are they in capacity to joyn themselves to this seed of sin Is it when they are in capacity to commit actual sin But of this the question may be renewed when may we judge them in this capacity shall we suppose that they are not in case to sin actually or to adjoyn themselves to this seed untill they come to the full use of reason then it will follow that Idiots can sin none at all that the Envy Selfishness Pettedness and the like that appeare very early in Infants shall be no sinnes and yet Augustin was of another mâ—nde And there were some of the Old Pelagians who to evite the force of arguments against them alleiged that the Infants committed actual sin so soon as they were born and therefore came under death as a punishment against whom August wrote Serm. 7. de Verb. Apost saying what do you think to say and whose eares can heare it did they sinne themselves where I pray did they sin when and how did they sin They know neither good nor evil shall they sin that are under no command Prove that Infants are sinners prove what is their sin Is it because they weep that they sinne do they sin because they take pleasure or repel trouble by motions as dumb â—nimals if these motions be sin they becoâ—e greater sinners in baptisme for there they resist most vehemently But I say another thing you think they have sinned otherwayes they had not died but what say you of such as die in their Mothers womb will you say they have sinned also you lie or are deceived c. Whether this man will be of this judgment or not I know not but it is like he will not owne it for he looketh not upon death as a punishment of sin 9 I would gladly have him explaining to me what that is to joyne themselves to this seed of sin and that so much the rather because it is a piece of their proper dialect and is no where else to be found so far as I know Is this Seed lying within them as a stranger or as a tempter alluring them to sin in which they have no concerne until they submit to the temptation and consent then why may we not suppose that such a seed of sin might have been in Adam before he fell from the very minute of his creation seing it could not have dammaged him if he had not actually consented But why should this Seed of Sin be more looked upon as a stranger so as by vertue thereof they in whom it is shall not be accounted sinners than the Seed of Grace of which the Scripture speaketh and by vertue of which they in whom it is are denominated gracious even when they are not actually exerceing grace But it seemeth this man looketh upon the seed of sin and the seed of grace as two contrary solicitors attending man with their contrary motions and solicitations so that man abideth still in puris naturalibus till he hearken to the one or other and yeeld his consent But then 10 I would ask if it be in mans power to withhold his consent from the urgent soliciting of this seed of sin If this be in his power than he can live all his dayes and never once sin and act his part better than Adam did And how cometh it seing this is in every ones power that there was never one such found borne of a woman and begotten of a man that lived and died without sin If it be not in mans power than his soul hath gote a sinful byasse which Adam's soul had not when first created and shall this sinful byas and inclination be no Deformity no Sin no Imperfection no Contrariety to the law which prohibiteth all inclinatioâ— to sin 11. Let him explaine to me how the childe 's actual sin can make him really guilty of Adam's eating of the forbidden fruit and to deserve hell fire upon that account doth he think that the first actual sin of the châ—lde maketh him really guilty of all his fathers faults doth he think that the fiâ—st actual sin of the childe maketh him as guilty and as obnoxious to the wrath of God for all Adam's after sinns as for his first sin This must be cleared by Him who putteth no difference betwixt Adam and other parents in this matter and it must be cleared so as no staine of Injustice be put upon our Maker and with all he will do well to consider that maine argument of the Socinians and Arminians against us for though it doth not reach us yet I see not how he shall evite it It is this one act cannot make an habite one act of sin could not have that force to corrupt the whole nature of Adam for here this mans judgment is that one act of sin consenting to the seed of sin corrupteth that mans whole nature which was pure before one act of sin can deprive a man of Integrity and of Original Righteousness and bring on an Inclination to all sin but these evils are not sinfull in this mans account therefore he is concerned to loose his friends Objection 12 The ground of this mans mistake though he be not that ingenuous as to declare it is that no guilt can be imputed to a person who doth not actually consent thereto by an act of his owne personal Free Will for this was the maine Objection of the Pelagians and of others But then what will he say of sinnes of Ignorance and the like How cometh it that sins are divided into Voluntary and Involuntary What will he say to Psal. 19 13 14. But we have told him that even Originals in was fully voluntary in our nature and in the Fountain when first committed for it was not as to us a personal sin and so the personal consent of such as are contaminated therewith is not requisite thereto but a sin of our Nature and to this no more consent or will is required than the will and consent of him who was the head of this nature whose will was not extrinsick to us we being in him as members of that Body whereof he was Head Beside that this Voluntariness â—elongeth not to the Essence and Forme of sin Scripture defineth sin otherwise calling it a transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3 4. and who say otherwayes joyne with Bellar. de Amiss Grat. C. 1. 13. By this meanes he must say That infants are neither Righteous nor Unrighteous neither Holy nor Sinful indued neither with Good nor Evil qualities and consequently neither heires of Hell nor of Glory and thus make them mere Stocks or Brutes and not Rational Creatures 18. Next he speaketh to our Argument from Rom. 5 12. c. and because this place iâ— the proper seat of this doctrine which we hold the Apostle treating there of it professedly and maintaining it we shall premise some things to clear our Argument and then shall examine what he saith And 1. It is obvious to all
thing which we inferre is manifest viz. the originated sin or the corruption of nature which here David calleth Sin And if this Quaker think that this came from another Original than from Adam let him tell us what it is and not joyn in with the Manichees nor make God the Author and cause of sin if he can 21. Another of our Arguments is from that word of Paul's the wages of sin is death And seing infants die they must have sin as a procuring cause That death was and is a Punishment of sin we cleared above and the Apostle asserteth it here so manifestly calling it the Wages and due Desert that it must argue wonderful impudence in any to question it What sayeth this Quaker He granteth that death is a Consequence of the fall but denyeth that hence we can necessarily inferre iniquity to be in all those that are subject to death That is in plaine termes but the mans modesty dar not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not truth who ever imagined that wages were no more but a Consequent of the workmans labour If Death be the Wages and Reward and just Punishment of sin it can certanely be inflicted by the Righteous Judge of the world upon none but such as are guilty of sin How oft doth the Apostle speak of death as the just Desert and Punishment of sin Rom. 5 12 death entred by sin death passed on all for all had sinned suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie in whom as it doth Marc. 2 vers 4. Luk. 5 vers 25.2 Cor. 5 vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being several times put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 10 15 1â— but did only import the Cause as Socinians would have it it would sufficiently confirme this that death is inflicted because of sin so vers 15. through the offence of one many be dead and this is called vers 16. judgmnt to condemnation and vers 17. by one mans offence or by one offence death reigned And vers 21. sin reigned unto death And then againe Chap. 6 23. for the wages of sin is death So likewise 1 Cor. 15 21.22 by man came death for as in Adam all die He addeth as a reason of his denyal that it might appear he did not contradict the Apostle without reason For sath he all the outward creation suffered detriment and ruine in some respect by Adam's fall and yet the herbes and trees c. are not therefore sinners Ans. Is not this a valide reason wherefore to reject death as a punishment of sin Nay seing the vanity under which the world groaneth because of sin is a punishment to all Mankinde to Infants as well as to Adult persons it is hence manifest that all are guilty of sin that is all mankinde who are capable of sin as trees and herbes are not But yet more he addeth to Confront the Apostle and sayeth death is no wages of sin to the saints but is gaine Phil. 1 v. 21. Answ. Why is death called an enemy and the last enemy 1 Cor. 15 v. 26. wâ—at meaneth that that when corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortal hath put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15 vers 54. Because the Lord by grace through Jesus Christ hath taken the sting of death away and made it a passage to glory unto his owne shall we therefore look upon it in it self as no punishment of sin or as not coming into the world because of sin This will tend as much to prove that Adult persons are not sinful as that Infants have no sin and that a womans paines in child birth or a Mans purchaseing his bread with the sweat of his face c. are no punishments of sin Original or Actual because all these Paines Troubles Afflictions c. worke together for good to such as love God Rom. 8 vers 28. And so the Godly have no Punishments Chastisements Visitations Corrections or the like for sin though the Scripture say so in hundereds of places Here this Quaker joineth with Antinomians 22. He mentioneth another argument which as he thinketh fools only make use of which is this If Infants have no sin they must all be saved Well what replyeth he to this argument We will rather saith he admit this supposed absurdity as a Consequent of our doctrine then say that innumerable Infants perish eternally not for their owne but only for Adams fault But though he should not value such Absurdities notwithstanding he therein run wilder than Papists and joine with Anabaptists and some Pelagians Yet me thinks he should take heed of contradicting his owne doctrine for afterward we will heare of his pleading for Christs dying for all Mankinde And sure if that be true he must say that he died also for Infants and yet here he granteth that they will be all saved without Christ for they have no sin they have no need of a Saviour to save them from their sinnes But how can they be all saved seing they have the Seed of sin â—n them and the Spring of all actual sinnes and that seed of sin which in Scripture is called death and the body of death the old man and the old Adam as he himself speaketh Pag. 62 When Paul speaketh of the body of death Rom. 7 24. he looks upon it as that from which Christ must deliver him How will this Quaker reconcile these things The old man must be put off or we cannot enter into glory and if Infants have the old man how can they enter into glory And beside All in glory must sing the song of the Redeemed and praise him that hath redeemed them by his blood Revel 5 9 10. How can Infants do this who have never been washen from their sinnes in the blood of the lamb as never having had sin And Pag. 55. he told us that none of Adam's posterity had any good in them which he had not from whom they descended Adam then being deprived of his Original Righteousness none of his Posterity no not Infants can lay claim to that Righteousness how I pray can Infants go to heaven who want a righteousness The heaven then which they go to must be a heaven wherein dwelleth no Righteousness and what can this be but some new Limbus But to be more plaine with him It is not enough for him to say he may grant such a Consequence from his doctrine for we must have sure Scripture grounds ere we beleeve that all Infants even of Turks and Heathens shall certanely go to heaven The Scripture giveth more ground of hope of those that are within the Covenant I am sure than of those who are without what thinks he of the Infants of Sodom See Iud. vers 7. and of Coreh and his company not to mention the Infants of the old world And why doth the Scripture call the children of such as are without the church 1 Cor. 7 14. unclean
that all men should be saved and so either all men must be saved or else God's decree is null and if all men must be saved then indeed there is no Election if all men shall not be saved but some damned how then willeth God that all men should be saved Or how is his Will Efficacious and Irresistible 2. It is true the Lord to speak of Him after the maner of men for in God there are no Passions of Joy Delight or Sorrow c. is not a God that taketh delight in the death of sinners yea such delight in their hurt and distruction that whether they repented amended or not he would notwithstanding destroy them as these wicked Iewes to whom this was said did wickedly alleige See and consider vers 10 11 12 13 14 20. so that the whole scope cleareth this to be the proper meaning as also the parallel place Ezech. 18. from Vers. 19. to 30. Now will any hence gather that the Lord hath no delight in the just punishment of impenitent sinners If they do their Conclusion will be contradictory to Scripture Prov. 1.24 25 26. Ier. 9 24. Esai 1 24. Ezech. 6 13. 3. The thing that he would inferre from hence is that God doth not Reprobate any Absolutely that is doth not purpose to punish them out of his mere pleasure and not for their sinnes And say we that he punisheth or purposeth to punish any not for their sinnes but to satisfie his owne pleasure No we say no such thing His Conclusion then can make nothing against us nor doth his Argument hence reach this which we say that God of his meer pleasure without any thing to move him from without decreeth to punish or to inflict Death and Damnation for sin and if he think that the one followeth the other he must lay this down for a ground that the Decree and the Execution of the decree are all one thing or that the decree to damne for sin and damnation for sin is all one thing But he nor any man shall never evince this or that every thing which is the cause of of Damnation must also be a cause of the Decree to damne 21. He proceedeth § 4. tels us that this doctrine is injurious unto Christ the Mediator And why so Because it maketh his mediation ineffectual Answ. Not at all as to these for whom it was intended and appointed that is the Elect. As if he hy his Passions had not broken down the middle wall of partition Ans. That middle wall of partition that was betwixt jew and gentile was quite taken away But the middle wall betwixt the Elect and Reprobat was never Intended to be taken down Nor had pacified the anger of God towards all men Ans. Nor was that the End of Christs coming and dying How he pacified the anger of God towards such as perish eternally and were already in hell we understand not He carps at that which some say viz. That Christ's death was sufficient for all of which saying I seee little use seing Christ's death was a price upon a compact and so its sufficiency and value is truely and properly commensurable with the compact and is so to be considered and sayeth that it cannot helpe if the vertue thereof be not extended to all sâ— as all may be made capable of salvation or if salvation be not thereby made possible unto all And as to this I am not far from his judgment But yet if there be not another way laid down than he yet mentioneth I see not but Christ's death might have been only Sufficient for all and not Effectual for any one for as he is against Reprobation he must be against Election also and so must say that Christ laid down his life for all though he knew not if any one should be saved by it yea that he might have had all he died for though not one should have been saved and how injurious this is unto the death and mediation of Christ let any judge and we will have more occasion to speak of this in the fâ—llowing Chapter 22. In the fourth place Pag. 78. he sayeth The preaching of the Gospel is by this doctrine made a meer mock and illusion if many of them to whom it is preached be secluded from receiving any good thereby by an irrevocable decreeâ— the preaching of faith and repentance is vaine and so is all the scope of the promises and tbreatnings seing all is referred to the foresaid decree c. Ans. 1. The preaching of the Gospel cannot be said to be in vaine when the end for which it was mainly sent is gained viz. the Elect are converted and established thereby and the decree of Reprobation cannot hinder this But as to the Reprobat he will say it is fruitless and vaine Then he should not have spoken so generally but should have restricked his discourse But 2. even as to the Reprobat it may gaine the end for which it was sent of the Lord notwithstanding of the decree of Reprobation even as the Command of God by Moses to Pharaoh had its end and was no Illusion notwithstanding that the Lord hardened his heart that he should not obey till the Lord had brought all the plagues upon Egypt that he resolved to bring And as the commission which Esai gote Chap. 6. was no cheate or moke though it was to make the heart of that people fat and their eares heavy and to shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes hear with tbeir eares and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed vers 10. Will this man say that the Lord was but mocking the people of Israel when he made them see all that he did before their eyes in the land of Egypt unto pharaoh and unto all his servants and unto all his land the great temptations which their eyes had seen and the signes and the great miracles because the Lord did not give unto them an heart to perceive and eares to heare and eyes to see unto that day Deut 29 2 3 4 was it were moâ—king that God sent Ezechiel whether the people would hear or whether they would forbear when yet they should know there had been a Prophet among them notwithstanding that the Lord told the Prophet that the house of Israel would not hearken unto him for they were impudent and hard hearted Ezech. 3 7 11 2 5. 33 33 Did not Christ know that his word should not do good to many that did heare it Shall we therefore think that he but mocked when he preached the word unto them 3. The Apostle tels us that he made himself a servant unto all not as thinking to gaine all but that he might gaine the more 1 Cor. 9 19. And againe vers 22. He became all things to all men that he might by any meanes save some And who were these some See 2 Tim. 2 10. Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake that they
that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not If not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son and the Son came and both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable and yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew then he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die and why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of love was to send his Son and in the Son to come and die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death and profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all thing Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all and is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all and smaller effects not common also See also 1 Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So â—s this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife and Church Ephes. 5 25 2. and hath gracious and saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Epes 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2 Thes. 2.16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting and Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Free will do not consent of his own accord 16 Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery and Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 18 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1 Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners if it were a meer possibility that might never tâ—ke effect hâ—w should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10. where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is becâ—use he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually and Really and not Potentially or Poâ—sibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he sayeth noâ— the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef bâ— the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifâ—time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual and Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brâ—thren that he might be a Merciful and Faithfull High priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful and Faithful High prist in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not one person should be reconciled and are the Reprobate his brethen Ephes. 5 25 26. To what end did Christ give himself for his Church And all the world of mankinde belong not to his Church It was that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Is this a meer Possibility Then might Christ have died and have had no Church to present to himself faire and spotless his Church might have remained full of spots and wrinkles unholy and full of blemishes yea should have been no Church Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Do all the world belong to this peculiar people doth Christ redeem all the world from all iniquity Is all the world purified and made zealous of good works Or is all this a meer maybe which may not be 2 Corinth 5 vers 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be 〈◊〉 the righteousness of God in him Was Christ made sin or a sacrifice for sin that all the world might possibly be made the righteousness of God in him that is that possibly not one person might be made the righteousness of God in him who can dream thus that God's intentions and designes should be so loose and frustrable and that God should be so uncertain in his purposes Gal. 1 4. why did the Lord Iesus give himself for our sinnes It was that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our father This is no meer Possible Deliverance and it is such as was designed not for all the world but for the us there mentioned So Chap. 4 4 5 God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sones This Real Benefite is manifestly here restrickâ—d Ioh. 17 19. for their sakes I sanctify any self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himself to be an oblation not to obtaine a meer may be but that they for whose sakes he did sanctifie himself that is they that were given to him vers 6 9. and were his owne vers 10. and were in due time to beleeve in him vers 20. might Really and Actually be Sanctifiâ—d through him Heb. 13 12. wherefore did Iesus suffer without the
Yet as the Apostle sayeth concerning God's faithfulness Rom. 3 3 4. for what if some did not beleeve shall their unbeleef make the faith of God of none effect God forbid yea let God be true and every man a liar so say I what if some do not beleeve shall their unbeleefe make the unchangeable Purposes and Intentions of God of none effect No let God be Unchangeable and every man a Changeling and as for Ioh. 3 16. On which our Adversaries build much though this Quaker hath not the wit to improve what they have said the meaning of the place is directly against them for the words run thus in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleeving or all beleevers or every one that beleeveth in him might nâ—t perish but have everlasting life So that his death here is manifestly restricked unto Beleevers and if our Adversaries shall prove that either all are or shall be Beleevers we shall easily grant without disput that Christ died for them all And this is further manifest from the preceeding verse unto which this is subjoyned as a Confirmation and connected by the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there Christ had said that all and every beleever in him should not perish but have everlasting life and vers 14. as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up now lest Nicodemus should suppose that because Christ had made mention of the brazen serpent which Moses lifted up in the wilderness the benefite of which was peculiar to the Jewes that therefore the benefite of Christ's death should reâ—ound only to the advantage of the beleeving Jewes our Lord sheweth in the proof vers 16. the large extension of the death of Christ to wit that God sent not his Son for the Jewes only but for the Gentiles also whom the Jewes looked upon as devouted to destruction and said that they should all be destroâ—ed in the dayes of the Messiah and whom they ordinarily stiled the Nations of the world as is observed by such as are versed in the writings of the Rabbines and in the Talmuds To rectifie therefore this mistake Christ tels Nicodemus one of the Jewes Rulers and Rabbies that God so loved the world that is the Gentiles whom they called the Nations of the world that he gave his only begotten son that all beleevers even among them should not perish and in the next vers addeth moreover for God sent not his son into the word to condemne the world that is the Gentiles as they foolishly imagined but that the world through him might be saved See Ioh. 6 v. 33 51. 2 Cor. 5 v. 19. Ioh. 4 v. 42. 12 vers 47. 60. He proceedeth § 8 and bringeth another proof from Heb. 2 9. where it is said that Iesus by the grace of God should taste death for every man And thence he inferreth that if he tasted death for all then there were none for whom he did not taste death therefore there is none that may not partake of the benefite of his death Ans. 1. That for every man in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an enallage for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all and this tasting of death was no other then dying as Mat. 16 28. Mark 9 1. Luk. 9 27. Ioh. 8.52 Shall we now think that Christ died for all and every man that is in their roome and stead as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth Philemâ— 13 2 Cor. 15 20. and alwayes in profane Authors when mention is made of one dying for another and frequently also in the 70. version as when David wished to have died for Absolom and one King is said to have reigned in the stead and place of another and yet that many of these same men shall die for themselves and suffer in their own persons what Christ suffered for them This is the import of this mans glosse Nay when Christ by his death in the room of all every man did procure no more than that they might partake of the benefite of his death it might so have come to passe that not one of all these all and every one should ever have reaped any good of his death 2. What we are to look upon as the proper import of this and the like Universal terme we have showne above And the Apostle here writing unto the Hebrewes who as was said fondly conceited that salvation belonged to them alone and that the Gentiles should reap no benefite of the Messiah had ground to use the same that they might see the Messiah was not for them alone 3. What these all are for whom Christ tasted death the text clearly sheweth when they are called Sones who must be brought to glory and not have a meer may be of salvation and of whose salvation Christ is peculiar Captane vers 10 the Sanctified who are all of one with the Sanctifier and his Brethren vers 11 12 17. that belong to his Church vers 12. The Children which God had given him vers 13. who were to be dilivered vers 15. did belong to the seed of Abraham vers 16. and for whose sins he made reconciliation vers 17. whom he succoureth in temptation vers 18. If this context do not sufficiently confute this conceite we need regaird the Scriptures no more 61. He addeth Ioh. 3 17. 12 47. And then tels us that by our doctrine Christ should rather be said to have come to condemne the world for if he came not to bring salvation to the most part of the world but to augment their comdemnation he came of purpose not to save but to condemne the world Ans. Prejudice hath so far blinded this mans eyes that he seeth not the beame in his owne eye He observeth not that by his owne opinion this may be more truely said of Christ viz that he came to Condemne the world and the whole world than of ours for by his opinion not one man might have been saved because Christ only procured a meer Possibility and no Certanty for any one man as he supposeth and can he be so blinde as not to see that this is worse than to say that Châ—ist shall certanely save some though the greatest part shall perish 2. was not Christ set for the fall of many Luk. 2 34. and for a stumbling block Esai 8 14 15. Rom. 9 33. 1 Pet. 2 7. Esai 28 26. Sayeth not Christ himself Ioh. 9 39 for judgment I am come into this world that they which see might be made blinde See also Ioh. 15 22 24. But 3. Our answere is this that Christ came indeed to save the World that is his People scattered up and down the world and especially among the Gentiles whom the Iewes looked upon as was said lately as the Nations of the Gentiles who were to be destroyed at the coming
in their Worshipe 420 16. God is speaking in every man therefore they should be silent hear that the good seed may arise 422 17. In this silence they must lay aside all sense fear of sin thoughts of death of hell of judgment and of glory prayers all religious exercises 422 18. Thus they must be abstracted from all operations imaginations ejaculations of soul 422 19. And then the little seed planted in every man getteth room to arise becometh an holy birth that Divine aire is it with which mans spirit is fermented then they become fit to hear his voice 423 20. While they are thus Introverted they cannot be deceived 424 21. For the Devil cannot simulate this Introversion nor work there for he is excluded worketh only in Natural men 424 22. When they once introvert they are in a castle they feel themselves to be without the Devils reach 425 23. Hereby they keep communion with other when scattered asunder 425 24. Before they speak or preach they must Introvert consult the dim thing within 441 25. They must be acted moved by Immediat impulses extraordinary motions of a Spirit 443 444 450 452 37. Of Preaching 1. They are against our way of preaching from a text of Scripture 437 38. Of Prayer 1. They are against praying morning evening before after sermon before and after meat 450 451 2. Their inward prayer is an Introversion of the soul 453 454 3. They speak of praying outwardly under a degustation which is neither publick nor private prayer 455 4. They speak of ejaculatory prayers made to mans self 455 5. No publick prayer without Introversion 455 6. Beside Introversion there must be an immediat inspiration calling prompting to prayer or else we must not pray 455 7. They say that praying to God without the feeling of the Influences of the Spirit is a tempting of God 456 8. Men say they must introvert to that place where they may feel that whereby they may be led to prayer 457 462 9. Watching is only the souls attending on the Spirit that it may feel him leading to pray 457 10. To command men to pray without the Spirit is to command them to see without eyes 459 11. They say we pray without the Spirit because we have our limited times 460 12. They say the wicked sometime have the influences of the Spirit to pray and then they may pray acceptably 462 463 39. Of Singing Psalmes 1. They are against our way of singing of Psalmes 463 2. Alledging that thereby ofttimes abominable lies are uttered to God 464 3. And that we Immediatly thereafter in prayer confesse ourselves guilty of the same sins for redemption from which we have given praise 464 40. Of the Sacraments 1. They think if the word Sacrament were laid aside all controversie about the Sacraments would cease 468 2. They think the definition of a Sacrament can agree to many other things 468 41. Of Baptisme 1. They are against baptisme 465 2. They say there is but one sort of baptisme 469 3. They make the outward Element and the inward Grace two baptismes 469 4. Washing of water is not Christ's baptisme with them 471 5. They owne no baptisme but the baptisme of the Spirit 471 6. They deny all baptisme but what is with the H. Ghost with fire 545 7. They would have the ordinance of baptisme wholly laid aside 473 475 8. They say the ark was a type of Baptisme 473 9. And that Johns baptisme was a figure of Christ's baptisme 474 10. Baptisme with water is with them a figure of baptisme with the Spirit 474 11. Washing with water in baptisme is contrary to Christian Religion 475 12. Christ did not warrand his Disciples to baptize 475 13. Washing under the Law and our baptisme are the same 476 14. They reckon baptisme among Jewish ceremonies rites 477 15. They condemne our baptizing in the Name of the Father Son H. Ghost 479 16. They say the Apostles baptised by permission not by Commission 480 17. They say the Apostles mistook Christ's spiritual baptisme took it for Johns water baptisme 480 18. Baptisme with water say they was in use among the Jewes before Johns dayes 481 19. Water baptisme say they is but formal imitation the invention of man and a meer delusion 545 20. In contempt hereof they say outward water cannot wash the soul 550 42. Of the Lords Supper 1. They deny the Lord's Supper to be an Institution of Christ 482 c. 2. Instead of this Ordinance they profanely substitute their ordinary repasts 486 3. To their ordinary repasts they profanely apply the ends of this Ordinance 486 4. The body which they eat blood which they drink is the celestial seed the Divine substance the Vehicle or spiritual body of Christ 486 5. To this spiritual imaginary body of Christ they apply all that is said of Christ's body Iohn 6. 487 6. They say this spiritual seed as it getteth room to rise up in the heart is bread to the hungry and thereby the soul is revived 487 7. They enjoy this breed by beleeving in the manifestation of this light 487 8. They say the Supper of the Lord is truely possessed when the soul introverts c. 489 9. They say beleevers enjoy this at all times especially when they meet together to waite on God 489 10. They say Christ only took occasion from the bread wine to tell his disciples that as these nourished their bodies so His body and blood should nourish their souls And so did institute no Sacrament and this is the only meaning of these words This is my body c. 492 11. They call it a bare ceremonie 492 12. They will have Paul 1 Cor. 11 27. only to say that if they would needs performe this ceremonie they should do it worthily 493 13. With them do this in remembrance of me saith no more but that seing this was to be the last occasion of his eating with them they should look to him that by commemoration of that occasion by his passions death they should be stirred up to follow him 495 14. They call the practising of it a Jewish ceremonie 496 15. They think the wine was meerly accidental 496 16. They reckon the bread wine in the Lords Supper among the things of the earth Col. 3. 499 17. They say we have this Ordinance from the Pope 545 18. They say He whose death we are to remember till he come is the word prayer 545 43. Of Ministers Maintenance 1. They are against the fixed maintenance of Ministers and will only have their necessities supplied if need be 401 2. They will have no limited maintenance 401 3. They will not have people compelled to give any maintenance 407 4. Ministers say they must seek nothing by Law 407 408 4. They say it is a carnal Ministrie that must have maintenance 410 44. Of Magistrats 1.
doth he think that his saying he exalteth not the Light of nature and that he rejecteth the Socinians and Pelagians will make wise men and acquanted with these controversies think otherwise than that he and his Fraternity are as great enemies to the grace of God and as great exalters of the Light of nature as ever Pelagius or Socinus were Thinks he that his calling the dimme Light of corrupt Nature by and holding it forth to us under the name of Grace or Light or whatever other name he is pleased to name it by will make us think that it is in truth the true Gospel-grace of God and not to be what it is indeed the meer Light of Corrupt Nature Did he never hear how Pelagius to escape the Anathema of a Synod called that which he pleaded for Grace and was he lesse what he was an enemy to the grace of God for all that never one white and so is it with this Man we are confident ere all be done to finde him as great a Pelagian and Socinian and Iesuite in this point as any and I judge it intollerable Eâ—trontedness or shameless Ignorance in him to place the Pelagians Semipelagians Socinians and some Papists one the extreme as to his Opinion as he doth Pag. 54. of his Apology but of this more afterward 16. When he cometh in his Apology to explaine his Thesis Pag. 54. forbearing to speak of the State of Adam before the Fall because forsooth in his judgment these are but curious notions as the Arminians thought before him Apol. Cap. 5. and yet I judge his plaine expressing of his Opinion in this matter would have contributed not a little to our understanding of his meaning as to the Nature and Consequences of the Fall But it is true the full explication of the State of Adam's righteousness thâ—rein and of the Covenant under which he and mans Nature in him stood would have marred all this Mans Pelagian and Socinian designe and have made him and the rest whom he patronizeth too too naked 17. But behold the 〈◊〉 of â—his Impudent man just now he told us that he was neither Pelagian nor Socinian and yet within a few lines he tels us that the death threatned Gen. 2 17. was 〈◊〉 and death or the dissolution of the 〈◊〉 Man which is the same that Pelagian and Socinian both hold that they may the better maintaine that Principal Errour viz. the Non imputation of Adam's sin to Infants which is also a Cardinal point of this Mans Religion That the Pelagians were of this Opinion Augustine tels us Lib. 1. contra posterior Response jul c. 66. saying you will not say that because of sin death passed upon all originally lest you be forced also to confess that sin did passe upon all for you know how iniquous it is to saâ— thâ— punishment passed without the merite And though Pelagius himselfe as the Synod in Palestine did dissimulate herein as Augustin sheweth Lib. 1. uâ—tani Operis contra jul Cap. 65. Lib. 2 C 113. yet julianus and others still maintained that Adam was so created that though he had nor sinned yet he would have died not as punished for sin but by necessity of nature And Orosius Apol. de Arbitrii libertate advers Pelag. Pag. â—37 tels Pelagius that his disciples that had sucked poison out of his brests affirmed that Adam was made mortal and suffered no dammage herein by his transgression See Vossij Hist. pelag Lib. 2. par 2. P. 188.189 That the Socinians maintaine that Man by nature was mortal before the fall is manifest out of their writings See Socin prael Cap. 1. and contra Puccium Cap. 5. Volkel Lib. 3 Cap. 11. and 14. Socin de Servatore part 3 c. 8. Item ad articulos Cutenj The Arminians Apol. c. 4 so express themselves in this matter as not to displease the Socinians This is also the opinion of Anabaptists who deny original sin Hence already appeareth one cause why this man would not speak anything of the state of Adam before the fall for if he had he behoved so to have explained that excellent staâ—e as that it might appear how notwithstanding thereof Adam was obnoxious to death and dissolution which is inconsistent with such a state of full felicity Eccles. 9 4. But the Lord when he came to passe sentence upon Adam according to the commination because of his transgression Gen. 3 19. tels him that his outward man must be dissolved and that he must return unto the ground and unto the dust So the Apostle holdeth forth death or this dissolution of the outward man as a just punishment and as the wages of sin Rom 5 12 21.806 23. 1 Cor. 15 21 56. So doth the Scripture elsewhere Hos. 13 1. Ezech. 18 4. 1 Cor 11 30. Deut. 30 15 19. Ier. 21 8. Psal. 49 14 55 15. Iâ—m 1 15. what else importeth the law for putting of so many sorts of sinners unto death Exod. 21 29 35 2. Levit. 19 20. 20 11. Numb 1 51. 3 10 38. 18 â— 35 30 Levit. 24 21. Deut. 13 5 9. 17 6 7. 21 22. 24 16. Ios. 1 18 2 Chron. 15 13. is not death called the last enemy which must be destroyed Esa. 25 8. Hos. 13 14. 1 Cor. 15 26 59 Yea nature teacheth this truth Rom. 1 32. See further Ier. 31 30. 2 Chron. 25 4. Ezech. 18 20. Amos. 9 10. with many moe 18. what is his reason why natural Death is not here to be understood for says he as to this death he did not die till many yeers afterward But was he not made Obnoxious thereunto by vertue of that Threatning Threatnings properly declare only the dueness of punishment and say that the transgressour is worthy of or deserveth the punishment threatned or is liable and obnoxious thereunto and not alwayes the certanty of the execution as to the event other wise this man must say that by death here is not to be understood the everlasting separation of soul and body from God and the paines and torments of hell for neither was that presently executed upon Adam And then I would faine know what he understandeth by this Death If he sâ—y that this was begun to be executed that same day in testimony whereof he was cast out of paradise that same day So shall I say that the bodily death began to be executed that same day for it was said to him Gen. 3 17. in sorrow shall thou eate of it the ground all the dayes of thy life 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground Will this Man say that Paines Sicknesses and temporal Calamities that attend us from the womb to the grave in one measure or other are not the due fruits of sin Then he shall contradict manifest Scripture Lam. 3 39. 1 Cor. 11 30. Deut 28. Levit. 26. with many moe If he dar not say
and have â—othing of it Imputed unto them which though this man may account no way absurd yet all Orthoeox Christians will be of another minde 5 He speaks dubiously concerning the Import of these two words and knoweth not whether their meaning be by which occasion or in which death and we have seen that the meaning cannot be by which Occasion And it will further appear from this that Adams sin could be no Occasion to such as never heard of it and our nearest Parents sins should be a greater Occasion and further what could Paul's meâ—tioning an Occasion contribute to his designe 6. Paul asserts that death passed upon all men and giveth this as a ground thereof that all men had sinned but this Man perverteth the Apostles words and meaning and maketâ— the Apostle speak thus death passed upon all men because all men will sin actually when they become capable 7. The Apostle sheweth that death passed upon all men and reigned even over Infants and so supposeth that Infants had sinned otherwayes his argument vers 12. had been of no value for the Instance of Infants who are a great part of Mankinde had destroyed the Apostles reasoning if they bad not been included under all men 8. He is angry at the Orthodox as we sâ—all hear afterward for restricting the particle all or the words all men though it be according to the exigence of the context But here he excludeth a great part of Mankinde contrary to the whole scope and disigne of the Text yea and to the Apostles expresse including of Infants and making use of their Case as a confirmation of his point 9 If he exclude Infants from this sin he must exclude them also from all benefite in Christs Obedience and then where is his Universal Redemption and his Universal Grace whereof he speaketh in the following Theses 10 That Infants are capable of sinning in their Head is as clear as they are capable of dying for the sin of the Head this the Apostle proveth from their death and from death reigneing over them 11. But sayes he Infants are under no Law But the Apostâ—e sayes the contrare viz. that there was both Sin and Law before Moses dayes because death reigned even over Infants and consequently that Infants were under sin and therefore also under a Law for where there is no law there is no transgressiâ—n But this was the Law given to Adam as head of Mankinde which Law all transgressed when Adam transgressed because the whole Nature transgressed it Adam representing all as their Natural Root and by vertue of the Covenant in which he stood And thus we see how this Man perverteth and inverteth the Words and Arguments and Scope and All of the Apostle 12 If death was inflicted on old Persons because of their actual sins wherefore was death inflicted upon Infants Sure the Apostle maketh no distinction of Deaths nor doth he speak of distinct causes of Death but only mentioneth an universal Cause of an universal Effect sin the cause and death the effect and therefore if the effect come upon infants the cause must also come upon them or the Apostle argueth very loosly and he must impute cruelty injustice to his Maker 13. This addition of his to the text viz. who were capable of sinning is the same that Castalio made saying these to wit who in regaird of age could have sinned And in this he was no lesse bold with the text then our Quaker is for as we have seen and the text is clear it is not all these only that die but even such as come not to that age and the Apostle alwayes speaks of death as the wages of sin And when he here sayeth of Infants that they sinned not after the similitude of Adam's transgression he clearly intimateth that they sinned some other way viz. in Adam which also the 19. verse manifestly proveth 20. He taketh notice Next of our argument from Psal. 51 5. behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me where the Psalmist is exaggerating his iniquity before the Lord as all true penitents will do traceth his sin to the very Spring and Fountaine as to him viz. that Original Corruption which he brought into the world with him and shewing that even while he was a forming and warming as the word importeth in the womb this corruption did adhere to him so that the very masse out of which he was framed was corrupt and what greater proof could we desire of the originaâ—ed part of this Original Sin than is here The Ancient Fathers made use of this passage for the same end as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 144.145 And some Jewes such as Aben Ezra Sal. Iarchi expound it of innate Concupiscence Now what saith this Quaker to this He cannot see our Infâ—rence and why so It seemeth to me sayes he that this iniquity and sin is rathâ—r ascribed to the parents than to the Infants for he sayeth in sin did my mother conceive me not my mother conceived me sinning Ans. Is not this a quick observation and worthy of a Quaker But the misery is it quite crosseth Davids designe This man must think that it was a great argument of Davids Sorrow and Repentance to lay iniquity upon his Parents now in all appearance dead but I should look upon this as no argument of a true penitent heart What could his upbraiding of his Father and Mother after this manner contribute to the aggravating of his own sin And that this is David's designe I think this Quaker will not deny if he but look upon the place and read over the Psalm or the first part of it Is not David about the confessing of his owne sin Read the title of the Psalm the preeceeding verse and see Is he not seeking pardon and remission of his own sin Or shall we suppose that he is praying for remission to the dead all Confession of sin to God is in reference to Remission and if David speak here only of his Parents sin he is tacitely seeking Remission If he speak of his Parents sin in begetting and warming him in the womb it must be as including himself at least as shareing thereof and this will prove that David had sin upon him from his very conception And by his answere he would seem to make marriage duties unlawful contrare to 1 Cor. 7 2 3 4 5. Heb. 13 4. He addeth another answere thus Such an interpretation would contradict the Scriptures formerly cited while it maketh infants to he hurt by their immediat parents sin And there is no mention here of Adam Answ. I do not prove hence that David was guilty of his immediat Parents sins but that original contagion doth so cleave to every ordinary Infant unless we could suppose some singular thing in David without all ground that in his very warming in his Mothers womb he is corrupted and albeit David make no mention here of Adam the
otherwayes than unclean To whâ—ch words of Iob we may adde the words of Eliphaz Iob 15 14. what is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Origens words Hom. 11. super Levit. are considerable Omnis qui ingreditur hunc mundum in quadam contaminatione effici dicitur Propter quod Scriptura dicit Nemo mundus a sorde nec si unius diei suerit vitaejus he meaneth this place of Iob as it is rendered by the 70. Hoc ipso ergo qui in vulva matris est positus qui materiam corporis ab â—rigine paterni seminis sumit in patre in matre contaminatus dici potest Aut nescis quia cum quadragint a dierum factus fuerit puer masculus offertur ad altare ut ibi purificetur tanquam qui pollutus fuerit in ipsa conceptione vel patâ—rni seminis vel uters materni Omnis ergo homo in patre in matre pollutus est 27. An argument for our purpose may be taken also from these words Gen. 5 3. And Adam begat a son in his own likeness after his image compared with vers 1. In the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him As that Image of God in which Adam was first created did denote that Original Righteousness and Integrity which Adam had so this likeness and image of Adam in which Seth was begotten must denote Adams corrupted state whereof Seth in his very generation was a partaker and this was Original sin which was thus traduced and propagated from Adam to his posterity It is true Cain and Abel both were so also generated but it is thus expresly said of Seth because Abel had no posterity and Cains posterity was excluded from the Covenant Seths was to continue within it and therfore it is said of him that even his posâ—erity might know their true Original and be humble notwithstanding of this privilege As also to shew that no length of time betwixt the fall and this generation of Seth had worne this corruption away 28. The ancient Fathers made use of to this end these words of Christ to Nicodemus Ioh. 3 5.6 Except a man be born of watter and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit And indeed the proof hence deduced is irrefragable for Christ the Amen and faithful witnesse asserts with a double asseveration verily verily that a man and every man no exception made of Infants must be regenerated before he can enter into the Kingdom of God so that his first generation if there be no change will advantage him nothing And the Reason is added for by the first generation he hath a fleshly birth which is corrupt and not meet for the Kingdom of God what is borne of the flesh is flesh and nothing else and this probation annexed sheweth that Christ meanâ—th here even original natural and habitual corruption and this must principally be put from its dominion by Regeneration Beside that the words flesh and Spirit opposed thus to other in Scripture denote Natural Corruption and Grace reforming Rom. 7 14. 8 1 3. c. Gal. 6 vers 16 17. 1 Pet. 2 vers 2. 29. The ancients to this purpose made use of Gen. 17 14. and said the Covenant which these infants did violate who were not circumcised by their Fathers neglect or carelesness was the Covenant made with Adam See Vossii Hist. Pelag. Pag. 143. I shall not urge this place upon that account only seing the Text saith expresly that the uncircumcised man childe was to be cut off because he had broken God's Covenant we see that they were under a Covenant Law in some sense capable of breaking it therefore obnoxious to off cuting Now we heard above this Quaker say that Infants were under no Law therefore obnoxious to no punishment Let him chew his cood upon this place contradict Moses as he did lately contradict Paul They cited also Esai 48 8. Yea thou heardest not Yea thou knewest not yea from that time that thine eare was not opened for I know that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and was called a transgressour from the womb So did they make use of Rom. 7 23. I see another Law in my members and vers 18. for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing As also 1 Cor. 15 22. of which we have already spoken a little And indeed this last place clearly pointeth forth that we are made alive by Christ through his merites conveyed to us by spiritual Regeneration as we died in Adam through his Sin and Corruption made ours by Natural Generation 30. Augustine as the forecited Author sheweth us Pag. 151.152 made much use of the Paines Torments Death which Infants were subject to as an irrefragable argument for Original sin and we have spoken something of it already The Fathers also made use of the initial Sacraments as a confirmation of this But I know this Quaker will regaird little any thing we can say of Baptisme for among the rest of his Errours he must not want this of Antibaptisme of which in due place Pelagius was much puzzled with this perplexing Argument was forced to grant that Baptisme to them was not for remission of sins so made it useless And as for Infants that died before baptisme he knew not what became of them quo non eant scio quo eant nescio and he devised a mid place betwixt hell heaven for them And so made two kinds of felicities one with in the Kingdom of God one without the Kingdom of God And he said that by baptisme they were brought out of the middle state into the highest See for this the forecited Author Pag. 192.193 Thus that man his followers were miserably Entangled But this Quaker I confess taketh a more consequential course but whether more consonant to Truth Piety I doubt when he denyeth all Baptisme But not to speak of Baptisme now for which there is a proper place reserved what will he say of Circumcision He cannot deny but that was an ordinance appointed of God And that it had reference to the body of sin Paul tels us Col. 21 11. And therefore it could not but presuppose sin in the Infants It is called by Paul Rom 4 11. a seal of the righteousness of faith and did point out the circumciseing of the heart Deut. 30 6. 31. The Fathers made much of this Argument That by this opinion of the Pelagians Infants were wholly excluded from any Interest in the Death and Merites of Christ. And how this man will evite this I know not nor know I how he will accord with himself in asserting Universal Redemption as we shall hear But to put a close to this I would only ask this
render the Truth we owne odious for neither doth he tell us his owne Judgment concerning this nor would he onâ—e consider what grounds we walk upon or speak one word to the passages of Scripture upon which we ground our Opinion Thought he that his Readers would not be in case to take notice of his fraudulent and unfaithful dealing It is well that he hath written this in latine for the world is no stranger unto the debates betwixt the Orthodox on the one hand and Pelagians Socinians Arminians and Iesuites on the other But we proceed unto the examination of his following Thesis CHAP. VIII Of Universal Redemption 1. Our Quaker having as we heard laid by and taken out of the way so far as he could the Principal and Fundamental discriminating Purpose of God in denying for any thing we could observe all Eternal Electiâ—n and Reprobation and having thereby homologated with Arminians as also with Socinians who run upon Universalities as abhoring all Specialities and Discriminating Acts exclusive of any except what Lord Free will doth and of which this Absolute and Supream Lord is master and disposer and therefore Assert in the first place An Vniversal Love and good will in God to all and every mothers son of the race of Mankinde He proceedeth in showing us how in the rest of their Universalities he is their friend and therefore talketh not only of an Vniversal Ransome Price paid for all Adam's posterity by Christ of which he speaketh next but proceedeth as we shall hear to hold forth an Vniversal Covenant of free grace made with all the sones of Adam though he be pleased to give us it in other termes and an Vniversal Call and Gospel as also Vniversal Grace by which every one may if he will lay hold on the offer and be saved and withall he giveth us a Salvation among Heathens as we shall heare 2. When he rejected Election Reprobation Absolute he made way and laid a good foundation for this other Errour of Vniversal Redemption for these two cannot well be separated however some of late would maintaine this Universal Redemption and withall assert an Election of grace whereby the Lord made choice of so many as pleased him whom he would certainly redeem and bring to glory which I cannot see how they can consonantly and satisfyingly hold unless they can prove out of Scripture two distinct Covenants betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator two distinct and different Ends of Christ's death Two distinct Prices laid down and Two distinct Purchases made if the one could well be called a purchase Two Satisfactions Christ a Cautioner and no-Cautioner a Redeemer and no-Redeemer an absolute Saviour and a Conditional Saviour c. But the Scripture cleareth no such thing to us for any thing I see 3. As concerning the point of Vniversal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matâ—er thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacifie an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in thâ— Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal and Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for all as if God had such Natural and Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent and Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Free will would and as if the Love that sent Câ—rist were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves and as the ground of all the Effects and Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Iustice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any and upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement and so Iustice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Free will would consent unto termes of new to be proposed 4. Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins and Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent and Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith and Repantence and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not and could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions and Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for Any man much less for All. 5. Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree and Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure and
obtaine Reconciliation with God for all sinners whatsomever without any difference before that God would open againe the door of salvation and enter into a new Covenant of grace with sinners But this Reconciliation hath no more force or import but that God might enter againe into a Covenant with sinners and so there is no Actual Reconciliation of sinners unto God And all that is obtained is for God and nothing for man save a Possibility of Salvation by a new Covenant nor are we told whether Christ hath satisfied for the breach of the First Covenant so that sin is fully pardoned unto all or not until the condition of the second Covenant be performed nor are we told upon what account the sins against the second Covenant are pardoned Or if they be unpardonable 6. Others explaine the matter thus Christ died for all and every man not only that God might without any violation of Justice enter into a new Covenant with sinners upon what condition he pleased but that it should be upon this Condition that man should be united with Christ the Cautioner and not only that Redemption and Salvation should be possible to all but that really most certanly Salvation should be bestowed on such as Christ thought good But seing Christ knew that his death would profite none but these few whom he had designed to what purpose should he have laid downe his life for the rest And how can his death be a price of Redemption for the rest How can Christ he said to satisfie for the rest Did he purchase Faith to these few and would he not purchase Faith to the rest and yet lay downe the great price for them What was the end obtained for the rest was it only a Possible Call of all Iustice being satisfied But of what import could that Possible Call be if Salvation was not also possible unto them And whereunto is that Call They will not say it is unto Salvation but to Faith But did not Christ know that this call would not be obeyed by them Did He procure Grace unto them to obey it then he procured Faith and if he procured Faith than he procured Salvation Againe if Iustice be satisfied for these others why are they not liberat If they say the new condition is not fulfilled Then it cannot be simply said that Christ satisfied Iustice on their behalfe for he knew before hand that these would not performe the new Condition how can he then be supposed to die for them notwithstanding 7. Thus we see what Difference is among men that hold Universal Redemption about the Proper and Immediat End and Aime of the purpose of God in sending Christ to die and of Christ in comeing to die and how for the most part it cometh all to little or nothing for it was saith Arminius That God might save sinners what way it pleased Him his Iustice which stood in the way being satisfied or as Corvinus That God might will to save sinners and That Christ intended by his death to make such satisfaction to justice as that he might obtaine to himself power of saving upon what conditions the Father pleased And thus Christ is said to have obtained Reconciliation and Redemption to all not that they should actually be partakers thereof but that God his justice now being satisfied might prescribe a condition which when they had preformed he might and would actually make them partakers thereof Some say that all men are put into a new Covenant in which Adam was a common person as well as in the old by vertue whereof none shall be damned that do not sin actually against the condition and fall thereby from that new state whereunto they are borne And this opinion differeth not much from that of Iacobus Andreae at the conference at Mâ—mpelgard which afterward Huberus maintained as Kimedoncius sheweth in his refutation of the same which was this in short That Christ suffered anâ— died for all none excepted Effectually and obtained for all a Reconciliation without any respect to Faith or Unbeleefe so that all who receive this Reconciliation and continue in it shall be saved but as to those who refuse it by unbeleef it is made null and they perish Others say That Christ by his satisfaction removed Original sin in all so that all Infants dying in infancy are undoubtedly saved Others that He died for all sinnes alike but conditionally Some say that after the price was payed it was absolutely undetermined what condition should be prescribed so as God might have re-established the Covenant of works Others that the procuring of a new way was part of the fruit of Christ's death As for this condition some say that man can performe it with the help of such meanes as God affordeth to all and thus establish the Diana of Freewill But others assert the necessity of grace flowing from election hereunto and so destroy Universal Redemption which yet they assert So that some say Christ died for all Conditionally if they beleeve making the Act the cause of its own Object for Faith with them is a beleeving that Christ died for them Some say that he died for all Absolutely Yet so as they partake not of the benefite until they performe the condition which was to be prescribed and thus they affirme that Christ did no more sustaine the persons of the Elect than of the Reprobat but of all alike If we enquire therefore what was the Immediat Result and Product of the death of Christ they agree not to tell us whether it was a Power or a Will or a Right to God to save any he pleased 8. However all the Arminians and Camero with them agree in this That Christ did not purchase faith for any and that as to all say some or as to the most part say others Christ hath only procured a Possibility of salvation And what is this Possibility Some call it an Exemption from that necessity of perishing under which they came by the violation of the former Covenant if a satisfaction had not interveened and by this Exemption the say it coâ—â—th to passe that Christ if he will justice being now satisfied may bring all to life And hereby also say they all may be saved if they will But wâ—at is this else then a meer Possibility What efficaâ—y hath it seing notwithstanding thereof all may perish againe They say it is really Efficacious as to this Possibility which was not before Justice was satisfied But yet notwithstanding of this Efficacious Possibility it might come to passe that not one should have been saved for how can salvation be possible without faith So that if faith be not hereby purchased it would seem that Salvation is not possible And further it doth hereby appear that all which is procured is but some power to God and to Christ But what is mans advantage They say That a way to life is opened unto man that so he may now come to God by Faith and
gate it was that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud 〈◊〉 this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifiâ—r of him that â—eleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this Quakers doctrine 17. Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actual Accomplishment and Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere May be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Bâ—ing and Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3. when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine away in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible and may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an Eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls and goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may be-sanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually and really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offeâ—ed himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who dar say that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth and asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually and Really and not Possibly and Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 24 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends and Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the curse of the Law this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the curse of the lâ—w and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one nâ—w man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the parallel place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a May be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sinnes 1 Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer May be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertane End and effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood and shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God and then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences and effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a May be redownd to all that he represented and engadged for so the fruites and effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ and his vers 15. much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life ver 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous vers 21 so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer May be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6.33 that he
giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things and vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard there from being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real and Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap 9 24 to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncerâ—ane 18. If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable this Quaker is Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end and fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we think that Christ might have died and yet not one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Free will upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1 Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So 2 Cor. 5 15 He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These and the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him and by himself and shall we suppose that this great and chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick and uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargan and purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all 19. Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted and Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinns But let us see what the Scripture saith 1 Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what redemption foâ—giveness of sins according to the riches of his grace So likewise Col. 1 14. Now when sinnes are thus taken away they are blotted ouâ— and not remembered Esai 43 25. Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. Yea they are blotted out as a cloud and as a thick cloud Esai 44 22. So they are said to be subdued casten into the depths of the sea Mica 7 19. Shall we now say that Christ hath died to purchase this Redemption the Forgiveness and blotting out as a thick cloud and casting into the depths of the sea of sin and yet multitudes of those for whom this was purchased and that by the blood of God should never obtaine this benefite but have all their sins charged upon their owne score This so pincheth the Adversaries that the best evasion they can fall upon is to say that none shall have Original sin charged upon them But the Scripture no where estricteth this Remission to that sin only Others therefore say That no sin now shall be charged upon any but the sin of Unbeleef Then Iudas doth not suffer to day for betraying his master was it for this sin only that the Old World was drowned or that the Cities of Sodom are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Iude seemeth to say some other thing vers 7. so are there other sins there reckoned up vers 8 9 10 11 12. to which is reserved the blakness of darkness for ever vers 13. But some say that these are all but pardoned upon condition Then the Redemption is neither Actual and Real nor Compleat but a poor May be and a may be may not be and how can such sins be said to be forgiven or blotted out and casten behinde God's back and into the depths of the sea Did Christ know whether or not this condition would be performed If not then He is not the omniscient God If he knew that it would not be performed by the greatest part how can we imagine that he would notwithstanding lay downe his life to purchase a Remission for them And how can we think that He should purchase a Pardon to all and let the event hang upon the pendulous tottering will of a sinfull creature But as to that condition we shall 20. Propose 9. this consideration The not performance of that Condition was no doubt a sin and if Christ died for all the sinnes of the world he died for that too And if he died for that too that is taken out of the way or there must be another condition imagined upon performance of which that is to be taken out of
the way and the non-performance of this condition being also a sin our proposition will recurre upon this and so in infinitum but if this sin be taken out of the way it cannot prejudge them of the pardon of the rest and thus all their sins being pardoned they must needs be saved and yet it is not so But it is said that Christ died not for the sin of Final Unbeleef yet it seemeth thâ—t it will be granted that he died even for the sin of Unbeleefe of all the world and for unbeleefe continued in until the last houre of a mans life but not for that last act which yet is but the same Unbeleefe continued in an hour longer and shall we think that Christ bare the Unbeleefe of 20 40 60. or moe yeers in his body on the crosse and not the same Unbeleefe for one houre or halfe houre yea or quarter of an houre Who seeth not how little ground there is for such an imagination But the thing I would have mainly here considered is this That for whose sinnes Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins and therefore if he died for the sinnes of all the world he died for the final Unbeleefe of all the world But this will not be granted therefore neither can it be said that he died for the sinnes of all men Whose sinnes he took upon him to make satisfaction for he left none for them to answere for for he is a compleat Mediator and is sole Mediator If he died for all the rest of the sinnes of the Reprobat and of the whole world why not for that also Sure when the Scripture speaketh of Christs taking away of sin and of the Redemption that is forgiveness of sins which people enjoy through him there is no sin excepted He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Esa. 53 5. the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. or mâ—de the iniquitie of us all to meet on him there is no ground for any exception here when he was stricken for transgression vers 9. and his soul was made an offering for sin v. 10. is there any appearance of the exception of any one sin when he bear their sin and their iniquities vers 11 12. what intimation is given of an exception of any Yea if this exception was to be made which would null and destroy all what consolation could the declaration of this redemption remission of sins yeeld unto poor sinners Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. When the Lord made him to be sin for us was it only in part how then could we be made the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21 was the Lord in Christ reconcileing the world unto himself not imputing only part of their trespasses to them but the imputing of one sin would mar the reconciliation for ever Is not final unbeleef a dead work Doubtless yet the blood of Christ purgeth consciences from dead works Heb. 9 14. Did the blood of buls and goats so sanctify as to the purifying of the flesh as to leave the most defileing spot of all untaken away How could healing come by his stripes if he bear but part of our sins in his body on the tree seing final unbeleef alone would mar all for where that is there is no coming to God imaginable But moreover the Scripture tels us that the blood Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Ioh. 1 7. and that if any man sin there is an Advocat with the Father who is a propitiation for sins 1 Ioh. 2 vers 1 2. and so must be for all sins otherwayes there were little ground of comfort here And it was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24. that he should make an end of sin and finish the transgression and so bring-in everlasting righteousness Doth this admit of exceptions and of such an exception as would unavoidably make all null No certanely But you will ask of me If I think that Christ did die for final unbeleefe I Answ. Not for I judge it is the sin only of Reprobates who hear the Gospel and I judge that Christ did not die for any sin of Reprobats But this I hold and have cleared That for whose sinnes soever Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins And because he hath not died for final Unbeleef therefore he hath not died for any sin of such as shall be guilty of this and as for his owne he died to prevent their falling into and to keep them from this sin for he died to bring them unto God that they might have the Adoption of sons that they might be sanctified and live unto righteousness be made righteous yea the righteousness of God as is clear 1 Pet. 2 24. Gal. 4 4. Heb. 10 10. 2 Cor. 5 21. 1 Pet. 3 18. Rom. 5 19. what then will this Quaker say to this Final unbeleef is certainly a sin and Christ either died for it or not if he died for it than it can be laid to no mans charge or Christ's death is of no value If he died not for it he died not for all the sinnes of alâ— men but at most for some sinnes of all men and if that was all no man could thereby be saved for one sin is enough to procure damnation 21. Moreover 10 we finde the Persons for whom this price of blood was laid down designed more particularly and the Object of this Redemption restricted and so it could not be for all and every one It is said to be for Many Esai 53 11. Math. 20 28. and 26.28 Mark 10 45. Heb. 9 28. and what these many are is abundantly declared in other Scriptures where they are called Christ's Sheep Ioh. 10 15. Christ's People Mat. 1 21. His People whom according to the predictions of the Prophets which have been since the world began he should save from their enemies and from the hand of all that hate them to performe the mercy promised to the Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to Father Abraham that he would grant unto them that being delivered out of the hand of their enemies they might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their life Luk. 1 68 70 71 72 73 74 75. His Church Ephes. 5 25 Act. 20 28. His Body Ephes. 5 23. The Children of God that were scattered abroad Ioh. 11 52. Sones Sanctified Brethren the Children that God gave him the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2 10 11 12 13 14 16 17. They are the Sheep that shall infallibly beleeve because sheep Ioh. 10 26. and Whom Christ knoweth and of whom he is known vers 14 and such as shall heare his voice vers 16. and follow him vers 27. to whom he will give eternal life so that they shall never perish and who are given to him of his Father vers 28.29 and the Elect 2 Tim 2 10 He is bread
giving life unto the World of them that the Father hath given him and shall come to him Ioh. 6 33 37. They are these concerning whom the Fathers will was as being given of him that he should lose nothing but raise it up againe at the last day ver 38 39 40. The Redeemed ones that are numbered by God 144000. and are the first fruites unto God and the Lamb Revel 14 3 4 5. They are such as are the Lords and whom the Lord knoweth for his 2 Tim. 2 19. and are enrolled in the Lambs book Revel 13 8. and 20 15. See other particularities Psal. 87 5. Esai 43 1. and 49 12. and 19 18.24 25. Zeph 3 10. So are they designed to be these for whom God is and who shall have unquestionably all things the Elect who shall be justified who shall not be separated from the love of Christ are in all things more then Conquerours Rom. 8 31 32 33 34 37 38 39. These with whom the Covenant shall be confirmed Dan. 9 27. The redeemed out of every Kinred and Tongue and People and Nation and made Kings and Priests Revel 5 9 10. 22. Further 11 if Christ died for the sinnes of all persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned It cannot be said that Christ's death was not a satisfactory price nor that the Father did not accept of it If then he shed his blood for the remission of sins Mat. 26 28. are not all these sins pardoned virtually and fundamentally or shall they not all actually be pardoned in due time If it be said they shall be pardoned upon condition of their faith But if the sinnes of all be equally payed for and equally in a virtual manner discharged in Christ's being actually discharged from that debt in the day of his Resurrection and the actual disharge depending upon the uncertain condition of mans Will man who willingly performeth the condition shall praise himself for the actual pardon and none else for Christ did no more for him as to the Actual Pardon than for others who never shall be blessed with actual forgiveness and yet forgiveness is held forth as a special act of free grace forgivenesse of sinnes is according to the riches of his grace Ephes. 1 7. Moreover as to that condition whether did Christ purchase it or not If he did not purchase it than man is not beholden to Christ for the Condition be it faith or what ye will it is no purchased mercy but man is beholden to his good Lord Free Will for it and so he may sacrifice to his own net and sing glory to himself for making himself to differ and for obtaining to himself Actual Remission of all his sinnes and consequently blessedness Rom. 4 v. 6 7 8. for had not his owne well disposed Lord Free Will performed that condition all that Christ did had never more advantaged him than it did others that perish If it be said that grace to performe the condition though it be not purchased by the blood of Christ yet it is freely given by God to whom he will I Answer Not to insist here on the proof of faith's being purchased by Christ because we shall cleare it afterward and there is nothing else assigned for the condition I would enquire whether Christ knew to whom this grace would be given or not if not then we must deny him to be God if he knew why shall we suppose that he would lay down his life equally for all when he knew before hand that many should never get grace to performe the condition upon which his death should redound to their actual pardon and justification what Ends or what Advantages can we imagine of such an Universal Redemption 23. 12. If the condition upon which actual pardon justification is granted in the blood of Christ be purchased by Christ then either all shall certainly be Pardoned Justified or Christ hath not purchased an Equal Common Possible Redemption to all and every man But the former is true it is not true that all shall certainly be pardoned and actually justified for then all should be glorified That the condition to wit Faith and Repentance is purchased by Christ who can deny seing he is expresly called the Author of Faith Heb. 12 2. and a Prince exalted to give Repentance and forgiveness of sins Act 5.31 So that as forgiveness of sins is founded upon his death as the Meritorious cause so must Repentance be and Christ as an exalted Prince and Saviour hath this power to dispose of his owne purchased legacy which he hath left and ensured by his death unto the heires of salvation Upon his Death and Satisfaction made in his death hath he gote all power in heaven and earth a power to quicken whom he will Mat. 28 â—8 Ioh. 5 21 22 27. Phil. â— 9 10 Hence we are said to be compleat in him Col 2 10. to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in ceâ—estials to which no doubt faith and Repentance do belong in him Ephes. 1 3 Is it not from hence that the divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godliness 2 Pet. 1 3 Nay Paul tels us expresly Phil. 1 29. that it is given to us in the behalfe of Christ to beleeve on him And certainly there is a promise of Faith and Repentance and all the promises are yea and amen in Him 2 Cor. 1 20. all the Blessings contained in the Covenant are made sure by his death who was the surety of this better Testament Heb. 7 2â— and this Testament was to have force by his death Heb. 9 15 16 17 18. and the New heart and heart of flesh is promisâ—d in the Covenant and comprehendeth Faith and Repentance they being some of his lawes which he hath also promised to write in the heart Ier. 31 33. Heb. 8 10. Ezech. 11 19 20. 36 26 27. We have moreover seen that Sanctification and Holiness from which Faith Repentance cannot be separated were purchased by Christ and intended in his death whence he is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1 30. If it be not purchased by Christ how come we by it is it a thing in our Power and an act of our owne Free Will Then as I said before we are beholden to ourselves for Faith and all that follow upon it and then farewell all Prayer for Faith and Repentance all Thanksgiving to God for it This is pure Pelagianisme If it be said that it is the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and a Consequent of electing love I Answere all the fruites of election which are to be wrought in us are procured by the blood of Christ for all are conveyed to us in a Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator and Surety and with Christ he giveth us all things Rom. 8 32. and we are blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings according as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1 3 4 So we are predestinate unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1 5. and adoption is not had without Faith Ioh. 1 12. can we have Actual Redemption in Christ's blood Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. even forgiveness of sinnes and not have also in his blood Faith without which there is no actual redemption or forgiveness of sinnes to be had when Christ gave himself for us that he might purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. did he not purchase Faith without which we cannot be such when the Renewing of the holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through I. C. Tit. 3 5 6. have we not Faith also through him May we not pray for Faith and can we pray for any thing and not in Christ's name See 2 Tim. 1 9. 1 Pet 1 3 Rom. 8 32 39. Luk. 22 32. 24. Againe 13. All that Christ died for must certanely be Saved But all Men shall not be saved That all for whom Christ died must certanely be saved is hence apparent 1. That all who have Saving Faith Repentance shall be saved will not be denyed that Christ hath purchased Faith Repentance to all for whom he died we have showne above 2. These who shall freely get all things from God must get Salvation for all things else signifie nothing without that but all they for whom Christ was delivered shall get all things Rom. 8 32. 3. They whom nothing shall separate from the love of Christ and from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord must certainly be saved But all they for whom Christ hath died will in due time have ground to say this Rom. 8 34 35 39. 4. All they to whose charge nothing can be laid shall be saved But this will be true of all that Christ died for for Christ's death is held forth as the ground of this Rom. 8 33 34. 5. They for whom Christ interceedeth shall undoubtedly be saved But Christ intercedeth for all for whom he died Rom. 8 34. 6. All who are sanctified shall be saved But all that Christ died for shall in due time be sanctified Sanctification being as we shewed above one principal intended end of Christ's deatâ— 7. All Christ's Elected sheep shall be saved But such are they for whom Christ died as was showne 8. All that God and Christ love with the greatest love imaginable shall certainly be saved But such are they for whom Câ—rist died Ioh. 3 16. 15 1â— Act. 20.28 Eph. 5 25. 9. All that become the righteousness of God in Christ shall be saved But that shall be true of all for whom he died or was made sin or a sacrifice for sin 2 Cor. 5 21. 10. All that shall be blessed in having their sins pardoned shall be saved Rom. 4 6 7 8. But all for whom Christ died shall have this redemption Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 11. All they whom Christ knoweth acknowledgeth shall be saved Mat. 7 34. But he knoweth all them for his sheep Ioh. 10 14 1â— for whom he died 12. All for whom Christ rose againe shall be saved seing he rose for our justification Rom. 4 25. But he rose againe for all those for whom he died Rom 4 25. who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification Rom. 8 34. 13. All who shall be planted together with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 5. 14. All they in whom the old man shall be crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth they should not serve sin shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 6 7 8. knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him c. 15. All they who shall be made Kings and Priests unto God shall be saved But all the redeemed shall be such Rev. 1 5 6. 5 10. See worthy Mr Durham on the Revel p. 303. 16. If Christ must see of the travail of his soul then these he died for must be saved But the former is true Esai 53 11. 17. All whom Christ shall Juâ—tifie shall be saved But he shall justify all whose iniquities he beareth Esai 53 11. Thus is this sufficiently proved 25. It is also considerable 14. That no where in Scripture we finde it expresly said and affirmed That Christ died for all men Far less finâ—e we it said that Christ died for all and every man Why then is all thâ—s trouble made But they say as much as all that is said by consequence And this we deny if they will rationally presse this matter they should evince that such expressions as they make so much work about can be no otherwise understood than they suppose in the places where they stand and this they shall never be able to do Though it be said that Christ gave his life a Ransome for all yet no reason can evince that that is necessarily to be understood of all and every man so nor can they conclude any thing rationally from the word world They may as well inferre from these words all and the world that Christ died for devils beasts sensless creatures as that he died for all and every man for they are comprehended under these terms as well as Men And if they will restrict these termes to men because of other Scriptures why may not we restrick them also to the Elect because of the correspondence of other passages of Scripture They cannot deny us the liberty they take to themselves If they say that there is a vast difference betwixt Devils an Men in reference to such favours We deny it not but shall adde that in reference to spiritual favours amongst which we cannot but reckon with the good leave of our Adversaries the death of Christ being the fruit and expression of the greatest love of God to Man we finde also a great difference in Scripture Some are Loved some Hated Rom. 9 11 12. Some whom He Knoweth some whom he Knoweth not Ioh. 10 14. 13 18. Mat. 7 33. 2 Tim. 2 19. Some Chosen and Ordained to life others Not but to Wrath Act. 13 48. Rom. 8 30. 9 18. c. Ephes. 1 4. 1 Thes. 5 9. Some Sheep others Goats Mat. 25 32. Some on whom God hath Mercy others whom he Hardeneth Rom. 9. Some his Church others not Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. Some of the Wâ—rld others nâ—t Ioh. 17 9 10. Some his Brethren others not Heb. 2 10 12 13. And as plainly read we that Christ died for his People Mat. 1 21. his Sheep Ioh. 10 11 12 14.
his Church Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. his Elect Rom. 8 32 34. his Children Heb. 2 12 13. 26. If we would consider aright 15. What Christ did undergoe suffer while he was made sin or was making satisfaction for sin we should hardly think it probable that Christ Jesus God-man who was the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3. and thought it no robbery to be counted equal with God Phil. 2 6. Should have undergone what he did undergoe and that the Father should have laid all that upon him which he did lay upon him and that to purchase only a meer Possible Redemption from sin and wrath whereby not one person should be saved or pardoned if so it had seemed good to captaine Free will Not to Mention his condescending to be Born of a woman and to be Made under the Law Gal. 4 4. nor his being in the Forme of a servant Phil. 2 7. nor his Poverty and mean condition in the world 2 Cor. 8 9 nor his Conflicting with the indignities of the world Psal. 22 6. Heb. 12 2 3. with the temptations of Satan Mat. 4 1 -12. Luk. 4 15. and his being under the infirmities common to the nature of man being in all things like us except sin Heb. 2 17. 4 15. Esai 52 13 14. Nay nor his sufferings in his Body Name Honour at death when he was Betrayed by Iudas Mat. 2â— 4. Forsaken by his disciples Mat. 26 56. Scorned and Reviled by the world Esai 53 2 3. Condemned as a malefactor by Pilat and Tormented by his persecuters Mat. 27 26 50. Ioh. 19 34. and Endured the Painful Shameful and Cursed deatâ— of the crosse Phil. 2 8. Heb. 12 2. all which and the like being endured by Him who was the Son of God could be no mean suffering nor undergone for an uncertain end or for the procureing of a meer Possible and Uncertain good But that which we would most take notice of here is his Soul sufferings being pursued by divine justice when that Zach. 13 7. was accomplished awake O sword against my shepheard against the Man that is my follow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered Mat. 26 31. and the Lord did bruise him and put him to griefe Esai 53 5 10. and he began to be sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26 37 38. and was sore amazed and very heavy Mark. 14 34. and was put to offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him Heb. 5 7. when notwithstanding that an angel appeared unto him from heaven strengthening him yet being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Luk. 22 43 44. and at length was made to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22 1. Mat. 27 46. Mark 15 34. This was no mean business when the Rayes and Irradiations of Divine Love were drawn-in and withheld from him who had such a sharp sense of the happiness in the enjoying of God's favour because of the Personal union with the Godhead But that which is most of all to be considered is his being made a Curse Gal 3 13. and so made to wrestle with the Justice and Wrath of a sin-revenging God This was the gall and the wormwood that made him cry Ioh. 2 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Shall we suppoâ—e that all this was about an Uncertane Bargane Shall we think that he died the cursed death of the crosse and bore the weight of God's wrath Luk. 22 4â— Mat. â—7 46. and so became a sacrifice to satisfie divine justice Heb. 9 14 18 all to purchase a meer Possâ—bility or a meer Possible Redemption Shall we think that the Second pâ—rson of the Trinity should do and suffer all these things for to redeem man when possibly if Freewill should be so ill natured not one man should reap any advantage thereby Me thinks the asserting of this should be a great temptation to cause people turne Socinians and deny all these soul sufferings of Christ and his bearing the wrath of God and making any satisfaction to justice 27. Adde to this 16. That the Scriptures speak of Christ's Death Sufferings as being not for himself but for Others and that not only for the good and advaâ—tage of others and doubtless the advantage of all this should be but little if it were nothing else but a meer Possible Redemption which Free will might make Actual or Not Actual as it pleased but in their Roome and Place hence it is called the chastisement of our peace Esai 53 5. and he is said to have bâ—rne our griefs and carryed our sorrowes vers 4. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities vers 5. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. for the transgression of my people was he stricken vers 8. for he shall bear their iniquities vers 11. he bare the sin of many vers 12. He bear our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 24. the just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3 18. Hence beleevers are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2 20 to be baptized into his death Rom. 6 3. buried with him by baptisme into death vers 4. planted together in the likeness of his death vers 5. dead with Christ vers 8. He was cut off but not for himself Dan. 9 26. See also Heb. 2 9. 1 Pet. 2 21. Shall we say that this was meerly for our good seing it was in some respect for the good of the whole creation Rom. 8 20 21 22 23. Act. 3 21. and not in our Place and Stead Paul saith 2 Cor 2 14. If one be dead for all then were all dead And iâ— is manifest that he payed the Law-debt having taken on him the seed of Abraham for this end Heb. 2 16. and being made a curse for us he redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3 10. So that it was in our stead Rom. 5 6 7 8. Ioh. 11 50. 10 11 15. And the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath clearly this import Mat. 5 38. 17 27. Esa. 4â— 4. Exod. 21 23 24. 1 Chron. 14 1. 1 King 3 7. 2 King 1 17. 11 43 Prov. 11 8. Iob. 16 4. 34 â— 1 Pet. â— 9. Rom. 12 17. See many other places cited by worthy Mr Rutherfoord in his book of the Covenant Pag. 25.255 where both in the N. T. and to the LXX version of tâ—e old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his impâ—rt And this tâ—uâ—h is abundantly made out by our Orthodox Divines writing against the Socinians so thâ—t I need say no more of it only I â—hink such as aâ—â—ert the Reâ—emptâ—â—n puâ—chased by Christ to have been a
others who performe not the condition and so obtaine nothing but to Ourselves only who make ourselves to differ and so may we sing praises to ourselve and put the crown upon our owne heads and give no song of praise to the Redeemer but what such as go to hell are bound to give contrary to all Christian Religion If Christ hath purchased this Condition then iâ— is done either Absolutly or Conditionally If Aâ—soâ—utely tâ—an all shall Absolutely have it if Conditionally we enquire what is the Condition And whatever it be we may move the same questions concerning it 5. By this meanes the act should creat â—ts owne object for Faith in the death of Christ is ordinarily given as the Condâ—tâ—on and this faith maketh the death of Christ valide which otherwayes would not be 6. This maketh all the vertue of Christs death to depend upon mans act so that if man will all shall be saved if not no man shall be saved notwithstanding that Christ died for them 7. This makes Christ but at most a half Mediator doing one part of the work and man coming in to compleete it must be the other half mediator and so at least must have the halfe of the Praise 8. where saith â—he Scripture that if we beleeve Christ died for us or that Christ died for all or for any Conditionally It is true some of the effects of Christ's death are bestowed conditionally â—aking the word conditionally not properly as it the performance of that condition did in proper law â—ense procure a right to these mercies for through the merites of Châ—ist's blood have we a right properly to alâ— but improperly as denoteing nothing but the Methode and way of Goâ—'s bestowing the blessings purchaâ—ed fiâ—st this and thâ—n upon the souls acting oâ— that another as for examâ—le fiâ—st faith then upon the souls acting oâ— Faith Iustâ—fication then Saâ—ctification c. and upon the souls acting of Sanctification Gloâ—ification but the deâ—th of Christ cannot therefore be called Conditional more than thâ— will or purpose of God can be called conditional because some of the things willed may depend â—pon other as upon a condition 9 Then by performing thâ— Condition man should â—rocure to himself a Legal Right and Title not only to the dâ—aâ—h of Christ buâ—â—o Iustification Adoption Sanctification yea and to Glorification yea and that a more near and effectual Title and right than what was had by Christ's death for the Title had by Christ's death if it can be called a Title was far Remote Common to such as shall never have any pâ—ofiâ—e by it but the other is Câ—rtain Particular Proxime and giveth possession jus in re 10. Then Christ's blood as shed upon the crosse was but a Potential thing hâ—ving no power or vertue in it self to redeem any it was but a poor Potential price and all its vertue of actual purchasing and procureing is from mans performing the Condition this and this only giveth it Power and Efficacy and so Christ is beholden to man for giving vertue unto his Blood and making it effectual which before was a dead ineffectual thing Then let any judge who should have the greatest share of the glory of Redemption Man or Christ 11. was Christ's death Absolute in no respect or was it as to some things I mean belonging to Grace and Glory Absolute if in nothing then Man must certanely have a great share of the glory if it was Absolute as to any thing what was that and why was it more Absolute as to that than as to other things And why should it then be simply and without limitation said that Christ died for all Conditionally 12. what will this Quaker say as to infants did Christ die for them Conditionally But he must say that Christ died not for them at all because they have no sin where is then his Universal Redemption Infants sure make a great part of mankinde and therefore the Redemption from whâ—ch they are excluded and of which they have no need can not be called Universal 32. For Further confirmation of our 19. Argument and confutation of our Adversaries position we adde 21 That Christ Iesus is heard of the Father in all that he asketh Psal. 2 8. Ioh. 11 41 42. and as an High Prist he entred into heaven Hâ—b 9 11.12 â—ow to appear in the presence of God for us vers 24 to prepare a plaâ—â— Iob. 14 2. to act the part of an Advocat inteâ—ceding with the Father in the behalfe of all such for whom he died 1 Ioh. 2 1 2 If then Christ whom his Father heareth alwayes intercedeth in the behalfe all these for whom he died either he did not die for all or all must certainly be saved That Christ's Intercession and Death are so the same persons will be and must be denyed by our Adversaries But to us it is most manifest from these grounds 1. To Inteâ—cede and pray are as Essential and Necessary Acts of the Priestly office as to offer sacrifice and the Apostle Heb. 9 cleareth up how Christ did in truth what the High priest among the Jewes did in the type for as the High priest alone went once every yeer into the second tabernacle or holy of holies notwithout blood which he offered for himself and the errours of the people vers 7. So Christ being come an High priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redâ—mption vers 12. Hence he is said to Live for ever to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 25. and he is an Advocat with the Father 1 Ioh. 2 1 Hence then it is manifest that Christ must Intercede for such as he did Offer up himself for or he shall not be a Perfect and Compleet High Priest or not faithfull to performe all the Oâ—fices of the High Priest neither of which can be said 2. The ground of his Intercession is held forth to be his Oblation as the High Priest went into the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifices which he had offered so Christ entered into the holy place having first obtained by the sacrifice of himself an Eternal Redemption Heb. 9 12. So he is an Advocate with the Father being first a Propitiation for sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2 3. Both his Death Intercession make up one Compleet Medium and are intended and designed as one Medium for the end designed viz the bringing of many sones unto glory saving to the uttermost all that come to God through him c. 4. How unreasonable is it to think that Christ would refuise to Pray for such whom he loved so dearly as to lay down his life for yet he saith expresly thâ—t he prayeth not for the world but for others distinguished from the world Ioh. â—7 9. 5. As His Death was for such as the Father had given him as we saw above so his
Intercession and Prayer is restricted to such Ioh. 17 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 6. Christ's end in coming into the world was to save his people Hence he gote that name Iesus but he should not be able to save them Perfectly Compleetly and to the Utermost if he did not joyne his Intercession with his Oblation Yea upon this account he continueth ever a Priest having an unchangable Priesthood Heb. ◠24 25. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7. The Apostle so joyneth them together Rom. 8 34. that they must do manifest violence to the Apostles reasoning who would pull them asunder and separate the one from the other It is sais he Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 8. Yea they are so joyned together here that his death alone considered could not yeeld that ground of triumph and boasting nor security from Accusations Yea rather that is risen againe c. 9. So that the separating and taking of these asunder is greatly prejudicial to the consolation of his people for though they should attaine to some apprehensions of Christ's dying for them as an Advocate with the Father upon new sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. Though Christ died yet they might be condemned for he must also Interceed and if he do not Intercede for them their Hopes and Comforts are gone And so there should be no force in that who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8 34. And a poor soul might be had saved but not to the uttermost contrare to Heb. 7 25. 10 And that place Rom. 8 33. restricteth both equally unto the Elect who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect 11. When Christ laid down his life a Ransome for sinners he could not but know that by that Ransome none should be actually saved without his Intercession it being accorded betwixt Father and Son that the mediator should mediate both by Price and by Prayer And he could not but know for whom he purposed and intended to Interceed how shall we then suppose that he would lay down his life for those for whom he was purposed not to Pray Or that he would do the most for them For whom he would not do the least 12. Christ's intercession is really a presenting unto God the Oblation made Therefore sayes the Apostle Heb. 9 24. that Christ is entered into heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And so by appearing he Interceedeth and his appearing is in his owne blood whereby he obtained Eternal Redemption Heb. 5 12. and so his Intercession must be for all for whom the Oblation was and the eternal Redemption was obtained 13. Yea both these are so joyned together by Esaias Chap. 53 12. as that they are made one ground and procureing cause of God's divideing him a portion with the great and of Christs own divideing the spoile with the strong Because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours 14. This is further clear from the reasons we gave to confirme that fast connexion betwixt Christ's Impetration Application in the foregoing paragraph for the Actual Application of the benefite and fruit of his oblation is attributed to his Intercession 15. Nay that whole Chapter Ioh 17. confirmeth this for there Christ is both Offering himself or sanctifying himself thereunto vers 19. and Interceding and these are so lincked together both in themselves and as to the persons for whom that it must argue at least much incogitancy to imagine a divulsion separation of these two acts of his Priesthood 16. If Christ Intercede not for the same persons for whom he died we ask for whom he Intercedeth Is it for actual beleevers Then we ask a Scripture ground for this restriction And then it is manifest hence that Christ Intercedeth not for the working of faith in any And yet Esaias tels us that he maketh Intercession for transgressours And we see Ioh. 17 20. that he prayeth not only for those who were already beleevers but for such also as were not yet beleevers He told us Himself also that he would pray the Father for the Spirit Ioh. 14 vers 16. And among other things this is one work of the Spirit to cause a sinner beleeve 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. 33. The point we are upon will be further cleare if we consider 22. That Christ's death was a Redemption and we are said to be Redeemed thereby Gal. 4 5. and 3 13. Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 1 Pet. 1 8. Revel 5 9. Tit. 2 14. And therefore all such as he laid down this Redemption or Redemption-money for must of necessity be redeemed and saved and consequently he died not for all seing all are not redeemed and saved His Ransome or Price of redemption which he laid down viz. his blood which he shed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome Mat. 20 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. That all such for whom this Redemption-money was payed and this Ransome was given must be saved is cleare for 1. Other wayes it were no Redemption a ransome given for Captives doth say that these Captives in law and justice ought to be set at liberty 2. This Redemption is the same with as to the effect or hath attending it forgiveness of sins Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. and forgiveness of sins is with justification hath blessedness attending it Rom. 4 6 7 8. 3. Salvation necessarily followeth upon this Ransome and Redemption as is clear 1 Tim. 2 4. compared with vers 6. 4. This redemption is from a vaine Conversation 1 Pet. 1 18. and consequently is attended with Salvation 5. It is attended with justification Rom. 3 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ 6. Hence it is called the Redemption of the transgressions Heb 9 15. that is either of Transgressours by a metonimy or of us from the evil of transgressions that upon a valuable compensation and satisfaction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Redemption from evil by the Interveening of a Price a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom 7. This was a Redemption from the law for God sent forth his son made under the law to redeem them who were under the law Gal. 4 4 5. so by this redemption there is a liberation had from the Law and its Curse and Penality 8. And it is a Redemption of such as were under the law for this end that they might receive the adoption of sones Gal. 4 5. But this Adoption of sones
is not common to all 9. All which receiveth confirmation from this that the Father who received this ransome did himself send his Son to lay it down and so it was his own Ransome and therefore must have been payed upon a certaine designe of actually Redeeming and delivering from Sin Satan Death and Hell those for whom it was laid downe 10. So is there an other end of this redemption mentioned Gal. 3 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ. 1. Seing the Lord jehovah might have refused to free the sinner upon any Redemption or satisfaction offered and exacted all of the sinners themselves that they lay under by the law it was a great condescendence in love of this great Lord and a gracious act of Soveraignity to accept of a mediation and of Love and free grace to provide a Redâ—emer we cannot but in reason think that His good pleasure did regulate this matter as to the Persons who should be Redeemed and as to the manner and method after which they should actually partake of the Redemption And that therefore the persons to be redeemed were condescended upon and the persons condescended upon were certanely to be â—edeemed the Lord having intended in the contrivance of this Redemption the certaine Salvation and Redemption of those who were condescended upon of none else and the Intentions Designes and Purposes of God are not vaine nor frustrable 34. Further 23. Christ's death had a real Merite in it that is a worth and value to procure the good things it was given for so that thereby there was a Purchase made Act. 20 28. And therefore we cannot suppose that all that was Procured and Purchased hereby was a General Uncertane and meerly Possible thing If it had a value and worth in it as no question it had to purchase and procure grace and glory unto all for whom it was given and was accepted as a valuable price of the Father why should not the thing hereby purchased be given and granted in due time To say that all was suspâ—nded upon a condition is to make all Uncertaine or we must say that Christ's death did procure that Condition also and then all is right for that is it we say 35. 24. Christ's death is to be considered as the death of a Testator Heb. 9 15 16 17. And for this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance for where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth So he said himself of the cup in the Sacrament that it was the blood of the New Testament Mat. 26 28. Mark 14 24. and that it was the cup of the New Testament in his blood Luk. 22 20. and Paul calleth it the New Testament in his blood 1 Cor. 11 25. So that his Death and Bloodshed was the death of a Testatour for the confirmation of the New Testament and for ascertaneing of the Legatees of the good things bequathed to them in legacy by the Testament Now a Testament commonly is a declaration of the Testatours free Absolute and Voluntary Purpose of bestowing such and such benefites to such and such friends and so it is the Testatours letter will whereby he willeth that this legacy be given to this person and that to another It is true men may insert some conditions as to some legacies because they are but men and know not contingent future things nor have they the wils and dispositions of such they appoint legatees in their own hand and power But it is otherwayes with our Testatour and therefore we cannot think that He left the legacies in his Testament at the uncertanty of conditions to be performed by men especially considering how as he died to ratify the Testament so he rose againe to administrate the same as the sole executor thereof by his Spirit and that what legacies he left to be bestowed upon such and such conditions he left not the matter at an uncertanty for the condition it self was bequathed as the necessary good of the Testament without which all would have been to no purpose It is unreasonable then to think that Christ died to give force to his Testament yet it might come to passe that he should have no heire to enjoy the goods left in legacy Nor is it reasonable to think that all the world were equally his heires seing the Inheritance and Kingdom is for the little flâ—ck Luk. 12 32. and a peculiar select number â— Pet. 1 4. Ioh. 17 24. Col. 1 12. who are heires of the promises of God of salvation of the grace of God of the Kingdom c. Rom. 8 17. Gal. 3 29. and 4 7 30. Ephes. 3 6. Heb. 1 14. and 6 1â— and 11 7. Iam. 2 5. 1 Pet. 3 7. Therefore all whom Christ hath appointed heires in his Testament shall certanely enjoy the good things tested in due time for his Death gave force to his Testament as being his Last and Unchangeable will so that they cannot misse of the Inheritance and be disappointed especially considering that Christ by his death laid downe a valuable rich price to purchase all these good things which he left in legacy to his friends heires 36. Christ's death moreover 25. is to be considered as the death of a Sponsor and Cautioner and this will further confirme our point Hence he is called a Surety Heb. 7 22. and is said to die for the ungodly Rom. 5 6. to be made a curse for us Gal. 3 13. and to be made sin 2 Cor. 5 21. and other expressions of the like kinde have the same import From whence it is evident that Christ took the debt upon him that was justly to be charged upon the account of sinners that he became one person in Law with sinners the principal debtor that he payed and satisfied for all the debt and that in their roome and place and that therefore all these for whom he died must certainly be delivered from the Debt and from the Charge and Consequences thereof These things are manifest of themselves and need no further confirmation Now seing all are not delivered from the debt of sin nor from the punishment due because of sin we cannot say that Christ died as a Cautioner for all for sure his death was a compleat payment of all the debt he undertook to pay and to satisfie for Nor can we say that he died as a Cautioner for he knew not whom far lesse that he died as a Cautioner and yet none might possibly receive advantage thereby Nor yet can we say that he died as a Cautioner and payed
for some sinnes of all and not for all their sinnes for whom he died seing he was a Compleet Cautioner So then as Christ died in their roome and stead as their Cautioner and Sponsor for whom he died wrong should be done to Him if all these for whom he was a Cautioner should not at length actually be delivered out of prison freed from the accusation of the law They for whom he died being in him legally when he died and morally and virtually dying in him and with him must not in justice be made to pay their own debt and satisfie the law over againe Christ's stricking hands as the phrase is Prov. 22 26. and so putting his name in the obligation and accordingly making satisfaction the Principal 's name is blotted out and he freed in the time appointed for he beare our griefs and carryed our sorrowes c. Esai 53 4 5. and by meanes of death he delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime ubject to bondage Heb. 2 14 15. 37. This matter will be further clear if we consider 26. How the death of Christ was a Satisfaction and none can deny this but Antichristian Socinians Others willingly grant that Christ did substitute himself in the room of sinners and was willing to undergo the punishment threatned in the Law against sin that the sinners for whom he undertook satisfaction might be freed So he bear their sins Esai 53 11. 1 Pet. 2 24 And he was made sin 2 Cor. 5 21. Hence he is called a Propitiation 1 Ioh. 2 3. 4 10. Rom. 3 25. Whereby we see that Christ took upon him the whole Punishment that was due to sin and that God whom sinners had offended was well pleased with what he did and suffered according to that undertaking yea more pleased than he was displeased with all the sinnes of those for whom he suffered for hereby His Authority and justice was made to appear more glorious excellent How then can we think that many of those it may be all for whom he gave that satisfaction may notwithstanding possibly be made to make satisfaction for themselves as they may by our Adversaries way Was not his satisfaction full compleat Why should any then for whom he gave that satisfaction be liable to Punishment Is this consonant to justice Did not the Lord Jehovah send Christ and fit him with a body for this end Psal. 40 6. Heb. 10 5. laid upon Him the iniquities of us all Esai 53 6 that He might make full satisfaction for them to justice suffer for them all that the Law could demande of them or they were liable unto by the broken Law Did not Christ do suffer all which he undertook to do suffer for this end And did not the Father accept of what he did suffered as a full Compensation Satisfaction And seing this cannot be denied it is manifest that this was done by Christ as a Cautioner Heb. 7 22. how can it be imagined that the Principal debtor shall not thereupon have a fundamental right to freedom pardon in due time after the Gospel method be actually Discharged delivered from the penalty of the Law Redeemed by the Satisfactory Price payed by the Cautioner accepted of the Creditour Doth not the denying of this certain infallible Effect call in question the value worth of Christ's satisfaction and give ground to say that Jehovah was not Satisfied with the price or that Christ made no Satisfaction Did not Christ make Reconciliation for the sinnes of his people Heb. 2 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. Adde for a further confirmation of this 27. That Christ's death was a propitiating sacrifice He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He offered up himself once Heb. 7 27. He is a sacrifice for us 1 Cor. 5 7. the lamb of God which beareth or taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1 29. He offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9 14 he was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Heb. 9 28. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all he offered one sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. 10 10 12. Now as the sacrifices under the Law which were a type of this did not procure a General Possible benefite but did procure a Real favour only to the People of God for they sanctified to the purifying of the fâ—esh Heb. 9 13. So certanely this Real and Perfect sacrifice must have a Peculiar and Real Effect and sprinkle consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And this is not a thing common to all nor is it a meer Possible thing They must then do a great indignity unto the Sacrifice of Christ who speak of an Universal meerly Possible Redemption 39. Adde to this 28. How upon this Sacrifice which Christ offered up in his death we read of a Reconciliation made Ephes 2 â—6 and that he might Reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity by it or in himself 2 Cor 5 10. when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to Reconcile all things unto himself Therefore is he called our Peace Ephes. 2 14. he maketh Peace vers 15. we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5 1. Now this Reconciliation being of parties that are at varience must be a Reconciliation of both to other and so a mutual Reconciliation and Christ effectuateth both and both are purchased by his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger and Wrath were not appeased and taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us and upon us Ephes 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live and die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2 Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin and he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. 40. Adde 29. That it seemeth
These sound ill to Christian ears 44. So 33. we may thus reason Either Christ's Redemption is Conditional and Universal as to the Price laid down and Satisfaction made or as to the Application and Actual bestowing of the benefites purchased But neither can be said to the advantage of the Adversaries cause for if the last be said we willingly grant that some of the benefites as Justification Adoption and actuall Glorification are conferred in a manner conditionally but some as faith and the New heart are given absolutely and this cannot help the Adversaries cause for they will not say that either all have faith bestowed upon them or that all are by believing Justified and Adopted c. and so this is not Universall and if the first be said to wit That Christ laid down his life Conditionally it must be said that Christ did not lay down his life Absolutely but upon some condition and what can that Condition be upon which the death of Christ was suspended If it be said that the faith of those to whom it was to be preached was the condition then it must be said that Christ did not die untill these beleeved or that his death was no satisfaction or price untill they actually beleeved and then the Father could not be well pleased with the price as a satisfaction until mens Faith came to make it an Actual price which is both absurd and contrary to Scripture If it be said That Christ did absolutely lay down his life a satisfactory Ransom and that for all yet so as none that would not fulfill the condition should be redeemed I Answer If it was an Absolute satisfactory Ransome and accepted as such something must have been purchased thereby and all behoved actually and really to be delivered from the Law and from the curse or from something by vertue of that Absolute Price and they could not be made to pay over againe what was payed by the price of his blood for Justice could not call for two satisfactions And if all were upon this Absolute Price payed Redeemed from the Law the Curse and the Sentence of the first Covenant no man shall now die for that broken Covenant If it be said No man was Absolutely delivered even from that but only Conditionally I Ans. How then was it an Absolute Price Or what was purchased thereby If it be said That a possibility of Freedom was absolutely purchased Ans. This was rejected above and the Scripture inferreth Actual Redemption from Christs purchase He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Esai 53 11. which saith That all whose iniquities he did bear shall be Actually and Really Justified by him and not have a meer Possibility of justification 45 Further 34. We may thus argue If Christ died for all and every one He either died for all Absolutely or Conditionally The first cannot be said for the reasons already adduced militate against that Nor can it be said that He died for all Conditionally for then either he died to purchase Life and Salvation to all upon condition of their performance of something proposed as a Condition or to purchase salvation and all the meanes thereunto or conditions thereof Conditionally But neither of these can be said Therefore c. The major is clear from this that the enumeration is full and no other way can this Conditional Redemption be conceived or explained The minor may be thus confirmed The first way cannot be said to wit that life and salvation was purchased to all upon a condition to be by them performed that is upon Condition of their believing for either this Condition is in the power of every son of Adam or not if it be not in their power as all but Pelagians will confess then this Redemption is no Redemption for a Redemption of Captives upon a condition impossible to them is as good as no Redemption Nor can the last way be said to wit that Redemption and all the Conditions and Means thereof were Conditionally purchased for what can be assigned as the Condition of these Conditions And though there were a Condition of the Lords working of faith assigned which yet we finde not in Scripture yet that would not help the matter for that Condition of faith would it self be a mean to salvation and so purchased Conditionally upon another Condition and that other Condition must be purchased upon another Condition and so in infinitum which is absurd 46. As also 35. this is considerable That the asserting of Universal Redemption goeth not alone but there are several other Universalities also affirmed and maintained either as Consequences or Concomitants or Grounds thereof which the Scripture knoweth not such as these 1. An Universal Love and Philanthropie towards all and every one without any difference which they lay down as the ground of the Sending of Christ to die for all indiscriminatly 2. An Universal Will in God to save all which they call an Antecedent Will and hold forth as a Velleity or a wish and desire that all might be saved as if God could not effectuat whatever he desired or could have a velleity towards any thing which either he could not or would not effectuat 3. An Universal Predestination conditional which expression Amerald used untill the Synods in France did disswad him therefrom 4. An Universal gift of all to Christ or an Universal gift of Christ to all that is a Will and purpose that Christ should lay down his life for all and Redeem all at least Conditionally 5. An Universal Justification conditional And why not also an Universal Salvation conditional 6. An Universal Covenant of grace made with all mankinde in Adam wherein is a free universal deed of gift of Christ first and of Pardon Spirit and Glory in and by him to all Mankinde without exception upon condition of acceptance as also an offer of Faith Repentance Conversion with all the conâ—equâ—nces thereof 7. An Universal will in God to call into this Covenant and unto the Participation of the benefites thâ—reof all and every man 8. An Universal execution of this will or promulgation of this Gospel or New Covenant unto all and every one by common favours and benefites bestowed or all whereby all are called to believe in a mercâ—ful pardoning God and all have abundance oâ— Mercies and Meanes of Recovery and of life for the Lord now governeth the world only on termes of grace 9. Upon this followeth an Universal Command to all men to use ceâ—taine duties and meanes for their Recovery by Faith and Repâ—nâ—ance 10. An Universal pardon of the first Sin so far at least that no man shall perish for the meer Original sin of Nature alone unless he adde the rejection of grace 11 Hence followeth an Universal Judgment and Sentence on all in the great day only according as they have performed the new Gospel conditions 12. Some also adde an â—niversal Subjective Grace whereby all are enabled to performe the conditions of
Christ was not sent to all Universally for he was to reigne over the house of Iacob Luk. 1 13. and was to save his people from their sinnes Mat. 1 21. And that not Possibly only but Really Luk. 1 69 70 71 72 73 74. Which is not verified of all Universally but of all his People who are in due time delivered Actually and Really out of the hands of their enemies and made to serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness and have Actual Remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from on high hath visited them c. vers 74 75 77 78 79. 49. Nor saith he Pag. 70. had the Angels had occasion to have praised said on the earth peace and goodwill towards men Answ. Much lesse had they sung thus if all the salvation that Christ brought with him had been a meer Possibility a may be that might never have been but the ground of the song is clear with us because Christ was certainly to have a Chosen Flock a Redeemed Company out of all the coastes corners of the earth who should be Reconciled unto God and enjoy the fruites of his good will toward them He alleigeth next Christs commission Mark 16 vers 15. to preach the Gâ—spel to every creature adding that of Paul Col. 1 28. But 1. This will no more prove that Christ died for all men than for Devils Beasts for they are creatures 2. Christ's commission now when the partition wall was taken away by the death of Christ Ephes. 2 14. is enlarged He formerly did limite them to the Jewes to the lost sheep of the house of Israel expresly forbad them to go into the way of the Gentiles Mat. 10 5 6. but now he sends them through the World to preach to all Indefinitely without discrimination Mat. 28 19. because the Chosen who were to be brought in by preaching were scattered through the Nations 3. How will this then prove an Universal Redemption when the very enlarging of the commission doth demonstrate the contrary as â—o the ages preceeding the death of Christ the grant of this enlarged commission 4. From the preaching of the Gospel to all indefinitly by Men who know not the hidden Counsels Purposes of God to inferre an Universal Redemption is no rational way of argueing Men must preach to many indefinitly for the Elects sake whom the Lord may have among them as Paul did at Corinth where the Lord had much people Act. 18 10. And sometimes we finde the Lord would not suffer them to preach to some Act. 16 7. 50. But saith he furtâ—er The Gospel inviteth all will God mâ—ck any whom he inviteth and calleth to come to him Sure if Christ hath not died for all and made salvation possible to all Ministers should be sent out to mock people when they are sent to command all to beleeve that Christ died for them This is the summe of what he largely discourâ—eth and is to no purpose for it is founded upon an untruth to wit that the preaching of the Gospel is a commanding of all to beleeve that Christ died for them while as the Gospel commandeth such to whom it is preached to flee to an alsufficient Saviour in the sense of their sin misery conviction of their impotency to save themselves and in the faith that there is not another name given among men by which we must be saved Act. 4 12. And truely this name is an alsufficient name there being herein salvation for all that will come and none by the preaching of the Gospel are debarred who do not by wilful unbeleefe debarre and exclude themselves for thus hath the Lord in his deep wisdome contrived the business And this preaching of the Gospel doth not properly and directly declare the secret purposes of God for secret things belong not to us but unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong to us Deut. 29 vers 29. And the preached Gospel pointeth forth the duty of such to whom it is preached and this word of command is the only Rule of peoples duty and not the hidden and unseen Purposes of God It is true the fixed preaching of the Gospel in a place may say that it is probable God hath some people there and it certainly telleth us that all such as do beleeve the Gospel and obey it shall be saved because of the fixed and indissoluble connexion betwixt that which the Gospel requireth and salvation And though the Lord send his servants upon the same errand that he sent Esaias Chap. 6 9 10. and that Christ himself was sent upon Ioh. 12 37 38 39 40. and Paul Act. 28 25 26 27. we must not say that the Lord is mocking more then that he was mocking Pharaoh when he sent Moses to him commanding him to let the people of Israel go It would become us rather to adore and stoup And this may satisfie for an answere to what he addeth in the end of § 6. Pag. 71. though it be not to the present business But to close this what can all this say for Universal Redemption seing the Gospel the Ministers thereof are not sent to all and every person in every corner of the world and that in all ages 51. He proceedeth Pag. 71. § 7. and tels us That he remembereth not one passage of Scripture where it is said that Christ hath not died for all And it may suffice for answer to tell him that neither do we remember one place of Scripture where it is said that Christ hath died for all men or for all and every man And if he think that the Scripture speaketh this sufficiently by consequence We have showne above that the Scripture saith sufficiently by consequence that Christ did not die for all but for a select company He citeth 1 Tim. 2 1 3 4 6. as did the Pelagians of old as August sheweth lib. 4 contra Iul. c. 8. Enchir. adlaur c. 103. lib. de Corrept Gratia c. 14. all the Arminians of late And after some discourse hereupon he reasoneth thus therefrom Pag. 72. For whomsoever we may pray to him salvation is possible But me may pray for Salvation to every one in the world Therefore salvatiâ—n is possible to every one The assumption he should have said the Proposition I prove thus No man is obliged to pray nor may he pray for that which is impossible But every man is commanded to pray for all Therefore it is not impossible Againe No man is bound to pray but in faith But he who prayeth for what is impossible cannot pray in faith Therefore Againe what God willeth that is not impossible But God will have all Men to be saved Therefore it is not impossible Finally for whom Christ gave himself a price of redemption to them Salvation is possible But Christ gave himself a price of redemption for all Therefore c. 52.
the first sense and consideration the Gospel is in the hand of God alone for He hath made a certane firme connexion betwixt Grace Glory Faith and Salvation Justification and Sanctifiâ—ation Vocation Effectual and Justification and Adoption and betwixt all these and Final Redemption and Glorification And He in the time and manner which please him best worketh the one for bringing the other to passe He Calleth whom hâ— will and Iustifieth whom he will and Sanctifieth whom he will that he may Glorifie whom he will so that in this respect we must look on all these blessings as ordained for the same individual persons and look on the death of Christ the meriteing and procureing cause of these rich Favours and Blessings as only intended for them whom he intendeth to glorifie and must also look on the whole Gospel as intended for them But as to the Gospel considered in the second sense it is the Ministry and Word of Reconciliation committed unto Men 2 Cor 5 18 19. who as Ambassadours for Christ must pray in Christ's stead that people would be reconciled to God vers 20. The dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto them 1 Cor. 9 17. Ephes. 3 2. And because even these dispensators ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4 1. being but men and unacquanted with the secrets of the Decrees and Counsels of God must speak to all indefinitely beseech all exhort all and every man without exception of those they are sent unto and laboure to present every man perfect in Christ and to wooe them to Christ and to espouse them to one husband that they may present them as a chaste virgin to Câ—rist 2 Cor. 11 2. Col. 1 25 28. It is then a groundless mistake to inferre the Universality of the Purpose of God from the Universality of the Offer or to think that Christ died for all and every one because ministers must dispense the word and hold forth Christ as an al sufficient mediator and command all and every one to whom they preach to beleeve and repent It is unreasonable to make the will of God as the supream and absolute Disposer of all things and his will as the only supream Lawgiver to be of the same complexion and latitude or to inferre the one from the other for that were to commensurate Duty with the Event as if nothing could come to passe but what were duty and nothing duty but what came to passe 58. Once more sixtly we would consider some further designe which the Lord hath in holding forth the matter in his Word and in the mouth of his Servants in such ample termes to wit to encourage poor souls to approach and lay hold upon the offer that is held forth in such indefinite termes that none upon any real ground may shift themselves from under the reach of the tender of the Gospel who have a minde to the bargain Hence it is not alwayes said that Christ died for the elect for poor souls under the conviction of guilt and assaulâ—ed with the feaâ—es of hell are ready enough to concluâ—e themselâ—es Reprobates and to hearken to the temptations of Satan suggesting this and so to their owne prejudice reason themselves out of the reach of Mercy and of the Merites of the death of Christ Therefore hath the Lord in the depth of his Wisdom and Goodness so contrived the letter of the Gospel that though there be sufficient evidence of the truth concernâ—ng the extent of the death of Christ as a price and a ransome to justice for the full comfort and establishâ—ng of the heaâ—ts of beleevers yet the matter is held forth in its Administration and Dispensation by men in such general termes as may give encouragement to such souls keep them from desperat despondency of Spirit for though they cannot see as neither are they warranted at the first to enquire and be anxious about it but to hearken to the word of command obey â—he call that they are among the number of the Elect yet they can see and are convinâ—ed that they are sinners and therefore is Christ said to die for the ungodly and for sinners Rom 5 6 8. and it is said that he came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1 15. And if this should not satisfie as an awakened soul assaulâ—ed with temptations of Satan can devise many evasions and shifts to its owne hurt and disadvantage yet they cannot but croud themselves in among Men and men and women that will come are not excluded and among the World hence the world is mentined in this matter Ioh. 1 29. 3 16. 6 51. 1 Ioh. 2 2. Not that God designed or Christ came to die for the whole World or to take away the sinnes of the whole world or to be a propitiation for the whole world for this would say that he came to redeem Devils and to take away the sinnes of Beasts and Birds c because they come under the word World as well as men but that in the administration of the Gospeâ— which is not now confined to one land as of old to Iury Psal. 76 1. But is extended without restriction indefinitely to all nations Ministers may be allowed to offer peace in the Gospel to all indefinitely to whom they are sent to preach and people may be the more encouraged to come over difficulties and not to hearken to temptations to hold them aback from Christ the Peace maker Thus I suppose this difficulty is sufficiently taken out of the way 59. We proceed now to consider what he saith further Together with 1 Tim. 2. to which passage we have spoken he cited also Ioh. 3 16. would have us compare with it 1 Ioh. 4 9. all which he sayeth of both is this whosoever here is an indefinite terme whereby none are excluded And what can all this say An indefinite terme is not universal unless it be in a necessary matter as this is not 1 Ioh. 4 9. we are told that in this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him Hâ—re is no indefinite terme nor is the world here the same with the world Ioh. â— 16. as every common understanding may see for here it denoteth the Habitable World which containeth inhabitants and in the other place it denoteth the Inhabitants themselves and beside I suppose he will not say that God sent his son into the habitable world out of this designe and intentation that all the inhabitants thereof should live through him that is live the life of Grace and of Glory for all men have not Faith and alâ— men will not be Saved and what should disappoâ—nt God of his Intentions is he not able to accomplish his Designes If it be said that mans unbeleefe standeth in the way I answere Though mans unbeleef standeth in the way of his owne salvation
of the Messias And all these he shall certanely save And though his first coming was not to act the part of a judge to any of which he speaketh Ioh. 12 37. yet I trow his last coming will be in forme of a judge Mat. 24 30. 25 31 Luk. 9 26. 1 Thes. 4 16. Act. 17 31. 62. He citeth next 2 Pet 3 9. the Lord is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto repentance and tels us that it is like to Ezech. 33 ver 11. of which place we spoke in the preceding Chapter and then addeth That God's will taketh not effect the cause is from us which could not be if we had never been capable of salvation and if Christ had never died for us but had left us under a physical impossibility of salvation Answere 1 If these words be taken Universally what will this man do with those that outlive the day of their visitation as he speaketh and are hardâ—ned judicially of God and given up to a reprobate mind is the Lord willing that these should come unto Repentance if not what will he do with his Universality Againe what will he say to those whom God cutteth off in their younger yeers and of those He taketh away in the very act of sin as He did Nadab and Abihu the people of Sodom the Bethshemites Uzzah Zimri and Cosbi 2. If we be the Cause that God's will taketh not effect we must be stronger then God for this Will of God is not his Command but his will of Purpose And so He must be a weak God that can not effectuat what he willeth but can be hindered by weak man but the Scriptures speak other wayes of our God and tells us that he doth whatsoever he will and none can let or hinder him Dan. 4 35. Iob. 9 12. Esai 45 9. Psal 135 6. And that none hath resisted his will Rom. 9 20. 3. Free Will I see must be a very great and absolute Prince for upon it hang all the effects of God's will and Purpose and of the death of Christ so that if Free will be ill disposed none of God's gracious Purposes Promises or Decrees shall take effect and Christ for all his Death and Bloudshed shall not save one soul or see a seed and thus all the decrees of heaven are at Mans devotion and Christ must turne a petitioner and supplicat Lord Free will that He may see of the travail of his soul. O cursed Religion 4. But as to the passage in hand the matter is clear that Peter is not speaking of all and every man universally but of us that is of himself and these to whom he writeth and they are the same he wrote his first Epistle unto 2 Pet. 3 1. and them he stileth Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1 2. Who were begotten againe to a lively hope by the resurrâ—ction of Iesus Christ from the dead vers 3. who were keepâ— by the power of God through faith unto salvation vers 5. who were lovers of Christ and beleeving did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory vers 8. Such as by Christ did beleeve in God vers 20 21. and had purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren and were born againe c. vers 22 23. See Chap. 2 4 5 7 9 10 25. 2 Pet. 1 1 3 4 3 1 17 18. Thus the impertinency of this man in citeing this passage is manifest 63. He asketh what meaneth all the vehement Invitations Expostulations and Complaints in Scripture if there be no possibility of salvation and supposeth that this is to make God the Author of a stage play And thus the man raâ—teth in his reavings at this rate and all to dethrone the most High and spoile Him of his Principality and Supream Dominion that base man may be set down in the chaire of State and have the keyes of heaven and hell at his girdle by this Argument the Quaker would not only make the death of Christ a common thing but would destroy all the Decrees of God all Predestination and Election all Purposes of preventing any with mercy and all Absolute Pâ—omises But the mans attempt is vaine God will be God whether he will or not 2. We assert no Simple Impossibility of salvation to any but Hypothetical If God would give grace to all all should be saved and if He will not give grace to all must we quarrell with the Almighty Notwithstanding of God's decrees every one that perisheth perisheth willingly and of his owne fâ—ee choise God's decrees destroy not mans Free will nor take away the liberty and contingency of second causes but rather establish it as may appear from Prov. 16 33. Ioh. 19 11. Act. 2 23. 4 27 28. Mat. 17 12. 3. These Exhortations Expostulations c. respect the Gospel as it relateth to Gods will of precept and is the word of reconciliation dispensed by men and so hold forth what is mans Duty as we cleared above which must not be confounded with God's Purposes nor set up to dethrone them our duty is our duty by vertue of a command whatever God's purposes be Though God had purposed that Isaack should not be killed by his Father yet the word of command made it Abraham's duty to goe and offer him up 4 These Invitations and Expostulations c. respect only those to whom the Gospel is preached and so whatever this man can make out of them they can prove no Universal Redemption for we hear of no such expostulations with such as live without the sound of the Gospel And there are moe without the Church than within it not only under the Law but even now under the Gospel 5. This man I hope will not deny that God might if he pleased give grace to such as he expostulateth with whereby they might certainly be wrought up to a compliance with the word of Command And because it seemeth not good in his eyes to do so shall his Dispensations and the Ministry of his Gospel be looked upon as a stage play and a comoedie O! who art thou O man that will thus bring God to thy barr and passe such a shameful sentence upon his proceedings 6 God useth these Expostulations c. as meanes to bring home his Owne And as for Others though we would think to advocat their cause and condemne the Lord they and all that will take their part shall be found speachless in the day of accounts And God shall be glorified in his holy Justice whether vaine Man will or not 64. He citeth in the last place 1 Iâ—h 2 1 2. where Christ is said to be a Propitiation for the sinnes of the world And then he insulteth over such as would have only beleevers understood here by the word
with such dottages Either sure these men are meer mockers or they are under a judicial stroke of blindness and infatuation But sayes he This word is really sowne in the stonny and thorny ground as well as in the good Alas poor man thinks he that every word in a parable must be pressed thus till it bleed Who ever heard rational men speak thus And though it were so this will not speak for all the world a great part whereof heare nothing of this word Nay nor for all within the Church or that heare the word for open mockers contemners and persecuters of the word belong neither to the rocky nor thorny ground nor to the way side What he citeth out of Victor Antiochemis from Vossius Hist. Pelag. is utterly impertinent for it speaketh nothing of all the world but of such only as hear the word preached and to this end only Vossius himsef adduceth it as may be seen by his Thesis And any that read Victor's words may see that he speaketh of the preached word and not of the Quakers substance and vehicle a fanciful dream 34. He urgeth next Pag. 102. the Parable of the Talents Mat. 25. saying he that had but two talents and had improved them for his masters advantage was accepted as well as he who had five and he that had but one might have done the same And hence he inferreth that though every one hath not the same measure of grace yet every one hath that measure which is sufficient Ans. The maine thing is not here confirmed viz. That this Talent is a substantial thing and not that grace which is but an accident I beleeve he saw that what is spoken of improving these talents could not well agree to his substantial Seed and Light and far less the hideing of the one talent Nor 2. Hath he proved that these talents signifie saving grace and not meer gifts of the Spirit which are given for the good of the Church Nor 3. Hath he said any thing to cleare that by these servants are meant all the men and women in the world and not the officers of the Church or others that are gifted living within the Church These things he must clear and demonstrate before he can make any use of this Parable and till he finde himself in case to do this we proceed 35. In the third place he saith § 23. This saving seed is the Gospel which the Apostle saith Col. 1 23. was preached in every creature And the Gospel is not a bare declaration of good things but the power of God Rom. 1 16. for though the word figuratively and by a metonimy signifie the outward declaration yet properly it is that inward power vertue and life whereby the Annunciation of good things is preached in the hearts of all offering salvation unto them and willing to redeem them from their sinnes and therefore it is said to be preached in every creature when many hear not the external Gospel Ans. 1. The Gospel which was preached was the doctrine delivered by men whereof Paul himself was a Minister But that seed which he talketh of which he saith is abideing as a substance in every man is not that which Paul anâ— others whose feet were beautiful did preach That needeth no preacher for it is its owne preacher and requireth no more but hearing and obedience 2. Thus also the vanity of that criticisme upon the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which before we had occasion to shew to have various significations is manifest for how could that which was already in every creature be said to be preached in every creature And when was this preached in every creature Was it from the beginning of the world This he must say or he saith nothing And doth this place prove that 3. The Gospel which was preached in every creature to follow the Quakers interpretation was the same Gospel which the Colossians had heard of their faithful Ministers and that was not a substance within them that belonged neither to soul nor body 4. The terme every creature is but an hyperbolick expression as the words following under heaven are a Pleonasmus shewing the large and illimited spreading of the newes of salvation to all Nations indifferently without Restriction or Exception whereby the New Testament is differenced from the Old Test. as we fully manifested Chap. VIII and is sufficiently explained vers 28. where every man must not betaken in its full extent as if Paul and the rest of the Apostles had spoken in the hearing of every man then breathing far less can it be meaned of every man that died before they were borne and are borne since their death Here also we hear of all wisdom yet we must not think that Paul and the rest taught Physicks Metaphysickes or Politicks c. 5. The Gospel which was preached to every Creature is explained vers 25. and called the word of God and vers 26. it is called the mystery which hath bin hid from ages and from generations but was now made manifest to his Saints But according to the Quakers Principles their Gospel light and seed was neveâ— hid but in all ages was in all and every one and alike manifest and clear in it self 6. The Gospel which Paul preached and whereof he was not ashamed Rom. 1 16. is that meane which God is pleased to make use of whereby to exert his power in the conversion of souls and upon this account is called the power of God So that the very preaching of the Gospel when blessed of God is a powerful meane of salvation being accompanied with faith in the hearers is a meane of begetting faith as Paul tels us Rom. 10. when he saith that faith cometh by hearing 7. He should have told us in what place of Scripture the word Gospel is taken properly in his sense for that inward Strength Power Life which is common to all Men for till he do this we shall account him but a babler 8. We deny all such thing within every man be it a substance or an accidens that offereth salvation and redemption from sins to every man And account it a greater Antichristian expression and assertion than ever Pelagius had the confidence to maintaine And beyond what any Socinian ever durst vent Yea I look upon it as a real and substantial overturning of the whole Gospel of the Grace of God and of our Salvation being nothing but pure paganisme and this Man doth hereby sufficiently declare himself to be a Pagan preacher 36. He addeth Pag. 105. That Paul saith Rom. 1. that in the Gospel was revealed not only the righteousness of God from faith to faith but the wrath of God also against all such as detain the truth of God in unrighteousness Ans. The Apostle saith no such thing but to confirme the absolute necessity of the Gospel and that there is no salvation to any â—ew or Gentile but by the Gospel he beginneth with the
followeth upon a rejected Mediator and the wo of Bethsaida above the wo of Tyrus Sydon the wo of Capernaum above the wo of the men of Sodom I shall grant his consequence to be good though it be absurd and ridiculous in a general sense His question asking why such as never heard of Christ's death resurrection cannot be saved as well as such as never heard of Adam's first sin can be damned therefore Is no proof And the answere is manifest because all were naturally and foederally in Adam But all are not so in Christ And it hath pleased the Lord to appoint this way of salvation by faith in Christ which cannot be without knowledge of Christ and the Lord hath thought it good to apply the benefites of Christs death by bringing such who are to partake thereof within the bond of the Covenant within the visible Church and under the administrations of the Gospel and so to joyn to the Church such as should be saved Act. 2 47. Therefore the Lord saith Esai 53 11. by his knowledge or by knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many And the predestinated ones are made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ according to the riches of God's grace wherein he hath abounded towards them in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto them the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Ephes. 1 7 8 9. And if the will and good pleasure of God so ordaining maters for the praise of the glory of his grace will not satisfie this Quaker but he will frame a Gospel out of his own braines we cannot helpe it but must tell him we will rather beleeve God and submit to his wise dispensations than embrace the delusions of fantastical Quakers who purpose to overturne the whole Gospel of the grace of God and destroy souls His simile of medicine curing such as know not whereof it is made nor by whom is but a further evidence of his desperat designe to destroy the Gospel for medicine will as well cure such as know nothing of its composition or Author as such as know both And thus he would inferre that the Gospel is not more necessary to the Salvation of souls than the knowledge of the composiâ—ion and Author of a meâ—icament is to its working on humors But alas the silly man knoweth not the way of the Gospels workiâ—g on souls but supposeth it to be in a physical manner as medicine worketh on the humors of the body wherein he declareth his intollerable folly and ignorance beside his desperate designe 7. But he alleidgeth against us the Instance of Infants and deafe persons to very little purpose seing his question is of â—dult persons and of such also as have eares to hear And as for Infants we grant no salvation to such unless they be within the Covenant and born within the visible Church not to all such either that die in infancy but to those only who belong to the election of grace And the same we say of deafe persons And we except both these from the necessity of outwardly hearing the Gospel And every exception destroyeth not the Rule but confirmeth it rather in all cases not excepted His saying that being within the Church and partaking of the Sacraments give no certain title unto Salvation is impertinent for we say not that all such as are within the Church and partake of the Sacraments shall cerâ—ainly be saved but only that there is no salvation without the Church We know that many are members of the Visible Church who are nâ—t members of the Invisible Church But we know likewise that none are members of the Invinsible Church actually who are not members also of the visible Church His question Pag. 115. Why our charity doth not extend to those without the Church to whom the hearing of the Gospel is impossible aâ— well as to such within the Church Receiveth a short answere to wit Because we have no ground and Christian charity must be ruled by the word of God and not by the phancie of a deluded Quaker He multiplieth his Questions instead of probations according to the usual manner of the Quakers for he asketh againe Is not one in China and India as excusable for not knowing that which he never heard as a deaf man To which we answere Yes But we deny that the one may be as well saved as the other being within the Covenant and Church Of Salvation are we here speaking and not of persons being excusable or inexcusable We know that to be true which Paul saith Rom. 2 12. As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And we know that albeit God will not challenge the Indians or men of China who never had any possible opportunity of hearing the Gospel for ignorance and contempt of the same yet they may and will perish being without the saving meanes of grace and if he think otherwayes let him goe preach up the Light within among them and not laboure to blinde our eyes that we maâ— not see the sun with his smoaking snuff 8. He hath another proof from Act. 10 34. But how will he prove that Cornelius conversing so much among the Jewes had no knowledge of the Messias and of salvation through him though he did not as yet know that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah Do we not finde that Peter cleareth up to him that great question and tels him how God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power c. And this Jesus of Nazareth Peter Preached unto him and told him that to Him gave all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins vers 38 43. And by this instance Peter was brought to understand that now under the Gospel administration in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him so that the benefite of Christ the Mediator was not now restricted to one Nation as of old under the Law Peter had yet too much of that national prejudice which the Jewes had against the Gentiles sticking in him and so thought that all except the Jewes were alwayes to remaine as our casts and to have no share or interest in the Gospel blessings and the good things of the Messias but now he is made to understand the matter aright Our Quaker may if he will read Calvin and Beza both upon the place and see his Imagination confuted 9. Next he tels us that Iob was a perfect man c. and enquireth who taught him How did he understand the fall of Adam Out of which Scripture did he draw all that excellent knowledge And then answereth That it was this inward grace that taught him But all this is founded upon a very improbable conjecture to wit That Iob was coaetaneus with Moses and so was without the Church which the Lord erected among the
is I know not are the ground of our Iustification But seing Iustification and Sanctification stand upon the same ground with him he must also say that we are not Sanctified by good works considered by themselves and if good works or works of Sanctification and holiness considered as such will not ground the denomination of Sanctification I would faine know what will 5. But if they neither be Sanctified nor Iustified by these good works by what are they Sanctified or Iustified It is by Christ saith he who is the gift and the giver and the cause produceing the effects in us But this Christ is nothing else but a Creature produced in man by mans industry and goodwill not stubbornly resisting but piously receiving the illumination of the light and that out of this light which is in every Son of Adam for he told us that this Light when thus religiously entertained becometh a holy pure and spiritual birth and this is the Christ formed in us who is the gift and the giver and producer of all the fruits of holiness which are acceptable unto God Are we not then Iustified by our works when Iustified by this Christ or Principle produceing these works in us especially seing this Christ is a Christ formed within and not that Christ who laid downe his life a ransome for sinners and offered up himself a sacrifice to divine justice to satisfie justice and the Law by his Obedience and Death for the Redemption of his people We heard lately that this Christ and his Blood is far off in their account and cannot cleanse or do us any good But further I think that even in this Quakers are far worse then Papists for when Papists will have us Iustified by works they speak of works wrought in the soul by the Spirit real works of grace flowing from an inward principle of grace but our Quakers though they give goodly words yet really their works by which they are Sanctified and Iustified are but works wrought at best by the Power of Nature For that Light within every man as was shewed above is but pure Nature and whatever is borne of or proceedeth from this seed is but Nature for that which is borne of the flesh it flesh Ioh. 3 6. And from nothing that is in man by nature or in all men can that which is heavenly and spiritual spring unless we turne Pelagians this is to be held And that Light within them if its eyes were not blinded with prejudice though it be not sanctified nor of the Spirit might even cauâ—e them understand so much And when all the Efficient cause that we hear of from him produceing this pure and spiritual birth or educeing it out of its matter or causing its change and being some other thing than it was is only man and man doing nothing but receiving the illumination of this light can we suppose this to be any thing else than a pure product of nature which Heathens and Pagans Turks and Tartars who never heard one word of Christ may be partakers of And can this Sanctification and Justification be that mentioned in the Scriptures when it is common to infidels who are without God and without Christ in the world if they will but obey the light of nature Is this which he talketh of to be borne of God No certainly but rather it is to be borne of bloud or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man but so are not any borne that receive Christ and beleeve in his name Ioh. 1 12 13. One thing more Seing this Light which the Quakers say is in every man is in Devils and that in a greater measure than in man may it not also be said of them that if they will receive this light and not resist it it shall become an holy pure and spiritual Birth and Christ formed within And shall not they likewise upon this account be capable of this Sanctification and Justification I must still put Sanctification first that I may speak according to the Quakers Language and shall we have no other Sanctification and Justification preached to us by Quakers than what Devils are capable of and have the real feed of already O poor deluded wreatches Is this the top of all their endeavours and the upshot of all their hopes Sall we get nothing at most but a Paganish Iustification and Sanctification 6. He closeth his Thesis thus who i. e. Christ when he reconciled us while enemies according to his wisdome doth save and justifie us this way as the Apostle saith else where He hath according to his mercy saved us by he lawer of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Ans. But what way did he reconcile us while enemies was it by his bloud and by his crosse Ephes. 2 16. Or by the bloud of his crosse or in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1 20 22. Or was it by his death Rom. 5 10. If so then sure he died for the ungodly Rom 5 6. And for sinners vers 8. that they might be reconciled to God by his death vers 10. And then the grace of God and the gift by grace must abound unto them vers 15. and that unto justification vers 16 18. Then sure Christ died in their roome and place as their Cautioner and Surety and as their Surety made satisfaction to justice that they should be redeemed and delivered from Law Justice and Wrath for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his owne son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8 3 4. And if so as the Scriptures do richly witness then that mediatory Righteousness of Christ the Redeemer and Cautioner must legally be made over unto them to the end that they may be legally acquit and freed from the Accusation and Condemnation of the Law And by vertue of that Righteousness of Christ the Cautioner imputed unto them by God they as cloathed therewith by faith and appearing therein must be Iustified before God and not by any thing wrought in them at what hand so ever And thus all that he hath said in his Thâ—sis is overturned 2. It is true that the Lord in wisdom hath ordered things aright and appointed the way how we should be partaker of the benefites which he hath purchased and particularly of Iustification and Sanctification But that the wisdom of God hath appointed that we should be Iustified by any thing done by us whether from a principle of Nature or of Grace wrought in us even by the Spirit of God as the formal objective reason or that upon the account of which we can be accounted Righteous and Absolved from Accusation and have our inquities pardoned is not revealed to us in all his word but the contrare rather as hath been seen 3. Nor doth these words of Paul to Titus Chap.
of their lost condition And in our examination thereof in its several parts we have manifested the contrary And whether this be not a palpable untruth the Reader is free to judge He faith moreover That they deny remission of sins or justification to be had by any work of theirs c. And what is this to the point seing they say that we are justified by an Inherent Righteousness and not by Righteousness Imputed 10. He giveth us in the next place good words about the satisfaction of Christ which if he would stand to and not deceive us with Socinian glosses and metaphoricall senses he should withall overturne his owne doctrine about justification as we did shew lately § 6. In the third place he saiâ—h several things that are not true as first That all men that have come to mans age except Christ have sinned insinuating that none else have sinned nor are capable to sin until they come to Mans age and so denieth original sin and denieth that the wicked actions of young children and young girles who are not yet come to be men and women are sinnes Then sayes he Therefore all have need of a Saviour to take away Gods wrath due for sinnes Have none need of a Saviour but these only who are come to mans age qui aetatem virilem adepti sunt Doth the Scripture make any such restriction Where is then his universal Redemption that he pleaded For He addeth In this respect therefore he is truely said to have born the sinnes of all in his owne body on the tree In what respect is this Is it in respect that all have sinned but what sense is there here or truth either did he bear the sinnes of none but of such as are come to mans age what becometh then of infants boyes and girles and if he beare all their sinnes they must upon that account be freed from the guilt of sin and justified and so we shall have an universal justification as well as Redemption and this is confirmed indeed by the following words to wit therefore he is the sole mediator removing the wrath of God that our bypast sinnes may not meet us seing theâ— are pardoned by vertue of his sacrifice For this he understandeth of all for whom Christ died But he tels us afterward that remission is no other way to be expressed And I would ask whether there be any remission in or by justification and if so why are we not justified upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith Then followeth a word which undoeth all not to mention his parenthesis were he saith some may partake of this remission who have no knowledge of the history of Christ sufficiently above spoken unto Christ saith he hath by his death and passion reconciled us while enemies unto God that is to say he offereth unto us reconciliation and maketh us capable thereof If this be all it is but the Arminian Reconciliation he hath been speaking of yea and nothing but what a Socinian may say Sure the Apostle speaketh otherwayes of this Reconciliation as of that which certainly is attended with Iustification with such a Iustification as hath life following saying Rom. 5 8 9 10. But God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by â—is life The reconciliation then which was had by the death of Christ the Son of God was not a meer offer of reconciliation nor a meer capability for it But that which was a certain forerunner of salvation and that which Salvation must necessarily with a much more follow He citeth 2 Corinth Chap. 5 vers 19 20. and tels us that the Apostle insinuateth that seing the wrath of God is removed by Christ's obedience the Lord is ready to be reconciled with them and pardon their sinnes if they repent Which is a manifest perversion of the scope and meaning of the Apostle who is there shewing how the Reconciliation of sinners unto God is brought about both upon Gods part and upon mans part not of all the world but of the Elect scattered over the face of the earth and from the beginning of the world how they were brought into peace with God through Iesus so it is a limited world as appeareth by the us used ver 18. And againe more fully ver 21. for he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And therefore it is onlâ— that world he understandeth here for whom Christ was made sin having their sinnes imputed to him as their cautioner and sponsor who by vertue hereof are cloathed in due time with his righteousnesse imputed unto them and so are made the righteousness of God in him Now all this was not a meer may be or a mere possible or potential thing but such as was attended with a non-imputation of trespasses nor doth it import only a readiness in God to be reconciled with all upon conditions as if there were none in particular whose sinnes the Lord did bear and for whom he offered up himself a satisfactory sacrifice to the justice of God purchasing unto them faith to be granted in due time whereby they should come â—o be actually reconciled unto and brought in favour with God when through his grace they should yeeld unto the beseachings of Christ's messengers to whom the Word Ministrie or Administration of this Reconciliation is committed as to Ambassadours for Christ sent forth to beseach in Christ's stead By all which the Apostle is clearing how all things are of God and particularly all the new things which the new creature the man in Christ is made partaker of vers 17 18. And moreover we see verse 14 15. that these all for whom Christ died are one time or other made alive unto God through grace communicated to them from their Head Christ As it followeth And that he died for all that they which live should not hence forth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe And who will say that it shall at any time be said with truth of all the world that they are thus alive 11. He tels us next of a double Redemption both which he sayes are perfect in their owne nature and as to us cannot be separated Then all certainly must be redeemed the one way who are redeemed the other way What is the first That sayes he Pag. 127. made by Christ in his crucified body without us and by this Man as he standeth in the fall is put in a capacity of salvation and hath transmitted into him a certain measure of power of grace and of the vertue of the Spirit of life which
the Gospel doth not strickly and precisely oblige to perfection in degrees but only to an Endeavour after this perfection for then we were under no obligation to repent of and ask pardon of our short-comings in the name of Christ nor to run for cleansing by faith unto the fountaine of Christ's blood and this neither can tender Christians assent to nor will their practice comply therewith 17. I think a serious pondering of these Rules for the right understanding of the commands set downe in our greater Chatechisme quaest 99. might make all who knew themselves sober in this matter Who dar plead for this Perfection who beleeveth That the Law of God is perfect and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof and unto entire Obedience for ever so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty and to forbid the least degree of every sin Psal. 19 7. Iam. 2 10 Mat. 5 21. to the end That it is Spiritual and so reacheth the Understanding Will Affections and all other Powers of the soul as well as Words Works and Gestures Rom. 7 14. Deut. 6 5. with Mat. 22 37 38 39. Mat. 5 21 22 27 28 36. That where a duty is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden Esai 58 13. Deut. 6 13. with Mat. 4 9 10. Mat. 15 4 5 6. And where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded Mat. 1 21 22 23 24 25. Ephes. 4 28. That what God forbids is at no time to be done Iob 13 7 8. Rom. 3 8. Iob 36 21. Heb. 11 29. That under one sin or duty all of the same kinde are forbidden or commanded together with all the Causes Meanes Occasions and Appearances thereof and Provocations thereunto Mat. 5 21 22 27 28. 15 4 5 6. Heb. 10 24 25. 1 Thes. 5 12. Iud. vers 23. Gal. 5 26. Col. 3 24. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves we are bound according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others according to the duty of their places Exod. 20 10. Levit. 19 11. Gen. 18 19. Iosh. 24 15. Deut. 6 6 7. That in what is commanded to others we are bound according to our places and callings to be helpfull to them And to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them 2 Cor. 1 24. 1 Tim. 5 19. Ephes. 5 11. Who I say that rightly considereth these particulars and how the Law requireth That obedience should be performed thereunto in the most high and intense degree without the least remissness of zeal and fervour That the manner of our obedience be spiritual from a right principle to a right end in an heavenly spiritual manner that it may done in the Spirit Gal 5 16. 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16. And that there be no corrupt Motion Affection or Inclination to evil no tickling of delight in the thing nor any discontent at our restraint from the evil even though our formal assent be not given thereto So that the very involuntary motions of the minde to evil though not assented to are prohibited as being against the holy Law and as flowing from a corrupt fountaine Yea and the very in-being of that body of death which is the spring of evil motions He I say will in sobriety speak of a perfection attainable here But the only remedy here is to curtail the Law that seing they cannot conforme to it it may conforme to them as did the Pharisees of old whence it is usual for such perfectionists to call the motions of Lust and Concupiscence within no sin to plead for venial sinnes and to give us a grosse exposition of the Law and of the duties therein enjoyned One might wonder that these forementioned should be for perfection who of all persons would seem to have least ground But the cause is They are all devoted to the exaltation of Free will and enemies to the grace of God and know no other holiness but what Free Will hath a chiefe hand in whereof they are whole masters 18. Now we come to examine what he saith against our judgment which is That in the best of our actions which we here do there is some admixture of sin corruption and none of them so perfect as to abide the strick examination of divine justice For his representation of our opinion That the saints neither can be nor ever shall be delivered from sin in this life And that the Saints are under a perpetual necessity of sinning is ambiguous and very indistinct as might be showne if it were worth the paines His first Reason is That it is contrary to the wisdome glorious vertue and majesty of God who is of purer eyes then he can behold iniquity Ans. Is it against these attributes of God that sin should be in the world Then we must say by this argument that all wicked men are Pâ—rfect and sinless Yea that the devils are perfect for the pure eyes of God can not behold iniquity in wicked men of whom these words are spoken by Habbakuk no nor in devils or is it only against these attributes that any remnant of corruption or sin should be in the Godly then this will prove the last Perfection to wit an impossibility to sin to be common to all the godly which yet he dust not say and not only the first perfection viz. a possibility of not sinning Let us see if what he addeth can make him any reliefe Sâ—ing saith he God would gather a people to himself to worship him be his witneses on earth without all doubt he sanctifieth purifyeth them Ans. True he sanctifieth purifieth them by degrees till He bring them to the full perfection he hath appointed for them in glory but himself will not say that he sanctifieth them alwayes in the hiâ—hest degree and that as soon as they are Regenerated Is there no sanctification but that which is perfect or is there no sanctification where there is the least sin Then he must say that all the saints are as holy and as free of sin here as they will be in heaven then he must goe higher then ever Pelagians Socinians Papists or Arminians went and must joyn himself to the old Beguards and Beguines We grant with him That God delighteth not in iniquity but abhorreth all sin and that he delighteth not in man as he joyneth to sin Yet he delighteth in man as joyned unto Christ and as turning from sin by Repentance and as fighting the battels of the Lord against the body of death within and as delighting in the Law of the Lord after the inner man And sayes he if man were alwayes to be joyned unto sin he should be alwayes disjoyned from God according to Esai 59 2. But on the contrary they are partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and are one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6 17. But what is impure cannot be so for there
is no agreement betwixt light and darkness 2 Cor. 6 14. Now God is Light and all sin is darkness Answ. 1. All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration Yea and for the highest degree of Perfection 2. Though corruption abideth in the Regenerated man as a vanquished enemy strugling in the dead thrawes yet is not the Regenerated man joyned thereto but separated therefrom in Minde Will and Affections in so far as regenerated and is fighting and lusting against it as his greatest enemy 3 It is sin delighted in and unrepented of loved and intertained in the soul that separateth betwixt God and the soul and that text Esai 59 2. speaketh of soul-wasting and land-destroying sinnes to which that people had given up themselves and would not turne from as we see vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15. And yet we see there vers 16 17. What soveraignity of free grace can do to and for such a people for the glory of his name 4. What is impure as impure cannot be one Spirit with Christ But beleevers are reckoned according to what hath now the throne and the heart and the dominion in the soul with their free and sanctified consent for now they are maried to a new Husband and are engadged in warfare under a new Captaine They are dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore they are under an obligation to strive against all that would labour to set sin againe upon the throne wrong the interest of their new Lord Soveraigne Rom. 6 11 12 13. And though they be risen with Christ and are dead have their life hid with Christ in God Yet they have members to mortifie uppon earth Fornication Uncleanness c. Col. 3 2 3 5. 5. God hath no fâ—llowshipe with corruption more then light can have fellowshipe with darkness yet he can have fellowshipe with his owne work of grace in the soul and with the soul as sanctified and renewed 19. But sayes he further Is it not against the wisdom of God to say He could finde no other methode whereby he should be served than by such actions by which the devil is no lesse yea more served for he that sinneth is the servant of sin Rom. 6 16. Ans. It is not fit for man to stand up and disput wickedly for God and under a shew of zeal for and patronage of his Wisdome condemne the same His folly is wiser than our wisdome What methods God could have found out whereby He might have been served by men what proud man will take upon him to determine The methode he hath chosen should satisfie us But to the matter when God's people are serving Him with some measure of sincerity and uprightness of heart howbeit the devil opposeth and by his temptations and the co-working of corruption prevaileth much to hold back or to cause the soul move slowly Yet the heart and the renewed part of the man being for God and for God only and directly against Satan and all his wayes doings and designes there is no formal service performed unto Saâ—an for the Lord regardeth the heart And though oft times there be more corruption in the work than grace Yet the heart being upright in the main the denomination is from the better part And albeit how more sin be in the action that is gone about by the honest Beleever in weakness Satan be the glader Yet in that the beleever cannot be called his servant For the Apostle in the place cited saith not he that sinneth but he that yeeldeth himself up as a servanâ— to obey sin is the servant of sin No doubt if the Lord had seen it for his glory he could have so ordered it that his children from the day of their new birth should never have sinned more but He hath thought it good that they should be exercised with a spiritual warfare all their dayes against Satan and a wicked world without and a body of death and its members within that his power might be made perfect in their weakness that they might live by Faith and get continual proofs of God's Power Love Care Faithfulness Grace Mercy and Tenderness that they might daily have use of the blood of Christ to wash in and so exercise Humility Godly sorrow Repentance Faith Patience Submission Watchfulness Diligence and might groan under the body of death that they might see through daily experience the riches and worth of their Redemption and read their great Obligations to their Lord Ransomer and Soveraigne King And if we were sober we might here mark wonderful wisdome and see a piece of the manifold wisdome of God But when we be come distracted as doubtless we are when we will be wise above what is written no wonder we become blinde and speak as fools as this man doth here and in the following words which I shall not so much as honour with a transcribing 20. He sayes our doctrine is repugnant to the justice of God requireing them to abstaine from all sin and not enabling them hereunto and requireing more then he giveth ability to do Ans. 1. The man runneth so hard that he runneth himself blinde Seeth he not that if this argument prove any thing it will prove that all the wicked world are perfect for God requireth of them obedience to his Law and it may be a question if hence it may not likewise be proven that the damned and the Devils are all perfect and without sin seing it may be a doubt if they be loosed from the Law of their Creation But 2. Though it were granted they had power I mean moral power for no other can be here understood yet this will not prove their perfection or freedom from sin many may have power and yet not use it Adam had power to resist Satans suggestion yet did it not His perfect ones may grow slack in their watch and so sin though he will grant they have power to do otherwise 3 This is old Pelagius's argument as Vâ—ssius cleareth to us Hist. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. where among other evidences he citeth Hieron adv Pelag. bringing-in Critobolus as a Pelagian reasoning thus Either God gave commandements that were possible or that were impossible if possible it is in our power to do them if we will if impossible we are not guilty if we do them not seing we cannot And thus whether the Lords command be possible or Impossible man may be without sin if he will Our Quaker is yet worse for the Pelagian would hence prove but a possibility of Perfection but he will hence evince the real being of Perfection and that common to all believers â— God made man upright and able to fulfil all his Law and when he hath dilapidated his stock of strength must God be unjust if he require due debt Or doth mans inability dissolve his obligation Seing God is pleased of his grace
the effectual operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the whole man and working him up to an union and closeing with Christ conforme to the tenor of the Gospel that thereby he may come to the actual participation of the great and saving benefites which Christ hath purchased by his bloud What can we then judge or say of this state let us imagine it to be in its perfection but that it is a pure state of Nature and as the perfection of this state formerly mentioned can be nothing but corrupt Nature the constant and irreconcileable enemy of the grace of God and of the Gospel in its strongest fort of opposition and resistance to the Gospel-grace of God and in its strongest citadel of security wherein it is freest from the invasions and attacques of the grace of God whence experience hath proven it true that none have been greater enemies to the Gospel-grace of God and furthest from a yeelding thereunto than such as have attained unto the highest improvement of nature as they supposed and were accounted the wise men of their age for to such wise men the preaching of the crosse was foolishness And who seeth not that even within the Church such remaine most disobedient to the call of the Gospel and unperswadable by all its Reasons Motives and Allurements who suppose themselves to have attained to some more then ordinary Improvement of the Light of nature or correspondence in their walk with a Natural Conscience and Principles of morality especially if this be seconded or attended with an outward compliance with the outward ordinances of the Religion they profess for these seeking to establish their owne righteousness which is a piece of the heirshipe of corrupt nature which all have from Adam cannot and will not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10 4. Wherefore Perseverance in such a state can be no advantage but a manifest fixedness in the way of death and nothing can annul a perseverance in this state and cause a falling therefrom but the strong hand of the grace of God And that state of stability of which he talketh and from which there is no falling away can be nothing but the Lords holy and judicial giving up to blindness and unbeleefe and closeing their eyes that they should not see and stoping their eares that they should not heare and hardning their hearts that they should not beleeve conforme to Esai 6 9. Ioh. 12 vers 40. Math. 13 vers 14 15. Luk. 8 vers 20. Act. 28 vers 26. Rom. 11 vers 8. Mark 4 v. 12. 4. His saints then being such as we have mentioned and not such as we hold with the Scriptures to be saints indeed that is Such as being by nature children of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes. 2 1 2 3. are in due time effectually called out of nature into grace by the mighty power and operation of the grace of God having their Mindes and Understandings graciously Illuminated by divine Light and their Wills Renewed and powerfully Determined unto a closeing with Christ offered in the Gospel Ephes. 2 vers 5. Phil 2 13. 1 Cor. 2 10 12. Act. 26 18. Ezech. 11 19. 36 26 27. Ioh. 6 45. And hereupon are made partakers of the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in them and reneweth their whole soul more and more so that having a new Principle of life and new spiritual supernatural Habites whereby they become wholly new creatures acting from new Principles for new Ends upon new Motives to the glory of God and their Redeemer Ephes. 2 6 8 10. Gal. 2 20. 1 Ioh. 5 12. 2 Cor. 5 17. 1 Ioh. 3 9. 1 Pet. 1 22 23. And thus translated into a new state from death to life Ephes. 2 2. 1 Ioh. 3 14. Col. 2 13. from darkness to light Act 26 â—8 Ephes. 5 v. 8. 1 Thes. 5 v. 4. from sin to holiness 1 Cor. 6 11. Ezech. 36 25. Ephes. 5 6. Tit. 3 5. from enmity to friendshipe Ephes. 2 12 13 14 15. Col. 1 21 being now Iustified Accepted of God having their sinnes pardoned and bâ—ing Adopted as heires of the inheritance Rom. 5 1. 8 1. Col. 2 10. Rom. 8 32 33. Ioh. 1 12. 1 Ioh. 3 1 2 And all this upon the account of the merites and purchase of Christ the Mediator in pursuance of the Covenant of redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator conforme to the Covenant of Grace exhibited in the Gospel The saints whereof he speaketh not being such as these described to us in the Gospel of Christ we need not think ourselves concerned in the vindication of their stability and perseverance for we owne only the perseverance of such as are thus effectually Called out of nature into grace and endued with the Spirit of Christ. Esai 59 21. Rom. 5 5. 1 Cor. 6 9. Ioh. 14 16 17. Gal. 5 22. Psal. 51 11. Ezech. 36 27. to lead act and guide them Rom. 8 9 11. who differ far from his natural pagan-saints and have no affinity with them nor with natural outward-Christians And thus might we let this whole matter whereof he treateth in this Thesis and in his Vindication thereof passe without any further animadversions 5. Yet lest he according to the Genius and usual manner of that Seck should boast and say that we durst not contend with him upon this head and so triumph among his admirers we shall examine hâ—s doctrine with patience The truth which we owne is shortly and fully set downe in our Confes. of faith Chap. 17. thus They whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved Phil. 1 6. 2 Pet. 1 10. Ioh. 10 28 29. 1 Ioh. 2 9. 1 Pet. 1 5 9 This perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their owne free will but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father 2 Tim. 2 18 19 Ier. 31 3. upon the efficacy of the merite and intercession of Iesus Christ Heb. 10 10 11. 13 20 21. 9 12 to 15. Rom. 8 33 c. Ioh. 17 11 24. Luk. 12 32 Heb. 7 25. the abideing of the Spirit and seed of God within them Ioh 4 16 17. 1 Ioh. 2 27. 3 9. and the nature of the Covenant of grace Ier. 31 40. from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof Ioh. 10 28 2 Thes. 3 3. 1 Ioh. 2 19. Nevertheless they may through the temptations of Satan and of the world the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation â—all into grievous sins Mat. 26 70 72 74. and for a time continue therein Psal. 51. title with v 14. whereby they incurre God's displeasure Esai 64 5 7 9. 2 Sam 11.27 and grieve his Holy Spirit Ephes.
comp with Ioh. 7 38 39. 2. It is affirmed that he is in them and abideth in them Psal. 51 11. Rom. 8 9 11 15. 1 Cor. 2 12. Gal. 4 6. 1 Tim. 3 14. 1 Ioh. 2 27. Rom. 5 5. 3. He Sealeth them unto the day of redemption Ephes. 1 23. 4 30. 2 Cor. 1 21. 4. He is a Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8 15. Gal. 4 5 6. 10. Fourthly If we consider the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Iehovah and the Lord Mediator this will be abundantly evinced For 1. The Father hath given a number to Christ to save Ioh. 17 2 9 11 12. 6 37 39. And Christ hath undertaken to save them Ioh. 6 37 39 40. 2. The Father hath undertaken that Christ shall see his seed Esa. 53 10. and see of the travel of his soul be satisfied Esa. 53 11. Psal. 72 8. 3. Christ had a commission to goe about this work to bring many sones unto glory was qualified for this end Esai 61 1 2 3. Esa. 42 6 7. 49 9. Heb. 2 10. 4. The Fathâ—r hath promised to give Christ what he asketh Psal. 2 8. 89 2â— 27 28. 5. Yea He hath sworne that he shall have an issue Psal. 89 35 36. Act. 2 30 31. Psal 132 11 12. 2 Sam. 7 12. 1 King 8 25. Luk. 1 61. 11. Fiftly The consideration of the nature of the Covenant of Grace will conâ—â—rme this for that is an everlasting and unchangable Covenant and haâ—h the promise of Perseverance in its bosome Gen. 17 vers 7. Ier. 31 vers 31 32 33. 32 vers 38 â—9 40. Ezech 11 17 18 19 20. Hos 2 19 23. Ioh 6 54 56. Esai 54 10. 12. Sixtly The Grace infused in souls according to the Covenant of grace is of an enduring nature especially considering how it is Watered Preserâ—ed and Cared for It is a remaining seed 1 Ioh. 3 9. sowne in good ground Luk. 8.15 by the rivers of water Psal. 1 3. And watered every moment Esai 27.3 See Ioh. 4 14. 7 38. And so is differenced from Gifts and Common graces and from temporary Faith and grace that evanisheth in the day of tryal 1 Ioh. 2 19. Luk. 8 18. Ioh 2 23 24. Mat 13 21. Ioh. 17 9. what this true faith is see Tit. 1 1. 1 Tim. 1 5 Gal. 5 6. 2 Pet. 1 1. 13 Seventhly The consideration of the hurt and dammage that the Asserting of the Apoâ—tasie of the Saints bringeth necessarâ—ly with it unto Christians may have its owne weight here For 1 Then they could not in faith and confidence pray for it for what is purely in the power of mans Free will and is not the sole work of God and of his grace we cannot we need not pray for contrare to Ioh. 14 13 14. Ephes. 3 17 18. 1 Thes. 5 23 â—4 and the Lords prayer teacheth us to pray that his Name be hallowed that his Kingdom come and that his Will be done in earth as in heaven 2. This would destroy their Hope and Confidence in God for preservation in the times of tryal and temptation contrare to Rom. 8 vers 35 38 39. 3. This would take away their joy of the holy Ghost anâ— Consolation and give ground of continual Anxiety Doubts Feares c. 14. Eightly The consideration of the blow that this doctrine would give unto many articles of our Faith and undoubted truths of our Religion may confirme us against it As 1 It would render the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ null and useless for he should then suffer and die and no man might be saved or healed by his stripes and death 2. It would also render his Resurrection Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand ineffectual For notwithstanding thereof no man might be saved 3. It destroyeth his Death as the Death of a Cautioner for no man can be said to have died with him risen with him and to sit with him in heavenly places contrary to Rom. 6 3 4 5 8. Eph. 2 5 6. Col. 3 1. nor can he be said to prepare mansions for anâ— contrare to Ioh. 14 2 3. 4. It maketh the grand promise of the Spirit null of no effect 5. It taketh away the Catholick Church that shall certainly come to mount Zion and to the innumerable company of angels c. Heb. 12 22 23 24. 6. It would null that Christian Communion and sweet Fellowship of Saints 7. It would make Remission of sins of little comfort 8. And take away the faith of Life Everlasting 15. Having premised these things for clearing and confirming of the truth we come to examine what he sayes against it Pag. 167. § 2. He reasoneth from Iud vers 4. and supposeth that these that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness had once grace not knowing that this was not grace inherent or the true grace of God placed and planted in the soul and wrought there by the Spirit of grace but external grace held forth in the Gospel offer even that grace that shouâ—d have taught them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to have lived soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2 12. It is that grace which is outwardly spoken and preached Act. 14 3. Ephes. 3 2. 1 Pet. 4 10. Next He reasoneth from 1 Tim. 1 19. supposing that that faith which some made shipewrak of was true and saving faith contrare to 2 Tim. â— 17. 4 14. while as it was nothing but the doctrine of faith as the word also is taken 1 Tim. 3 9. 4 1. Gal. 1 23. 3 2 5 23 25. Act. 6 7. Rom. 1 5 8. In the third place he reasoneth from Heb. 6 4 5. Not so much as noticeing that the words are but Conditional and not Absolute if they fall away And that there is nothing here no not one expression that is necessarily to be understood of true and saâ—ing grace and not of meer gifts and common graces given in a more than ordinary measure no one expression here of Regeneration of true Sanctification of Closeing with Christ of their being Justified or Adopted or Elected c. Nay the Apostle compareth them to ground upon which the raine falleth and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars vers 8. distinguisheth them from those to whom he wrote of whom he expected better thingâ— that accompany salvation vers 9. and from true beleevers vers 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19. When our Quaker out of his friends the Socinians Arminians shall say any thing to prove that these expressions import true and saving grace we may then think it time to spâ—ak more of this but seing he is pleased to give us no more here but his naked assertion we have said enough and so proceed 16. The next thing he alleigeth against this truth is a supposition that he hath undermined the ground thereof viz. Election But how superficially this was attempted we have seen But he sayes
this mans doctrine who seemeth to be one of the most sober among them all have we found any thing hithertil but Pelagianisme Secinianisme Arminianisme Enthusiasme Antiscripturisme Yea and Paganisme c have we seen any thing that doth not directly enough tend to overthrow the whole Gospel And what further we are to hear a little patience will help us to see He talks that they teach no new doctrine But doctrine more diametrically opposite yea contradictory to the whole Gospel of the grace of God a man shall finde no where else in such an heape So that albeit they should pretend to Miracles as they do to Immediat Revelations of the Spirit of God should do somethings more then ordinary like wonders I should account them but lying wonders their coming to be after the working of Satan according to 2 Thes. 2 3. Yea though an angel from heaven should come to head them and preach the doctrine which they preach I should remember that word of Paul's Gal. 1 vers 8 9. And therefore must account these Quakers no more Christians but an Antichristian Antievangelick brood of men acted and led by an evil Spirit designing the destruction of the Gospel and the setting up of Paganisme What he saith § 13. about the Independants and their gifted Brethren is not worth the noticeing for as to the matter he referreth us to what he had said before upon the Scriptures and we have eâ—amined Chap. IV. Only I would enquire If as he saith no man can know by the Scriptures that he in particular is called to be a Minister and therefore must recurre to an Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit he must also say that no man can know that another is a Minister but by the Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit and therefore he cannot be offended at us that we do not beleeve that he and the rest of the Quakers are sent of God because we have no Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit concerning this and we are confident never shall have from the Spirit of God And though the Scriptures do not particularly and expresly tell us that Robert Barclay is a false Teacher and ought to be shuned as a false Teacher it saith that which is enough to us concerning him and his complices when it saith that all that bring another Gospel are to be accounted accursed and the whole Scripture that pointeth forth and declareth the Truth and condemneth their Errours as we have seen and shall see is as good to us as an Immediat Testimony saying the Quakers and particularly Robert Barclay are deceivers yea better more sure for some men can take the dreams of their owne head the impressions of Satan upon their phantasie for immediat testimonies of the Spirit of God but enough of this above Chap. III. 15. But he hath something Pag. 190. § 14. that would seem to answere that question we just now proposed for after hee hath againe nakedly told us that this extraordinary call for he nameth it so here is as well necessary when the Church is setled as when it is under a general Apostacy he saith that such as are thus called are made manifest in the mindes of their brethren and their call is verified in them who by the sensation of that life and virtue that floweth out by them are dâ—yly edified in their most holy faith and become the signes of their Apostleshipe according to 2 Cor. 13 v. 3. Ans. 1. But as yet there is no Inward Testimony of the Spirit directly saying that such men are truely called and without this in his judgment they cannot be said to be taught and led of the Spirit nor can they beleeve without this 2. Is this manifestation alwayes at every discourse or sometimes only Is it upon all their hearts or upon some only It may be there lyeth an answere in these words their brethren But the signes of the Apostleshipe of Paul were among strangers whom he converted and brought in to the faith And if this manifestation be alwayes and upon all present he layeth down a ground to question Christs Apostleshipe and Call for his preaching had not alwayes this effect as is notoure Nor Pauls and Barnabas theirs among the Jewes as the book of the Acts sheweth and 2 Thes. 2. Nay let that word be considered 2 Cor. 2 15 16. for we are unto God a sweet savour in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life And that Esai 49 4. Then said I I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God and that Esai 53 Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed if he think it enough that this manifestation be made sometimes upon the the mindes of some Alas Poor man thinks he that there are none of all the servants of Christ who dar not be so bold as he is to pretend a Divine Immediat Call through an Extraordinary and Immediat Revelation that can say the same and that upon a more just account As for his brethren they are under the same delusion with their Teachers and the sensation they have of life and vertue is but the sensation of the workings of delusion and no edification or building up in the holy faith but in opposition to that faith which was once delivered to the saints as is manifest to all that heare them and read their books and as this book which is now under examination hath made more manifest to me than all that ever I heard or read of them before 15. He addeth This is that which giveth the true and substantial call and title unto the Minister whereby he is a real successour of the vertue and power that was in the Apostles Ans. 1. Then the extraordinary call was no true and substantial call or title Then Ezechiel who was sent to a rebellious house that would not heare had no true and substantial call nor Moses when he was sent unto Pharaoh 2. They who are a savour of death unto death to some may yet for all that be successours to the Apostles 3. But I see what this man would be at The Quaker-Preachers though as we have manifested above nothing in truth but Pagan preachers must be the only successours of the Apostles and Possessours of the power and vertue that was in them What more Such Ministers stand not in need of the ceremony of Ordination and Imposition of hands Ans. Why then were hands laid upon Paul Barnabas Act. 13 3. And why had Timothy the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4 14. If such made use of this ceremony shall any Minister now a dayes think it below him to do the like But sayes he Our adversaries
workings of the Prince of darkness tickling their fanciâ—s and complying with their blinded minds and corrupt humores and hereby draw strength and confirmation to their abominable errours and practices and are more deeply rooted and fixed in the same howbeit contrary to the divine light of the Word of God to the very light of Nature and pure Reason and to all the true experiences of the holy and upright walkers with God and are more fortified and animated in their rage and opposition to all the wayes of God And sure I am the Saints of God though they will not with such a pharisaical froathy ostentation talk of their enjoyments as these wicked deceivers do on all occasions to set forward the desperat designes of the Devil in them and by them yet know what rich incomes of Joy unspeakable and full of glory of Strength and Encouragment in the wayes of the Lord of Peace Serenity of soul of Light and Consolation satisfying all their desires and making their souls to run over and all this in compliance and harmony with the word for a verification and accomplisment of the rich promises of the New Covenant ordered in all things and sure and confirmation of the truth and reality of the workings of the grace of God in their soul whereâ—y they were to their owne feeling sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory they have had in this Ordinance Melting their hearts with true tenderness and godly sorrow and Kniting their souls more firmly in love to God in Christ and Engaging them to run the wayes of the Lord with all chearfulness enlargedness of heart and delectaâ—ion and to Strive against the enemies of the glory of God and of their salvation whether within or without with more courage alacrity and resolution of soul So that I am perswaded they will upon this very account detest and abominate tâ—ese co-workers with Satan and finde themselves called of God for his glory their owne security to remove far from their tents who drive such a desperate and hellish designe against heaven and against all the Interests of Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour 4. These desperate Despisers of the goodness and condescensions of love malacious Opposers of all the wayes of God in manifest mockage substitute our ordinary repasts in the room of this soul-feeding Ordinance for thus speaketh that blasphemous wretch Ia. Nayler in his love to the lost Pag 45. as Mr Stalham citeth him in his book for the sake of such who are lost in this thing troubled in mind concerning it what I have received of the Lord that I shall declare unto you which all shall witness to which come to partake thereof as the truth is in Iesus Christ. If you intend to sup with the Lord or shew the Lord's death till he come let your eating and drinking so oft as you do it be in remembrance of him and in his fear that at death you may witness to the lust and excess c. And Pag. 43. he said this was to be done at all seasons when they eat and drank and Pag. â—4 that the Lord commanded his disciples in eating and drinking to shew forth his death till he come to avoide excess and becomeing reprobats in the faith Is not tâ—is a sufficient discovery of the Spirit that acteth them 5 Let us now come to examine what this our Quaker saith in this matter and passing his intrade wherein after his manner he upbraideth all with their ignorance of this mystery as if they only were admitted to the secrets of God and acquanted with the mysteries hid from all the generations of the Christian Châ—rch we come to the answere he giveth to that question what is that body which we eat and that blood which we drink which is this Pag. 288. It is sayes he That celestial seed that divine and spiritual substance of which we spoke Thes. 5. 6. that vehicle or spiritual body of Christ whereby he communicateth life and salvation to all that believe in and receive him by which also man obtaineth communion with God To which we need say nothâ—ng here having fully discovered above Chap. X. what this Seed Substance and Vehicle is in their judgment to wit nothing but what is in every Son of Adam as he comâ—th into the world the dimme light of a natural conscience and of a reasonable soul having some dark notions of a God and of some principles of morality without the least imagination or apprehension of any of the wayes of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel yea which hath a native and inbred enmity at and antipathy against the mysteries of love and grace manifested in the Gospel This this is the Quakers Christ the Food of their souls the Substance whereupon they feed this is all that true bread which they have to eat And while he calleth it a substance he joyneth with the old Heracleonites who said thâ—t man was composed of a Body of a Soul and of a third Substance And the hearkning unto and believing this Natural thing which is in all â—eathens and Pagans receiving its light is all their Feast and all the meanes of Communion which they have or expect to have with God so that it is sufficiently manifest that the hieght of their Religion is moralized Paganisme And yet he dar say that â—his is confirmed Iohn 6. from v. 32. to the end And thereby give us to understand that they acknowledge no other true bread which the Father giveth from heaven but this which all Turks and Pagans have This is their Jesus and their Bread of God that came down from heaven and this is the only thing that giveth them life so that they shall never hunger nor thirst They are given of the Father to this thing and by this will they be raised up at the last day when they hearken to this then they are taught of God and have learned of the Father according to the writings of the Prophets yea if they but believe this they have everlasting life for this is their Bread of life whereof if they eat they shall not die but live forever this is with them the flesh that was given for the life of the world this is all the flesh they eat and all the blood they drink and thus they dwell in Christ and Christ in them O what a desperate delusion is this What a wonder is it that men who believe they have immortal souls and have ever heard of the Gospel dar thus speak and metamorphose the whole Gospel into pure Paganisme This sure must be a more than ordinary judicial stroke of blindness delusion of a reprobat minde and of a perverse Spirit with which these men are manifestly plagued and the Devil must have an extraordinary power in them and over them acting and driveing them
are other wayes such as a Promise which is different from a precept and divine Institution virtually including a promise And because he taketh no notice of these wayes his whole discourse is to no purpose for we grant there is no Relation here flowing from the nature of the thing And we see not what way a precept hath any efficacy to the making of such a Relation It is not because God hath commanded us to be holy that therefore such as are holy shall see God's face but because of a promise What will he now do his light hath confounded him so as he knoweth not what he saith But howbeit a precept hath no interest here while speaking of his Relation Yet least he boast as supposing we could not maintaine that there was a command for the use of this ordinance we must see What he saith here If there were any such precept saith he it should be found there where the institution is Which is very true for the very Institution hath the force of a command though there were no more Matthew and Mark saith he mentione no command and Luk only saith this do in remembrance of me Answ. Here is an express command mentioned by Luk and what needeth more The Institution say I hath the force of a command and that the Apostles after practice declared and the practice of the primitive Church and beside all this we have Paul's large commentary upon this 1 Cor. 10. 11. for if there had been no command for this why was the Apostle at all that paines to rectifie abuses among the Corinthians about this mater why spoke he of a cup which he blessed and of bread which he brake 1 Cor. 10 16 Why did he deliver this unto them and tell them that he had received it of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 23 Why doth he not discharge this altogether as he doth the Love feasts why saith he not There is no such ordinance of Christ There is no command for it Is there no precept presupposed nor included in all this wonderful The end which paul expresseth saith he 1 Cor. 11 26. is to declare the Lord's death but this hath no necessary â—elation to or connexion with partaking of Christ's body and blood for though such as partake of this cannot but commemorat his death yet his death can be commemorated without this participation Ans. 1. That declaration of Christ's death is a comprehensive end and includeth a Christian improvement and application of Christ's death to all the ends for which he is held forth in this Sacrament which appeareth by the whole context for where this is not there is an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup unworthily and an incurring the guilt of the body and blood of the Lord vers 27. and to which is required self examination as a necessary preparation and an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup so And such as includeth a discerning of the Lord's body the want of which maketh persons eat and drink judgment to themselves and was the cause why many were weak and sickly among them and many were asleep vers 29 30. And such as requireth self judging to this end that we may prevent God's judging vers 31. Thus we see that such a Commemoration of the death of Christ as is here understood cannot be without this partaking 2 This same end includeth a command to use this Sacrament until Christ's second coming 3. What thinks he of the ends mentioned 1 Cor. 10 16 17 4. How such as partake of Christ's body and bloud in his sense cannot but declare his death is a mystery to me Let him clear to me how a Pagan that never heard of Christ or of his death can by introverting unto the light within him declare Christ's death 5. Though Christ's death could be commemorated without partaking of his body and blood in this Ordinance Yet it will not hence follow that it must not be commemorated by this Ordinance He might as well argue that because Christ's death can be declared in this Ordinance therefore it must not be declared in the Word but the truth is this man would have all declaration of it laid aside that it might be quite forgotten or no otherwise declared than as may be by a Pagan introverting to his Light 12. What saith he to these words This is my body and this cup is the New Testament in my blood As Christ saith he used by the use of natural things to lead the mind of his disciples up unto spiritual things so here Christ took occasion from the bread and the wine which was before them while supping to tell them that as bread and wine served to nourish their bodies so his body and blood should be for their souls Answ. Are not these excellent Commentators Is it any wonder that they will not take this word for their Rule Who ever heard even mens words so abused and perverted O the patience of God! Though I think the very reciting of his words were enough to shame him if he could be ashamed and them both yet let me soberly ask him a few things 1. Why doth he not give us a like instance That which he mentioneth of Christ's speaking to the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. is nothing to the purpose for Christ sayes not there This well is my body Or this well is the New Testament in my blood 2. What signified Christ's blessing of the bread and blessing of the cup if this was all 3. To what end did he break the bread and give it to his disciples and said take eat c. when they had been eating and drinking already 4. Why said he of the cup drink ye all of it if there was no more imported 5. Why said he this do in remembrance of me 6. Was this all that Paul delivered to the Corinthians 7. Was this all that he received of the Lord 8. How cometh it that the Spirit of the Lord in Paul giveth us not that commentary of the words But enough of this piece of profane blasphemous boldness 13 What sayes he to 1 Cor. 10 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ He answereth Pag. 298. That in all this Chapter Paul is not speaking a word of this ceremonie he should say Ordinance Answ. For as bold as he is we will not beleeve him Let us yet hear his reason He saith vers 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils c. but they could drink of the cup of Devils and of the outward cup. Answ. Not morally and lawfully because the Apostle here disswades them from having communion with idols upon this very account though they might physically as Robert Parclay may steal and murther But sayes he Paul speaks of one bread vers 17. and this cannot be outward bread
not what others say Parnel in his Shield of truth Pag. 17. said as it is cited by Mr Faldo whose Book is but lately come to my hand 2 Part. Pag. 11. of his book And here is the difference of the Ministers of the world and the Ministers of Christ the one of the letter the other of the Spirit for they are meer deceivers and witches bewitch people from the truth holding forth the shadow for the substance As for the Church so speaketh Isaac Pennington in his Questions P. 49. Q. What is the fold of the sheep Answ. The wisdom life and power of the Father even the same that is the shepherd Obj. Is not the Church the fold A. This in the Church or the Church in this is the fold but not out of this As for prayer or thanksgiving at meat hear Iames Naylor Love to the lost P. 57. But where the pure is not viz. the light all things are defiled when they are not sanctified by the word and prayer and therefore are to be received in fear and therein remembring his death till he come and so this is all their Lord's Supper too who is the word and Prayer And Pag. 13. He casts all Prayer that is not by immediat inspiration saying But as every creature is moved by the Spirit of the living God who is that Spirit who will be served with his owne alone not with any thing in man which is come in since the fall so the imaginations thinkings and conceivings are shut out And Smith Cat. P. 100. So must all come to the Sâ—irit of God by the Spirit to be ordered and cease from their own words and from their own time and learne to be silent till the Spirit give them utterance And P. 107. So the same wisdom may deny the prescribed way as being formal and may invent something instead of it in a higher mystery of iniquity and though they may not speak in such formal words composed yet in the same wisdom their words are formal they can set their own time to begin and end and when they will they can utter words when they will they can be silent and this is the unclean part which offereth to God which he doth not accept Found we not his Mans doctrine abâ—ve consonant hereunto As for Baptisme Parnel Pag. 11. els us They owne the Baptisme which is the Baptisme of Christ with the holy Ghost and with fire but they deny all other And P. 12. and now I see the other that is water Baptisme as they ordinarily call it out of scorne to be formal imitation and the invention â—f Man and so a meer delusion Smith Prim. P. 39. and Higgins warning P. 5 say we have this and the Lords Supper both from the Pope Nay Iames Naylor Love to the lost P. 52. giveth us one word for all for this I say saith he that the Father hath given his Son for a leader and guide to all ages and into and out of all formes at his will and in his way and time in every generation And therefore it is that all who know his will herein cannot endure that any visible thing should be set up to limite his leadings in Spirit And C Atkinson said I deny that God did ever or will ever reveal himself by any of these things thou callest the meanes of grace And G. Fox in his Grâ—at Mystery P. 16. And we say he Christ hath triumphed over Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward formes and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead And after all this and much more of the like kinde we must be accounted slanderers for saying that they deny the external part of Christianity Nay not only so but we must be horride liars and the searcher of hearts must be attested hereunto This is but an inconsiderable thing with them who account all that our Preachers say from the word of the Lord nothing but lies and satanical delusions because it is not from the immediat teaching of the Spirit and them but Professours of the Devil upon this account See Fox's Great Mystery P. 5. and 62. 3. Yet more Hence is it saith he that because we exhort people to returne and feel God within themselves saying unto them that if they feel not God neer them the notions which they have of God as he is in the heaven above the cloudes will not much profite them they maliciously endeavour to inferre that we say that God doth not exist without us Answ. Thinks he that we have no other Notion of God but as of one that is up in the heavens above the cloudes Supposeth he that we deny him to be every where present But if they beleeve there is a God in deed and in truth why talk they so much of a measure of God in every man Is the true God such a devisible thing Why do they make the soul of man a part or particle of God What meane they by the Vehicle of God Do these and the like expressions smell of orthodoxy in this matter The true God that is revealed to us in the Scriptures is a God that is one in essence and three distinct persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost do they believe this Furthermore if they beleeve really a God without them why do they ascribe to something within them that which is peculiar unto God Doth not the morning Watch Pag. 5.6 7. assert the light within every man to be that word which Iohn speaks of Iohn 1 1 See Fox the younger P. 50 53 54. Is that a savoury expression which E. B True faith hath when he saith every man hath that which is one in union and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its measure Was that orthodox which Ed. Burroughs said the morning before he died see F. H. Testimony Now my soul and Spirit is centred in its own being with God and this form of person must returne from whence it was taken Another hath these expressions See Mr Faldo as above P. 124. Againe thou makes a great pudder that any one should witness he is equal with God Answ. A Cathechisme of the Assembly of the Priests in which they have laid down that the holy Ghost and Son is equal in power glory with the Father yet if any come but to witness the Son revealed in him or come to witness the holy Ghost in them as they gave out the Scriptures or witness the minde of Christ and witness that equal with the Father they cry out horrid blasphemy Hear what another saith Now consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a Spiritual Substance is not infinite in it self but a creature that which came out from the Creatour and is in the hand of the Creatour which brings it
themselves Are not these sufficient to evidence to all the world how the Quakers vilify the Scriptures of truth 5. Do they not disswade all in their writings as the cited passages evidence from reading or studying the Scriptures or from expecting any light or comfort from them Though Christ in express termes commanded to search the Scriptures Yet they perswade to the contrary And is not this a clear proof of their undervalueing of the Scriptures 6. Whereunto else tendeth that expression of Fisher's in his Velata quaedam revelato p. 4. Ye have Moses the Prophets within you but to disparage and vilify the Scriptures See also Parnel p. 11. For the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without 7. Is it not a manifest vilifying of Scripture to say that there is no light in it Yet so faith The lip of truth opened p. 7. That light is in the Scriptures prove that or tell me what one Scripture hath light in it 8. Do not they say that whaâ— is held forth in the Scriptures is not bindeing to us Naylor love to the lost p. 16. for all the Saints have their commands in the Spirit but yours is in the letter and so another ministration We have mentioned more above Chap. IV. to this purpose and is not this sufficient to declare the Scriptures null in their esteem 9. What else doth that of Iohn Story in his discovery savour of And I. A. further saith let light without be guide to light within Reply if by this exhortation I. A. meanes that light without should try true light within which shines in the hearts of the Saints then I must needs say it is a very absurd and foolish exhortation and being spoken upon a divine account it is full of idolatry and evil 10. Do not the fore cited passages fully clear that in the Quakers judgment we canâ—ot come by the Scriptures to the knowledge of God or of Christ or of ourselves And is not that sufficient to disparage the Scriptures 11. Whâ—n Christ himself made use of the Scriptures to repel the temptations of Satan Mat. 4. Can we think the Quakers haâ—e any high esteem for the Scriptures who declare them utterly useless as to this as Martin Mason doth in his Loving Invitation p. 11 12. Can they value the Scriptures aright who desire the Lord that he would stripe us of all our knowledge of the Scripture and say that they only make us wise to oppose truth and so bring us into a state of condemnation wrath and misery beyond the heathen See Pennington's quaest p. 12. See also W. Pen's Spirit of truth p. 23. 13. Do they not undervalue the Scriptures who still set them in opposition to the Spirit And is not this the common language of the Quakers 14 If the Quakers have an high opinion of the Scriptures what meaneth all these expressions in the Morning watch Pap. 22.23 of them and of the doctrines received from them viz Traditions of men earthly root darkness and confusion Nebuchadnezzars image Putrefaction and corruption rotten and deceitful all out of the liâ—e and power of God Apostacy the whores cup the mark of the Beast Babylon the Mother of harlots Bastards brought forth of flesh and â—lood the birth that persecutes the son and heire Babylons brats and children graven images c. These sure are no expressions of great estimation 15. What shall we think of what the same Author saith p. 45. So amongst the words you finde how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make something to yourselves and to observe it and do it as near as yoâ— can and here you are found transgressours of the Law of God who saith thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing Now what difference is there in the ground betwixt you and the Pope Hath this man the same esteem of the Scriptures that Paul had when he said Rom. 15 4. For whatsoever things were wâ—itten afore time were writen for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 16. Do we not all know how reproachfully the Papists speak of the Scriptures And do not Quakers and they go one way here Let any look Mr Faldo's parallel in the end of Chap. 12. of his book Pag. 131. c. and judge If this be not enough to discover what enemies to and undervaluers of the Scriptures the Quakers are I know not if we can get any more out of hell See what is said above Chap. IV. § 2. 4. 12. 5. What saith he more Hâ—nce moreover because we say that their clatterings and outward faith of an external life passion and death of Christ will no more justify them in the sight of God then the Iewes crying the Temple of the Lord c. but that they must acknowledge a Christ within themselves whom they have crucified to be risen and justifying and redeeming them from all iniquity they say we deny the liâ—e suffering and death of Christ and justification by his blood and remission of sinnes through him Answ. What meaneth he by that ill favoured word clatterings garritiunculae It hath no sound in latâ—ne and no good sound in Engâ—ish in this mater And what meaneth he by an external faith And what meaneâ—h he by an external faith of an external life and death of Christ These expressions are very quakerish that is unsavoury salt of non-sense But when he layeth all the weight of justification and redemption on a thing which they call Christ within every man formerly crucified but now risen is not that as much as if they denied all that Christ did for our Redemption and Justification an Pardon through his righteousness and blood What this man hath said of these things we have seen and examined and because he would fame wipe off this Aspersion from his fraternity let us see what they say in this mater Mr Faldo will help us to some others then we have seen and mentioned formerly 1. What meaneth that expression of Edâ— Burrughs Truâ—peâ— c. â— 17. All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their seeding upon the report of a thing dead many hundered yeers ago And that of Farnworth what righteousness Christ performed without me was not my justification neither was I saved by it Is not this a plaine denial of justification through Câ—rist and hâ—s righteousness Pennington quaestions p. 2â— is clear enough Can saith he outward blood clause the conscience Can outward water wash the soul clean Parnel's Shield of truth p. 30. And this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reigne above the world death hell and the Devil But none can witness this whose eye is outward looking at a Redeemer a far off Morning watch p. 21. And conclude to themselves a beliefe in Christ and apply his promises what he did for them in the body that
4 11. that pastors are given for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come unto the unity of faith c. Answ. 1. Hence we see the necessity of a standing Ministrie which yet he and is brethren are against as we shall heare 2. The Ministrie is to bring them on toward perfection and is for the edifying and building up of the body and of particular souls till we all come at length into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. How is it proved that this ultimat end is attained here And further we told above that there was a perfection comparative and in parts here attainable and attained according to the measure of grace of the gift given to every man Ephes. 4 7. 1 Cor. 12 11. But not a perfection of degrees which excludeth all increase and grouth contrare to 2 Pet. 3 18. Phil. 3 12 2 Thes. 1 3. not such a perfection as excludeth all sin He addeth Pag. 158. doth not the Apostle say that the Scriptures are given to make the man of God perfect 2 Tim. 3.17 Answ. Yes And they do that in their owne manner as a perfect and compleat Rule giving full instruction and information in all things necessary to salvation contrare to what himself taught above so that the the man of God needeâ—h to hearken to no Dreames Enthusiasms or Precepts of men to learne what is God's wiâ—l How doth our doctrine make Prayers useless Are not these prayers saith he useless and without faith that are made for preservation from sin if withall they beleeve that God will not give them what they ask Answ. So said Crellius the Socinian But the doctrine of Perfection seemeth rather to take away all use of such Prayer for who will pray for that which they have 2. If saints pray for a sinless state here they pray without warrand He that taught us to pray that we be not led into temptation taught us also to pray for forgiveness of sinnes But saith he what shall we say of the prayers of the Apostles Col. 4 12. 1 Thes. 3 13. 5 22 c. Did they pray so without faith Ans. This is another of Crellius arguments But we say The Prayers of the Apostles were not for a sinless state nor did they beleeve that the Saints here could be in such a state as to sinne no more Nay while they prayed thus for the saints they supposed that the saints had not yet attained to it Epaphras not the Apostle Paul is said Col. 4 12. to labour fervently in prayer that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God that is might set the will of God only before them as their Rule and hang upon no man as to their Christian conduct but walk in sincerity as becometh Christians following the rule of Gods Law and might not be alwayes câ—ildren tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine and spoiled through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ as there was ground to feare as we see Chap. 2. Paul 1 Thes. 3 12 13. is clear against this imagined Perfection for he prayeth that God would make them to increase and abound in love so that thâ—re was yet some shortcoming to the end he might establish their hearts unblameable in holiness at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. So that he sheweth not what a measure of love and holiness they will attaine unto here but prayeth that it might alwayes be growing untill it attaine its full perfection at the coming of the Lord. The same is clear from 2 Thes. 5 23. Which maketh against this imagined perfection and speaketh only of a perfection of parts not of degrees 24. In the fift place he reasoneth thus Pag. 158. § 7. Our doctrine is repugnant to common sense and reason Why so for these two opposite principles in the children of darkness and in the children of light are sin and righteousness And as men are respectively fermented with the one or the other so are they to be called justified or reprobated seing he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord Prov. 17 15. Ans. This argument would prove as well that full perfection which he denieth to be common to all the Regenerat to be essential to the state of Christianity and therefore he must answere it as well as we But 2. That there are contrary principles in the godly and wicked is true and it is as true that there remaineth sin in the godly which floweth from a principle of corruption yet the Godly man is not fermented to speak in the dialect of the Quaker or rather to speak in the dialect of the Scriptures is not under the dominion of that principle nor given up thereunto as the wicked are with full will consent and pleasure without any reluctancy or lusting of a contrary principle 3. It is not saife to call all not yet justified reprobat 4. The Lord justifieth none upon the account of their Inherent Righteousness and indeed this mans opinion tendeth to a setting up of Justification by the works of the law or inherent righteousness for if man can abide in all things that are written in the Law he should be free of the curse Gal. 3 10. But this is contrary to the experience of the best of Saints Psal. 130 3. 143 2. Iob. 9 3. 4â— 5. 1 Cor. 4 4. And the Law should not then be weak because of flesh contrare to Rom. 8.3 And contrare to that Iam. 2 10. He who trangresseth in one is guilty in all and contrary to these Scriptures Gal. 3 21 22. 2 21 3 10. further sayes he Then a man should be called just who sinneth in all his actions Ans. No man is calleâ— just before God in point of Justification becauâ—e of his Inherent Righteousness but because of the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to him by God received by faith And as to sanctification such may be called just because of Integrity Sincerity Uprightness of heart because of Endeavouring after conformity to the Law in the strengh of the Lord upon which account the man is approven of God but not because he is sinless for then no man should goe under that denomination But sayes he the subject is donominated by the accident that adhereth Ans. Yet a wall is called white though the whiteness be not perfect but mixed And God giveth the denomination according to grace that is according to the better part though it sometimes should be the lesser part He asketh where are then the children of God and of light the sanctified and purified ones Ans. Even where these are who are groaning under a body of death and running daily to the
fountaine and giving Christ much work to speak so to wash and make them clean from their daily pollutions and defilements and have renunced the works of darkness and are now serving the Lord with singleness though with much weakness and many failings 25. In the next place Pag. 159. § 8. He cometh more directly to confirme his owne Opinion And his first argum is the old Pelagian argument formerly rejected and which is used by Volkelius the Socinian lib. 2. c. 22. viz. That the commands of Christ and the Apostles suppose it to be possible or in our power He proveth that this perfection is not only possible but necessary from several Scriptures such as Mat. 5 48. Which only proveth it our duty to endeavour after Perfection and to minde all duties even such as the corrupt pharisees thought no duties such as to love our enemies to blesse them that curse us c. vers 44 45 46 47. As for Mat. 7 21. Ioh. 13 17. 1 Cor. 7 19. they can make nothing for him unless he suppose that no man shall be saved who ever sinned And further seing he will not deny that some of these passages at least concerne the unconverted he must also grant that even they also may attaine to this Perfection As for 2 Cor. 13 11. 1 Ioh. 3 2 10. we have spoken to before And by this last we know to expound that 1 Ioh. 2 3 4 5 6. 26. His next argu is from Rom. 6 14. Which speaketh only of the dominion of sin from which we grant all beleever are delivered and if he know no difference betwixt a state of freedom from the dominion of sin and a sinless state he is ignorant of Christianity He citeth also Rom. 8 3. which is directly against him And if he look to vers 4. that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us It can make nothing for him for it is not said by us but in us that is in our nature when Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh and fulfilled all righteousness and so answered the Law by doing as well as by suffering which righteousness consisting as well in his obedience as in his suffering is imputed to beleevers and by vertue thereof they come to have a right to the crown and to life which was lost by the breach of the Law which required full obedience and satisfaction in case of transgression and that notwithstanding of their shortcomings which are many But how then sayes he is the Gospel differenced from the Law which made nothing perfect Ans. The Law pointed out Christ to come in whom alone all was to be had and without him its ordinances made nothing perfect And the Gospel exhibiteth this Lord Jesus in whom dwelleth all fulness and who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him Pag. 160. he saith That Paul proveth this through the whole 6. Chap. to the Romans Ans. The contrary is most manifest for he is encouraging beleevers to holiness and dehorting them from a continuaâ—ce in sin which supposeth that persons may be beleevers and yet have need of such dehortations and encouragments for where this Quakers perfection taketh place all these are laid aside as utterly useless He speaketh not of sinlesness but of a living in sin vers 2. which is opposite to a being dead to sin that is freed of sins Dominion and Law-power and which is opposite to a walking in newness of life vers 4. And vers 6. he sayes though the old man was virtually and legally crucified with Christ Yet it is not actually killed that the body of sin might be destroyed in due time and then inferreth that henceforth we should not serve sin as our Master and Lord. And this he turneth into an exhortation vers 12. Let not sin reigne therefore in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof vers 13. neither yeeld ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin And for their encouragment tels them vers 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you he saith not for sin shall have no being in you And againe vers 16. he dehorteth them from a yeelding of themselves as servants to obey sin and vers 19. he presseth them to yeeld their members as servants to righteousness which is opposed to a becoming servants of sin vers 20. And to presse this the more he mindes them of their state to wit that now they were not the servants of sin having obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine whereinto they were cast moulded vers 22. that they were made free from sin c. What our Quaker speaketh afterward of the way of attaining this perfection by laying aside the outward Law and looking only to the Light within we look upon as a Quakers dream And when he saith that our looking to the outward Law finding an impossibility of keeping it perfectly put us to wrest the Scriptures to seek after an imputative righteousness He but declareth the true genius and nature of that antievangelick and diabolical Spirit that acteth them And what followeth Pag. 160. is but a confirmation of what we said viz. that all the Perfection they would bring us to by hearkning to the Light within is but a paganish perfection And his great promises Pag. 161. we account delusions being resolved to goe to the Law and to the Testimony and to abide by the declaration of God's minde in his word and not to follow the Light of nature nor the hellish enlightenings of the devil who was a liar from the beginning in this great mater 27. In the last place Pag. 161. for a proof of this he adduceth some instances as did the Remonstrants in their Apologie Chap. 17. before him Such as Enoch Noah who are said to have walked with God and to be perfect Gen. 5. 6. Ans. They were Sincere and Upright and had a Perfection of parts though not of degrees and so walked with God and by all their perfection they were not justified but by faith which leadeth a man out of himself and so became heires of the righteousness which is by faith Heb. 11 5 6 7. Moreover we read of Noah's sinne As for Iob though he was a perfect and upright man yet his book declareth that he was not sinless and Elihu evinceth it yea God layeth to his charge Chap. 38 2. that he darkened counsel by words without knowledge And himself Chap. 42 2. confesseth that he uttered what he understood not things too wonderful for him which he knew not for which he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes vers 6. As for Zacharias and Elizabeth Augustine of old answered de gratia Christi contra Pelag. Cap. 48. that this was to be understood of their unblameable conversation in the eyes of men and the Lord accounted them such And Iustin. Matyr in Quaest. Resp. orthodox Quaest. 141. distinguisheth betwixt