Your not being able to distinguish between the Duty and the Grace by which Men are enabled to perform the Duty causeth your Mistakes and to take an Offence where none is given Is it not by Grace that we Choose Christ and is it not as true He Chooses those that Choose Him Prov. 8. 17. I Love them that Love me So James 4. 8. Draw nigh unto God and he will Draw nigh unto you So Zachary 1. 3. Turn you unto me and I will Turn to you Is it not by Grace that we love Christ and is it not as true that he Loves them that Love him Is it not by Grace if any Draws nigh to God and is it not 〈◊〉 true That God Draws nigh to such Is it not by Grace that any Turn to God and is it not as true That God will Turn to such that Turn to him That Crime in these words you Charge me with You 〈…〉 y as well charge upon those Holy Texts I have Cited as to be Offended at the Words you say I Spoke But as the Arminians by the Duty destroy the Grace so you by a Pretence to the Grace destroy the Duty Such is your Ignorance and Folly 3. You say I said from 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature That it was not Election nor the Purpose of God which caused us to be in Christ but being Formed of God Regenerated and Born again Ans In this you wrong me for I never thought that Election or the Purpose of God was no cause at all of our being in Christ but I have often Affirmed That our Election and the Purpose of God is the Efficient and Antecedent cause of our being in Christ For we were Elected from Eternity but our Ingrafting into Christ is in Time or else How could we be said to be out of Christ before calling Also How could Junia and Andronicus be in Christ before Paul Rom. 16. 7. And the Ephesians be said to be sometimes without Christ Ephes 2. 12. That at that time you were without Christ yet Paul's and the Ephesians Election took place as soon as June's and Andronicus 2. If we were in Christ as soon as we were Elected then we could not be Guilty of Original Sin when we came into the World for there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. But it is Evident that by Adam's Sin Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation Rom 5. 18. And all the World as they stand in the first Adam all are Guilty before God Rom 3. 19. So that it is for want of Distinguishing between Election as the fore-runner of our being in Christ and our Actual being in him that causeth your Mistakes As for the Purpose of God it will be more cleared up by what I shall say upon this Point Gods Purpose in it's own Nature cannot be the immediate Actual doing of the thing Purposed but the Purpose of Necessity must be Antecedent to the thing Purposed or else the Purpose is Destroyed And so God Purposed to make the World from Eternity but the World was not made from Eternity but in time So God Purposed to call a certain Number into the Fellowship of his Son 1 Cor. 1. 9. And hence Believers are said to be called According to his Purpose Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 9. 11. So that it is evident That God's Purpose was Antecedent to our Calling or else it could not be said We were called according to his Purpose So that from hence I conclude That a Man may be in the Election and Purpose of God and yet at present be no New Creature and so not in Christ For if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature And to say that any Man is in Christ before he is a New Creature is to give the Text the Lye and to destroy the Doctrine of Christ about Regeneration and to suppose a Person may be in Christ and not Regenerate this must of Necessity run you into a desparate Absurdity on the Right-Hand or the Left For if you say a Person may be in Christ and not Regenerated then a Person may be Saved and not Regenerated This is to give Christ the Lye who said Except a Man be Born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And if you say a Man may be in Christ and not Regenerated and so not Capable to Enter into the Kingdom of God then a Man may be 〈…〉 Christ and at the same time be in a Perishing state this is 〈…〉 give the Apostles the Lye Rom 8. 1. There is therefore no Con 〈…〉 ation to them which are in Christ Jesus Thus those that are 〈…〉 t wilfully Blind amongst you may see your Absurdities and Mis 〈…〉 es 4. Upon Jeremiah 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy Heart from Wickedness that thou mayest be saved You say my whole Discourse 〈…〉 ded to put the Creature upon doing for Life and not from life and a Principle of Love and I Cited those Verses Isaiah ◠15 16. Ans I say This is absolutely False for it hath all wayes been 〈…〉 trary to my Principles to Preach Duties from any such foundations neither am I so weak to think that a Dead thing 〈…〉 n work for Life before there can be either Motion or Action Neither did any of you hear me say as you Affirm but in our Judgments you thought my Discourse tended to what 〈…〉 u say and all the Reason you seem to give is because 〈…〉 cited Isaiah 1. 15 16. So that you seem to cast the same Re 〈…〉 lections upon the Prophet and the Holy Ghost speaking by him that you cast upon me and doth not the Apostle James speak the same thing with the Prophet James 4. 8. Cleanse your Hands 〈…〉 Sinners and Purifie your Hearts ye Double-minded Men. 5. You said that I said The Law ought to be Preached before the Gospel to convince sinners of their sins which is contrary to that is said The Spirit shall Convince the World of sin Answer That the Law doth convince of sin is evident Romans 7. 7. and Romans 1. 3. 19. That Sin is the Transgression of the Law is as plain 1 John 3. 4. Thus by the Scripture it is Undeniable that the Law convinces Sinners of Sin and that it might to be Preached I Prove 1. From the Doctrin of Repentance and 2. From the Prophets and Apostles Practice 1. From the Doctrin of Repentance I Argue thus That if the Doctrin of Repentance ought to be Preached every were then they that Preach the Doctrin of Repentance to the People must first tell them what they must Repent off But the Doctrin of Repentance ought to be every were Preached Luke 24. 47. Therefore those that Preach to the People must first acquaint the People with what they ought to Repent off if there is no Law to be Preached then there is no sin Rom. 4. 15. And if there is no
and Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16. 15. Fourthly When you Preached from Jer. 2. 4. 14. Jerusalem wash thy Heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Your whole Discourse tended to put the Creature upon doing for Life and not from Life and a principle of Love you quoted those verses in the First of Isaiah Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes you Exhorted the Creature to do his part and then no doubt but God would do his part Fifthly You said the Law ought to be Preached before the Gospel to convince Sinners of their Sins Which is contrary to that that is said The Spirit shall convince the World of Sin Sixthly You affirm their is no Union before Faith but that Vnion is the effect of Faith and not Faith the effect of Vnion Seventhly You affirmed That what Christ did upon the Cross his Death and Sufferings was not the Elects nor that they have any right to it until they Believe Eighthly You said That we were not Sinners till we had Acted Sin and if no Sinners then no Objects of Christ's Love nor Justified Persons any wayes For you said They must be Sinners before they can be Pardoned which to us was the overthrowing of Original Sin the Representive-Ship of our Lord for us as Elect. And as for Discipline there is many who walk disorderly as some for Drunkenness others neglecting the Ordinances Mr. Henry Colman's Answer to their Charge in which he hath Cleared himself of those pretended Errors Charged against him THese things following are the Just Defence of the Innocency of Henry Coleman Minister and Chosen Elder by the Church at Kilby in which it appears under their Hands and 〈…〉 Unjustly many of them have departed from him and the Said Church And the better to Colour over their Schism have Written 〈…〉 Sent forth a Paper they to whom Please and Say what they Please 〈…〉 purpose to Impair his Reputation amongst other Christians and to 〈…〉 ke their bad Cause appear Good and Plausible And sent one of 〈…〉 ir Papers to Coventrey where by the Providence of God it came 〈…〉 the Hands of him the said Henry Coleman who never before 〈…〉 ld get a Copy though they have been required thereto 〈…〉 himself and Messengers and Letter So Unjust and Inju 〈…〉 us was they towards him Though their Paper was Written near 〈…〉 years since and was the Fruits and Effects of a Fast-Day which Circumstances aforesaid do make it appear That they Fasted for Strife and Debate to Fight with the Fists of Wickedness And by which Unjust dealing he the said Henry Coleman hath been 〈…〉 capable of either Confessing his Mistakes if there were any or of making his Just Defence but now having the Paper of their Exceptions which they call Errors Providentially come to his Hand doth make 〈…〉 Defence as followeth I. In your Preamble you Say That you Vnfeignedly gave in your Dissatisfaction against your Brother Coleman and the rest of the Members of the Church aforesaid that walk Disorderly Ans You do not tell me in your Paper In what we are Disorderly but such is your Conceited Confidence you think that all you say 〈…〉 Write must be believ'd to be True If you mean what you Write 〈…〉 your long Answers to our Queries about one Grinding on the Lord's-Day it appears more Excusable by Christ's excusing the Disciples who plucked the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath-Day than Selling Shop Goods on the Lord's-Day Saith Christ ye Hypocrites pluck first the Beam out of your own Eye and then you may see clearly to pluck the Mote out of your Brother's Eye You instanced in Drunkenness I know of none that were Charged with that Sin but William Tharp who was Suspended in Mr. Farmer 's time and by a Confession of his sin he was Charged with it prevented an Excommunication And if you know of any others the Sin lies at your Door But is it not an apparent and great Evil for some of the chief of you to set your Hands to the Church-Book for Union and then to go off from us without ever showing us a Reason for your so doing And is it not a Disorder to choose an Elder whose Habitation is about thirty miles off Thus your Complaint is justly turned upon your own Heads and the Charge not True to say no worse But to Proceed You say You sate a long time under my MINISTRY and could not be Profitted Ans No wonder when your minds were so Corrupted and your Judgments so Perverted that no Sound Doctrin could be Believed by you that Persons are not Profitted by the means of Grace when they are given up to Delusions and Errors You say you found no Reformation in my Judgment DOCTRIN Ans You think meet to enter your Dislike to the Doctrines following which you say I delivered If you had put in Deformation instead of Reformation you had spoke more Truth If you had said I Refused to be Deformed according to your Deformed Doctrin or rather Nonsensical Doctrin you had said True for I can neither Reform nor Conform to that which has neither Truth nor Sense in it But I shall come to Examin your Charging my Doctrines in which I shall do these three Things 1. Examin in what you have Wronged me in wresting my Words and setting down my Doctrnes in Words contrary to my own Judgement and Sense 2. Ingeniously Confess my mistakes if I have Committed any 3. In Justifying my Doctrines against your false Charge and these things I shall do upon every Head as I go on 1. Upon Isa 25 6 You say I strain'd the Words farther than to the ELECT And so doth the Prophet for it was a Feast of Fat Things to all People I hope the Elect are not all People except you will say the rest of the World are Beasts and not Men. I hope you will Grant That this Feast of Fat Things is meant of Christ and his Benefits He is the Bread of Life and Water of Life and He is to be 〈…〉 dered to more than the Elect For he is to be offered to every Creature Mark 16. 15. He is to be tendered to all Nay and those are Invited to partake of this Feast that make light of it and Refuse to come and partake of this Feast as well as those that come and partake of it For the Proof of which I cited Matth. 22. 1. to the 8th Lake 14. 16. 17. 18. If you call this Straining of it farther than to the Elect I will stand by it and Justify it against all your Exceptions 2 Upon Coloss 3. You say I said Be ye Christs and he will 〈…〉 yours If you make him your All and in All then he will make 〈…〉 his All and in All. These Words I do not Remember but 〈…〉 nce you bring these Words into your Charge as a Crime you should have shewed in what the Crime consisted
this to an actual and personal right Can men be actually Justified before they have a persoual and actual Being 'T is enough that our right is secured for us in Chrisr and shall in time be actually conveyed and Applied to us To Conclude I think it not amiss here to give you the Sense of all the Pastors Ministers and Messengers of our Perswasion on this Point as it was asserted in their General Assembly held in London Sept. 3. 1689. representing about one Hundred and six Churches where this Question was 〈…〉 ed viz. Whether Bellevers were not actually Reconciled to God actu 〈…〉 Justified and Adopted when Christ Died c. The Answer was That the Reconciliation Justification and Adoption of Believers are 〈…〉 fallibly secured by the gracioue Purpose of God and Merits of Jesus Christ yet none can be said to be actually Reconciled Justified and Adopted until they are really implanted into Jesus Christ bp Faith and so by Vertue of this their Union with him have those Fundamental Benefits actually conveyed unto them And this we conceive is fully evindenced because the Scripture attributes all those Benefits to Faith as the Instrumental Cause of them Rom. 3. 25. Chap. 5. 11. Chap. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 26. and gives such Represenfation of the state of the Elect before Faith as it is altogether inconsistent with an actual Right in them Ephes 2. 1 2 3. 12 c. The Ministers that Subscribed to this and other Positions in behalf of themselves and the whole Assembly were as followeth William Kiffen Hanserd Knollys Andrew Giffard 〈…〉 bert Steed Thomas Vaux John Tomkins Toby Wells Benjamin Keach Samuel Buttall Isaac Lamb. Christopher Price Robert Keat Richard Tidmarsh James Webb John Harris Thomas Whinnel James Hitt Edward Price William Phips William Tacey John Ball. William Hankins Paul Fruin I might add Dr Owen Dr. Goodwin and many other Reverend and Orthodox Divins that say the same thing with us Mr. Perkins saith Justisicaeion before God is when God reputes a Man Just and that only for the Merits and Obedience of Christ. So soon saith he as a Man Believes he is presently Justified Faith therefore Justifieth because it is an Instrument to apprehend and apply that which Jnstifieth viz. Christ's Obedience On the Galatians Vol. 2. pag. 209. p. 235. Bishop Vsher saith speaking of the Adult There is no Vnion with Christ without Faith And agaih saith Faith Justifieth only Relatively in respect of the Object it sasteneth on viz. the Righteousness of Christ by which Faith we are Justified Faith being the Instrument or Begger 's Hand to receive the Alms. Body Divin pag. 195. 196. I might Cite a Volumn of our best Authors to the same Purpose See Dr. Ames ' s Marrow of Sacred Divinity p. 112. 117. The receiving of Christ is that whereby Christ being offered is joyned unto Man and Man unto Christ Again he saith Faith doth Justifie but no otherwise but as it apprehends Christ's Righteousness by which we are Justified Mr. John Simpson who was called an Antinomian Saith By Faith we are Justified as the Spiritual Instrument form'd of God See his Perfection of Justificotion p. 112. Take what the Reverend Mr. Tho. Cole delivered at Pinners-Hall July 21. 1696. He said The Marriage Bond between us and Christ is on Christ's part the Spirit and Faith on ours by which the Spirit Unites the Soul to Christ There can be no Union without Faith nor no Faith without Union for it that is the Spirit works both and brings in a Comfortable hope of Pardon from that full Satisfaction made by Christ to the Law and Justice of God so redeeming ns from the Curse of the Law and setting us at Liberty Question But may not a Debter demand immediately his Discharge as soon as he hears his Surety has discharg'd his Debt Answer Among Men the Debter finds the Surety and so may in point of Justice demand his Discharge but there is a great difference here seeing God found our Surety not we therefore tho' what he did was in our Stead and Room Yet we having all in a way of Sovereign Grace as well as in a way of Justice and Righteousness the Father and Son might in that Eternal Compact between them Both agree how and when we should have the Benefit of Christ's Merits and actual interest in him and so be Justified which no Adnlt Person hath until he Believes or receives the Spirit the Bond of that Union We must not say with the beforementioned David Culy That we may go to God with holy Impudence and say Father put off thy Righteousness for it is mine Are not these strange Expressions As if we were Justified by the Essential Righteousness of God Yea by the Righteousness of the Father and may Demand it with holy Impudence or rather unholy Impudence I 'll add no more but this one thing I desire those Persons who are so fond of this Notion would Consider What profitable Use can be made of Justification before Faith Also know that That Doctrin that hath no profitable Improvement to be made of it but many Absurdities to attend it is not a Truth of Christ But so it is here Ergo But Sad it is that People should be so left as to tare a Church in Peices because their Minister is not of their Opinion as will appear By the ensuing Narrative A true Copy of that Paper that was Wrote by the Agreement of Mr. Winkles and the Rest who Charged Mr. Coleman with dangerous Errors and for which they made that undue Seperation or Schism FIRST We the Members grieved of the Church aforesaid have a long time sate under his Ministry that is Mr. Coleman's and have not Profitted and according to the Rules of Christ we 〈…〉 laboured to be satisfied in this our Brother's Judgment To know Whether or no it was his Judgment which he Preached yea or no and 〈…〉 ing no Reformation in his Doctrine we the Members grieved afore 〈…〉 do think meet to enter our Dislikes to these Doctrines follow 〈…〉 which he hath delivered First That Sermon which you Preached from the 25th of Isa 〈…〉 6. after Brother Overen who kept that gracious Promise only 〈…〉 the Elect but you strained it further than to the Elect. Secondly when you Preached from Coloss 3. 11. But Christ is 〈…〉 ll and in All you said Be Christ's and he will be Yours if 〈…〉 make him your All and in All then he will make you his All 〈…〉 in All. Thirdly When you Preached from the 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any man 〈…〉 in Christ he is a new Creature You said it was not Election 〈…〉 in the Purpose of God which caused us to be in Christ but being 〈…〉 med of God Regenerated and Born again And likewise you 〈…〉 med That the Law is to be Preached first and not the Gospel 〈…〉 poor Sinners which is contrary to the Commission Christ gave to his Disciples he said Go unto all the World
Law to be Preached then there are no Sinners and then also there is no need of Repentance nor no need of a Mediator Therefore the Law must first be Preached to Sinners to make them sensible of Sin and of their Undone Estate by reason of Sin that they may Know the Want Worth and Necessity of a Saviour for the Law all Grant is not to be Preached to Believers for any such End because they are not under the Law but under Grace Rom 6. 14. Therefore I Conclude That the Law ought to be Preached first to sinners for the Conviction of Sin and 2. I prove that the Law ought to be Preached first to Sinners for the Conviction of Sin from the Practice of the Prophets and Apostles and for this I shall give some Instances see the 2 Sam. 12. Nathan Convinceth David of his Sin in the matter of Vriah by a Parable of one that had broken the Law by Covetting and taking of another's Ewe-Lamb and when David was Convinced he said I have Sinned ver 13. Then the Prophet Preached the Gospel to him saying The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not Dye The Law admits of no Remission but That Soul that Sins shall Die So in Joel 2. The Prophet Preached Law and Wrath to the People in the former part of the Chapter and then afterwards Preacheth the Gospel Ver. 12 13 14. So in Jeremiah 41. 18. When they were under Conviction of Sin by the Law then the Gospel was Preached to them v. 20. Moreover the Apostle Peter Preached first the Law to the Jews Acts 2. 23. Compared with Verse 36. And when they were Convinced of their Murder which was the Breach of the Law then he Preached the Gospel to them Verse 38 39. I might give you many more Instances also I might ask you To whom do you Preach the Gospel if not to Sinners and if the Gospel is Preached to Sinners it Implyes the Law for how can they be Sinners if the Law be Destroyed Where there is no Law there is no Transgression Destroy the Law and Christ is dead in Vain For Christ came to Redeem those that were under the Law Gal. 4. 4 5. And the Apostle saith That 〈…〉 y were so far from Destroying the Law that they Established it 〈…〉 3. 31. And whereas you say To Preach the Law first is contrary 〈…〉 that in the 16th of John The Spirit convinceth of Sin I would have 〈…〉 know That the Law of it self is a dead Letter but it is the Spirit 〈…〉 t sets in with the Law by which means the Law is set home with 〈…〉 wer on the Hearts and Consciences of Sinners and makes them Cry 〈…〉 t Men and Brethren what shall we do when prickt to the Heart 〈…〉 is the Law that Wounds the Gospel Heals But it appears You 〈…〉 re not able to Distinguish between Law Conviction and Gospel Conviction which is the Ground of your Mistake That Text John 16. 〈…〉 9. Hath this Text no relation to Law Conviction but a Gospel-Conviction He shall Reprove the World of Sin True the next part 〈…〉 ly refers to the Gospel viz. of Sin because they Believe not 〈…〉 me The Law saith nothing of Faith neither is it of Faith Galat. 3. 〈…〉 The Law convinceth of Sins relating to it self and its Precepts 〈…〉 is the Spirit in the Gospel that Condemns the Sinner for the Sin of Unbelief John 3. 18 36. Mark 16. 16. So that I have prov'd that 〈…〉 take Offence at Truth in this Point 6. You say that I affirmed That there is no Vnion before Faith I have Answered this Point in a Letter to Mrs. Farmer and therefore if you had not been Prejudiced you would have put this out of your Paper except I had received an Answer from her who was Silent about it and since she hath set her Hand to Mr. Knollys's Words 〈…〉 o Positively saith That by Faith the Soul in it's Conversion 〈…〉 is United to Christ So I hope she will be so Faithful as to Vindicate this Truth against you For if Actual Union be by â—aith it cannot be without Faith nor before it But if she neglect or refuseth to Vindicate what she hath set her Hand to let the Blame for ever be upon her own Head One should have thought Mr. Rich. Adams ' s letter might have Satisfied you which answered the Charge of False Doctrin you laid to my Charge on this Point we told you that it was the Opinion of Dr. Owen c. and also of all the Baptised Churches of our Way That Actual Union in order of Nature is not before Faith unless any of late are Deluded into Antenomian Notions 〈…〉 t because this our Answer is now made Publick I shall give you the same Answer I gave to Mrs. Farmer and by that show your Weakness or Mistakes and that is by Enquiring into two Things 1. By Enquiring into what we were while in Unbelief And 2. By Enquiring into the Nature of Union it self 1. We and all Men while in Uubelief are in the Flesh and cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. Heb. 11. 6. What in Union with Christ and yet at the same time cannot please God Whilst we are in Unbelief we are all Children of Wrath our Natures being Corrupted by the Sin of our first Parents Ephes 2. 3. Condemed John 3. 18. And the Wrath of God abiding on all John 3. 36. And yet for all this United to Christ 3. Whilst in Unbelief we are in a state of Enmity being in the Carnal Mind Rom. 8. 7. Aliens Enemies in our Minds by wicked Works Colloss 1. 21. Haters of God Rom. 1. 30. What cannot we please God What under a state of Wrath Aliens and Enemies against God and yet in Union with and United to Christ at the same time What Strange Doctrin is this and how contrary to the Scriptures Thus I come to make enquiry into the Nature of Union 1. A Conjugal Union is an Agreement of two Persons together by which they Twain become One Flesh and as Conjugal Union must arise first from one Party which commonly is the Man his Affections goes out after the Woman he seeks to make his Wife he Sues for her Love by Arguments and Gifts yet here is no Union till she Consents and is Actually United to him in her Affection and is Joined to him and he to her by God's Appointment and Ordinance This is the true state of Union The Application is easie God and Christ have a Love of good Will and Affection for the Elect whilst they are Enemies and from that Love they Invite Woo and Beseech poor Sinners to be Reconciled and United 2. Cor. 5. 20. by their Ministers verse 18. And this is looked upon as done by the Father and the Son Luke 10. 16. And to the end they may be Reconciled he gives to them the Gift of Repentance Acts 5. 31. and the 11. 18. And the Gift of Faith Ephes 2.