick Church in all Ages concerning the Mystical Union of Christ and Believers is not to be blown away with a few empty Words and unproved Assertions The Answer then is full and clear unto the general Exception viz. That the Apostle rejects our Legal but not our Evangelical Righteousness For 1. The Apostle rejects neither absolutely but in comparison of Christ and with respect to the special end of Justification before God or a Righteousness in his sight 2. In that sense he rejects all our own Righteousness but our Evangelical Righteousness in the sense pleaded for is our own inherent in us performed by us 3. Our Legal and Evangelical in the sense pleaded for is the same 4. The Apostle rejects in this case all the Works of Righteousness that we have done Tit. 3.5 but our Evangelical Righteousness consists in the Works of Righteousness which we do 5. He disclaims all that is our own See more in the Treatise of Justification 535. Here the Society was adjourning but that a worthy Divine acquaints Mr. Calvinist that he saw the Reverend Mr. Richard Vines in a corner whereupon Mr. Calvinist return'd There is none here but hath a venerable Esteem for that famous Divine unless Mr. Neonomian who will however if he finds he is against him be so ingenuous as to knock under the Table Sir we beseech you lend us your help here against this confident Neonomian and New Divinity and in defence of the Apostle Paul whose Doctrin he is making Dung of trampling it down as Mire in the Streets Mr. Rich. Vines Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. After the Apostle had in the beginning of this Church fortified the Christian Philippians with a Caveat against such as did yet stand upon and pretend their Circumcision Christ a Christian 's only Gain by Rich. Vines sometime Master of Pembrook-hall Cambridge and their Jewish Prerogatives in opposition to Christ after this he gives a threefold account of himself 1. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of those Priviledges that others did insist upon c. V. 4. p. 1. 2. He shews what account he had of himself when Christ was discovered to him c. 3. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of perfection V. 12 c. p. 4 5 6. V. 8. p. 19. You have heard what reckoning the Apostle had of his own Righteousness in his unregenerate state and upon the discovery of Christ unto him he came to a loss of all that which before he counted gain Now in this Verse he goes on to shew you what account he had still of Christ and of all things besides Christ after some strength and experience he had of Christ yea doubtless any more than so Yea and more than that I account them still it is a rhetorical Speech wherein the Apostle riseth higher in his expression with greater overflow of affection verifying all things besides Christ as loss and dung he repeats it three times over a note of affection I count all things loss I have suffered the loss I account them but dung and then it is for Christ and that Christ who is my Lord. Suppose the Apostle had been thus spoken to 't is true you forsook all your former Gains and you professed all should go for Christ your self your Wealth your Zeal your Righteousness in the Law you valued all as nothing while Christ was new and fresh in your memory and before you had tasted of his Yoak and Cross But what say you now Paul now you have been beaten with Rods stoned Shipwrackt c. 2 Cor. 11.15 What now Paul are you of the same mind still is not your Courage cooled Nay doubless saith Paul I did and I do I am not changed I do account all things I reserve not one thing to lye between me and Christ not my good Works not any thing within me nor without me that I value or esteem my Righteousness my Obedience to the Law my Fasting my Scourging I count them but Loss and Dung for Christ c. p. 19 20. Doct. 4. That gracious Duties and Performances of a Man in the state of Grace are to be disclaimed in the matter of his Justification or his Righteousness before God p. 44. V. 1. The Papists will not hear this Doctrin for tho' with much ado they will quit their good Works that are done in an unregenerate state without and before Faith yet those Works of a regenerate Man that are besprinkled with the Blood of Christ Here 's your Doctrin Mr. Neonomian they will have them come in for their Justification for thus they say Christ merits for us that we may merit for ourselves that Christ is our Saviour by making us our own Saviours Christ is our justifier by making us justifie ourselves he giveth us Mony and we lay it down what is this It is to keep up good Duties say they and you which otherwise would fall to the ground whereas the true Spring and Whetstone of Obedience to God is Faith and Love and Thankfulness upon the apprehension of the Pardon of our Sins let a Man have Christ for his Righteousness and let a Man be ungodly if he can the love of Christ constraineth us c. p. 44 45 46. This Phrase of Speech All things Loss and but Dung mine own Righteousness both before and after Grace I count all to be but Dung that I may win Christ There is the Faith of Adventure and the Faith of Assurance p. 129. Proof of Doctrin 'T is for the gaining of Christ that a Christian counteth all things in the World as Dung and suffereth the loss of all things It 's a strange trade that a Man must lose to gain he must be a Beggar and Bankrupt that he may be rich he must be nothing that he may have Christ Yea his Works after Grace received all that I did know and all
before the Exercise of true Gospel Repentance Repentance is turning from Sin to God and this must be by Faith for none can come to God but by him Repentance and Faith do become necessary and useful by Vertue of the Promise in the way of Salvation but by no means in the Nature of Foederal Conditions God never constituted them in such a Covenant Order Neonom In the Covenant of Works the meer Work gave an Interest in the Reward as it was Obedience to the Precept by a Sanction which had Goodness but no such Grace in it Antinom It 's a gross mistake that Adam's Obedience would have Merited from Intrinsick Value or Worth it was ex pacto and whatever condition of the Creature-Performance the Legislator puts into the Covenant let it be less or more perfect or imperfect it 's all one they do ex pacto make the Benefit promised a Debt and this I will maintain against all the Neonomians in the World Neonom Vpon these accounts I shall never fear that Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace should turn it into a Covenant Works till I see it proved that God can promise and apply no Benefit purchased by Christ to a poor Sinner upon a condition of an Action he commands and freely enableth the Sinner to perform The Judgment Day is past and a state of Tryal is over whenever it is proved Thus much for Removal of Mistakes Antinom And poor confident Man I can but pity you to see how miserably mistaken you are All that you have said is so far from turning your Law of Imperfection into a Covenant of Works that it proves it to be a Covenant of Works against all the World What God can do is one thing and will do is another I am sure he hath made no other Foederal Condition of the New Covenant than Jesus Christ himself and his Righteousness and when the Judgment Day is come and it may be through Grace before during the state of Tryal as you call it you will be glad to throw away all your conditions and hold Christ alone as the only Foederal condition of Life and Salvation And let me tell you again that you forget it not That God never promised or applyed any Benefit to the most Perfect and Innocent Creature upon the condition of any Action he commands but what he freely enableth the said Person so commanded to perform and hitherto you have given us no Specifick difference between the Covenant of Works and Grace it 's only in degree that this is worse in condition and we are all together without strength to perform it Neonom Having premised these things to remove Mistakes I will tell you the Truth which I will express in the words of the Assembly D. W. p. 58. Q. 32. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant A. The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the condition to Interest them in him promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other Saving Graces Antinom In the first place you should have observed that they speak only of the manifestation of the Grace of the Covenant and no distinct Covenant from that of Redemption 2. They make not Faith a Condition of the Covenant of Grace but only of Interest Reception or Participation of the said Covenant With them 't is no more than modus recipiendi or participandi which is generally called the Instrument and therefore explain themselves thus Quest 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Not as if Works or any Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were imputed to him for his Justification but only as it is an Instrument whereby he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness 3. I made no Question but that it was that Fly that you catch'd at and watch'd for The Word Condition was then but a very small inconsiderable Word that none made any great matter of as importing no more than the Connexion of the Congregrative connex Axiom whose band of Connexion is the Conjunction Si And this conditional Connexion may fall upon any things that have necessary or contingent dependency one upon another whereby they have a mutual Affection or Dissatisfactions one to another and I call it a relative Condition and all things may come under it which way soever they look The Affirmation of this Proposition Si sit homo est animal If the Antecedent be true then the Consequence is true If John be a Man then he is an Animal and the Negation is Non si Johannes sit homo sit animal and though both antecedent and consequent may be false yet the It may be a true Proposition by vertue of the Connexion As if a Man be a Lyon he is a Four-footed Beast So if Judas be saved he did believe It 's a true Proposition tho' Judas never did believe nor was saved neither was there any Covenant of Grace made with him So that such a Proposition as this importeth no Covenant-Condition unless it be foederal over and above If the Devils shall be saved Christ died for them It 's true as a connex Proposition because there 's no other Name given under Heaven by which any Sinner can be saved But neither parts of this Proposition is true for Christ died not for them nor shall they be saved So here if a Sinner partake of Christ it 's by Believing because believing is his Participation and giving and receiving are relata and is no more a Condition here than Faith is to Holiness As thus If I believe I shall bring forth Fruits of Faith and it will be a Condition the other way if I bring forth good Fruits then I believe So that this sort of Condition attends the Expression of all sorts of Relations and Dependencies either Logical Mathematical Natural or Theological But when the Word Condition is carried further to denote a Foederal Bond or Obligation it becomes a big-bellied Word as you have phrased it and is always a distinguishing Character of a Covenant of Works And that the Assembly intended no other than a Relative Condition not a Federal I can give you many grounds from themselves Neonom But I will give my Reasons why they must understand a Federal Condition For 1. They judge that though God provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no Interest in him till they believe Antinom They by Interest mean Claim of Interest and Participation which we have by Faith and there Faith is no more a Condition than my hand is to the receiving a 1000 l. When it 's brought it 's only a Relative Condition Where there 's giving there is receiving but if there be any Condition on one side more than another it 's in the giving side which in nature and causality hath the
this vailed Ministration but look'd thorough the Vail by Faith for the Law-deliverance at Mount Sinai did not or could not disannull it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Covenant or Testament fore-ratifyed by God unto Christ Thus far we do in some measure agree Neonom But the Point before us is to know who this Israel and Judah be 1. They are either the Natural Jews to be alive in those days which this Promise refers to 2. Or to true Believers who are inwardly Israel Rom. 9.6 If it terminate in the Natural Jews it 's a strong Text for the Conversion of the Jews for the most part by an immediate Influence Antinom Those days are the days of the Gospel-ministration and it 's plain the Spirit of God referrs to the Jews that then lived The Apostle wrote to the Hebrews and his Design was to take them from the Mount Sinai Ministration which they were most fond of He tells them That now the days were come which the Prophet spake of and therefore this is but shuffling with the Texts as if the time of fulfilling this Promise was not yet come when the Spirit of God gives us so clearly to understand when this Prophecy was accomplished ver 6. having given us an Account of the Ministry of the Old Sanctuary that then the Priests did serve the Example and Shadow of Heavenly Things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They do service or minister by way of Similitude and Shadow whereby they understood that they were not to last but till a better Ministry ensued And ver 6. he saith But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also as he is the Mediator of a better Covenant And this is the time at the Appearance of this Mediator and his fulfilling all Righteousness that there should be this clear unvailed Dispensation of the Promise Not but God did thus unconditionally save them before but now they should understand the true Ground Principle and Use of Gospel-Services and Duties And here 's all absolute God forgives their Iniquity and writes his Law in their Hearts where all is absolute and free without mentioning any condition though you would fain hook them in any way by Head and Shoulders but you labour in vain Neonom If they be true Believers inward Israel Rom. 2.9 then there is Faith in such who are the Parties with whom God makes this Covenant c. D. W. p. 68. Antinom We shewed you it 's meant first of the professed Jews in those days out of which God would take a true Israel by vertue of this Promise And when-ever they that were blinded should be converted and turn to the Lord it should be so and this way they should come to be Believers for giving the New Heart and writing the Law there is making them Believers How absurdly do you talk of making Believers first and then taking them into Covenant As if making Men Believers and giving them new Hearts were not taking them into Covenant This is from your Principle That there 's no Promise of giving Pardon or Salvation to meer Sinners and Unbelievers which is contrary to the whole Gospel I will shew you a Promise that declares this absolute Covenant expresly to the Sinners of the Gentiles though the same Promise belongs to both expressed in either of the places Rom. 9.23 That God might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared to Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This fore-preparation was in the Covenant of Grace even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles ver 25. As he saith in Osce I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. See the place And that this Calling referrs to more than an outward Profession appears by 1 Pet. 2.9 10. You will make the writing of God's Law in the Heart to be the Condition when it 's the very Promise made Give me the Condition of this Promise to be found in us before God's Law is written or else you do nothing Neonom It cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the New Covenant that the Dr. would have it God doth not require any Duty as the condition of the Benefits which he promised to give D. W. p. 68. Antinom You say the first Grace is freely given which in the Promise is a New Heart Now what is a greater Benefit than Life from the dead And what Duty can be required as a Condition to this Benefit Here you must fall in with the Papists and directly contrary to Article 13. of the Church of England Neonom I talk not of a Condition before a new Heart but that the New Heart is the Condition For God's Law is written in the Heart before our relation to him as his People or the Pardon of Sin Antinom Here you plainly say there 's a real state in Grace without a relative Sanctification without Justification or Adoption the Law written in the Heart and therefore Good Works While we are unreconciled to God it 's before we are his People Now this Law must be written 1. In the Heart of the ungodly Man and Unbeliever contrary to what you say That there 's no promise made to such because Unbelievers Or it must be in the Heart of him who at once is made a Believer in the working of a New Heart in which instant he is related to God and hath the pardon of Sin But it 's unaccountable Divinity That the Law of God is writ in the Heart before our Relation to God as his People or the Pardon of Sins Neonom But God requires us to make us new Hearts as a condition of Life Ezek. 18.31 Jer. 7.23 2 Cor. 3.6 Antinom I suppose Sir you your self cannot say that the first quoted places are wrote in the New Covenant Dialect but in that of the Vailed Covenant especially that of Ezek. 18. the place quoted by you I suppose you will not say it 's quite contrary to Jer. 31.31 for if so we may throw away our Bibles but that this place is to be taken in some Sence that is not contrary to the very nature and design of that of Jeremy The drift of this Chapter Ezek. 18. is to vindicate the just and righteous Proceedings of God For they had charged God with Injustice and Unrighteousness of his Dealings towards them That the Son suffered for the Father's Sins The Father eat sowre Grapes c. God Visiting the Iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children The Lord tells them there 's no Child suffers for his Fathers Sins any farther than he entails the Curse and as he walketh in his Fathers Sins and that by personal Repentance of the vilest Person a Man should be saved and not suffer for his Parents Sins And ver 29. the Prophet saith notwithstanding you have heard the Justice of God thus vindicated you will persist in it and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
God unto Salvation but not as the Cause this were to change the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works our good Works are the effects of Grace the Reward of good Works are a Reward of Grace Good Works are necessary to Salvation as the Way not as an Instrument or Cause Faith is necessary to Salvation as an Instrument The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ is necessary as a meritorious Cause Calvin Mr. Antisozzo I pray do you now speak impartially to this Point Antisozzo I think I have met with his Scheme before now and as I take it it runs thus and the Question that lies before us is this What Influence the Sacrifice of Christs Death and the Righteousness of his Life have upon our acceptance with God The Gentleman that I once disputed with stated the Question so and resolved it as follows Antisozzo p. 580. All that I can find in Scripture about this is That to this we owe the Covenant of Grace That God being well-pleased with the Obedience of Christ's Life and the Sacrifice of his Death for his sake entred into a new Covenant with Mankind wherein he promises pardon of Sin and eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel I think this is exactly your Scheme Mr. Neonomian Neonom Yes and something more D. W. p. 8. viz. That the Gospel barrs all Vnbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption and denounceth the continuance of Condemnation against them limiting it's Benefits to such as believe Antisozzo This Scheme contains three things 1. A Description of the Covenant of Grace 2. An Assertion that this Covenant of Grace is owing to the Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ 3. A Supposition that this Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ hath no other Influence upon our acceptance with God but that for his sake he enrted into such a Covenant with Mankind 1. His Description is this A Promise of the pardon of Sin and Eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel Neonom You will not I hope deny this to be a true Description of the Covenant of Grace Antisozzo But I will for all your hast It is a Description so liable to Exceptions that it describes neither the whole of the Covenant nor a New Covenant nor upon the matter any Covenant at all Neonom If you prove what you say Eris mihi magnus Apollo I 'll strike out your Name from my Book and if I can be convinced I must subscribe yours Antisozzo You shall see what I can do presently 1. This Description gives us very little of a true Covenant of Grace For 1. Tho you think to put us off with a Promise of Pardon and Life to those that believe and obey the true Covenant of Grace hath given us a Promise of that Faith whereby we may believe and of that New Heart whereby we are enabled to obey the Gospel And First We have the Promise of the right Faith in the true Covenant John 6.37 Eph. 1.8 And least it should be said Faith is a common Gift as other things are the Apostle hath his reply ready Eph. 1.19 Secondly We have a direct and express Promise too of that New Heart from which we give to God new Obedience Ezek. 36. Ver. 26 27. c. 2. This Description gives but very little of the true Covenant of Grace there 's a Promise of Pardon and Life to them who believe and obey but Perseverance in Faith and Obedience is left to the Desultory and Lubricous Power of Free Will whereas in the true Câ—venant of Grace there 's an Undertaking that the Covenant shall be immutable both on God's part Jer. 32.38 4. God hath said He will not turn away from doing them good And 2ly He hath promised That they shall not depart from him c. p. 583. 2. As it describes not the whole of the Covenant so it describes not the Nature of a new Covenant 1. It describes no New Covenant in opposition to the Old Covenant of Works The Covenant with Adam promised Life upon condition of Oâ—edience and those Commands as easie as those now given to Mankind and much easier too if we consider Adam's Natural Strength 2. We are told by you that Christ hath added to the Moral Law i. e. to the Moral Duties required by the New Law Faith and Repentance which is to lay more Load on those that were overcharged before So that as you make Covenants Adam's was much the better Covenant of the two but you have wisely shuffled in a Promise of the Pardon of Sin which may seem to give this Covenant a Preheminence above that of Adam But that will not mend the matter both because it 's better to have no Sin in our Natures than such a Remedy better to have no Wound than such a Plaister and also because the Promise of Pardon as you say is suspended upon the condition of Faith and Obedience which without a Supernatural real Influx of immediate Divine Power reduceth the Promise to an impossibility of Performance 2ly This Covenant described is no new Covenant in opposition to the Old Administration of the Covenant of Grace there were the same Promises then that we have now the same Moral Precepts that we have now Though the Word Gospel come in for a Blind yet the Apostle assures us the Gospel was preached to Abraham 3. Upon the matter it 's no Covenant of Grace at all p. 584. For 1. A Promise of Pardon and Life upon condition of believing and obeying is neither better nor worse than a Threatning of Condemnation and Death to them who believe not and obey not It may with equal right be called a Threatning of Death as a Promise of Life It 's no more of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath And therefore 2ly If it be lawful to consider Man as the Word of God describes him dead in Sins and Trespasses It 's no Covenant at all to him For what is the nice difference betwixt the Promise of Life to him that obeys when it 's certain before-hand he cannot obey and no Promise at all c. Neonom Well Sir pray let us call another Cause Do you argue like a Voucher to my Book Mr. Calvinist he is a sharp Man and he doth this only for Argumentation sake he is of my mind for all this Antisozzo No do not you believe that you wheadled me in to vouch for your Book I know not how but I shall stick the closer upon your Skirts for that I have not done with you yet Calvin I will then propound one Question to Mr. Antisozzo Whether the Covenant of Grace be owing to the Sacrifice of Christs Death and so be distinct from that he calls the Covenant of Redemption Because our time now is up speak only what your Judgment is in this Point Antisozzo Mr. Neonomian I must tell you I have narrowly pryed into this Paradox That the Covenant of Grace is owing to procured by and
have an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified Pardon believed is the Root of Sanctification and this cannot be without it for by Faith we are risen with Christ we are planted in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection and Faith in this Point of Christ's Resurrection is that which sets us above the Charge of Sin and Condemnation By the Resurrection of Christ Preached we are begotten to this lively believing hope and we are risen with him through this Faith of the Operation of God hence the Body of Sin is destroyed Death abolished Life and Immortality brought to light Christ by his Resurrection being discharged and justified from the Iniquities of us all which were laid upon him and which he bore in his Body upon the Tree Neonom An Inlightned Regenerate Soul cannot Act towards Christ when he is first presented to its view below these Instances Antinom No it 's the sight of Christ and taste of Christ that carries him forth to all Duties of Sanctification he having Christ in all his fulness he hath done with all his Conditions all his Righteousness is filthy Rags A Soul truely instated by a lively Faith is far above padling with his own little poor sinful Duties as conditions between him and Christ he can serve Christ obey him and his Commandments are not grievous to him neither will he think they have any such Vertue in them as to give him Right to Christ in any way of Foederal Conditionality Neonom His mistakes are because Faith is the Evidence of things unseen i. e. it assents unto unseen realities therefore he thinks that our Faith is nothing but our assent Antinom I think I understand the Import of those words as I have told you but I shewed you it 's such a work of the Spirit and Word whereby the Heart Ecchoes to the Word by such perswasion of the Truth whereby Christ and the Truth is as it were formed in us and your selves can give no account of Faith that reacheth the Essentials thereof but what we have done from the Word of God Neonom Because the Word of Grace promiseth Justification unto all true Believers therefore an assurance of my being Justified is believing whereas I must first be a Believer in order to Pardon before I justly can or ought to believe that I am pardoned Antinom The word Assurance is a word you Impose it was not in the words you alledge against me what is it the Gospel would have us believe if it be not Forgiveness of Sins Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are justified c. What do they believe It 's Forgiveness of Sins and in this Act of Faith is the Justification by Faith in that they believe forgiveness of Sins and as they are weakly or strongly perswaded through the Spirit of Grace working the Promise upon their Souls In Justification by Faith Faith is not nor cannot be before it but they are Relata quae mutua alterius constant affectione Popish School Divines do dream that Faith is a Quality cleaving in the Heart Luth. on Gal. c. 3. v. 8. without Christ This is a Devilish Errour But Christ should be so set forth that thou shouldest see nothing besides him and shouldest think that nothing can be more near unto thee or more present within thy Heart than he is for he sitteth not Idly in Heaven but is present in us C. 2. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And here likewise you have put on Christ Faith therefore is a certain stedfast beholding which looketh upon nothing else but Christ the Conqueror of Sin and Death and the Giver of Righteousness Salvation and Eternal Life this is the cause that Paul nameth Jesus Christ so often in his Epistles almost in every Verse but he setteth him forth by the Word For otherwise he cannot be comprehended but by the Word This was lively and notably set sorth by the Brazen Serpent for Moses commanded them that were stung to do nothing else but stedfastly behold the Brazen Serpent they that did so were healed Read with great vehemency this word me and for me and so inwardly practise with thy self Id. on Gal. 2.20 that thou with a sure Faith maist conceive and print this me in thy Heart and apply it unto thy self not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this 〈◊〉 belongeth Also that Christ hath not only loved Peter and Paul and given himselfe for them but that the same Grace also which is comprehended in this me as well appertaineth and cometh unto us as unto them When I feel and confess my self a Sinner through Adam's Transgression why should I not say that I am made Righteous through the Righteousness of Christ especially when I hear that he loved me and gave himself for me This did Paul most stedfastly believe and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemency and full assurance which God grant unto us in some part at the least who hath loved us and given himself for us What is Faith The first part of Religion whereby from Knowledge I believe in God Yates Divin The first Act of Faith is passive in receiving what God gives Here may we justly say it is a poorer and meaner Act to believe than to love nay rather Passion than Action for we are first apprehended of God before we apprehend him again Phil. 3.12 This Grace is most freely Graced that it might the more frankly reflect all on God again No doubt Faith receives a full discharge makes it not we rather by Faith receive an Acquittance Sealed in the Blood of Christ than the Blood of Christ to make our own Works Meritorious which we may offer to God in payment for our selves Here lyes the Errour of Papists even in Faith iâ— self and other Graces If God will â—â—t bear half the Charges by his Co-operation Man shall undertake to Merit his own Glory and fulfill the Royal Law so abundantly that he shall have something over and above Works are the Effects of Sanctification Sanctification is the Effect of Justification P. 23. The Object of the Understanding is Truth of the Will Goodness Temble of Grace and Faith P. 111. Faith is an Assent to the Truth and Goodness of Divine Revelation wherefore we affirm that this Faith is an Act of the Understanding and of the Will both together approving and allowing the Truth and Goodness of Divine Things In which Asserâ—ion you are to note that we do not make the habit of Faith to be inherent in two Faculties but we affirm the subject is but one and the same viz the Intellectual Nature for I take it with divers of the Lerrned that these Speculations about the real distinction of Faculties in Spiritual Substances of Angels and Souls of Men are but meer subtilties in the Schools without any true ground in
without one desire to be rid of them D. W. p. 88. Calvin Do you think there will be any Fellowship between Christ and Belial One must be gone When Christ comes in unto the Heart he binds the strong man armed and spoils him of his Goods I am sorry to hear you banter a poor Sinner's believing in Christ under the sense of the Vileness and Sinfulness of his Disposition and the Enmity of his Heart or that you should suppose or suggest to the World that there is any way under Heaven to change the Heart and Disposition savingly or heal the Conscience but by bringing a poor Creature to Jesus Christ and him Crucify'd and saying to him Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved There is Pardon Forgiveness Cleansing in the Blood of Christ therefore the Course that I take always is to endeavour to set the Lord Jesus Christ in all his fulness before an awakened Sinner and if he be yet secure and going on in his evil ways I bring him as near to Christ as I can I endeavour to convince him that he sins against Christ as well as the Law the precicious Blood of Christ that was shed for Sinners I do what I can to bring him to Christ to be taught to be invited overcome by the Sweetness and Amiableness of Jesus Christ and let him know the danger if he persist obstinate Neonom But some degrees of Convictions and Humiliations of Soul are necessary prerequisites to the Souls Acceptation of Christ for Pardon weary and heavy laden that Christ invites Mat. 11.28 I came not to call the Righteous i. e. conceited and secure but Sinners to Repentance Luke 5.31 32. They in Acts 2.37 were pricked to the Heart the Gaoler felt some Humbling concern Acts 16.30 Paul knew what this trembling was so Zacheus and the Prodigal Luke 15.14 15. D. W. p. 87. Calvin All his humblings prickings weariness awakenings were by the Power of Gospel Grace and by the preaching of Jesus Christ Christ's Ministry is enough with his Power to save Souls he needs no prerequisites The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation therewith he wounds and therewith he makes whole Christ makes weary and gives rest he convinceth Sinners and gives Repentance the preaching Christ Crucified pricked those Converts to the Heart and healed those Wounds It was the same Hand of Grace that awakened the Gaoler and when he had a Knife in his Hand even to Murder Christ in his Members and when he saw that was wrinched out of his Hand took a Knife to Murder himself in the height of that desperate Villany he was commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he should be saved The case plainly is this That Jesus Christ himself the Minister of the true Sanctuary and the preaching of him is the only and sufficient Remedy to change and save the worst of Sinners through the effectual working of the Spirit the order and method is various it 's as the Spirit listeth we are not to prescribe any methods or measures of Humblings much less to say such and such Moral Vertues or Duties are necessary Prerequisites and Qualifications before a Sinner comes to Christ The Apostle Paul said That he determined to know nothing i. e. so as to Preach among them but Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 I am for working Humiliations by setting Christ before the most refractory Sinners ' for all Salvation true Mourning and Humiliation proceeds from looking on him whom a poor Sinner hath pierced I am for the bringing of the most Leprous Sinner I cannot engage he will come to wash in this Spirtiual Jordan though I find you are rather for washing off his Leprosie first in the Rivers of Abana and Pharfar Rivers of Damascus Neonom I am not for bringing such foul filthy Sinners to Jesus Christ it sounds very ill in the Ear to say Christ saves Murderers Adulterers Persecutors c. and to invite them to come to Christ reaking in their Sins and under the Reigning Enmity of their Hearts it 's fit that they should be civilized first and this wicked profligate disposition removed and that they have new Hearts before they come to Christ for I tell you Christ will not pardon them else Antinom You mistake the whole sence of the Gospel or will not understand it that you may seem to have a plausible pretence to oppose it When Sinners are invited to come to Christ it 's not meerly under the Notion of Pardon but of all Salvation he is offered and the Sinner is invited to come unto him as having given himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar People Zealous of good Works A Sinner is by the Gospel called to Christ in all states of his Unregeneracy whether openly Prophane or Morally Vertuous one is as easily saved by Christ as the other the former ordinarily sooner easier converted seemingly than the latter neither is the latter better qualified and fitted for the Grace of God than the other That place quoted by you 1 Cor. 14.24 25. is a clear proof how the Word of God's Grace works these true Convictions in the Saving Work and that your Humblings in the state of Unregeneracy are no necessary Prerequisites to the Grace of God Neonom I will discover your Mistakes in these things Because they that truely come to Christ shall have an Interest in Christ therefore he thinks whosoever can perswade himself that he hath an Interest in Christ doth come to him Antinom It would have been well if it had been my Happiness to have attain'd to your degree of Learning and had so great a Capacity for it as you that I might not have fallen under so gross mistakes I confess it's pity a Doctor should be so silly a John-an-Oaks as you represent me But what shall I say to it It 's not every Man's Portion to be Learned or Wise only there 's one Proverb I remember that is some satisfaction to an empty Skull Non est datum cuivis Corinthum appellere But methinks you mistake about my Thoughts if I have Wit enough to tell my own Thoughts It is strange I should be so stupid as Credere quod habeo habeo as to believe that I have when I have not and to call that Perswasion my having I spake of having Christ by coming to Christ and then of our knowing that we have Christ If you will examine what I think I will tell you I think coming to Christ is by believing and appropriating Christ and what is generally delivered of him and by him unto my self if it be by way of Promise offer or command and that this believing is such perswasion of the Goodness and Truth of Christ and his Gospel Salvation that it carries me forth to rest and stay my self confidently thereon and that I can perswade my self of the Truth of my Faith from its Act on its proper Object and
the New Testament are so often repeated which shew Justification to be sought only in the Person of Christ John 1.12 and 3.15 16. and 6.40 47. and 14.1 54. Rom. 4.5 and 3.26 Acts 10.43 and 25.18 Rom. 3.26 A Sinner is justified by Faith not properly as it is a Quality or Action Pemble of Justific ch 11. § 2. which by its own Dignity and Merit deserves at God's Hands Remission of Sins or is by God's favourable Acceptance taken for the whole and perfect Righteousness of the Law which is otherwise required of a Sinner but only in Relation unto the Object of it the Righteousness of Christ which it embraceth and resteth upon Justification is a Gracious Act of God upon a Believer whereby for the Righteousness sake of Christ Imputed by God Nortons Eang p. 300. and applyed by Faith he doth freely discharge him from Sin and Curse and accept him as Righteous in the Righteousness of Christ and acknowledge him to have a Right unto Eternal Life Q. 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Faith justifies a Sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces that do always accompany it Assemb Large Catech. or of good Works which are the Fruits thereof nor as if the Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were Imputed to him for Justification only as it is an Instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness Q. 32. What is Justification A. Justification is an Act of God's Free Grace whereby he pardoneth all our Sins Shorter Catech. and accepteth us as Righteous in his sight only for the Righteousness of Christ received by Faith alone Whom God effectually calleth he freely justifieth not by Infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins Confess c. 11. and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone not by Imputing Faith it self the Act of Believing nor any other Evangelical Obedience as their Righteousness but by Imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the Gift of God We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith Artic. 11. of the Church of Engl. and not for our own Merits and Deservings wherefore that we are Justified by Faith only is a most wholesom Doctrine and very full of Comfort c. The Righteousness of Christ as it 's Christ's and performed by him so it is ours as it 's Meritorious of Grace Efficacious of Faith it self that is to be wrought in us it 's ours therefore I say by way of Right because by the Decree of the Father and Purpose of the Son it 's wrought for us tho' not in our Possession as to Sense and Acknowledgment of so great a Benefit bestowed Haec enim agnitio this Acknowledgment ariseth from Faith The Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us and his Merits to be applyed by Faith not before God but in our Consciences as there is a Sense of it begotten in our Hearts by Faith and an Acknowledgment of the Saving Application from the Love of God which we taste by Faith and Spiritually perceive Justifying of us and Adopting us to be his Sons from whence ariseth Peace of Conscience Whence the Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us by Faith because it is not known but by Faith that it is Imputed to us by God and then at length we are said to be Justified by that kind of Justification and Absolution from our Sins which begets or produceth peace of Conscience Dr. Twiss C. 1. p. 2. de Elect. He speaks of Justification in a double Acceptation 1. As the Righteousness of Christ is applyed to us before Faith and Repentance by reason of which Righteousness we obtain Efficacious Grace to believe in Christ and Repent 2. He understands Justification to be that Notification that is by Faith made to our Consciences or in the Court of Conscience and this is saith he that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Remission of Sin Justification and Absolution which follows Faith There 's none of us saith he say that wicked vitious Person allowing themselves to live in their Sins are bound to believe Christ dyed for them for my part I think otherwise that whilst all are commanded to believe in Christ they are not bid presently to believe that Christ dyed for them but rather to rest themselves upon Christ by Faith to renounce themselves and their own Works and cast themselves down at the Feet of Mercy this is only properly called Faith on Christ fides in Christum the other is only Faith concerning Christ Hence Mr. Norton hath these words Orthod p. 315. These are both Truths 1. Justification hath a Being before the Elect do believe 2. That the Elect are not Justified before they do believe Justification is the Object Faith is the Act or being actually Justified is an Effect Faith is the Instrumental Cause the Cause is before the Effect Maccovius Disput XVI distinguishes Justification into Active and Passive Active Justification signifies God's Absolution of a Guilty Person from Guilt for the sake of Christ's Satisfaction and accounting him Righteous for his Righteousness Imputed The Differences between this and Passive Justification by Faith are 1. This is one undivided Act of God Absolution by Faith is repeated 2. Active precedes Faith Passive follows c. A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness Neonom GEntlemen if you please for a Diversion after this Arduous Attempt that I have made to bring in the true Doctrine of the Catholick Church let us make a little digression for our Recreation and treat upon a Point that hath not so much difficulty in it for having got in Faith to justifie as a qualifying Act I doubt not now but to pleasure some of its Relations and find them a place in Justification too Antinom Stay not so hasty I do not find you have yet attained your End about Faith festina lentè cry not Victoria yet but however Gentlemen seeing he is for a digression let him have it for he hath been in digression from Truth all along I know not how he can digress from the way he hath been in hitherto but by coming into Truth Neonom You judging we are justified before we do believe it 's no wonder if you tell us We are forgiven before we confess Sin p. 255. and repent and therefore I would enquire of the necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness D. W. p. 113. Antinom As a Qualifying Condition Gentlemen this is no digression for it 's the Right Line and Method that Bellarmine and all the Papists have taken in handling the Doctrine of Justification first to bring in Faith to justifie as
to God Calvin A Man doth not walk about without his Arms therefore he goes upon his Arms and Hands Neonom Arg. 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart Calvin Nô nor without Faith neither what trifling is here Neonom Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification Calvin Therefore you 'l say Christ justifies us by Infusing Righteousness by making us Righteous inherently for which he declares us Righteous an old decryed Popish Errour Neonom A Resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please Calvin I say more there 's no Venial Sin every Sin is Damning in its own Nature and a Sin repented of without Forgiveness is Damning and the very Repentance of a Natural Man which you would have Conditionate him for Grace is Damning Neonom It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Calvin We reckon it our Duty under the highest Obligation of preventing Grace and great and precious Promises and from the greatest Sence of Duty to renounce our Sins with all our Hearts but dare not do it in a way of Qualification of our selves for Forgiveness least we should make those Repentings and Humblings our Merits as the Papists do whereby Christ profits them nothing and under pretence of Holiness they lose their Righteousness pretend to renounce one Idol and set up another Neonom I will tell you how the Assembly and Dr. O. are of my Mind Calvin You may spare your self the labour for they are point blank against you and so are all Protestants that are not tainted with the Doctrine of the Jesuites Neonom I think there 's never a Barrel the better Herring of you come let 's be gone DEBATE XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and Good Works with Perseverance therein Calvin HOW do you Mr. Neonomian are you well methinks you look a little Moody Neonom It would disturb any Orthodox Man's Spirit to see how Errour prevails I profess I am almost weary of this Club if this be your Calvinian Club I do think I must betake my self to some other you know where I shall find more soundness in Doctrine Calvin O pray Mr. Neonomian let not Disputants be angry with one another Disputation should be for Information of the Judgment not for the gratifying Pride and Passion put another Question it may be we may agree in that Neonom I will try you once more and if you boggle there Fare you well Gentlemen note that whatever I shall speak now of any Act of Grace except Penitent Believing referrs not to the Forgiveness of Sins or the Sinners Admission into a Justified Estate The Benefits that I here speak of are not the Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other Particular Blessings as Increase of Peace Returns of Prayer D. W. Antinom I find now you clapt two Conditions into one why had we not these Conditions twisted together before Methinks you incommoded your self in not doing it yesterday for vis unita fortior but you reckon Faith and Repentance reach no further than the first Justification I think the Catholicks are of your Mind for that 2. You talk of forfeiting Justification the meaning in English is falling away from Grace Neonom Some Mens Brains had need be taken out and washed in Vinegar for there 's no making them understand it were well that you were better studied in Terms of Art Calvin Prethee Mr. Antinomian sit down and hold thy Peace a while you 'll never leave till you have put the Gentleman into a Fustion fume and then we shall lose his good Company pray go on Mr. Neonomian Antinom I smell him where he will be Calvin Nay not yet neither Neonom I tell you then if I may be permitted to speak what an Errour this Antinomian holds He saith 1. Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation 2. Nor is Sanctification a way of any Person to Heaven 3. Nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least good to prevent the least Evil. 4. Nor are they of the least use to their Peace or Comfort 5. Yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the strength of the Spirit of God 6. And a Believer ought not to think he is the more pleasing to God by any Grace he Acteth or Good he Doth 7. Nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by their Humiliation Earnest Prayer for Reformation of a People Calvin Now Sir you have a Rowland for your Oliver here 's a long and strong Inditement laid in against you I wish you a good delivery Mr. Antinomian Antinom As I take it there 's about seven things you charge me with I pray make your Proofs per partes I shall be abler to give my Answer Neonom You have told us seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift I say all we do is for Christ himself and not for our selves Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. D. W. from Dr. Cr. p. 41 42. Antinom By this you prove that Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation Gentlemen I must crave your patience to hear that part of my Discourse that you may judge of it It was upon John 14.16 I was saying D. Cr. p. 41. How near hath Christ made the way unto the Father Thus near that he that believeth shall be saved Let me be bold to tell you you are in as full a state of Justification before God Now mark I was speaking of passing from one state to another in Justification and do you not remember what he said That whatever he should speak now referring to any Act of Grace except believing penitently referrs not to Forgiveness of Sins and now he alledgeth what I said upon that account to prove a change about Sanctification You are in a true State of Salvation you that are Believers are as those that are already in Heaven D. Cr. p. 41. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Such a near way Christ is yet still people will be Cavilling where are good Works all this while What justified by Faith alone Saved by Christ alone Let me tell you If Christ be the way of Justification and only Federal Condition of Eternal Life i. e. of all Salvation in Faith and Holiness then Works are not the way except they be Christ but must we not work Yea but for other purposes the Lord hath propounded other Ends not meriting your Salvation for which you are to work ye are bought with a price that 's done therefore glorifie God
fail of we lose all the Blessings of Eternal Life So that our Glorification stands upon more hazardous Terms than Eternal Life did to Adam for upon one good Work he should have entred into full Possession of Eternal Life and a Confirmation therein whereas we must stand upon the Test all our days and may lose all at last for the Works must be performed perseveringly or else no Penny for all the Paternosters Neonom Yea he must perform this sincere Obedience and do these good Works perseveringly and he appoints these as the way and means of a Believer's obtaining Salvation and several other Blessings requiring these as Indispensable Duties and Qualifications of all such as he will so save and bless and excluding all that want or neglect them or live under the Power of what 's contrary thereto viz. As Profaneness Rebellion and utter Vnfruitfulness Antinom Gentlemen you see how well Truth is stated here 1. Christ hath promised to bring to Heaven such as are Partakers of Holiness as a condition of his second new Law As if the Promise of Eternal Life were not at once the Promise of the Life of Grace and Glory 2. His way and means is a conditional qualifying means obtaining the Promise foederally 3. His means are two Sincerity and Perseverance Sincerity must not be mingled with Hypocrisie for tho other Qualifications be imperfect yet Sincerity must be perfect and must give Perfection to all the rest Foederally But a Man is not confirmed in the state of Grace nor is it secured by one two or a Hundred sincere Works His Sincerity is not a Condition to be depended upon if he persevere not if he fall into Evil Works or perform not good Works sincerely his Heart hath been Hypocritical he 's gone for the present he must begin again to be sincere and persevere but will lose his Condition and his Hope upon it so often that he is perswaded at last to leave tyring himself to get and keep sincerity and perform sincere Works that he thinks it the best way to give it over till he is going to die that he hath no more to do than the Thief upon the Cross for he reckons he can be sincere there for a spurt to help him at a dead Lift and hath nothing else to do and it will be no long work for him And thus your Doctrine comes to be the greatest Doctrine of Looseness and Prophaneness Your unperformable Foederal Conditions putting Men upon an utter despair of ever attaining to any true allowable Holiness And it seems these are undispensible Qualifications The meaning of this can be no other but a falling away from a state of Grace for if Indispensable then a Breach of these Conditions is not to be dispensed with Now I say if sincere Obedience and Perseverance be indispensible Qualifications after a Man hath begun in sincere Obedience and continued some time and then fall into Hypocrisie or some such Sin as David's which was Profaneness or some such Sin as Asa's which was Persecution and Peter's in denial of his Master These are Sins of Rebellion What must such an one conclude And what else can you now say to him but that he is fallen from the Blessing and promised Heaven He is in a state of Damnation All his former Faith and Obedience is lost What shall a Minister say to him now under the deepest Sence of Sin Saith he I am certainly damned I have fallen short of an indispensible Qualification for Heaven Nay you tell me Christ doth exclude those that have any want of Sincerity and Perseverance or such as have neglected it Neonom Say to him I 'll tell you what I would say to him Jesus Christ died to save Sinners provided they repent and believe they shall be justified and provided they practise sincere Obedience and persevere in it they shall be saved so as to go to Heaven but all your Justification signifies nothing unless you persevere in Sincerity I would say to him Go and repent and believe and persevere again in sincere Obedience and they you will see how it is but never be so presumptuous as to believe you shall be saved till you have persevered and all your Comfort of Heaven lies upon this Antinom Those that know Christ and have Experienced the Temptations of Satan and the workings of Unbelief in themselves will tell you that this is a Soul-destroying Doctrine such as drives poor Sinners off from God brings them out of Love with Christ carries them back to the Yoke of Bondage their own Righteousness and destroys them by Security or Despair at last Neonom This Antinomian is honestly zealous for the Honour of Free Grace D. W. Pref. D. W. p. 125. but you may see by his discourse that he hath not light sufficient to see how God hath provided for this in his Rectoral distribution of Benefits by a Gospel Rule come I 'll tell you wherein the difference doth not lye between us first 1. It 's not whether God hath decreed that the Elect shall be Holy and Obedient and so partake of Saving Blessings Antinom But yet he hath not so decreed it as to all the certainty but that their Salvation depends on a contingent Proposition i. e. if they believe sincerely work and persevere they shall be saved and they are to conclude nothing as to the goodness and certainty of their Estate from the Doctrine of Election Redemption and the great and precious Promises believed till they have sincerely and perseveringly obeyed and then they may when the Wruttles are upon them and Death pangs if they have their Senses but never before Neonom Nor is it a question whether every Work will fail to save a Christless Vnbeliever Antinom What mean you here one would think you mean that some Works will fail and some not fail but because I find after you affirm the question I take it thus That though a Christless Unbeliever can be saved by no Works yet he that believes in Christ is saved by some Works which is at the best very rough-hewn Divinity hardly Protestant Neonom Nor is it the differ whether Christ hath paid the price of Temporal Spiritual and Eter â—ssings Antinom Ay and to mucâ— pose if we must pay upon an after Bargain and run the Gantâ—et in a Covenant of Works and have no certainty of our Salvation but according to the payment that we make and if we fail to pay Rent duely whether we have Money or no we must be turned out of Doors indeed Friend you sit at a hard Rack-rent and you must account for all dilapidatitions too and its danger but that you 'll be turned out of all at last Neonom Nor whether the Essential Blessings of the Gospel becomes the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ Antinom It seems the Circumstantials are not the Apostle mistook when he said We are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus he
and Punishments in the way that you propose Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. After the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy hath he saved us c. I 'll tell you what Mr. Beza saith upon the place Certainly not only the Works of the Ceremonial Law but all Works are at once excluded or else the Antithesis of Mercy would signifie nothing here But some will say It 's to be understood of Works preceding Faith and therefore Omnia opera preparatoria All preparatory Works are excluded and then tell us what it is to save whether this be nothing else than to ascribe a Faculty of deserving to a thing he that saith this doth manifestly wrest the Word of God For so the Benefit of our Salvation is taken away from the Righteousness of subsequent Works as well as of precedent which appears from the Opposition made between Works and Grace as also from our Regeneration and Justification by Grace in the two next Verses But you say the Covenant of Grace is a Rule of Distribution of Rewards and Punishments according to Works which you explain doing performing Actions on our parts which is to make the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works And you insinuate that Humane Nature stands in a state of Tryal for Salvation as if something were to be done and is expected to be done by the Natural Man in order to the obtaining of Grace Neonom What Reflection is it on Divine Wisdom and the glorious Platform of the Redeemers Work and Kingdom that he cannot purchase Benefits for Sinners unless he forbear to use them as Motives to Obedience Yea the whole of his serious Pleadings with men must be a Mockery rather than he must be allowed to bestow his Benefits in a Rectoral way Antinom What a Reflection is on the Wisdom Grace and Power of God that he cannot bestow his Benefits freely that he can act no way towards poor sinful and miserable Creatures but in a way of Justice in propounding Rewards to their Works and these must be the Motives to Duty that he will pay them well for their Duties And what Reflection on the whole Work of Redemption that all that Sinners have got by it is the Procurement of an Offer of Salvation in a Covenant of Works by offering them to live upon the condition of doing to allow him to have purchased Benefits but we must pay for them before we have them and not be out of Debt at the first payment neither Christ indeed you 'll say gives us the Buying and saith that he 'll get little or nothing by it He hath set a moderate reasonable Price upon them but we must pay in such Money as we have yea and all that we have And because we have not the Money to lay down at once he admits us to pay by Parts which is a Favour but if we make a Failure that we persevere not in sincere Doing out of Doors we must go Reprobate Silver shall we be called because the Lord hath rejected us Your meaning of a Rectoral way I take to be nothing else but in a way of Distributive Justice dispensing as King and Law-giver in the Covenant of Grace making and executing this Law Do and live for you will not have the Covenant of Grace to run in this Tenure Live and do Therefore he must act no otherwise than in a Covenant of Works Do and live and accordingly dispense Rewards and Punishments Neonom That you mistake me not When I speak of Holiness I mean all good Works internal external praying hearing exact walking Alms-deeds any Act of Obedience directed by the Word of God By Doing the same Actions are intended Believing in Christ is Doing it is an Action on our part c. D. W. p. 129. Antinom We ken your meaning better than you have declared and then why did you not plainly state your Question thus Whether that Christ offers to save Sinners and continue them in a state of Salvation on the Terms or Condition of Doing And you might have saved this labour of beating the Hedge to start the Hare Believing is Doing it seems and so it saves as a Work Neonom My Positions that I will prove then are as follow 1. Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation It 's the scope of the Bible since the Fall We have nothing to do in a way of Atonement and Purchase but in order to our Participation we must repent believe All the Revelations of God are Descriptions of Duty and Benefits but an Injunction of Duty in a Connection with benefits c. Antinom The whole Scope of the Scriptures is not a Revelation of a Covenant of Works or of many Covenants of Works but of one Law-Covenant of Works and of one Covenant of Grace made by way of Promise and executed by Free-gift the Righteousness thereof is the Gift of Righteousness for the Condition the Promise is performed in Gift The Gift of God is eternal life Rom. 5. You say nothing is required in a way of Purchase and Atonement i. e. in the way of the first Purchase But where Works are a prerequisite Condition it makes a second Purchase if but of Participation If I purchase a House for a Child or Relation and lay down the price of 100 l. and tell him he shall have this House if he gives me 20 Shillings of his own Earnings and this Contract brought into Covenants this Purchase will put him upon paying this Contract-Money and demand his Bargain and his Money is Purchase Money tho' it be not the first Purchase-money So that you help not the matter at all by saying in order to Participation and as to Atonement he needs none if he perform the Condition required no nor a Mediator for Christ in your sence should be only the Mediator of the Old Covenant but he is ill termed by the Scripture the Mediator of the New Covenant You say Revelations are Descriptions of Duties and Benefits I say Discoveries and Promise of Benefits and Duties You say an Injunction of Duty in a Connection of Benefits I say a Promise of Benefits rather with Connection of Duties But indeed the Covenant of Grace is an Offer and Gift of Benefits in Service and Enjoyments For Duty is one of the great Priviledges we are brought into by the Covenant and such is the Connection of promised Salvation unto Sinners There 's the Salvation of Faith and Holiness and all the connex Propositions that is made use of as that Rom. 10.9 and others import nothing but that he that is saved by Christ partakes of all his Salvation if in Justification then in Sanctification and Glorification but Christ never propounds Priviledges as Motives to Duty in your sence by way of Payment or Reward for the Duty done Neonom 2. There 's no one Saving Benefit granted a Sinner but upon Supposition of Duty
of Heaven Holiness is the way to Heaven as Childhood and then youthful Age is to Manhood in the full Stature Grace it 's a growing unto that Perfection we shall have in Glory but it 's not part of a conditionating way to Heaven foederally Heaven is bestow'd on Sanctify'd ones upon as free a Promise as Justification and Sanctification and we say it 's our Business in Christ the Way Neonom I shall give you divers Arguments against your Position 1. It 's not saving Faith that is not Operative D. W. p. 132. Antinom The Eye is the most sensible part in the Body as to the Sense of Feeling yet doth not see conomine By vertue of Feeling Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie by it's Fruits Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie as Fruitful for that would bring us under a Covenant of Works Neonom Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from contrary Evils Paul kept his Body under 1 Cor. 9.27 Antinom They have their usefulness in their kind but we are kept from Evils by the Grace of God and not by our Works Grace also preserves us in them and not they preserve us What Paul saith he did he did for the Gospel-sake 1 Cor. 9.23 from a Gospel-Principle the Love of God arising from the sight and sence of the Grace of God in the Gospel and for this end the Glory of God in the Promise And he said By the Grace of God I am what I am not ascribing Foederal Efficacy to inherent Graces or Duties Neonom Gospel-Constitutions shew that it contains Promises and Threatnings 2. It shews persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works as necessary to Salvation Antinom It is one thing what a thing contains and another what it is A House contains Tables Libraries Beadsteds Men and Women but a House is not therefore a Table Library Bead-stead a Man or a Woman The Covenant of Grace sets up a Government a Glorious King hath Laws Directions Precepts but it is not either of them Whatever the Covenant hath and is inseparable from it doth not argue the Covenant to be the same A wise Man is inseparable from Wisdom as such yet is not Wisdom A Rational Man hath Reason yet that Man is not Reason Neonom Most of the Promises and Threatnings that refer to the state in the Bible are Evangelical Promises and Threats D. W. p. 133. Antinom Christ in the Bible speaks two ways by way of Precept and backing them with Threats and Promises 1. As King of Nations and Governour of the World So he deals with Men as he will deal with them at last in a way of a Covenant of Works Christ also governs his Church where he hath his peculiar Right of Legislation and his Government is double 2. As to his Mystical or Visible Body his Spiritual Rule is according to the Tenure of the Covenant of Grace His Government in respect of the mixt and politick State must be also mixt because of Hypocrisie Christ's Government of his Churches as Visible Polities and Societies is a mixt Government having in his House Vessels of Honour and of Dishonour Many are led to external Conformity by his Precepts and Commands legally submitted to only having not received Evangelical Principles Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Precepts and Promises of the Gospel work no otherwise with them than by a Spirit of Bondage and come to them no otherwise than in the Tenure of the Covenant of Works And thence the Lord Jesus Christ speaks in that manner to whole Societies and Churches both under the Old Testament and under the New As to the Seven Churches of Asia where there were many formal out-side Professors that never received the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it he tells them what they must expect in that mercenary and bondage-way of Profession without Life and Love wherein they did walk yet he governs them as Politick Head of his Church they having given themselves to his Government at least in an outward Profession according to which he deals with them And therefore the Apostle tells us the Law is not made for the Righteous Man in respect of it's Threats and Denunciations but for the Lawless Disobedient Ungodly c. or for any thing contrary to sound Doctrine which is according to the Glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.10 11. The Precepts and Commands of Christ therefore have a double Aspect Evangelical and Legal as they are received by his Visible Subjects Some receive them from Law-Principles some from Evangelical Neonom Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery by these God governs and Men's Hopes and Fears should be directed by these as a Rule You not observing this have opened a Door to all Licentiousness Your whole Scheme implies that Christ doth not distribute Blessings and Punishments by any Rule that refers to the actings of Men. D. W. p. 133. Antinom This is a round Assertion That the Gospel-Constitution is a Covenant of Works That Constitution that affects all as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery is a Covenant of Works of the severest Nature But you say the Gospel-Constitution is such Ergo a Covenant of Works For that which affects as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery on the Penalty of non-attainment to that Rule and God deals with Men thus by Hopes and Fears that Men may be govern'd by them as they find their Righteousness or fall into their Misery is such an Account of a Gospel-Constitution that I question not but to find as good in Seneca and among many of the Heathen Moralists And if that be my mistake that I understand not such a Gospel-Constitution I must declare I know no such Gospel-Constitution as yet Neonom If that Covenant of Grace be conditional and Faith and Repentance are necessary to Forgiveness the Substance of it must be granted Antinom i. e. If the Covenant of Grace be a Moral Law and Faith and Repentance be the Moral Conditions to Forgiveness the Substance must be granted and it will be so indeed you will still be leaping in and out of Covenant from Righteousness to Misery and from Misery to your miserable Righteousness and between your Hopes and Fears falling short of the Righteousness of God you will fall deplorably into eternal Misery But in what Body of Ethicks do you find a Rule of Misery treated of I think it is no where treated of but in the Neonomian Theology no more than the Rule of Sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neonom Most Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the state of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats and are not the Sanction of the Law of Innocence but of Gospel-Grace Antinom The whole Word of God contains but Law and Gospel and all matters of Duty commanded referr to the one or to the other and all Duties enjoyned
with a Connexion of Promises and Threats and so performed as such only are legal and must be reckoned as belonging to the Law of Works but all Evangelical Duties are performed from a Principle of Grace and not for Reword or Fear But let us hear your Proof Neonom Who can doubt this if they consider 1. The Covenant of Innocency promised to nothing below sinless and perfect Obedience D. W. p. 104. Antinom It promised to Man upon Obedience which God required and so it is in every Covenant the Obedience required is perfect in respect of the Covenant let it be more or less that is required No Covenant admits of any Abatement or Defect in the Conditions required 2. If this be a Covenant of Innocency your Covenant opposed to it must be a Covenant of Nocency because as you say it admits of a contrary Condition viz. A sinful Obedience Neonom The Threatnings of the Covenant of Innocency admitted no Repentance or after-relief to the Guilty They did fix the Curse irrevocable in case of any Transgression Antinom Who told you the Covenant of Works would admit of no Relief for the Guilty if not how came any How came it to pass that Relief was given before the Sentence was passed upon Man Surely if the Covenant could not admit of it by Vertue of it's Constitution it could not have been just with God to have given it 2. As to Repentance it did naturally belong to the Breach of God's Law and Man's falling into Misery Indeed it did not admit of Repentance as an Expiation of the Sin and a Condition of Life no more doth the Gospel so that Law and Gospel are agreed in that 3. And as to the irrevocable fixing of the Curse grant it was so yet not without admitting a Relief provided it might consist with the irrevocable Curse i. e. That the Law might have it's full Satisfaction both to Sufferings and Obedience as it had in Christ the Sentence of the Law is not repealed or revoked in the Covenant of Grace but confirmed and fulfilled whereby the Guilty have their Relief The Law is not against the Promise Gal. 3.21 No God forbid it 's well pleased with it because it hath all that it can require The Law is not dispensed with in saving Sinners it hath it's Ends Christ being the end of the Law for Righteousness to all that believe The Gospel establisheth the Law Neonom 2. No Overture of Life or door of Hope or Argument to Conversion with Hopes of Acceptance could be framed out of those Legal Threats and Promises Turn ye Turn ye was not the Language Antinom Nor from any other upon Terms of the like Nature viz. Do and Live And why was it that no Door of Hope is open to Man fallen upon those Terms it was because he â—id not do and now is dead and he must live now before he can do till Grace give Life it 's but a Conviction to him that God faith Turn you Turn you for till God give him Life and turn him Turn you turn you is but the Triumph of the Law and all the Turnings of a poor Sinner in his Natural Estate is no more than the turning of a Dead Carcase it 's dead still there 's no returning to Life by turning till the effectual Voice of Christ prevail who is the Resurrection and the Life Neonom See any one of the Calls to Faith and Repentance or Holiness thus back'd with Promises and Threats be not Evangelical Antinom Calls to Faith and Repentance as Commands to Sinners to perform the Acts and Duties thereof upon Threats and Promises and as those Works that shall bring us into Covenant are so far from being Evangelical as they are highly Legal yea super-legal 1. Legal for it makes a Covenant of Works What matter if God require not the same Individual Act as a Condition of Life if he require another What if instead of forbearing to eat an Apple the Condition be now to forbear the eating of a Pear What if perfect Obedience was then required and imperfect now Both were Obedience only now you 'll have a Dispensation for Sin to come into the Condition which reflects upon the Holiness and Justice of God or Power of God that he did not nor could give us Life in a way of perfect Obedience and sinless but must have Recourse to sinful Likewise the only Obligation that lies upon a meer natural Man to obey God when he commands Faith and Repentance is the Law for he is under no other Law but that of Works 2. It is also super-legal 1. To bring fallen Man into Covenant upon working Conditions is more than was with Adam he did not work himself into Covenant God took him freely into Covenant without Conditions all the Condition was Perseverance for keeping him in Covenant as yours is 2. God here requires Works where there 's no Power God gave Adam the Power before he required Obedience Calvin In my Approbation Gentlemen you do but lose time Mr. Antinom argues at a mighty low rate I will take his Position and put it into right Terms and then see Mr. Antinom how you like it Salvation by gospel-Gospel-Grace is so necessary to a Sinner for the working Faith Obedience Good Works and Perseverance in the way to Heaven that without it he cannot perform them or continue in them Antinom So I like it well Neonom That 's quite contrary to my Sence For I do not say that Salvation by Grace is the Cause of sincere Faith and Obedience and Perseverance but that Sincerity in Performance of Faith and Obedience with Perseverance is necessary as a Cause of Salvation I spake before of coming into Justification by qualifying Faith and Repentance by the Government ef a Rule of Righteousness and Misery our Minds being thereby affected with Hopes and Fears I will now shew you that by this Gospel-Constitution Persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works are necessary to Salvation D. W. p. 137. Antinom I have told you that if these be right i. e. True Gospel-Holiness they be a great part of Salvation and they are no more necessary than a Part is to the Whole All Graces and Duties are the necessary parts of a saved Sinner And there are two sorts of Necessaries Essentially necessary and Necessary as to well-being as Anima rationalis is essentially necessary to a Man But there are many things as to Integrity Ornaments and Usefulness Now I say as these things are in Salvation or belonging to it for being in their kind for well-being Usefulness Adorning c. so they are necessary But if you look upon them and Salvation as two distinct things they are not necessary to give you right to any part of Salvation Neonom He that made Faith necessary to Justification hath made Obedience necessary to Salvation Antinom It seems by you Justification and Salvation are specifically distinct which they are not they differ but as Genus and Spectes
way in growth of Grace not that by every Step they gain in Holiness the more they shall be qualify'd for and deserving what shall follow but that still there are greater things behind and that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed that the Covenant of Promise is full of Promises Gifts and Rewards But the Question betwixt us is upon what account they are made and received Some say they describe Men whom God doth save by the Effects of his Grace upon them Neonom Not meer natural Signs but moral Institutes They are Qualifications which God appoints as Prerequisites to Blessings Antinom Prerequisites to Blessings and Moral Qualifications must be such as are not Blessings of the Covenant or else all this while you say just nothing in saying God gives Blessings orderly one after another and we are encouraged by the Promise to go from one Covenant Gift to another Hence in Perseverance and Growth in Grace the Saints have the clearer Prospect of Heaven which they hope e're long to live in as the Crown of Glory and there to perfect and compleat Happiness and Holiness Neonom They cannot add what 's proper to Christ but they signifie more than Concomitants they are things without which the Gospel-Rule will exclude Men from Heaven and condemn to Hell let your Pretences be what they will Rev. 22.14 D. W. p. 140. Antinom They signify so much more than Concomitants insomach that they are Blessings promised Perseverance in Obedience I will write my Law in their Heart and they shall not depart from me When they come under this Promise of doing God's Commandments they are soon come also to what remains When they are most holy they are no more fit for the Promise by way of moral Qualification to entitle them to it than they were at first Conversion We perform Duties walk in God's way c. not as entitling Blessings but as such which Christ hath entitled us to and so we receive the Promise not as entitled to it but in Christ In this Sence is that place to be understood Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments they have one part of the Blessing of the Promise in a way of Holiness they shall also have the Priviledge of the Tree of Life in a state of Glory I find this Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used so John 1.12 As many as received him to them was given power or priviledge to become the Sons of God So that Obedience persevered in gives Title to Glory here no more than the first believing entitles to Adoption but that it 's in the way to it Such do enter by the Gates into the City but Christ is the Way both of Justification Sanctification and Glory both by way of Condition to entitle us and Promise to bestow it and they shew such are entred by the Door Christ Jesus John 19. Neonom Consider they have a relation to each other in Scripture-phrase as Seed and Harvest Work and Waget they are declared rewardable For they are worthy Rev. 3.4 Antinom No Works of the Saints are rewardable of God in themselves but in Christ and as to their Order of bestowing succeeding Covenant-blessings They are called Seed because one good Work grows up thro' Grace into another till we be fruitful in every good Work the Fruitfulness in more and greater Glory is the Crop all which Fruitfulness is in Christ the Vine the last which are the best as well as the first And for the Worthiness spoken Rev. 3.4 it 's strange that any Protestant should pretend that it 's any other Worthiness than that of Imputed Righteousness Neonom The Gospel declares no less than a Connection between Good Works and Glory P. 140. Antinom What then Are they therefore to be rewarded as meritorious or deserving All things connected are not deserving one of another Neonom God declares good Works as rewardable of Grace thro' Christ. Antinom That which is Rewardable of Grace is not of Debt but for the Worthiness of another not for it self Therefore what you add cuts off all that you contend for You say thro' Christ is the walking in White for which the Saints are said to be Worthy Is the walking Christ's Righteousness Rev. 3.4 So all Rewards spoken of as given to the Saints here or hereafter is for the Worthiness of Christ For as all their Duties are performed in and through Christ so they are accepted and rewarded in and through Christ and their Works are no more rewarded for themselves than accepted for themselves Neonom By Perseverance we are to work out our Salvation Phil. 2.12 Antinom Working out our Salvation with fear and trembling there denotes a continual maintaining a holy Jealousie of our selves lest we should fail of the Grace of God by trusting in our selves for it 's immediately added For it 's God that worketh in you both to will and to do All other places mentioned by you shew this that in the Covenant of Grace there is Holiness here and Glory hereafter it 's all Salvation yea there are Promises of other things Godliness having the Promise of the things of this Life and that which is to come We deny not a Connection of Duties and Promises in abundance but both Duties and particular Blessings come in all by way of Promise and Free Grace So that Works are not the Condition of coming into Covenant nor of abiding in Covenant with God Neonom P. 146. I will summ up all and appeal to thee 1. Whether God doth require any more of any Sinners for Salvation than that they believe in Christ repent of Sin persevere in true Holiness sincere Obedience or Good Works internal and external And if we do so can we perish Hath not Christ provided all else And doth not the Promise secure Life upon doing of these Antinom Why do you say Whether God require any more As if this was so little I tell you this is more than he required of Adam in Innocency by Faith and Repentance according to your self he required nothing but Perseverance in him when he had Life and Ability to act from and by it but you will have a poor impotent dead Sinner do all this for Life 2. You say If we do so i. e. if we perform this as part of Salvation we cannot perish our own Works are our Security from perishing And as to other things necessary to Salvation Christ hath provided them So that the Work is divided betwixt us part of it to us and part to Christ But however if Christ hath not made so certain Provision for us and made any Default on his part we are secured of Salvation by doing of ours For the Promise secures Life to us upon our doing these If this is not to make the Gospel a more over-grown and swinging Covenant of Works than ever the Old Law was I have lost all my Theological Measures And here we
have the main difference between the first and last that Christ stands by to see what 's wanting But his great business is to see us saved by our own Works from first to last As for Faith Repentance Good Works sincere persevering Obedience internal and external they are our Foederal Conditions upon the Performance whereof the Promise of all Salvation in Justification and Adoption and Glorification is due Debt to us and if Christ hath done any thing for us it 's due to us upon these Terms whatever he hath provided besides Neonom Well I will make you one Challenge more and so leave you P. 146. If any Sinner believe not and repent not hath Christ ever promised to save him Antinom Indeed those Sinners that believe not nor repent not he hath not named them by name but God forbid that he hath not promised to save Thousands that believe not and repent not for the Promise is to Christ first to save his Seed and this is the Promise that Christ's Office is to seek and save them that are lost And I think all Men are so till Christ finds any by giving Faith and Repentance to them for which end he is exalted And these are the Sheep of his which he hath promised shall hear his Voice and shall come into his Fold these are among the chiefest of Sinners before they ever have Faith and Repentance The Lo-ammi who shall become the Children of the living God Ay but you say will any Decree or Merits of Christ secure them so that every poor Impenitent Unbelieving Sinner is in a desperate Condition There 's no Decree of God nor Merits of Christ can save them So that both Decree and Merits were all conditional provided he believe neither Decree or Merits can secure Salvation to him And do they not secure Faith and Repentance as part of their Salvation and so one part as well as another and upon the same Terms Neonom Again if any penitent Believer shall Apostatize prove ungodly and unfruitful hate God or neglect to love God and his Neighbour wholly c. Shall this Man be saved Hath not Christ determined the contrary Will his first Faith save him Antinon I suppose you can mean no other than a True Believer by your Penitent Believer One that is Godly loves God and is fruitful if any such an one should Apostatize c. wholly i. e. fall away from Grace Here we can understand your meaning no otherwise but that such a thing may be and sometimes is or else why do you not make the like Supposition concerning the good Angels And what follows Say you Shall his First Faith save him i. e. Shall Christ that once saved him save him again Hath not Christ that hath once saved him determined to saveâ— him no more These are pretty Enquiries deep School Cases And wherefore is all this but to shew that our Security of standing and keeping in Covenant with God and of all our Salvation lies not on Electing Grace nor on the Merits of Christ but on our own Works of Faith and Obedience The Resolution of these Questions you say according to the Scope of the Word will decide the Main of this Controversie and I will tell you how much they concern the matter in hand As to the first If a Man have a Healthy Body and strength of Nature to live till Fourscore Years of Age he shall not die a young Man And whether if he take the Care of his own Health and Safety God hath not provided every thing else for him Or thus If a Man get a good Estate and hold it till he dies whether this Man can die a poor Man But our Question rightly put runs thus Seeing God hath provided by his Decree or Promise that this or that Sinner shall have true Grace and he that hath it shall never finally lose it whether his Perseverance and Security depends upon his Works and Actings or upon the Decree and Promise The Assembly Chap. 17. of the Perseverance of the Saints saith They that are effectually called shall not finally fall from the state of Grace but certainly persevere which Perseverance depends not upon their own Free Will but upon the Immutability of the Decree of Election The Efficacy of the Merit and Intercession of Christ The abiding of the Spirit the nature of the Covenant of Grace from which ariseth the Certainty and Infallibility thereof As to your second Appeal it hath as much as this in it If a Man get up to the top of the Monument and throw himself down from thence he will certainly break his Neck Or thus If a good Angel fall into Pride and Sin as Belzebub did he will be laid in Chains of Darkness in the same manner as he If Abraham should blaspheme God he would be tumbled out of Heaven If a Man wax on Wings to his Shoulders and fly towards the Sun like Icharus the Wax melts and down comes he headlong Such Propositions as these are the Rules of Christs Rectoral Distribution with you and the Decree comes not in opposition whereas the Decree spoils the Hypothesis for do but assume upon the Proposition and you will find it so that the Decree spoils it as to the Event God's Rule of Government is not a Proposition founded upon an Impossibility Posito Decreto neither is his Decree as you would make it subservient to his Rule of Government but all his Government and Rules thereof are founded on and guided according to his good Will and pleasure in his Decree What you quote out of the Assembly's Confession is nihil ad Rhombum but all against you for none denies God's Approbation of our Obedience the great Uses and Ends of it the acceptation of it and rewarding it in Christ c. ut supra The Ends and Uses which they mention is not amiss to repeat because you charge the same Assertion on Dr. Cr. for his great Errour Assemb Ch. 16. Good Works done in obedience to God's Commands are the Fruits and Evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers make manifest their Thankfulness strengthen their Assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the Profession of the Gospel stop the Mouths of Adversaries and glorifie God whose Workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their Fruit unto Holiness they may have the end Eternal Life And as for Dr. O. whom you quote from p. 222. Of Justification he is there disputing against these Tenents of yours and grants the like Uses and Ends of our Personal Righteousness as the Assembly that it 's indispensably required by God he approves of it and accepts it in Christ it evidenceth Faith it 's pleadable against Satan and the World And after some explication of his meaning in these things he saith Hence it appears how little force there is in that Argument which some pretend to be of so great weight in this Cause among them you are one As every one say
they shall be judged of God at the last Day in the same way and manner and on the same grounds is he justified of God in this Life but by Works and not by Faith alone every one shall be judged at the last Day Wherefore by VVorks and not by Faith alone every one is justified before God in this Life This he answers and condemns the following Proposition or not far from it That God pardons Men's Sins gives them the Adoption of Children with a right to an Heavenly Inheritance according to their VVorks which saith he is not only Foreign to she Gospel but destructive of it And you say that Forgiving Adopting and Glorifying c. Judicial Acts of God as a Rector is in a way of rectoral Distribution of Rewards Luth. on Gal. 3.22 saith VVorks done without Faith are under a Curse though they have never so good a shew of Holiness Wherefore so far off is it that the Doers thereof deserve Grace Righteousness and Eternal Life that rather they heap Sin upon Sin After this manner the Pope works and all Merit-mongers DEBATE XIV Of Intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform Neonom THE next Errour that I charge upon this Antinomian is That he saith No Man ought to propose to himself any Advantage by any Religious Duty he performeth nor ought he in the least intend the profit of his own Soul by any Christian Endeavours it being vain and unlawful to do any thing with an Eye to our Spiritual or Eternal Good though in subordination to God's Glory in Christ D. W. p. 152. Antinom I suppose you will not only charge but prove the very things you charge in those words Neonom I will you say There is nothing you can do from whence you ought to expect any gain unto your selves c. Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to him that died for us c. The Scripture is plentiful in this That no Believer for whom Christ died should have the least thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself to any end of his own by doing what he doth Dr. C. p. 150. Antinom Gentlemen he deals with me as you have found upon Examination he hath done formerly I was Preaching upon Rom. 10.2 3 4. and was shewing That Zeal of God proves not a Man a Child of God Dr. C. p. 144 148. and I told them All aim at this that you Build not upon Foundations that will fail you when you come to tryal there is absolutely perfection enough in the Righteousness of Christ alone for your Rest and Security that you shall not need to trust to any thing you do for Life and Peace This is that which God calls you to to go torth from your own Righteousness to rest solely and only upon the Righteousness of Christ if ever you mean to have Comfort in this World or in the World to come I answered this Objection you will say This is the way to destroy all Righteousness and Obedience whatsoever What a Man never a jot the better though never so zealous after God though his Eye and aim be after God in his Zeal A. The World is grown to a miserable pass that Obedience Zeal and seeking after God be of no use at all except a Man himself be a Gainer by his Obedience it 's now as it was in the time of the Psalmist Psal 4. Every one will be ready to cry out Who will shew us any good And if any thing be proposed to Men to be done they answer But what shall I get by it Every one will be ready to shun such an Office or Employment that carry about with them a great deal of labour and expence of time and brings in no profit I must tell you freely There 's not one Duty you perform when you have attained the highest pitch that hath any prevalency and availableness to produce and to bring forth any though the least good to your selves You ought not to think to seek again to your selves by doing or bring Christ to your selves by doing You are not your own saith the Apostle but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to Christ that died for us Now in this Discourse I intend these things 1. That our Duties ought not to Rob Christ's Righteousness of the procuring vertue it hath of all the Blessings and Good that we have 2. That we ought not to perform Duties from a Mercenary Principle thinking thereby to obtain good things of God 3. That we rest not in the Duty done 4. That Duties barely considered in themselves though of the highest Nature are not available to obtain any thing of God for what will our Righteousness profit him And when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants and have done less than we ought to do therefore there 's no reason from our best Duties why God should bestow any good thing upon us 5. That we should do Duties from a gracious Spirit of Ingenuity for the Glory of God and Free Grace not from a poor narrow and selfish Spirit Not but that I am for Duty in a right manner and for a right end Neonom He intends to forbid our intending our own Good though in subordination to God's Glory and laying no stress of meriting for saith he People may think here 's a marvellous discouragement to Persons to do what God calls them to do when they shall have nothing for it I answer When there is a Spirit of Ingenuity they shall be as Industrious to glorifie God to do good to Men as if they did it for themselves They shall do as much for Good already bestowed as if they were to procure it by their own doing Antinom Is this not to intend my own Good whereas it 's not only to intend it but to attend it and walk in the highest Comfort and Enjoyment of it as when Esau and Jacob pass'd mutual Complements Esau saith I have enough but Jacob saith I have all It is as plain as may be made 1. That we should in all we do mind and aim at the Glory of God and Honour of Free Grace For I said Except you mind chiefly that all the Duties you perform are for other Ends and Purposes than your Preferment viz. The setting forth the praise of the Glory of Free Grace and the serving the Generation in which you live and the study of good Works because they are profitable to Men. I say Except you fall upon the performance of good Duties for the common good and benefit without having any such Conceits as what shall accrue to you thereby you are not Persons yet come to have that common Spirit and dead to the old Spirit as becomes Christians I say here chiefly and therefore am not to be understood as if I did mean as Mr. Neonomian saith
first before you undertake to be a Corrector of others it 's not worth our time to attend your Amendments Neonom Let me only tell you what those Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel 's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the end of any good Work we can't and we are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the humane Nature Antinom I suppose you quote your Authority the rather because that you think the Preface was drawn up to expiate for a Fault some of them had committed and was well school'd for But I pray let us a little examine whether those Gentlemen be not mistaken in denying that Position That we are not to act for Life but from Life For the first part I am mistaken if they will deny That all Gospel-acting is from Life In natural things Life is always presupposed to all Motion and Acting A dead thing cannot nor is expected to move and act As in the natural Man so in the Spiritual and as he must have Life so he must be alive unto God in Christ that acts he must act from him by vertue of him through the Power and Influence of his Grace through the Operation of his Spirit from Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and knows there 's no acceptable Duties or Graces but to be acted from Life as the Fountain and Spring of them and indeed the first Adam acted from Life I pray make a thing act if you can that hath not Life to act from 2. As for acting for Life the true meaning ought to be adjusted That Life should be our End and Aim is not to be doubted according to a right Understanding of it Christ propounds himself as Life unto poor Sinners and saith I am the Resurrection and the Life And so he is the Life unto a Believer He that hath the Son hath Life Now it must be understood when we speak of Working for Life we speak of a considerate sedate regular Acting and Working Not Acting and Working as one that is scared and affrighted with the danger of Life death lying inevitably to his Apprehension before him not as scrambling to save himself in the Water from drowning Now a poor Sinner awakened under the Law and seeing a little Glimpse of Gospel-hope through Grace shining into his Heart it may be bestirs himself with all his might and ascribes much to every Duty he doth But we speak here of what the true Spirit and Disposition of a Christian is he ought to arrive at by Faith the Question is Whether he works for Life A. I say He doth and he doth not 1. He makes Life his subordinate Aim and End But 1. He that hath Christ by Faith doth not work as if he had not Christ already 2. He doth not work for Life so as to entitle himself unto Life some work for this end as if he had not Life already He sees by Faith that he is Christ's and that all things are his whether Life or whether things present or to come 3. He doth not work for Life so far as to think thereby to keep himself alive or maintain himself in a Covenant-state so as by his Works to continue his Justification any more than to get it at first 4. He doth not work for Life in a way of remunerative Justice no not for the continuance of Life in a way of Remuneration For indeed herein lies only the difference between a Legal and Gospel-Spirit If the Spirit that acted the first Adam before the Fall I speak not of a Legal Spirit since the Fall and the true Spirit of a Believer in Christ be compared together for Adam then acted from Life already given he acted not as having no Life but acted for the continuance of Life upon the account of the working Conditions enjoyned and expected Life by way of Remuneration i. e. the continuation of Life Now such working for Life as this we must reject and such is intended when-ever we say we must not work for Life It 's not to be understood as if the Spiritual Man had not a sanctified rational End in all his Actings which we say is for the Glory of God in Free Grace for Christ in whom his Life is he acts from the Life that is in Christ and he is carried forth to it and in it He is created in Christ Jesus to good Works that he should walk in them looking unto Jesus Heb. 12. And looking upon all things as his in Christ his Business is to live unto Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 31. ch 3.22 23. To me saith Paul to live is Christ and to die is gain i. e. I shall come to a further Enjoyment of Christ Theology is defined to be the Doctrine of living unto God so that in living unto God and to God in Christ a Christian hath all things that appertain to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of God our Saviour 2 Pet. 1.3 Christ is our Alpha and Omega of him and through him and to him are all things to him be Glory for ever and eaer Rom. 11.36 Now what need all this great ado about working for Life shewing the danger of this Doctrine that it teacheth to abandon Nature and supposeth us to do no more than other Men and it makes all Motives useless c. Whereas if Men will not have perverse Minds they must own and acknowledge the same things that they oppose unless they will deny their own Reason But when a Spirit of Contradiction prevails there is nothing but Quirks Sophisms and Equivocations can take place with Men. And notwithstanding all your Noise and Authority to work for Life in the true Sence it is to act as by and under a Covenant of Works it 's to work for Life as Wages and to gain a Right and Title thereby and such a Principle will abandon the Grace of the Gospel It will teach to violate all the Precepts and Principles of the Gospel it will elude all the Promises and lay a Man under the full Rigour of the Law and will never be any effective Motive to acceptable Duty It is a Fault it self that lies under the blackest Mark and of as dangerous Consequence as any the Gospel cautions us against and warns to take heed of seeking the establishing our own Righteousness That true Gospel Discourse of Worthy Mr. Vink at the Morning-Lecture will tell you better things on 2 Tim. 2.19 wherein he shews That Gospel Grace is the best Motive to Holiness He saith Our business is to enquire after what we propound in our Obedience If it be to expiate for my past Offences or to merit undeserved Favours it must needs be abominable in the sight of God being the highest act of Pride or Presumption that can be imagined let our Works be what they will though the best are but filthy Rags if they be offered unto God by way of Barter or Exchange they
become most abominable as if God stood in need of something that we have To depart from Iniquity or to labour in Holiness in order to express our Thankfulness unto God for his Mercies in Jesus Christ is most grateful and most forcible Again Love unto God for all his Glorious Excellencies especially for his Mercy in Christ Jesus is the best Principle of Holiness and our departing from Iniquity and this Love is begun and flows from God's Love first He that Acts according to any of God's Commandments out of hope to Merit by them may Act out of Love indeed but it must be then Self-love to obtain as he vainly thinks by his Obedience Eternal Happiness Our Love of God should exceed Self-love as far as God himself exceeds which is Infinitely Our Love of God is a Vertue and the Foundation of the rest Our Love of our selves thus taken is a Sin a Mother Sin the cause of all the rest of our Sins c. I am mistaken if I find not this Doctrine of working for Life according to your sence exactly in the Council of Trent Decree XVI Grace proposeth to the Just the Exercise of Good Works by which Eternal Life is gained as Grace promised by the Mercy of God and a Reward due to Good Works by the Divine Promise And it concludeth This Doctrine doth not establish any Righteousness of our own refusing the Righteousness of God but the same is said to be in us and of God being infused by him for the Merit of Christ Calvin But Mr. Neonomian saith in his Reply It 's vain and false Mr. Antinomian that you say that you are only against setting Graces and Holiness in the place of Christ Antinom He that reads my Sermons must needs see the Truth of that Assertion I have nothing to say to such as only depend upon Mr. Neonomian's report Neonom He reckons they are put in Christ's place though they be affirmed but as Means and Conditions antecedently necessary by Divine Appointment to obtain any Blessing for the sake of Christ's Merits Antinom And well I may if Men must be gracious and holy antecedently to any Blessing for the sake of Christ's Merits and by vertue of that Antecedent Grace and Holiness do obtain Blessings for the sake of Christ's Merits I think you outstrip the Papists here in the Doctrine of Merit Neonom His Principles are That Faith is not so much as an Instrument whereby we are united to Christ or Justified P. 616. Antinom He speaks not there of Faith as an Instrument but he doth speak of it as such P. 597. where he saith Faith is not the Instrument Radically to unite Christ and the Soul together but rather is the Fruit that flows from Christ the Root being united before-hand by the Spirit to the Persons that do believe Neonom 2. That Christ brings us all good things when we are ungodly so it 's in vain to do any thing to obtain these P. 41. Antinom He speaks there of Justification by Faith alone without Works And we are delivered from Wrath before we step a step into Duties and we do not the Duty to be delivered but we do the Duty because we are delivered and seeing all these are settled by Christ for us of Free Gift all we do is for Christ himself I say that we do we do for Christ and not for our selves Neonom He saith Obedience is not the way to Heaven and Sanctification is not the way to a Justified Person Antinom No Sanctification is not the way of Justification he speaks of the way of Justification we are not according to his Divinity Justified by Inherent Holiness or Righteousness though we are according to yours And he tells you Sanctification is our business in Christ the Way for whatever Duty is performed acceptably must be wrought by Faith in Christ Jesus we are Sanctified in Christ Christ is the true way of Sanctification Neonom He saith He should not have the least Thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself or any end of his own by doing what he doth Antinom You know this thing is no new Doctrine It use to be one of the signs and marks of Truth of Grace when we Act in Duty singly for the Glory of God and not for selfish and sinister ends and designs but this is spoken to sufficiently before DEBATE XV. Of the Way to attain Assurance Neonom THE next Errour that I have to charge Mr. Antinomian with is his Doctrine of Assurance Errour Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture marks or signs of Grace or by the Spirits discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any Holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an Inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are Forgiven thee and our Believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven D. W. p. 161. Antinom What evidence do you bring of your Charge Neonom You say if you would know that the Lord hath laid your Iniquities on Christ you must know it thus 1. Is there a Voice behind thee in thy self Thy Sins are forgiven thee Dost thou see this Voice agree with the Word of Grace i. e. Dost thou see it held out to most vile and wretched Creatures as thou canst be And upon this Revelation of the Mind of the Lord by his Spirit according to that Word doth the Lord give to thee to receive that Testimony of the Spirit to sit down with it as satisfied that upon this thou makest full reckoning thou hast propriety in this particularly to thy self If thou dost receive that Testimony according to that Word here is thy Evidence thou hast thy Propriety and Portion in this Dr. Cr. p. 491. Calvin And do you Banter this Doctrine as Erroneous Stuff I would wish you to have a care it 's a tender Point Antinom I will acquaint you with a little of my foregoing Discourse Let us see what kind of evidencing believing gives it is not a Revealing Evidence Dr. Cr. p. 491. nor an Effecting Evidence these the Word and Spirit are but it is a Receiving Evidence or it is an Evidence as it doth receive that Testimony which the Spirit holds out applying it to the Heart as the Eyes receive the light and the Ears the sound and if we ask a Man how do you know such a thing he will say I saw it with my Eyes and heard it with mine Ears It is an evidence as an Officer in Court that speaks nothing of his own knowledge but produceth Records and testifieth the Authentickness of the Records The Life of Evidence is materially in the Records themselves but the Officer is an Evidence as he doth assert the Truth of such Records It is even so with Faith The Spirit of the Lord makes the Records and speaks the Records to the Heart Now Faith comes in and receives what the Spirit of the Lord hath written In brief Faith is an Evidence as it doth take Possession of
a particular application thereof to our selves and so we become by the Witness of the Spirit to be the Children of God by Faith in the same sence we are Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 Now therefore the Spirit must witness first as the Worker of this Assurance by the Promise that Faith may witness and you your self said but now that the Spirit witnesseth as a Worker of Grace therefore as the Worker of the Grace of Assurance You say it is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits I suppose you mean from our Spirits Testimony your meaning I take to be that they both witness one and the same thing but that they are two distinct Witnesses is evident from the Text that which witnesseth with another is distinct from that other and you say it concurrs with our Spirit i. e. Conveniunt in uno tertio Testimonio ergo inter se And you say our Spirits witness in the Light of the Spirit i. e. in the Light of its Manifestation and Evidence and therefore the Spirit must witness first or else our Spirits must witness without Evidence which is impossible So that all you have been saying in this Argument is against your self and for us Neonom A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners it is not as meer Sinners the Word pardoneth but it flatly condemneth and leaves guilt on all Impenitent Vnbelievers as I have proved Antinom I marvel a Divine should speak at such a rate as if an Evidence of Pardon were not an Evidence of Grace Is not Pardon the highest degree of Grace is not the Word of Grace therefore so because it is a Word of Pardon to Sinners And if you mean Inherent Grace why may not the Spirit give evidence of Pardon to a Sinners evidence of it in an act of Believing before there can be any Fruits of Faith Was it not so with the Thief upon the Cross and many that God pardons just upon the last moment of their Lives And is it not so with many of Gods Children that can see no Evidences in themselves the Spirit strips them of all grounds in themselves and that gives a full satisfaction in objective Grace with the full Assurance of Faith that the Creature may be laid low and Christ may be glorified I must tell you that a meer Sinner is the Object of Pardon and not a Sinner considered under any holy Qualifications The whole need not the Physician Christ finds and pardons lost Sinners and there 's no Sinner applies pardon aright but as a meer Sinner tho he hath Faith But of this I have spoken before in our Eighth Conference and Twelfth Neonom Therefore if there be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying its own evidence saying Thy sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel Antinom A true Voice witnessing the Forgiveness of sins doth consequently witness to the truth of Grace in our Hearrs for the closing with the Evidence in a way of Comfort witnessed by the Spirit doth de facto witness to the truth of our Faith there 's Lord I believe Likewise it witnesseth that Christ is ours and we Christs and if so we are New Creatures and this we may be and must be before we can bring forth any Fruits besides Faith it self But it 's not for the reason you alledge which is as much as to say Christ saves none but them that are saved already Neonom If the Spirit should say to an Impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel c. Antinom Is there no promise in the Gospel to take away the heart of stone to give repentance and neither of these is found till pardoning mercy make the way and are never savingly found till Forgiveness is given and in some measure of Believing closed with but you rove from the Point of Assurance that we are upon go on to your next Argument Neonom To have the Ordinary way of Assurance as it 's stated by the opposite Errour is of dangerous Consequence D. W. p. 167. Antinom i. e. By the Witness of the Spirit and by the Evidence of Faith I pray let us hear those dangerous Consequences what they be Neonom 1. Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurances for they never had this Voice tho they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this Antinom If any Saints have Hopes and Assurance that is good in some degree they need not quit them in betaking themselves to better firmer and more lasting grounds of Hope and Assurance the Assurance may be the same tho better grounded and built But they never had this Voice what mean you by this Is there any true Believer that never heard what the Spirit saith to Sinners is there any that hears not what God saith in his Word Do they not hear that are in their spiritual Graves the Voice of Christ and live Do you so impose as to stretch our meaning to an extraordinary Audible Voice Then you do but like your self But yet you say they have stamps of the Spirit I pray how doth the Spirit make a Stamp and Impression upon a Sinners Heart but by the Application of the Grace of the Gospel in Believing Is it not as many as received Christ to them is the Priviledge of being the Sons of God And you say greater Stamps than any you know pretend to this you speak you know not what in a scornfull manner as if you knew little your self what belongs to a rrue Gospel Spirit I am sure if you did you would not run out in this loose manner as you do in a way of Contempt of others See Phil. 2.3 4. Neonom It makes all Examination useless and vain Antinom It makes Examination most usefull and necessary yea hereby becomes more profitable advantageous and comfortable when by sounding we find good bottom we find we have not only Life but have it more abundantly Neonom It overturneth one of the great 〈◊〉 God hath assigned to the work of all Grace on the Heart Antinom What shall I call this Assertion Mr. Calvin Calvin For shame Mr. Neonom leave off what will you say Gods own Spirit witnessing in our Hearts to the full Assurance of Faith overturns his work of Grace in our Hearts I am sorry to hear this evil Communication come out of your Mouth Neonom It makes Assurance impossible without this Miraculous Voice Antinom Are you again upon the High Ropes and Tenter-hooks Is this intended to be any way a miraculous Voice only the Voice of the Spirit as Comforter in the Heart according to the Word Is it a miraculous Voice
Christ is made our Sanctification and all that Holiness in us that is accepted it 's not only in and for his Righteousness but it 's performed in the Life and Power of Christ our Sanctification therefore he saith 1 Cor. 1.30 that what we are we are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification c. Neonom Or is that filthiness which renders Saints the excellent of the Earth Psal 16 2. Antinom Doth not David say ver 2. My goodness extendeth not to thee the original words if you understood them is fuller as to the sense intended tho' shorter than the Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Goodness is not to thee or nothing to thee and the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast no need of my Goodness Do you say Is that Filthiness which renders the Saints Excellent I had thought it was the Grace of God Christ's Righteousness and the Inbeing in Christ that had rendred them Excellent not their own Works Neonom The Imitators of Christ Antinom Scholars that Write after another may make very sorry work mere Scribling that the Master tho' he finds reason in himself to accept would if he did not tear it all to pieces Neonom Was not this it for which Caleb was said to have another Spirit and upon account whereof we must love the Godly as begotten of God Antinom Was Caleb's Works his Spirit or his Works flow from his singular Spirit his Spirit was a Spirit of Faith thro' which he did so great things in Christ Jesus and so the Works were accepted Heb. 11. The Foundation Reason of our Love to the Saints is Christ loving them and their Relation to Christ every one that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him and by this we know we love the Children of God when we love God 1 John 5.1 2. Neonom Is it not pleasing to God to which he hath made so many promises and for which he commends Moses David c. Antinom As God is not pleased with any Persons so with no Works out of Christ neither hath made any promises to any such out of Christ all the best Works are cast forth as Filth and Odious if done out of Christ Neonom Calling them a peculiar People it s no small thing that Christ is so pleased with his Spouse Antinom They are peculiar because purchased and have peculiar Blessings and Privileges and bring forth peculiar Fruits in Christ Jesus John 15.5 6. without me ye can do nothing and if a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch that is withered and any Work that is done out of Christ is but Dung as 1 Cor. 3.12 13. If a Man in Christ build Hay Stubble his Works will be burnt and he suffer loss tho' he may be saved Christ is pleased with his Spouse his Church because he hath loved it and washed it in his own Blood and therefore she is Comely but as for what she is in her self and as to her Works in themselves and done out of Christ she is but Black as the Tents of Kedar c. Sol. 1.5 Neonom Can that be Dung which is a Meetness for Glory an Honour to God and Credit to Religion Antinom Our Meetness for Glory is all from Grace there 's nothing that flows from our selves no Work done out of Christ can contribute to any Meetness all our Meetness is in Christ Jesus as made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification and we grow up in him in all things as for our relation unto Men we say with the Apostle they are profitable to Men and be a means that they Glorifie God on our behalf but God hath no direct Honour by them if not performed by Faith in Christ Neonom How can that be Acceptable to God in Christ if it be Filthiness Antinom Good Works are good in their kind but comparatively and in themselves because of the mixture of Sin and Corruption they are in the sense of the Spirit of God but Filth you may as well say how can Paul be Acceptable to God thro' Christ who saith In me dwelleth no good thing Must Persons and Actions be free from all adhering Corruption by reason whereof they in themselves are Abominable to the pure Eye of God before they be made Acceptable to God thro' Jesus Christ This is like your constant Doctrins Persons and Actions must be good first before they have benefit by Jesus Christ Neonom Wickedness will never be Accepted with God for Christ sake tho' imperfect Goodness shall Antinom No imperfect Goodness can be Accepted as Righteousness with God for Christ sake Christ never so much as purchased that any of our best Graces or Works should be Accepted as our Righteousness and it cannot be Accepted unto Holiness out of Christ and the Doctor never said our good Works wrought by Faith in Christ are Dung so as not thro' Christ to be Accepted unto Holiness but imperfect Works are no more our Righteousness for Acceptation with God than Wickedness neither in their Nature for Christ's sake Neonom Read what is spoken of Sincerity and Vprightness will it agree with what 's Mortal Poison Antinom Moral Sincerity and Uprightness may and so is all out of Christ Neonom What a Reproach is it to Christ to call his Life in us and the beginning of Glory by this Title Antinom The Life of Christ in us is by the Faith of the Son of God and we are Crucified with Christ to all that 's done by us and therefore account it Dung and Dross in comparison of all done by us and Works give us not Title to Glory tho' Grace begins it Neonom Nay to make his Triumphs in us so low as that all he hath improved his Members to is mere Filthiness Antinom The Triumph of Christ in us is the casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ Neonom It 's well if the Scriptures can escape clean if all the Works of the Spirit are thus debased when they pass thro' Men. Antinom The Scriptures are clean in themselves as from the Spirit but the Works done by us are not Scripture tho' they be in some measure conformed thereto Neonom But I less wonder that Doctor Crisp should speak thus of the Righteousness of the Saints as in them when he saith the Enemies of Christ may have Sincerity and singleness of Heart towards God P. 450 451 452. Antinom Doth not he prove that Paul in his Unregenerate Estate was blameless as to the Law 's Righteousness Phil. 3.6 and what Paul did against the Churches he verily thought that he ought to do it Acts 26.9 Was not this Sincerity at least in his apprehension had he not an Eye in what he did to the Glory of God The Jews also had a Zeal for God Rom. 10. but you wrong him
in charging him for saying That singleness of Heart may be in the Enemies of Christ for he acquaints us what it is from Eph. 5 6. Singleness of Heart is a doing what he doth as unto Christ and for the Lord's sake And he saith The best shall find it difficult to find it in all they do Neonom I will shew you the grounds of the mistake because our Goodness extends not to God for his profit therefore he regards it not no more than Dung and Filthiness Antinom Notably hit you should have said because he chargeeth his Angels with Folly therefore he will admire the Righteousness of them that dwell in Houses of Clay Job 4.18 19. An Holier Man than you could say If I Justifie my self mine own Mouth shall Condemn me Vers 21. If I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul I would despise my Life Job 9.21 Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my Sin And who can say this or that Duty is or will commend him to God Neonom Object Doth not Israel say Isa 64.6 All our Righteousness is as Filthy Rags Answ But that is spoken of Persons and not of real Holiness it 's the same as Micah 7.4 and Isa 1.6 Corruption had invaded the very Priests and the generality of the best Professors c. Antinom But where have you this Notion upon the place I 'le tell you where you had it viz. in the Assembly's Annotations on the place The Annotator takes notice of variety of Opinions about the meaning of this place and to encrease the number he brings in his singular Opinion that hath less ground than all the rest He tells us By Righteousness some understand Legal Rites and Sacrifices but so performed by them that they found no Grace or Acceptance but were abominable in God's sight and the Jews extend it further to their Good Works which were so ill done out of Vain-glory or by Corrupt Grounds and Ends that they were as Filthy Rags in God's sight such were the Pharisees c. Lastly Many of ours draw it in further and take in all the best Works and Actions even of the best performed in the best manner as not free from some default or defilement And thus both divers of the Ancients and very many not Protestants only but Popish Writers also and not a few do both expound and apply the place and these latter viz. the Popish Writers with those Ancients giving Testimony thereby unto the Truth herein maintained by us against those of their side that do herein Controul and Oppose us Is this Interpretation so generally received by Learned Interpreters Ancient and Latter both Papists and Protestants by the Annotator's own Confession and so Eminent a Truth which the Papists oppose maintained against them by it And shall we desert so plain natural and useful an Interpretation and one so generally agreed on by Learned Protestant Interpreters to embrace one single Man's Opinion that sets by the Text as altogether useless to those great purposes for which the Protestants have used and refuted the Papists by their own Authorities as the Annotator himself acknowledgeth And for what Sense and Interpretation must we part with it the received Sense Our Annotator's design is to wave that received Sense upon any terms tho' he will not flatly deny it but tells us of a more Genuine Sense and what 's that 1. It 's that which is not commonly received and therefore he is single in it 2. It 's a Tropical Sense he makes the Abstract put for the Concrete and what need of such a Sense when there 's no reason to suppose such a Trope in the Words And that 's against the general Rules of Interpretation He saith That which induced those both Ancienter and later Writers to bring within compass of this Doom in this place those defects and defaults adhering to and alloying the purest Practices of the most Sincere seems to have been because the Prophet saith Our Righteousnesses as speaking in his own Person c. He saith The Words may well be understood with those Jewish Doctors for those Semblances of Holiness and Righteousness that was among them so that by our Righteousness may well be understood our Hypocrisies but he rather recommends his Genuine Sense and what 's that The Prophet hath a very remote meaning viz. He speaks of our Righteousnesses and he means Righteous Men and not Righteous Men neither but Wicked and Corrupt Men Bryars and Thorns such as the Prophet Micah speaks of Mic. 7.4 plain Bryars and Thorns and now here 's a plain Text of Scripture merely sham'd off and delivered up into the hands of the Papists and so we shall trick off one Text after another till they have got them all I acknowledg that which the Jewish Interpreters say the Prophet Personates the Church in this Prayer but then he Personates the very best of them as well as the very corrupt and degenerate part for after the Churches desire that God would wonderfully appear for her Deliverance and Reformation as formerly he had done Ch. 64.1 2 3. she lays the Case of Two sorts that were among them before the Lord the Holy and Sincere and the Corrupt and Apostate part the Basket of Good Figs and of Rotten Figs for the best part they were not Prophane nor Hypocrites but are Characterized as waiters upon God partakers of special Grace as appears by the Application the Apostle makes of Vers 4. 1 Cor. 2.9 The Prophet insists upon the description of them that we might not be mistaken and suppose that he meant the Prophane or Hypocritical part they are such as work Righteousness and God meets that Rejoice in God's ways and tho' they are under the National Wrathful Calamities yet such as should be saved which must be understood of Spiritual Salvation for they were to take their share with others in the Captivity and External Calamities in them were continuance hence the Holiest and Best prostrate themselves and acknowledg their Faith of Salvation was not built upon any Righteousness or Worthiness of their own For the Nation had not only sinned but they had sinned and fallen short of their Duty in their best performances and we are so far from pleading or rejoicing in our own Righteousness or Holiness for in the Old Testament Dialect Personal Holiness is often called Righteousness that we are all as an Unclean Thing we are Polluted with so much Sin and Corruption and our very Righteousness and Holiness are as Filthy Rags our Goodness is as the Morning-Dew we fade as a Leaf towards Autumn and our Iniquities have withered us We see the whole Nation under the Bliting Winds of thy Displeasure for its Iniquities And then he proceeds to shew how great a scarcity there was of those that were Sincere for there 's few that call upon God there 's none i. e. but a very few comparatively there was never so an Apostate time
DEFENDED AND THE New Gospel UNMASK'D TWO Gentlemen who had for their Recreation walk'd forth into the Fields in Vtopia happened to fall into Company together and after mutual Salutation and general Discourses of News having not as yet a particular Acquaintance or Knowledge one of another one of them among many things mentioned by him that were great ground of Sadness to a considering and gracious Mind said He was most affected with and grieved at the great Eclipse fallen of late upon the Doctrine of the Gospel insomuch that for the Doctrine of Justification especially we are in a manner returned again into Egypt that of Justification by Works being brought into the room of Justification by Faith and only varnish'd over with the Profession of the Protestant Religion and the change of a few Terms which are used to the same purpose that the former were The other Gentleman look'd hard upon him while he thus spake and said Have you seen a Book lately come forth called Gospel-Truth Stated and Vindicated It 's a Book much talked of and commended Yes Sir said the other I have seen the Book and read most of it but I will assure you I was much grieved at the reading of it I pray your Reasons He replyed Pray Sir excuse me there The other return'd I begin to have some Apprehensions what your Principles are I find you are an Antinomian I pray what is your Name I crave your Excuse Sir you have given me a Name you may call me by that or what you please for by this I do as well ken you For I know of what Principles those Men are of that are so ready to asperse the Asserters of the Doctrine of Free-Grace with the Reproachful Name of Antinomians the true Account of which Sect and most ancient is from the Apostle Paul's time that they took occasion from the Doctrine of Free-Grace to plead for and practise all manner of Licentiousness Hoc anno prodiit Secta eorum qui dicuntur Antinomi Sleid. com l. 12. fol. 199. And in Sleiden we have an Account of a Sect of Libertines or Carnal Gospellers which brake out in Germany after the Reformation circ An. 1538. the Ring-leader whereof was Islebius Agricola the Compiler of the Interim They merited this Name of Antinomians by the loose Opinions and looser Practices against whom Luther wrote several Books and Calvin also with great Invectives in his Instr advers Libertin Which were Learned and eminent Witnesses to the Doctrine of Free Grace as it ought to be held forth in all its Gospel-Splendor and Lustre The other Gentleman replied As for Luther he was an Antinomian himself and Calvin but a little better according to the Opinion of our Modern Divines We say they are Antinomians that deny Justification to be by Faith as a conditional receiving Act and by Repentance as a qualifying Act and that the continuation of our Justification is by Works These Men which you name and their Followers indeed pretend to Holiness but they ascribe not that to it which they ought for the Honour of God's Rectoral Rule of Government Antinomian If these be the Men you call Antinomians they are falsely so called I think they that come nearest to the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles are the most Orthodox and I know no such Doctrine that they have taught but contrary to what you call Orthodox you seem to be of the Sect-truly call'd Neonomians because they assert That the Gospel is a new Law the Condition whereof is imperfect sincere persevering Obedience which I take to be no other than a Covenant of Works Neonom I am indeed of that Opinion and my Scheme is according thereunto I say the Covenant of Grace is a conditional Covenant and the Condition of it is sincere Obedience in Faith and other Graces and Duties persevered in But I say not that we are Justifyed by the Covenant of Works the Law of Innocency that is Abrogated transiit in Sentontiam but that Christ hath in satisfying that Law merited another with milder Terms and Conditions viz. of Imperfect Obedience Antinom I perceive then that you are the Antinomian indeed for you set aside the Old Law as Obsolete and Abrogated and of no use to us at all For the Apostle Paul saith The Promise is not against the Law but it doth establish it Neonom i. e. It doth establish the New Law not the Old we are for a Law and Justification by it tho' not for the Old For Paul still opposeth the Law of Faith and the Works of that Law to the Old Law i. e. The Law of Perfect Obedience You must not confound one with another That was a Law of Perfection this of Imperfection I have stated the difference between Truth and Error in these matters Antinom Now you say you have stated the Difference I begin to suspect you to be the Author of that Book lately come forth called Gospel-Truth Stated and Vindicated For that Gentleman pretends to a singular Dexterity in stating Questions and Superlative Nicety even to the splitting a Hair between Truth and Error and I perceive divers Divines do esteem him a Cuminopristes that way by the Commendation they have given him and the Recommendation of his Treatise Neonom Truly it is no more than what it deserves not to say any thing of the Author who I know how unworthy soever he thinks himself to be yet hath no greater Ambition than to remove Mistakes from Men's Minds about Gospel-Truths of which there are many even among honest well-meaning Divines as well as others who are too much unstudied in these matters and therefore frequently utter their crude and undigested Conceptions in the Pulpit and Press too and as he would reach forth light to them so he would be Malleus Hereticorum Antinom My thinks I am the more confirmed by this that you your self were the Author Are you Mr. D. W Neonom I was either the Author or will personate him so far as to defend the Book if any one hath any thing to say against it I must confess D. W. Pref. p. 1. a dislike of Contention hath long restrained my engaging in this Work Antinom I doubt too much of the contrary appears in that Book or else the Author would never have raked up the Ashes of an Holy Man that hath been so long at rest to contend with and spurn them about with his Foot in so much Scorn and Contempt Neonom I have been oft solicited to this Work by many able Ministers Antinom Because they look'd upon you as the ablest as you seem willing to be thought I perceive now I be not mistaken Neonom But finding what Principles you are of I know you are mistaken in many things which I shall rectifie you in if you have Patience and Will to hearken to me Do but read my Book and consider it well Peace is the Blessing which I chearfully pursue and it with the Truth
what I propose in this very Endeavour Antinom It 's well if it be so but as they say the Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating It 's no new thing for Men to pretend well let their Undertaking be what it will But Non videtur id manticae quod in tergo est Apollinarius the Heretick had a School cum Titulo Orthodoxi And Nestorius the Heretick shrouded himself under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Error sibi ex principiis fidem perstruit ut cum magna mercede fallet It 's observed that Error will always shelter it self under a plausible Pretext of Truth that it may do it with the greatest Advantage Neonom I am convinced after many Prayers and serious Thoughts that the Revival of those Errors must not only exclude that Ministry as Legal which is most apt in its Nature and by Christ's Ordination to convert Souls and secure the Practical Power of Religion but also renders Vnity among Christians a thing impossible Antinom You know also another old Proverb In Nomine Domini c. Livy reports of Scipio Africanus before he set upon any Business he entred the Capitol alone pretending thereby a Consultation with the Gods whereupon apud multitudinem plerumque velut mente divinitus monitâ agebat thereby he had a great Vogue among the People of the Justness of his Cause I can't perswade my self that the Composure of that piece of Work that hath so much Moral Evil in it and bitter Opposition to Gospel-Truth is an Answer of Prayers neither can I pray as those Gentlemen whose Names stand over your Porch but think it my Duty to pray quite contrary and as for what you speak of Revival of Errors I judge that your Dictates are no Rule to judge of Faith and Error by how magisterially soever you impose them And I think we are come to a sad pass if a Man of your declared Principles must be set up as a Reformer of Error and Former of Articles of Faith and such as are in Fundamental Points directly contrary to the Doctrinal Part of the 39 Articles yea such as our first Protestant Reformers decryed by Scripture and the best Arguments as highly Antichristian and destructive to the Souls of Men which Witness of theirs many of them sealed with their Blood You say the Danger of such things as you call Error will be in excluding the Teaching of your Doctrine and Ministry as Legal Would to God such Ministry as the Spirit of God call's Legal Preaching were excluded by the brighter Shining of the Grace of God into the Hearts both of Ministers and People from which Light some and too many this Day have swerved having turned aside unto vain Jangling desiring to be Teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affivm 1 Tim. 1.6 But you call that Evangelical which we call Legal We can't help your calling Light Darkness and Darkness Light Law Gospel and Gospel Law and you say it 's most apt in its own Nature to secure the Power of Religion Whereas Experience hath shewed to the contrary how well the Doctrine of Justification by Works hath secured it among the Romanists And the Apostle Paul testifies by the Spirit That whosoever is justified by a Law it's not the Law is fallen from Grace Gal. 5.4 And therefore its false that such Doctrine is Christ's Ordination It hath not Fitness in it to convert Souls for the Law brings none to God No Man is justifyed in or by a Law in the Sight of God Gal. 3.11 Those Places and divers others should be read a Law and not the Law because the Spirit by them excludes all Laws even your Law Its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the emphatical Particle is not put in and therefore there 's no ground to say this or that Law only is excluded from Justification but every Law and where there 's no true Justification taught there can be no true Practical Obedience But the last Prejudice is That such Doctrines as are opposite to yours renders Vnity among Christians a thing impossible Good Reason there is for it because they can't unite in their Head Christ Jesus and therefore can't unite as Members There lies the Impossible For what Communion between Christ and Belial By this it appears you strike at the Union Neonom Every Sermon will be matter of Debate and mutual Censures of the severest kind will be unavodable while one side justly press the Terms of the Gospel under its Promises and Threats for which they are accused as Enemies to Christ and his Grace c. Antinom Reason Good that every Sermon that makes the Gospel a Law i. e. That press Duty under a Law-Sanction should not only be matter of Debate but earnestly contended against for the Performance of Duty as Terms enforced by a Law-Sanction is a Covenant of Works So that such Men are Preachers of a Law it s no matter what Law Works performed under a Law-Sanction are Legal Works and do make the Covenant enjoyning them a Covenant of Works Censures are here justly made of such a Ministry and they that preach such Doctrine are certainly Enemies to the Grace of God under whatsoever Vizards of pretended Holiness they vail themselves Neonom And the other side ignorantly set up the Name of Christ and Free Grace against the Government of Christ and the Rule of Judgement Antinom I think the Stomach of every Good Man may justly rise not only against your Insolent but prophane Expression All Men besides Neonomians are Ignorant Men. What saith the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O miserimos mortalium Qui spiritus tumidos gerunt Arrogancy is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tough Itch not easily cured How far doth this Spirit come short of the Imitation of Christ in Meekness and Lowliness Yea how far from his Rule which you would seem to be so zealous for To do nothing out of Strife and Vain-Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 But with you all that adore Free Grace and set up Justification by Faith without the Works of a Law do ignorantly set up the Name of Christ Is this a piece of Ignorance to set up the Name of Christ as a Saviour of Sinners and as that Name whereby we are Justifyed from all things from which we could not be justifyed by the Law of Moses or any other Law Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold ye Despisers c. Acts 13.39 40. And what do these Men so ignorantly do They set Christ against himself Set up his Name and Free Grace against his Government And why Because they say we are saved not by our Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy and that it was the meer Kindness and Love of God our Saviour that appeared to us in the Gospel-Salvation Tit. 3.4
in it's Abstract Nature is good That Dr. Crisp renders Sin innocent that is your Expression pag. 198. Now you charge him for saying That the grossest Sin that a Believer can commit can't do him the least harm neither ought they to fear the least hurt by their own Sins pag. 181. By this you would give us to understand that he means Sin is in its self Innocent and that Sin bears no Evil Fruits of its self that it may be boldly committed without Fear Whereas Dr. Crisp declares plainly and with much endeavour to prevent Mistakes that the Hurt he means is only the Penal Effects of Sin and declares again and again he speaks this not to encourage Sin He speaks of the Sins of a Believer in Christ they that are under the Dominion of Grace He speaks not of Sins to be committed but that these ought to be looked upon as the most odious and hateful things in the World and that which here he doth speak is only upon the Account of some poor distressed Consciences whose Sins lay so much upon them as thereby their Souls were driven from the Grace of God in Christ For to prove this take only a few of his Words you shall hear many more heareafter Dr. C. p. 513. Thus I speak of Sin not as it smiles upon a Man with a promising Countenance before it be committed For it is most dreadful and odious to the Faithful as that which crucifyed the sweetest Lord but as already committed and lying upon the Conscience of a Believer endeavouring to drive him to deny the Free-Grace and Love of God and the All-sufficiency of Christ In this regard it is crucifyed by Christ and so a Believer need not be afraid of Sin the Hand-writing of Ordinances is taken away His whole Discourse is to evince that the condemning Nature of Sin is taken away the Fear he speaks of is only in respect of Sins that a Believer hath fallen into and to prevent their falling into unbelieving Despair Now let any Intelligent Person judge whether you have not misrepresented Dr. Crisp and basely traduced him You your self say pag. 11. The Obliquity of the Fact against the Precept shall not hurt where the Sanction of the Law is answered I think this being duly weighed is worse than any thing Dr. Crisp sayeth I 'll instance in one Misrepresentation more For you charge him for holding the Uselesness and Unprofitableness of Holiness in saying Graces and Holiness do us not the least Good Dr. Crisp p. 41. Preaching upon Christ the way sheweth Christ to be the way to Justification and saith You that are Believers are in a near way to Salvation Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Such a near way Christ is yet still People will be cavilling Where are good Works all this while what justified by Faith alone Saved by Christ alone I tell you if Christ be the way to Eternal Life then Works are not the way except they be Christ But must we not work Yea but for other purposes i. e. than for Justification and obtaining eternal Life by them the Lord hath propounded other Ends for which you are to work Ye are bought with a price That 's done therefore glorify God in your Bodies being delivered out of the Hands of your Enemies weare to serve him in Holiness and Righteousness He saith much to this purpose often speaks in the High Commendation of Holiness but speaks against putting it in the place of Christ By these things we may see what Credit is to be given to you when you make it so much of your business in Pulpit and publick places to charge Men and Books with saying those things which they never spake and meaning such things as they never intended And let all Men judge whether you have not misrepresented this good Man whom in the end of this Preface you own to have been a holy Man And could that be true if you have not misrepresented him as to what he said of Sin and Good Works and spoken here a very great Falshood These two Proofs may serve to evince for the present which also shall be made good that it is so in most if not all the Chapters of your Book more or less The great Quarrel you have with him is that he makes it so much his business to vindicate the Honour of Free Grace and of the Lord Jesus in our whole Salvation and in Justification to exclude Works altogether You talk of Works necessary to Salvation but how You mean as a working Condition whereby you put Works in the place of Christ and mean as your Oracle plainly speaks For you are not so honest as he but play the Jugler more He saith Quoniam Christus Mediator Fides in Christum Method Theolog p. 394. § 36. Par. 2. sunt tantum media ad hominem Deo per sanctitatem amorem restituendum Ideo sine Hesitatione dicendum est ex natura rei Fidem Sanctitatem amorem Dei ad salutem magis esse necessaria quà m aut fides in Christum aut Christi ipsius Sacrificium I will not construe it for the Reputation of him that wrote it but their 's a Bone for you to pick And I think to all Learned Men it gives your whole meaning in making such a noise as you do which you think in very allowable Terms that none dare oppose you in that works are necessary to Salvation Neonom His Scheme is this That by God's meer electing Decree all saving Blessings are by Divine Obligation made ours Antinom He never erected his Scheme and cast Theological Figures as you have done to find out a new Gospel He took his Measures of Truth from the Word of God but Bernardus non videt omnia some things he might be mistaken in as well as others But you say that he said By God's Electing Decree all saving Blessings are by Divine Obligation made ours But where 's the Expression I remember it not He might say That from God's Electing Grace it proceeds that all Divine Blessings are made ours by Obligation in the Terms that you have put it its improper because it seems to confound Election and the Covenant of Grace I can say nothing further to that till I see his Words being not willing to believe your reporting of them For it 's manifest you make to Conscience to misrepresent any Man to put your Meanings and draw your Consequences upon him Neonom But he saith There 's nothing more needful to our Title to these Blessings Antinom Is not this Spirare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the First Rate Doth not Dr. C. assert Christ to be needful to Salvation and as our Title Doth he not assert the Covenant of Grace to be needful the Free Gift of Grace Sure Christ and the Covenant of Grace are both distinguish'd from Election and these he affirms needful to our Title to Blessings But Blessings in your Sence are
the Promise of Life in Christ pleadable 2 Tim. 1.1 9. Neonom And our Personal Claim depends on the Gospel-Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator Antinom So the Covenant of Redemption is not the Gospel-Covenant but neither is there any Claim to be made by it but another that interposeth between the Second Covenant and us We are not entitled at all to this new Covenant-Blessing by Christ but by our own Obediance you mean in performance of the Conditions of this Covenant you say How To defend from the Old Law Prosecution that there may be no Interruption but our New Law may have quiet in allowance of our Imperfect Obedience Christ Mediator with you is but as the Angel that defended Paradice so Christ stands and defends the New Law that no exception may be taken at its proceeding in Justification by Imperfect Obedience This is to make the Lord Jesus Christ the Minister of Sin to offer up himself a Sacrifice to procure an imperfect Righteousness for a Covenant Condition For in all Imperfections of Obedience there 's a mixture of Sin And is not this to make Sin good in its own Nature And implicitly to assert it can do us no hurt in the lower Degree it coming in as an Allay to the strictness of the Covenant of Works There 's a necessity of it as to the very formal Nature of it in the Condition For otherwise it would be a perfect Condition and then exclude us from all Blessedness as you say Neonom 4. This Gospel Sanction determines as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same Antinom To determine Rules of Sin and Misery as your frequent Expression is is to make the Gospel to approve of Sin and Misery and it 's great Design and Business to send Men to Hell Take your way of Expression in what Sence you please it 's so Unscholar-like that a School-boy should be whipt for it 2. I tell you the Gospel hath no Law Sanction at all of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of Promise to all saved ones Christ is the End of the Law to them and as to those that are not saved the Law takes it's Course upon them they come not under the Efficacy of the Gospel at all 3. In the whole you have said you have affirmed the Gospel to be a Covenant of Works as it 's your usual manner Neonom While it promiseth Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to pardon to the impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon So when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith at the Terms of possessing Heaven Antinom 1. I would fain know whether the Gospel offers not Pardon unto unbelieving and impenitent Sinners Not that they should continue unbelieving and impenitent but that they should believe and repent For the Promise of the Gospel is an Offer and Tender of Forgiveness unto Sinners and it 's preached to them as such to perswade and encourage them to believe and whether this Promise be not before Faith to work it if not the Sinner hath no ground to believe For where there 's no Promise there 's no ground to believe 2. If it declare a Barr to all present impenitent ones and Rejecters of Christ it is preached in vain for all are so till they receive Christ by Faith 3. Whether Faith and Repentance be not included in the Promise of the Gospel I say They are All Gifts of Grace belong to the Promise of Grace but Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace Tâ—e Scripture is express in it Now then I argue First That Faith and Repentance belong to the Promise to the same Promise that gives forth Pardon and therefore are no Conditions they are Benefits they are Life in Christ and there 's none can have them but such as are in Christ And therefore Pardon is not promised to Faith and Repentance as things distinct from the Promise but Pardon is promised together with Faith and Repentance to the Sinner The Spirit of God only gives us to understand that they are to go together Pardon is rather the Conndition of Faith and Repentance and much more having a causal Influence thereunto then Faith and Repentance of Pardon 2. The Gospel doth not fix Faith and Repentantance as Conditions of Pardon in your Sence i. e. Working Conditions to entitle us to Christ for we are pardoned and justified freely and though there be Faith and Repentance upon giving forth of Pardon yet Faith Repentance and Remission of Sins are given in the same Promise to the Ungodly to Persons that were even till now Impenitent Rejecters of Christ 3. But you go on with your Mystery First The Sinner must be qualified with Faith and Repentance before he is reconciled to God in a way of Pardon and when he hath that he is to come on upon another Covenant for possessing of Heaven Now there must be sincere Holiness and Perseverance to qualifie him for Heaven The Promise of Heaven it s upon other Conditions What a Sad Case is a poor Sinner in if he make a shift to scramble by his imperfect Conditions into Covenant He is like every Day to be turned out again And when he hath done the best he can yet he must never believe that he shall go to Heaven till he lies a dying It were happy for him to be knock'd on the Head when he is in a good Frame lest he should lose all again and put to begin to go through all his imperfect sincere persevering moral Righteousness believing he knows not what For if he falls into Sin he must conclude his Perseverance is at an end you must enform us what Degrees of Sin in our imperfect Obedience may be admitted before we conclude that our Perseverance is at an end and then though you say Happiness will come upon Perseverance in imperfect Holiness I suppose then perfect Holiness is that which qualifies us for perfect Happiness and is the Condition of it Therefore we must arrive at it in this Life that so we may have the Condition before the Promise Are not these miserable Chimera's for Protestants Neonom Hence the Vse of Faith and Holiness to those Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Antinom Now we come to the Whirligig that is the Mystery of the Scheme 1. We would know whether there be any difference between Conformity to a Rule and Precept in a Law And 2. What is the Rule of the Promise Is it not with you the Precept If it be not how is Conformity to it Obedience 3. The Promise is not properly a Precept as such tho' the Gospel-Promise is the Ground and Reason of all Gospel-Precepts but not Precepts of
when we are Pardoned the whole Meritorious Cause of Pardon be that Atonement and what is required of Sinners is only a meetness to receive the Effects of it Antinom What do you mean by the whole Meritorious Cause Do you exclude Christ's Active Obedience from the Meritorious Causes And do you mean the Merit of Satisfaction or Procurement There 's a great deal of difference in the Case before us and what is the meetness whether it be not a meetness of Congruity if not of Condignity And whether this meetness be not of the Effects of Christ's Merits and if not from what other Cause it ariseth Neonom Nor whether this Atonement is the only way of Forgiveness which we can apprehend Antinom I had thought a meetness to be forgiven had been with you one way to be forgiven which you make to be distinct from Atonement and the Meritorious Cause of Forgiveness Now Sir you say these things are not the Question but they are questionable to me you might have told us of a Thousand more Questions which are not ours for there is no one thing but in genere disparatorum is separate from all other things in the World But after Sir you have freed our Brains from the mixture of all Impertinent Questions I pray put your Finger upon the very Spot Neonom The Real Difference lyes in two Things 1. Whether the Elect were Actually discharged of all their Sins at the time that Christ made Atonement D. W. p. 16. Antinom The Question is whether a Believer is not to look upon the laying of his Sins on Christ his full Release for I speak of an Elect Believer I say not that any other can whether Elect or no for all the burden and load of Sin was long ago laid on Christ it is not now to do Neonom Having spoken to the Question before I insist now only upon this Whether the very Act of laying Sin upon Christ on the Cross be the discharge of the Elect from all Sin Antinom You state your Questions still with great Ambiguity for what mean you by the Act of laying Sin on Christ The laying Sin on Christ must suppose and imply all things that conduced to the making him a compleat Sacrifice for Sin God's Acts and his own on God's part it 's to be supposed there was not only a charge of Christ but a discharge on Christ's part not only a Subjection to the Charge but a Suffering by way of Satisfaction not only an undertaking of the Debt but a payment I suppose you mean whether the Atonement that Christ made was in any sence a discharge unto the Elect for no wise Person will give a Discharge to a Debtor till the Money be paid or Suretiship accepted now then we distinguish of Pardon it was perfect and compleat by way of Impetration for all the Elect but it hath not an Actual Application till the Persons are in being to whom it is to be applyed and that Application in regard of the time of their Lives is according to the dispensation of Grace Now all this you seem to grant and need not put to any further Question you say Christ made full Atonement for Sin and it shall be certainly applyed you say only that a Sinner is not discharged till Application we distinguish of Discharge 1. There 's that which is Vertual and Fundamental and Real in Christ or else he could not have rose for the Charge upon him was our Sins and he must have a Discharge as a Surety and it was the Elects Discharge in the Mind of God and of Christ and really transacted But 2ly There 's a personal sensible Discharge which is at or by Application Now then in the same sence that Christ bore our Sins by Imputation as a Representative in that sence we were Discharged for the Discharge must be as large and full as the Charge to the very Person of Christ and all he undertook for or else he is bearing Sin still and the Sins of some of the Elect must be still upon him And 3ly If Christ obtained what he bore our Sins for then he had a Discharge not only for his own Person but for all he undertook for and represented and Christ having made good and full payment cannot remain undischarged for he finished the work which his Father appointed him to do Neonom But we can claim no Interest in his Atonement till we Believe Antinom A Sinner's first Ground of Claim is the Promise and free Offer of Christ in the Gospel and Faith is a laying hold upon him and receiving of him in whom is full Atonement and Pardon It is one thing to have Jus ad rem and another to have Jus in re a Child new Born or to be Born Heir of an Estate hath a good Right to the Inheritance else he could not be Heir which is previous and lyes dormant until the time of Claim and Possession and therefore the Apostle seems to speak in this way of Allusion Eph. 1.11 He saith In whom we have obtained an Inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it 's grounded upon what he said ver 7. in whom we have Redemption And Dr. Goodwin saith That the Apostle speaks not there of the Redemption that we have here i. e. the Fruits of Redemption but of the Work of Redemption which Christ himself hath wrought which is the cause of all the Redemption we receive And 2dly We have Redemption in Christ as in a common Person and we have it not only when it is applyed to us but we have it in him as we had Condemnation in Adam before we were Born into the World so we had Redemption in Christ when he dyed So Dr. Goodwin on Eph. 1. Neonom It was not that Will or Purpose of God or Christ that the laying our Sins on Christ should be the Immediate Discharge of the Elect John 6.40 1 Pet. 1.2 D. W. p. 17. Antinom It was the Will and Purpose of God and Christ that upon Christ's Satisfaction for Sin he should have an immediate Discharge and all the Elect Vertually and Really in him a general Discharge but not manifested and personally applyed to particular Persons and in this sence the Elect are Discharged at and by Application and the places mentioned hold forth no more than this and this is all the Dr. saith That the Church had a general Discharge in Christ not a particular Application till Being Neonom This overthrows the whole Scheme so wisely contrived for the distribution of the Effects of his Death Antinom It may overthrow your Scheme but it overthrows no true Scheme of the Gospel Mystery Antinom Things are so adjusted that forgiving the Elect should be the Effect of Christ's Kingly Office as well as his Priestly Office Acts 5.31 1 Cor. 6.11 Acts 26.18 Antinom Christ wrought out our Forgiveness by way of Atonement as a Priest and God was Atoned and Appeased thereby and therein he also Gloriously Triumphed in his
how that Fruit shall grow without the Influence of the Root Unless you will say a Branch out of Christ can bring forth Fruit. I will not undertake to tell how long the Union made by the Spirit is before Faith appear but I am sure Faith cannot so much as arise into the first Act without the Sinners Union and Spiritual Communion so far as to have from the Root but as to his active and apprehended Union it can't be before Faith Neonom You think because all Grace after Vnion comes from Christ as our actual Head therefore Christ by his Spirit can work no Grace in us as our designed Head Antinom I know not how you put that Paradox upon me or what you mean by it very well I can but guess at it by your other Notions all that I can say to it is that Christ works Grace as our Actual Head That Christ Works Grace in us as a designed Head is a Riddle for so Grace must be wrought in us before we are in Christ Neonom You think because God Soveraignly decreed what Benefits he would bestow therefore he hath as our Ruler stated no rectoral Method of bestowing those Benefits Antinom I never thought God to be any other than a God of Order and that he is wise in all his ways and holy in all his Works and always thought that as God hath decreed to us all Covenant-Blessings so he hath provided the best method and way for bestowing them most to the Honour and Glory of his Free-Grace Neonom Because the Covenant is everlasting as to future therefore you judge there can be no Condition on man's part nor remembring that the Covenant secures our perseverance in performing those Conditions Antinom Because the Cnvenant is eternal before the World began I judge it was compleat and that the Condition was as ancient as the Covenant and the Security both in Condition and Promise as ancient Neonom Dr. O. in his Treatise of Justification p. 264. saith That Christ undertook that those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfill it's Conditions and yield Obedience which God required therein How frequently doth he assert That our Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant depends on our Answering the Terms of the Gospel 270 30◠351. And so Mr. Norton Calvin Dr. Owen shews what Christ undertook as Sponsor Praes Fidejussor 1. To answer for all the Sins of those who are to be and are made Partakers of the Benefits of it 2. That those who are to be taken into Covenant by their Actual embracing it should receive Grace enabling them and whatever Christ undertook God promised and this Grace of Compliance is no other than what Christ procured undertook and God promised To say that the Promises are Conditions one of another is to say no more than that they stand in an order of Application and i◠a constituted relation one to another And these are all the Terms the Doctor means and that he doth mean so and not in your Sence is manifest by noting other Notions of these things two of which he rehearseth wherein I am sure your Notion is comprized at length and breadth He tells us what some say we owe to the Death of Christ the Procuratum of the New Covenant and that he suffered what God appointed he should not that the Justice of God required any such thing c. as in their stead but what by a free Constitution of Divine Wisdom and Soveraignty was appointed and hereon God remitted the Terms of the Old Covenant and entred into a New Covenant suited unto Reason c. These are Faith and sincere Obedience c. Others say The whole Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us so far as that we are made Partakers of the Benefits thereof And that the way of the Communication of them unto us is by the New Covenant which by his Death the Lord Christ procured For the Conditions of the Covenant are establisted in the Covenant it self whereon God will bestow all the Benefits and Effects of it upon us which are Faith and Obedience Wherefore what the Lord Christ hath done for us is thus far accepted as our Legal Righteousdess as that God upon our Faith and Obedience with respect thereunto doth release and pardon all our Sins Upon this Pardon there is no need of any positive perfect Righteousness unto our Justification or Salvation but our own personal Righteousness is accepted with God in the room of it by vertue of the New Covenant which Christ hath procured So is the Doctrine hereof stated by Cursellaeus and those that joyn with and follow him as I take it you do This Doctrine he refutes As for what you quote from Mr. Norton Orth. Evang. p. 172. it 's not to the purpose His Design is to prove the Gospel is preach'd in an Indefinite Proposition which is not to our purpose you quote Mr. Norton in the wrong place Look ch 10. p. 227. The Application both of Grace and Glory and all the good of the Covenant of Grace are free to us though conditioned unto Christ Free Grace excludes not Christ's Merit but Man's Merit Obj. Faith is a Condition though not of it self yet of Salvation and that in the Elect themselves Therefore the Application of Salvation seems not to be free in respect of the Elect. A. A Condition is either a Condition properly so called i. e. an Antecedent Condition or a Condition improperly so called i. e. a Consequent Condition A Condition properly so called is a Law or Observation annexed to a business the performance whereof lyeth upon the Covenant and accordingly the business becomes valid or null Such a Condition was Works in the first Covenant If Faith were such a Condition there would soon be an end of the Covenant of Grace yea the Covenant of Grace were indeed no Covenant of Grace A Condition improperly so called or a consequent Condition is such a Condition whose performance by the Covenantee is absolutely undertaken for and irresistibly wrought by the Covenanter and not left in Suspence upon the Covenantee to be performed by his own strength Faith is a consequent Condition not an antecedent Condition So as this Proposition I will give Eternal Life to the Elect if they believe is equivalent unto this I will out of my absolute Will give unto the Elect Eternal Life because I will out of my absolute Will give unto the Elect to believe Particula si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si feceris hoc vives Particula si non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in si credideris Buc. loc 21. q. 3. Obj. Repentance and new Obedience are necessary to Salvation Luke 13.3 Heb. 3.13 Therefore the Application of the good of Election is not to be free in respect of us A. Good Works which is also true Repentance are necessary as the way appointed of
the Nature of it The Understanding essentially includes the VVill and the VVill the Understanding wherefore the Oâ—ject of the Understanding and VVill are one and the same Truth and Goodness are essentially the same Faith is General or Particular P. 124. General that which is Assent to all Divine Revelations as good and true in regard of our selves Here comes in the common Work of the Spirit Particular Assent of Faith is when all things revealed by God are assented to as most true and excellent in regard of our selves when they are particularly applyed to our proper occasion and compared with all Desires and Provocations whatsoever to the contrary when we know and believe these things that are generally delivered P. 131. for our selves in application to our own use and practice as Job was counselled by his Friends so that we believe in this particular as well as that at this time as well as another 1. The Root and Fountain of this Blessed Assent is the Grace of Sanctification And 2. The Object is Twofold P. 133. The whole Will of God revealed in his Word containing all Histories Doctrine Commands Threatnings Promises c. 2. The particular Promise of Remission of Sin and everlasting Life by the Death of Christ which in one Word we call the Gospel tho both be one and the same infused Grace which respects both yet Faith as it respects these Objects the whole Will of God and a particular Promise of the Gospel admitteth of divers Considerations Names and Use Faith as it assents to the whole Will of God I call Legal because it is such a Vertue as is immediately required by the Moral Law in the same manner as Duties of the Moral Law are and as all other Moral Duties are required of us in their Degrees as parts of our inward and outward Sanctity necessary to Salvation so is this Faith commanded as a principal Grace and prime part of our Obedience to the first Command so in this respect it may be saving namely as other Graces are Faith as it assents unto the Special Promise of Grace I call Evangelical because it 's such an Act as is expresly commanded in the Gospel not revealed by the Moral Law It is called properly Saving and Justifying in regard of the Use of it through God's gracious appointment to be the only Instrument of our Justification and Salvation by Christ He defines it thus It is a Grace of Sanctification wrought by the Holy Ghost in every Regenerate Man P. 140. whereby for his own particular he trusteth perfectly on the Promise of Remission of Sins and Salvation by Christ's Righteousness The proper Act of Faith as it justifies it consisteth in Trust and Reliance for our own particular To believe the Truth of a particular Promise is to trust upon the Performance of it to me and that assent of Faith which is given to such a Promise is properly called Fiducia or Trust To assent unto such a Promise is not barely to believe that there is such a thing in the World as Remission of Sins by Christ to be bestowed upon God knows who for this is to believe the Promise not as a Promise but a History but this Assent is of the whole Heart in Trust Reliance Adherence c. That Fiducia is the Essence of Justifying Faith 1. From the Phrase of Scripture used in this business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe in upon into God Christ c. 2. From the opposition between Faith and Distrust Jam. 1.16 Rom. 2.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. From that excellent place 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded he is able to keep c. Wherefore to believe the Promise is with Confidence and Trust to rely upon it P. 140. which Assent of Faith is wrought in this manner 1. A Man is enlightned to see his Sin and Misery 2. The Promise of Grace is proposed and freely offered unto him 3. Whence the Heart touched by the Spirit of Grace draws near to Christ casts himself into his Arms c. It bespeaks Christ in all Terms of Confidence and Affiance My Lord my God my Hâ—pe This Work of Faith as it doth greatly glorifie God in ascribing the whole Honour of our Salvation only to Free Grace in Christ so God doth highly honour it above all Fellow-Graces by making it the blessed Instrument of all the Comfort we enjoy in this World thereby giving us assurance of our Justification in his sight by Christ's Righteousness and a double Comfort 1. Peace of Conscience resting it self secure upon the Stability of God's Promise against the Severities of Justice the Accusations of the Law it hath wherewithall to answer even an All-sufficient Righteousness in Christ 2. That kind of Fiducia which we call Assurance of full pardon of our Sins This is the fruit of that Fiducia or trusting unto the Promise it self wherein stands the proper Act of Justifying Faith Many do stedfastly believe and rest themselves only upon Christ for Salvation who yet would give a World to be assured and fully perswaded that their sins are pardoned Whereupon they will be apt to fall back and say They do not nor can't believe at all A great mistake and that which casteth many a Conscience upon the Rack It 's a false Argument for Justifying Faith is not to be assured of Pardon but to trust wholly upon the Promise for Pardon What is Essential unto Faith is manifest That which in order of Nature seems to have the Precedency Dr. O. of Justific p. 135. is the Assent of the Mind unto that which the Psalmist betakes himself unto in the first place for relief under a sense of Sin and Trouble Psal 130.3 4. It 's declared in the Gospel that God in his Love and Grace will Pardon and Justifie guilty Sinners through the Blood and Mediation of Christ so it 's proposed Rom. 3.23.24 The Assent of the Mind hereunto as proposed in the Promise of the Gospel is the Root of Faith the Foundation of all that the Soul doth in believing nor is there any Evangelical Faith without it yet consider it Abstractedly as a meer Act of the Mind the Essence of Justifying Faith doth not consist solely therein 2. This is accompanied in sincere believing with an approbation of the way of Deliverance and Salvation proposed c. This Assent and Approbation causing the Heart to rest upon Divine Grace Wisdom and Love and apply it self thereto according to the Mind of God is the Faith whereby we are Justified and concludes in it Renunciation of all other Ways and Means of attaining Righteousness the Consent of the Will Acquiescence of the Heart in God Trust and Confidence c. Peter Martyr saith Faith is an Assent and that a firm Assent unto the words of God obtained not by Reason or Natural Demonstration but by the Authority of the Speaker and by the Power of the Holy Ghost Com. pl. part 3. p. 58. We must now declare what
is the chiefest thing to which Faith is directed which is the Promise of God whereto by believing we assent and this Promise is chiefly that wherein he Promiseth that he will through Christ be favourable and merciful to us and although there be many Promises in Scripture are offered unto us yet this one is the chiefest for whose sake the rest are performed unto us unto which all other Promises are to be referred The common Object of Faith is the Word of God but the chiefest Object is as is rehearsed p. 58. He proves it to be a firm Assent from Acts 10.20 and Rom. 4.10 And yet he saith it Conflicts with many Doubtings DEBATE X. Of the Free Offer of Christ to Sinners and of Preparatory Qualifications Calvin WE have discoursed several Points in our late Meetings I suppose you have had pretty good satisfaction in all material things you have charged Mr. Antinomian with for Errour I hope you cannot charge him with more Errour Neonom But I can I have a whole Cargo yet behind and this is one among the rest that he saith That Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murderers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced unhumbled and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this by only concluding in their minds upon this Offer that Christ is theirs D. W. p. 81. Calvin I hope he offers Christ to them then in all his Salvation as he is revealed in the Gospel that he gave himself for us to Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 And if he doth so I know not why he may not offer Christ as such to the worst of Men I know no other way to make them better But what were his words Neonom I need give no Proof of it it is a declared Point which he oft strives to prove that all the Elect are actually united to Christ before they believe But of this in our next Discourse D. W. p. 81. He saith Is not Vnbelief a barr to have a part in Christ A. It is a Barr to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit but it 's not a Barr to hinder one from having a part in Christ D. C. p. 110. Antinom He leaves out part of the very Sentence I spake I said It is not a Bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit on whom God doth bestow A Sinner being passive in the Work of Grace God breaketh all those Bars of Brass when Christ manifests himself in the Spirit by Converting Grace mark how my words refer plainly to Gods Act and not to ours I proceeded thus It is true that you nor I can say by Experience that Christ is our Christ untill we believe as long as we continue in total unbelief we cannot conclude to our own Spirits that Christ is ours But unbelief mark my very words is not simply a Bar to the bestowing of Christ to such a Person he bestows him without any regard to belief or unbelief i. e. as a reason of bestowing him if unbelief should be a Bar to hinder Christ from being bestowed upon Persons where is the Person upon whom Christ should be bestowed There 's no Person under Heaven considered simply as ungodly under the Notion of ungodlidess but he is considered as an unbeliever Calvin You must needs grant this to be true that a sinful state is not a Bar to the power of God in working Grace upon the Heart he speaks altogether in respect of the Act of God upon the Soul where he works and nothing can lett or hinder Neonom But he seems to insist on Mens coming to Christ and closing with him D. W. p. 82. He saith No consideration in the World can so aggravate a Mans condition would he make his condition as bad as the Devils themselves yet if there be but a coming there can be no consideration in the highest pitch of sinfulness for Christ to reject him D. C. p. 206. D. C. 206. Antinom I said Suppose a Person be dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2.2 c. The Lewdest Person that can be imagined and continuing so to this very instant now before the Lord without any change and alteration until now by this Text John 6.37 It appears so manifest that if the Lord do but grant and if the Lord hath put a willingness and readiness of Spirit into this Mâ—n that Christ he would have if it might appear he might have him If his Heart do but say I would have him all that sinfulness though to this instant continued in is no Bar in the World and after follows the words mentioned by him after which I added For you must know Christ is well acquainted with all the Objections the Heart of Man nay the Devils can make against the freeness of his Grace and Life by him to save a labour therefore in this one passage I will in no wise cast him out Christ at once answers all the Objections that could be made and I dare be bold to maintain in the Name and Stead of Christ let a Person but say and lay down this for granted Come he would Cheist he would have rather than his Life let this be granted for a Truth mark well these words I speak not of a Luâ—â—icrous Hypocritical say so I will be bold with Christ out of this passage to Answer a Thousand Objections I will in no wise cast him out i. e. I will upon no consideration that can be imagined or conceived D. C. p. 207. I know the Objections are very many and strong in respect of such a Person to whom the Lord hath given a willingness and desire of Spirit to close with Christ yet dare not do the thing but let them be what they will let me tell you the Lord hath sent me at this time to proclaim Liberty to the Captives that are in this sad bitter and to your own thinking desperate condition liberty God hath given thee and if thou wilt come freely nothing in the World shall hinder thee Calvin I profess Mr. Neonomian I wonder what kind of Gospel you would have that you call this Errour Neonom He saith Whatever thou art suppose a Drunkard a Whore-master a Swearer a Blasphemer a Mad-man in Iniquity couldst thou but come to Christ I say come only come it is no matter if there be no alteration in thee when thou dost come to Christ D. C. p. 202. Antinom These words were in the same Sermon and before I spake the words above rehearsed I only in all supposed that a Sinner saw no alteration in himself till the time of the Call to come to Christ the drift of this Discourse was principally to take off Objections from such as willingly would come to Christ and dare not D. C. 203. I shew'd there are two sorts of People that are given
whole use depends on Gods Ordination Antinom I wonder you 'l ground your denial upon such a weak Reason for would not Adam's Merits have depended on God's Ordination And doth not Christ's Merits depend on God's Ordination Neonom Nor whether a Soul may neglect to accept of Christ as Prophet Priest and King because they feel not that degree of these Humblings and Convictions which they desire and expect Antinom But being you set them a digging in the Rock of their own Hearts for the Pearl of Great Price you should tell them how deep it lyes before they are likely to find it for all these Convictions and Humblings are before they come at Christ you put them upon hard Service unless you tell them when they are convinced enough and humbled enough and why do you use the word neglect for as long as they are upon the work you assign them they wait for you to offer Christ to them and you tell them it 's better to stay longer and there 's reason for it according to your Hypothesis if some degrees of Humblings must be had to fit them for Christ then more degrees will make them more fit Neonom Nor whether these Preparatory Qualifications be the Work of the Spirit by common Grace This I affirm Antinom So then they may dig and not find the Mine and spend all their days in Common Grace and never find Spiritual Grace now here you fully declare your self that Common Grace is the Condition of Special Grace What a Work is here with Conditions Neonom Nor whether their immediate Influence I mean of Preparatory Qualifications be to prepare the Soul for a true consenting Acceptance which it is hereby less averse to and more disposed for This I affirm Antinom I know not what sence to put upon this but the Papists Congruity and that common Grace is a degree or a qualifying condition of Saving Grace and that Common and Special differ not Specifically but Gradually only which to me is gross Divinity Sancta Clara tells us thus De habitâ prima gratiâ Actuali Communis recepta Sententia Scholar est c. Certainly it is the common and received Opinion of the Schools that with the help of the first preventing Grace we may obtain further helps by acting and endeavouring yea the first habitual justifying Grace and in some measure deserve it de congruo i. e. of meetness fitness and aptitude and it 's the common Opinion of all the Doctors as to after-helps in respect of the first Grace and he faith He takes Scotus's Judgment instead of all as the best in that he saith Repentance is a meer disposition to habitual Grace And amongst such as he quotes for his Opinion he brings the 13th Article of the Church of England Artic. 13. Of Works before Justification Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God willeth or commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin which he would wrest to his sence that although Works before the Faith of Christ or the first Actual Grace are excluded as meritum ex congruo by the said Article exceptio firmat regulam in oppositum yet he saith Other Works according to the said Article done as Fruits of Faith may in some measure dispose and de congruo deserve promereri gratiam Justificationis which Opinion he would make Augustin to be of And whereas it 's said in the said Article We doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin he would palliate it thus saying Non dicunt talia simplicitèr esse peccata sed potius participare quod sine omni dubio est terminus diminuens i. e They say not that such are simply Sins but do partake of Sin which without all doubt is a Term of Diminution i. e. the word rather or else they would have said that they were Sins without Restriction You see what Jesuitical Evasions here are to establish your Qualifications which you and the Papists are so fond of whereas these first Reforming Protestants say Non disponunt hominem ad receptionem gratiae but the rather we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin yet you will say they prepare for true Acceptance and make the Soul less averse and more disposed to it whereas the quite contrary mostly appears that those that become meerly morall and leave off the practice of some gross Sins and do some good Works from that Principle are usually the most averse and least disposed to the Grace of God of the two Neonom I shall shew you wherein the Real difference is 1. Whether coming to Christ is an inward Perswasion that Christ is mine This you affirm and I deny Antinom You abuse me in charging me with speaking what you would fasten upon me for I spake distinctly of these two things first of coming to Christ and then of knowing that Christ is mine by my being come to him but yet I say that this coming to Christ ought to be by a particular perswasion that Christ is offered to me as a Sinner freely offered to me without any consideration of any Qualification and this perswasion every Believer hath less or more Dr. Twiss distinguisheth between fides in Christum fides de Christo Faith in Christ and Faith concerning Christ being ours the first is this coming to Christ for Life the other our Perswasion and sweet Sense of the Love of God in Christ Neonom 2. Whether Christ is offered to Sinners with a design that they may conclude they have a Saving Interest in him before they are Regenerated by the Spirit and savingly Believe Antinom The Design of offering Christ to Sinners is that they may receive the offer freely and immediately and that when they are come to Christ they should know this Faith was not of themselves or did spring out of any Natural or Moral Qualification but from Christ the Author of it and from their Union to Christ Jesus which I take to be a Saving part in him and that they cannot believe without a Saving part in Jesus Christ before they believe He having blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ of which Faith is none of the least And Dr. Twiss saith Faith being one proper Effect only of a Saving Interest though not claimable by them till they believe Justitia Christi sicut Christi est c. The Righteousness of Christ as it is Christs and performed by him so it 's ours as wrought for us juris ratione and before Faith as Meritorious of Efficacious Grace for the working of that Faith Lib. 1. p. 2. § 25. For if without Christ they can do nothing then they cannot believe without part
in him and the Covenant Promise gives a part before that receiving him in giving Christ for the Gift of Christ must be by nature before we can receive him Neonom 3. Whether the Soul of a Sinner as to its habitual disposition and purpose is under the Reigning Power of Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness till after he hath a Saving Interest in Christ. This you affirm and I deny Antinom I do affirm that a Sinner hath no habitual disposition or true purpose of Heart for God and is under the power of Enmity c. till he hath a Saving Faith Here you will have a Sinner free from dominion of Sin before he is under the dominion of Grace the Heart changed and Sin mortify'd without saving Interest in Christ he must be sanctified before Christ is Justification or Sanctification to him This is strange Doctrine Neonom Whether some degrees of Conviction and Humiliation of Soul be necessary Prerequisites to the Souls true Acceptance of Christ for Pardon I affirm this and you deny it Antinom We have told you what Protestants long since say That no Antecedent Qualities before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are pleasing to God or make Men meet to receive Grace but all such are Sins the rather because they are not done as God wills for Effectual Vocation is by an Interest in Christ therefore it 's vain and frivolous to talk that those things are Prerequisites that are the thing it self Neonom I shall only prove the Truth as contained in the third and fourth Question 1. That the Soul of a Sinner as to its habitual disposition and power is not under the Reigning Power of Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness till after it hath a Saving Interest in Christ 2. Effectual Vocation makes this change in the habitual disposition of the Heart and this Vocation is necessary to our Interest in Christ Antinom What is it that you would prove That which you are to prove is this That the habitual disposition of the Soul is changed as to the dominion of Sin and as to the filthiness thereof before a Saving Interest in Christ and now you shift the Terms and after you have been speaking all this while of Preparatory Works how we must be humbled have self-denial and cast off all our Idols before we have an Interest in Christ now you shuffle your Cards and say The Soul is not continued under the Reigning Power of Enmity c. till after his Interest in Christ Doth not any Man that hath half an Eye see this Juggle and forsooth you 'l prove that this disposition of habitual and reigning Enmity doth not remain till after our Interest in Christ why Because it 's taken away in our Saving Interest in Christ Is not this shifting and shuffling That all this while you make such a noise and vapour of what we have before we come to Christ It 's nothing else but what we have by Vertue of an Interest in Christ And your Argument should run thus If Effectual Calling makes this change in the habitual disposition of the Heart and is necessary antecedaneously to our Interest in Christ then this Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness is taken away before our Interest in Christ Ergo We deny the consequence for this reason Because the reigning power of Sin hath it's first blow in our Effectual Calling and then and not before we are beginning to be made holy and this Effectual Calling is our Interest in Christ Sin shall not have dominion over us because we are under Grace Christ is made to us Sanctification and we are Sanctified in Christ c. And now you shift your Hands and fay We do not lye under this Enmity till after our Saving Interest and good Reason because Christ hath slain the Enmity upon the Cross and the Doctrine of Reconciliation being received by Faith in our Effectual Calling the Enmity is slain there also the New Man put on we are Created in Christ Jesus to good Works and the depraved disposition and habit changed and now what you go about to conclude is so far from the Question that it is against you but you say P. 85. That this disposition is altered in Effectual Vocation and there can be no true coming to Christ for Pardon and especially for Sanctification without that purpose whence it appears that Effectual Vocation must be before Saving Faith in Christ and that therein the Reigning Power of Sin must be slain before Justifying Faith or any Sanctifying Grace that is the Fruit of it Neonom The Confessions are for me for they both say That this Call lyes in Enlightning the Minds Spiritually taking away the Heart of Stone giving a Heart of Flesh c. Antinom I pray take their words together they say Confes ch 10. All those whom God hath predestinated unto Life and those only mark the words I know you cannot swallow all this Article without kecking he is pleased in his Appointed and Accepted Time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit Is not this to give them Saving Interest in Christ out of that state of Sin and Death Is not this the habitual purpose and disposition of the Heart under the Reigning Power of Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ enlightning their Minds savingly taking away the Heart of Stone giving a Heart of Flesh c. Here is terminus à quo and ad quem And now you would argue because this habitual Disposition Enmity and Reigning Power of Sin is taken away in and by our Saving Interest in Christ therefore it 's done before our Saving Interest and because that would look so grosly absurd you say therefore It doth not remain till after our Interest in Christ I pray Gentlemen judge whether this be not either very foul play or from gross Ignorance of the Rules of Right Reasoning Neonom 2. How Inconsistent with Vocation Regeneration and Conversion are Hearts of such vile disposition Antinom Death and Life Darkness and Light are inconsistent they are Privantia a natural Estate and Effectual Calling are such because this takes that out of one state into another in an instant by uniting them to Christ they thereby pass from Darkness to Light from Death to Life and the Passage from Death is the Passage into Life it 's our Death unto Sin and Life unto God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6.11 And being made free from sin you became Servants of Righteousness Ver. 18 22. Neonom That cannot he a true Faith and Acceptance that consists with such vile Dispositions c. Antinom True but are not such vile Dispositions changed in the New Creation The taking away the Heart of Stone and giving a Heart of Flesh is at once and generatio unius is corruptio alterius and Faith is now in the New Heart yea the very Essence of it Neonom Can he be said to accept of Christ who as you say
in our Bodies being delivered out of the hands of your Enemies our State is secured our Safety past we serve in Holiness and Righteousness c. do we serve toward Deliverance then it 's not past 1. We are delivered from VVrath before we step a step in Duties we do not the Duty to be delivered but we do Duty because we are delivered And now follows what he chargeth for such a fault and take notice that I speak all along of the change of our state in Justification by Faith and that works have nothing to do in neither are we to look upon them as such All things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift all we do is for Christ himself not for our selves i. e. to put our selves in Christ's Room thereby to Rob him of his Glory if we do it for our selves we do but labour in vain suppose we compass never so much good by doing thinking thereby to put our selves into a justified Estate it is but labour in vain it was compassed before-hand for us in the justifying Righteousness of Christ Christ brings Salvation enters into Covenant what needs all that Travel for Life and Salvation i. e. with a design of purchasing it thereby for all that is said is spoken to the Price that Christ bought us with and I instance in running for Money that a Man need not run for a price that he hath freely without so that he that works for Justification works in vain for saith the Apostle The Jews that followed after the Law of Righteousness obtained it not but ran in vain and this the Apostle means in that place Have ye indeed suffered so much in vain why because you obtained not your end thereby not likely so to do Neonom But it 's not your Intention that nothing we do can Merit but not that they are required as the requisite means and way to obtain these Blessings D. W. p. 122. You intend this p. 45 46. you say I will note one thing before I go on to make clear this thing c. Antinom I will give you my own words and sence The words he referrs to are part of an Answer to an Objection D. Cr. p. 45. Obj. Will but this is a way to lead to a Licentious Life Answ I say the contrary it is the only way to lead Men into a more enlarged way of Holiness than any way in the VVorld which I will declare to you by and by VVe have shewed that Christ is a safe way a lightsome way a near way we will make good now that the consideration that Christ is a free way to all Comers is the only way to Build up Men to an enlarged course of Holiness more than the greatest Self-denial frequentest Prayer greatest Study bearing down of the Body c. And this will further appear if we enquire how Christ is such a way as there is no way wherein there is a quicker wherein there is a better riddance of Businesses and Employments Believers have than in Christ now comes in what he quotes I will note one thing by the way to make clear this thing viz. It is a received Conceit of many that Obedience is the way to Heaven and though it be not Causa Regnandi yet it is Via ad Regnum Let me give you a hint or two of another thing D. Cr. p. 45. or two and lay down this Position There is no Believer under Heaven that doth come to Heaven before he hath served his Generation there is no Person that is a Believer and hath received Christ but that after he hath received Christ he is Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works that he should walk in them Here you may see I am for good Works in a Gospel Way and Sence I say he that sprinkleth 〈◊〉 with clean Water that they may become clean from all their filthiness writes his Law in their inward parts c. so that I say mark well my words that Sanctification of Life is an inseparable Companion with the Justification of a Person by the Grace of Christ but withall I must tell that all this Sanctification is not the way of that Justified Person to Heaven It is the Business of a Person that he hath to do in his way to Christ Dr. Cr. p. 46. Now I shew that Christ is the way and nothing else Sanctification is part of the Salvation wrought in Christ and the Apostle Heb. 6. calls the works of Sanctification things that accompany Salvation therefore I say this is no derogation from works to say they are not the way to Heaven but that they are Concomitant to Heaven unto Persons that shall come thither and now comes in what he rehearseth The Truth is since Redemption is managed by Christ the Lord hath pointed out other Ends and Purposes for our Obedience than our Salvation i. e. than purchasing or procuring or qualifying conditionally in your sence for Savation in this sence is not the end of any good work we do in plain truth good works are a great part of the Salvation it self that Christ is the way to The Ends of our good works are Manifestation of our Obedience and Subjection the setting forth of the praise of the Glory of the Grace of God and as such so actually glorifying him in the World the doing good to others to be profitable to Men the meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ in them where he will be found according to the Promise These are the special Ends that Obedience is ordained for Salvation being setled firm before to keep the true Prerogative of Christ alone that no Righteousness of Man entrench upon his Priviledges Now judge you whether I detract from works of Sanctification as Mr. Neonomian would make me to do because I allow them not that place in Justification and Salvation which he would have them have and that belongs to Christ alone Neonom He puts this Objection We had as good sit still He that works all day and gets no more than he had in the Morning c. Answ Let me tell you the prevention of evil if there be reality of evil in it obtaining of good if there be reality of Good Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost Pardon of Sin the Infallibility of Non-miscarriage the Light of God's Countenance all these you aim at are abundantly provided for you and established firmly on you by the meer Grace of God in you before you perform any thing whatsoever D. Cr. p. 151. Antinom I intend no more than that we are Blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ and we can have no greater Security of all these Benefits than in Christ Jesus and that all performances upon account of our Security is nothing to Faith in Christ who is the Yea and Amen of the Promises and therefore I shew the Vanity of proposing that to our selves by our Works which is done in Christ for us and can be done by none else
if we have Faith to see it and yet I still shew how great a thing Salvation is and good Works in a due manner of Performance from true Principles and a right End I shewed that our Perseverance depends not on our Works and that I am ready to maintain I say God hath settled all things that appertain to Life and Godliness in his Son Jesus Christ and upon you for his own sake and setled Everlastingly and Vnchangeably upon you so that there can be nothing to make them more secure than the Grant of God himself hath made them I shew'd that a good Child knowing he is Heir and hath the Estate setled on him doth not obey his Parents in order to a better Security for the Estate than he hath he serves not now to get his Fathers Land but to Honour and Glorifie his Father that hath so freely setled the Estate upon him VVithout respect to good or evil the Lord hath Everlastingly established all that ever he meant to do i. e. good or evil of ours and in us The Lord doth nothing upon Conditions in his People D. Cr. p. 652. as if he did refer himself still to these Conditions and did suspend what he did intend to do to his People till he did perceive how they carry themselves to him All that I aim at is this that it is not a vain thing to yield due Obedience to any thing that God requires though the Lord intend not ye shall by your Obedience gain Life Neonom He saith When you Fast Pray Mourn keep the Sabbath c. your Eye should be simply to the Glory of God and not to gain that which is already ours in Christ c. Antinom All this I say still If in these Duties we think and propose to our selves to obtain Life we are acted by the Righteousness of the Law which is opposed to the Righteousness of Faith c. D. Cr. 134. Neonom He saith let subduing of Sin alone for Peace D. Cr. p. 13. Antinom It is an easie thing to expose Sermons and any continued Discourses to Contempt if Men will pick out here and there an Expression and not shew the reason and dependance thereof My words are How much filthiness is there in all your wrâ—stlings I say how many defects and infirmities might you see Could you chuse but fall foul upon your own Spirits for these infirmities and defects of your best performances seeing the wages of Sin is Death what can you run to then none but Christ none but Christ whilst your acts in respect of filthiness proclaims nothing but VVar Christ alone and his Blood proclaims nothing but Peace Therefore I will give you this hint by the way when I speak of the power of Christ subduing Sin because from the power of it in Man they are apt to think their peace depends upon their subduing of their Sin If their Sins be subdued then they have peace let subduing of Sin alone for Peace let Christ have that which is his due it is he alone that speaks peace he is our Peace I mean not that subduing of Sin should be let alone but doing it for such an end that belongs to Christ alone If you fetch your peace from any thing in the VVorld but Christ you will fetch it from where it is not Dr. C. p. 13. Neonom He saith I must tell you there is not any thing you perform when you have attained the highest pitch that hath any prevalency or availableness to produce or bring forth the least good unto your selves D. Cr. p. 150. Antinom I say there is nothing you can do by which you ought to expect any Grace to your selves in doing it My meaning was that our bare Duties are not available to good in themselves Paul may Plant c. but God must give the Encrease we may Eat Drink and Sleep but not expect good from the things themselves as in Efficacy so in respect of purchase and procurement what doth our Righteousness profit God therefore I add the words of the Apostle you are not your own you are bought with a price Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but unto Christ that died for us Though some look at this as a discouragement yet there is a Spirit of Ingenuity in a Believer that he will be as Industrious to glorifie God and to do good to Men as if he did it for himself Neonom He saith If a Soul get under full-sail filled with a stiff gale of the Spirit when Floods of meltings flow from it if they can cry mightily c. hereby they think they shall get pardon settle Spiritual Civil and Spiritual Healings c. D. W. from D. Cr. p. 235 236. Antinom I was shewing how Man's Righteousness is exalted above what is meet sometimes when Duties are accompanied with Christ's Assistances by his Spirit and said to clear it up That it 's true indeed whilst a Believers Heart is over-cast with gross Vapours and is more than ordinary dull in Hearing flyes low and slow in Praying and is somewhat stiff and untoward in Fasting without measure such Righteousness goes usually for Loss and Dung But if a Soul get under full-sail fill'd with a stiff gale of the Spirit c. Then follows what he rehearseth and then it follows such courses some think will turn away and reconcile God to a Person of People But under favour the attributing of such Efficacy to this Righteousness though thus assisted by Christ's Spirit is more than is meer though Christ be Explicitly owned as the Author of such Assistances And this is a failing very ordinary among Believers to ascribe an Atoning Efficacy to their Duties especially when performed in the best manner when it is hard to keep their Hearts in the right frame not so duely considered that their Persons and Services when seemingly best performed have all their Acceptation in Christ and they are apt to think that they procure more at the Hands of God when they seem to be carried forth more than when they see as it were a withdrawment of those Assistances and so spoil their best Duties for want of due thorow Renunciation of their own Righteousness and that of their best Duties whereas God never intended that any of our best Graces or Duties should be of an Atoning Nature to Rob Christ of the Glory of his Atonement It may be Mr. Neonomian you never had any such Experience of the working of Corruption in your best Duties for the low esteem you have of Christ's Righteousness and the high valuation you have of your own as appears by these Discourses But know that the more we are carried forth in Duty the greater is our Temptation to Spiritual Pride and Selfulness Neonom His common phrase is We must not work for Life but from Life D. W. p. 124. Antinom Yes and it 's a great Gospel Principle being rightly understood we must not work for
Antinom What kind of Supposition Supposition of Duty Antecedaneous to it This is false Faith is a Saving Benefit and it 's not bestowed with a Supposition that any saving Duty is precedent to it So our Union to Christ Gift of the Spirit Justification yea the Grace of Sanctification it self are all Saving Benefits of the highest Nature Neonom 3. The Influences of the Spirit and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if men have nothing to do in order to be saved Antinom That is as much as to say If we save not our selves the Spirit cannot save us We must be our own Saviours first or the Spirit must make us our own Saviours that we may be saved I told you Adam had been saved by the Influences of the Spirit if he had been saved in his innocent state and it had never the less been a Covenant of Works Neonom On what account is it said That we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10.39 And Repentance to Salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 1 Tim. 4.16 Antinom Those Expressions are Descriptions of true Faith and Repenrance given as to that 1 Tim. 4.16 We deny not that the Covenant of Grace hath many Exhortations Directions Encouragements to Duty but not antecedent to the Promise The General Promise is first participated of before any Duty is or can be performed and after participation of the Promise Consequent to it and Effects of it particular Duties and Promises do follow Neonom The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid to not Doing John 5.40 Their not coming not turning and repenting Antinom Yea their blameable moral Inability and Perverseness is that which they are under the Condemnation for Falling upon them in their Apostacy and so their refusing a Remedy is part of their Condemnation under the Law And therefore our Saviour saith such Unbelievers are condemned already they remain under the Power and Sentence of the first Condemnation Neither is the Destruction of Sinners laid to their not doing but not believing in Christ Believing is opposed to Doing because God will not have us to be saved by Doing And when a Sinner comes he is not saved by his Act in Coming but by Christ to whom he is come Neither doth he come till he is saved by the Father's drawing him and Christ finding every Sinner before he comes shews that he is a lost Sinner and never comes to Salvation till Salvation comes to him Neonom If men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them that live under the Gospel Christ proceeds on the difference of Men's Carriage and Tempers at the last Day Consider any Description of the last Day you 'll find God saves and damns with respect to men's Neglect and Compliance with the Gospel Antinom Your Argument seems to run thus Upon the same Terms that Man shall be judged at the last Day upon the same shall they be saved now But Men shall be judged by their Works at the last Day Ergo saved by Works now I deny your Major If that were true you might have some Pretence that the Covenant of Grace was a Covenant of Works There 's a great deal of difference between Christ's proceedings in the Covenant of Grace and the Judgment of the Last Day 1. Christ in Covenant of Grace comes not as a Judge to condemn the World but to save it 2. Christ first saves his Church and exerts his Offices in that Salvation first as Priest to make Atonement as Prophet to teach by his Word and Spirit as King to conquer and subdue their Hearts unto himself and all this is done before he rules and governs them 3. Christ in the Covenant of Grace acts not in his Regal Power as King of the World but as King to his Church his Mediatorial Offices are all exerted towards his Redeemed ones in order to the saving of them All final Unbelievers are judged as such as are under the Condemnation of the Law and their Sins only judged the more aggravated because of their refusal of a Remedy The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven in Plaming Fire taking Vengeance upon them that know not God and those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ The slighting and rejecting a Remedy offer'd is a ground of more severe proceeding in the way of Execution of the Sentence which the condemned Person lay under before How shall ye escape that neglect so great Salvation The Talents mentioned Matth. 25.21 24 28. refer only to the distinction that appears between Professors Some act from common Grace only some by special Grace Some are carried no further than common Grace will carry them and therefore bring not forth real Fruit unto God and are not in Christ Jesus have only common Graces and Gifts Neonom I could easily demostrate that if men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles is all Vanity and Falshood c. They are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Antinom It 's easie to demostrate that an unsaved Person can do nothing in order to Salvation and if they can the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is false For Christ himself saith Without me ye can do nothing and we are sanctified in Christ Jesus and created in him to good Works and Christ worketh in us to will and to do All this is Salvation The first true Motive to a Sinner is the Salvation wrought by Christ already for Sinners in his Death and Satisfaction The Promise of Heaven is a Secondary Motive but is not to be brought as a Primary Motive The rendring Life and Death to working or not working is the preaching of the Law and of the Letter and makes the Gospel such a Law as is the Ministration of Condemnation And to conclude my Answer to the Proof of that Position That Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation And to prove it in the Negative I offer this Argument They that can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved have not much to do in order to Salvation But Sinners can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved Ergo a Sinner hath not much to do in order to Salvation in your Sence I leave you to consider of it and the Evidence of it for you cannot but apprehend the Demonstration that is therein for doing must be here understood effective Such Works you speak of as appears by what follows Neonom True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved Antinom I find you make Holiness or Sanctification and Salvation two things whereas Sanctification is a part of Salvation True Holiness is the way to Heaven but it 's Salvation as well as the Perfection
to forbid all intending our own good but rather act as one that now hath nothing to do in comparison as to the securing of Spiritual good things to my self Christ hath procured and settled all upon me I have a goodly Heritage Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all my days and from the sence of the greatness and fulness of Provision made for me in Christ I will glorifie him in Soul and Body and Spirit live to him serve him and my Generation not thinking that I can add any thing by my Duties to what Christ hath procured and obtained for me and in this sence it is I say that it is no discouragement because you cannot propound to your self any possible Gain i. e. over and above what Christ hath procured but whatever is the greatest and truest spur or encouragement to Duty is already provided to your Hand freely and graciously I illustrate my meaning thus There are some Children in the World that are very observant of their Parents Dt. C. p. 151. and their aim is that by reason of such compliance their Parents may settle an Estate upon them but when a Child knows an Estate is already settled upon him that it cannot be reversed and he is not able to add to it will such a Child propose to himself in his Obedience and Observance the obtaining that Good his Father hath already passed He knows it is passed already and cannot be by any thing he doth firmer and stronger He serves not now to get his Fathers Land but he serves to glorifie his Father that hath so freely settled his Land upon him Hence you see plainly that I mean in respect of Title not in respect of Possession and Enjoyment for so I say of Believers that have the temper of Christ's true-bred Children indeed They in the Gospel of Christ find all things that do appertain to Life and Godliness they find them all so passed over by God's Goodness and Free Grace to them Dr. C. p. 152. That the Lions shall want and suffer hunger before they shall want any thing that is good Must they now labour to gain these things as if they were in agitation or as if they were yet referred to their will or to their good and evil walking that as they shall walk so they shall speed This is to argue That God is yet to determine with himself how to dispose of those good things that he will bestow upon his People and that he gives good things according to their good or evil Carriage and so the goodness of God to his People must depend upon his Peoples goodness to him which is as the Morning Cloud and as Mens Works prevail with God so God will pour out his Bounty upon them Calvin Mr. Antinom gives us a very good account of his meaning and I wonder that Mr. Neonom you will offer to say he â—orbids the intending our own good though in subordination to God's Glory yea laying no stress of Meriting whereas he is express as to both these And by procuring and obtaining he plainly intends procuring or obtaining a Title to Heavenly Things But Mr. Antinom Did not Abraham in his Obedience unto God Heb. 11.9 10. look for a City which hath Foundations And had not Moses v. 26. in his Self-denial an Eye to the Recompence of Reward How is it then that we should not think to gain or procure any thing by our Duties and Obedience Antinom The great things that the Faithful mentioned in that Chapter did by Faith in the Promise surely Entitling them to those great things they looked for they did not esteem that their Obedience added one grain to their Inheritance by Promise any more than that the very Service of God it self and Enjoyment of him was of the Priviledges promised and they walked therein in Expectation of further performances Abraham looked for a City upon what ground Not of his Obedience but as being Heir already of the Promise of it Moses had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward not as procuring it by his Self-denial but as being Entitled to it by the Promise believed as already bestowed upon him by the Gift and Procurement of Christ and thence was carried forth to his Duty in Love to God and in Honour of his Free Grace as I have said thence it was that no difficulties of Affliction could discourage him nor Worldly Preferments and Riches allure him from his Duty My whole design in the Expressions mentioned by Mr. Neonom was to caution Believers against putting their Duties in the place of Christ in order to Life and Salvation And I have Mr. Luther for my President speaking in the like Case after the same manner The true Christ neither calleth thee to reckoning for thy Sins nor biddeth thee trust to thine own good Works Luth. on Gal. 5.4 but the false Christ i. e. the Devil in the likeness of Christ doth and the true Knowledge of Christ or Faith disputeth not whether thou hast done good VVorks to Righteousness or evil Works to Condemnation but simply concludeth after this sort If thou hast done good Works thou art not therefore Justified or if thou hast done evil Works thou art not thereby Condemned And I neither take from good Works their praise nor commend evil Works but in the matter of Justification I say we must look how we may hold Christ lest while we seek to be Justified by the Law we make him unprofitable to us for it 's Christ alone that Justifieth me both against my evil Deeds and without my good Deeds If I have this perswasion of Christ I lay hold on the true Christ but if I think that he exacteth the Law and Works of me to Salvation then he becometh unprofitable to me and I am utterly separated from him Neonom He saith When you labour by Prayer or seeking to prevail with God to take away his displeasure D. W. p. 154. Dr. C. p. 425. c. and to procure such good you serve not God now you serve your selves Antinom I was speaking against Selfishness in our Performances and said if you suppose you fast pray mourn or do any other Religious Services if you apprehend your own turns are not yet served there will be altogether a Selfishness in the performance of these Duties Selfish Ends and Motives will be your Load-stones and they shall draw up your Spirits in these Services As for Example when we labour by our Fasting and Prayer and seeking the Lord to prevail with God to take away his Displeasure c. and to procure such good things unto us do we serve the Lord or no And do we not serve our selves Nay you serve no God now you serve your selves when only your selves put you upon the performance of the Duty but you will say I must Fast and Pray to get my Sins pardoned A. It 's true that as long as Men think their Sins are upon themselves they cannot be atâ—est but
away the Sin but not the Wrath of God due to Sin but that he hath forgiven our Sins but not the Punishment of Sin but consider that as our Sins were then upon Christ he was so Bruised for our Iniquities as that by his Stripes we are healed and the Chastisement of our Peace was so upon him that he being Chastised for our Sins there is nothing but Peace belongs to us And can you deny the Truth of a plain place of Scripture The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him Doth it plainly appear that this is true meaning that our Peace was fully made by Christ and accordingly he is called our Peace Christ saith in the World we shall have Trouble yet this full and compleat Peace of Reconciliation is made and Christ promiseth the Comforts of it in Believing Peace I give unto you c. Neonom He saith If we tell Believers c. Except they perform such and such Duties D. W. p. 191. except they walk thus and thus Holily and do these and these good Works they shall come under Wrath at least God will be Angry with them What do we in this but Abuse the Scriptures we undo all that Christ hath done we injure Believers we tell God Lies to his Face Dr. C. p. 170. Antinom It is not for you to Expose a Man's Words when they are proved from Scripture and sound Reason why had you not taken his Argument he brings to prove that God will not be Angry and be Wroth with his People that are true Believers Isa 54. God saith he hath made such an Oath that the Earth shall be drowned with Water before it be broken Dr. C. p. 160. that he will not be Wroth with his People nor Rebuke them any more and upon this account it is he saith that such as tell Believers Except they do this or that c. they will come under Wrath and Condemnation do abuse the Scriptures and give God the Lie nay he saith we do not only so much as lies in us to make God a Liar the Scripture saith Unbelief doth so 1 John 5. but we offer an insufferable Affront unto Jesus Christ and strike at the very heart of the Office of Christ's Mediatorship If we say God is Wroth with Believers for whom Christ died for what end did Christ suffer Death I say that if this Principle be truth that God will be Wroth with his People then Christ died in vain for God could have been but Wroth and Angry with his People if Christ had not died to bring the People of God under Wrath and Vengeance again is to take away all the Vertue of the Death of Christ and to make it of none effect Now why do you not Answer this Argument this is the Childishest thing in the World to say he saith so and he saith so why do you not tell People why he saith so and Confute his Reasons but you think you have done enough if you have Exposed a Doctrin by saying this or that Man that professeth to hold it saith so and so therefore what if a Man speak truth never so weakly and absurdly must the truth be reckoned errour therefore Calv. Mr. Neonom you have sixt your Anathema upon Mr. Antinomian's Opinion in this Point viz. For holding that the Afflictions of Believers do not proceed from the judicial or vindictive Displeasure of God against their Persons for their sins You hear he saith God is displeased with their sins and doth afflict them to purge out sin from them that they may be Partakers of his Holiness c. which seems to me to be very sound and orthodox Doctrin agreeable to the Scripture and the Analogy of Faith Neonom Truth Tho' God is not so angry with his People for their sins as to cast them out of his Covenant-favour yet by their sins he is so displeased as for them to correct his Children tho' he speak Instructions by his Rebukes D. W. 190. Antinom You say Tho' he be not so angry you make degrees of Anger in God thereby as if God were partly pleased and partly displeased with his Children and if so at one time then at another we speak of the Persons of Believers there being always sin in them for a reason here and if so Christ was not our full Peace he did not reconcile God fully to us therefore made imperfect satisfaction for if there remains some part of the Debt yet unpaid Christ did not pay all Again to be under the Penalty of the Law for sin and the execution thereof tho' but in part is so far to be under the Curse but there 's no Believers in whole or in part under the Curse Again God you say is not so displeased with them as to cast them out of Covenant if not then they continue in Covenant with God if in Covenant then he hath always a Covenant-love towards them then he always acts in a way of Covenant-love towards them even for their amendment and not destruction when he afflicts them not in a way of wrathful displeasure for their sins But if you say against their sins we allow it and God is always angry with sin sin itself was never pleasing to God and therefore he purgeth it out in Sanctification every day and hence spends many a Rod upon them for their Profit as a good Father upon a Child that he dearly loves Some earthly Fathers may correct for their pleasure that is to vent their Anger and Passion but God the Apostle saith Corrects for our Profit Heb. 12.10 And he saith Whom he loveth he chastneth v. 6. i. e. loveth at the very same time God's divine love to the Persons of Believers cannot be abated in the least It 's true God may alter his Carriage towards them and deal so with them as to make them consider their ways and to humble them or to point out some Corruption God will have mortifyed this is all love in God and not displeasure God's seeming displeasure is a fruit of his unchangeable loving kindness towards them and whatever you say if I stand secured of God's Covenant favour I am sure God cannot be angry with me whatever his sensible Carriages are God's People whatever God's dealings are with them they do not take any thing to be done in displeasure till through Temptation they begin to suspect their Covenant-state Do but clear up to an afflicted Person God's Covenant-favour and I 'll warrant you he will not say God hath afflicted him in his displeasure and therefore you will say God is displeased with their Persons for their sins i. e. punisheth them for their sins to satisfie his displeasure thereby i. e. his Justice if so it 's clear the consequence is unavoidable as to so much of my punishment for sin that I bear Christ did not bear besides it must be in its degree expiatory and satisfactory to God Neonom You mistake my meaning still I will tell you where
him so that not to have a word to speak for himself that his Mouth should be stopped except it be in impleading all that ever he had done as making against him far more than for him And I came to the third thing to shew how all things even the most blameless Works after renovation are loss and dung For illustration sake You must distinguish between that which is the Spirits in Works after renovation and the whole Work after we have done it and now followed what he rehears'd c. Where I shewed that tho' the Motions and Assistances of the Spirit be pure and holy without Scum in the Spring yet by that time they are mixed with our manifold Corruptions in doing and have passed through the Channels of our corrupt Hearts the whole Work becomes polluted and filthy as pure Water passing through a Dunghil c. And this I evinced from James who saith that whosoever fulfills the whole Law of God and yet offends in one point is guilty of all And Paul saith Rom. 7. When I would do good evil is present with me and complains thus O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and he doth not fly to his good Works but to Christ a Refuge against all I thank God through Jesus Christ Object But ought we to refrain therefore from doing righteousness Answ It follows not but therefore we must refrain from glorying in it or stroaking ourselves for our righteous doings rather take shame to ourselves when done and so glory only in the Lord And tho' good Works as done by us are but dung in themselves and in God's eye yet must we be careful to maintain them Tit. 3.6 and David Psal 16.2 3. confesseth that his goodness extendeth not to God but to the Saints It 's no good plea that because a Man cannot be wholly clean therefore he will be more filthy than needs because your Child will be dirty do what you can yet shall be therefore go and â—owl in the Gutter like a Swine Calv. I perceive the sense of Mr. Antinomian fully for he saith 1. That the Graces of the Spirit come clean from the Fountain 2. That when they come into the Channels of our corrupt Hearts they become mixt with the dirt and filth of them 3. That thence our best Duties and Services become polluted 4. That thereby they are not pleadable for righteousness before God 5. We have no cause to boast ourselves after Duties to stroak and commend ourselves as if we had done a great matter but to go off from Duty with humiliation and shame 6. That all or any compared with the Holiness and Purity of God in respect of our coming short of what is required the mixture of sin working in us makes this Duty and Work done as it is in it self considered to be but dung Now Mr. Neonomian what do you think or say of your Duties when they are done when you have spent a day in Fasting and Prayer would you not at the end of the day desire the Lord to pardon the Iniquity of your Holy Things your Wanderings Vain Thoughts stirring of manifold Corruptions would you not say as Daniel ch 9.18 We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousness but for thy great Mercies Ought we not to abhor Ourselves and Duties in Dust and Ashes and say Lord if thou mark the Iniquities of our best Duties they are enough to condemn us for ever to Eternal Wrath How often is this spoken and thought by the best of God's Children Or would you go off the Duty like the proud Pharisee commending and stroaking yourself for what you had done saying at last in your Heart I have Pray'd well this day Preach'd well tho' there was some Imperfections yet there was as much as God requires of me to the fulfilling the New Law I have performed the Condition and God must accept it for the sake of my Evangelical Righteousness Antinom I answer an Objection Some will say That God often shews his Approbation of good Works which he could not do if they were all Dung Dr. C. p. 232. Sol. I Answer whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin but to a Believer all things are clean So thro' this Faith in Christ the whole Filth and Dung of our Works is extracted by Christ and he presenting the same purged by himself alone they become accepted with God Rev. 3.4 but simply the Works themselves as done tho' never so well are abhorred of God and Christ never takes them to purge them till we our selves wholly renounce them by counting them Loss and Dung and that Acceptance procured by Christ imports only a liking that God takes to them no Efficacy in themselves Calvin You see Mr. Antinom saith That tho' simply and in themselves as works performed by us they are by reason of Imperfection and mixture of Corruption to be accounted Loss and Dung but yet as we are in Christ and perform them in Christ by Faith they have acceptance with God thro' his Merits Satisfaction and Intercession it is in him alone that both our Persons and Services are accepted with God our Spiritual Sacrifices which are our Duties we be here speaking of are said to be acceptable to God but how By Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 and certainly in themselves and out of Christ they are no better than Dung we are made accepted both to Persons and Services only in Jesus Christ Antinom Object It s granted Originally and per se the best Righteousness obtains nothing but rather charges with a new account yet Instrumentally it obtains what is desired being well qualified as before mentioned Answ If it be no more then I heartily desire that we should heartily say and express as much that the people may clearly understand and remember so much and be guided Explicitely to the Fountain it self Christ alone for certainly whilst Christ is supprest and these Instruments are reached out without relation to Christ who only fills them with all that runs thro' them they are but mere empty Pipes and dry Channels tho' never so curiously cut out Dr. C. p 236. Calvin And is not this great Truth and Gospel Mr. Neonom Your carping at this Doctrin plainly shews that you set forth for another Gospel I perceive wherever any thing exalts the grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ you strike at it as standing in your way and this under a pretence of advancing Holiness in the way of Legal Worthiness You also deal most unjustly and disingenuously with this good Man in falsly representing him and in not acquainting us with these things whereby he fully declares his meaning and adjusts it agreeable to the Analogy of Faith Now because you Expose the Doctor so much for what he saith of the graces of the Spirit of God being once mixed with our Corruptions in a Duty This Duty in it self at best is as Dung ceaseth to be the
Spirits and becomes our own our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach that turns the wholsomest Food into Poison See what Excellent Mr. Beza saith in his Confess Chap. 4. Art 19. It is not to be allowed that Works are a cause of Salvation in the whole or any part for if it were so certainly there would be but a Crazy Foundation of our Salvation We must of necessity acknowledg that the Water and Foundation from which it flows are akin because the most thick Darkness yet remains in our Understandings it would come to pass if God should in his strict Justice enquire into the best Works of a Man there could be no other thing determined of them but that they be the mere pollutions of God's gifts as it often falls out that a River otherwise clear and limpid is infected with the Filth of a Jaques thro' which it runs Rom. 7.15 23. Psal 142.2 Now what think you of this For my part I verily believe that Doctor C. took his very way of Expressing and Illustrating these things from this very place of Mr. Beza Now unless you will condemn this Learned and Approved Divine for Errour in this point I see not that you can accuse this Antinomian as you call him I will shew you the Opinions of a Divine who I hope you dare not call unstudied and unlearned it 's of the famous Doctor Tuckney in his Sermons upon this Text of Phil. 3.8 He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which includes more than all that was before mentioned If you ask what I Answer according to our Divines whom I am not ashamed of or of their Judgment All his own Inherent Righteousness and best Works after Conversion his labouring more abundantly than they all his Conversion of many Souls his holy and unblameable Conversation Omnia quae hunc Christianus Apostolus ago habeo as Zanchy upon the Text which he sufficiently makes out to be here included both from the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being intended to Express more than was before Expresses of his Morals and Zeal before Conversion and from the Present Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now that he is Converted he Judges so of all that he was and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom and by what he saith Vers 9. c. And to throw you quite on your Back I will shew you a passage in the Assembly's Confession which you would not see Chap. XVI of Good Works Sect. V. When we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from the Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers are accepted thro' Christ and their Good Works also are accepted in him c. Now Sir Seeing the Doctrin which you so Peremptorily call Errour is so clearly proved to be Truth let us hear what you have to say in stating and defending your Judgment and I pray Mr. Antinom do you Whip the Top with him Neonom Truth Tho' the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Attonement for our defects and â—e still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's Lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Antinom We shall divide your Canon into Two parts the Negative and Positive you tell us what it is not and first Note That you change the Terms for the Doctor speaks of Works performed by us when a Duty is performed and becomes a Compositum of the pure Graces of the Spirit mixed with the Corrupt indwelling Motions of our own Hearts and hence he distinguisheth between Grace flowing from the Spirit which is purely Holy and Grace acted and performed by us through the assistance of the Spirit therefore we must keep you to the Doctor 's Terms viz. to our sincere Works or sincere Holiness taken in that sense This being premised 1. You tell us these Works are imperfect and not according to the Word therefore so far sinful for whosoever keeps the whole Law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 And so I say of any Duty if it fail in one point it 's chargeable with breach of the whole Law so the Duty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Dung and Filth 2. You say it 's not valuable by the Law of Innocency that 's said before for what is not according to God's Precept is Condemned by God's Law by every Law of God it 's so far from Valuableness it stands under a Sentence of Condemnation God never accepted or owned Imperfect Obedience as suâ—h and in it self neither is it consistent with his pure Nature so to do 3. You say it cannot make Attonement If it stand for Acceptable Righteouseness and Holiness it must make Attonement for its Defects and sinful Pollutions the High Priest was to make Attonement for his own Sins before he could be accepted so in this Case that Righteousness that cannot Attone for its own Sins if there be any cannot be Acceptable to God but you say this Righteousness cannot make Attonement for its Sins therefore in it self can never be Acceptable to God Posit 1. You say we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance of these Works 1. Then I say they are Sinful or else would not need Forgiveness 2. They need the Merits of Christ and therefore not Acceptable Righteousness in themselves they are as Dung and Stink in the Nostrils of God the best Works in themselves are such whatever is not capable in it self to make it self Acceptable in the sight of God if it have no relation to another Righteousness it Stinks and is Abominable in the Nostrils of God 3. You say so far as it prevails its lovely i. e. not at all of it self Observe still what we say No good Work of a Believer prevails to Acceptation of us and if not it prevails not at all and that which prevails not to Acceptation is not lovely in it self for nothing is lovely to God but what he Accepts and hence you conclude it is not Dung or Filth but from what you your self have said it can be no other than Dung whatever cannot be Accepted of God without Forgiveness and the Righteousness of Christ to make it Acceptable is in it self and out of Christ Dung But I perceive what you aim at that it is a Righteousness that comes in for a share with Christ and in part it prevails to Acceptation tho' not altogether and here you fall in with the Council of Trent as in all your Doctrin That the Grace of Justification and Acceptance
is not only the favour of God and by the Merit of Christ but that our Works prevail in some degree Neonom I will tell you wherein the difference lies 1. It is not whether Holiness or the best Acts of a Saint be such or so perfect as to Attone for his Sin or procure a State of Pardon Antinom This is a strange kind of talking about a Saint's good Works Attoning or Procuring a State of Pardon as if there could be a Saint before he is in a State of Pardon And as for those Works that need Attonement and cannot make Attonement for themselves they are in themselves but pitiful Menstruous Rags Dross and Dung for Non Acceptation with God makes all Works such tho' seemingly never so good Neonom Nor whether our Holiness can make us Accepted with God without Christ Antinom Then it is not worth a Pin in it self without Christ Neonom Nor whether the Holiest Action of the Holiest Saint is such as not to need Forgiveness Antinom That which needs Forgiveness is Sin and therefore Filth but according to you The Holiest Action of a Holiest Saint is such according to your self Ergo. Neonom Nor whether by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency Sincere Holiness could be accounted Holiness All this I deny Antinom There could be no other Holiness counted Holiness by the old Law but Sincere Holiness but imperfect Sincere Holiness was not accepted there nor in and by it self in any other Law or Gospel as such Neonom Nothing under that Law but perfect Conformity to the Precept was Holiness whereas Gospel Grace makes a great difference between true Holiness tho' imperfect and wha't formally Wickedness between Sincere Love and Enmity Sincere Faith and Vtter Vnbelief Antinom If perfect Conformity was the Holiness of the old Law required it 's an Argument that nothing will serve the grace of the Gospel but a Holiness answerable to it in perfection and whatever difference you make to be between imperfect true Holiness and formal Wickedness I tell you the formal difference between perfect Holiness and imperfect is Sin for this Imperfection lieth in Sin a coming short of Moral Perfection can lie in nothing but in some degree or other of Sin But is it the Gospel makes the difference between Virtue and Vice Sure it s the Law doth that Neonom The real difference lieth here whether the sincere Holiness of a Believer's Heart and Actions be really Dung and Rotteness This the Doctor affirms and I deny D. W. p. 198. Antinom The Doctor affirms That the Works Services or Performances of a Believer being full of Imperfection and mingled with Sin are not acceptable to God but thro' Faith in Jesus Christ and compared with the pure Holiness and Justice of God and the Righteousness of Christ and his Holiness in which he stands are and ought to be accounted by him as Loss and Dung. Neonom Whether sincere Holiness so far as it prevails in our Hearts and Actings be truly lovely in it self and pleasing to God according to the grace of the Gospel and is not Dung. This I affirm and the Doctor denies Antinom The Question is Whether Holy Works performed by the best Men be not Polluted with Sin and whether they can be truly lovely and pleasing to God in themselves out of Christ according to any grace of the Gospel and therefore are not as Dung This I deny tho' you affirm and a Thousand more Neonom What is spoken of Holiness of any meer Man on Earth since the fall is spoken of sincere Holiness for perfect Holiness none had Antinom What hath been spoken of Holiness that God hath accepted is of true Holiness i. e. Sanctification in Christ Jesus Sincerity may be where there 's no true Holiness Paul had Sincerity in his supposed Holiness he verily thought he did God good Service in persecuting the Churches good ends and meanings which a Carnal Man may have in his Mind are not enough to make an Action good Neonom I have room but to Expostulate Antinom Because you cannot find a good Argument to bring in you might have had more room if you would and it would have been more for your Honour so as you had served Truth in it but go on with your Expostulation Neonom Is that Dung which is the effect of Regeneration in the Soul and Actings Antinom You should have said the Effect of the Spirit for Regeneration it self is not an Efficient but an Effect and that which is the Efficient of Regeneration is so also of all the Vital Acts in a Regenerate Person now we have told you before that the pure graces of the Spirit passing thro' the Corrupt Channel of Man's Heart becomes in a Duty like defiled Pudled Water and such Duty in it self only considered is as Dung in the sight of God and ought to be accounted so by us Neonom Is that Dung which is so often honoured with the Name of the Spirit it self and called the Spirit of Love Prayer c. Antinom You should have named the places where our Works are called by the Name of the Holy Spirit of God as for the Spirit of Love that is the disposition of Love and as to the Spirit of Prayer where it 's taken for the Spirit 's helping our Infirmities it is spoken of as distinct from our Prayers themselves Neonom Is not that more Lovely which is called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Antinom The Divine Nature there is the Spirit of Christ received by Faith for it 's given in many great and precious Promises and whatever of Divine Nature we receive it is of God and in conformity to and participation of Christ all which is pure as flowing from the Spring but when it comes to be Exerted and put forth by us in our Duties becomes impure and mixed with the Corruptions so the whole Duty in it self is but an Unclean thing Neonom How Amiable must that be which is the New Man after God's Image Eph. 4.24 Antinom Take the New Man Created after God distinctly considered as it comes from God it 's a pure Creature but this hinders not but the Regenerat Man is made up of the Old and New Man and all his Actions and Duties partake of both and therefore polluted for Paul said the Old Man hindred him from doing good when he would for then Evil was present with him the same may be said of the New Heart Ezek. 18.31 The Law in the Members is warring against the Law of the Mind in every part and faculty of Soul and Body Neonom Are those Works Dung to which we are Created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 Antinom We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works to be performed in Christ Jesus so far as we are in Christ Jesus and our Works in Christ Jesus they are not Dung neither doth the Doctor say they be but when performed out of Christ in ourselves and in themselves they are but as Dung
no better than Dung because it asserts all our own Righteousness to be Dung in the point of Justification I think Bellarmine or Socinus could not have made a more gross Assertion There is a Gentleman whose Face I think I see among you whom I would request to undertake Mr. Neonom in the Opposition that he makes against this Portion of Scripture I think I remember where and against whom he once made a Strenuous Defence of it Gentlemen its Mr. Antisozzo I speak to I pray Mr. Antisozzo be pleased to appear in this great Debate that lies before us Antisozzo I pray Sir Excuse me here are more Ancient Divines Mr. Zuinglius and Mr. Musculus c. and later Dr. Owen whose Judgment Mr. Neonomian ascribes much to Calvin Indeed Sir you cannot be Excused at which all Cried Mr. Antisozzo Antisozzo Gentlemen I 'le assure you it is not convenient by any means that I should appear in this Cause now against Mr. Neonom he is my special Friend one whose Learning and Judgment I will as soon subscribe to by an Implicite Faith as any Man I know besides there 's a particular reason that is not convenient to Publish Calv. Sir those things are but your Modest Evasions the Society will not be satisfied unless you undertake Mr. Neonom in this point Antisozzo If it must be so it must be so Mr. Neonomian look to your hits for I 'le assure you I will not spare you I will have none of your shifts and tricks none of your whethers nor neithers I 'le have the Question fairly stated the main Question will be What was that Righteousness which the Apostle renounces from having any place in his Justification before God Upon this one hinge turns all the Controversie betwixt us Antisozzo P. 547. Neonom I answer the things which he renounceth were Jewish Priviledges and that conceited Christless Righteousness which he once valued as those Dogs at present did but it was not that Gospel Holiness which by the Grace of Christ he was now Partaker of There 's an Objection I know lies against this Assertion and it is this how doth both these appear I answer from the whole Scope of the Chapter D. W. p. 203 Antisozzo I suppose then we shall join issue and your Objection which you make was but a Question which you ask your self and answer We say and affirm That the Righteousness which the Apostle renounces is whatever inherent Righteousness he had attained or could attain whatever Obedience he hath performed or could perform to the Commands of God That which he calls his own Righteousness he tells in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neonom Thereby he intends not sinless Obedience nor Gospel Sincerity but a Life not to be blamed by the rule of the Jewish Pedagogy that 's his Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. W. p. 204. Antisozzo It was that which is from Law from a Law from any Law indefinitely now a Righteousness which is from a Law is such an one as the Law urgeth and presses upon and prescribes to the Conscience but that without question is an internal Conformity of the Soul to the Holiness of the Law but this the Apostle rejects therefore he rejects internal and inherent Righteousness 2. Who doubts but when he saith his own Righteousness it is his own Righteousness and this is not to be fetcht from some sorry Conjectures which Men when they are in streights invent to avoid present ruin but from stable fixed constant use in Scripture my own Righteousness is as my own or your own Works taken for real sincere conformity of Heart and Life to a Law and this is the fixed use in Scripture Gen. 30.33 My Righteousness shall answer for me You Mr. Neonomian would Paraphrase upon it thus My Roguery shall answer for me Job 27.6 My Righteousness I hold fast i. e. you would say My Hypocrisie I hold fast Mat. 5.16 That Men may see your good Works i. e. in the new Glossary Your Complement Dan. 9.18 we present not our Supplications before thee for our Righteousness the Church must not mean real Righteousness but the Sceleton of Obedience Now if the Apostle designed only to reject his own Hypocrisie he was not so barren in Expression but he could have fitted it with its proper Name 3. The Apostle expresly renounceth whatever he had attained before and after his Conversion v. 7. The things that were Gain these I accounted Loss for Christ but is that all No! Yea doubtless I do account all things but Loss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do now account I have accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things in Judaism Loss when I was first convinced and I do now account all things even mine own Righteousness Loss and Dung for Christ and there n. b. the Apostle riseth higher in his earnestness v. 8. Yea doubtless q. d. did I say that I once looked upon all as Loss for Christ I will speak a bolder word than that I count all but Loss Dung and Filth that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness and the little value he had for his own Righteousness further appears that it was in reference to the day of Judgment Antis p. 550. Neonom My own Righteousness can signifie no more than my Pharisaical Righteousness or that wherein I placed my Righteousness Antisozzo I beg your pardon Sir it signifies more than that wherein he placed his Righteousness whilst a Pharisee and a great deal less than that wherein he placed his Righteousness after Conversion in order to Justification but if the Apostle renounced whatever he placed his Righteousness in then either he placed it in inherent Righteousness or not if not how dare you place it where he durst not If he ever did place his Righteousness in it then he here openly declares to the World that he renounces it Neonom But there 's no necessity to understand this of inherent Gospel-Holiness for that is not his own Righteousness which is of the Law which is opposed to that which is by the Faith of Christ an external Righteousness serves most Men's turns very well and this is that whereby the Pharisees expected to be justifyed Antisozzo The Pharisees were generally bad enough and you need not make them worse It 's a Sin we say to belie the Devil it doth not appear that the Pharisees expected to be justified before God by an external Obedience only without Sincerity As to Paul whilst he was a Pharisee he was no Hypocrite he every where vindicates himself Act. 25.8 9. 1 Tim. 1.13 Act. 23.1 and others of the Pharisees were sober conscientious Men. And the Discourse of Paul's Master Gamaliel Act 5. shews he had a great deal more Religion in him than most of those who carry on a design to rail at them for Hypocrisie Neonom But I 'll tell you what his Righteousness was Circumcised the eighth day of the Seed of Abraham
to his praise and not our doing the cause of God's Grace and Love to us Where Grace first prevails it finds a Man a dead sinner and raiseth him to newness of life and such an one will not nor shall abuse the Grace of God to licentiousness Now let all Men judge how you have proved your Charge by what you have alledged from my Sermons Where is it that I say Christ believes for us or repents for us All that I say is the words of the Prophet He works all our Works for us in respect of Mediation and all our Works in us in respect of Application he works us to believe and repent c. Neonom Pag. 223. He talks of Justification and Vnion to Christ before Faith pag. 616. Antinom You fetch the same things over and over these Doctrins have been spoken to already under the Heads of Justification by Faith and Union Neonom But he tells us Ministers ought not to preach Damnation p. 56 562. He saith this likewise batters to the ground that way of urging Men to Holiness which some hold forth that if Men do not these and these good Works and leave these and these Sins then they must come under the Wrath of God c. The Love of God constrains the Faithful and not the Fear of Wrath. Antinom And is not that good Doctrin that the Grace of God only teacheth Holiness and that a Believer is not under the Law or the Terrors thereof for the learning of Holiness but under Grace and are not they the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.14 And doth he not lay the constraining force of the love of God on our delivery from Wrath and tells us that this is one great end of Christ's dying for us that Men henceforce should not live unto themselves but unto him that died for them It 's a most grievous thing to see how you fly in the face of plain places of Scripture with no small scorn and contempt And these are my words concerning such Preachers They ought rather after the Example of the Apostle to excite them to these good Works because they are already freed from Wrath. Certainly this that I have delivered proves this sufficiently that the appearing of the Grace of God doth teach Men to do the Will of God effectually the Love of God constrains the Faithful and not the Fear of Wrath. But to conclude Do not mistake me in the mean while I have no thoughts as if Wrath and Vengeance were not to be preached and made known even to Believers yea Beloved Wrath and Vengeance is to be made known to them and that as the deserts of Sin and as the means to keep Men from Sin but not in that way Men do ordinarily think I mean thus Wrath and Vengeance are not to be revealed as if Believers were to fear them or as if Believers should come under them But as Believers are secured and freed from them that so they should fear to commit and fall into Sin and not for fear of coming under Wrath but out of Love because God hath been so gracious to them as to deliver them from the weight of so heavy Wrath and Displeasure c. Calv. Have you no greater Error remaining to charge Mr. Antinomian with Methinks it seems as if you had pretty well spent your Powder and Ball and we have spent a great deal of time in these Debates which you have caused and it will be time now as most of the Society have told me to put an end to them Antinom With all my Heart Sir and I reckon my self obliged to render my thankful Acknowledgments that you have heard us with so much Candor and Patience Neonom I can't be Vngentele neither Mr. Calvin you know me better than to think so but I have one only humble Request to make to you and this Society that before we finally part you will hear me instruct Mr. Antinomian in the right way of Preaching and shew him the true difference between Gospel and Legal Preaching Antinom Sir I doubt not but we shall differ as much about Gospel and Legal Preaching as we have done about the Doctrin to be preached for if we cannot agree about the Doctrin that is to be preached and that which is most for the exaltation of Christ and good of Souls it is not likely we should agree about Preaching therefore for that as I conceive it 's a needless Point Mr. Calvin for us to enter upon because we must be necessitated to speak over the same things again in handling of it however if Mr. Neonomian be fond of such a Discourse I shall take the pains to give him my Sentiments and shew how greatly he is mistaken but for the present I think we have proceeded as far as is needful in the foregoing Debates in which Truth and Error is so fully argued and cleared that any unprejudiced Person that hath a competent measure of Understanding in the things of God may easily thereby judge and conclude what is Gospel and what is legal Preaching and what exalts Christ most and what least Calvin Sir I think you have spoken much Reason in what you have said and I am of your mind that it would be impertinent and but Actum Agere to enter upon a Debate about Preaching and I shall add that it s not so proper for this Society as for t'other yonder and besides our Amanuenses complain of the dearness of Paper I must tell you the Calvinian Society is reduced to a small number and are at a low Ebb in the World at this day But I hope the time is at hand when the Smoak that now fills the Temple will be scattered and the Temple of God opened again and the Ark of his Testament shall be seen As for you Mr. Antinomian you may now depart in Peace and rest in your Grave till the Resurrection Antinom Yes Sir with all my Heart if Mr. Neonomian gives me no further disturbance if he doth I shall soon be raised without conjuring for I shall not lie very deep in the Earth However if I do not Christ lives and shall triumph in his glorious Gospel over all Opposers and I find that there are not a few that will appear faithful Assertors and Defenders of these Truths against the most vigorous Adversaries through the assistance of God's grace which are awakened thereto by this Attempt that hath been made to set up another Gospel and to feed us with the Leeks and Onions of spiritual Egypt But before I depart I would do one thing i. e. I would make my Will if you think I am capable of it and it is this That a great Grave be dug and that Antinomianism Neonomianism Pelagianism Popery Socianism and Arminianism be buried therein 50 Cubits deep Calvin Who would make you Executor Antinom I have such a respect for Mr. Neonomian notwithstanding the Pick he hath had at me that I would constitute him my Executor and