hear onely at their idle leisure judging a businesse that may be done but see little necessity of doing of it would pretend not to despise it yet put a very sleight esteem upon it Doth the child judge so of the dug Or do these judge so of their ordinary and necessary food A life of nature is kept up in the use of meanes as long as it can be patcht up if Physick be neglected so is not food The Word is food and physick for the life of grace and this is let alone 3. Those that carelesly negligently superciliously and disdainfully hear as though their businesse were not to feed but judge not to learn or be minded of any thing but onely to censure According as the way of their fancy works so the Word takes Some are pleased onely with Kickshawes like such dishes on a table that have shew without substance words that are quaint and strained not to help but to exceed their understandings Others with choyce notions onely how wholesome soever it is not worth heeding if not curious Others take up all according to the person that delivers it with children they are pleased with every thing from one hand with nothing from another Lastly Those that let go all truths as soon as they are heard There is no more heard of the Sermon when once it is done They that go to a feast will talk of the dishes and they that go to a Fair or Market will talk of the Commodities but when they go to the Congregation there is not a syllable heard of the Word after they return When meat goes out of the stomach as it comes in it neither strengtheneth nor nourisheth and the Word slipt as soon as it is heard can be no more effectual Sacraments 2. Sacraments are visible signs and seals That of Baptisme enters us into the Church visible and seals all the promises made to members on Gods terms and propositions And the Supper of the Lord is for confirmation of those that are visibly Church-members on the same terms likewise Baptisme is past in the act but still present in the use As a Souldier by oath taken and colours given was tied to his General so we are hereby tyed unto God and God is tyed unto us and hereby we know our duty and Gods promise As a lease binds to duty and assures a benefit so it is with the Sacrament of Baptisme The Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 compares it to the Ark of Noah he was there tost up and down in the deep considering his present state he might well have feared shiprack but the Ark being of Gods apointment and he put into it by Gods command he might well confide in him for safety If we look to the temptations and assaults wherewith our souls are on all hands battered we have just cause of fears but when we call to mind that we entered the Church as Noah the Ark by Baptisme and make it our businesse that conscience may answer unto what Baptisme requires what objection soever our heart makes Baptisme may raise our souls in confident assurance The Lords Supper is to the eye as the promises are to the eare Whilest we are in the body spiritual things under corporal signs are ordained for our help and strength Our Saviour tells us his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed John 6.55 And here under the signs of that which is our ordinary meat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ is tendered and as our food is offered unto us Where these Sacraments have their due esteem and men baptized in infancy do not passe by the thoughts of it in their growth but well consider their engagements and bonds that lye upon them to presse them to duty and the engagements of God for support of their faith they then make use of this ordinance to uphold faith and keep life in it in their souls when they frequent the Lords Table and conscienciously communicate for the ends for which it was instituted to be laid low in themselves to see sin aggravated and pardon tendred there is like hopes But when all thoughts of Baptisme is laid aside and the Lords Supper either neglected or prophaned these may well look that as a child through want of food so their faith upon the same account may languish Prayer 3. Prayer is the daughter of faith and also the nurse or foster-mother Faith breathes out it self in prayer and prayer obtains a more ample measure of faith to pray Lord I believe help my unbelief was the prayer of the father of the Lunatick Mark 9.24 and Lord encrease our faith was the prayer of the Apostles Luk. 17.5 When we have done all to stand prayer in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 must second This Communion with God keeps up faith in God They that make it their work to pray alwayes ever holding it up in the season of it joyning with the Congregation in publique in the family in a way more private and after Christs counsel in their closet sending forth holy ejaculations in their beds their walks and on all occasions These take care of their faith But in case that may be truly said of them which was falsly laid to the charge of Job that they restrain prayer before God Job 15.4 their faith may justly be suspected I may speak concerning this grace in the words of the Apostle these have not because they ask not these starve their faith and let it dye through want of nourishment and support We hear of Camelions that live in the ayr and Salamanders in the fire A Wonder was not long since noysed out of Germany of a Maid that lived onely on the smell of flowers An impostor lately went from place to place that fed on stones these that would passe for believers are some such Monsters Thus we have lookt into faith according to the three first rules the last followes which is the fruit that it beares or the effects that it produceth The fruits which faith bears and the effects which it produces These might be reduced into two heads First such as all faith if true produceth Secondly such as onely a strong and grown faith obtaineth But calling men to the tryal whether they be in the faith and not whether they be high and transcendent in believing I shall wave the latter and speak onely to the former These fruits which every faith which is such in truth produceth are either in the understanding or affections For that which it produceth in the understanding 1. In the Understanding take this rule Faith puts that high prize on Christ and priviledges through Christ that all earthly things are comparatively of the meanest value and most low esteem This we might make good in divers instances 1. In Moses If we read the beginning Chapters of Exodus we may there see the sad afflicted estate of the people of God in that time together with the honour to which Moses
sufficient Rule for us now for believing in Jesus Christ no nor the same Law of nature as still in force under Christ For a generall command say you of believing all that God revealeth is not the only Rule of our faith but the particular revelation and precept are part c. To this I say 1. As before I think I may answer out of your own mouth where you say Neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second Commandement and unbelief is a breach of the first If we break the Commandement in unbelief then the Commandement binds us to believe 2. Much of that which I have spoke by way of answer to your former may be applyed to this likewise 3. I have already spoke to this that faith is a duty of the Moral Law Treat of the Covenant Chap. 3. pag. 18 19. To which I refer the Reader 4. If Adam had no command for faith then he was not in any capacity to believe and by his fall lost not power of believing And consequently it will not stand with the Justice of God to exact it at our hands having never had power for the performance of it 5. I say there was power in Adam for that faith that justified but not to act for justification Adam had that habit and the Law calls for it from all that are under the Command of it But the Gospel discovers the object by which a sinner through faith is Justified 3. The same answer may serve to your third objection 3. Exception which indeed is the same with the former only a great deal of flourishing is bestowed in discourse of the understanding and will paralleling them with the Prefaces grounds and occasions of Laws And at last bringing all to the Articles of the Creed to which enough allready is spoken 4. You say But what if all this had been left out 4. Exception and you had proved the Morall Law the only Rule of duty doth it follow theâ—efore that it is the only Rule Answ I take righteousnesse to be matter of duty and then the only Râ—le of duty is the only Rule of righteousnesse You say further Sure it is not the only Rule of rewarding And I say Rewarding is none of our work but Gods and I look for a Rule of that work which is ours and that we are to make our business I confess an imperfection in it to give life but assert a perfection as thâ— Rule of our lives It justifies no man but it orders and regulates every justified man 5. You say The same I may say of the Rule of Punishment 5 Exception To which I give the same answer It is not our work bu Gods either to reward or punish And here you speak of a part of the penalty of the new Law And I know no penalty properly distinct from the penalty of the old You were wont to compare it to an Act of Oblivion and Acts of Oblivion are not wont to have their penalties You instance in that of the Parable None of them that were bidden shall tast of the supper when thâ— sin for which they there suffer is a breach of a Morall Command 6. You say The principall thing that I intend is 6. Exception that the Morall Law is not the only Rule what shall be the condition of Life or Death and therefore not the only Rule according to which we muâ—t now be denominated and hereafter sentenced Just or Vnjust To this I have already given a sufficient answer and if I had not you answer fully for me Aphor. p. 144 Thes 28. Where you say The precepts of the Covenant as meer precepts must be distinguished from the same precepts considered as conditions upon performance of which we must live or die for non-performance And I speak of them as meer precepts and so they are our Rule of righteousness and not as they are conditions either of the Covenant of works or grace And a man may be denominated righteous by the Laws Rule when he cannot stand before the sentence of it as a Covenant of which we have heard sufficient After a long discourse against all possibilitie of Justification by the Law of works as though I were therein your adversarie or that the Antinomian fancy were above all answer that a man cannot make the Law his Rule but he makes it withall his Justification you go about to prevent an objection and say If you should say this is the Covenant and not the Law you then tell me that you will reply 1. Then the Law is not the only Rule To which I say When my work is to make it good that the Law is our only Rule I marvaile that you will so much as imagine that I will say that which makes it not the only Rule But perhaps you think I do not see how it cannot follow as indeed I do not neither can I see any colour for it 2. You reply It is the same thing in severall respects that we call a Law and a Covenant except you mean it of our Covenant-act to God of which we speak not who knowes not that praemiare and punire are Acts of a Law And that an Act of Obliviom or generall pardon on certain terms is a Law and that the promise is the principall part of the Law of Grace To which I say that praemiare and punire are not essentiall in a Law Some have power of command so that their words in just things is to be a Law where most deny any power of punishment as an Husband over the Wife Some Parents have Authority to command Children Children remaining under the obligation of the fifth Commandment as long as the relation of a Child continueth when they have neither power to reward or punish Jacob took himself to be in power to command Joseph among the rest of his Sons as appears in the charge that he gives concerning his buriall Gen. 47.29 30. and Chap. 49.29 So compared and yet he was not in power either to reward or punish him And though they be acts of a law where he that gives the Law is in power Yet they are no parts of a Rule nor any directiory of life to him to whom they are proposed I know that an Act of Oblivion or generall pardon may be called a Law as many other things are catachresticè and abusivè but that it should be a Law properly so called I know not The Romanes defined a Law whilst that a Democratie was in force among them to be Generale jussum populi aut plebis rogante magistratu Afterwards when the State was changed and the Legislative power was in other hands they defined it to be Jussum Regis aut Imperatoris And Tullye's definition of a Law is that it is Ratio summa insita in natura quae recta suadet prohibetque contraria Here jussio suasio and prohibitio are express'd which are not found in Acts of Oblivion That every man who
former as is concluded by Interpreters we must understand the like or somewhat much like it in the latter Man will have like immortality in sin as he had omniscience by sin Therefore he puts and keeps him out of Paradise that now being deprived of the thing he might not delude himself in the outward sign or Sacramental representation of it Sixthly It remains therefore that these trees were set apart of God from other trees of the garden for a Sacramental use having no more power of themselves to confer life or knowledge then water in Baptisme or bread and wine in the Lords Supper to conferre pardon of sin or spiritual life on the soul g Arbor igitur vitae non ab in sita vivificandi facultate sed à Sacramentali signifâ—câ—tione sic dicta est The tree of life was so called saith Wollebius not from any innate quickning faculty but from a Sacramental signification Paraeus indeed putting it to the question whether the tree of life be so called by reason of the effect that it had produced had man stood or by way of signification saith these two opinions in his judgment may be joyned and sayes h Sine dubio habitura erat haec arbor seu ut cibus seu ut medicina vim conservandi hominis sanitatem vitam ne corpora vergerent in senium aut sentirent defecâ—um donec in coelestem immortalitatem transirent Deinde data fuit homini in vitae Sacramentum The tree might give life as food or as physick and preserve from age till man should be translated into an heavenly immortality and then proceeds to shew how it is a Sacrament of life But sure these opinions are altogether inconsistent Sacraments are so signs that they are not physical causes of the thing that is signified If they had any such effect in nature then all mystery in the Sacrament ceased and there needed no word from God to clear it every man would know that food hath a natural tendency to life and physick to health if there were no Scripture If we were able to make it good that they were physical causes of life and knowledge then we must disclaime their Sacramental use but seeing that cannot appear and the contrary is evident This other must be asserted It may easily be made out that the tree of life was a Sacramen Man was to put forth his hand to eat of it as the Jewes did the Passeover and we do the Lords Supper i Voluit igitur hominem quoties fructum arboris illius gustaret in memoriam revorareunde vitam haberet ut se agnosceret non propria virtute sed Dei unius beneficio vivere Neqâ—e esse intrinsecum bonum ut vulgo loquuntur sed à Deo provenire And as often as he ate of it or had his eye upon it as Calvin well observes he was to remember from whom he received life and blisse and by whom he was preserved and upheld that he had no principle of life and blisse in himself but as he received it from God so by his favour and free Grace it was continued And to mind himself of his duty on what tearms he stood with God and upon what condition his life and blisse was continued whilest he sinned not he must not dye as long as obedience lasted he must enjoy a life in happiness Others add that it shadowed out Christ by whom both he and the Angels stood in happinesse but I have already spoke my thoughts to that particular But how to bring that other tree of the knowledge of good and evil so aptly to hold out the nature and use of a Sacrament is not so easie and I find many Interpreters asserting it but not any that I can meet with demonstrating it And it must be confest that this Sacrament did herein differ from all other Sacraments Those did consist in their use This in mans abstinence from it In this it is said thou shalt not eat In the Passeover and the Lords Supper the communitants must eat But God hath it in his power to institute Sacraments according to pleasure by way of prohibition as well as by way of injunction In other Sacraments in the due use men attain to the good that is promised In this by abstinence man should have avoyded the evil threatned In eating of the tree of life while man persisted in obedience he was assured of life that was a seal and pledge of it And while he abstained from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he had like assurance of freedom from death This alone was a negative Sacrament and it was proper to this Sacrament onely that not the fruition of good but the avoydance of evil was the thing signified The reason of the name is the enquiry of many why it was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Some that would deny it to be any Sacrament say that it had the name from the natural effect that it was apt to produce being created to quicken or ripen man in the use of his reason conceiving that our first Parents were created weak in knowledge of an infant understanding And to know good and evil that is choose the good and refuse the evil in the Hebrew phrase setting out the use of reason as Esay 7.16 Before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good They say this tree was to work them to this maturity in knowledge How false this is of our first Parents weaknesse in knowledge is clear by the names that man gave to all creatures upon sight as he had dominion over them so he understood the nature of them as also in that speech that he uttered concerning Eve when the Lord upon her creation brought her to him to give her in marriage The Wise man sayes that God made man upright Eccles 7.29 And this uprightnes comprizes mans whole conformity to God in all in which his image doth consist which was as the Apostle tells us in knowledge as in righteousnesse and true holinesse Col. 3.10 To avoid suspition of inclination to any such opinion some when they speak of mans first estate purposely avoid the word innocency and choose to use the word integrity And how unapt the fruit of a tree could possibly be in nature to produce any such effect that which was spoken concerning the tree of life being applyed hither may demonstrate And whence this opinion came but from the Devil I cannot tell who told our mother Eve that God did know that in the day that they eat thereof their eyes should be opened and they should be like unto gods knowing both good and evil Gen. 3.5 He was the first that vented it and she was the first that believed it when she saw that the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise she did take and eat thereof Gen. 3.6 The taste
it seems was the taking quality the other trees were good for food and doubtless lovely to the eye but this alone answerable to the name with the Devils comment upon it was a tree to be desired for this end but she found the contrary light was not only not encreased but put out so that man now is a beast by his own knowledge others therefore conclude that it had name not from any such effect that in nature it was apt to produce but by reason of the event that followed and upon the taste of it must of necessity follow now they experimentally know the good which they had by sin lost and the evil which they had incurred k Quemadmodum qui medicus est theoretice vim morbi sanitatis bonum cognoscit in morbum delapsus amissa sanitate nova quadam ratione per experientiam bonum sanitatis malum morbi cognoscit As a Physician faith Ri vet that hath the theory of health and sicknesse understanding what health is to desire it and what sicknesse is to shun it yet falling into sicknesse he hath another manner of knowledge out of his own experience Pererius the Jesuit dislikes this Interpretation he that pleaseth may read his reason on these words and Rivets vindication Exer. 18. in Gen. He fixes upon a third that this name was given to this tree upon occasion of the speech of Satan bearing Eve in hand that in eating of it she should gain the wisdom of God to know both good and evil And therefore it had the name of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil But whosoever gave the name whether God himself who placed the tree in the garden or Adam who to his cost knew it or Moses that wrote of it it is not probable they would borrow a name from Satans delusion The former therefore which the Jesuit confessed to be an opinion most received I judge to be most probable and till I see more shall not recede from it SECT II. Corollaries from the former assertion FIrst hence we see the necessity of the use of means Necessity of the use of means for our help and strengâ—h in the way of fai h and obedience for our help and strength in wayes of faith and obedience in all the wayes prescribed and appointed by God In case our first Parents in their integrity were to make use of a Sabbath to give God a time in a more solemn way as we see Gen. 2.2,3 and also of Sacraments who are we that we should cast off Sabbath and Sacraments that our faith and obedience should be risen to that growth and arrived at that height that all helps should be laid aside It is no marvel that upon this account so many that seemed to be somewhat refusing the assistance of God provided wholly degenerate and come to nothing In case it be replyed that Adam was left to his own keeping carried his life in his own hands but we have another manner of support and defence We are kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 and so we need not to be so sollicitous of our selves I answer though there be truth in that which is objected yet the objection is to no purpose as easily may be manifested Jesus Christ would not have provided Ordinances in New-Testament-times for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ in case he would not have his to make use of them and had not seen that they stand in need of them we are not so kept that we should sit still no more then Israel was in the conquest of the promised Land Gods power in oâ—r preservation and our diligent though not diffident and anxious care very well stands together Else Peter had not from thence inferred wherefore gird up the loynes of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Nor yet having set out Satans vigilancy annext that exhortation Whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 nor yet had the Apostle John told us that He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and the evil one toucheth him not 1 Joh. 1.18 Souldiers are taught to go out and fight in the Name of the Lord and that he covers their head in the day of battel yet this doth not abate any thing of their watchfulness or diligence they do not cast off weapons either offensive or defensive This is an artifice of Satan to lay mens throats open to him for slaughter and destruction under pretence of Divine protection Sacraments are without Spiritual profit to those that live in breach of Covenaâ—t Secondly Know that there is no saving benefit received by any Sacraments which are seales of the Covenant longer then men in Covenant make it their business to keep up to the tearms of it Adam was in a Covenant of life from God upon tearmes of preserving himself from sin and had it by a Sacrament confirmed to him he wilfully runs upon sin the tree of life now can no more give life to him Satan then perswades to believe that in eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they should as gods know both good and evil He now perswades that being baptized in water which holds forth the Spirit and blood of Christ if they understand any such symbolical representation they partake of the Spirit and blood of Christ And that taking the Bread and Cup they enjoy all that they signifie and hold forth That no more then a Sacrament needs to make up a Christian compleat This is an outward work that may be done and all lust alive within An easie work to go through and here man would fain rest but look further to the duty to which these engage otherwise thou wilt find no more of Christ in the Sacrament then Adam found of life in the tree of life See Mr. Burges Spiritual Refining Ser. 19. Covenant failing all Sacraments relating to it necessarily fall with 〈◊〉 Thirdly It yet further followes That a Covenant falling to which Sacraments are annext as signes and seals the Srcraments fall together with it The Covenant of works being no longer of use to the attainment of Salvation the Sacraments which under that Covenant were appointed are taken out of the way and no use of them remaint I know that it is asserted by as learned hand that Christ doth not absolutely make null or repeal the Covenant of works but that it still continueth to command prohibit promise and threaten yet confessing this assertion to be difficult and disputable to which I readily yeeld and therefore in a business of no greater moment then this is I had rather suspend then either subscribe or oppose He and I are wholly agreed as to that for which it is here produced seeing he saith We must neither take that Covenant as
to do the duty that we owe. What the name of Christian or servant or people of God speaks the same these signs call for As the Altar set up Josh 22.24 did witness that those two Tribes and a half did belong with the other Tribes to the God of Israel so these Sacramental signes witness the same thing likewise 8. Remembrancing Eighthly They ace remonstrative and remembrancing signes sometimes of mercy conferred The Passeover was a sign of Israels freedom out of the land of Egypt Exod. 12.26 27. The Lords Supper shewes forth the Lords death untill he come 1 Cor. 11.26 being appointed to be done in remembrance of Christ Matth. 26.26 Mar. 14 20. Luk. 22.29 1 Cor. 11.24 of Christ dying giving his body and blood for us As those twelve stones taken out of Jordan by twelve men out of every Tribe a man were for a sign in ages following a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan Josh 4.6 7. So these Sacramental signs are memorials of the mercy mentioned They are alwayes memorials of the Covenant that we have entred the duty in which we stand engaged The Apostle having shewed that Baptisme doth signifie a death to sin and a life in righteousness Rom. 6.4 presently thence gives warning he that is dead is free from sin vers 6. Ninethly I might shew that they are ratifying and confirming signes but this is distinctly mentioned 9 Ratifying They are seals as well as signes which remaines to be handled SECT III. Corollaries from the former Doctrine SEveral consectaries follow from this observation which containes one part of the definition of a Sacrament First The sign and thing signified are analogically one That the sign and the thing signified in every Sacrament are one not properly and really one but in that manner one as all those things that remain distinct in nature one from other yet bear proportion and resemblance one with other are one One as Christ and a door Christ and a vine are one They are so one that one may be said to be the other when yet one distinct thing from other cannot be said to be the other in a sense that is proper my hand is not my writing my writing is not my hand but my hand is that which writes and writing is written with my hand and so my writing is usually called my hand and these speeches are in all mouthes vulgar common and are so far from being hard to understand that indeed they help the understanding A woman shewes a written peece of parchment and sayes Here is my Dower or Joynture when Dower or Joynture is in Lands not in Papers Every one knows that this speech means that it is that which vests her in it we shew a paper and say This is my will not meaning that faculty of the soul it self but a manifestation of what our desire is should be done with our estate after our decease such a man lives on my trencher that is on the meat which is laid on the trencher at my table so that men should blesse God for that he condescends to speak in such perspicuity and not complain in such speeches of difficulty Upon account of this oneness between the sign and the thing signified sometimes the sign is said to be the thing signified as that Bread is the body of Christ and the Cup the blood of Christ Matth. 26.26 27 So that that of Austin is famous that Christ said This is my body when he gave the sign of his body Circumcision is called the Covenant Gen. 17.9 10 11. Ast. 7.8 The Lambe is called the Passeover Exod. 12.11 21. Matth. 26.28 And the trees before spoken to are called the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil see Ezek. 5.5 1 Cor. 10.4 In all of these places the signe hath the name of the thing signified by reason of Analogy and representation and all by institution sometimes on the other hand the thing signified is called by the name of and is said to be the sign as 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us so Joh. 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed fitly resembled by meat and drink Joh. 15.1 I am the true vine fitly resembled by a vine see Joh. 10.10 11. Sometimes the effect which the thing signified doth produce is called by the name of the sign so in that speech of Ananias related by Paul Act. 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the Name of the Lord when it was not the water that he was then to use but the blood of Christ that could take away sin 1 Joh. 1.7 so Baptisme saves 1 Pet. 3.21 when as the Apostle there as may be further shewen explains his own meaning so the putting off the sins of the flesh is called by the name of Circumcision and of Baptisme Colos 2.11 12. Sometimes that which is the proper work of the sign is attributed to the thing signified Deut. 10.16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be not stiffe necked These and such like speeches as these would be familiar with us and we should be able to give an account of them in case we understood Sacramental relations and other resemblances frequent in Scriptures Secondly Then it further followes There is no such things as transubstantiation that there can be no such thing as transubstantiation The sign and the thing signified remain distinct and cannot properly be the same in any Sacraments Of all Scripture-Sacraments and all those additional forged Sacraments of the Church of Rome one onely is by them thus honoured The Paschal Lambe was not turned into the body of Christ nor is water turned into the blood of Christ in Baptisme Nor do any other of their supposed signes lose their nature onely in the Lords Supper bread is not bread though it be still called bread but flesh wine is not wine though called the fruit of the vine but blood we see bread we taste bread we handle bread and yet we must not give credit either to our eyes ears taste or touch but we must believe it is no bread It hath the natural properties of bread and wine it gives natural nourishment as bread and wine the bread if eaten in excesse and the wine drunken will cause surfeit and intoxicate as bread and wine As the natural force so the natural defects of bread and wine still remain after consecration The bread breeds wormes and the wine turnes to vineger yet we must believe that God by miracle hath taken away bread and wine given blood and flesh turned bread into flesh wine into blood and yet still by miracles keeps up the natural shape properties and defects of these outward Elements When God in Scripture wrought miracles the miracles were seen and
the Disciples of Christ for discovery of a Disciple in the former sense by their affections to him and suffering of affliction for him are of singular use Christ himself hath gone before us in it But upon the notation of the word because Christ gave the Bread and Cup to Disciples to make the subject of that Sacrament to be onely those that reach these markes is besides the holy Ghosts intention All outward Ordinances are for the Church in fieri and not onely in facto for the bringing of it on to Christ I should desire to know where any outward sensible Ordinance is made or how in reason and according to Scripture it can be made the proper peculiar right of invisible members SECT XI Proposition 9 THe Sacrament of the Supper no more then other Ordinances is not limited to those that have received a new life in Christ by the Spirit that are actually regenerate and in grace The Lords Supper is not limited to those that have received a new life by the Spirit others as they may be admitted without sin so they are in a capacity and possbility to receive benefit from it This I am not ignorant that some will question But let these consider before they censure First That it is an external Ordinance as hath been said Arguments a priviledge of the Church as visible put into the hands of those for edification that are not able to discern men of spiritual life and invisible interest And though there be characteristicall differnces whereby a man in grace and he that is short of it may be distinguished whereby all bad ground at the best may be differenced from that which is good yet they are such whereby a man is to make trial of himself onely they are Spirit-works and none knowes them in any man save the Spirit that is in him and therefore no marks for any others cognizance For a Minister of Christ to dispence by command the Sacrament to many when he knowes that it is of possible use and benefit to some few unto these it is food and nourishment unto life unto the others as Rats-bane Poyson and onely for death is such a snare that may hold him in his administration in all horror and amazement A fad dilemma either to lay aside an Ordinance of Christ and so never come up in his place to the whole of his duty or else to deliver to them that which will inevitably be the ruine and destruction of so many of them I know no possible way that can be supposed or so much as pretended for avoidance but in the Name of Christ to give warning to all in whom this new life by the Spirit is not to abstain every man and woman not actually regenerate on their peril to keep off Let them say some know their danger in the highest terms that can be uttered and then if they come their blood is on their own heads and the Minister of Christ hath by this means delivered his soul But to this I have three things to say 1. That it is as I suppose without all Scripture-precedent to warn men upon account of want of a new life by the Spirit wholly to keep off from this or any other Ordinance of Christ I know we must warn men of their sin and the judgement hanging over their heads for sin in which let it be our prayer that we may be more faithful but that we should warn men upon this account upon this very ground to hold off from all addresse to Ordinances I have not learnt 2. I say this doth presuppose that which is wont to be denyed unregenerate men to be in a capacity to examine themselves respective to this Ordinance How can we warn them upon want of justifying faith and the saving work of repentance to hold back when they are in an incapacity upon trial to find themselves thus wanting 3. Shall we not hereby pluck the thorne out of our own sides and as much as in us lyes thrust it into the sides of many of our hungry thirsty and poor in spirit people How many may we suppose are in grace through a work happily begun on their souls yet for several reasons are not able to see this grace or reach to any discovery of it Sometimes by reason of the infancy of the work upon their hearts being yet babes or rather embryo's in grace The first that appears upon light received is an army of lusts and potent corruptions as we know Paul sets it out This cloudes for present any other weak work that as yet in present is wrought In this time Satan is not wanting he did not shew so much artifice before to lessen their sin but he now makes use of as much to aggravate it and as he was industrious before to seduce now he is as busie to accuse He led the incestuous man to incontinency 1 Cor. 7.4 And we know Paul feares least upon continuance of the Church-censure he would gain advantage to swallow him up in overmuch sorrow 2 Cor. 2.8 11. These perhaps as yet are not able to give an account of the nature of faith and repentance or their genuine fruits much lesse are they able by a reflex act to conclude the truth of them in their souls Sometimes by reason of some sharpe conflict of temptation being under the shock and assault of it and therefore whatsoever they have seen of grace heretofore or the favour of God now it is under a cloud which I believe was Pauls case when a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him and a thorne in the flesh given him seeing it is put in opposition to the abundance of revelations that he had being taken up into the third heavens 2 Cor. 12. and therefore had need of Ordinances for support Sometimes on a soyle received by temptation of which his own heart and not the Church is witnesse and therefore is at a losse of the joy of his salvation and stands in need of strength for recovery Sometimes by over-much sloath and rust contracted on his graces through negligence which is supposed to be the case of the spouse indulging her self too much in carnal ease Cant. 5.2 I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Sometimes God out of prerogative withdrawing the rayes of his Spirit and refusing to testifie with our spirits in which case the soul that is most upright with God and sincere in his feare walks in darknesse and sees no light in which there is need of all communications from God and attendance upon him in Ordinances When these shall hear all in whom the work of grace is not in truth thus warned to keep back and told of the high danger of approaching to this Table in such away aggravated will not they put in their name and say their souls are now spoke to They must therefore absent themselves and so the smoaking flax is quenched
put into the Proposition and it not delivered in that generality and whensoever that distinction shall be put I shall not doubt but an answer in the distinction will be suggested Secondly Inabilities to perform duties upon the bare account of natural corruption in a right way and in that acceptable manner as to receive the comforts of them do not discharge a man from obligation to the duty In case indeed it could be proved that God never gave the Sacrament in charge to an unsanctified man but left this visible Ordinance as a Legacy or charge to an invisible Society whom none but themselves can distinguish and few of them able to distinguish themselves then the argument were of some force but from the inability to reason against obligation to the duty to take men off from it upon that account of weaknesse through natural corruption will take all men off that are unregenerate from all duties Thirdly Those that in this way disable all men in nature from these duties which are given in charge to a Communicant upon that ground to keep them from the Sacraments yet confesse they may do this work in order at least to their own exclusion they cannot examine themselves in order to receive but they may and must examine themselves in order to hold themselves off from it When the Apostle speaks to the whole visible Church of Corinth expressely Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. This few say they can reach but to examine and not to eat is in the power of all the other Fourthly Though these reach not the highest duties and so come not up to the ultimate end of the Sacrament yet they perform in their measure several duties and reach the intermediate and subordinate end of it They see Christ there evidently set forth and crucified before them There they see the highest aggravation of sin Christ wounded for sin bruised for transgression under the Fathers wrath for mans guilt suffering for sin the just for the unjust They see him bearing the sins of many and they cannot nor may not exclude themselves from the number They see there a ransome paid for sin a discharge made to the Fathers Justice They see Christ tendered and offered They may further oblige themselves to all duties required as well to the interesting grace which is faith as to the qualifications of obedience They do believe Acts 2.12 13. Luke 8.13 Joh. 12.42 43. 1 Tim. 1.19 This faith is true in its kind they do not onely yeeld assent but reach to some measure of joy and delight Luke 8.13 They are in Christ their way of inhesion or implantation I shall not determine But in the latitude as he is an head he hath members that are inherent in him he is an head of a Church visible and hath many members suitable as the Reader may see in Cobbet of Infant-Baptisme Conclus 5. pag. 56. Whilest those hearers mentioned Luke 8.13 believed I cannot think it was the seeds-mans office who had sounded the Word in their ears to have withheld the visible Word from their eyes or advised them to have withdrawn themselves And as they do duties incumbent on Communicants so also they receive mercies many intermediate mercies though in that state they receive not the highest and choicest mercies They partake of the fatnesse of the Olive Rom. 11. even all that come into that state that the blinded Jewes and the worst part among them did relinquish SECT XII Proposition 10. THe Lords Supper as all other Ordinances of Christ must be so administred The Lords Supper must be so administred that Communicants may be edified that the Kingdom of Christ may be most advanced and the Church in her members most edified Let all be done to edification is the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 14.26 Not as an Apostolical Canon as Mr. Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Policy hath observed for then if the Apostle had been silent that injunction had not been obliging but as a necessary result from all that they had in charge from Jesus Christ Prophecie exceeds unknown tongues because it edifies 1 Cor. 14.4 And unknown tongues are without profit and of no use without interpretation to edifie ver 5. Therefore we have the Apostles resolution for publique prayers ver 14 15 16 17. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitfull what is it then I will pray with the Spirit and with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Else when thou shalt blesse with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest for thou verily givest thankes well but the other is not edified And for the preaching of the Word ver 18 19. I thank my God I speak with tongues more then you all yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Matters circumstantiall and of themselves indifferent if they be not reduced to this end prove inexpedient and to the doer evil All things are lawful for me but all thinges edifie not 1 Cor. 10.23 The whole of the Ministerial work and every appendant to it must be reduced hither what have builders to do but to edifie And if they edifie not what do they do In what other metaphor soever their work is set out this is still their businesse the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.12 When they have done this and made it their whole businesse they may with confidence speak to God in the words of Christ I have glorified thee I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.5 This thread which runs through the whole of the Ministeriall work is not to be excluded here Those of whom there is hopes that they are willing to learn Christ are to be taken into Christs School by Baptisme and those are to be admitted to the Lords Supper that knowingly will engage for continuance and comming on in the waies of Christ Baptisme is the entry door into the Church visible no man must be refused of whom there is reason of expectation that they will be professedly Christs And the Lords Supper is the means of the growth of those that are thus visibly and in the face of the Church received where this may conduce to their building up it is not to be denyed so that the dispensers great enquiry must be whom the Lords Supper may benefit where it may edifie which according to Scripture rules may be discerned and determined otherwise the Apostle had not given this charge Let all things be done to edification and where it may edifie to give it and where it serves not for edification to forbear it not whether
are not so inviolably joyned but that the work is done though unduly by him that is not called to it yet though the validity of the work be asserted the disorder must be opposed Entring upon Aarons work and never called of God as Aaron was with Vzziah officiating in that work that appertains not to him leaving scruples in the thoughts of those to whom in this disorder they have administred these ordinances This the Church hath never suffered save onely tha Papists and Lutherans dispense with Baptisme in case of necessity putting so much weight upon it and placing such efficacy in it which the Church of England also suffered after the reformation till King James his dayes and then as appears in the conference at Hampton-Court it was reformed Dr. Abbot in his Lectures read while it stood in power appeared publickly against it and as I remember for the book is not in my hands affirmed that zealous Ministers then generally did distaste and decry it The Midwife was usually employed in the work as nearest at hand to cast water upon the infant ready to dye in her armes though in no capacity of that function by reason of her sex and though the sex might have born it she was never called to it But they must first make that good that all perish without Baptisme or that the act of Baptisme assures us of salvation before they can justifie this practice Protestant Writers with irrefragable arguments opposing it produce as a dispensation from God for the breach of an order by him set up otherwise we shall conclude that from the time of the said conference it hath justly been put into the hands of the lawful Minister and notwithstanding Mr. Tombes his quibble it was upon just grounds concluded by the late Assembly in their confession of faith Chapter 27. Sect. 4. SECT XVIII A further Corollary from the former doctrine All that are interested in Sacraments must come up to the termes of the Covenant IT further followes that all those that interest themselves in Sacraments expecting benefit by Baptisme and comfort at the Lords Table must come up to the tearms of the Covenant They receive them as signes and badges of a people in Covenant with God They receive them as seals of the Covenant God puts to his seal to be a God in Covenant In their acception they engage as by seal to be his people in Covenant The obligation now is mutual in case man fail on his part God is disobliged If any tye be upon him it is to inflict the just merit of breach of Govenant upon them I have spoken to the necessity that lyes upon the Ministers of Christ to bring their people up to the termes and Propositions of it Treatise of the Covenant chap. 20 21. Here I speak to it onely as the interest in the Sacraments tyes to it And this obligation hath all force and strength in it When God entred Covenant with man in his integrity upon condition of perfect and compleat obedience and gave him as we have heard Sacraments for the ratification and confirmation of it when man failing in obedience and falling short of the duty of the Covenant those Sacraments were of no avail notwithstanding the tree of life man dyed and notwithstanding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil man became brutish in his own knowledge It fares no better with those that are under a Covenant of grace and live and persist in breach of Covenant we see the heavy curse that God pronounceth against them Jer. 11.3 4. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt from the iron Furnace saying Obey my voyce and do them according to all which I Command so shall ye be my people and I will be your God And to this Jeremy adds his Amen or So be it O Lord which assent of his though it may be referred to the Prophets duty in obedience of Gods Command when he had said to him ver 2 3. Speak to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and say unto them Thus saith the Lord Cursed be every man that obeyeth not c. The Prophet in these words says What thou hast enjoyn'd me I will do it and so Junius and Tremelius understand it or to the Prpphets earnest desire to have the promise fulfilled which the Lord utters in the close of his speech ver 5. That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day To which the Prophet answers So Lord let it be that this people being careful to keep Covenant with thee may still enjoy that land which thou didst by oath bind thy self to settle them in as the last larger Annotations understand it or to Jeremies answer in the name of the people binding themselves to obedience as Diodati understands it yet doubtlesse it also comprizeth the Prophets acknowledgement of the equity that the curse should fall on those that obey not the words of the Covenant The Amen is of that latitude that it comprizeth the whole that goes before of the Prophets duty his desire the peoples obligation and the equity of the curse that lyes upon disobedience As the Sacraments in Paradise could be no protection to man in sin so the Sacraments under the present Covenant whether in the old dispensation of it in the dayes of the Fathers or new dispensation of it in Gospel-times can be no protection of those that lye in unbelief and impenitence Let not an unbeliever let not an impenitent person think to find shelter here as the Jewes did think to find in the Temple and say They are delivered to do these abominations Priviledge of Sacraments can help Christians no more then birth-priviledge could the Jewes who are checkt by John Baptist for making it a plea to this purpose and called to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life Matth. 3. I do not say that unlesse you are assured that you do believe to justification and repent in sincerity and unfeignednesse that you must not come to the Lords Table I have declared my self to the contrary but I say you must make it your businesse to believe your work to repent in truth and sincerity or else you shall never find here acceptation The Covenant of works was for mans preservation in life and Adam could have help towards immortality in the tree of life no longer then he made it his businesse to keep up to that which the Covenant required The Covenant of grace is for mans restitution to life none under this Covenant can find any help towards life in any Sacraments annext to it otherwise then in keeping up faith and repentance which are the termes and conditions of it Which way doest thou expect
of his Reign began to seek after the God of his Fathers and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves and the carved Images and the molten Images 2 Chron. 34.3 4. But it was in the eighteenth year of his Reign that he could reach to keep a Passeover Chap. 35.19 Hezekiah as appears hasted to keep a Passeover yet durst not be over-hasty he could not keep it on the day which originally in the Law was appointed But upon advice put it off to the second moneth because the Priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently 2 Chro. 30.3 Ezra kept a Passeover upon the return out of the Captivity Ezra 6.19 and the reason is given vers 20 21. For the Priests and Levites were purified together all of them were pure and killed the Passeover for all the children of the captivity and for their brethren the Priests and for themselves and the children of Israel which were come again out of Captivity and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthinesse of the Heathen of the Land to seek the Lord God of Israel did eat Had not the Priests and Levites been thus purified and the people thus separated the Passeover it appeares had been longer delayed As these saw necessitating occasion for omission of this Ordinance which yet is not charged as their sin so may also the Ministers of Christ see like occasion for delay of administration of the Lords Supper And there is advantage on their part seeing there was a prescript time in the Law for the observation of the one but no limited time in the Gospel for the administration of the other Sometimes a Minister by providence is cast upon such a people that scarce three are able to discern what they have in hand when they are about this duty and therefore he sees no more reason to call them to it then Christ saw to call his disciples newly chosen unto private fastings or the Apostle to give meat to babes edification is their great businesse their whole businesse they may stay the time that they may administer it to edification sometimes it evidently appeares that the rent is in a way to be made so great by their administration through the observance of some working errour upon the judgment in others that are so principled that none but high Saints are for this Ordinance that they see danger in proceeding in it And though I do not doubt but that it is often forborn out of sinful neglect and by truly consciencious Ministers sometimes out of over-much indulgence of their brethrens weaknesse and their own over-rigid principles yet as I do believe that all consciencious Pastours who for some space of time forbear do judge that there is cause for such forbearance so I do believe that upon some occasions pro hic nunc it may justly be forborn And whatsoever exception is taken against Arguments drawn from Analogy as not concluding of which I need to say no more then I have already spoken yet I shall conclude that this which is drawn from the Passeover which is rather from example then analogy is cogent If that of the London-Divines in their Divine Right of Church-Government pag. 20 21. quoted and approved by Reverend Mr. Jeanes pag. 21. of his Treatise be of weight That whatsoever actions were done by Saints recorded in Scripture upon such grounds as are of morall perpetual and common concernment to one person as well as to another to one Church as well as to another these actions are obligatory to all and a rule to after-generations then this Argument grounded on the example of such actions is not to be charged as not concluding yea though we had no such Example to lead us as perhaps they had none to be a precedent to them yet those reasons which led them or those that are equivalent may lead us likewise Fourthly 4. Rule There is no prescript for the time or frequency of the observation of the Lords Supper There is no definitive time in the Gospel for observation nor any precise determinate prescript for the frequency of the Lords Supper But when and how often Christian prudence must order yet being an holy exercise the day which we are to keep holy calls for it being the Lords Supper what time so meet as the Lords day The whole community of the faithful being interested in it it is to be observed at the time of their publick meetings which occasionally may be at other times but must be at that time And in case breaking of bread Act. 20.7 be meant of the Lords Supper as most affirm and I will not oppose it is out of question But yet I cannot think that every holy duty is alwaies to be the work of every holy meeting so the word should never be preached nor prayer publickly made without a Sacrament I believe there is somewhat extraordinary in a Sacrament comparative to other duties as there is in a Fast And though the Law for the Passeover and day of Atonement tye not us to annual observations onely of Sacraments and Fasts as it tyed the Jewes yet me thinks it speaks somewhat more then ordinary in them and that Fasts and Sacraments are not to be done in that frequency as daily addresses to God in prayer and our hearing from God in his Word And though I subscribe to Mr. Pemble and others that the Apostles words As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup implyes that it should be often A Christian should not seldome in his life partake of this Ordinance yet I suppose it doth allow if not imply longer intermission then is to be in other duties The primitive times perhaps in some places at least made this Ordinance over-common celebrating it as is said every day in other places every Lords day Mr. Pemble who religiously pleads for the frequent celebration of it sayes It is true that as in other so in this Divine institution Satan hath done much by his malicious policy to corrupt mens hearts in the observation of it When the Sacrament was administred often he brought it into contempt by the commonnesse of it Now that it is administred seldome through ignorance it is thought unnecessary How truly his observation is verified we see in two extreams into which different parties are run at this present time One part breaking bread almost at all their meetings and make no more of it then common bread looking after no Minister set apart for that work not so much as of their own making any one whom they will call a gifted disciple and such with them is every dipt disciple is set up for it They act it while some walk some talk in their presence with lesse reverence then befits grave persons at common meals I fear there was never more rudenesse in Corinth then may be seen here in Sacramental observations On the other hand the Sacrament is
almost forgotten and looked upon as a Ceremony antiquated and obsolete Christian prudence should interpose and discern a mean between both To quicken and put us on against this last of which the most had need instead of a Book of Canons Directions for our guidance about it or compulsory Lawes Let us 1. Affect our soules with an ardent love of Christ and then we shall not be so slack in celebration of this memorial of him We will keep up the memory of an endeared friend this way Christ hath commended to endear his memory to us If love be such as it ought we shall not desire that it be seldome if it may be possibly often Peter had it three times in charge from Christ to feed his Lambs to feed his sheep how often he must preach Christ he is not told that is left to his love If thou lovest me feed my sheep Love would not let him be slothfull 2. Let us take into consideration our own necessities of which here we may have supplyes first our want of humiliation and heart-breaking how slight and overly is all our feeling and sense of sin if let alone are we not in danger to grow past feeling which was the case of the Heathen when they had arrived at the greatest height of wickednesse Ephes 4.19 Here is an hammer for that purpose when once the Law hath discovered by the light that is given that we have sinned No way to this for the aggravation of it Here we see Gods detestation of sin that would not spare it in his onely Son as he spared not the Angels that sinned but having no Mediatour to bear it for them they bore the punishment of it in their own persons so he spared not his own Son when he had taken upon him our sin Here we see the desert of sin in all those torments which Christ bore for us If we would know sin and be sensible of wrath study the Sacrament the dead soul may be here awakened Secondly our spiritual weaknesses and wants which I shall set out in Mr. Pembles words Let them look inward and see how great need they have of many and often confirmations of their faith renovations of their repentance of stirring up the graces of God in their soules to adde an edge an eagernesse to all spiritual affections after holinesse to get unto themselves the most powerfull provocations unto obedience Every one that hath grace knowes how frequently the power thereof is impaired by temptations weakened by wordly distractions even of our lawful employment and over-mastered by the force of sinful lusts so that they must needs discover a great deal of ignorance in their spiritual estate that feel not in their own soules a pronenesse to astonishment as well in their soules as in their bodies at least they bewray intolerable carelesnesse that finding the emptinesse and leannesse of their soules yet neglect to repair often to this holy Table whereon is set forth the bread of life whereof when they have eaten their spirit may come again 1 Sam. 31.12 their hearts may be strengthened their soules may be replenished as with marrow and fatnesse These considerations may quicken our appetites after this spiritual food And such a meal extraordinary with the help of our ordinary refreshments in hearing prayer and meditation may carry us on more then 40 dayes towards our heavenly Mansion That we hasten not too fast on the other hand Let us take into consideration our inabilities for a suitable preparation and fitnesse for addresse to this Ordinance we have fasted so long in course that we have scarce known what humiliation of our soules in fasting is yea some would be every day at â—t as we can rise in our spirits to the extraordinary weight of it and fit our soules with suitable preparations for it These that I have named are the best gages that I know to regulate us in it that in over-eager haste in duties extraordinary we do not run our selves out of breath nor in over-much sloth give our selves over to faintnesse and leannesse SECT III. A Corollary from the former Doctrine Men called to the Sacrament may not othewise then upon weighty reasons absent themselves from it THen it will follow by way of necessary inference from this consideration of the necessity of Sacraments that When Sacraments are dispensed Christians should see weighty reasons such in which they may have confidence that they will bear them out at the day of Judgment for their omission of them This duty is in the number of affirmative precepts which alwayes bind A man is never from under the obligation of that Precept Do this in remembrance of me though it doth not bind to all times A man is not to be ever in the doing of it and he is never to be found in the neglect of it Loco tempore debitis in due time and place they must be done A journey would have dispensed with a man for absence from the Passeover so it will when necessity of a mans calling makes it necessary from the Lords Supper so also will sicknesses imprisonments or like providences But when the servant comes and calls and sayes All things are made ready then take thou heed how thou makest excuses They that were called to the wedding Feast might have pleaded that other businesses lay upon them that they could not alwayes attend weddings But when the King sends and sayes All is ready come there is no time for other occasions td be lookt after It were an endlesse work to find out the reasons that men frame for absenting themselves Excuses for absence from the Lords Table removed Some see that it is a duty above them neither their knowledge nor their life doth answer to that which is required in a Communicant and so despair of coming up to it and therefore keep off lest they should as they fear encrease their judgment In case these speak out of a serious consideration of the work with a sad reflexion on themselves upon a diligent scrutiny into their hearts and wayes and so take a day over for it and in the mean time digge for knowledge as for hid treasures and do strengthen their resolutions to withstand all temptations to sin they are by all meanes to be encouraged and holpen every Christian of strength should commiserate these weak soules But in case they clearly see all to be so as we have said and resolve to let all alone as a man that sees himself near to a bankrupt regards not whether end goes forward This is then a sad and saddening reason It lyes upon these to take their state and condition into further consideration that by the good hand of God it may be better with them To provoke these to further care of their eternal state I shall put to them these questions First What is it that thou dost respective to other duties The excuse of unfitnesse examined the duty of
things But I give to thee Christ Ergo. The first is without seal the second in the Sacrament is under seal yet there is as much evidence of truth in the first as in the second Mr. Baxters Minor Proposition must have its due limit as before or else it is to be denyed The last thing in his Index as to this controversie is The safety or danger to teach men to believe that they are justified and shall be saved The danger of teaching men that they are bound to believe that they are justified and shall be saved which referres to Sect. 81. pag. 142. Where I am in the first place handsomely taken up for saying I recede not from any that heretofore I have published on this subject as standing not with ingenuity when himself in the next Paragraphe runs on the same error if an error resolving to maintain what he had asserted I am afterwards told It hath been too common a doctrine amongst the most renowned Divines that it is not onely de fide that I A. B. am justified but every mans duty also yea part of the Creed and so a fundamental for to believe that our sins are remitted for so expound the Article of remission of sins yea they earnestly presse men to believe the pardon in particular and tell them they have but the faith of Devils else By which dangerous doctrine it is said 1. Most men are perswaded to believe a falsehood for most are not forgiven 2. The carelesse world is driven on faster to presumption to which they are so prone of themselves 3. Painfull Ministers are hindred and their labours frustrated whose businesse is first to break mens false hopes and peace which they find so hard a work that they need no resistance c. I believe that as Mr. Baxter sayes this may be dangerously done and I believe that it hath not been urged by some without great danger yet I also believe that it may safely comfortably in due order be done and that Ministers of Christ orderly and in a Gospel-method ought to do it For the Creed I am so far from this error here mentioned that I go not so farre in this thing as Mr. Baxter himself as I have observed in this Apology I do not think that the Creed it self calls for so much as faith of adherence to rest or rely upon Christ for remission of sins I suppose Creeds and Confessions of faith are onely for declaration of the doctrine that we hold to difference us from those that in those particulars are erroneous in judgement and do not at all intermeddle with our will or affections Though I know the will must consent and by the affections imbrace and receive Christ or else there is no salvation to which the Gospel calls us The danger mentioned I fear too often as I said before is sadly incurred that brand of false Prophets Ezek. 13.22 23. is heavy Because with lyes ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad strengthened the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life Therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations for I will diliver my people out of your hands and ye shall know that I am the Lord. This practice is in full opposition to God who every where threatens death to wicked persons which as many observe well all the error of those that suffered the charge of false Prophets among the Jewes we read not that they delivered any positive untruths but onely made undue applications And therefore false Prophets among them are distinguished from false teachers which were to arise in Christian Churches 2 Pet. 2.1 The latter and not the former bringing in damnable heresies and yet the former were of like danger in their misapplication both of promises and threatenings and more especially of promises to urge all to believe that in statu quo they shall be saved is indeed to teach them to presume seeing salvation is not every mans portion and the portion of no man that lyes in sin It was a doctrine that the Apostle often preacht that such should not inherit the Kingdom of heaven Gal. 5.21 and he lets the Ephesians know that all those are but vain deceiving words that teach otherwayes Ephes 5.6 Yet I suppose that it is a Christians priviledge that he may believe that his sins are forgiven and that he shall he saved and being his priviledge it is also his duty Christ requires some to believe it Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven Matth 9.2 And the Apostle takes it for granted that some were assured Ye have suffered joyfull the spoiling of your goods knowing that in heaven ye have a better and far more induring substance Heb. 10.32 Why doth Peter call upon Christians to give diligence to make their calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Or why did John write to those that believe on the Name of the Son of God that they might know that they have eternal life 1 Joh. 5.13 in case they may not be assured and accordingly by faith be full perswaded and satisfied in it We may not think that assurance is held out in Scriptures as Chimaera or as a Chymists Philosophers Stone to be talked of but never compassed And I suppose sano sensu and with due qualifications it may be asserted That every visible Church-member is bound to believe his own salvation and the pardon of his own sins in particular I well remember that I had once conference with Mr. Ball in Mr. Ash's house on this thing upon occasion of that old argument insisted upon by Arminians That which all are bound to believe is true But all are bound to believe that Christ dyed for them and he determined that all are bound to believe that Christ dyed for them in particular and that all the fruits of his death shall be theirs not immediately but Mediante fide resipiscentia Men are bound to faith and repentance and uppn their faith and repentance are bound to get this assurance which it seems is also Mr. Baxters thoughts by that which he adds in the fifth place for aggravation of this danger when wicked men that have but the faith of Divels are immediately required to believe the pardon of their own particular sins and this made to be de fide God is dishonoured with the charge of such untruths as if falsehoods were de fide and God commanded men to believe them It seems then that he grants that men may be mediately required to believe the pardon of their own sins in particular and there can never be too much spoken against an urging of it in an immediate way It is after we have done the will of God that we shall receive the promise Heb. 10.36 and we must not believe that without doing his will we shall ever receive it Promise-preachers that are not duty-preachers that hold out blisse and
faith is not Sanctification Sanctification is inherent the righteousnesse of faith is imputed but circumcision is a sign and seal of the righteousnesse of faith And that Baptisme signifies and seals the same thing we find expressely in Peters words Ast. 2.38 Be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Remission of sins is by blood Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there is no remission Baptisme is for remission of sins and therefore the water in Baptisme holds out the blood of Christ And I doubt not but Ananias had respect to this in his speech to Paul Act. 22.16 Rise and be baptized and wash away thy sins Somewhat it is to which these signs engage and that is all unto which a Christian in duty as duty stands engaged whether for his change in heart or life or in order to the pardon of his sin Baptisme engages to the first work of regeneration and to the first work of making all new within To this circumcision did tye as it signified it so it engaged to it Deut. 10.16 Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiffenecked If by vertue of their circumcision in the flesh God did not require it why is the want of it charged on Judah as their sin or how could it lay them open with other Nations to punishment Jer. 9.25 26. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the uttermost corners that dwell in the wildernesse for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncicumcised in the heart And that the first work is required as well as a further degree and progresse both in circumcision and baptisme is clear In baptisme we are explicitly dedicated as the Jewes were implicitly in circumcision to Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore engaged to be sincerely his in Covenant But this cannot be till a change be wrought and we be born again from above To this therefore we are engaged We are engaged to love the Lord with all our heart with all our strength but this cannot be while our hearts are in an unchanged condition and therefore the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 is mentioned in order to this of the love of the Lord The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul what is it but the first work that is called for in that of the Prophet Make ye a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 10.31 And in those texts of the Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead Ephes 5.14 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man And be renewed in the spirit of your minds Ephes 4.22 23. Howsoever some of these Scriptures may be conceived to be directed to men in a state of Regeneration and therefore that they call not for the first work but for a further progresse in grace yet all of them cannot be so Interpreted And there is not any of them but implyes that where the first work is not done it must be done where the old man is not put off it must be put off and where the new man is not put on it must be put on where the spirit is not renewed it must be renewed Neither is it of force against this to say that the first work is out of our power and that in it we are wholly passive and therefore we do not in baptisme engage to it but God rather engages for it To which I answer Though it be out of our power yet it is within the command of God and is matter of our duty Gods command is no rule of our strength neither is it brought down to answer our weaknesse so a carnall man should be under no spiritual command but it is a rule of our duty what we once were and still ought to be it commands us for to be And though we be passive in the first work yet we are alwaies concerned to be active and assoon as we do receive power we are to act Dead Lazarus was commanded to rise and having power communicated from God he did actually rise and come out of the grave There is not any promise of God for inherent Grace nor any work of Grace but it comes within our duty and a command lies on us as instance might be given and consequently there is an obligation and engagement to it Gods command and his promises stand not in opposition but in subordination and to say that God is engaged and not man is dangerous then all that are baptized must be regenerate or else God fails in his engagement Somewhat it is that these signs seal and in sealing ratify and confirm and that is as the text shewes the righteousnesse of Faith and consequently all other priviledges whatsoever of like nature that are annexed to it Remission Justification Adoption Glorification Sacraments as seals have not as I conceive at least immediately and directly reference to graces or inherent habits but priviledges They are as Mr. Baxter hath well observed seales of the conditional Covenant and so they must seal whatsoever they do seal on Gods terms and conditions they ratifie mercies promised on those termes that the Covenant doth promise now graces are the conditions and termes of the Covenant and mercies are promised upon those termes and therefore the Covenant requires them but the Sacraments do not ratifie and seal them The Sacraments as signs shew us our wants of or wants in grace by the help of the Word and light received from it they point us out where supply may be found they engage us to this change to the whole of duty required from the people of God and upon answer of our conscience in this work they seal and confirm all promised priviledges to us The nature efficacy and operation of Sacraments would be better understood if that which is proper to each part or the particular office in each relation were better known The seal in a Lease as from the Lessor doth not ratifie the homage that is to be done by the Lessee or the service from him due but the inheritance or benefit whatsoever which upon condition of such homage or service is conveyed Graces are the homage and priviledges are the benefit or the inheritance the priviledges then and not the graces are directly in Sacraments sealed to us It is not sealed up to us either in Baptisme or the Lords Supper that we do believe or repent but that believing and repenting we have forgivenesse of sin and salvation But some say that the Sacraments seal all that the Covenant promises but the Covenant promises Grace and therefore the Sacraments
forgive me What you say is their wickedness they will say is innocent and praise worthy I never knew a more vile wretch then one that would say that he thought in conscience he served God better on a Sunday spending six pence in an Ale-house to help a poor woman with her children to live then in going to Church when his own wife and children stood in a much need as any Ale-wive's whosoever Look among Papists who look upon works not only as such that justifie but also merit and supererogate and see how far they exceed those that hold this which you call so dangerous a principle They are Saints here they say compar'd with those in Italy and Spain this being the place of their persecution Yet Doctor Hall observes in his serious disswasive from Popery that he never yet could know that Papist which made conscience of all Gods ten morall Lawes so that in leaving our principles to choose theirs upon a design to advance good works you much mistake your way and go about to work with a wrong engine And I can conclude no other but that these inferences are without reason and that there is no Gospel-principle that can be laid down but men may alike wrest to their own perdition SECT II. Mans Evangelicall Personall Righteousness is not here perfect THe next in order which you examine is concerning the instrumentality of faith in Justification which is already spoke to and inserted into the body of the Treatise and therefore I pass to your third to which you speak Sect. 28. pag. 41 entituling it Of Evangelicall personall Righteousness Where you set down words of mine at large and then subjoyn The third opinion which you rise against is that which you take to be mine as your citing my words doth manifest Where I do not then cite any words which are yours nor use your name I pray you let me not hear any such charge I am loath to cause this piece to swell with repetition of all my own words That which I excepted against was The authors concessions vindicated That our personall inherent righteousness is affirmed to be perfect and a charge of intolerable ignorance laid upon learned men that speak otherwise Here I partly implyed and partly exprest several concessions which you take hold of and raise several questions about them 1. I yield a righteousness of this kind inherent in Christians though I deny such a perfection as I take to be asserted in your Treatise And here you think I am already caught For ens and perfectum are say you as convertible as ens and bonum or ens and verum And after pains taken out of Scheibler and Scaliger to correct my ignorance you tell me It is a Metaphysicall Transcendentall perfection that you speak of which hath no contrary in being which consisteth in the presence of all things necessary to being c. And you warn me still to remember that you take it not de perfectione accidentali but essentiali And I wish that you had told your Reader so I am confident there was not one that did so understand you in your Aphorismâ—s When we dispute whether such or such a thing be perfect or imperfect we take it for granted that there is such a possible imperfection of which we dispute If I dispute the truth of this proposition Coelum movetur ab intelligentiis I do not question whether this be truly a proposition but whether in the common acceptation it be logically true whether the predicate be truly affirm'd of the subject Did not you speak of righteousness and so of holiness as it denominateth the subject not as an abstract but a concrete and so susceptible of magìs and minùs if Qualities do suscipere magìs and minùs and such as is subject to contrarieties When learned divines have spoke in your hearing as you imply that they have done of imperfect righteousness can you think that it was in their heads to take it in that sense in which a little learning might acquaint them that there is no possible imperfection 2. I further yielded a perfection of the subject as opposed to hypocrisie dissimulation or doubleness and a perfection of the entireness of the object respecting not one or only some but all commandments called a perfection of parts This you say you do not understand though I think few other Readers have been so quick as to discern any difficulty When Divines speak of universall obedience grounding their words on severall Scripture-Texts do not they ordinarily explain themselves 1. Of an universality of the Subject when the whole man is brought into obedience according to that of the Apostle 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly per omnia perfectos Vatablus reads it and puts in the margent vel totos according to our reading wholly And then adds his comment The following words declare what that wholly is Vel totos sequentia declarant istud totos hoc est in spiritu in anima in corpore viz. in soul in spirit and body This is the perfection of the subject of which I spake and as I thought sufficiently explain'd my self 2. Of an universality of the Object when not one but every command is heeded as Psal 119.6 128. You tell me you charitably conjecture that when I speak of a perfection of the object I mean a perfection of our acts as they respect the object extensively And if you please but to make use of your eyes they will inform you that nothing else can be my meaning and so I shall not stand in need of your charity in it And hereupon you fall to distinguish of objects I know not why but that I may know which I well knew before that you can distinguish You tell us of objects of absolute necessity and objects of less necessity For answer to which it is enough for me that there is such an entireness in the soul respective to all known obliging commandements that denominates the man in an Evangelical sense universal and entire in his obedience After a large discourse to shew how our righteousnesse is essentially perfect you seem thus to summe up all pag. 43. Take up all together then and you will soe that 1. Righteousnesse is formally a relation 2. And that not of our actions or dispositions to the meer precept of the Law determining of duty as such Commonly called the Morall law but 1. To the law as determining of the conditition of life or death 2. To the promise and threatning of that Law which are joyned to the condition But you should consider that we are talking of a Rule without consideration either of reward or punishment and you runne out into a discourse of a Covenant The query is Whether righteousnesse be perfect or imperfect You fall upon it as a condition of Justification which never was put to question And you well know that those learned men whose ignorance
personally righteous And in this sense it is that the faith and duties of believers are said to please God viz. as they are related to the covenant of Grace and not as they are measur'd by the Covenant of works Are not faith and duties here our personall righteousnesse and is not faith a branch of holinesse as well as it is of righteousnesse And hath it not its degrees as well as righteousness Surely the Apostles thought so when they prayed Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.5 And the Lord Christ had no other thoughts when he rebukes his hearers for their little faith Matth. 6.30 And commends the Woman of Canaan for the greatnesse of her faith Matth. 15.28 And as it riseth and falls so do other duties with it they are more intense or remisse in like manner And as for their speeches which you challenge do you think that their ignorance was in that measure intolerable as to believe the righteousnesse of what they spake was a meer non-entity i.e. had nothing of the being of righteousnesse in it They doubtlesse looked upon righteousnesse as a renewed quality as you do upon holinesse and the Apostle both upon holinesse and righteousnesse Eph. 4.24 The new man is so put on that we must be still putting it on It follows that seeing these things are exactioris indigationis understand that the reason of my assertion lyes here The law as it is the rule of obedience doth require perfect obedience in degree and so here is an imperfection in our actions in the degree as being short of what the rule requireth and it being these actions with their habits which we call our holinesse therefore we must needs say our holinesse is imperfect And if our righteousnesse were to be denominated from this law commanding perfection we must say not that such righteousnesse were imperfect because the holinesse or obedience is imperfect but it is none at all because they are imperfect It seems you intend here exactnesse equall to that in which you appeared to the learned brother before mentioned and as you did distinguish before of a metaphysicall and morall perfection so you seem here to distinguish of righteousnesse and holinesse either as a duty performed by men in the Covenant of grace according to rule or else as a condition required by the Covenant of works respective to the attainment of life upon terms there required This seems to be your meaning in your last words in this Paragraph Duty simply as duty and holiness or supernaturall grace as such may be more or less But holiness and duty as the materia requisita vel subjectum proximum justitiae consistit in indivisibili How duty and holiness can be the subject of it self I know not for so they are if they be the subjects of righteousness That righteousness in which we must exceed the righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees is our duty and our holiness as well as of our righteousness but if you carry it thence to make it the righteousness of the covenant of works it is easily granted that the imperfection of it renders it as no righteousness respective to that end of attainment of life by it A Pharisee might as well be justified upon the terms of that covenant as Noah Daniel and Job Zachary and Elizabeth or any other of those that were most perfect and eminent in righteousness But I think no Reader could observe either in your own words or theirs that you censure any such meaning To assert the imperfection of our righteousness I said Isaiah I am sure saith All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Is 64.6 no greater charge of imperfection can lie against the most imperfect holiness then the Prophet layes upon our righteousness Interpreting the Prophets words as I think the sense of them is generally given by interpreters ancient and modern But seeing you go off to speak of righteousness of another kind I will not contend I there added Neither do I understand how holiness should be imperfect taken materially and righteousness perfect taken formally in reference to a rule After such courteous censure that you please to give you fall to examine what that is that I understand not In which you take one piece of my sentence apart and say How holiness should be imperfect taken materially sure you understand that It is therefore say you no doubt the other branch that you mean How righteousness is perfect taken formally in reference to a rule If the Reader please to consult my words he may see that I put them not divisim but conjunctim giving in my reason why to me it is non-intelligible telling you that we may for ought I know as well make holiness formall and refer it to a rule and righteousness materiall in an absolute consideration without reference to any rule at all This you disjoyn from the rest and fall upon my words apart for what reason is best known to your self And I leave it to the Reader to judge whether that I may not call holiness perfect and righteousness imperfect as well as you may call righteousness perfect and holiness imperfect and whether there is not a materiality and formality not in the one or the other but in the one as well as the other and this was that which I spake to And any man that understands no more then I will I think take this to be a material exception against that which in your Aphorismes was delivered You say if you or any man resolve to use holiness in the same sense as righteousness if I once know your minds I will not contradict you for I find no pleasure in contending about Words but for my self I must use them in the common sense if I will be understood Righteousness and holiness in what sense commonly used But you might have done well to let us know that that is the common sense of the word righteousness taken for personall inherent righteousness which you here use till I see that made good I shall judge it to be your own peculiar acceptation of it I would know what interpreter of Zachary's words Luk. 1.75 of Paul's words Eph. 4.24 of John's words Revel 22.11 do put such a difference as you make between righteousnesse holiness as to make one a renewed quality of the Spirit the other no such thing but a relation in esse formali to what you must explain your self I have read so much difference indeed made as to put holiness for duties of the first Table in immediate reference to God righteousness for duties of the second Table in immediate concernment to man but thus taken they are both equally new qualities from the Spirit and have their intension and remission one as well as the other And I have read a rule given that where they are put together as in the Scriptures quoted they are to be distinguished as before but where the one is put apart it is to be understood as comprehensive of
parties in Covenant and the engagement of either party Gods engagement is to be to Abraham Almighty and Al-sufficient for protection for provision so that he need not look else-where to compass good or keep off evill Abrahams Engagement is to walk before God and to be perfect or as it is in the Margent reading upright sincere which walking saith Ainsworth comprehendeth both true faith Heb. 11.5 6. and carefull obedience to God's Commandments That faith is called for in this perfection see 2 Chron. 16.8 9. To rely alone upon God in one verse is to be perfect in the other That this perfection of service of obedience is no other then sincerity all interpreters that I have seen acknowledge See Peter Martyr Vaetablus Paraeus Calvin on the place God Covenants for obedience saith Calvin from his servant and the integrity which is here mentioned is opposed to hypocrisie Rivet closeth with Calvin and in many words expresseth himself that this perfection means nothing else but integrity or sincerity otherwise saith he they that walk and are yet in the way do not attain to a perfection properly so called So that according to him the Covenant requires the same that through grace the Saints here attain and that is a perfection not property so called Dr. Preston on the words is very large to this purpose As for that which you produce as an opinion of an acquaintance friend of mine of extraordinary learning and judgement leaving me to guess whom you mean as indeed I do but with possibility of mistake That the Morall Law is the matter of the new Covenant I cannot well understand at least as you express it How far the word matter may reach I know not I believe that it is their Rule in the New Covenant but otherwise held out then it was in the Covenant of works as I have before expressed my self As a Law it loses nothing of it's ancient strictness for it is ever unchangeably the same the rule of our duty and not of our strength onely the terms of the Covenant of Grace are not for exact observation but sincere endeavour So that the least failing is a sin against the Law but not a breach of Covenant which for ought I discern is the sense that you give As for that which in the second place you urge from him whom you stile Learned Judicious and much Honoured Brother and my friend and acquaintance making these two but one Law quo ad formam I command thee fal'n man perfect obedience and oblige thee to punishment for every sin yet not remedilesly but so as that if thou Believe and Repent this obligation shall be dissolved thou saved else not I should rather take them disjunctim then conjunctim but I know not whether there be any considerable difference I so far subscribe that all that perish by the sentence of the Law to whom the Covenant was ever tendered are by neglect of Covenant left in a remediless condition The Law damns the unbeliever and impenitent unbelief holds him that he is not by the Covenant of Grace delivered from the Law 's sentence When you come to bring all home by application to me with your censure for laying an heavy charge upon them that I oppose and apologizing on their part I do not well know how to understand your words that so I might see my own error You say It is most likely that those Divines that affirm that the Covenant of Grace doth require perfect obedience and accepts sincere do take that Covenant in this last and largest sense and as containing the Moral Law as part of the matter Before you spake of the Moral Law as the matter of the Covenant and now you speak of it as part of the matter And so understood you say No doubt it is true if I understand it of perfection for the future And then doubtless it is an error for I understand perfection for the present And what the Law of God or Covenant do's require it doth in present as I think require And what gave you occasion to suspect otherwise I cannot imagin When you have taken upon you their defence or at least their excuse that hold against you you come to answer my arguments that hold with you I said This opinion Arguments that the Covenant of grace requires onely sincerity vindicated That the Covenant requires perfection establishes the former opinion opposed by Protestants and but now refuted as to the obedience and the degree of it called for in-covenant You answer If you interpret the Papists as meaning that the Law requires true perfection but accepts of sincere then if it be spoken of the Law of works or nature it is false and not the same with theirs whom you oppose Answ I marvail that you will put the case if I do when I tell you expresly that I do not I limit the parallel to the obedience and degree called for in Covenant which these Reverend Divines make to be the same as those that I had spoken to but differ respective to acceptation and so their mistake if it be one is infinitely below the Popish error in the Councill of Trent held forth which I did oppose You further say If you take them as no doubt you do as meaning it of the Law of Christ as the Trent Council express themselves then no doubt but they take the Law of Christ in the same extended sense as was before expressed and then they differ from us but in the fore-mentioned notion Answ I do not understand your distinction between the Law of nature and the Law of Christ as I have before largely told you and given in my reasons You speak somewhat in that which follows that the Papists do not indeed take the Covenant or Law it self to command true perfection but that which they call perfection which is no other then the grace of Sanctification as I expressed out of some of the chief of the writers But it is true perfection that those mean whom I now write against And so you conclude that you see not the least ground for my first charge But you might observe what I further say in words more at large then is here fit to he repeated purposely to prevent this objection that they look upon this which we say is no more then Sanctification as full Perfection and such that answers to the Law in the sense in which it was given Our character of grace inherent is their interpretation of the Law and so they raise up men in a conceit that they answer the Law when they live in a continual breach of it 2. I said If this opinion stand then God accepts of Covenant-breakers of those that deal falsly in it whereas Scripture chargeth it upon the wicked upon those of whom God complains as rebellious Deut. 29.25 Jos 7.15 Jer. 11.10 and 22.8 9. c. You answer This charge proceedeth meerely from the confounding of the duty as such
with your distinction that we engage to renounce them not as duty but as a condition to obtaine Salvation This privative part of duty holding out the terminus à quo in our Christian motion implyes a positive work which also was expressed in our English Leiturgie constantly to believe Gods holy word and obediently keep his commands and confirmed by the Apostle to be our duty Ro. 6.4 Buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of liâ—e This we vow and I desire to know what more in any Gospel-precept is required 6. I said then the distinction between those that enter Covenant and break it as Jer. 31.32 33. and those that have the Law written in their hearts and put into their inward parts to observe it fallâ— all standing equally guilty of the breach of it no help of grace being of power to enable to keep Covenant To this you answer When sincere obedience The precept and the condition in the Covenant of Grace are one and perfect obedience are all one and when the precept and the condition of the Covenant are proved to be of equall extent then there will be ground for the charging of this consequence I marvail how the first part of the answer came into your thoughts That Text of Jeremiah speaks to sincerity and not to perfection For the second sincerity is the precept and sinceâ—ity is the condition sincerity is one and the same and therefore precept and condision are one and the same That which we are to renounce and that to which we engage is our condition But that which we renounce and that to which we engage is thâ— Gospel or Covenant-precept The precept and condition are therefore the same Faith and new obedience are the precept Faith and new obedience are the condition The precept and condition are therefore one and the same So that your distinction falling as I doubt not but it do's all my arguments after the first to the last eo nomine stand You go about to evade them all with this one distinction which I leave to the judicious Reader to determine whether it be not without a difference But before I undertake your next I have to thank you for that which you have transcribed out of Robert Baronius pag. 401. of your Confession Treating in an Appendix of the possibility of fulfilling the Law of God considered according to Gospel lenity you tell us what his second assertion is pag. 122. which I desire the Reader to peruse either in your book or in the Author himself Where he may see 1. That the Gospel is below the Law as to the degree that it requireth As to the one there is a possibility of fulfilling according to him and not so to the other 2. That the obligation of the Law yet remains so that all failings are transgressions 3. That it stands as a Rule for us to affect and with our best strength to endeavour after 4. That the Gospel requires a certain measure of obedience on pain of eternal damnation This doubtless is that which is the condition of it 5. That this obedience thus required is necessarily to be as high as grace enables to reach In which we see in the first place their distinction opposed that say That the Gospel requires perfection and accepts sincerity The Gospel according to him requires no more then it accepts and for which grace enables And in the next place your distinction of duty and condition is by him utterly overthrown according to him all comes within the condition which is matter of duty My last argument was Then it follows that sincerity is never called for as a duty or required as a grace but only dispens'd with as a failing and indulged as a want It is not so much a Christian's honour or Character as his blemish rather his defect then praise But we find the contrary in Noah Job c. To this you reply I will not say it is past the wit of man to find the ground of this charge i. e. to see how this should follow but I dare say it is past my wit If it had been said The Covenant commandeth perfection and not sincerity or the Covenant accepteth sincerity but not commandeth it there would have been some reason for this charge But do you think that sincerity is no part of perfection c Answ My wit is so low that I know not where the cloud lies I do not take sincerity to be properly a part of perfection but a degree towards it as Calor ad unum is a degree towards rather then a part of Calor ad octo So the lower degâ—ee of heat would remain when a higher is introduc'd and not be swallowed up in it And if the command looks no lower then perfection in degree the imperfect degree is not directly commanded though according to these it is in dulged It is said Matth. 12.20 that Christ will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Is that feeble strength and remiss heat there look'd upon as a duty or rather is it not look'd upon as a defect or want Is it not Christ's indulgence rather then the obedience of his command that is there noted or pointed out My answer to the single argument so far as I have read or heard against that which I here delivered follows But seeing that your reply so far as I can judge is rather with me then against me as to the Position it self and your endeavour rather to excuse then defend those of the contrary opinion which very well pleaseth me for I wish that more were said for their honour so that the truth do not suffer I am well content to pass it by having a greater desire to defend you where you speak for truth then my self where not truth but my reputation is impugned And shall make it my business to look into that which Mr. Crandon hath against you in it Concerning the second that the Gospel doth require but sincere Mr. Crandons arguments answered not perfect obedience which is both your assertion and mine he saith What shall we think of those Texts in the new Testament which require us to be perfect 2 Cor. 13.11 Jam. 1.4 Yea perfect as God is perfect Matt. 5.48 reproving weakness and infirmity and commanding a going on to perfection Answ We are to think of them as Protestant Divines ordinarily do in their commenting upon them We deny saith Rivet that the perfection of which Scripture speaks either when it commands us to be perfect or gives testimony of perfection or integrity to some consists in a freedome from sin Exercit. 52. in Genes pag. 267. The Text quoted out of James serves well to explain the rest Let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing whence we may argue 1. That perfection