righteous then God chap. 35.2 But did not God see all this The Lord answered Iob and said shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it wilt thou disâ—null my judgement wilt thou condemne me that thou maiest be righteous chap. 40.2.8 then how dare these men say that they are as righteous as Christ and that God can see no sinne in them but the truth is they are sicke of Iobs disease and it were good for them if with him they would repent of their pride and abhorre themselves in dust and ashes Job 42.6 then should they see the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pittifull and of tender mercy James 5.11 but it may be they will catch at those words when the Lord said to satan thou mouest me against him to destroy him without cause Job 2.3 I answ That the divell that accuser of the brethren could not tax him of any foule or scandelous sinne yet Iob had his failings as well as other men as he saith when his passion is over that if he should contend with God he cannot answer one of a thousand then how shall man be just with God Job 9.23 and saith David O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinne is not hid from thee Psal 69.5 Then whether shall I goe from thy presence thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising and understandest my thoughts a farre off thou knowest my pathes and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 139.2 3. we heare of none that have learned the language of Cannaâ— that pure language that call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one consent Zeph. 3.9 in all the booke of God saving I am perfect I am pure I cannot sinne if I would or if I did God cannot see my sinne I am as righteous as Christ I need not grieve for my sinne nor pray for pardon but contrary saith Peter I am a sinfull man O Lord and saith Paul I am the least of all Saints Ephe. 3.8 and the chiefest of all sinners 1 Tim. â— 15 and saith David pardon my sin for it is great Psal 25.11 and in humility saith Abraham I am but dust and ashes and saith Iacob I am the least of all thy mercies and saith Iohn Baptist I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his shooe and saith the Centurian I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my Roofe then where did these men learne this their proud boasting of their holinesse which the Lord saith is a stink in my wrath and a fire that burneth all the day Isa 65.5 In the next place they tell us that they are assured of this their happy condition onely from a verball testimony they say from the spirit of God yet they deny the operation or sanctifying worke of the same spirit of God to be any meanes whereby they may come to know their justification for this they say is the doctrine of our legall teachers that goe by markes and signes But here they deny one of the witnesses whereby we should come to know our condition as we stand in the fight of God for saith Paul the spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.16 when Christ comes into the soule he brings both water to sanctifie and blood to justifie us This is he that came by water and blood not by water onely but by water and blood then the spirit beareth witnesse because the spirit is truth then the Father the Word and the Holy-ghost will beare Record with our spirit here on earth when our spirit with the witnesse of water doth sanctifie us and that other witnesse from the blood of Chist doth justifie us then are we really the sons of God 1 John 5.6 7 8. the spirit of God first convinceth the heart of sinne and then subjecteth the heart to his will and then gives testimony by a divine reasoning on this manner saying He that beleeveth shall be saved then cut spirit or conscience makes answer saying I beleeve then the conclusion ariseth from both these witnesses that I am the child of God For it is not enough to have a perswasion that we are the children of God except with that perswasion the gift of faith be wrought in us with all the qualifications of a child of God as the grace of feare not a slavish but a filiall feare wrought in our hearts that we may not depart from him Jer. 32.40 by neglecting of any duty commanded or committing any sinne forbidden my sonne feare thou the Lord Prov. 24.21 that is feare to offend him and be carefull to please him in all things John 8.29 and to love and delight in his presence Psal 73.28 to honour and reverence his name Mal. 1.6 Psal 111.9 and to serve and obey him in all things John 5.30 Mat. 26.39 he that findeth an inward desire and an outward endeavour to doe these things is certainly the child of God but a bare perswasion without any opperation or sanctifying worke of the spirit of God in the soule is the suggestion of the divell who would perswade them that kill you that they doe God service John 16.2 whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty Zac. 11.5 The divell can easily turne himselfe into an Angell of light to deceive those that deny all markes and signes of grace in them but can the spirit of God come into the soule where the divell dwels in full possession and bind him and cast him out and change the will and affections from the service of the divell to serve himselfe can the strong holds of the divell be cast downe and the Throne of Christ set up without any noise or stirre in that soule it is rather an evidence that soule was never changed then not to be senceable of it any otherwayes but onely by a bare testimony not looking what work the Lord hath wrought in it nor knowing any thing by experience but by heare say or a testimony of the divell or some lying spirit which hath told him so But what saith the Apostle John Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things the anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him if ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doeth righteousnesse is borne of him 1 John 2.20.27.29 sometimes the spirit of God ceaseth to give testimony a long time together then our spirit or conscience witnesseth from the worke wrought by the spirit of God this anointing abideth in us and teacheth when the verball voyce or testimony is gone or ceaseth for saith Paul our rejoycing is the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the
said also thou shalt not kill now if thou doe not commit adultery yet if thou kill thou art a transgressour of the law Jam. 2.9.10.11 Then bear one anothers burden and so fulfill the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 here Christ claimes the law to be his There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy Iam. 4.12 the Prophets came all saying Thus saith the Lord but when Christ came and cleered the law from those false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees which say thou shalt not kill but I say whosoever is angry vvith his brother without a cause is in danger of judgement Mat. 5. and ye have heard say thou shalt not commit adultery but I say whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart and so of the rest therefore obey it and so fulfill the law of Christ for he saith I am not come to destroy the law till Heaven and earth passe away not one tittle or jot shall in no wise passe from the law Mat. 5.17.18 now when Christ hath claimed the law to be his and cleered it from their false glosses then there comes a young man to him saying Master what good thing shall I doe to inherite eternall life then Christ answers him directly saying â—f thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements he saith unto him which Christ answered him thou shalt not commit adultery nor murther nor steale nor beare false witnesse honour thy father and mother and love thy neighbour as thy selfe Mat. 19.16 17. and although outwardly he had beene doing something for which Christ loved him yet there was that inward lust of covetousnesse stucke fast in his heart therefore Christ sends him backe to the law to be humbled for it this one thing thou lackest Marke 10.21 before thou art fit for faith or to have treasure in heaven goe to the law and see thy sinne for by the law is the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 then is the law sinne nay I had not known sinne but by the law I had not knowne lust except the law had said thou shalt not lust Rom. 7.7 and the law shewes us our failings when we are in the state of grace for it we should cast off the law from being a rule to us we should neither know when we sin nor how to recover our selves for where no law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 for whosoever sinneth transgresseth the law for sinne is the transgression of the law 1 Ioh. 3.4 then it is time Lord to worke when they have made voyd thy law Psal 119.126 rivers of teares runne downe mine eyes because they keepe not thy law ver 136. so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God for the carnall mind is enmity against God it is not subject the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 Then what shall we say to those sonnes of Beliall that are so weary of the law that as much as in them lyes they seeke to make it void both in the commanding duties and forbidding of vices but cursed be such tenets hath the divell so prevailed with them as to make them take counsell against the Lord and against his Anointed saying let us breake their cords and cast away their bonds from us Psal 2.2 3. How dare they say that Christ hath freed them from all duty and that they owe the Lord no obedience at all so that what they doe is out of their free love and curtesie and not from any duty or obedience to his law which is no rule for beleevers But doe they make void the law God forbid Rom. 3.31 faith should be imployed to fetch power from Christ to enable us to obey the law vve are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 but vve can doe all things through Christ strengthening us Phil. 4.13 then faith doth not free us of our duty but makes us more able to performe our duty to the law of God and therefore it is called the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 it stands not with true faith to call them legall divines by way of scorne and dirision that call upon us and put us in mind of our duty to the Lord because say they we owe him none but let them know and be sure that their sinnes will find them out Numb 32.23 let them take heed how they say that God is like to themselves lest he reprove them and set their sinnes in order before them now consider this ye that forget God lest he teare you in peeces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50.21.22 certainly that man was never justified from his sinne that thinkes it not his duty to mortifie it and doth not grieve and mourne for want of strength to subdue it and his duty to pray against it which our Antinomeans renounce saying this is legall teaching and they will try their condition onely from a bare testimony as I said before although it be a suggestion of the divell it may serve their turne well enough while they despise the operation of the spirit of God sanctifying and changing them and setting up his owne Image in them giving them grace for grace with Christ they say if we looke upon these markes and signes to know our condition this is legall this vvill not stand with their free grace vvhich frees them of that labour vvhich should search and try them they take all from a testimony vvithout examination but this building vvill not endure the storme of persecution Then they say that they love God terribly and this frees them from their duty they say the love of Christ constraines them but they vvill not tell us to what for they flatly deny all duty to the Law of God but saith Christ when ye have done all that ye can you have but done your duty Luke 17.10 and saith Christ ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am but then ye ought to wash one anothers feet for the servant is not above the Master if ye knovv these things happy are ye if ye doe them John 13.15.16 if the yong man call him Master presently he sends him to his worke and duty of obedience Mat. 19.17 if I be your Master vvhere is my feare Mat. 1.6 It is not enough to call him Lord and Master and then to deny all duty of obedience to him this was the love of Judas who cryed Hale Master when he betrayed him so these men say that they love him dearely but they defie all duty to him for they owe him none but time will come when they that say Lord Lord shall not come to heaven but he that doth the vvill of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.21 But their true love frees them from all duty but what love they have I know not for this is the law of God that we keepe his Commandements
and his Commandements are not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 But if they love God why doe they despise his Law which saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might these words I command thee this day Deut. 6.5.6 and where is their love to Christ they boast so much of for he saith these words in answer to the Lawyer This is the first and great Commandement in the Law to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and vvith all thy soule and vvith all thy mind and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe on these tvvo Commandements hang all the Lavv and the Prophets Mat. 22.37.38 And Moses spake the same words of the second Table saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Levit. 19.18 so that you see the sweet harmony between Christ and Moses and the same was with Paul who saith Thou shalt not commit adultery kill nor steale nor beare false witnesse nor covet love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.9 10. then doth love drive them from the law saith David Oh hovv I love thy lavv and what followes it is my meditation all the day Psal 119.97 thy testimonies are my delight and what followes and my councellours ver 24. Unlesse thy law had beene my delight I had perished in mine affliction I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me ver 92.93 thaâ— is the shewing him his duty revived his dull spirits that began to flagge and faint but these men despise the Law of God because it is sent by Moses but saith Christ had ye beleeved Moses ye would have beleeved me for he wrote of me and if ye will not beleeve his writings how shall ye beleeve my words John 5.46.47 Moses told them that the seed of â—he woman should breake the serpents head Gen. 3.15 and that the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the middest of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken and he shall speake unto them all that I command him Deut. 18.18 and saith the Lord This is my beloved Sonne heare him Mat. 17.5 the Apostle to set forth the faithfulnesse of Christ compares him with faithfull Moses for saith he Christ was faithfull to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithfull in all his house Heb. 3.2 then why must Moses be so despised who was as faithfull to the Lord as ever man was but yet the message was the Lords then why must Gods law be despised because you like not the messenger that brings it Againe Christ cleares the law of Moses from their false glosses but it seemes in their conceit that Moses hath so defiled it that Christ is not able to cleare it againe except he take it quite away for they are not minded to make it a rule to beleevers although they perish by swarving from it as that cursed Whoremonger that is so busie to broach those sweet tolerations for his owne vilany and for such as he vvho esteeme the law of God as a heavy burden to them and as a bridle to restraine them from their sweet pleasures in sinne but if they leave this rule they must needs offer polluted bread to the Lord and the blind and the lame and the sick in their offering vvhich is evill that their governour vvould not be pleased vvith nor accept their persons then cursed be that deceiver that hath in his flocke a male and offereth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.7 8 9 14. if the Lord vvrite unto you the great things of his law and you count them as a strange thing Hosea 8.12 If you doe not make the law of God your guide you must needs bring strange fire to the Lord as the Sonnes of Aaron did and perished for their presumption Levit. 10.12 for vvho required these things at your hands to tread my Courts to vvhat purpose is all that ye doe bring no more vaine oblations it is iniquity my soule hateth them they are a trouble to me I cannot beare them Isa 1.11.12.13.14 see Amos 5.25.26 He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man and he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogges necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood and he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idoll the reason is because they have chosen their owne vvayes Isa 66.3 thus saith the Lord stand in the vvay and see aske for the old pathes vvhere is the good vvay and vvalke therein and ye shall finde rest for your soules but they laid vve vvill not vvalke therein Heare O earth I vvill bring evill upon this people the fruit of their owne thoughts because they have not harkened to my law but rejected it then it followes to vvhat purpose cometh their incense to me from Sheba your offerings are not acceptable nor your sacrifices sweet unto me Jer. 6.16.19.20 these people are like unto King Saul vvho forâ—ooke the commandement of the Lord and then vvould goe offer the sacrifice of his owne devising but to obey had beene better then sacrifice and to harken then the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15.22 so these men forsake the law of God and say that it is no rule for beleevers and then they say that love will move them to something unrequired not as any duty nor done in obedience to the Lord but out of free love and meere good will and curtisie but I say if it be not done by the rule and weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary but onely of their owne head God will say of them as he said of Saul Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornnesse is as iniquity and idolatry because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he also hath rejected thee from being King 1 Sam. 15.23 and now O Israel what doth the Lord require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God and to walke in all his wayes and to love him and to serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soule and to keep the Commandements of the Lord and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good Deut. 10.12 13. but they will answer that their free grace hath freed them from all duties so that they doe not stand in feare to oftend the Lord neither are they bound to walke in all his wayes nor to serve the Lord with all their heart and soule nor to endeavour to keep his lawes and statutes for their good this they say is legall and but the words of Moses and they can love God and this they can shew sufficiently from their free will unrequired of God or done in obedience to his law for it is no rule for them neither doe they acknowledge any duty to it Againe they are not acquainted with the graces of Gods
an argument sufficient why beleevers should not be called upon to humble themselves because others are not humbled and because they see others are worse then themselves but this is their folly who have left the law of God which is the true rule and make sinfull men their rule and so the blind lead the blind till both fall into the ditch But we must not follow the Antinomeans rule so long as we have the true rule to walke by which is the perfect and eternall law of God this glasse of Gods law will shew us our sinnes I had not knowne sinne but by the law Rom. 7.7 for by the law is the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 and it was after Pauls conversion that he looked upon the law and came to know his sinne which shews that he had not done with it when he beleeved and are we more perfect then he Although a beleever comes to see his owne vilenesse and therefore denies himselfe and no man more yet he is but part spirit and part flesh and these two are fighting continually in him and we see the often fals of the best of Gods people which should be a warning to us to walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Ephe. 4.15 we had need be ready and willing both to give counsell and to receive counsell to walke watchfully and humbly let us consider onâ— another and provoke unto love and to good workes Heb. 10.24 Paul bids Timothy to stirre up that gift that was given him 2 Tim. 1.6 and Paul with stood Peter to his face because he was to be blamed and Barnabas was carrieâ— away also with their dissimulation Gal. 2.11.13 Then sure Paul was no Antinomean that stirs up their dull spirits to their duties of obedience and watchfulnesse neither was Barnabas nor Timothy noâ— the rest Antinomeans that stood in need of the helpe of others when one oâ— them his graces seemed to dye within him and the other almost lost till Pauâ— roused them up againe then take notice of this prophane man how his freâ— grace gives way freely to all manner of sinnes in beleevers when he saith yoâ— need not bid them to humble themselves what is this but to make void aâ—â— Christian duties and for mourning for sinne and fasting when the Bride groome seemes to be taken away from them and his faith is clouded you neeâ— not to bid them fast and mourne for saith he they are too apt and too proâ—â— to wrong themselves thereby and so in the matter of repentance Therefore rather reprove them that doe so for their weaknesse but muâ—â— we beleeve this Antinomean rather then the Bridegroome himselfe whâ— saith the dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those dayes Luke 5.35 surely if this man had known what it had beene to have his faith clouded and the loving countenance of God hidden from him it would make him fast and mourne and weepe to have those joyes restored againe that the broken bones may rejoyce Psal 51.8.12 and although this man would have them reproved that doe so yet Christ bids them aske and ye shall have seeke and ye shall find kâ—oâ—ke and it shall be opened hitherto ye have asked nothing aske that your joy may be full John 16.24 he saith a child that knowes that his Father loves him shall you need to tell him that he ought in duty to aske it of his Father as much need saith he is there to preach prayer as a duty but cursed be he that denies that prayer to God both for himselfe and others to be a duty saith Samuel God forbid that J should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12.23 and how frequent have the Saints in all ages beene in this duty both for themselves and others but yet I confesse that such as they are who turne away their care from hearing the law their prayer is abomination Prov. 28.9 now if they be so sensible of this heavy sentence they are wiser then I tooke them to be to save themselves that labour when their prayer is nothing worth because they forsake the law of God But they say a beleever cannot want much nor many things therefore they need not pray I answ Although a beleever be rich yet he hath it not in his owne keeping he hath exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 but we must fetch out these things as we have occasion by the prayer of faith thus saith the Lord God Yet I will be sought for of the house of Israel Ezek. 36.37 aske of me and I will give thee Psal 2.8 and sometimes Dives hath his good things and Lazarus his evill things Luke 16.25 because God loves to hear his people pray Prov. 15.8 But then saith this man if they doe pray sure a very short prayer may serve their turne as our Saviour well knew when he taught us how to pray and reproved long prayer here this man sheweth all his heart then see how he suckes poyson out of the sweetest Flowers as the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Vallies Cant. 2.1 he turnes the meaning of Christ himselfe to his owne corrupted humour as all Heretiques use to doe For Christ did but teach them the ground of all prayer but when he set himselfe to pray he continued all night in prayer to God Luke 6.12 When Peter was in prison prayer was made without ceasing to God for him Acts 12.5 men ought alwayes to pray and not faint Luke 18.1 Cornelius prayed alwayes Acts 10.2 Then did all these say nothing but that we call the Lords Prayer and then cease or did they say it over as many times as a Fryar will tye his whore to say it to satisfie for her whoredome which is their folly Neither did Christ intend to reprove long prayers but when they asked vaine petitions or when they stand in the street to be seene of men or when they are large in their owne sutes and will not heare the complaint of poore Widdowes but are ready to devour them these shall receive greater damnation Mat. 23.14 But this Antinomean saith if we aske any thing it is a vaine petition because we beleeve that we have it already as to aske for remission of sinne and crying out of the burthen of sinne when we beleeve that Christ hath bourne our sinnes in his body on the Tree and that his blood cleanseth us from all sinne I answer although we beleeve that all our sinnes past are remitted yet we sinne daily therefore Christ hath taught us daily to aske forgivenesse Againe a man sometimes hath some one sinne that troubleth him that he hath no certaine assurance of the pardon of it at the present as David after the sinne of murther prayes the Lord to take away blood guiltinesse from him Ps 51.14 although Nathan had told him before that it was forgiven 2 Sam. 12.13 But he saith he that prayes
keepe all Gods Commandements and yeelding universall obedience thereto and to hate all sinne THe Antinomeans say that they are bewitched that hold a man cannot be saved without faith and wisheth them cut off that so trouble them they say it is the envious man that hath sowed those Tares but here he cals the Spirit of God that envious man because he hath told us that without faith it is unpossible to please God Heb. 11.16 and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 and he that beleeveth not is damned already and the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.18.36 Then what a bold blasphemer is this to call the holy Spirit of God the envious man because he contradicts their cursed Errours They say why should Christ put them upon the performance of conditions they having no life but are stone-dead in sinne so I say too but when Christ gives us a hand and life and motion in it too it is no hard condition to put it out to receive so great a Benefit He saith for God to put us upon such a worke supernaturall as faith is and to have no part in Christ without it seems very difficult and unlike his Fatherly affections toward us I answ but Gods people doe not thinke so whatever he thinkes when God hath given them faith they must use it and cannot doe otherwise they find so much profit and comfort by implying that Tallent of faith He saith to say faith is a condition without which we cannot be saved doth perplex the conscience and denies our mercies and resists the spirit of God and doth not consist with the right end for which faith was wrought in us he saith Christ died for the ungodly to purchase remission of sinnes and to reconcile them to God and so I say too so it be understood out of the number of the Elect but when he saith this was done without any condition or application on our parts we remaining ungodly still and going on in a course of sinnes is a foule errour but I have answered it already and he saith faith was given that we might see what was wrought in and upon us before we had either faith or calling that is saith he to see our remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God and how we are made righteous in the sight of God justified and saved all this as soone as we have our being in this life and faith is but a declarative grace to shew us these things that were all done before but onely we did not see them and so faith comforts us saith he and when the law clamours for obedience faith answers we are not under the law but under grace and therefore they owe no obedience to it it is true they will doe some things unrequired as to breake out into exaltations and thankfulnesse but not as any duty they owe to the Lord but upon free will and as a curtisie what they please unrequired this is their free grace but it is of the divels making to damne their soules but Paul saith Christ was revealed for the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 and he received grace and Apostleship for the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 they say that their love makes them doe great matters unrequired but let them take heed how they bring strange fire or any thing before they have tryed it in the ballance of the Sanctuary for God will not be served by their devisings but by his owne directions made knowne to us in his law He that looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man is blessed in the deed James 1.25 we must bring that worship and service that God requires in his law for substance and in the same manner it must be done in faith and time place considered and to the same end that God hath apointed which is his glory but their faith sheweth them a Christ that requires no duty of them but what they please out of free love and curtisie for all was done before they had faith or calling and he saith children when they dye are saved without faith but I suppose that to be more then he can prove because without faith it is unpossible to please God and he that beleeveth not is damned already and â—he wrath of God abideth on him but that wrath must be removed and they must please God before they can be saved although we cannot conceive the manner how it is wrought in them therefore when Christ came to heale any â—iseases if he perceived they had faith to be healed then he cured them and commonly he said according to thy faith be it unto thee all things are possible to him that beleeveth he saith they that mix the Law and the Gospell together are false teachers and so I say too and to make redemption conditionall â—o depend on duties as causes I say the same but to say these duties are not â—equired as the way to salvation is a grosse errour that beats off all obedience â—o the law of God but they say the state of a Christian is most free in this respect because nothing at all is required of him and he saith they are deceivers that teach otherwise so that their free grace they boast so much of is nothing but a freedome from all obedience to the lavv of God I find in that book of theirs that they say legall Teachers say that repentance â—umiliation self-deniall weeping mourning fasting and praying and the use of â—he Sacraments the observing of the Sabbath and doing as one would be done â—nto and the rest must be done as duties but are palpable mistakings for they â—re made as duties by almost all Teachers But here they shew their sinne as Sodome and bewray what they meane by â—â—eir free grace yet I say againe that we deny that duties are any causes of â—ur salvation but they are the way appointed by the Lord to attaine that end â—nd must be done in obedience to Gods command and not left for us to doe 〈◊〉 not to doe at our pleasure these ought to be pressed as duties so long as we â—â—rry about with us daily a body of sinne which is as a heavy weight upon us â—â—d being alwayes with us and makes us faile in all our duties we then had â—â—ed to be stirred up daily to weeping and mourning and to repent of our failâ—â—gs nay although we know nothing by our selves yet are we not hereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 because there be many secret sinnes in us that we cannot find out O Lord forgive our secret sins Psal 19. he saith feare hath torment so I say that slavish feare hath torment and is not made perfect in love 1 Joh. 4.18 but filiall feare is a companion of all joy and comfort Psal 2.11.56.6 he saith it is in vaine to bid a beleever humble himselfe for there is none so humble as he But is this
for the pardon of his sinne is like a man afrighted with sinne and at the same time giving thankes for the râ—mision of sinne and of a man that is afraid of the sinnes of his present prayers and of one that hath victory over sinne death and hell I answer although our sinnes be pardoned and the guilt taken away yet the being of sinne is not taken away and although we are justified from all sinne yet we are not sanctified from all sinne so that we ought to be humbled for our filthinesse for want of sanctification when we come into the presence of God and because that sinne is in us we may well feare that we shall not carry our selves so holy as becometh such a presence as the men of Beth-shemish said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 and yet not so despaire as to leave off the duty but to pray still and as sanctification increaseth we come into the presence of God with more cheerfulnesse and as our assurance increaseth we shall be lesse in our petitions and more in thanksgiving and praising God for his mercies to us He saith we present a man that is delivered from the law into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and yet puts himselfe under the law I answer we are delivered from the curses of the law and the threatnings of the lavv and from the condemning povver of it and from the constraining povver of it but vve are not delivered from the commanding povver of it the free grace of Christ did not deliver us from our obedience to the lavv of God but in giving us the eye of faith vve see our duty more cleerly that is vvritten in the lavv of God and by our hand of faith vve fetch more strength from Christ to enable us to performe our duty to the lavv of God I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 but if our eye of faith vvere never so cleere to see our duty yet if vve vvill not looke upon the lavv of God but count it as a strange thing Hosea 8.12 it is all one to them as if the book of the law were sealed up and he that hath no faith is like a man to whom the booke of the law is open but the man cannot read for he is not learned Isa 29.11 12. so then the eye of faith is the Organ and our duty is the object and the written law of God is the Medium by which we see our duty but when the law is taken from us or if we cast away the commanding power of it which is all one we can see our duty no more then a man can see in a dungeon then well may the Antinomians be so blind concerning their duty when as they cast away that light that should shew it unto them thy law is a lanterne to my feet and a light unto my pathes Psal 119.105 But then faith hath another property when it sees the greatnesse of the work to be done and the weaknesse of the doer of it that it seeth helpe in another which is Christ and presently fetcheth it to helpe him this honour have all the Saints Psal 149.9 He saith we need not to tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himself even so is it needfull to tell a beleever that it is his duty to heare Sermons read the Scripture and frequent the Lords Table these are his proper and his naturall food by which his faith is strengthened and increased yet saith he in what a sad and fearfull manner are these pressed upon mens consciences upon paine of having no part in Christ and of everlasting damnation in hell for ever I answer first if one should tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himselfe I hope it would not make him leave feeding and goe about to starve himselfe because he is told that he must doe it as a duty and so for spirituall duties to be told of them is rather an encouragement to goe on still because it is their duty and what if he know it before he need not be offended at the love of his friend for telling him that which he knew before but I smell wherein lieth the venome of this man he hath free grace bestowed on him which hath freed him from all duties of obedience to the Lord so that what he doth is onely out of free love for he thinkes to be tyed by way of duty will not stand with his free grace but I say againe we trust in no duty as causes of our salvation but we obey and doe these duties as the way to salvation neither did they ever heare those worthy Divines whom they villefie with the termes of legall Teachers presse any duties to merit salvation for the doing of them but let the sonnes of Belial know that if they slight their duties to the law of God they may purchase damnation by it neither can there be any salvation for that man till he humble himselfe and freely yeeld to the commanding power of the law of God and count it his duty to give all the power of body and soule in obedience to it but this yoke is too heavy for the sonnes of Belial they will be tyed to nothing but upon free love and currisie that they may leave it when they list they have gotten free grace He saith they put us upon these duties to try and to prove our selves by the performance of them as by markes and signes of grace within I answer if Christ be in the soule there must needs be fignes of his presence we need not goe by heare-say or from a bare Testimony or suggestion they told Jacob that Joseph was alive but that did not satisfie him till he saw the Wagons Gen. 45.27.28 so now if the eyes of the soule be opened to see our duty written in the law it is Christ that hath done it Acts 16.14 whose heart the Lord opened Doe ye aske whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eyes John 9.30 Acts 26.17 18. Secondly the worke must arise from a true justifying faith that knits them to Christ and makes their person accepted Rom. 5.1 Gen. 4.4 this faith must take hold of that promise that is made to them that doe this duty Exod. 20.6 Thirdly in our duties we must aime at Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 thus by any duty we may try our selves whether we doe it by vertue of Gods command without us and whether it be acted by an inward principle of faith within us and whether it tend to Gods glory as the utmost end of it he that hath thesemarkes and signes the Spirit of God is in him this faith worketh by love and obedience Rom. 1.5.1 John 5.3 neither can he say what a fearfull thing it is to presse these things as duties upon our consciences that belongs to the sons of Belial that cannot abide the yoke of Gods saw
that requires those duties of them He saith the true beleever submits himselfe to every Ordinance of man mark a little the reasoning of this misguided man he that said before that beleevers must not submit to the lawes of God now he saith they must subâ—it to the lawes of man and he that denied obedience to Gods lawes was any marke or signe of a beleever yet he saith he that submits to mans Ordinance is a true beleever but yet here is more venome behind in this argument for what is this Ordinance of man He saith it is the observation of the Sabbath so exceedingly preached and prest as a duty to be exactly performed in the exercise onely of the worship and service of God thus casting aspersion upon the Lords day and upon his worship and service calling it mans ordinance because he would overthrow the Sabbath of the Lord and then he goes about to set up his owne invention in the next words saying all dayes are to him this Sabbath for he liveth in that rest that was tipified out of the old Sabbath he saith he will take care to keepe faith in heart and breath and faith will make every day a Sabbath now he hath Christ for the shadow is gone the body is Christ his free grace hath freed him from keeping a sabbath for it is but the Ordinance of man here he contradicts his owne Character of a true beleever which was to submit to mans Ordinance but here is a true Character of one swarving from the true rule which is the law of God and now he walks in crooked pathes of his owne invention playing the hipocritâ— saying although he submit the outward man the inward man cannot be beguiled here you see as rotten a heart discovered as ever lived in man some heretiques deny one Commandement some another but never any denied them all till this cursed heresie sprung up but let them read the judgements of God on Sabbath breakers the Practice of Piety the one to whip them and the other to shew them their duty if perhaps the thoughts of their heart may be forgiven them take heed lest you with the Papists deny the Lordship of Christ who cleared the law from all false glosses and gave it them in his owne name shewing the strictnesse of it reaching not onely to the outward man but rectifying the soule and inward parts of man and so to bring all parts of body and soule in obedience and free subjection to it and that for ever In the entrance of any answer to the first errour in this booke I left the decree of God till faith and calling because I would barre them from flying thither but iâ— may be they will want courage to face the Canon of Gods Word and 〈◊〉 for shelter to the decâ—ees of God and say God hath decreed to justifie them before faith or calling but these sigge leaves will not cover their nakednesse for did God decree to juâ—â—ifie them and then decree to give them faith and to call them this is but another errour for doubtlesse God decreed to give his people faith and to call them at the same time when he decreed to justifie them and all with one simple act from all eternity but what meanes those other words they are justified as soone as they have any being will they say the child must first be borne before God decree to save it and if they say by this word being they meane in the decree of God then I demand what they meane by those words as soone as they had any c. will they say there was time beyond the decree of God thus they are in a circle not knowing where to get out This should have beene inserted at the end of the answer to the first Errour Pag 6. Good Reader I pray thee correct such faults in this Booke as by oversight hath escaped the Presse as page 2. line 17. for righteousnesse read righteousnesses and for the Title on certaine pages a briefe Answer read a briefe and plaine Answer and for the names of those that professe this heresie here condemned for Antenomeans and Antinomeans read Antinomians FINIS