Co-workers with him for Justification and Salvation Though by his Spirit he makes all his Regenerate ones Co-workers with him in the carrying on the Work of Sanctification Not to multiply Scriptures in a matter so strenuously contended against by the Apostle of our Works concurring to our Salvation I shall only add at present that great Text 2 Tim. 1.9 who hath saved us and called us not according to our Works Here 's a perfect Renunciation of VVorks even VVorks of all sorts before Faith and after Faith He don't say VVho saved us not for our VVorks but not according to our VVorks our VVorks have no accordingness in them to our Salvation they have no concurrence in that point they are left quite out Here 's no room for Gospel Obedience in complying with Gospel Rule to obtain life No not a word of that 't is so far from being for our Works that 't is not according to our works God hath no regard to them in saving and calling He hath saved How He saved by calling us How is that Did he not call us to Salvation upon seeing us comply with the Gospel Rule No he saved us and called us not according to our Works How then Then it is in a way that amazes the Scholastick World a way that will not go down with the wise and prudent of this world It is according to his grace not our grace according I say to his own grace given us in Christ before the world began O be amazed and confounded all that would state Gospel Truth any other way than God hath stated it for the everlasting comfort of all those blessed ones whom God hath shewed their Election to by their effectual Call to come to Christ he hath saved 't is already done and that not according to humane stating Gospel Truth not according to our Works that way would leave us always under Suspitions and Jealousies to our dying day but according to his ancient everlasting Love and that given to us as lookt upon in Christ when chosen in him before they had done good or evil before the world began that the purpose of God according to Election might stand Here the Apostle leaves it and so will I as to Scripture Confutation of his Gospel Ordination and because Mr. Williams may not say This is but one Doctors Opinion when he saith Doctor Crisp Dethrones Christ by rejecting holy Works from concurring to Salvation I shall spend some pains and time begging it may be acceptable Service in the Lord in shewing what several Servants of God of good Name say to this point I begin with Mr. Veale a Gentleman not in the least inclining to Antinomians in his Sermon against Merits Morn Lect. fol. 437. He shuts out gratious Works from having any hand or concurrence in our Salvation by this expression viz. It is muche that he God doth not damn you for your good Works seeing they are all defiled and have something of Sin cleaving to them What becomes of our Gospel Holiness now and sincere Obedience in the case of Salvation What all good works sin then they are dung Well but hath not Christ merited such a Gospel Ordination as our answering the Gospel Rule of holy Obedience though imperfect it shall interest us in Gospel Blessings To this Mr. Veale saith in fol. 417. It is in vain to say that Christ hath merited for the Saints a power of meriting The Papists can never prove that Christ merited any such Power for Believers It is really more for his honour to purchase all for them himself but Mr. Williams will say I do not say Christ merited that we should merit no but he saith Christ merited God should regard our works in Justification and in our Salvation What 's that but coming in as it were by Works not with a down-right rejecting of Christ but with a side-wind bringing in our works Christ merited that we should do something in our salvation And what 's that In plain English they give us a right to the Gospel Benefits which in some sense is worse than down-right Popery in as much as Popery makes our works meritorious of life in that Christ hath put an infinite value on them by his merits and so makes our works so valuable as to compensate the Justice of God for our sins and so still maintain the honour of God's Righteousness in forgiving sin on a valuable consideration of our works made by Christ meritorious of it Whereas the middle way found out by some makes God so gracious as by virtue of Christ's Mediation God accepts of imperfect defective gospel Holiness as perfect for Christ's sake and thereupon Forgives How near this comes to Mr. W's stating the gospel Ordination may be easily be judged Mr. Veale leaves Mr. Williams to stand by himself as to Gospel Holiness giving an Interest in the Blessings and saith 't is only an evidence of Faith and gives no Title in fol. 421. Hope of Life saith he may be helped on by Obedience and good Works because they are an Evidence of his Faith and so of his Interest in Christ but there is a vast difference between a man's taking comfort in his Obedience as the evidence of his Title to glory and Trusting in it as that which gives him Title I come next to Mr. Doelittle fol. 195. of Morning Lecture who gives an account of the Protestants and Papists Doctrine of Justification First he sums up the Apostles Doctrine of Justification not to him that works as Dâ—vid describes the blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputes Righteousness not imputing their Trespasses to them for he made him to be sin for us that we might be the Righteousness of God Then he quotes the Protestant Doctrine thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our Works Those whom God effectually calls he freely justifies not by infusing Righteousness into them mark that against the Gospel Ordination of God's regarding our Holiness but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their Persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ to them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith I think nothing can be more opposite than this Account of Protestant Faith where is not a word of our Holiness to Justification and Mr. Williams's which is made up of Gospel Obedience Gospel Rule Gospel Ordination of sincere Holiness regarded by God in our Justification This Protestant Doctrine he confirms by referring to a cloud of Witnesses against our new Divinity viz. The Helvetian Confession the Bohemian Gallican Augustane Belgick Wittemberg and Basil Then follows the Popish Trent Justification Justification is not only forgiveness of sin but also Sanctification of the sinner whereby a Man of unjust is made just and Mr. Williams like this complying
with gospel Rule gives right to gospel Blessing The Papists go on and say the only formal Cause of Justification is the Righteousness of God not wherewith be himself is righteouâ— but whereby he makes us righteous I know Mr. Williams in words denies our Sanctification to be a part of our Justification but in the whole scope of his Argument he makes our gospel Holiness to be lookt upon by God as having a concurrence in our Justification and this is his gospel Ordination and in full conformity to the Popish Justification by God's Righteousness whereby we are renewed His last clause of the Popish Article about Justification suits extremely with Mr. Williams's fling at Doctor Crisp as dethroning Christ for making Christ the alone cause of our Salvation without any thing of our works concurring And thus saith the Council of Trent If any one shall say that a Man is justified by the sâ—le imputation of the Righteousness of Christ or in the sole remission of sin excluding grace and charity which is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Spirit and is inherent in him or that the grace whereby we are justified is only the savour of God let him be accursed This I take to be asserted by the Papists in opposition to the Protestant Doctrine so that the Protestant Doctrine was what they accurst and what Mr. Williams in effect accurseth saying the holding it is dethroning Christ VVell then the Papists curse those that say a man is justified by the sole imputation of Christ's Righteousness without any grace or charity VVhat 's become then of Mr. Williams's gospel Holiness sincere Obedience that God looks at in the gospel Rule to obtain the gospel Promise again they curse those that say our Justification is by the alone savour of God or freely by his grace Rom. 3.25 VVhat doth Mr. Williams less in falling foul on Doctor Crisp and all that wholly exclude every thing of man in the business of Justification and say they enervâ—te Christ's government and open a door to all Licentiousness Whereas the contrary is most true that the grace of God appearing teaches to deny all ungodliness My next Opposer of Mr. W's Gospel Ordination is a great maul to Arminianism that is the Learned Pious Mr. Perkins who saith in fol. 576 of Vol. 1. Thus the Papists say Christ merited that our good Works merit And answers This is a dotage of their devising for Christ merited pardon for sin impuation of his Righteousness and Life eternal And fol. 104. To say Christ merited that our works merit this takes away Christ's Intercession I may add to say our Holiness comes in toward our Justification doth the same Mr. Perkins comes closer in Vol. 2 fol. 205. It may be objected saith he there is a co-operation of works and faith I answer That this co-operation is not in the Act of Justification nor in the Work of our Salvation but in the manifestation of the truth and sincerity of our Faith and for the declaration of this Faith and Works jointly concur Here then is a pestilent and damnable Doctrine of the Papists when they teach Justification by the Woâ—ks of the Law And what is it to teach Justification by the Works of the Gospel which never had a Promise of Justification to it whereas the Works of the Law once had before Adam's Fall In Fol. 236. He turns perfect Antimonian with our Homilists if some men may censure him and saith thus The Gospel promises Life to him that doth nothing in the cause of his Salvation but only Believes in Christ This is dangerous Doctrine in Doctor Crisp because it spoils Mr. W's Gospel Ordination of Works and Faith going together in Justification but hath for this 100 years been good sound Doctrine in Perkins and the Homilies too He proceeds in fol. 237. and saith thus Believing and doing are opposed in the Article of our Justification In our good Conversation they agree Faith goes before and doing follows but in the Work of Justification they are as Fire and Water This is a fatal stroke to the new Gospel Ordination and a full concurrence with Dr. Crisp though Mr. Williams call this a dethroning Christ Mr. Perkins could not expect to be taken for an Oracle so that by his ipse Dixit that every one should receive his Positions tho' he grounded them on plain Scripture therefore he strengthens his Assertion by the sayings of the Fathers with which I farther oppose Mr. W's Gospel Ordination and confirm Dr. C. in fol. 537. Mr. Perkins saith The Fathers do hold Faith only to be requisite to Justification even without the Works of Grace Chrysostom saith in Hom. 7. in Cap. 3. Rom. What is the Law of Faith saith he To be saved by Grace here he sheweth the Power of God in that he not only saved us and that without use of any works exacting only Faith of us And Theodoret on Eph. 2. We have not believed of our own accord but came being called and when we are come he doth not exact Purity and Innocency of Life but hath Pardoned our sins accepting of Faith only And Basil Ser. de hum This it is to glory in the Lord when a man is not puffed up with his own righteousness but acknowledgeth himself destitute of all true righteousness and Justified by Faith alone in Jesus Christ They are justifyed before God saith Ambrose on Rom. 4. Without any labour or Toyl by only Faith no Works of Penitence being hereto required but only that they believe This Cloud of Witnesses is enough to cover and wholly extinguish the Gospel Ordination of Mr. Williams without any Comment on them Mr. Williams next Assertion is a Chip of the same block thus His Christs Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are Justified when we do answer the Gospel Rule Here 's no mincing the matter of bringing in our Sanctification into our Justification for Mr. Williams tells us plainly what our answering the Gospel Rule is viz. Some degrees of Obedience Repentance Love imperfect Faith Persevering c. Thus while in words he pretends to separate Sanctification from Justification yet here he really joyns them and confounds them making our justification to be by Christs Righteousness imputed when we are holy when we be sanctifyed inferring that it is not till then and not only so but that that is the Condition of our justification Is this the Apostles justifying the Ungodly to be justified when we answer Mr. Williams Gospel Rule Whereas the Gospel makes no such Rule as he lays down of our sincere Obedience concurring to justification or God's having regard to our Gospel Holiness which is Mr. Williams own word I will not stand to refell this but do aver nothing can be clearer to me than this that by this expression we are justified when we answer that Gospel Rule which Mr. Williams laid down there is a downright mingling our Sanctification with our justification which the Apostle strenuously
Christ alone Exalted IN Dr. Crisp's Sermons Partly confirmed in Answering Mr. Daniel Williams's Preface to his Gospel Truth stated by alledging Testimonies from Scripture and the Doctrine of the Church of England in the Book of Homilies establish'd by Law and other Orthodox Authorities SHEWING How he hath wronged as well the Truth as the said Doctor in the great Point of Justification by the Neonomian Doctrine Hom. of Salvation fol. 17. Justification is not the Office of Man but of God we be justified freely by Faith without Works not that this our Faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us that were to count our selves justified by some Act within our selves Of Fasting fol. 82. Good Works go not before in him which shall afterward be Justified but good Works do follow after when a Man is first Justified and are Testimonies of our Justification this spoyls Neonomianism on the Sacrament fol. 200. It followeth for Communicants to have a sure and constant Faith that he Christ hath made upon his Cross a full and sufficient Sacrifice for thee a Perfect cleansing of thy sins Where is the sin of a Believer now Passion Serm. 177. for in this death of Christ standeth the continual pardon of our daily Offences in this resteth our Justification If so then Faith doth not procure it but only receive and evidence it and so away flies Neomanism with Arminianism Humbly offer'd by S. C. an unworthy Son of the said Doctor Author of a Book Entituled Christ made Sin Reflected on by Mr. Williams London Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate street And Henry Barnard at the Bible in the Poultry 1693. Where is to be Sold at the same place the same Authors Book Entituled Christ made Sin Errors besides false Pointings to be amended Folio 2 Line 47. for assume read affirm 12 36. for or read our 24 40. for of sin read if sin  41. for participation read propitiation 26 5. for thus read this 28 24. for as read of at the last as 32 22. for other read object 34 7. for faces read fails 38 47. for pampering read tampering 40 38. read But saith 42 33. f. God's Righteousness r. our sanctification 43 20. Blot out that 44 last line put in is after Holiness 47 34. for Mercies read Mines 47 45. read 1642. 48 20. read then God believes To the Eminent Assertors of the Free Grace of God in Christ whereby Christ alone is exalted in the Salvation of Sinners viz. To the Reverends Mr. Cole Mr. Griffith Mr. Mather Mr. Beverly Mr. Barker Mr. Mead Mr. Chauncey Mr. Trail Mr. Woodcock Mr. Laurence of Stepney Mr. Brag. Mr. Bearman Mr. Terry Mr. Crusoe Mr. James of Wapping Mr. White Mr. Moor Mr. Wavel Mr. Tailor of Pinners-Hall Mr. Cross Mr. Grace Mr. Nisbet Mr. Fincher Mr. Lob Mr. Glascock Mr. Mence Mr. Ford Mr. Owen Mr. Jennings Mr. Roe Mr. Wressel Mr. Clark Mr. Goodwin Mr. Gamon Mr. Powel Also to several of the surprized Subscribers to Mr. Williams late Book as Dr. Bates Mr. How Mr. Alsop Mr. Bures and others Also to those of the Episcopal Clergy who preach the Doctrine of Justification as it is established by Christ in the Gospel and by our Statute Law in the Homilies as Mr. Meriton of Old Fish-street and others REjoyce thou Heaven the Church of Christ and ye holy Apostles and Prophets Rev. 18. The Evangelical Preachers that blessed be God there are many Seven thousands that have not bowed to the Bayal of Man's Holiness joyning with Christ to Justification But Mr. Williams having in the judgment of many in his Gospel Truth stated warped that way witnâ—ss his interpreting the Righteousness of Christ in Phil. 3.9 to be a Believers Gospel Holiness I hereby appeal to your Consciences if such a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of the Scriptures ought with the silence of the By-standers to be so obfuscated Though in many respects I look on my self one of the unworthiest of those that name the Name of our blessed Lord Jesus in sincerity yet I cannot but bear my Testimony against the Preface of the said Book as unsound according to my sence of the Truth after above 50 Years investigating it and tasting a sweet Relish in Divine Things and I humbly apprehend I have in the ensuing Collection made it so appear which I leave to the Spirit of the Prophets in the Prophets to judge and hope you will all agree to declare he hath much wronged the said Text. As for his stigmatizing my dear Father as a dethroner of Christ because he exalted him alone without Works in the business of our Salvation I beseech the Lord Mr. Williams may see his Mistake and that God would forgive him as I and I hope all mine freely do This I pass by But when the Mother of us all the Truth as it is in Jesus is wounded by him when not of Works lest any Man should boast Eph. 2.9 is turned by him into God promiseth Liâ—e to imperfect Man by Forgiveness yet insists on some degree of Obedience And hence the use of Faith Holiness c. To these Benefiâ—s is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Then on such an invasion all from 16 to â—0 should be alarum'd then all hearts and heads that love the Lord Jesus should be engaged iâ— vindicating his Royalties that he is Alpha and Omega Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption all and in all in our Salvation that no Flesh should glory In particular I find my self though the meanest obliged to bear witness against this piece being censured by many for my silence in regard my Preface to my Fathers reprinted Sermons they say occasioned this Pudder What I did therein was in the simplicity of my heart to exalt the Lord Jesus and refresh Souls thereby which I still desire by taking off Mr. William's Evidence against the said Sermons by shewing his disagreeing from Scripture and Orthodox Authority as well as from my Father I hope you will all candidly accept this Service and upon this occasion give me leave to beg that as the Lord Jesus hath sent you to preach the everlasting Gospel glad Tidings to sinners through Christ in which many of you have been renowned so that ye abound more and more That you will determine to know nothing among your people but Christ and him Crucified that he may be magnified in your Bodies by life and by death that you may shew in every Sermon that to you to live is Christ and not to labour with a Scheme of some degree of Obedience in the business of our Salvation and this supposes the death of Christ as if his death were only a Sub-intelligitur business in his Rectorship O that we could be more warm for our Lord Jesus who poured out his Soul and warm Blood for us and if when warm you please to remember me a poor worm at the Throne
this assertion being a proof that Mr. Williams hath done amiss in saying the Doctors Scheme is that the Elect have nothing to do c. which his saying justification is affixt to believing confutes this saying also reflects on another very false and gross charge in the very first page of his Book where he saith Dr. Crisp holds the Elect are not subject to Condemnation if they dye before they believe which as it is impossible they should so the Doctor never asserted they could and this saying of his that Faith gives Interest in the Priviledges of Christ and Justification is affixt to believing shews that it was against the Doctors Sentiments to hold that Elect persons could die before they believe or that he ever said If they should so die there was no Condemnation But for once I would suppose the purpose of God concerning the Elect to be Created in Christ Jesus to good Works should be frustrate and the Elect never should come to actual Faith and so never come to do a truly good Work Now I would ask any sober found Protestant if he should allow such an imposibility for Argument sake as that God's purpose in this last case could be frustrate which of these two Assertions he would take for the more false either that an Elect Person chosen in Christ from all Eternity and given to Christ and grace given him in Christ and accordingly dyed for by Christ according to the Compact and Council of peace and this Elect person dying in unbelief is saved that so the grand contrivance of God and the precious blood of the Son of God be not frustrate Or this Assertion that such an Elect person dying in unbelief is damn'd because the word of Truth must be fulfilled That he that believes not is condemned far be it from any Christian to affirm either but of the two false positions I should be apt to think the first is not the worst because of the Eternal design of the Father and Son to save all the Elect given in Election to Christ The next Charge Nor ought they to intend the least good to themselves in what they do This is high General and Universal like the Confidence of a Man with his drawn Sword against a Thistle here I could have you and there I could have you though this be not of the Essence of Faith the not intending good to our selves in what we do and he would make the Doctor preach marvellous self-denyal herein as not intending the least good in our doing yet here lies a snare for doubtless if he means this to be an Error then it may be he means that the Doctor holds that the Elect must do what they do not with intent to procure the good of Gods reconciliation to them If that be the Doctors Error it is also of all Protestants that are Orthodox if he means that the Error is that the Doctor holds the Elect are not to do with intent to get the good of Pleasing honouring and glorifying God he mightily wrongs the Doctor witness his Sermons on Titus 2.11 12 Grace teaches to deny Ungodliness What good he means no man can reach without his unfolding but the charge must be high and general though thereby Mr. Williams lays himself too open for a Friend to take the Advantage he might and thereby might give him the unmannerly word of speaking untruth against the Doctor I will not say a Lye will Mr. Williams say the Doctor holds the Elect ought not to intend the least good to themselves in what they do what will he say then to those expressions of the Doctors in fol. 141. Our Righteousness serves as a real way to manifest our thankfulness to God Secondly There is this usefulness in our righteousness namely that we may serve our Generation That Men may be drawn on to glorifie God and we must shine before men in a Godly Conversation Thirdly Our Righteousness is useful as it is the Ordinance of God wherein be will make good those things which before he hath promised Now how can Mr. Williams say the Dr. holds this don't intend the least good when the Dr. â—â—ith here that by their righteousness they walk in Gods Ordinance wherein he will make good his Promises is not Eying the making good of Promises or intending some good but unless we intend the good of our Righteousness or Gospel-Holiness to be meant by Gods Righteousness ours by Faith as Mr. Williams asserts the Apostle intended on Phil. 3.9 Our doing is by him accounted the not intending the least good to our selves what can't we intend good to our selves in Fasting Praying Relieving the Necessitous walking in all Godliness and Honesty unless this must come in with Christs imputed Righteousness for our Justification Next the Doctor holds saith Mr. Williams Sin can do them no harm because it is not theirs If he mean that sin cannot hinder them from Heaven at last then he rather wrongs himself by holding it can than the Dr. for holding it cannot for God hath cast them all into the depth of the Sea and saith I will remember them no more if so they cannot do much hurt If Mr. Williams means that the Doctor holds there is no Evil in sin to an Elect Person then he is a false Accuser again for the Dr. acknowledges evil in sin when he saith fol. 4â—0 If you would come to see the Evil of sin and to see it that it may be a Bridle to restrain you from sin now in this sense the Dr. owns hurt in sin and prescribes a way so to see it as to be kept from it and that is in the next words look upon Christ if you would see the evil in sin if he mean by sin can do them no harm in his accusing the Doctor that the Dr. holds that sin cannot do them the harm of making their Services stink in God's Nostrils then he falsely accuses the Doctor also who saith in fol. 404 sin is agravated much in Esaiah 1. When you make many Prayers I will not hear because your hands are full of Blood here are expressions to aggravate sin that it makes all our Prayers and Sacrifices loathsome in his Presence God hateth it in me and in thee Now will Mr. Williams have the Confidence to say in general that this is the Scheme of Doctor Crisp that sin can do the Elect no harm whereas the Doctor saith plainly that sin makes all our Sacrifices and Prayers loathsome in Gods Presence is it no harm to have our Prayers loathed of God Sure Mr. Williams would think this a great harm done him by sin if his wronging the dead by a false general charge should fly in his Face and make loathsom his Prayers to the Lord till he repent and obtain the washing of it from his Conscience by Faith in the Blood of Christ Again if Mr. Williams mean that Doctor Crisp in saying sin could do him no harm holds it so in general that
they will bring it to at last or they say nothing Obstructing the great Design of Redemption A virulent Charge but unless obstructing man's Righteousness from eclipsing Christ's Righteousness be the Crime nothing of this can be laid to the Drs. Charge how inconsistent is this Charge with the great cry against him that Christ saves the worst of sinners that come to him even when in their blood and filth which he freely asserts and yet presses not to live in sin but to glorifie God in all holy Conversation If by the design of Redemption Mr. williams means that we are redeemed or created in Christ Jesus to good Works and Charges the Dr. to obstruct that design what can be more contrary than that in the Doctors Sermons when he saith fol. 556. The belief of this that Free Grace abounds doth certainly and effectually teach and produce an hatred of sin and a love of holiness and in fol. 557. If there be any such as say let us sin that Grace may abound let me deal plainly with them for my part I must account them the greatest Monsters upon the Face of the Earth the greatest Enemies to the Church that ever were and I say of such dishonourers of the Church and disturbers of the Consciences of Gods People that they are Carnal Sensual and Devilish they are the greatest Enemies to the Free Grace of God and the greatest Subverters of the Power and Purity of the Gospel and the greatest hinderers of the Course of it under Heaven No persons in the World do so wound the sides of Christ as he who doth profess the Gospel and yet live Wickedly and if there be any such here let me tell them their Faith is no better than the Faith of Devils for they believe and tremble and that Christ will have a heavier reckoning and account for such when they come to Judgment than for any Persons under Heaven besides Now can Mr. Williams in cold blood say this Doctrine obstructs the design of Redemption that this opposes the scope of the Gospel Next he Apoligizes for the Doctor That he had not entertained these Opinions if he had considered that God's Electing Decree is no legal grant nor a formal promise to us I suppose it may be gathered that the Doctor considered God's electing Decree as much as his Opposer when the Dr. lays all the stress of Mans happiness upon the absoluteness and irreversibleness of it and if others had as great an honour for the veracity and stedfastness of those Mountains of Brass they would not make mens Salvation that are elected so uncertain a thing as many do As for the Decree not being a legal grant Mr. Williams hath erected a new term of Art what he means I know not but if he means 't is a grant not good in Law or that 't is such a grant as no man can plead at the Barr of God either in our own Conscience or at the great day of Judgment to say Lord thou hast elected me therefore I must be saved This I suppose I may flatly deny and say provided I know my Election as the Apostle saith 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing Brethren your Election or as Christ bids us rejoyce that your Names are written in the Book of Life when this comes to be known it may be pleaded or else there would be little ground of joy in it and it may be pleaded as a grant good in Law for the discharge of every one to whom it belongs not that the Dr. or any considerate Christian is for Election going alone without Justification and Sanctification no not in Children in the Womb that are Elected and die there So that though Election be not a formal promise yet in this sense it must be a legal grant or a grant good in Law But there may be a snare in Mr. Williams his electing Decree If he means God's decreeing to Elâ—ct that 's one thing and God's act of Election that 's another 't is the last I insist on I cannot reach what he means by electing Decree but God's act of Election or God's actual choosing us in Christ before the Foundation of the World carries in it the Vertue of a legal grant or it is a frustrable Election which it is abominable to say of Gods act and yet some mens laying the stress of all Mens Salvation upon mans Holiness must reduce Gods election to The Decree includes the means and the end granted most freely yea more than Mr. Williams saith for the Decree not only includes the means and the end but the means is as well of the essence of the Decree as the end is which I suspect Mr. Williams denies for he saith in the next words willing the first in order to the last that is God wills the means in order to the end or God wills sanctification in order to Salvation But if by only willing the means he doth not make it a decreeing the means he falls short of the truth and makes election not infallible for God is spoken of often in Scripture of willing things to be done which are not done as How often would I have gathered you and you would not if he means only such a willing the means which Men may frustrate by not complying with his will then the Decree of the end which is eternal salvation that must fail and so God's Election is made a conditional one and not absolute that is God Elected such and such to eternal Life if they would repent and believe and obey the Gospel and not that he Elected them that they should repent and believe and obey the Gospel and this repenting and believing is left to the freedom of mans will so that God may be frustrate of his whole decree by their so stating Election and I thought it would come to that at last so that with Mr. Williams God's Electing Decree is only to the end Salvation and he wills the means Sanctification which will of God is rejected or obeyed as man's Free-will resists or complies with the motives offered to it and If Mr. Williams thinks the Dr. did not thus consider God's Election and therefore was led into false Opinions he bewrays his own misapprehension of Election and doth not at all invalidate the Drs. Positions concerning the Elect. His next words which he asserts concerning Election seem to make good my former suspicion that he makes Gods Election depend on man's will and for not considering which he blames the Dr. and they are these And as it the Decree puts nothing in present being so it barrs not God as a Governour to fix a connexion between benefits and Duties by his revealed will Here must be a great mistake of this learned and acute Gentleman in saying God's Decree puts nothing in present being what the Decree puts nothing in present being sure the Decree puts somewhat in present being the Decree puts the Decree in present being and is God's eternal unalterable Decree which the Father
and Son and Spirit delighted in during all eternity past and will in all Eternity to come is this vanisht into nothing in present being I may say God's Decree is so far from putting nothing into present Being that it puts all things into past present and future being for if God be one Eternal act and all things past present and to come are ever in being in his Eye or knowledge so he puts every thing into present being with himself to be manifest in their proper Seasons according to his eternal purpose which he purposed in himself Ephes 1.11 And accordingly the Election of Sons to glory is in present being when there are such Sons in being This putting nothing into being by God's Election is the way these Men take to evaporate God's Election into Man's Election 't is not God doth absolutely Elect any Man to salvation except the man Christ I hope they grant that but man Elects himself to Salvation and then Election hath put somewhat into present being But though Mr. Williams say of Election it puts nothing into present being I hope all Orthodox Protestants will say that Election hath put the Elect into an happy state for Election hath obtained though the rest are blinded and nothing can be laid to the charge of God's Elect and they are loved with an everlasting love and is God's love nothing in present being So it bars not God as a Governour to fix a connexion between Benefits and Duties No but it bars man from framing a Model for God and from making God's Righteousness to be Mans Gospel Holiness and it baâ—s man from putting in any leven into the lump of being Justifyed freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus it bars man from ploughing with an Ox an Ass and from wearing a Linsey Wolsey Garment and from putting new Wine into old Bottles and from thinking a Branch can bring sorth any good Grapes except it be first in the Vine the Lord Jesus there being no gathering Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles or any good work from any Soul till he is in Christ and though there is a blessed Connexion of Benefits and Duties yet no good Duty is done till the Benefit of being united to Christ be first bestowed by God God fixes a Connexion 't is true he makes the Tree good first and then the Fruit good and this was eternally in the Decree but man must not fix the connexion by making Duties Procurers of Benefits or making Gospel threats and promises to have in their own Nature a tendency to Convert Souls without the Operation of the Holy Spirit Mr. Williams saith If the Doctor had animadverted that Christs sufferings were the foundation of our Pardon but not formally our Pardon This intimates that the Dr. saith Christs sufferings were formally our Pardon I can shew how far our great Reformers went beyond Mr. Williams in asserting the vertue of the sufferings of Christ in the Pardon of sin which if Mr. Williams had consulted he would not have reflected as he doth on the Dr. they say in the Doctrine of the Church of England that which is tantamount to a formal pardon in Christs Sufferings they do not amuse the World with Mr. Williams his Rectoral distribution that he allows to God in pardoning sinners upon account of their being found in their Gospel Holiness joyning Faith and Holiness together as they entitle to Gospel Benefits which Benefits he saith are not from the conformity of Faith and Holiness c. to the Precept but from their Conformity to the rule of the Promise and so plunging poor Souls in his deeps and amazing them with his rules and Connexions But these Homilists give a certain sound of the Gospel and say upon the Sermon of the Passion of Good Fryday fol. 177 Such favour did he purchase by his Death of his heavenly Father for us that for the merit thereof we are now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sin These are plain wholsome intelligible Gospel Truths such as suit with the Doctors Testimony they are not Bombasted with If we continue to repent and believe to our Death then our Evangelical Righteousness shall justifie us at the great day from Satans Charge of unbelief But they speak home against all Arminianism and say that by the merit of his death we are in Gods grace again nay we are now in God's grace and that fully not we shall be and we are discharged from sin nay we are clearly discharged from sin and in the next words they put it home and say to the confounding all the mincers of the vertue of the death of Christ as to the pardon of sin thus No tongue surely is able to express the worthiness of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daily Offences Had such a passage as this been found in the Notes taken from Doctor Crisp that there is a continual pardon standing firm in the death of Christ of our present daily Offences this would be accounted dethroning Christ by giving more honour to him than some distinguishers can allow or if Reverend Mr. Cole had said that in Christs death stands the Pardon of our daily offences nay there stands a continual Pardon and this mentioned without naming Faith and Repentance but be our Offences what they may be there stands a continual pardon if we be Christians indeed say these holy Reformers this had been Dangerous Doctrine as an eminent Divine said of as harmless expressions of his as these in Pinners Hall I wish those worthy Gentlemen who are so exceptious against the freeness of God's Grace in and through Christ and must eke it out by our Gospel Holiness would seriously consider in the simplicity of the Gospel Spirit of these Homilists such expressions as these of theirs before they pass their hard Censures of crying dethroning Christ enervating his Laws because some who may be clearer than themselves Preach we are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus without any thing of Mans works cooperating therein or thereto nothing can be plainer than these Reformers newly come out of the School Terms of Popish justification for renouncing every thing in man to have any concurrence into our Pardon But now the simplicity of the Gospel must be lost by some Mens Distinction of our Pardon by Christs death his sufferings were not our formal Pardon but the foundation of it I believe none of his Publishers of Free-Grace too freely ever said Christs sufferings were the formal Pardon of a sinner it being perfect Nonsense but I hope they may say his sufferings were a real Expiation of the sins of all the Elect without offending most of the Subscribers to Mr. Williams his Book else how could the Apostle say by one offering he for ever perfected those that are sanctified and he loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood having made
cannot but own they believe him a holy Person and well they may if they compare his Sermons on Free Grace teaching to deny Ungodliness with his other Sermons on our sins laid upon Christ in the last side of which Vol. fol. 444. the Dr. saith For my own part I abhor nothing in the World so much as this namely a licentious undertaking to continue in any sin because that such fulness of Grace hath abounded and I shall recommend to them if any such be here the reading of the Epistle of Jude where they may see the fearful wrath of God upon such persons as abuse the Grace of God to sin O Beloved let not the love of the Lord God in Jesus Christ thus manifested be so basely requited at your hands seeing the Lord hath so freely loved you and given Christ to you that you might be to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace in a Godly and Christian Conversation whereunto you are Ordained for you are Created in Christ Jesus to good Works that you should walk in them and I beseech you always to remember that you cannot answer the free love of God toward you any other way but by shewing it in a fruitful Conversation in the World and considering that one end for which the Lord did redeem you was that you might be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good Works Titus 2.24 Thus ends the third Volume To stop the mouths of Gain-sayers especially Mr. Williams who accuses the Dr. to be for Licentious Doctrine but because our holiness must not come in to concur to our Justification this is to enervate Christs Laws But to our purpose again The Homily saith as to the respect Christs sufferings have to the Pardon of our sins though his sufferings be not a formal pardon as saith Mr. Williams as a piece of nonsense charged upon Dr. Crisp yet his Sufferings are tant-amount to a Pardon in the Account of those holy compilers of the Homilies who say in fol. 178. His Passion is the Ransom and whole amends for our sin If so then with submission I may say this whole amends for sin is in the Eye of a just and gracious God tant-amount to a Pardon for God cannot but acquit where amends is made though the Person acquitted is never the better for it as to his Conscience till he believe in the Lord Jesus no more than a Criminal in New-gate condemned for Treason is the more at peace in his mind when his Friend hath got a Pardon for him in his Pocket till he see it or believes it but will any man in his senses say this Criminal is not really benefited by the Pardon his Friend got him till he see and plead this Pardon much less may Mr. Williams say that an Elect person is not benefited by the Justification by Christs Resurrection because 't is not applyed to him till believing They go on in fol. 185. and say Christ being perfect God and the Son of God gave his Body to be bruised and broken on the Cross for our sins this Mr. Williams will grant but they go on and say our Saviour Christ hath delivered us from sin this Mr. Williams must temper with ifs and Connexions they proceed Yet not so that we shall be free from committing sin but so that it shall not be imputed to our Condemnation So they have allowed a benefit to Believers before they believe though Mr. Williams questions it and affirm Christ on the Cross delivered from sin bearing it away so as it shall not be imputed to them and whether this be not more than a bare foundation of our Pardon it being a real making amends for sin a real justification a real saving our Souls in these great mens account and in the Nations account let Mr. Williams ponder and not conclude that Dr. Crisp entertained these Opinions which dethrone Christ as he calls it by not animadverting that Christs sufferings were barely a foundation of pardon and let him muse what his vilifying this Doctrine of the Church of Englamd will amount to To proceed he saith that the sins of the Elect They are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by his enduring those sufferings this is directly contrary to the Doctrine in the Homily 177. which saith In this death of Christ standeth our continual Pardon I hope he will allow that Christ did put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself because God saith it without any Trope or Ifs or Connexions Heb. 9.26 Also he will allow that before Christ sat on the right hand of God he purged our sins by himself Heb. 1.3 And that at the end of seventy Weeks he made an end of sin and brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 and bare our sins in his Body and was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World John 1.29 If so that sins be satisfyed for and if put away and if purged and made an end of and born away and took away then what will remain to be forgiven even nothing and yet still neither the Dr. or any I know of hold that the Conscience of a sinner is acquitted hereby or at all by Christs death till Christ be applyed by Faith with all his Benefits to the Soul so that though with Mr. Williams our sins be not forgiven immediately upon Christs death as pertaining to the Conscience of the Elect sinner dyed for yet by Mr. Williams leave God is not so hard a Creditor to keep the Debt upon Record when he is satisfied for it and when 't is blotted out by the Blood of Christ sure he will allow that in the Court of Heaven the Book is crost and no debt appears against the Elect after Christ made payment sure this will not be gainsaid but by those who deny Christs satisfaction which many will nibble at tho' 't is too plain Popery to say downright that Christ did not make full satisfaction to God by his Death for the sins of all the Elect. Sins are not forgiven meerly by his enduring Sufferings W. What is our Gospel Holiness to help our Faith Holiness c. Yes for saith he There were to intervene a Gospel Promise of pardon the work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned and a Judicial act of Pardon by that promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof here 's a tedious lesson for a poor terrified Soul to get by heart when the Spirit of God hath convinced him of his miserable condition by sin when he cries to a Gospel Minister good Sir for the Lords sake tell me how I may get a pardon into my Bosom I have heard may he say God saith there is forgiveness with him 't is now ready by him that he may be feared I have heard that when the Jaylor cryed out What shall I do to be saved The Apostle bid him only believe in the Lord Jesus and thou
shalt be saved I have heard and read that in Ephes 1. and Col. 1. the Apostle saith in him we have Redemption through his Blood forgiving of sins so that as soon as I have him by faith I have forgiveness and I am bid to fly for Refuge to the hope that is set before me which I take to be Jesus my City of Refuge and not my Gospel Holiness Now good Sir may this poor Soul say what shall I do under the load of my sins may I take the Apostles words and Christs call Come to me and you shall find rest for your Souls as soon as ever you find your selves weary and heavy laden or must I stay till I find by a long seven or ten or 38 years lying at the Pool searching if I can find Mr. Williams draught agree with me that I have attained to a full compleat answering the Rule of the Gospel which he calls conformity to the rule of the promise Must I stay till I can understand Mr. Williams School terms of a Judicial Act of Pardon by that promise to the Person thus conformed to the Rule that is to say must I stay till I can love my Enemies they being my Neighbours as well as my self till I can turn my left Cheek patiently to him that smites me on my right till I can having two Coats give one to him that hath none till I can hate Father Mother sell all and follow Christ and in every thing conform to Gospel Rule in a word till I am perfect as my Father which is in Heaven is perfect before I may dare believe my sins are forgiven Or may I satisfie my self with Dr. Crisps quotation Look to me and be ye saved as the Serpent was only lookt to for healing I say if a poor Soul should put this to a Gospel Minister would he not answer the plain short Scripture way is best hearken to Jesus saying come take the Water of Life freely this is the work of God that ye believe in him the Father hath sent If you have me you have Life as many as receive me that is believe on my Name are Sons of God As for Mr. Williams distinctions Connexions Judicial act of Pardon he may please the Schools with them but there is more nourishing food in one calâ— of Christ Come to me come come buy Wine milk and honey without money without price in such a promise well prest than in a thousand of Mr. Williams distinctions Next I must attack an odd expression savouring of God's dispensing with the breach of his righteous Law without satisfaction which is the back door of Arminianism wherein creeps in mans free will and his good works concurring to his salvation the expression which I cannot digest is this Mr. W. saith a continuance in a state of death with a bar to the blessing are not threatned in the Gospel against every degree of sin as the Covenant of Works did This is Mr. Williams sense of the Gospel and its differing from the Law or Covenant of Works viz. the Law condemned for every sin but there are some degrees of sin the Gospel allows or doth not threaten Death for which I suppose without wronging him I may instance thus The Law condemned a Man for killing his Brother and for hating his Brother and for ill will to his Brother but the Gospel hath compounded the matter and made God reconcileable through Faith in Christ for a mans murdering his Brother but God will take no notice of a man's ill will to his Brother that degree of sin there is no threatning of Death for if this be his sense I take it to be far wide of the Apostles sense when he said the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin that is to say there is as real need of the vertue of the blood of Christ to cleanse from a vain thought as from murder though I do not say both are alike heinous yet both need the blood of Christ to wash them away or there is no standing Justified at God's Bar. Oh we should have a care of letting this poyson down that any sin can be pardoned but by the blood of Christ cleansing it for he that is guilty of one sin is guilty of all so that to say there is any degree of sin under the Gospel against which death is not threatned will amount in the conclusion to render the blood of Christ not needful to take away that degree of sin O sin sin how small soever must not be so treated for if the grain of Mustard seed small faith but true will grow to a great Tree and reach to Heaven this grane of Henbane the smallest degree of sin if not accounted for in the Gospel by the blood of Christ will grow to a vast depth even the Regions of darkness and Hell Upon this dangerous position of Mr. Williams That a continuance in a state of death and a bar to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of works did Mr. Williams propounds a splendid question Can any doubt this to be the grace of the Gospel Promise O profound grace of the Gospel promise it doth not bar from blessing nor continue in a state of death for every degree of sin a Heaven-born Soul that lives day by day on the Blood and Flesh of Jesus and feasts on the infinite love of God in Jesus would have thought that an eminent Minister of the Gospel a Gentleman of great parts supported by some of the greatest names in our Israel would havâ— thought that when Mr. Williams was rescuing the Lord Jesus as he intimates from the dethroning Principles of Dr. Crisp as he pleases to call them and when he is bringing back the Lord Jesus to his Throne one would think I say when Mr. Williams is celebrating the glory of the Grace of the Gospel promise he should have called for the aid of the holy Spirit to help him and have said somewhat to this purpose O the heighth and depth O the superlative Excellency of the Love of God in Christ that he should love us and wash us from our sins in his blood that the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin that he hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly places in Christ Thus our Lord Jesus is to be enthroned though it comes too near Dr. Crisp his way of dethroning Christ no this is not his Clue or way to raise Monuments of Glory to our Blessed Lord but thus he celebrates him by sniping off a Lap of his Garment as David did Sauls can any doubt but this the not being in a state of Death for every degree of sin is the grace of the Gospel promise If he had said this is a grace of the Gospel it had been a degree of modesty in Mr. Williams to the Gospel though it were not a truth but to say 't is the Grace and so the grace that none can doubt of it
effect told us before 't is a true penitent believing Godly Man this God insists on this is his some degree of Obedience that God insists on while he promises Life by forgiveness and is this the true Interpretation of these Texts Whileâ— we were Enemies we were reconciled and he justifies the Ungodly but from such glosses I desire to be delivered Well we must be true Penitent we must have Faith that Christ honoured the Law and we must be Godly persons that is we must walk in all godliness and honesty or we be not godly persons and when that is done then we may come to God and say Lord we have done what thou commandest we repent believe and are Godly though we are not perfect yet we are truly penitent believing and Godly 〈…〉 life if this be nor dividing shares with the Lord Jesus in the honour of salvation what is No mortal man will say that our perfect Obedience must come in toward our justification there being no such thing in the World and to say that Christ merited that our imperfect Obedience should be accepted for perfect is to say Christs death was needless for God might as well have saved the honour of his Righteousness and justice when Man had broken his Law by an absolute Forgiveness without Christs death as to make his death of no more value than to purchase that our lame Obedience should pass for firm perfect Obedience But God is Just in Justifying God hath received full compleat satisfaction from the Lord Jesus and now saith Come take the Water of Life freely and by a Holy Conversation glorifie me and do good to your selves and others I pass by examining his next cloudy expression in these words viz. This life on some degree of our Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho the grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the Stipulating Party for us and our personal claim depends on the Gospel Covenant wherein Christ is Mediator which is liable enough to Exception for his saying Gods grant is not pleadable by us but only by Christ whereby Mr. Williams makes way to bring in the Gospel Covenant of our degree of our Obedience before we can claim any thing of Christ as Mediator this I pass and If come to his plain downright opposing the way of Salvation according as it is delivered us by the Apostle by holy Martyrs by the Homilists by famous Divines besides Dr. Crisp which follows in these unscriptural words of Mr. Williams his Gospel Sanction saith he determins as certain a Rule as happiness and misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same 〈◊〉 it fixeth true repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the terms of Pardon so when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the terms of Possessing Heaven Hence the Vse of Faith holiness c. to those benefits is not from their conformity to the Precept but their conformity to the rule of the Promise This long Paragraph of the Gospel Sanction of Mr. Williams his drawing I take to be as clearly opposite to the Apostle Paul as Arminius was to our Reformed Orthodox Divines for Mr. Williams his Faith Holiness and the bottomless boundless endless c. are brought in as the terms of possessing Heaven and not only so for that they might be as fruits of Union to Christ but they are so the terms as they are a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise even as the Law of works was to the Rule of the Precept that is as the Law of works required a perfect Obedience in Conformity to the Precept for obtaining Life So the Gospel Sanction requires Faith Holiness c. in conformity to the promise for obtaining Life which in our ordinary Dialect is that what perfect Obedience obtained under the Law that imperfect Faith and holiness c. doth under the Gospel which in plain terms is Christ hath purchased that our Faith Holiness perseverance in new obedience under the Gospel should pass instead of perfect Obedience under the Law which is as diametrically opposite to the Apostles not of Works lest any boast as East is to West and though Mr. Williams say these are not Works of the Law yet they are works and good works and such as if brought in for answering the Gospel Sanction as perfect works did the Law is the homest stab to the true Gospel that ever was printed by any Arminian for there is not a tittle in all the Gospel that our Faith and holiness are so our terms of happiness in conformity to the Rule of the Promise as obedience to the Law of works was in conformity to the Rule of the Precept the Apostles sanction is quite otherwise he faith not by works of righteousness but by his grace he hath saved us and not of works lest any boast if of works then grace is no more gâ—â—â—â— is not Faith a work holiness is it not working perseverance in Obedienc◠〈◊〉 it not working and must these come in to answer the Promise as perfect Obedience answered the Law What becomes then of Christs Obedience for us to answer the Law 't is quite shut out of doors and his Satisfaction too by this Scheme and Sanction this is so far from giving Christ the sole honour of being our perfect compleat alone only Saviour Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that it quite excludes him in every part of Salvation but only his making way that we should save our selves his obtaining by his Life and Death imputed to us that God would be so kind to us and unjust to himself that our Faith Holiness c. should answer the promise as unsinning Obedience should have answered the Law this is making God a very cheat to himself to set up a pure holy Law the perfect Copy of his will and mans breach of it should be made up by our imperfect weak faith and holiness which hath no more proportion to the infinitely holy Law than a brass Farthing hath to a World full of Diamonds nor so much and yet so easie a Merchant this Doctrine would make God by making our pretended conformity to the Promise to answer the enjoyned perfect conformity to the Law But because those of this Opinion cannot for shame bring it in to stand alone that our Conformity to the Promise should answer instead of obedience to the law therefore they bring in Christ to purchase this priviledge that is that Christ purchased that God should cheat his holiness and righteousness with a sham of Mens invention whereas the Doctrine of the Gospel is that God is just and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus who in our stead fulfilled all righteousness for us and so became the end of the Law for righteousness sake And that our Faith and Holiness with the unmeasurable c. have nothing to do in our justification or Salvation as a
conformity to the Gospel Promise even as perfect obedience had in conformity to the Precept or Covenant of works I shall shew farther by the opinion of sound Orthodox Writers and begin with that famous Martyr in Scotland burned Anno 1532. for adhering to salvation by Jesus Christ without works in his Treatise set forth by Mr. John Frith an English Martyr in the same Cause Burned in 1533. he hath these Expressions viz. No manner of works make us right wise and no works make us unright wise if any evil works make us unrighteous then the contrary works should make us righteous the proof is we believe that a man shall be justifyed without works Rom. 3. and we believe in Jesus Christ that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the Law good works make not a good man nor evil works an evil Man but a good man bringeth forth good works and an evil man evil works good Fruit makes not the Tree good nor evil Fruit the Tree evil but a good Tree beareth good Fruit and an evil Tree evil fruit If works make us neither righteous nor unrighteous then thou wilt say it maketh no matter what we do I answer if thou do evil it is a sure Argument thou art evil and wantest Faith if thou do good it is a sure Argument thou art good and hast Faith Here is no sophistication of Faith Holiness Obedience c. answering the Rule of the Gospel promise as perfect Obedience answered the Law and moreover he gives the reason why we are so saved by Christ Because saith he Thou madest the fault and he suffered the pain and that for the love he had for thee before thou wast born now sith he was punished for thee thou shalt not be punished Finally he hath delivered thee from Condemnation all evil and desireth nought of thee mark that but that thou wilt acknowledge what he hath done for thee and bear it in mind and help others for his sake as he hath helped thee for nought Thou wilt say Shall we then do no good deeds I say not so but I say we should do no good works for the intent to get the Inheritance of Heaven or the remission of sin Thus this blessed Martyr asserted the Gospel in these truths worth laying down ones life for but I hope none will be put to lay down their life for asserting our imperfect Obedience answers the Gospel as Adams perfect Obedience If he had had it would have answered the Law for any to die upon such a point would be to be a Martyr for his own Righteousness not for asserting Christs now comes Mr. Frith and gives his Observations as full of Antinomianism as his Author Mr. Hamilton or as Dr. Crisp and just such an Antinomian as the A. Paul was and saith Therefore wheresoever any question or doubt ariseth of Salvation or our justifying before God there the Law and All good Works must be utterly excluded and stand apart that grace may appear free the Promise simple and that Faith may stand alone which faith alone without Law or Works worketh to every Man particularly his Salvation through meer promise and the free grace of God this word particularly I add for the particular certifying of every Mans heart privately and particularly that believeth in Christ so Faith is the instrumental Cause by which every Man applyeth the Body of Christ particularly to his own Salvation so that in the action and office of Justification both Law and Works all good Works above be here utterly secluded and exempted as things having nothing to do in this behalf The reason is this for seeing that all our Redemption universally springeth only from the body of the Son of God Crucified then is there nothing that can stand us in stead but that only wherewith this body of Christ is apprehended now for so much as neither the Law nor Works but Faith only is the thing that apprehendeth the Body and death of Christ therefore Faith only is that matter which Justifieth every Soul before God through the strength of that Object which it doth apprehend for the Object only of our Faith is the body of Christ like as the brazen Serpent was the other only of the Israelites looking by the strength of which Object through the promise of God immediately proceeded health to the Beholders so the Body of Christ being the Object of our Faith striketh righteousness to our Souls Thus far Mr. Frith Here 's good sound strong home-spun Divinity that came from the heart of an early English Martyr in the days of Hen. VIII It came not from Rome or Amsterdam or Poland and because the Book of our blessed Martyrs is in few hands I 'll transcribe some more of Mr. Frith's contrariety to our new way of stating Gospel Truth hoping it may tend to the establishing Souls whom the Sophistry of some Men may amuse with their Connexions of c. to Faith and Holiness in the business of pardon of sin to which Mr. Frith saith as follows In a Christian mans life there 's the Law there 's Repentance there is Hope Charity all which in mans Life and Doctrine are joyned and yet in the action of justifying there is nothing else in man that hath any Part or Place but only Faith apprehending the Object which is the body of Christ Jesus for us Crucified in whom consisteth all the worthiness of our Salvation by Faith that is by our apprehending and receiving of him according as it is written John 1. Whosoever received him he gave them Power to be made the Sons of God even all such as believed in his Name For so much therefore as the Truth of the Scripture in express words hath included our Salvation in Faith only we are enforced necessarily to Exclude all other causes and Means in our Justification and to make this difference between the Law and Gospel between Faith and Works affirming with the Scripture and Word of God that the Law condemneth us our Works of all sorts do not avail us and that Faith in Christ doth only justifie us and this ought diligently to be learned of all Christians especially in all conflicts of Conscience between the Law and the Gospel Faith and Works Grace and Merits Promise and Condition Gods Free Election and Mans free Will so that the light of the Free grace of God in our Salvation may appear to all Consciences to the Immortal glory of Gods holy Name Amen Thus said this blessed Servant of the Lord Jesus and this he sealed with his Blood and this was good Doctrine in those days among the Reformed this was thought worthy to be inserted in our famous Book of Martyrs and approved by the whole Body of Christians in the Nation and not scandalized as the same expressions are in Dr. Crisp's Sermons I would fain know what more stabbing words can be said against Mr. Williams Thesis or Position than both Mr. Hamilton and
Mr. Frith have insisted on No manner of Works make us right wise and no works make us unright-wise and all good Works must be utterly excluded and stand apart that grace may appear free Now are not Repentance Holiness new Obedience perseverance and Mr. Williams his c. Good works yet they must stand apart and be far from such a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in our salvation as Perfect Obedience was to the Rule of the Precept O that God would teach Men to lower their high towering Opinions of our Holiness concurring to our Salvation and cry Grace grace to all from the Foundation to th◠Top-stone still not of works though this galls proud Flesh lest any boast For a farther satisfaction in this great point let us see what our great Men presently after the down-fall of Popery in this Nation have said as to our works in the matter of Salvation The Homilists say in fol. 27. All good Works spring from Faith and cannot be done without Faith then I argue if they spring from Faith and that we are justifyed by Faith then good works have no hand in our Justification because that is over in order of nature before a good work sprung up then what have we to do with Mr. Williams Gospel Obedience conforming to the Promise in order to pardon The Homilists say farther from those words without me you can do nothing That what work is done without Faith is sin and without Faith all done of us is dead and Austin saith fol. 31. Whether thou will or no that work that comes not of Faith is naught There is one work in which is all good Works that 's Faith This is the Work of God to believe in him so that Christ called Faith the work of God and as soon as a man hath Faith anon he shall flourish in good Works Thus Holy Austin was for Faith alone without the Trumpery of our Obedience with c. in order to pardon Mr. W. fixeth Repentance and Faith with Holiness c. to be the Terms of Pardon How far this c goes it may be Mr. Williams may tell us in the next Edition or by the Athenian Mercury but for the consolation of humble Enquirers into the truth I 'll tell them what our Homilists say of this great grace of Repentance which Mr. W. puts before Faith and which he makes one of the terms of Pardon with his c. in fol. 258. these Homilists say We must return to the Lord yea to him alone and never rest till we have taken bold upon him but this must be done by Faith and he himself in his Gospel doth cry out I am the way the Truth and the Life therefore they are greatly deceived who preach Repentance without Christ so that with the Homilists 't is first Christs ours by Faith then Repentance they that think they have done much of themselves towards Repentance are so much more the farther from God This is not like our new Gospel Truth stated that a man without saving Faith in Jesus may repent of his sins yet say the Homilists but 't is such a Repentance as Judas's such as puts him farther from God and in fol. 263. they confirm their Doctrine of no sound Repentance without Faith in Jesus the way to it and say We must beware we in no wise imagin we can repent aright hy our own strength for this must be verifyed in all Men without me you can do nothing Mr. W. will say he owns that Christ enables us to repent 't is true but doth he own a Man is in Christ believes in Christ before he repent if he do not own that then he comes not up to the Text where Christ speaking of all his to the Branches in him he saith upon that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without me or out of me you can do nothing you cannot repent or do new Obedience if not a branch in me by Faith Again in fol. 268 they say They that preach Repentance without a lively Faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ do teach Judas his Repentance It is evident tho' we be never so earnestly Sorry for our sins acknowledge and confess them all these are but means to bring us to utter despair except we do stedfastly believe that God our heavenly Father will for his Son Jesus Christ's sake pardon and forgive us our Offences To them I add the Testimony of as great a Scholar and as sound a Protestant as Mr. Williams who above 100 years ago gave a better account of Faith and Holiness than Mr. W. doth and that is Mr. Perkins no Antinomian who saith in fol. 236. The law promises life to him that performs Obedience perfect The Gospel promises Salvation to him that doth nothing in the cause of his Salvation but only Believes in Christ yet not for this Faith or for any work else but for the merit of Christ this is a big word what do nothing in the cause of Salvation but believe no nothing saith Mr. Perkins and before Mr. Williams can confute him he must prove Christs Righteousness ours by Faith is meant of our Gospel Holiness that is God saith 't is Christ's Righteousness but he means quite otherwise viz. 't is our Gospel Holiness Mr. Perkins is in good earnest that we are to do nothing for Salvation but believe and answer several Objections as follow Objection 4th saith Mr. Perkins To believe is a work therefore one work is commanded in the Gospel and is necessary to Salvation Answer The Gospel considers not Faith as a Vertue or Work but as a Hand to apprehend Christ for Faith doth not Cause or effect or procure our Justification and Salvation but as the Beggars Hand receives them being wholly wrought and given of God and in fol. 247 he saith we must first be Justified before we can do a good work and in fol. 287. Paul teaches that works set up as Causes of Salvation with Christ make void the grace of God And is not this making them causes of Salvation with Christ to say Christ purchased this Grace that our Sincere Obedience Faith Holiness Perseverance should be accepted to answer the rule of the Gospel Promise for pardon Well doth Mr. Perkins proceed to reject our Righteousness in the matter of Salvation and Saith in fol. 955 of vol. 1st A mans Conscience must in some sort be settled touching his reconciliation with God before he can begin to Repent wherefore Justification and Sanctification in order of Nature go before Repentance but if we respect time then Grace and Repentance are together This is intelligible Doctrine and strenuous for the advancement of Christ alone and the same in effect as Mr. Perkins had asserted contrary to Mr. Williams in fol. 84. Saying From Sanctification Repentance is derived because no man can earnestly repent except he denying himself do hate sin and embrace Righteousness this no man can perform but such an one as is in the sight of God
their Comforts by telling them I will be at peace if you be reconciled to me but revives their hearts by telling them that the peace is already wrought in God and for sinners by Christ at his death for that he made peace by the Blood of his Cross and by him reconciled all to himself Col. 1.20 Christ did not stay till we were reconciled to him as Mr. W. seems to intimate when he calls men to be reconciled to God upon which he knows God will be at peace with them This I take to be setting the Cart before the Horse to invite Men to be reconciled thereby to get God to be at peace whereas the sweet heavenly strain of the gospel is Come for all things are ready come to Jesus who is already made of God to you that come Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who is the Author and finisher of your Faith O Jesus thus draw and we will run after thee and thus he hath drawn thousands by the Prophets and Apostles preaching and his faithful Servants after him to come to God and to holy Obedience in Love whereas the legal drawing of walking holily and then God will be at peace keeps poor Souls in perpetual doubts and works the Soul but to a Spirit of Bondage Next comes the Top-stone of this New system of gospel Truth which looks as if it were hewed and squared at Rome with only a little Varnish at Amsterdam viz. These things Gods promising life by forgiveness and yee insisting on some Degree of Obedience will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the merit of Christ are the cause of this gospel Ordination Can any spiritual inlightned mind read this and not blush for Mr. W. and think he is hard put to it to support his cause of laying our salvation on our gospel holiness joyned with Christs righteousness when he flies to such an Assertion as the Papists have been forced to forsake being beaten out of that Trench by our great Divines That Christ merited that we should merit this they asserted but found it would not hold water therefore Bellarmin flies to his Tutissimum and saith in his Book de Justif l. 5. ch 7. pro. 3. Propter incertitudinem propriae Justitiae periculum inanis gloriae Tutissimum est totam fiduciam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the uncertainty of our own righteousness and the danger of vain glory it is safest to put all our trust in the alone mercy and bounty of God Here the Jesuit flies from the gospel Ordination that Christ merited that God should have regard to our gospel holiness and our conformity to gospel Rule for obtaining gospel promise this chimed well with him in his long arguments for Justification by works but upon his review of his strong reasons he flies from it and betakes himself to Gods meer mercy and bounty which must be in Christ and so I hope the great opposer of Dr. Crisp will do But in regard this is so broad and wide a gap to let in the whole body of self Justiciaries with their good works to come in for sharing with Christ in salvation I must make some opposition to it both from Scripture and sound Protestants The merits of Christ saith Mr. W. are the cause of this Ordination that is that our answering the gospel rule obtains us interest in the gospel Promise or which is all one Do and live Christ merited that if we do we shall live the only difference is the first doing and live was perfect Obedience to the Law and this doing and live of Mr. VV. is sincere obedience to the gospel in all its commands counsels c. which every true Christian trembles to think on Is this the upshot of Christs Death to merit that our Gospel Obedience should be the ground of our obtaining Benefit by Christ then I say again it must come to this that Christ merited that we should merit for there can be no benefit to a Sinner but by merit Christ did not absolutely merit the Benefit for us say they but merited that we doing so and so should obtain the Benefit then our doing so and so must merit it for it is injustice of God to himself and his Righteous broken Law to give a Sinner that deserves Hell any good unless that good be merited and this is left to the Sinner to obtain by Gospel Obedience which therefore must of necessity be from merit So that here it must rest or we make God unjust to himself and so say Christ purchas'd this that we should do so is Nonsense Mr. Williams can hardly assoyle himself from this Charge till he retract this Assertion That the merits of Christ are the cause of that Gospel Ordination he had laid down As for the Scriptures that oppose this Divinity those already mentioned are abundantly more than sufficient to throw down the House built on this Sandy Foundation as that God so loved the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here is nothing required but believing to everlasting life So the Apostle Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Here 's complying with no other Gospel Rule for Salvation but believing in the Lord Jesus To which I may add the whole Stream of the New Testament to come and take the Water of Life freely Rev. 22. They that hunger and thirst after this Righteousness of Christ they shall be filled If God by his grace have begot a true hunger a true desire after it they shall have it Come to me if weary if laden cast your self on me and you shall find rest for your Souls But the great Scripture is Not to him that worketh not to him that thinks to obtain gospel Benefits by complying with gospel Rule of walking in holy Obedience to obtain pardon by it but to him that believes on him that justifies the Vngodly This Scripture is enough to confound the whole Scheme of the new fashion'd stating of gospel Truth The Apostle states gospel Truth thus Not to him that worketh no Works at all must come in in the business of our Salvation as concurring to it Thus the Apostle held saith Mr. Williams This lets in Licentiousness I have found a better way of staring gospel Truth that is To him that worketh to him that complies with gospel Rule to him that is godly not his Faith alone but his Faith with sincere Obedience That is his gospel Holiness which the Apostle intends when he speaks of being found in the Righteousness of God by Faith this gives right to gospel Benefits O what heart touched with love to the Lord Jesus and poor Souls but must ake to see the gospel thus mangled and the Crown upon our gospel Obedience jointly with Christ If this be not Evacuating and Invalidating the compleat Mediation and Atonement of the Lord Jesus then what can do it For he will not have any