produceth to confirm his position with that sin will remain as aforesaid and because they cannot be had therefore he offers them his pamplet of non-sense to delude them with who are hasty to believe him And whom can he mean by weak capacities but such as he is afraid are not stoutly resolved to stand to his positions but that he doubts they will be drawn off if they search the Scriptures from believing such pernicious doctrine to their souls as that sin will remain in the best Saints so long as they live What can he mean by those words in his next paragraph where he saith that he doth endeavour their satisfaction and confirmation but that he desireth to confirm sinne to remain in them as long as they live that so they may be satisfied with it And therefore he saith he present them with some few collections if he had presented none it would have been more for his credit and comfort in the end to perswade them that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live and that without dispute if they will take his word for it who is most frequent in lying What can he mean by those words his collections seriously to be weighed and digested by them but that he would have them so setled rivetted in weak capacities as that they may never forget his tenents that they and the best Saints must live in sin while they live among men and that upon all occasions when the enemies to his doctrine talke of mortifying all sin in this life they may reply and say as the Lady Abbesse did to her wanton daughter both justified by the Vindicators positions By Saint Peter and Saint Paul Daughter sinners are we all for so this Veterator doth impudently maintain that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they lâ—ve and therefore needs must it remain in the Lady Abbesse and her daughter even to live a wanton life as their excusable infirmities because the best Saints must have their failings What can he mean when he saith in the same paragraph these collections may by the blessing of God enable the meanest capacities c. but that he desireth God may bless them so as to remain where they are and to live in sinne if he mind his position while they live a mortal life What can he mean in his next paragraph where he saith I desire to blesse God for what others have done but that it is his prayer and thanksgiving to God for such men who preach up sinne if he mind his position and maintain that it will remain in the best Saints as long as they live else he resolveth to be none of the best if any Saint at all What can he mean by his next words in the same paragraph if that which I have now done be any thing serviceable it hath obtained its end but that he had no other end in his eye and thoughts in writing this pernicious Vindication and destructive to a good life but to petswade men to live quietly in sinne and not to trouble themselves and grieve for that they cannot help because as he saith sinne will remain in the best Saints as long as they live What can he mean when he further saith I am willing to spend and to be spent for the Israel of God but that they are the Israel of his God who prevail if he mind his position against the grace of Christ for to remain in sinne as long as they live for Christ came to redeem his Saints from all iniquity Ti. 2.14 and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works and for whom will he spend and be spent but for such prevailers who can prevail if he mind his tenents against all gain-sayers that sin will remain in the best Saints as long they live For these and with these he will spend his patrimony and all he can get besides by his practise as an Emperick at large What can he mean when he addeth further that he will be spent but that he expecteth at last to be spent in a sinful life himself for he saith in his Vindication that death onely putteth an end to a sinful life And what can be the sense of those words in the same paragraph that being the end for which we are what we are but that he looketh on himself and those of his mind and way to be appointed by some let him name by whom if he mind his positions to maintain that sin will remain in all Saints so long as they live and that is the end for which he is become what he is in shamlesness to maintain that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live What can he mean by those words in his next paragraph where he saith to his allies and Levites you are now upon the stage fight the good fight of faith but that if he mind his position to remain in sin and disobedience is the object of his faith and that he doth understand Saint Jude when he biddeth them to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints v. 3. of that Epistle that he biddeth them contend for so this Veterator doth that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as thy live as the faith which was once delivered to the Saints if any do deny it and contradict the same What can he mean by his words be couragious fight c. but he would have them to fight for it if he do mind his position that sinne wil remain in the best Saints as long as they live that so he and his friends may go for eminent Saints as long as they are in this world whatever they are accounted to be in the world to come When he telleth them they are upon the stage what can he mean in reference to his position but to put them in mind that they are above and Doctor Drayton must stand below to hear thiâ— forsworn Veterator make oath to a senselesse article namely that Doctor Drayton should say that when we have fulfilled the Law then Christ would be as a bridg to carry us over to Heaven which is too senselesse to come from Doctor Drayton who knew I say once again more divine truth then all the contrary-minded Divines in Wiltshire besides I do attest it to to be falsely laid to Doctor Draytons charge for I was present at the same time when and where it is said the same or like words were spoken by him What can he mean also by those words sight the good fight of faith but that it is good for them if he mind his position to fight against us who plead for a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this life and do deny their rash assertion of sinns necessary remaining in the best Saints as long as they live Was there ever Veterator that abused Scripture-phrase more then this one doth in a Preface that must relate to his
and commands and all exhortations spoken and pressed in the name of the Lord and those in speciall which tend to the purging out of all sin and the fulfilling of the Law in Christ yet are not only precepts but possible to the Saints as the said Augustine elswhere confesseth The School also saith and that truly Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri God promiseth grace to fulfil all that he requireth Secondly he saith that many of those places of Scripture do shew us not what we are now in via in the way but what we shall be hereafter in patria at the end of our pilgrimage when we shall be freed from the imperfection of our flesh and clothed with the garment of perfect righteousnesse Yea they doe in a speciall manner shew us both what we are and what we should be now in via or here now yet it cannot fully be set forth what we shall be hereafter for as Paul speaks 1 Cor. 2.9 But as it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Thirdly he saith that in many places the Scripture but he cannot produce one such terms them perfect and immaculate which have defiled their garments and polluted their consciences mark saith he not with no sins which is impossible but with no grosse sins or damnable enormities which as is said before is commendable But first we think the Vindicator alloweth no sin to be veniall but all mortal and damnable though not equally such Secondly we say that while any man pollutes his conscience he is neither called or accounted either perfect or immaculate by the Lord who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity Haba 1.13 And thirdly what though all men have so defiled their garments for a time yet it is not impossible at length through grace to keep our souls and consciences so unspotted for so had Paul done 2 Cor. 1.12 and knowing that the like grace was attainable for others he prayed for it in their behalfe Phil. 1.10 11. that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ See also Heb. 13.19 20. before cited Fourthly he saith the Scripture pronounceth men perfect blameless and blessed not because they have no sins but because their sins are not imputed unto them Psal 32.1 2. But we have shewed before that this not imputing is a purging them away by sanctification as well as a remission Further he saith and therefore though the Saints are called righteous and perfect not only in regard of the imputative righteousnesse which is wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ but we must understand in what sense the Saints are inherently called righteous for we must not think them to be so perfectly righteous as to be void of sin or to be justified in the sight of God because that together with the sanctification of the Saints there is still in them a remainder of original coruption by the touch and stain of which their best works are corrupted and defiled and therefore we say that though the Saints and holy men of God may and have lived sine scandalo without offence and page 29. sine querela without reproof and complaint on mans part by or in the observance of all outward principles yet it is impossible the best of them should live and die sine peccato without sin So he Unto all which we briefly answer that his distinction of imputative and inherent righteousnesse is vain for they are all one as we have shewed before Secondly the Saints are or ought to be so perfectly righteous by inherent righteousness as to be thereby justified in the sight of God whether the word be taken for a purging from sin as it is Acts 13.39 or for a positive righteousnesse as Titus 3.4 5 6. for there is no other way of justification in Christ unto eternal life spoken of in the Scriptures Thirdly we have proved before that there is not nor ought to be such a remainder of original corruption always found in the best Saints as to stain and corrupt their best works Lastly we have likewise asserted by clear Scriptures that the Saints through Christ not only may but should live here at the length not alone sine scandalo and querela but sine peccato without sin as well as without scandal or just reproof for to that end Christ gave himselfe Ephes 5.24 25 26. But he tels us in that 29 pag. that Rom. 4.1 2. is a remarkable place So it is indeed but not for his purpose to prove that Abraham lived and dyed an imperfect man and with some remainders of corruption in him which words ought to be thus translated as they lye in the Greek Text What shall we say then that Abraham our father hath found according to the flesh or in his unregenerate estate for if Abraham were justified by works to wit before not after grace received he hath whereof to glory but not before God as he proveth in the following verse but of this more in another place Then here he shews by a distinction that the Saints whom he holds to be always imperfect in this life may be in a four-fold sense called perfect First in regard of their intention and aime at and desire of perfection for resting in a good condition saith he is contrary to grace grow in grace But may not the Saints rest when they are at the end of their journey and race which is the final mortification of sin through faith according to Heb. 4.3 For we which have beleeved doe enter into rest Let him here who is tantus temporum observator such an observer of tenses before mark the tenses here for the work of beleeving is past and the entring into rest is present The Saints in heaven are doubtlesse in a good condition is it against grace for them to rest in it Secondly he saith that the Saints are perfect inchoatively and because they goe on more and more but inchoation and consummation are two remote terms or stations and progression may stand at a great distance from perfection and the end of the race at leastwise in the beginning and the middle of it Thirdly he saith they may be term'd so comparatively or in respect of other mens unrighteousnesse And fourthly acceptatively because God accepteth them though not absolutely just by the reason of manifold sins and defects yet in Christ and for Christ his sake through whom all our imperfections are pardoned as just and righteous men But by his leave God accepts no man no not in Christ otherwise then as he is according to his present inward state and growth hence
defects in their best performances yes the Lord testifieth of Joshuah and Caleb that they had fully followed him Numb 14.24 Josh 14.6 and we have proved the contrary out of many places and therefore in his second reason he wrongeth Nehemiah and the Text it self when he saith that Nehemiah chap. 13.22 prayed that his good services might be remembred with Gods reward and also with his pardon or forgiveness for that implies a contradiction for the original fignifieth to spare as well as to forgive and so have our Translators rendred it in that place and that very genuinely Remember me O Lord concerning this and spare me according to the greatness or multitude of thy mercies That is preserve me from mine enemies to do thee further service But to retain corruption to the last breath the said Champion layeth aspersion upon the very grace of God saying there that good works do not come from such a pure principle of grace as doth exactly fill the soul But the Lord saith Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it And Christ also Mat. 5.8 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied And again he saith expresly that in the principle of grace there are some defects and therefore the works flowing from thence are imperfect Page 31 he saith in the same lying dialect that God reserves the consummation of grace to wit that whereby sin should be purged out and the Law fulfilled by us unto the state of glory True it is in the general which he speaks there that grace is glory begun and glory is grace consummate but not that grace which is called the laver of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost for that must go before life and glory Titus 3.4 5 6 7. And though the spirits of just men made perfect are in heaven to wit in the heaven of Gods holiness of which the Prophet speaks Deut. 26.15 Is 6.17 yet there is a first a second and a third heaven here besides the outward heaven 2 Cor. 12.23 And that heaven is three-fold as well as the outward heaven one of calling and conversion another of justification or regeneration and a third of glorification and the Saints may be made perfect in the second heaven as to the final purging out of sins and the renewing of Gods image though in the third heaven we expect the perfection and transcendency of glory Paul was caught up into the third heaven but lived constantly in the second Phil. 3.20 Yea he tels all the believing Saints that were come to have that fellowship in some measure and degree with the general assembly and Church of the first-born written in that heaven and with the souls of the just men made perfect to wit some in grace and some in glory with the former they were upon the way in tendency unto the latter His third argument is that all our graces here are imperfect in this life But doth not Saint James tell us that there are perfect gifts that come down from the father of lights chap. 1.17 and Paul tels us that God will perfect his own work in us 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 And whereas he saith that these three divine graces faith hope and charity are so all our life long It is evident that not onely his charity but his faith and hope are truely such for the Apostle saith Jam. 2.22 that by workes Abrahams faith was made or declared to be perfect and if true see John 1 Epist 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment and for hope see Heb. 6.11 And we desire that every one of you do shew forth the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end The like we might shew of patience Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee preserve thee in this life But let us hear how he proves these three graces to remain alwaies imperfect in us For faith he saith and that truly must be grounded upon knowledge And we wish his had been so we mean aright understanding But the Apostle tels us saith he that we know but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 so that our Saviour may well say to the best of us as he did to his Disciples O ye of little faith Matth. 8.26 and the best of us may say with him Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help my unbelief But we have proved before that Abraham's faith whose steps we should follow Rom. 4.12 was perfect and that the Apostle had kept or fulfilled the faith 2 Tim. 4.7 yea that the faith was an estate which they had passed through and left behind Heb. 4.3 For we saith he who have believed do enter into rest Nor is the knowledge of true believers concerning things to be sought for by faith imperfect or in part onely although the things that God had prepared for those that love him and which are to be enjoyed in the third heaven or paradise are here but known in part for that which Christ spake to his disciples is made good to all true believers that seek it John 14.4 Whither I go ye know and the way ye know How can faith be the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen and not yet attained if it have not a knowledge of them See Heb. 11.1 2. Secondly he saith that which is perfect admits no increase No more did the faith of Abraham and of the Apostles and of many Saints more Acts 11.24 Thirdly he saith that our faith shall be perfected in heaven But both it and patience must be finished ere we can arrive at the third heaven Heb. 6.12 10.36 12.1 2 3. Fourthly he saith that fides est tam apparentium quà m non apparentium But Paul saith Rom. 8.24 25. For we are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it Lastly he saith we must believe in heaven the continuance of our happiness and therefore there is a perfect faith in heaven because it is grounded upon knowledge But as this man understands not what faith is so that faith is rather experimental knowledge and assurance then faith properly so called The faith of Gods elect purifieth our hearts here Acts 15.9 and through it we must be throughly sanctified ere we can obtain final remission of sins or that promised inheritance Acts 26.18 Unto whom I now send thee to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God to the intent they may receive remission ofi sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me saith Christ Where you may take notice also of the power of the will in turning to God after illuminating and preventing grace yea after men have been soundly chastised for sin by a work of the
slip or fall as all men confess otherwise David Peter and all the Saints of God during their time of actual fals had lost all their righteousness which they had wrought before by every such by-step or slip Unto which he adds two sayings of the Apostle James which he understands as little as the former The first is chap. 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet shall offend in one point is guilty of all That is of violating the equity of the law and contemning the Authority of the law-giver which binds to the obedience of all the commands as well as to any one yet is not this guilt to be understood of every breach of the law through ignorance or weakness but of witting and presumptuous sins The other place chap. 3.2 in many things we offend all of which we have spoken before and therefore saith he are we taught every day to beg the forgiveness of our trespasses Unto which we have said likewise that although we sin not daily we may daily pray so for our selves and others to have our sins pardoned which have been many great His fourth argument against justification by works which in the Apostles sense we renounce is that Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law unto which he adds Gal. 5.3 4. That if ye seek to be saved or justified by the works of the law then are ye debters to fulfill the whole law and so Christ should profit us nothing who is given for that end But he goes about to prove that here Paul excludes not onely ceremonial works and works before grace but all works whatsoever how doth he that for saith he Paul writes not these things to unbelieving Jews but to the Galatians who were believing Christians But by his leave those of the Jewish faith who looked to be saved by their own works without the grace of Christ were crept in among them and had almost withdrawn them from the faith in Christ as appears chap. 1.6 I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that called you to the grace of God unto another Gospel See chap. 3.12 and 4.19 20. and 5.1 2 3 4 5. so this argument is false Fifthly he saith that no work of man can be good before his person be justified before God for without faith it is impossible to please God But a man may have faith to please God before a justifying faith the first is in God the Father the second is in God the Son see Heb. 11.6 But without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Abel saith he was first accepted and then his offering But that divinity of his agreeth not with Gods sermon to Cain if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost evill sin lies at the door Gen. 4.7 Nor with that which Solomon speaks Prov. 18.16 A mans gift maketh room for him which is true of gifts brought unto God as well as unto men especially if it proceed out of a good willing spirit But page 57. he comes to answer some objections which we present not because we oppose not his doctrine in this parergical discourse The first is that to what purpose are good works if we can neither be justified nor merit by them he answers That as gold is good yet not to asswage hunger yet his confiding friends gold and silver made him good cheer and the same hath admirable effects yet not to make the blind man see so good works have many uses both necessary and profitable yet not to justifie us before God or to merit by them for when we have done all we can yea all that is commanded we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 to which Scripture we have spoken before But here he bringeth in some objections against his own doctrine of the impossibility of keeping the law as first If God gives us commandements which we cannot perform it is in vain to exhort thereunto viz. to obey the same Secondly his promises of happiness and means for keeping them were but mockeries as if I should promise a child a thousand pounds to carry away a Milstone which he is not able to wag Thirdly his punishments for the neglect and transgression of them should be unjust for if laws be not made and proportioned to our power of performance the law-giver may as well be termed a tyrant as the laws themselves unjust But none of this can stand with the wisedome and justice of God viz. to command beyond our power or possibility Unto which objections he makes answer after his wonted manner with words of ignorance errour falshood first saith he God doth require of us to keep and fulfil his law to teach us what we could have done in Adam and what we owe to God But in the first Adam or Protoplast we could do just nothing for we had no being then nor are we debters to God upon that score though perhaps upon another score we are Secondly saith he there and page 58. to shew us that it is our own fault that we cannot now keep the Law Which perhaps may be truly spoken but not in his sense and way because man abusing his power and free liberty to do what he would did lose both and now he must do what he would not because Adam received that strength both for himselfe and us He often saith it but he never yet proved it Thirdly God teacheth us saith he what we should ask and of whom for God doth therefore command us to do what we cannot perform that seeing our own infirmities and being wearied under the Law of equity we might sue unto the throne of grace for pardoning mercy and the gracious assistance of the holy Spirit to enable us in some measure saith he yea to the uttermost say we to perform what he so justly requireth To which third reason of his we subscribe as also to that which he cites out of Augustine saying in the commandements we must know what we ought to have and in our punishments we must learn that we our selves are the câ—uses of our own wants yea add hereunto and of our own failings likewise and in prayer we must learn from whence we must fetch the supply of our defects or rather before we goe to prayer or saith he again to answer methodically for all this while he hath been no very orderly man God was upon Mount Sinai to deliver a Law what de novo that was never given before but such as was formerly ingraven on mans heart Thus far he speaks truly but what follows is not so true that the Law was now defaced obliterated through sin for we have proved already that though the righteousnesse of the Law was obliterated yet the knowledge of it was written in every mans heart with indelible characters
sure we shall be no longer accounted innovators by him nor his opposite doctrine be esteemed orthodox But now at length he comes to the second branch of his second position which as he saith hath these two parts to be considered First that no man can be justified by the works of the Law Secondly that we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Christ Both which are true and suit well with what we speak if rightly understood And concerning the first he saith he hath cleared it before but he hath obscured it rather by bringing the works of the Spirit under the works of the law as he will do it again by and by And here he tels us that the Apostle Paul reasons admirably and plainly to this point Rom. 11.5 6. saying If salvation be of grace it is no more of works for else grace were no more grace and if it be of works it is no more of grace for else works were no more works So that it is evident say we that the works that are here recited are not works of grace but works before without and against grace But salvation saith he is by grace for by grace are we saved though faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Ephes 2. And our Saviour tels us plainly that when we have done our best we are unprofitable servants And such a servant will he be for the Church and his doctrine also unto which he pretends And reason it self saith he drawn from the Scripture doth sufficiently prove that we cannot be justified by our works for if any works justifie us saith he they must be done either before or after justification but no works before our justification can justifie us saith he page 61. because an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit and these works not being done in faith must needs be sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.5 6. Thus he goes about to maintain that which is true in it self with false grounds as we have shewed before whereupon St. Paul saith quoth he that all men before they be engrafted into Christ which as yet he is not are servants of sin farre from righteousness and bring forth no other fruits but such as deserve shame and death Which is all as false as the other for Cornelius was not as yet grafted into Christ when the Angel commanded him to send for Peter and yet he brought forth many good fruits Acts 10.1 2. as we shewed before Secondly saith he Reason it self tels us that our works done after grace cannot be the cause of grace Yes they may be some cause or means to procure a subsequent grace for how can that which cometh after be the cause of that which went before for the cause must precede the effect and so Augustine tels us that good works do not go before him that is to be justified which is not true in every behalf as we have shewed but they do follow him that is already justified and therefore they can be no more the cause of justification then good fruits are the cause of the goodness of a tree and that place of the Apostle saith he which I cited before proves it Rom. 3.20 by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified But there are good works which follow converting and sanctifying grace which yet may precede the great work of justification and nevertheless are no works of the law against which Paul disputes in this controversie For first saith he Paul tels us verse 9. that all both Jews and Gentiles are under sin because all are transgressors of the law true and therefore all the world must be guilty before God and can no way be justified by pretending innocency and righteousness in keeping the law true likewise Secondly he shews the reason why no flesh can be justified by the law because the law convinceth of sin for by the law cometh knowledge of sin But what he addeth in the next place is partly false and wholly impertinent but the law saith he convinceth them that are under grace some of them it doth who therefore had need to seek the justification which yet they want of sin and who have the greatest measure of grace this is ungraciously spoken to be sinners Phil. 3.9 But that Text speaks of Paul's first conversion to Christ not of his last and best estate Therefore saith he but by a non sequitur they that do the works of the law by the help of grace cannot be justified by the Law yes in one sense they may because the law is with them and not against them Gal. 5.23 because the law sheweth them likewise to be sinners by which words he contradicts himself as well though not as great as those are who endeavour to keep the law without the help of grace with which he is better acquainted then with the other way of keeping it and therefore saith he the Apostle concludeth thus that we are justified by the righteousness of God without the law as ye may in his sense see Rom. 3. from verse 20. But whereas he adds his own subinference thereunto saying therefore we are not justified by any righteousness of the law done either by the help of grace or without the help of grace that is neither the Apostles doctrine nor true in it self and the reason which he yields for his said assertion is devoid of reason saying for he that obeyeth the law howsoever he doth it by the help of grace or by his own strength yet he hath the same righteousness Which we say is false because those two differ as much as weakness and strength as flesh and spirit and as that which is natural from that which is spiritual yea as heaven and earth from each other Yet saith he fondly the righteousness of the Law because of the different manner of obtaining it altereth not the thing But the Apostle saith he sheweth a great deal of difference between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith so he might as to matter manner and measure for Moses described saith he the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things however he doth them by his own strength or some other help if he doth them shall live by them But this is a false gloss of his upon Moses for so there shall be no difference between the righteousness of the law required by Moses and the deeds of the foregoing Testament and the righteousness of faith in the nevv Testament Rom. 10.5 But the righteousness of faith speaketh in this wise If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shall be saved vers 6 9. And therefore saith he because the Apostle opposeth doing of the law and believing in Christ and not the doing of
as we shall in our catasceuastical or affirmative part of our discourse more fully manifest But he concludes with his form of prayer I pray God to enable us all to hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and that we may renounce all those doctrines that set up any thing of man And much more say we do tend to the setting up of Satan or his kingdom to the abasing of Christ and that we embrace those doctrines which abase man and much more whatsoever is of the devil and which exalt the Lord according to that of the Psalmist Not unto us O Lord not unto us and much lesse unto the Devil but unto thy name and unto that only give the glory Psalm 15. Unto all which we say and that not formally but cordially Amen You see the Vindicator hath closed like a Saint of the Pharisaicall sect with a prayer even as specious in words of Scripture-phrase as his Preface was to his beloved friends placed in the front of his Vindication but when his prayer is explained to you in reference to his position That sinne will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live then it will appear to have the same scope and end to his said position as we have declared his Preface had For whom can he mean and include in the relative word us when he saith I pray God enable us but the Levites his friends and other his allies with himselfe For be it known to all men by these presents that we disown his Tenents and resolve to speak against them dum maneat Lachesi quod torqueat to speak until we lack breath if we have opportunity Secondly if to hold the unity of the Spirit be intended in reference to his position then these words must signifie to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit for all sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.9 therefore to pray in reference aforesaid to hold the unity of the Spirit is to pray to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit in upholding and maintaining with one affection that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live Thirdly to hold it in the bond of peace is to pray in reference to the foresaid position that in the onenesse of affection to the wicked spirit that he and his friends may in all tyes bonds obligations of a quiet and peaceable agreement be bound together to maintain that sin will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live and not to disturb one another as those foresaid false Prophets do disturb them who deny their position Yea the Vindicator prayeth as ignorantly as he can if he maintain his position that he and his friends may renounce all the doctrine that sets up any thing of man to the abasing of Christ for if he intend that clause of his petitionary note in reference to our doctrine of a possibility of a total mortification of sinne in this life then his prayer is that nothing of man that is of us in contradistinction to himselfe and his friends may be set up to the mortifying of all sin and so to abase Christ by a total mortification of sin if he mean to prefer his own petition before our doctrine tendeth absit blasphemia dicto to the abasing of Christ But if he iutend to maintain to the end as he begun that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live then the said clause of his vote and prayer is a contradiction to himself and his position for doth any doctrine set up any thing of man but that Doctrine which maintaineth the necessary continuance of sin in this life for only sinne and allsin is of the Devill and man Joh. 3.9 Rom. 5.12 by one man sinne came into the world and 2 Thess 2.3 the devil or wicked one what ever men dream to the contrary is called the man of sin therefore for the Vindicator to pray that no doctrine be owned but renounced that sets up any thing of man is to pray against his own position that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because only sinne and all sinne is from man as aforesaid And is there any thing which abaseth Christ but sins continuance when as the Lord complaineth thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Isai 43.24 Hence also upon the same account that the doctrine of sins remaining is the setting up of man and abasing of Christ we say here also the clause of his prayer which is expressed in these words And that we embrace those doctrines that abase man and exalt the Lord is a prayer for the embracing our doctrines because a total mortification of sin in this life is it which exalteth Christ in his holinesse will and power to destroy all sin according to that James 4.5 6. for the Lord offereth more grace that is to overcome it See Phil. 4.13 Joh. 1.16 who came to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 that the Lord may be exalted alone in that day Isai 2.17 Not unto us Lord Psal 115.19 in a better sense then the Vindicator doth apply those words in reference to his prayer relating to his position but unto thy name be the glory who hast in some measure made known to us and made us to believe the true doctrine which abases man and exalts Christ which doctrine is a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this world Thus we have traced the Vindicator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the first to the last of his Vindication wherein the unbiassed Reader may easily comprehend what nonsense tacit contradictions besides open ones this Vindicator is guilty of in this his Vindication so that he hath first and last verified therein another apt Anagram of his name In no end right Our Gusmond hath spit folly with despite But marvel not for He 's in no end right The finis rei by his confession Of his positions is transgression Will you his friends elect this sinful wight To be your Pilot who 's in no end right Can he direct your souls unto heavens blisse Who at both ends doth steer amisse You Levites in his Preface cal'd to fight With us forbear for he 's in no end right His Jus and Saints mentioned in his letters Are mongrels compared with their betters For he cannot on best Saints temper light It to define who is in no end right Disown him then who hath no morning light Detest this vagrant who 's in no end right Having demonstrated the Anasceuastick or confutative part of our revindication and observed the Vindicators ends what they are we proceed to the Catasceuastick or confirmative part thereof in two axioms or assertions contrary to the Vindicators positions First we affirm that there is a possibility through the grace and help of Christ of a total mortification of
the young men shall utterly fail but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint chap. 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousnesse sake he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Which it would not be if it were impossible chap. 48.17 18. Thus faith the Lord thy redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shalt go O that thou hadst harkened to my commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea chap. 51.4 5. Harken unto me my people and give eare O Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgement to rest for a light to the Gentiles my righteousnesse is neer my salvation is gone forth vers 7 8. Harken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their revisings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them up like wool but my righteousnesse shall be sure and my salvation from generation to generation Jerem. 31.32 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah saith the Lord not according to the covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them or therefore I must overule them saith the Lord but this shall be the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more Where take notice of these things that the first covenant is a covenant of works and the effect a compulsive obedience out of fear of vengeance Secondly that the second covenant is made to those that now love God and righteousnesse and obey it out of good will after the days of compulsion are ended which must have their foregoing work to break mans strong lusts and inclinations to sin after which comes the revelation of free mercy and salvation out of grace unexpectedly witnessed from Heaven to the lost yet humbled penitent and praying or deprecating soul which melts his heart with godly sorrow and inflames his heart with love to God and righteousnesse and with an hatred of all known sin Thirdly that this second covenant is of sanctification and then of some degree of glory As to the former the Lord promiseth to put his Law into our inward parts and to work the same in our hearts which is done no other way but by regeneration and by the promised Spirit of Christ which is called the blood of the new covenant and the blood of the everlasting covenant for the purging or the dimission away of our sins whereof both the expiative and consecrating blood of the old Testament was a figure Exod. 24.8 and 14.14 10. and chap. 8.23 24. and whereof the wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the New Testament is a sign and representation as the bread broken is a representation both of his word to be broken received and eaten Jer. 15.16 and of his suffering patience and weakness which is a body of his to be broken unto us by degrees and received by faith and obedience where through we may remember Christs death and follow him therein crucifying sin till he come unto us in the Spirit and power of his resurrection Thus the Apostle saith ' Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ this Spirit and spiritual blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself as man without spot to God purge the consciences or souls from dead works to serve the living God And Heb. 10.29 He that falls from grace counts the blood of this covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing or a thing of smal price and so doth despite to the Spirit of grace and hence it is that the Apostle prayeth Heb. 13.20 that God who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep would through the blood of the everlasting covenant make the believing Hebrews perfect in every good work to do the will of the Lord as Peter also tells the Saints 1 Pet. 1.18 that they were through the same redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation in a Jewish righteousness received by tradition from their Fathers This blood is promised unto them that walk in the light with God and his Saints 1 John 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sin With this blood the Saints washed their robes or imperfect righteousness and made them white Rev. 7.14 with this Christ washed the Apostles and made them Kings and priests unto God Rev. 1.5 6. for which they give him praise and glory and with this is the Devil overcome and cast out Rev. 12.11 A third thing observable in this covenant is that there is a clear full and glorious wisdome promised to each Saint in due time so that they shall not need to say to each other know the Lord for they shall know him from the least of them to the greatest for that perfect knowledge and love is then come which makes the imperfect knowledge and prophecying to cease 1 Cor. 13.8 9. Lastly the time of that perfect wisdome power and love is also limited namely vers 34. in those words for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more it is then when God hath purged and taken away all their sins by the same blood where forgiving of sins as in many other places is to be understood of the purging them away by Gods grace which we call dimission and that is the principal taking away of sin upon which the pardon or taking away of the guilt follows of course and is cast in over and above out of Gods abundant mercy for the death and sufferings of Christ But to proceed Ezek. 36.25 26 27. we have another of these promises of enabling grace Then will I pour clean water upon you and from all your sins and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new
Israel of the God of this world spoken of 2 Cor. 4.4 to be prevailers in maintaining that sin and disobedience to the law of the righteous and just God will remain in the best Saints if they be no better then our selves are yet by confession and practise as long as they live That being the end for which we are what we are in all reviling and slandering the said Doctor Drayton and Parker under the horrid names of Jesults and Factors for Rome even for such Saints at Rome who were most eminent above others in Neroe's house when Paul was there Phil. 4.22 I say even for to make them more odious to our sin-maintaining party I am not unwilling to spend my lungs to reproch Jesuits and Factors for Rome as all can witness that heard my scurrulous invective at Wisfoord near Wilton against the said Parker for preaching such poysonful doctrine at Wilton of a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this life of which doctrine I wished the people of Wilton who flocked to heare me to take heed of and not endure to heare the said Parker preach any such doctrine for I told them spreading my paper on the Pulpit-cushion like Rabsicaes letter that the said doctrine will sink himselfe and his hearers to hed if our doctrine for sinne remaining in us as long as we live do at any time advance and lift us up to heaven Your selves my fellow Levites like Simeon and Levi brethren to maintain iniquity are now upon the stage as I tell you in my next paragraph to act your parts Therefore it doth concern you to joyn hand in hand with me in maintaining our positions for they are begun as I told you to be spoken against in publ que by our enemies whom I could not disswade nor terrifie from so doing though I told them openly before a cloud of witnesses that if they did publish such doctrines to the people against the necessity of sin remaining in the best Saints as long as they live they would pull all the Ministers of my mind which are too too many in the countrey about their ears His words spoken in Wilton Church because if it should be so as our enemies affirm the people would soon charge their Ministers with preaching a long time many lies to them for telling them so frequently that sinne will remain in the best Saints as long as they live as an Alderman of Milton told my selfe presently after Doctor Drayton had preached the Sermon now in Print on 2 Cor. 7.1 for cleansing away all fil hinesse of the flesh and spirit that if the said doctrine were true which Doctor Drayton had delivered I my self had taught at Milton many lies which wounded me to the heart though it were so to be told it to my face and the people in short time will say my fellow Levites as much to your faces as I was told if the doctrines of our enemies to sins continuance in best Saints come to be received more generally among all sorts of people Therefore arm up you courage my indeared fellow-brethren for sâ—â—â— cause and muster up the forsee you seem to have and fight as I bid you in the said paragraph being likewise upon the stage while our enemies yet stand below this boon sight of our traditional faith That sin will remain in us as long as we live by reason of the want of faith to beleeve the contrary for it is said Mat. 13.58 where it is said Christ could do no great works there because of their unbelief Now if thus you do my united brethren I assure my self and you as I tell you in my last paragraph that our victory if we can overcome our enemies though it be but by Club-law as they did Rev. 11.17 will be glorious among all lovers of sinful pleasures and profits more then lovers of God and his holinesse for then we may as they did Rev. 11.10 rejoyce and be merry if we can still perswade weak capacities to be confident that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because then we our selves shall still be accounted for such Saints among the people and also every man whose teeth continuall water after the apples of Sodom will then think his own beloved sin how worthy soever it be to be hated is the only innate corruption and infirmity that will and must remain in him as long as he liveth Thus you see friends how glorious our victory is like to be if we can prevaile in the eyes of all Epicures and lovers of sinfull profits and pleasures But indeed we do but dissemble and lye when we say it will be glorious through Jesus Christ for Christ is not saith the Apostle Gal. 2.17 the Minister of sin for he came to redeem all his Saints from all iniquity Tit 2.14 and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works therefore to him belongeth better glory for ever and ever to be given to him from such as those Ephes 5.27 28. who are sanctified and washed in water by the word then can accrue to him by our best Saints who plead to have sin remain in them as long as they live to which all truly enlightened Saints say Amen namely that Christ may have more glory from his eminent Saints by their being purged from all sin then can redound to him from the constant cleaving of sin to them as long as they live which is contrary to God and Christ and the holy Spirit yea so contrary to the Saints pure happiness as nothing can be more opposite thereunto This is the Paraphrase that Mr. John Tendering must have made himself of his preface if required to explain it as consonant and in reference to his positions that sin and disobedience to Gods law will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live therefore we could give no other paraphrase upon his preface consideratis considerandis then what we have for substance delivered to Mr. John's friends whereby they may see his naked mind under the covert of Scripture-phrases by which he would deceive the hearts of simple and well-meaning people and therefore we hope his friends will not say that we have abused him and wrested his words in his preface from his own design Because we are perswaded his friends will not have him speak in his preface heterogeneals to the positions in his Vindication for then he doth abuse them and make them believe that in his book to be one of his beloved truths which he doth contradict in his preface if he mean not according to our paraphrâ—se and so with coloured words deceiveth the hearts of his many allies which relie upon his lying oracles Again if men do not mean their prefaces to be respectively in reference to their subsequent designs then their preface and their book will not be consentanies but disparates and the author of them a dissentany altornis vicibus to them both therefore Mr.
receive those two gifts of justification and regeneration by the death of Christ for though remission of sins is purchased thereby for the true beleevers yet that is neither regeneration nor justification in the Apostles sense nor is justification purchased thereby for he that made us had power to regenerate without any such purchase That therefore it follows that out of the first Adam to wit our first parent there issued a double evil unto and upon us to wit guilt and corruption we deny as false and inconsequent That in this derivative the sin which he speaks of is an universal corruption is false likewise in which are two great evils as he saith Sed sublato sub ecto tollitur ad unctum Pag. 5. That in it first there is a general defect of all righteousnesse in which we were at first created to wit in our first patents First it is manifestly false as also that any such defect is derived unto us who are still created righteous and holy and after the image of God as these ensuing Texts doe clearely prove besides many more that might be added Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God created he man to wit him that is so killed or else the argument is of no force Jam. 3.9 Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God and therewith curse we man who is created after the similitude of God Ecclesiast 7.29 Lo this have I found that God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions Jer. 2.21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me That this pretended derivative sin to be so conveyed from the first Adam to us is an inherent deordination evil disposition disease propension to all mischief and antipathy and aversation to all good which the Scripture calls the flesh the wisdome of the flesh the body of sin earthly members the works of the Devil the Hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire Jam. 3.5 6. Rom. 8.6 7. Jam. 3.15 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 3.8 Unto which I say that although all those names are justly given to the body of sin especially when it is fully formed in men with all his members yet first there is no such thing found in children of whom our Saviour saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such and that unlesse we be born again after our fall and corruption and become like them in humility righteousnesse love and meeknesse we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Matth. 18.3 Mar. 10.14 15. Doth not Paul also give us this charge 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be ye not children in understanding howbeit in malice or naughtiness be children where he implyeth that children have no malice or naughtinesse in them and if sin be the workmanship of the Devil as he out of 1 John 3.8 confesseth I would demand whether the Devil had an hand in the creation of children which he must if this sin be his workmanship But that which follows there that no man can be more sensible of the through-malignity of this derivative corruption then Paul was when he cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Is first the old mistake and afterwards backed with this errour and peice of nonsense untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualness penetration and compass of the holy Law which measures the very bottome of every action for Paul could not be so sensible of his sins malignity till his understanding was so opened nor till he had been scourged also for it by the work of the Law as all men are whom God brings to be and maketh his sons Psal 94.12 Heb. 12. That the Law condemns as well the original as the Acts of sin is true of prohibition but not of condemnation for each sinful motion is by the Law discovered and prohibited but we are not condemned for the same till we approve or like of the temptation in some measure Those ensuing positions are also false First that Paul Rom. 5.14 understands by Adam and Moses our first parent and him that was the Lawgiver but two distinct estates in men as was said before which may appear out of the foregoing verse compared with this For untill the Law sin was in the world that is before the inward Moses Lawgiver or reprover cometh unto men but where there is no Law sin is not reputed for sin for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred Secondly because he saith that death reigned from Adum which is the natural man in his first defection till Moses or one that draweth out of the water of sin That the men who sinned between the first Adam's age and the time of Moses did not sin after the similitude of Adams transgression against the clear revelation of Gods holy will as Adam did Yet they did for the same God that did forbid the eating of the forbidden fruit doth ever since prohibit and forbid every sin in every mans soul that is against the moral Law Rom. 2.15 Which shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Was not Enoch a Prophet in his time see Jude 1.14 and was not Noah the eight preacher of righteousness as the Apostle calls him 2 Pet. 2.5 were not the men of the old World destroyed for their known wickedness and shut into the infernal prison for their apparent disobedience 1 Pet. 3.19 20. so that the Vindicators misapprehension of this place of mens sinning for want of such light as Adam had is full of darkness As for those over whom death reigned from Adam to Moses and who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression we say that as Adam and Moses are two inward states so may these be inward spiritual messengers of God represented by Abel and others as well as the inward Adam and Moses of which he speaks for such a generation of righteous ones which never sinned we find slain by the wicked and incorrigible generation of men Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah the son of Barachiah for though men usually in reading this and other Scriptures look no further then the letter yet I demand of them how in justice could all the righteous blood shed from the beginning come upon that wicked and unbeleeving generation of the Jews if they had not inwardly slain a spiritual Abel and other messengers of God even to a spiritual Zachariah that is the Lord remembrancer the son of Barachiah that is of the Lords benediction as all his inward messengers are yea it is true which Abraham answered to
them for God hath shewed unto them That there ensued likewise the want of inclination yea and aversnesse to obey God in us all Contrary to what was spoken now by Paul Rom. 2.14 But he brings divers Scriptures to plead for him as first Gen. 6.5 All the thoughts of man are evill to wit after his personal fall and own depravation as the men of the old world were depraved but it is true which the Fathers have in their writings neme repente fit turpissimus Then saith he can the Ethiopian change his skin Jerem. 13.23 But this is spoken only of them who by long continuance had both contracted an evill habit and hardness as it follows there then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil It is possible also that the Vindicator may sometimes speak the truth though he hath long used lying Mat. 7.28 that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Yea if it be corrupt but in part as all men after the fall are but in part and by degrees corrupt at the first and for some time afterwards nor in all things at once but specifically in one evil after another and gradually in each As for Ephes 2.3 we shewed before what that imports and 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not able of our selves to think imagine or conceive any thing as of our selves to wit in spiritual and heavenly mysteries which must only be made known by revelation as they were to him 2 Cor. 12.7 Gal. 1.15 16. Ephes 3.3 4 5. That we have no liberty and pronenesse of will to do that which is good Is there then no difference between willing and doing liberty and pronenesse pronenesse and power That by nature we have no love of God nor readinesse to obey him But by creation and the word ingrafted we have both before our fall otherwise how can we seek God which is the great end of our creation Act. 17.26 27. That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feele after him Or why doth the Lord expect any such thing from the sons of men if they have no faculty or ability to doe it Psalm 14.2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there was any that did understand and seek after God Pag. 22. by the first miscount he denyeth that God doth enable the will of it selfe to do good works if it please But to will is one thing and really to do good is another thing and requires a further power Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I know not He saith also that Grace worketh in the will to please or choose Which is false for if it determine or force the will it were not a free agent voluntas trahitur non cogitur the will may be drawn but not forced That God doth not hang his work upon the suspended Ifs of our wils This is altogether against the Scripture Psalm 95.7 8. If this day ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation or Isai 1.19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall cat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be devoured with the sword or Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the severity and goodnesse of God on them which fell severity but toward thee goodnesse if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt be cast off But he cites Ezek. 36.17 to prove it where the Lord saith I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and doe them To which we say that this is a full enablement to keep Gods Law even in this life contrary to his second position yet will the Lord be sought unto for this to doe it for them ver 31 of that chap. He cites also the words of Augustine but against his second position likewise saying we will indeed but God worketh in us to will that is generally and habitually but not in hypothesi by a particular determination to this or that act and so are Pauls words to be understood not of our habitual doing yet of our willing Philip. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you not only to will but doe of his good pleasure for otherwise this verse should contradict the former in some sort where the Apostle chargeth us to work out our own salvation with feare and trembling if we must be meerly passive in this business why doth he lay such a charge of working or co-working upon us yea of working out our salvation to the end That the will is effectually moved to doe according to the new inclination which God hath put into the renewed will and affections True but this is done by motion motive or perswasion not by determinating the will For those Scriptures which he cites page 23 by miscount prove not any more then what we grant Deut. 10.6 The Lord will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed for that is only to remove the foreskin of the evill inclinations Eze. 36.26 A new heart will I give that is new inclinations with an habituall power to choose and an actuall power when it is sought to do good Act. 16.14 The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that is her understanding 2 Cor. 2.7 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty to wit according to the measure and working of that Spirit which first opens the understanding then puts inclination into the will and affections and lastly giveth power Page 23. he saith that in this life the renewing of our nature is not perfectly done here as concerning our knowledge of God or our inclinations to obey him But untruly for relatively to what the Law requireth of us here we know that it is only to love God above all and our neighbour as our selves Mat. 23.37 38 39 40. which we may both know and doe also by grace in this life as there it is made known and power is promised to act accordingly Deut. 26.18 And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldst keep all his commandements so also Deut. 30.6 which he lately cited And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live but comparatively to the world to come we grant it as we did before that neither our knowledge nor our inclination nor yet our power shall be so intensively full and great in this life as in the world to come That the regenerate are not always ruled by the holy Spirit but are sometimes forsaken of God either to try them that is to make their own weakness without God known unto them as he did to Peter or to chastise and humble them This is true if we understand it of the whole process of regeneration
but not of their finall estate to which they doe or may attain by grace in this life for Christ tels his Disciples Joh. 16.16 that he will pray unto the Father for them and he shall send another comforter unto them which certainly is the holy Ghost and he saith Christ shall abide with you for ever And those Scriptures which he produceth prove nothing to the contrary Psal 51.11 Take not thy holy Spirit from me for that spirit was for a time withdrawn from him for his great fall into adultery and murder Isai 63.17 Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy way and hardned our heart from thy fear return for thy servants sake the tribe of thine inheritance Where the Prophet in the name of the young Saints and not in his own bebalfe complains of an hardnesse contracted by their own sinnes as see 1 Kings 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us it seemeth to witnesse against him that God did not leave or forsake their fathers His conclusion from hence that the regenerate in this life doe always goe forward or backward and doe not at any time stand still or continue in the same estate is neither true nor consequent from the premisses Hosea 13.13 For he is an unwise son otherwise he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children did not the pillar of fire and the Arke often stand still at which time Jsrael was not to move Page 24 by the same miscount That the righteousness of the regenerate in this life is not such as may stand before God Contrary to many Scriptures Prov. 28.1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous is bold as a Lion 1 Joh. 22. And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this present world That those who are converted can no further retain good inclinations thoughts affections or purposes to persevere or goe forward therein then as the Holy Ghost worketh and preserveth these in them This is not true for the Holy Ghost doth in time beget not only inclinations but habits in the understanding memory will and affections sometimes they need indeed the Spirits admonitory and excitant grace especially in time of temptation but not always either then or at other times See Rom. 15.14 15. where the Apostle saith That those Saints at Rome have no need of an outward admonisher or remembrancer at all times and the same may be concluded of an inward commonefaction Doth not Saint Paul charge Timothy to stir up the gift that was already in him 2 Tim. 1.6 And Christ himselfe gives the like charge Rev. 2.25 that which ye have already hold fast till I come Further he saith that if the Spirit of God withdraw it selfe the regenerate are blind and wander and slip and fall yet so as they perish not He speaks very favourably of wanderers if so be that they were ever truly converted but as the former part of his assertion is not true as to their blinding unless the Spirit of God wholly desert men so the latter part is false for some true converts may by their own default fall totally and finally and perish Heb. 6.4 5 6. Heb. 10.5 8. for the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 1 Tim. 5.12 Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith Nor do the Scriptures to which he refers us ratifie what he saith 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received I say unto him again what hast thou received that thou dost bring this and all other Scriptures which are silent to the point in hand But 1 Cor. 1.8 seemeth to plead for him where the Apostle saith that God shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Christ and Phil. 1.6 Also being confident of this thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ But we answer that God indeed is constant on his part and will carry on the work which he hath begun if we prove not inconstant in our belief love and obedience to him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.12 goodness towards thee if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off and Christ himself Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love if ye obey my commandement sye shall abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers commandements and abide in his love So must Joh. 15.5 which he hath cited be understood He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit and Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your falvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure and 1 Cor. 10.13 Who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it and that of 1 Pet. 1.5 remaineth true notwithstanding that ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Pag. 25. he saith but he saith without any ground of truth that the four-fold liberty of the will answerable to the four-fold estate of man before and after the fall in regeneration and glory may serve for one ground to confirme the point in hand That sin will have a being in the best of men while they are here is false also and no less then these which follow That the regenerate estate of man is here but begun and not to be perfected Clean contrary to the Scriptures even now by him cited 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.5 That the estate of the regenerate here is but a growing in grace and a perfecting more and more and a prevailing in mortifying their corruptions but not attaining in this mortal life to have grace consummate nor corruption abolished but sin remaines and will remain till they lay down the body and be completely sanctified in glory But is not this principium petere to beg a principle or idem per idem probare But after a promise to confirme his position further by Scriptures Fathers and reasons he goes on and tells us out of Rom. 8.1 That the Apostle there doth not say that there is no sin in them that are in Christ but that there is no condemnation yet he tels us in the latter end of the same verse
sin must be left behind and so his first position is overthrown likewise And here is another of his contradictions yea a twin or a double one But to this his advice he joyns his new Letany to which we fay Amen And from blind Jesuiticall guides with their false pretended new lights in a dark Lanthorn their feignedlies pretended revelations but delusions Good Lord deliver us But who pretends to new lights or insists upon extraordinary revelations or who hath a darker lanthorn then himselfe or what Jesuit useth the trade of lying so often as he doth in which conflict it s now known he himself would carry away the whetstone So that if Diogenes came at noon-day again with his lanthorn either to find truth in his assertions or common honesty in the author of them he would operam oleum perdere Note also that here again he cals us Jesuits But he is pleased to salute us at the table saying much good may their perfection on earth doe them sure we are that if we can attain it it will doe us no harm But by way of return we say well may he fare with his much affected imperfections and corruption similis lactuca labris but Christ also Rev. 22.11 saith he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still but he that is justified let him be justified still and he that is sanctified let him be sanctified still for what a man most affects in these things that shall be his portion in the end Howbeit with his lips or pen he begs to have his imperfections discovered and to be humbled in the sense of them so long as he liveth as if the Lord delighted more in our dejectment for them then ejectment of them that he may cry always with the poor Publican but doth he beg healing and cleansing mercies that he might offend no more or only pardon for his offence toties quoties committed and so to end his days Surely he should then have been but a poor Publican in the end though he had a rich office But he will also at leastwise in words make an emulator of Saint Paul who forgat what was behind and pressed forward towards the mark and put forth we wish he means not quite out of doors all the strength that the Lord shall please to send him and improving all opportunities to the best advantage for the mortifying of all sinfull corruptions in him and for the growing in grace untill he attaines unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ But lest all this should be had too soon in the world but here by the ministery of the word the work is to be carried on even to perfection Ephes 4.11 12 13. he contradictingly saith which shall be after grace consummate hereafter in heaven and so desperately concludes As for him that can find perfection here on earth let him never look for it in heaven As if it could not be had in both places or estates in several degrees contrary to Pauls hope 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Doth not the holy Ghost say Rev. 14.13 that those that die here to sin in the Lord that they may rest from their own works and labours as the fourth commandement requires that their works shall follow them But in the last place he tels us that he will lay down some of our arguments and some Scriptures which we wrest to maintain them Wherein he shews himself a better diviner then a divine for he had none of them as yet from us unless those which he findeth in the argument of Doctor Draytons sermons of which he mentioneth very few First he saith that we deny original sin Which thing in his sense is true But we say every mans first fall is his original sin Secondly we say as he tels you that original sin is taken away from the Saints on earth we say that it either is or ought to be there being sufficient grace and help offered and afforded in Christ to us for that end and therefore that such mortified Saints cannot derive it to their posterity What is this to the question in hand yet we confess more that neither the first Adam nor any parent descended from him can convey any such stain of sinfull corruption by generation to their children because a most holy God creates both soul and body innocent and without sin But as this argument of his is none of ours so his solution or answer is a meer figment of mans brain for he saith there are three things in sin the offence the guilt and the pollution or stain being an inclination to fall into the like sins Of which saith he the two first are taken away but the last which is the worst is left behind during this life Where ye may take notice of these absurdities or contradictions First that Gods hates the offence as he saith in his dearest Saints and as he saith it is abolished and blotted out by the blood of Jesus Christ If it be abolished as he saith it is how can it remain in them still and if it remain still how can it be but hatefull to God For the second the guilt or obligation to punishment he saith that is pardoned but as we have often shewed no sin is pardoned till it s left and forsaken Prov. 28.13 As for the third the pollution which he cals the pure essence of sin a very pure essence indeed if one look well upon it that saith he doth not reign in a regenerate man yet the life and being of sin is not taken away page 36. But he cites a Text there wherewith he cuts his own throat if rightly rendred Psal 103.3 Who is propitious to all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities or diseases The latter words explaining the former and certainly where diseases are healed they are wholly removed or taken away they leave no life nor being behind them and then follows vers 4. who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and mercy for where any life or being of sin is left there is so much destruction or condemnation left also as we shewed out of Rom. 8.2 True it is that the Lord doth heal our souls gradually as this puny Emperick speaks but he leaves not we say the full perfecting of the cure to the life of glory or yet to the hour of death But page 36. he feigneth a second objection of ours and then forgeth an answer for it as he did before Regenerate parents cannot convey the guilt of original sin to their children because to themselves it is pardoned Which objection is a strong barre against him though not made by us And upon this score the guilt of the first Adam's sin after his personal repentance could not be charged upon his
promised to the keepers of the Law then the promise had been vain So it had without grace in Christ Secondly if righteousnesse were by the Law then Christ had dyed in vain because it were superfluous for him to dye for us if we could attain it by the works of the Law and therefore it is apparent that by the works of the Law no flesh living can be justified Thirdly for hypocriticall Gospellers such as seem Saints in ostentation that they may play the divell without suspicion as John Tendring did till he went away who say they have faith but shew forth no works which are not vailed with hypocrisie and which are not done or intended to wrong ends for such saith he let Isaiah tell you how acceptable their works be to God and whether they be like to justifie them Isai 1.16 17. For the Lord complaineth that he is weary of them and that his soul hateth them and bids them bring no more such sacrifices to him But we demand of him whether those men were Gospellers or pretended Professors whether the works which the Lord there forbids were Ceremonial or Morals For he forbids not the works of the Moral Law Fourthly he saith that for true Christians that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God if any works could justifie it must needs be their works which are wrought in and through them by the spirit of God and yet we say quoth he that the best works of the best regenerate men cannot justifie them before God And thus we prove it how doth he that First because all the graces that we receive in this life are given to us but in part page 55. sure they are wholly and freely given as we shewed in the proof of the other positions and so they are imperfect grace But see how he contradicts himself and lyes against the Holy Ghost in his next words which are these not that the Spirit of Gods works imperfectly but that he means not to inrich us with any grace here while we are conversant with sinful men in this vale of misery but only so far forth as he seeth it fit to bring us unto the kingdome of perfection where that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 But what if Paul looked for that here saying when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part or but a piece-work shall be abolished and swallowed up verse 11. yea what if Paul all that time enjoyed that which is so perfect for he saith verse the 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things And if so then the Vindicators conclusion will stand against us like the walls of Jericho which fell flat to the ground which follows in these words And therefore our inherent justice being but as our knowledg is imperfect and therefore it is impossible that it should perfectly justifie us before God But we have overthrown that supposition of his before Secondly he saith that though our good works are perfect in respect of the Spirit of God which effecteth them yet they are tainted when they pass through us who are so subject to sin as waters running through a dirty channel and therefore cannot justifie us before God in whose presence every polluted thing stands condemned whence the Prophet saith Is 64.6 All our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth But neither are all Saints subject to sin all their life long nor can that which proceeds from Gods Spirit be tainted by us nor is that the righteousness of Saints but of sinners and unregenerate men which is so menstruous as is said before Howbeit he brings in Gregorie's saying Moral lib. 21. cap. 15. and lib. 3. cap. 7. All mans righteousness should be unrighteousness if God should strictly judge it and then Augustine's saying Wo to the most laudable and best life of men Unto which we first oppose these sayings of the Apostle 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him chap. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous chap. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment and then those of the Psalmist Psal 11.2 3 4 5 6. and 119.1 2. and 128.1 2. unto which we could adde many more Howbeit he goeth on in the same lying strain saying if God laying aside his mercy should discusse our lives or righteousness in the strictness of his justice it would be so for God is a God of purer eyes who charged his angels with folly Indeed Eliphaz one of Jobs back-friends and of John Tendring's gain-saying spirit saith so but falsly Job 4.17 18. for the Lord never charged any but the fallen Angels with folly so But he tels us further if you will believe him that the best of men when he lives on earth is both a Saint and sinner a Saint by reason of grace wrought in him and a sinner by his own natural corruption which in some measure tainteth every grace of God and therefore the best of these who being compared with their fellows might seem just indeed yet looking to the strictness of Gods justice they disclaimed all their own righteousness What that of grace and regeneration also But who are those Saints St. Eliphaz a lying and contentious zelot with whom God is highly displeased Job 42.7 But he brings in Job himself saying chap. 9.2 3. But how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him to one of a thousand and David Psal 130. and 143. 2. of which we said before that all this is true of man in his corrupt estate and for a time afterwards but not of the Saints best estate and growth upon earth For whereas he saith page 56. that Paul affirmeth 1 Cor. 4.4 that he knew nothing by himself it is true But whereas the Apostle addeth that he was not thereby justified he renders a false reason of that saying of the Apostle and contradicts himself also saying though he served God most faithfully in the inner man yet he saw another law in his members warring against the law of his mind and hence he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death What did he feel surely a law of sin and felt such a body of death continually and yet knew nothing by himself Good Hyperbolick bring your ends nearer together as the servant said to his lying mother Thirdly saith he that although it were granted that some works of the Saints were perfectly good yet any one sin blotteth out the remembrance of our former righteousness Ezek. 18.24 But that Text speaks of a final Apostasie from righteousness not of one actual
the remaining and prevalence of their sins and spiritual enemies to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God against his and our spiritual enemies to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the plantings of the Lord that he may be glorified See Luk. 4.18 19 20 21. Luk 1.74 That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Tit. 3.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity in a purifying way and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil to wit by his spirit and power Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Ephes 5.24 25 27. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish The fifth Topick shall be the prayer that Christ his servants and his Apostles have made and thereby taught us to pray for this grace of a through purging from sin and victory over it and all temptations in this life who so prayed in faith that the things which they so prayed for might be obtained 1 Chron. 4.10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and wouldest enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me or redeem me from evil that it might not grieve me and God saith the Text ' granted him that which he requested as he will do unto us Psal 55.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Hos 14.1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn unto the Lord saying take away all iniquity and give good or receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips Mat. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil See Luk. 11.14 Joh. 17.15 I pray not saith Christ that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil 2 Cor. 13.7 Now I pray to God that ye do none evil Phil. 1.10 That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 1 Thess 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly And I pray God that your whole Spirit soul and body may be kept or preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ The sixth Topick shall be the faith of the Apostles and of the elect in the Primitive Church which now and for many hundred years hath been almost quite lost in two grand benefits and works which they believed and hoped for This faith expected Christs spiritual coming and return with his Father and the Holy Ghost to set up his kingdom not only of grace but of power and glory in them here and for ever and in order thereunto they were to purge themselves by faith through his grace and help from all iniquity in the mean time as these following places do clearly witnesse and prove without all contradiction if duly looked into Joh. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come unto you yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye shall see me because I live ye shall live also At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father and ye in me and I in you He that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Judas saith unto him not Jscariot how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus answered and said if any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him and chap. 16.22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take away from you See Rom. 6.5 as before 1 Cor. 1.7 8. So that yecome behind in no gift waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will finish or perform it till the day of Jesus Christ vers 10. that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Jesus Christ 1 Thess 5.23 be preserved unto the coming of our Lord Christ as before 1 Tim. 6.14 That thou keep this commandement without spot unrebukable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.20 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation chap. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another so much the rather as you see the day approching vers 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Jam. 5.7 Be patient therefore brethren vers 8. be patient and stablish your heart for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ All which places and many more to the like effect have absurdly been understood of Christs external last and dreadful coming to judgement which in so many ages since is not come to passe nor peradventure may arrive in many ages more whereas the former Texts speak of a day and an appearing or coming of Christ which the Saints were to expect and prepare themselves for in their dayes it being the kingdom of heaven which first John the Baptist and then Christ and his Apostles published to be at hand Mat. 3.21 and 4.17 which accordingly came to the Saints which waited for it in a right way Revela 12.10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven the Church of God wherein he dwels saying Now is
signified therein A. A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness Hence it is that our Church prayed thus at the baptism of infants And humbly we beseech thee to grant that to the person baptised he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin And now we hope that the Vindicator had not renounc'd his baptism by sinful positions and his own wicked course of life Secondly in our late Liturgie we are taught thus to pray in the Collect on Easter-Tuesday and to like effect in many other places Almighty God which hast given thine onely Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may alwayes serve thee in pureness of living and truth through Jesus Christ Unto which we might adde that out of the Letanie From all evill and mischief and sin from the crafts and assaults of the Devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us From all blindness of heart from guile vain-glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and strife from all uncharitableness Good Lord deliver us From fornication and all other deadly sin and from all deceits of the world the flesh and the Devil Good Lord deliver us And thus much for the confirmation of the first position Come we now to the establishment of the second That the law of God may by the grace and help of Christ be so perfectly kept and fulfilled in this life as not to offend against the same yea as to be justified and that only by Christ of grace given whch we will divide into two branches and first prove the possibility of such a fulfilling by the like Topicks and authorities as we did the former and then briefly ratifie that which will follow by consequence namely that by such a fulfilling of the Law by the grace of Christ we may be justified before God and men according to the truth of the Gospel As for the first of these we take it for granted that the Law of God requireth no more of us then what is contained in those two commandements Mat. 22.36 37 38 39. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and the great commandement and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Because our Saviour saith vers 40. On these two commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Our first Topick to prove all this attainable by grace is taken from Gods predestination and election See Joh. 15 16. I have chosen and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain Rom. 8.29 30. For whom he did foreknow them he did predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren moreover whom he did predestinate those he also called and whom he called those he also justified and whom he justified those he also glorified Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love and chap. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained that we shall walk in them 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God in holinesse unto obedience and in order thereunto unto the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ that is his sanctifying Spirit as shall be proved hereafter The second Topick is from Gods expresse commands which cannot be impossible for they should be frustraneous tyrannical or unjust as aforesaid Gen. 17.1 I am the almighty God walk thou before me and be perfect Deut. 4.21 Ye shall not add to the words which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I commanded you chap. 5.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left chap. 6.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and those words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them dilligently unto thy children Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self fear the Lord. Deut. 6.24 25. And the Lord commanded us to do all those statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always that he may preserve us alive as it is at this day And it shall be our righteousnesse if we observe to do all these commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us chap. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul chap. 18.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Josh 22.5 But take diligent heed to do the commandement and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandements and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Jerem. 7.25 But this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Mala. 4.4 Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses which I commanded in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements The third Topick is Gods promises to enable us to fulfill these by grace in Christ Deut. 26.18 19. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou ' shouldst keep all his commandements and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in honour that thou mayst be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Deut. 30.6 7 8. And therefore thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live and the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee and which persecuted thee and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord thy God and do all these commandements which I commanded thee this day Isai 46.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no strength he increaseth might even the youths shall faint and be weary and
5.17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfill to wit in us as for us for verily I say unto you that till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled and that in us as the next words there prove Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandements and teach men so he shall be counted least in the kingdome of heaven c. Rom. 8.3 4. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 1 Cor. â— 30 Who is made of God unto us wisdome in the understanding righteousness in the will and not onely sanctification in both but redemption in fulness also Ephes 5.25 26 27. As Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Titus 2.14 Who loved us and gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The sixth Topick shall be from the end of the law and the written word of God Psalm 111.4 5 6. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements vers 89. For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven And vers 105 106. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for our learning that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we should have hope 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work See 2 Pet. 1.19 ' We have also a sure word of prophesie unto which ye do well to give heed as unto a light shining until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts The seventh Topick shall be from the end of the ministry of the word set up in the Church by the Lord himself Ephes 4.11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ For which end see the Apostles suitable practise Coloss 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ As for the Topick of the end of the two Sacraments we have spoken before The eighth Topick then shall be the prayer which Christ hath taught us to pray and which his Apostles yea Christ himself hath prayed for this perfection Matth. 6.10 Thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 2 Cor. 13.9 And this also we wish even your perfection Ephes 3 19. That ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Phil. 1.10 11. That ye might be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse c. Coloss 1.9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord to all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work chap. 4.10 labouring fervently for you in prayer that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God 1 Thess 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards all men as we do towards you to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse chap. 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Did those Ministers of God pray against perfection in this life as the Vindicator and a certain Minister in Salisbury who came out of New-England rather then out of new Jerusalem are said to to have done Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will 1 Pet. 5.10 Now the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternall glory by Jesus Christ after ye have suffered a while make you perfect c. Joh. 17.23 I in them and they in me that ye may be made perfect in one saith Christ The ninth Topick shall be the admission of this work as possible every where in Scripture Psal 112. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandements and 119 1â—2 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquitie they walk in his ways Ezek. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn away from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Luk. 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law are justified Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye do dwell chap. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man 1 Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous for whatsoever is born of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1
be the same in the end of the second Tome of his first book but in the first Tome of his third book having spoken of a three-fold sanctification or justification one of the body under Moses and another of the soul under the Prophets and a third of the Spirit in the new Testament he compares them to the three parts of the Temple the first to the outward court ot space the second to the holy and the third to the Propitiatorie And saith God counts him only just that hath his habitation in the said last steps or degrees of his inward Temple of holinesse The like saying he hath again in lib. anathematum Augustine serm 5. de Trin. cap. 8. which nature when it is justified it is transformed from deformity unto a beautiful form Idem lib. ad Sympliciam quaest 2. Because the purpose of God to justifie some beleevers remains therefore doth he find out these good works which he may choose into the kingdom of Heaver And there afterwards unlesse the mercy of God in calling men precede neither can any man believe that he may thereby begin to be justified and receive the power and faculty of operating good Et lib. de peccati meritis remissione cap. 10. we read that they which beleeve in Christ are justified by or for the occult communication and inspiration of his spiritual grace and in Psal 119. concio 26. Who whath wrought righteousnesse in man but he that justifieth the ungodly that is by his grace of ungodly makes him righteous and in Psal 98. Who hath righteousnesse in is but he that hath justified us Therefore we are wicked and he is our justifier because he works the righteousnesse in us whereby we please him and serm 15. de verbis Apostolicis He that beleeveth him shall not have his own righteousnesse which is out of the Law although the Law is good but he shall fulfill the Law it selfe not with his own righteousnesse but with that which is given from God himselfe for love is the fulfilling of the Law and from whence is that love diffused into our hearts certainly not from our selves but by the Spirit of God which is given unto us Cyril Alexandrinus lib. 6. de Trin. It is the heat of the Spirit who when he hath diffused love into us and inflamed our mind with the love of the same then we have obtained righteousnesse Greg. lib. 18. Mor. cap. 23. All the chosen ones of the imperial countrey are holy and just by participation of wisedom not in comparison of it they are righteousnesse and wisedome and the servants of righteousnesse and wisedom but that wisdome to wit Gods is the justifying righteousnesse and they are the justified righteousnesse Prosper lib. sent ex Augustino As there are two offices of Physick or of medicine one whereby the infirmity or disease is healed and the other whereby health is preserved so there are two gifts or effects of grace one which takes away the concupiscence of the flesh and the other which makes the vertue of the mind to abide or continue with us in respons ad cap. 6. Gallorum A justified man that is he which of ungodly is now made godly where no good merit or desert did go before hath received the gift by which means he may attain merit or work that what was begun by the grace of Christ may also be augmented by the industry of free-will the help of God being never set aside or neglected without which no man can either be a proficient or perseverer in any good Bernard lib. Sent. For so is justification fulfilled when we abstain from the vices for bidden and exercise the vertue or good things commanded By this time it is evident we hope that we are no innovators unlesse the Fathers of the Church the Prophets Apostles and Christ himself who have set forth our doctrine shall be counted such And it is no lesse apparent that the Vindicator is a veterator and one of those false prophets of which he speaks in his Preface whose study and labour it is to deceive poor souls yea if it were possible the very elect in which place he tels us more truly then he was aware that these are the times foretold wherein there shall be a falling away and a defection from the faith a forerunner of the great and terrible day For the doctrine maintained in his two positions by whomsoever first broached clearly decyphers a manifest defection from the faith which was first given to the Saints who looked for these two things only or mainly by Christ first deliverance out of the hands of their spiritual enemies and then to be so renewed that they might serve God without fear in holinesse before him all the days of their life Luk 1.68 and to escape the corruption of the world which came in by lust and to be made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 To be by regeneration justified in hope to be made heirs of eternal life Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. who expecting eternall life have placed their Religion and Christianity in putting off the old man and putting on the new Ephes 4.20 24. In which Preface also he gives us a warrant for what we preach and write saying the glory of God lies at the stake as it doth here and truth is opposed he tels us that Gods people must not stand by with a guilty silence nor will we be silent God assisting But whereas he saith that he is neither of note nor noted by the unworthiest among the thousands of Levite we shall easily grant him the former but for the latter as he was never any of the tribe of Lovi but by intrusion and first in a mendicant and abusive way so if he had been one of that Tribe he might have past for one of the unworthiest of them by reason of his lewd life as no small part of his doctrine here is the scumm of ignorance and infidelity What he saith further that we in the publick congregation to wit at our second meeting did beat down the truth of his positions and seek to maintain the contrary he is mistaken it was to decry and overthrow the falshood of the same for we can truly say with the Apostle in our measure and degree 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth where notwithstanding he tels us that the points in controversie have been so fully and cleerly vindicated by the Worthies of our Church of which himself nor we ever saw any yet and by our yet living Clergie why did he then produce none of them that to any not puft up with spiritual pride admission of addition may seem superfluous and unnecessary then by his own words he must be convicted as one puft up with spiritual pride whatsoever his coadjutors are for he and they have made a large addition if any thing in this kind was extant before But whereas he tels us that many people have
shall reward evill to mine enemies cut them off in thy truth and 59.13 Consume them in thy wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Iacob to the ends of the earth and 71.24 My toung shall talkof thy righteousnesse all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought to shame that seek my hurt and 101.8 I wil early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord which is every Saint Jerem. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodg in thee Psal 112.8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies and 139.23 24. Search me O my God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting and 143.9 10. Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I fly to thee to hide me with thee teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit it is good lead me unto the Land of uprightnesse and of thy mercy cut off all mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work knowledg wisedome or device in the grave whether thou goest and Luk 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousnesse and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind that he which is dead hath ceased from sin that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh after the lusts of men but after the will of God Fifthly that when we were first converted sin had his death-wound contrary to Rom. 7.14 24. and 8.13 Gal. 5.17 Heb. 3.13 14. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and 6.4 5 6. and 10.26 27 28 29 30. and 12.15 Looking diligently lest any fall from the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 2 Pet. 2.1.20 21. Jude 4. c. for no sin hath its deadly wound till it be by the patience and Spirit of Christ wholly overcome and lest Rev. 2.16 and 3.10 Sixthly That all the guilt of sin and punishment is taken away though the pollution and corruption remains contrary to Prov. 28.13 Jer. 33.8 Acts. 26.18 this is to take away the effect and leave the cause in force and being hence it is that Hieronymus saith on 1 Cor. 6. Be not deceived thinking that faith alone sufficeth for every sin that remaineth excludeth men from the kingdome of Heaven as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5. how the works of the flesh are hurtfull which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse c. of which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven But also saith he they pray sinfully who persevere in sin and desire that those sins of theirs should be pardoned or put away by the Lord which they themselves have not put away from them Seventhly they say that there is not any other active obedience or righteousnesse of Christ to be attained by faith then that which Christ works in his Saints for its contrary to Isai 45.24 25. and 48.18 and 53.11 and 59.17 and 61.3 10 11. and 62.1 2. Jerem. 23.5 6. and 31.31 32 33. and Rom. 4.11 and 5.7 18 19. and 8.4 Phil. 3.9 10. Eighthly that we are perfect in this life and complete by justification though not by sanctification where 's they are both one thing as hath been proved at large and while the one is imperfect the other is also Ninthly that justification lies in remission of sins or taking away the guilt of the same yet leaving the sin or pollution behind whereas justification taken in a liberative way is a purging and washing away of the fault and corruption in the first place as hath been proved out of Acts 13.20 and 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. Thirdly consider that the kingdome of God which Christ and his Apostles preached is not onely an inward kingdome Luk. 17.21 as it is a kingdome both of grace Rom. 14.17 and of glory also Rom. 8.19 Ephes 1.18 but consequently that there is an internal heaven of holiness and glory to be had and obtained by the Saints in this life Heb. 10.34 knowing that ye have in your selves a better and more induring substance in the heavens for so the words are in the Greek Text. As Paul also speaks of himself and fellow-Apostles whom God hath raised up and set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. this is that kingdome which Christ taught his Disciple to pray for saying ' thy kingdome come and which he and John Baptist published 'to be at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and which ' John saw coming down from God out of heaven Rev. 21.23 before whose coming all sin must be purged away for ' no unclean thing can enter into it Rev. 21.27 yea all the spiriteal effects of sin as the second day sorrow crying and tears shall be removed Rev. 21.4 Fourthly that they which know not own not nor witness this kingdome of God with the way and means thereunto were never sent of God to preach the true Gospel of the kingdome but do publish their own imaginations and traditions of men as the Vindicator and many of far greater note then he both living and dead both do and have done Fithly that they who do not believe that he God will avenge his elect who cry unto him night and day for vengeance against their spiritual enemies for the rooting of all out Luk. 18.1 7. have not the faith of Gods elect as hath been said before Sixthly we shall leave it to your serious consideration whether it be not the voice of the unbelievers and not of the Saints of whom it is said concerning the beast of sin which came out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns saying Rev. 13.4 and they worshiped the dragon who gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Which interpretation concerning the beast of sin is not ours but