Argument I shall in the strength of Christ evidence that the Law of Nature or Works is not a hindrance to the Gospels being a Law but that the Gospel is another Law distinct in its Precept and Sanction and other respects 1. The Gospel is distinct in its preceptive part from the Law of Innocency Faith in Christ was never commanded by that Law To say Faith in God was a Duty is a vain Objection for Faith in Christ as a Saviour is specified from its Object and is distinguished into temporary historical saving c. The Faith that Mr. C. saith Adam was wounded in was meerly a Faith of Assent which the Devils have or a natural Trust in God as Creator But what 's that to a receiving of Christ or consent to him as Redeemer and relyance on him Of which more by and by Is it not strange that Mr. C. saith The Law never brings us to God then Faith doth not for it's part of the Law c. But let 's hear what others speak Mr. Hooker of New E. p. 337. saith I flatly deny that Adam if the Lord Jesus had been revealed to him was able to believe in him and so to rest upon him c. the Reason to confirm this Point that Adam had not this Grace of Faith is this this believing in the Lord Jesus is that which doth directly cross the Estate of Adam in his Innocency c. He to p. 343. proves it and answers Objections P. 338. to one he thus says I answer that not believing in the Lord Christ is not a Sin against the Moral Law but it is a Sin against the Law of the Gospel 1 Ioh. 3. 23. Rom. 3. 28. Mr. Bulkley p. 327. lays down this That Faith in Christ unto Justification and Salvation the Commandment enjoyning this Faith is no Commandment of the Law but of the Gospel which I prove by these ensuing Arguments This he doth by no less than nine Arguments and answers many Objections from p. 327. to 335. and thus concludes Thus far we are come that the putting of Faith as a Condition of Life in the Covenant of Grace doth no whit derogate from the freeness of Grace D. Goodwin affirms That Faith now is of another kind than the Faith of Adam As to the Principle Objects Light c. ours is supernatural his natural and as you may see at large proves by several Reasons that his was but natural as 1. All other things belonging to him were natural c. and therefore it would be strange that if the Principle of Faith in him which then was not of general use should be supernatural c. 2. For him to have a supernatural Principle of Faith as we have was in him superfluous and vain This he shews because Adam's Covenant would not have brought him to Heaven 3. It would not only have been of no use but it would have made him miserable 4. And therefore our way of Faith must needs be supernatural and altioris ordinis from his c. which he proves 1. in the respect of the Objects revealed to our Faith which his Mind should never have arrived at 2. in regard to the Light by which our Minds are acted and elevated 3. in respect of the way or manner of Knowledge or Assent raised up thereby I might add the Testimony of one whom Mr. C. honoured who gives this reason in the present Debate saying viz. If Consent to the Covenant was a Duty by the Law then the Law did bind to its own dissolution But I suppose this may serve to shew that Faith in Christ was no Duty by the Law of Nature and therefore either it is a Command of the gospel-Gospel-Law or it is no Duty at all The like I might shew of Repentance which Melancthon's Followers prove against Flaccius Illyricus Obj. If any one should object Did not the Law of Nature bind us to do whatever God should at any time require A. You must consider 1. the Law of Nature less properly as the Rule of Happiness in the Covenant of Innocency and so it was appropriated to that state and was a particular Law of Works If so considered the several Precepts of it were written on Man's Heart and God and the Creatures ministred Instruction to the innate Light which was inherent in our Minds and that in a natural way Some Ruins of both are still preserved to fallen Man Rom. 1. 19 20. Cap. 2. 14. In this sence Faith and Repentance could have no place at all in the Law for it was a Law to govern and save Innocent Man but not to recover Sinful Man To suppose our own Perfection to be the Condition of Life and yet to be obliged at the same time to repent of Sin or believe in an aâ—…oning Saviour to have our Abilities immediately from God as Creator and a Stock in our own Hands and yet be obliged to depend on Christ as Mediator for all Strength are utterly inconsistent 2. If you take the Law of Nature for the remaining Instincts and Notices of it in Man which ought to be perfect and assisted and directed by the Works of God sure the Gospel must be another Law or else Heathens are able to find out Christ by the Book of Nature and engaged to receive him and rely on him though he were never revealed to them The reason is this the Law of Nature in this sence binds all the Heathens and its Precepts are engraven naturally upon their Hearts and God and his Works consider'd naturally direct their Minds 3. The Law of Nature may be considered most generally viz. as it is an Obligation upon Man to believe and obey whatever God shall any way or time reveal and require and to suffer for Disobedience what God shall threaten In this sence indeed the Law commands all Duty in general but it doth not deny the Gospel to be a special Law for this indeed doth oblige us to obey all God's Laws when he makes them Laws but it doth not determine any one Law nor give a Being to one particular Precept It 's the Foundation of our Obligation to submit to God's Authority as Creatures but appoints not wherein we must instance that subjection It 's the same as an Obligation among men to Allegiance to the supreme Power which I hope prevents not the Ruler's Acts to be Laws This Law of Nature subjects us to God's Threatnings which he shall pronounce at any time for Sin but determineth neither the sort nor degree of the threatned Evils This Law is common to good Angels Devils innocent Man fallen Man yea damned and glorified Man for they are all engaged as Creatures to obey the Laws of God when he enacts them and suffer what he threatens if they obey not But is the Gospel therefore no Law or only this Law of Nature Then Angels Devils and the Damned are obliged to believe in Christ for Salvation Do not say
we our selves as Elect did legally by Christ as our Proxy satisfie and merit all and without the interposal of the Gospel-Rule we have a legal Title to Glory by Adam's Covenant This I deny as what excludes Forgiveness makes Christ's Sufferings needless denies any proper Satisfaction and destroys Christianity 5. Nor whether we all sinned and died in Adam and in Christ are all made alive which I affirm owning Christ's Influence as both real yea and publick as before explained but whether we were in Christ before Faith as we were seminally in Adam before we were born which his foederal Headship did suppose The being thus in Christ before Faith I deny These express my Thoughts which I doubt not by Christ's help to maintain against all these Opposers while I expect nothing but a gross exposal of themselves when their Conceits are forced out of their cloudy Expressions Reader I had reason to instance some minute things though with men of Wisdom and Fairness a Cause depâ—…nds on Arguments and not personal Respects Ioyn with me in earnest Prayer that Truth and Love may flourish and that Christ's Cause may be managed with a Christian Spirit which I have endeavour'd and not exposed nor reviled my Adversary I am thy Servant in the Kingdom and Gospel of our Blessed Lord DANIEL WILLIAMS ERRATA P. 1. l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 14. l. 18. dele for A DEFENCE OF Gospel-Truth THE Reverend Opposer of my Book having as yet offer'd so little of Argument against my Assertions my Reply must be short to what he hath said and shall therefore chuse another method than what his Book prescribes His unusual Reflections I dare not return being awed by Him who chargeth me not to render railing for railing 1 Pet. iii. 9. and hath declared that the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God Happy they and likely to arrive at Truth that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. iv 15. truthing it in love The weight of the Points in debate will not allow me to be Pedantick nor can I bid at childish Jests without suspecting my Mind in a Case unfit for Serious Thoughts or the Aids of the Spirit in search for Truth neither is it allow'd Tit. ii 7. in Doctrine shewing Gravity c. I shall therefore proceed in this method 1. Shew how he mistakes and misrepresents my Principles against the plain Words of my Book even where I mention them as my positive Judgment 2. I shall endeavour to make the most material things more evident to the ordinary Reader 3. I shall instance some of Mr. Chancy's Principles which he asserts and labour to let thee see where we differ and what 's the Judgment of others in these things 4. I shall briefly reply to what else is material in his Book that falls not under the former Heads Some Instances wherein Mr. C. misrepresents my Principles against my plainest words in my Book I. Mr. C. saith of the Athenian Society I doubt not but they are of your Opinion in Doctrinals and then chargeth them as being against an election of a determinate number of men to Eternal Life and adds I doubt not you will be found to do so Repl. These Gentlemen were pleased in answer to a kind Letter of Mr. Crisp's to give their Thoughts of my Book and your Reply to what they have said of Election affecteth not their Assertion But by what words can I express my own Judgment more fully then P. 66. I affirm There is a â—…romise of the first Grace made to Christ for the Elect and by vertue of that Promise they consent P. 3. ch 1. I affirm That certain Persons freely-elected by him shall certainly be justified and adopted and that these persons are the Objects of God's Love of Good-will even while they are Siâ—…hers 〈◊〉 that God continues his Purpose of doing them good notwithstanding their Provocations and Christ hath made full aâ—…onement for Sin and merited Eternal Life for the Elect which shall be in God's time and way applied There is a great difference between an Elect Sinner and others As to what they shall be in time chap. 20. p. 210. God hath elected a certain number c. and so the Gospel shall not be in vain to all See the same oft repeated p. 66 16 210 105. II. Mr. C. represents â—…e 〈◊〉 p. 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is abrogated transiit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 aside â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of no use to us at all So p. 21. We have nothing to do with it it 's out of doors Repl. He would insinuate that I say That the preceptive part of the Law is not a Rule of Manners nor that the transgression of it makes us guilty nor that men whilst they reject the Gospel are not at all under the Curse of the Law All which I abhor And though this Point fell not in my way to handle yet there wants not Passages to this purpose P. 198. The holiest Action of the holiest Saint needs Forgiveness Chap. 21. p. 225. It 's legal Preaching to be always pressing the Duties of the Law of Nature but neglect preaching Christ c. where I allow it sometimes Again in the same Page I condemn saying That our best Obedience doth not deserve Wrath by the Law as a Rule of Misery and Happiness or that it doth not need forgiveness P. 125. I affirm the Law to be a Rule of Duty Cap. 12. p. 107. the Gospel declareth all condemned till they do believe it declares they are so and denounceth they shall be so c. And again They that believe their Condemnation is reversed See p. 57. Reader thou mayest read me still affirming the Misery even of the Elect by the Law till they are justified by Christ. It 's true I do think that 1. The Sentence of the Law cannot hinder the relief of any Soul by Christ who complieth with the Gospel 2. Nor that it is possible for any man to be saved by the Law of Innocency By Forgiveness is our Blessedness and not by our sinless Obedience And so far I 'll own it but not in the three former senses III. Mr. C. tells me p. 20. That when I said Christ's Sufferings were the Foundation of our Pardon that our Sins are forgiven for Christ's Sufferings and without them Sin cannot be forgiven Your Fundamentally is only a remote Causality c. all that we have of your meaning is a poor causa sine qua non And within a few lines you mean By something else besides them not by the immediate application of them but mediate and remote à causa sine qua non Repl. The plain meaning of what he thus exposeth is that the Elect were not discharged and actually justified at the time when Christ suffered Which is proved p. 17. c. But it 's strange that any one that read this or the following Passages should infer either 1. That Christ
Death made with Men doth not consist in that viz. That we are justified before God and saved by Faith as it apprehends the Merit of Christ but in this that the Demand of perfect legal Righteousness being abrogated God accounts Faith it self and the imperfect Obedience of Faith for or instead of the perfect Obedience of the Law and graciously judgeth this worthy of the Reward of Eternal Life Which they justly brand as the Socinian Notion Reader I declare against this Error and have affirmed that Faith alone receives Christ and his Merits 2. That it 's the Righteousness of Christ alone which is the Meritorious or Material Cause of Justification 3. That our Faith Repentance or Works are not a jot of the material or meritorious Righteousness by or for which we are Justified They say Christ died that we might be saved if we believe I say Christ died that the Elect should believe and believing have Life through his Name To any one that knows the five Points wherein the Arminian Controversie consists I have said enough fully to acquit me I am positive for absolute certain Election for Christ's not dying alike for all For the Elect he died to secure their actual Reconciliation for others his Death is sufficient and real Offers of Salvation are made to them on the Terms of the Gospel notwithstanding their being condemned by the Law Again I say Man is corrupt and without the Grace of God he cannot believe All the Elect shall be though without violence brought by efficacious Grace to believe and finally persevere All which I oft assert in my Book An Account of some of Mr. C's Principles which he hath set up in opposition to mine I shall begin with Three of them and consider them together Mr. C. p. 24. The Essence of the Gospel is altogether Promise and Free Gift P. 28. The Gospel hath no Law-Sanction of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of Promise to all that are saved P. 33. The Gospel as such is no Law hath no Sanction c. Which and many more places I may contract into this as his First Principle That the Gospel is in no sence a Law nor includes in it as any part thereof either any Precept nor any Promise upon any Condition on our part nor any Threatning If thou doubt the word Precept should not be added know the words above fully assert it And p. 23. he tells us The Precept of Faith is a Precept of the Law of Nature Mr. C. affirms p. 34. Whatsoever befalls Sinners retaining their sinful state and rejecting Grace is from the Law and not from the Gospel To talk of a Gospel-Threat is a Cataâ—…hresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. His Second Principles is The Gospel hath no Threatnings When my Question answer'd by him p. 32. was this Doth God promiscuously dispense these viz. Forgiveness Adoption Glory or any other promised Benefit given upon God's Terms I say Doth God dispense these without any regard to our being Believers or no Or whether our Faith be true or no Mr. C. answers I would know whether if God distribute his Free Grace to poor wretched worthless Creatures according to his Election and distinguishing Mercy doth he do it blindly because he finds no Reason in them Whence I may call this His Third Principle That God forgives adopts and glorifies Sinners without any respect to their being true Believers or no and Election and distinguishing Mercy be the only Rule by which he forgives adopts and glorifies Sinners as well as gives the First Grace To put the better gloss upon his Principle he saith p. 13. Doth God dispense Faith blindly c A. The Question was not whether God gave Faith absolutely but whether he gave Forgiveness and Glory promiscuously Nay he knows I oft-times affirm the former And in p. 21. he reviles me for saying That there must be a Work of the Spirit for conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned Yea this third Principle must follow and is but the same as That the Gospel is no Law or stated Rule of Forgiveness Adoption and Glory And he affirms that Faith is a Precept of the Law and denies that any Precept of the Law is a Rule of Happiness with a Sanction p. 22 23. Repl. Not to insist how in the first Point in what he saith of the Sanction he excludes Forgiveness of Sin altogether yea and as he words it may bind the penal Curse on us He opposeth in these three Principles what he calls my 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15th Paradoxes but had he considered the 4th and 13th he had answered his few seeming Arguments and prevented his gross misrepresentation of my Principles There he might have seen that I assert 1. There is a Certainty that the Elect shall obey the Terms of the Gospel and be infallibly saved 2. That it is Christ's Righteousness which is the alone meritorious Cause of a Believer's Justification and Salvation and that our complyance with the Terms of the Gospel by the Grace of God is no more than our answering that Rule by which God bestows on us Justification and Salvation for the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ. He that cannot distinguish between the Righteousness for which we are saved and a complyance with that Rectoral Method wherein God doth save us for that Righteousness and the Interest arising from that method complied with had better sit still than meddle with these Disputes Reader tho' I did not once call the Gospel a Law in all my Book and only said in my Preface that the Apostle called it a Law of Faith with respect to what I had discoursed yet because the whole of Mr. C's Book runs on this I shall insist most on this Head 1. by explaining the word Law then 2. in what sence it is not a Law 3. shew in what sence it is a Law which I shall prove c. 4. answer his Objections 5. produce some Testimonies 1. As to the name or word Law It hath pleased God to call the way of his application of Grace to fallen Sinners by various names and by that variety to help our Apprehensions which one name would not so well contribute to It 's called a Law a Covenant a Testament a Promise a Word c. none of them exclude the others and are easily reduced to each other A Promise of God that sets down an Order in conferring Benefits wherein he enjoins any Duty on Mans part in that Order hath the nature of a Law yea tho' he engage to enable the Person to do that Duty We must also consider that God in some respects varies these Terms from their common use among men both his Dominion and his Grace abating their rigid Sence He calls it a Law but yet his Mercy resolves thereby to confer such Benefits as brings the Law
down to a Promise He calls it a Promise but his Dominion renders the Term enjoyned a Duty and so be raiseth up the Promise to a Law The word Covenant implies the certain performance on his part in the way he sets down and our restipulation to that way In the very word Testament as he notes the ratification of the Covenant by Christ's Death so it excludes not the appointed Condition of the Legatees to whom he makes a disposition of the Benefits So that the Word the Law of Grace or the Law of Faith is no other than the Covenant of Grace the Gospel-Promise of Salvation the Testament of Christ or the Word of the Gospel or the Gospel it self Whereas Mr. C. exposeth it as a New Gospel and New Law it 's the first Gospel GOD delivered to Men for he never promised to give Glory by Christ to any unbelieving impenitent person A new Law indeed it is as being a little younger than the Law of Innocency which condemns for the least Sin and gives Life to none but the Perfect by which Law no man but Christ was ever justified and by whose answering it for us we shall be justified in a Gospel-way But yet it is a Law older than Cain or Abel otherwise Abel's Sacrifice had been no more acceptable than Cain's which by Faith it was and which Faith in Christ must have been commanded as well as the Sacrifice though the brief account which Moses gives of above two thousand years doth not express it nor was it needful Yea God's Words to Cain imply it as Mr. Ball on Covenant p. 43. saith These are a Promise of the Covenant that took place after the Fall 2. I do not say the Gospel is a Law in the following sence 1. I do not say that the Gospel includes nothing besides this Law it gives us an account of the Covenant of Redemption and the absolute Promises There be many Prophecies the History of our Blessed Lord c. Doctrinal Truths Prophecies c. yet these may be called Adjuncts 2. Nor do I judge it a Law in that sence our Divines fix on the Socinians and Arminians viz. as if Acts of Obedience to this Law are the Righteousness for which we are justified or saved as Perfect Obedience was under the Law of Adam This I deny for we have no Righteousness for which we are justified or saved but Christ's and the Fruits of that are we blessed with upon complying with the Gospel Our Faith or inherent Righteousness c. are not the paying a Farthing of Debt to the Creditor but our submitting to that way by which we have Forgiveness of all the Debt and are Partakers of Glory both which God had in his Eye as to be purchased by Christ before he fixed on this way for our obtaining them 3. Nor do I take it in the Popish sence which the Socinians and Arminians espouse but true Protestants oppose viz. as if the moral Law were not perfect in its kind but that the spiritual extensive sence of the Precepts were new Precepts of our Lord and that the Old Testament did not include the Gospel-Precepts of Faith in Christ and Repentance for Pardon as well as the New though it did not discover the Objects and Motives c. so clearly 4. It is not a Law that supposeth a moral ability in Sinners to perform its Precepts that was necessary in God's Dealings with Men as his Creatures just come out of his Hand but not so when he deals with Man about his recovery when he had virtually sinned in Adam forfeited all yea had undone himself Whatever Mr. C. saith p. 23. I affirm if the Subject be rational or have natural Power If such Ability comes so with this Law that the Elect are made effectually able and others are wilfully faulty if they finally rebel it 's enough to justifie the Divine Order Will not and cannot are distinct things with Mr. Fenner in his Book of Wilful Impenitency Yea with D. Owens on Ps. 130. p. 248. 5. It is not a Law that extinguisheth the Law of Nature which hath its special Precepts and which in genere upon Gospel Revelation requires what the Gospel requires and condemns for Faults against the special Precepts of the Gospel tho' it condemns not so as to bar the Relief which the Gospel affords nor promiseth Life upon those Terms which the Gospel doth The Gospel in a large sence takes the Law as subservient to its gracious designs tho' Mr. C. weakly infers p. 24 25. that therefore the whole Precept is hereby made the Condition 6. Neither doth this Law require any thing of us as a Condition of Christ's coming into the World as a Redeemer it supposeth that nor yet any Condition of the first Grace to the Elect. This the Covenant of Redemption secures and it is assured to the Catholick Church by Promise 8. Nor is it a Law Obedience whereto renders any promised Blessing a Debt All is free tho' sure It 's free as to Man's Procurement or Price yet it is as sure by Promise as if it were a Debt but the Price was Christ's Obedience and Sufferings and all comes to us of Gift yet in that way which God appoints to give it 2. I mean by the Gospel being a Law that God in Christ our Redeemer doth by the Gospel expresly command Sinners to receive Christ with a true operative Faith and promiseth that tho' they are condemned by Adam's Law yet upon their so believing they shall be united to Christ and justified by his Righteousness and that persevering in Faith by sincere Holiness they shall be saved for his sake He also threatens that if any shall dye unbelieving impenitent ungodly Rejecters of his Grace they shall be bar'd from these Benefits and they shall perish without relief and have sorer Punishments than if these gracious Offers had not been made to them This is the Law of Faith I 'll add one Caution to this Account which is too needful Give me but the Assemblies Description of Faith Conf. cap. 14. and I desire to use no word as expressive of the Terms of the Gospel besides Faith but men now define Faith by such a small part of it as requires Caution for the sake of Souls 1. Here we have all the Essentials of a Law God is our Ruler and we his Subjects his Will is revealed in a way of Government here 's his Precept which binds us to Duty here 's a Promise made to such as do comply and here 's a Threatning denounced against such as finally rebel Preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned 2. Yet this is a Law of Grace it 's made by our Redeemer for fallen Man all the Benefits of it are founded on Christ's Righteousness as the immediate cause of them Effectual Ability to perform the Duty is provided for all
be justified by it as a meer Condition I abhor the former and will through God's Grace dye by the latter In the first sence it 's only that for which I am justified in the last sence it 's only that upon which by God's Ordination the Righteousness of Christ justifies me As a Work it would make me just as an immediate Cause of Title but as a Condition it removes the Obstacle which God's Gospel-Threatning hath laid in the way of my obtaining his Gift of Righteousness upon Christ's account Hath God appointed Faith by his Command to be a federal Instrument to receive Christ's Righteousness I say no more so that Men will own Men shall be denied it without that Instrument But then must the Gospel be a Law of Works By no means tho' Mr. C. p. 30 31 33. thinks that whatever Law requires an Act of ours in order to Benefits for the sake of Christ is a Law of Works because I suppose the Action is a Work Is not receiving Christ an Action Ay but it justifies not as receiving but it 's Christ received justifieth I say the same but yet I ask Will Christ justifie me if I do not receive him A Christ he is and a full Righteousness he hath before I receive him yet I was unjustified notwithstanding that Why was I unjustified by his Righteousness so long Was it not because I received it not till I received it Well then sure though that Action of Receiving doth not justifie me yet that Action is by God's fixed Law necessary to my being justified by Christ's Righteousness not as it is an Action but as it answers to the Rule of the Promise whereby God enacts he will for Christ's sake justifie him that believes 6. The Apostle doth expresly tell us that the Gospel-Law is not a Law of Works Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then Is it excluded By what Law Nay but by the Law of Faith Here 's two Laws opposed and yet both are Laws and one no Law of Works neither We are threatned with an Answer P. 33. though I know as much as he is like to tell me yet I am sure I have the best Expositors for this sence and doubt not the defence of it Yea though he should argue it is but the Doctrine of Faith yet if God be a Ruler that commands that Faith in order to my obtaining saving Benefits I despise all that can be said against its being a Law But it may be he 'l admit a Solution of his Objection from Mr. Bulkley of New England The putting of a Condition doth not hinder or lessen the Free Grace of the Covenant so long as the Condition is Evangelical and not Legal And p. 328 329 330. he answers the Objection against the Gospel being a new Law and saith Tho' Christ be not a Law-giver to give a Law of Works to justifie our selves by it yet He is a Law-giver to give us a Law of Faith commanding us to believe c. p. 333 334. when it is said Do this and live Here the Promise of Life is legal because the Commandment of Doing is legal On the other side when it is said Believe and live here the Promise of Life is Evangelical because the Commandment of Believing is Evangelical but if we make the Commandment of Believing to be legal then the promise of Life upon Condition of believing must be legal also and then there is no difference left between these two Do and live and Believe and live which confounds Law and Gospel Heaven and Earth and makes the two Covenants all one See Mr. Ball The Covenant which was made of Free Love and calls for nothing at our hands but what comes from and shall be rewarded of meer Grace is a Covenant of Grace though it be conditional So the pardon of Sin is given of Grace and not for Works though the Pardon be granted to the Penitent and Faith on our part a lively unfeigned and working Faith be required to receive the Promise Obj. III. Mr. C. p. 2â—… Moreover all the preceptive Will of God then or afterward to be revealed was enjoyned to Man as his Duty to observe in the Law of Nature imprinted on his Heart As for Faith it was an eminent part of his Perfection and that which the Serpent first wounded him in by Temptation c. P. 22. I tell you the Gospel hath no Law-Sanction at all of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of promise to all saved ones Christ is the end of the Law to them and as to those that are not saved the Law takes its course of them they came not under the efficacy of the Gospel at all Repl. The Argument of these words is that all the Precepts and Threats in the Gospel are part of the Law of Nature given to Adam and that Law of Adam is the only Law and therefore Faith in Christ which Sinners are called to is only the Voice of the Law of Works or Innocency and the whole Sanction of the Gospel is the Sanction of that Law and hence the Gospel must be no Law I might shew what a gross sence he gives of Christ being the end of the Law and that his words lead us to think that all Obligation except from Gratitude to Obedience lies on Christ only and not on the Elect that the Gospel hath no influence at all upon them that are not actually saved that the Gospel is only an absolute Promise or rather a Declaration of Election to the Elect and requires nothing at all from them as a term of any Benefit whatever and yet they are saved as Elect by the Law as immediately entituling them to Life without the interposal of the Gospel-Sanction that is the Gospel doth not only invest them in Pardon and a Right to Salvation by God's imputing Christ's Righteousness to them when Believers which was a perfect Obedience of his to the Law and a full Satisfaction to the Law-giver for them as their voluntary Surety Which I hold but that the Law immediately judgeth them to have obeyed it perfectly and also to have endured the Penalty in Christ he being their Proxy and Attorney This is the Method these men espouse whereby they destroy Christ's Sufferings as a proper Satisfaction exclude all Forgiveness as needless They debase Christ to an Attorney and exalt the Creatures as if they stood on the strictest Terms of Merit with God having legal Innocence of their own as having obeyed and atoned too Yea they had a Grant of all the Saving Effects of Christ's Death before they fell in Adam who was their Head even when Christ was their Head too for they were one legal Person wlth Christ alwaies as Elect and not when they become Believers And hence the Gospel doth require nothing of any elect persons to interest them in Christ or his Benefits But I pass by these and in opposition to the
Pardon c. p. 21. Repl. 1. Here and p. 28. he confounds a Promise of Grace and Promises made to Grace 2. He affirms that the whole of the Gospel-Covenant is but one Promise and this I suppose is the first Promise in the Sentence against the Serpent Hereby he blasts all the fuller Discoveries of it by the Prophets yea and Christ himself as if all the Conditional Proposals of Covenant-Benefits on Terms of Duty were Additions injuriously added to the first Promise 3. He wretchedly mistakes the nature of that first Promise as if it excluded all Terms of our Saving Interest in the Blessings of it Whereas it did imply them If you take the words as a Promise of Christ that he should in our nature overcome Satan then it belong'd to all Mankind to whom it 's promulgated even the rejecters of it Acts 13. 32 46. and as such gives no Interest in the Effects of it to any man If you take them as importing the Saving Benefits to the Seed of the Woman then there must be some change in them who are by Nature the Seed of the Serpent as well as the most wicked otherwise all the natural Seed of Eve have the same Saving Benefits which is thus evidenced When God renewed the Promise to Abraham and his Seed that Seed the Apostle tells you were Believers Rom. 4. 11 16 27. and as I have said before Faith must be then enjoyned for by Faith Abel's Sacrifice was more acceptable than Cain's and God's Words to Cain were the Redeemer's Language and the use of Sacrifices imports that God revealed more of his Will to them by way of Precept than is there recorded 4. And what can he mean by things distinct from the Promise If that Faith and Repentance are promised I had oft affirmed it If that as Acts in Man they are not distinct from the Promise it 's unfit to reflect on If that they may not be Terms of Pardon conjoyned therewith in one promissory Series it 's against the scope of the Bible and sure if that hinder not Pardon to be the cause of them it will not exclude them to be Terms of Pardon 5. But what strange Divinity is this 1. that Pardon is the Condition of Faith 2. Pardon is the cause of Faith How is Pardon and these at once as he affirms i. e. in order of Nature and yet Faith is the consequent yea effect of Pardon But to come to the point Is not this to burlesque the Scripture We believe that we may be justified Gal. 2. 16 That is we be justified that we may believe We are justified by Faith Rom. 5. 1. that is we are made Believers by Justification We repent for the remission of sins Luke 33. that is we have remission of Sins that we may repent One Reason at least should have been offered for these contradictions I suppose all that would be offered is that Christ cannot work Faith in us till we are pardoned which the whole Scripture is against and God hath provided for it by Divine ordination in that Christ's Merits are admitted effectual to the working and and accepting of this Grace before these Merits are applied for Forgiveness which is fully expressed in his own revealed Method whereby he commands and works Faith in order to Forgiveness Yea he will not I hope deny lest he spoil his Argument p. 28. that Union with Christ is before Pardon in order of Nature And is not that an Effect of Christ's Merits Yea the Gospel-offers Spirits operation of Faith c. are so 6. How long must I stay for an Answer if I ask what kind of Cause is Pardon It 's well if it be not hisprocatartick 7. Is not this a new and singular Gospel Consult the former Testimonies Need I mind thee that Dr. Owens saith p. 306. We require Evangelical Faith in order of Nature antecedently to our Iustification c R. Mr. Cl. p. 134. Norton c. say the same the Synod of Dort is oft positive Mr. Bulkley p. 321. gives nine Reasons to prove that Faith is an antecedent Condition of Iustification and saith the denyal of it is some of the new Light which the old Age of the Church hath brought forth Mr. Sheppard proves the same p. 221 to 240. Mr. C's Father saith Faithunites the Soul to Christ p. 144. It accepts of a whole Christ with a whole Heart p. 154. It 's a receiving Christ in all his Offices p. 132. Faith hath an influence into a Sinner's Justification p. 122. Faith is constituted and ordained of God in the Covenant of Grace as a necessary and indispensible means for attaining this end in adult persons p. 123. And he answers his Son's Objections as to Infants The Assembly affirm That Justification is a Benefit flowing from Vocation wherein Faith is wrought but of this hereafter It 's well if he call not all these Enemies to the Grace of God as p. 8. Mr. C. near a kin to this is his Banter on me p. 21. because I had said that Election was not formally our Pardon nor a legal grant of it but that by Divine Appointment there was to interpose between the decree of Pardon and the actual Pardon of the Elect a Gospel-Promise of this Pardon and a work of the Spirit on Men for a conformity to the Rule of that Promise He tells me I would have Christ to stand as a Medicin in the Apothecary's shop for some body or other when the Physician prescribes it Nay it 's not an absolute sick Patient neither it 's one the Apothecary hath in a manner cured before c. And before the person be pardoned he must be in a very sound and safe condition c. and there must be inherent Righteousness in the person to be pardoned c. Add this and much of this kind up and down in his Book to his fifth Principle viz. That Pardon is the cause of Faith c. and then we have his sixth Principle That we are pardoned before the Spirit do at all work any change upon the Soul in effectual Vocation or we are not called or converted in order of Nature before we are justified This is fully the sence of the Letter from the City p. 25 30 c. Repl. 1. A Legal Grant is a term out of Mr. C's Element or he would not confound it with a Decree and what he speaks of the Promise Tit. 1. will appear not to be eternal but before many Ages and not to exclude Gospel-Conditions in their use for our personal Interest in Pardon 2. Is there not a fulness in Christ for Sinners before they make use of it 3. All Sinners are ungodly in a Gospel sence when God comes to call them effectually in order to Pardon and they are ungodly in a legal sence when God doth pardon them or they would not need Pardon 4. Yet they are not unconvinced Unbelievers that are the Objects of God's pardoning