for Salvation is the Genus both of Justification Sanctification and Glory And in the same kind as you make Faith and Repentance necessary to Justification so you may make your Sincerity and Perseverance You do but tire out your selves and us in an ambiguous Word in which you would not have us know your meaning but he must and cannot be mistaken in it Neonom He hath as well promised Heaven to the Godly Man as Pardon to the Believer Antinom As if a Believer were not a Godly Man and Heaven were not promised to him A Believer is a Godly Man and the Promise of all things that appertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called him to Glory and Vertue Glory and Vertue are promised to him 2 Pet. 1.3 Neonom And our Perseverance in Holiness and Obedience is as truly our way to Glory as the Scriptures can describe Antinom It 's one thing to be a way in the Covenant-state and another thing to be a way to it Salvation hath it's ways of Degrees in it Sanctification is but a degree of Glorification When we are changed into the Image of Christ it 's from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 3.6 Neonom Nothing of these merit Heaven but he that merited Heaven hath peremptorily appointed these to bring us thither Heb. 6.10 11 12. Antinom He that merited the End hath merited the Means and the means to work in such a way as shall not rob him of the Honour of his Merits He hath not merited that we should deserve but he must have the Honour of all our Salvation The things spoken of Heb. 6.10 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehended in Salvation He spake of false-hearted Professors before now he was perswaded better things of them that to them true Salvation did belong and that through Grace that bringeth Salvation they had truth of Faith and Love to his Name which they shewed in their Love to his Saints and therefore encourageth them in the Stability of the Promises from the Truth and Justice of God that made them and that they should not fail of all in God's Order and therefore exhorts them to full Assurance of Hope that God who gave Grace will give Glory and will with-hold no good thing and therefore encourageth to persist in Faith and Hope and the true Fruits thereof from the Grace of God they had received and the stability thereof as he exhorts to the Practice of Christian Duties Heb. 13.1 2 3 4 5. and Ver. 5. For he hath said he will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper Is not this Salvation And that there 's Rewards in Grace it 's not denyed but they are all to Christ and his Members not upon the attaining of Conditionating Qualifications And we deny not but the Lord Jesus exhorts to Labour and Diligence and Perseverance and rebukes Slothfulness and all these are Benefits for so I call all Covenant Duties that are connext to Promises but all within the Covenant The obtaining a Covenant-state or continuance in it is not to be ascribed to them but they are to be assigned to our Salvation and to the Fulness Perpetuity and Permanency of the Covenant Neonom Christ declares in the Gospel they shall miss of Heaven and Eternally perish who are Apostates Vngodly Disobedient and Vnprofitable This is not the Doom of the Law D. W. p. 138. Antinom That 's false doth not the Spirit of God say in the Gospel The Law is made for the Lawless and Disobedient 1 Tim. 1.9 and that it dooms whatever thing is contrary to Sound Doctrine Denunciations against Sin and Sinners in the Gospel is but telling the Sence and Judgment of the Law The Gospel qua talis cannot doom any to Death it being only the offer of a Remedy those that embrace it not it leaves them as it found them it found them dead and so it leaves them and their further penalty is from the Law of being more inexcuseable for their rejecting the Remedy and saith to them How will he escape that neglects so great Salvation i. e. How will they escape that Condemnation that they are under already Neonom It 's not against every imperfect degree of Godliness but Vngodliness It 's not every defect of Obedience but Disobedience not against every neglect of Fruitfulness but such as argues a dead and barren State Antinom These are such as are under the Law and whatever the Word of God saith to them it 's the Law denouncing their Doom and by your own Doctrine they are not come into the Bounds of a Gospel-Covenant having not performed the Conditions of sincere Obedience On the other hand you own that these Dooms and Threatnings do not belong to those in Covenant tho' they have Sins and Failings and Falls yet the Gospel doth not doom them nor the Threats belong to them because the Gospel admits imperfect and sinful Obedience But the Law condemns the least Sin even in God's Children and the Gospel admits of no Sin nor approves of it but is to save us from it Neonom Art thou so unskilful in the Word as not to remember Heb. 10.38 39 If any Man draw back Is this a Threatning or not Is it not true of all Persons Do not say the Elect Believer will not fall away I think the same But yet is it the less true that even he shall perish if he fall away Antinom I wish you and I were more skilful in the Word than we are Will you have such Expressions as these to be part of the Covenant of Grace which are Sentences of Death to Hypocrites and Unbelievers Christ will send away many such at the last Day with I know you not depart from me c. Will you say that will be preaching the Gospel to them and giving them a Law of Grace No no when Christ judgeth as Judge of all the World he will judge but by one Law under which those will fall who have not obeyed the Gospel though their Punishment will be the more higthned in that they have refused the Remedy There are many things in the Scripture as Declarations of Truths of one kind or another Description of Persons Histories Miracles c. Discriminations of Persons and Things which are not to be reckoned the Essentials of the Covenant of Grace but for the Bene esse of it the Usefulness and Advantage of those to whom it doth belong If we make every Work in the Scripture spoken of to be a Condition of the Covenant of Grace we shall not tell where to find it Neonom Salvation is promised to Perseverance Rev. 2.10 2 Tim. 4.7 Antinom Perseverance is Salvation and in the Promise is an Assurance of the Connexion of all Salvation one part to another for every one that is saved is saved with all Salvation and it 's an Encouragement and Motive to the Saints to hold on their
to God Calvin A Man doth not walk about without his Arms therefore he goes upon his Arms and Hands Neonom Arg. 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart Calvin Nô nor without Faith neither what trifling is here Neonom Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification Calvin Therefore you 'l say Christ justifies us by Infusing Righteousness by making us Righteous inherently for which he declares us Righteous an old decryed Popish Errour Neonom A Resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please Calvin I say more there 's no Venial Sin every Sin is Damning in its own Nature and a Sin repented of without Forgiveness is Damning and the very Repentance of a Natural Man which you would have Conditionate him for Grace is Damning Neonom It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Calvin We reckon it our Duty under the highest Obligation of preventing Grace and great and precious Promises and from the greatest Sence of Duty to renounce our Sins with all our Hearts but dare not do it in a way of Qualification of our selves for Forgiveness least we should make those Repentings and Humblings our Merits as the Papists do whereby Christ profits them nothing and under pretence of Holiness they lose their Righteousness pretend to renounce one Idol and set up another Neonom I will tell you how the Assembly and Dr. O. are of my Mind Calvin You may spare your self the labour for they are point blank against you and so are all Protestants that are not tainted with the Doctrine of the Jesuites Neonom I think there 's never a Barrel the better Herring of you come let 's be gone DEBATE XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and Good Works with Perseverance therein Calvin HOW do you Mr. Neonomian are you well methinks you look a little Moody Neonom It would disturb any Orthodox Man's Spirit to see how Errour prevails I profess I am almost weary of this Club if this be your Calvinian Club I do think I must betake my self to some other you know where I shall find more soundness in Doctrine Calvin O pray Mr. Neonomian let not Disputants be angry with one another Disputation should be for Information of the Judgment not for the gratifying Pride and Passion put another Question it may be we may agree in that Neonom I will try you once more and if you boggle there Fare you well Gentlemen note that whatever I shall speak now of any Act of Grace except Penitent Believing referrs not to the Forgiveness of Sins or the Sinners Admission into a Justified Estate The Benefits that I here speak of are not the Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other Particular Blessings as Increase of Peace Returns of Prayer D. W. Antinom I find now you clapt two Conditions into one why had we not these Conditions twisted together before Methinks you incommoded your self in not doing it yesterday for vis unita fortior but you reckon Faith and Repentance reach no further than the first Justification I think the Catholicks are of your Mind for that 2. You talk of forfeiting Justification the meaning in English is falling away from Grace Neonom Some Mens Brains had need be taken out and washed in Vinegar for there 's no making them understand it were well that you were better studied in Terms of Art Calvin Prethee Mr. Antinomian sit down and hold thy Peace a while you 'll never leave till you have put the Gentleman into a Fustion fume and then we shall lose his good Company pray go on Mr. Neonomian Antinom I smell him where he will be Calvin Nay not yet neither Neonom I tell you then if I may be permitted to speak what an Errour this Antinomian holds He saith 1. Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation 2. Nor is Sanctification a way of any Person to Heaven 3. Nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least good to prevent the least Evil. 4. Nor are they of the least use to their Peace or Comfort 5. Yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the strength of the Spirit of God 6. And a Believer ought not to think he is the more pleasing to God by any Grace he Acteth or Good he Doth 7. Nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by their Humiliation Earnest Prayer for Reformation of a People Calvin Now Sir you have a Rowland for your Oliver here 's a long and strong Inditement laid in against you I wish you a good delivery Mr. Antinomian Antinom As I take it there 's about seven things you charge me with I pray make your Proofs per partes I shall be abler to give my Answer Neonom You have told us seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift I say all we do is for Christ himself and not for our selves Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. D. W. from Dr. Cr. p. 41 42. Antinom By this you prove that Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation Gentlemen I must crave your patience to hear that part of my Discourse that you may judge of it It was upon John 14.16 I was saying D. Cr. p. 41. How near hath Christ made the way unto the Father Thus near that he that believeth shall be saved Let me be bold to tell you you are in as full a state of Justification before God Now mark I was speaking of passing from one state to another in Justification and do you not remember what he said That whatever he should speak now referring to any Act of Grace except believing penitently referrs not to Forgiveness of Sins and now he alledgeth what I said upon that account to prove a change about Sanctification You are in a true State of Salvation you that are Believers are as those that are already in Heaven D. Cr. p. 41. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Such a near way Christ is yet still people will be Cavilling where are good Works all this while What justified by Faith alone Saved by Christ alone Let me tell you If Christ be the way of Justification and only Federal Condition of Eternal Life i. e. of all Salvation in Faith and Holiness then Works are not the way except they be Christ but must we not work Yea but for other purposes the Lord hath propounded other Ends not meriting your Salvation for which you are to work ye are bought with a price that 's done therefore glorifie God
but there 's some as in Elijah's time that calleth upon thy Name i. e. sincerely and earnestly so as to stir up themselves to call upon God then she proceeds to confess Sin and bemoan her self in regard of desolating Calamities acknowledging God's Justice and Soveraignty but Appealing to his Mercy and their Interest in God as a Father O Lord thou art our Father It s most evident then the Prophet mostly personates the choisest tho' the least part of the Church who is set forth here flying to the Throne of Grace and renouncing her own Righteousness even her best Duties accounting them as Filthy Rags We are saith she all of us even the holiest among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not say we are absolutely an unclean thing as all Wicked Men and Hypocrites are but that we are as if it were so in respect of the prevalency of Corruption and present decay and thy dealing with us as if thou wouldst cast us off and all our Righteousness as a Filthy Garment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all our Righteousness of what sort soever it is as Pannus sedentis the Peraphrasis of the Syriac and Arabic calls it Panniculus menstruata and the Chaldeac Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut Vestamentum Abjectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies things removed as unclean and polluted Res Inquinatae Abominabiles quae removentur abjiciuntur The Import is that God's Children see so much Corruption and Pollution in their best Duties that they dare not plead them for acceptance before the Lord. And how many Ten Thousand times hath this place of Scripture been thus applied by the Saints and Churches of the New Testament What Expression is more frequent in their Prayers and more Eminently Exalting the Grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ It 's not only the Gospel Spirit of Ministers but of all true Christians that leads them to the Practical Improvement of this portion of Scripture and shall the Universal Spirit and Sense of all Believers in all Ages be Condemned by One or Two singular Men that are for crying up their own Righteousness and will not have it to be Filthy Rags or Dung I apprehend there 's not a little also in putting the Plural Number which the Seventy Two Explain universally with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's no Righteousness of ours inward or outward before Regeneration or after that hold the Test before God in it self for Acceptance much less render us Acceptable to God I 'le set against your Annotator the Dutch Annotations who upon this place say All our Righteousness all our best Works or whatever Good we might have done are as a cast Garment if they should be examined according to their own Nature according to the Rigour of the Law out of Christ Phil. 3.8 See on the contrary what we are in Christ Jesus Rev. 19.8 Neonom Object The Apostle saith Phil. 3.8 Answ If this place speaks of Gospel Righteousness as his own things which he counted Dung it doth not prove that Holiness is Dung Antinom Did I not speak of Holiness abstractly considered and of Duties and Services performed by us and mingled with Sin are reckoned Dung because they cannot render us Acceptable to God for Imperfect Righteousness cannot Holiness entire without defect and failure is one thing and Holiness mixed with so much Sin and Corruption as is in our Hearts and Duties is another Neonom All that it can infer is that in comparison with winning Christ it was esteemed as Dung Antinom That is as much as to say that your own Righteousness is but as Dung in comparison of what you shall gain by it your Bargain will be so good your Mony bears not proportion to the Estate that you have bought with your Mony Neonom And who must not own that compared with gaining Christ the best thing in us is Vile compared with his Righteousness yet it must not be Vile in it self Antinom So far as any thing is Sinful its Vile and so far its unprofitable to the end that I employ it its Vile in both those cases our Duties are Vile because its impossible they should be a Justifying Righteousness or recommend us to God therefore a Christian looks upon them Vile upon this account we speak not against Duties but for them but they must not presume to be our Righteousness for Justification Upon this account they must be reckoned Dung it is not enough to say compared with Christ's Righteousness as if Christ's Righteousness were better and had a preheminence in Justification and ours next to it but that our Righteousness hath no share at all in that matter for God never intended that the most Eminent Graces and Virtues of God's People should ever be a Righteousness to Justifie them because they are upon this account Rejectamenta as Bricks are to the making a Brass Kettle Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius a Man cannot cut out the Wheels of a Watch with a Broad Ax out of a Rock Neonom As Rivals with Christ we must hate Father and Mother Antinom Yea and if they go to set themselves instead of Christ or to claim an inferiour degree of share in being a Righteousness or patching up a Righteousness for us Neonom Tho' I own the Imputed Righteousness of Christ for our Justification yet I think to ground it on this place is a damage to the Truth and therefore I add 2. A Gospel Holiness or Righteousness is not here intended by Dung Antinom How you own Imputed Righteousness hath been already made manifest and that you do not own it in other sense than in that which is no owning of it but denying of it hath appeared But it seems you are now such a Friend to that Doctrin that you would not have Scripture to damage it and that grounding it here on this place hath been a damage to it The Assembly at Westminster hath done damage to the Doctrin of Imputation in grounding it on this place Large Catechism Quest 72. Shorter Catechism Quest 33. and Dr. Ames in his Medulla C. 27. S. 12. And Dr. Owen you also have done damage to this Doctrin of Imputation by grounding it on this Text Treat of Justific p. 526. Mr. Calvin Mr. Beza Mr. Zanchy and all you Reformed Protestants you have thought you had a mighty place to ground the Doctrin of Imputation upon and now our Divines especially this Gentleman and a great Train at his Heels bear Witness against you and say you have done a great damage to the Doctrin of Imputation by making use of this place of Scripture to prove it Now I see others are mistaken as well as I. Calvin I Observe Gentlemen That you all sit Astonished to see that at such a time of Day here should be so bold an Assertion made to overthrow the Doctrin of the Gospel and to make this Text of Scripture
capacitating Faculty in it but meerly to be a Price to free us from the Old Law that we may come upon New Terms now with God in the Second Law 5. And what if the Happiness granted to a Sinless Obedience came immediately from the Creator was it the worse for it provided it were the same Happiness and knew no Atonement you say why because it needed none But it might know a Mediator though no Atonement a Mediator may be where there 's no Atonement What did the Tree of Life import Lastly I would fain know whether Christ and all the Gospel Blessings come not immediately from God the Creator And whether they that come from Christ come not from a Creator Were not all things made by him Col. 1. And is not our state in Christ a New Creation Neonom The Blessings promised on the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace are meerly of Grace they be for another's sake and not our own Antinom You cannot make that meerly of Grace that requires a previous condition in us to the bestowing of it you allow this indeed that Christ hath obtained a good Bargain for us and this we have for his sake but the Purchase Money must be paid by us though we borrow it and get it as we can and if a Friend be so kind as to give us the Money yet the Purchase must go in our Name we must be accounted the Buyers Neonom They are given to them that are Condemned by the Covenant of Works and that are still Condemnable by the Law for the Imperfection of the performed Gospel Conditions Antinom Therefore their condition of the Happiness must be an adequate satisfaction to that Covenant which you dare not say can be found in your conditions Condemnation cannot be taken off upon any other condition 2. But I pray what a strange Law is your Law of Imperfection is it an imperfect Law Or a Law to allow imperfect Obedience for a Gospel condition that is a sinful Obedience in distinction from the sinless Obedience which was the condition of the first This Law of Imperfection little becomes such a Perfect Lawgiver to drop a Law of Perfection and set up a Law of Imperfection 3. It seems this Law of Imperfection is soundly so for it 's not only Imperfect in the conditions but in the Happiness for you say they are still condemnable by this Law truly by the conditions you have brought us into a pretty condition you have brought us from a Law wherein we were condemned and into another Law wherein we continue condemnable we are condemned by one and condemnable by the other when we have performed these conditions here we perform Imperfect Gospel Conditions and remain Damnable liable to Damnation not passed from Death to Life What Miserable Divinity is here Neonom Ay but it 's forgiveness which renders these Persons blessed Rom. 4.7 Antinom i. e. When they can get it for they are condemned by the Law of Perfection and remain condemnable by the Law of Imperfection And this is not sure a Holy Just and Good Law it 's not holy because sinful Obedience is the condition and it becomes not a Holy God to command sinful Obedience for the Law condition is a command of Duty neither is it Just to give a Reward to a Person condemnable by the Law neither is it Good for that which is neither Holy nor Just is not Good and therefore we condemn that Law which will do no more than make us condemnable is this your Remedial Law Neonom But the sinless Obedience of Innocent Adam made the Reward to be of Debt Rom. 4.4 Antinom It seems that God may make his Reward to be of Grace he throws away the sinless condition and blends up a condition with Sin is this the way for Grace to abound to make Sin a Sharer in the Foederal Condition yea and Damnation too a sinful imperfect Condemnable Condition the Covenant of Grace is to save from Sin and Damnation not by Sin and for Damnation And is there not a Reward of Debt if a Man purchase an Estate with Brass Half Crowns Washt and Clipt Money if they be accepted as well as if he paid in good Currant Money It seems now God's willing to take your Copper Money he shall have the Credit of giving you an Estate I tell you if Copper Money will pass it makes as clear Debts and Purchases as Silver and Gold But I must say this is but washt Divinity and clipt too and there 's no part of it but is filthily mixt at best Neonom The Vse and Interest of Gospel Conditions is not from the Conformity of them to the Preceptive part of the Law though in a degree there be that but from the Conformity to the Rule of the Grace of the Promise Antinom It is good now we should know how to use these Law Ingredients and mix them well by weight and measure secundum artem and then to know the Virtues and right way of Application and it 's fit we should have good Testimony from Dr. Experience that this Remedial Law is a Panacaea Let the case be never so deplorable It seems the great difficulty lyes in finding from whence the Use and Interest of the Money i. e. I suppose the Vertue doth arise It 's not from any conformity to the Law Precepts that would make it too good and too strong for a weak Stomach besides it would be too costly But there is a little of it in a degree the proportion is not above a grain of conformity to the Preceptive part of the Law to a Pound of conformity to the Law of Imperfection which is your Rule of the Grace of the Promise but though there is a little touch of conformity to the Old Law to season the Julep as a few drops of Spirit of Vitriol to make it more palatable yet the Virtue lyes more absconded than what the Patient can presently find but where do you think In the Imperfection of it This mixture is contrary to all Natural Remedies that the worse the Ingredients are and the more imperfectly prepared the better it is if it should be perfect it would spoil all it would make the Happiness Debt as bad as it would have been to Adam in Innocency or to the Saints in Heaven Neonom The Promise of Pardon through Christ being to the Penitent Believer and no other Repentance and Faith becomes necessary and useful conditions of this Pardon by the Order of God in that Gracious Promise Antinom The Promise of Pardon is not to a Sinner as Penitent but as a Sinner neither doth a Sinner when he applies Pardon rightly apply it to himself as Penitent but as a Sinner Repentance is part of the Promise and is given with Remission of Sins through Faith in the Blood of Christ and without Justifying Faith applying to Christ for Pardon first there can be no Repentance to Life Pardon through Faith is first in Nature
absolutely in relation to God I know not Doth not God offer absolutely Is he provoked to offer Grace from any thing out of himself Sure he offers absolutely and from himself though he offer upon condition or makes Conditions in his Offer And how that comes in as his People is I know not I take the whole put together not to be Sence But I will extract your Argument as well as I can If each Benefit of the Covenant is offered to Men upon condition and not absolutely in relation to God then there are Conditions in the Covenant of Grace to be performed by us before we can have the Benefits But each Benefit of the Covenant is offered so c. Ergo. Here I deny the consequence of the Major first for there are conditions of Offer and conditions propounded in Offer mean them if you please God's propounding the Grace of the Covenant-condition is no ground of Proof that therefore there are conditions to be performed by us before we receive the Benefit For the Duty required and Good thing promised are but both of them Benefits and the leading Duty it may be the greatest and the greatest Exemplification of the Grace of the Promise Here is connexion then of Benefits as to Relation and Order and therefore I deny your consequence That Promises conditionally made do inferr necessarily foederal conditions distinct from the Benefits Minor also deny'd for each Benefit of the Covenant is not offered conditionally as the making a new Heart the Gift of Faith the uniting Power and Efficacy of the Spirit whereby we are inserted into Christ as our Root before we can bring forth the Fruit of Faith As to the places mentioned I say First That the Covenant of Grace as dispensed under the Old Testament was vailed and covered two ways 1. By Types and Ceremonies 2. By a Legal Ministration in Denunciations Conditions Promises of Temporal Blessings whereby they were carried on to Duty but yet in the Sacrifices they had some sight by Faith of the Absoluteness and Freeness of the Grace of God in the Promise and it 's evident the unconditionality of the Promise tho' it was manifested sometimes to the Patriarchs and Prophets yet was mostly under a Cloud as in a cloudy day the Sun may now and then break out with marvellous Brightness and Splendor when for the generality a Legal Darkness clouded and obscured the Grace of God In other Ages the Mystery of the Covenant was not made known and revealed so as now Eph. 3.5 But as to Lev. 26.3 12 it makes nothing against us for God doth but by his Commands and Promises bring them into participation of the Covenant of Grace For what is Faith and Obedience but the Gifts of his Grace And it 's he who through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant works in us the things that are well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Heb. 13.21 And this was the way of his working with them being under this Tutorage differing little from Servants till the time appointed of his Father Gal. 4.1 2 4. And accordingly you see Lev. 26.3 the Promise of Encouragement is Then will I give you rain in due season And likewise as he promiseth outward Blessings so Spiritual Priviledges His Ordinances and Presence among them in them ver 12. Not that their walking in his Statutes was the condition of his being a God in Covenant for he chose them before they chose him And God saith ver 13. notwithstanding these conditional Promises I am the Lord your God that brought you out c. Likewise as the Promises were mostly of outward good things Temporal and the continuance of his Ordinances so performance of these were connected to their external Conformity to his instituted Worship they were to be a separate and peculiar People sequestred from other People unto his pure Worship and Ordinances and to that Sence doth the Apostle apply this place 2 Cor. 6.17 For he presseth Purity in Church-fellowship in the foregoing Verses by divers Arguments and among others this of Leviticus That God expected such Purity of the Church of the Old Testament much more of them and hence presseth Separation in external Church-fellowship and Ordinances and then as they have the Blessings of Ordinances they will have the Blessing of God's Visible Presence Whereas I said before Benefits are connected A Duty Benefit to a Priviledge to be as motives to Performance the Spirit working with the Word There may be Commands Directions Motives to Duty in the Word and none of these make Duty antecedently necessary and conditional to our being in Covenant but all consequently necessary being a Series of connected Benefits flowing in after we are taken in to Covenant As to Matth. 22.2 3 9 10 11. you say Coming to the Wedding Supper was a Condition of having share in it You say in your Preface to that place that the Garment is Vniting Faith You should have said Putting on the Garment is the Garment Is the coming to Christ or putting him on the Wedding-Garment or Christ himself and his Righteousness so is it of pardon of Sin and acceptance to Life Coming to the Wedding-Supper was not the Condition that gave Right but the Invitation Coming is a priviledge which the People that are invited to receive the Gospel have whom Christ by the Power and Efficacy of his Grace working with the Word compels and constrains overcoming their Rebellious Hearts As to that place of Rom. 10.9 you have as much Reason to inferr thence that Confession is a Condition as well as Faith the great Antecedent Condition there mentioned is Hearing by which Faith comes As for Rom. 4.25 Gal. 3.7 they all shew but connexion of Covenant-benefits all absolutely given in the Promise of Eternal Life Pardon and Faith Faith and Holiness Grace and Glory all sounded upon one Condition of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ Neonom I pray By what Justice then do you say the first Grace is absolute It 's Injustice to add new Terms to any of those Benefits if they be ours by the Covenant as absolute before Antinom I see you will stand upon Terms with God and will have him stand upon Terms with you But God never made any such Terms as you dream of Blessed be his Name Neonom If the Covenant be not Conditional as to the disposing of Benefits it would follow 1. That all to whom the Offers are made have an Interest in them or it is not a serious Offer no nor a true Offer as not containing a real and natural Connexion between the Benefit and the Duty D. W. p. 63. Antinom I must take notice of your shifting in your Antecedent what do you put in as to the Disposal of Benefits the Disposal of Benefits is the Performance of the Promise your Condition ought to lie before the Disposal of Benefits If you mean an adjusted Order in the disposal of Benefits you multiply Conditions to the end of the
World and turn all Benefits into Conditions We are to talk of a Condition upon which as such all others are Benefits and relative Conditions are given forth by Promise And we say Jehovah our Righteousness is that Condition for which we are blessed with all Blessings in and through him in and through him they are bestowed and all ways and means of bestowing them are Blessings provided in him and bestowed by him that there is a Method of Order in bestowing them and a relative Connexion between them there is as also among the Blessings and Benefits and is no hindrance to the Absoluteness of the Promise A Man gives me an Estate to come gradually to me 20 l. per Annum this year and 20 l. next c. is my having 20 l. per Annum this year the reason by way of condition of my having 20 l. per Annam more the next The Condition of all this Estate is resolved into the Free-Will of the Donor and his purchasing of it for me with his Money As to your consequence it follows you say That all to whom the Offer is made have an Interest in them I deny it utterly in such Offers as God makes for though the Tender of Grace be indefinite yet God knows who are his by Election and Redemption and to them he gives his Son and his Spirit and the first Gift of the Promise to perswade and enable them to come unto Christ Or you say It 's not a Serious Offer viz. To offer Grace upon such Terms and Conditions which the Sinner is not able to perform This Inference will rebound back again upon you for saying That these Conditions are freely wrought of God in us Doth God work these Conditions before he offers them the Grace of the Covenant If so you say something and work them in all too to which they are offered if not it 's not serious as you and the Arminians will say Therefore to support your Hypothesis you must grant a Free-will in Man and Power of himself to perform the said Condition Now it is true you say as not containing a real and natural Connexion between the Benefit and Duty Why so Can 't Benefits be relative and truly connected without there be a Foederal Condition Having Food and Raiment let us therewith be content Contentment is the Benefit here and it 's a Duty and the Condition â—â—od and Raiment a manifest Benefit too and can't these be conâ—â—â—ted without one be a Foederal Condition of the other which wanting the Blessing is not look'd for Then you may say Not having Food and Rayment sufficient I need not be content Know this the Spirit of God makes the Promise the Condition of the Duty As to Abraham I am God All-sufficient walk before me and it s always so if we rightly understand the Language for it first bids us live before it bids us do And this is the difference between the Covenant of Works and that of Grace Neonom 2. Faith it self is no more necessary to our first Interest in those Benefits than any other Grace nay than Vnbelief Let no man object It 's a Sign for so is any other Grace so might be the Description of Paul by his Name by his Abode yea Sin a Persecutor c. D. W. p. 63. Antinom There is an Interest antecedaneous to Faith but hidden yet such as our Faith can never come into being without And as to our Interest by Faith you speak of Christ by Revelation of his Grace in the Gospel makes us Partaker thereof It 's an Interest of Possession and yet a Man may be thrown out of Possession unless he have this antecedent Right and Title to it And the Interest by Possession of and Communion with Christ is greater by Faith than any other way because it 's directed to Christ objectively and receives more eminently Christ himself And though it do so yet it can't be the Condition of receiving Christ That is the very receiving of Christ for the receiving cannot be the Condition of receiving then an Act should be the Condition of it self Neonom Let not any one say it 's a Sign for so is any other Grace and Paul may be known by this Name Abode c. Antinom Faith is for those Uses that Christ hath appointed but he never appointed it for a Moral Foederal Condition For if it be a Condition it 's so as an Act and if as an Act a Duty and as a Duty Moral and so makes your Covenant only a Moral Law Believing is more than a Sign but it 's most naturally so in your Sence for in it's Conditionality you make it but the same with other Graces and Duties But we say Believing is feeding on Christ seeing of him receiving of him and it 's not proper for to say Feeding is a Condition of Feeding Seeing a Condition of Seeing yet it carries it's Evidence with it abundantly because there is Perception of all I see and feed upon Neonom Men are said to enter into Covenant with God Deut. 29.12 13. Psal 50.3 To keep Covenant Psal 103.18 To perform the Covenant 2 Chron. 34.31 To take hold of the Covenant Isa 6.6 Antinom In the Covenants mentioned betwixt God and the Church of the Jews we must always consider the Pedagogy that they were under and that they were under the Covenant of Grace vailed and not only with Levitical Types but Legal Dispensations in respect of Duty And the Apostle tells us that this Ministry was faulty and therefore he saith Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry far differing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By so much that he was the Mediator of a better Covenvnt which is established on better Promises Heb. 8.6 For if the first Covenant had been Faultless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there had been no place found for the Second This Second is not to be understood of the Covenant of Works but the Mosaical Ministry of the Covenant of Grace which is fully expressed in the beginning of the Chapter Neither doth the Apostle mean only the meer Ceremonial part of that Ministry but the morally legal and conditional way of Dispensation like the Covenant of Works And therefore he saith The new Covenant that he would make or promulge by the more excellent Ministry of the Mediator it should be published in the true absolute and unconditional Light of it not according to the Mount-Sinai Covenant upon their coming out of Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They abode not in that Covenant by performing the conditional Duties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Lord ver 9. i. e. He did not give them those Promises of external good things that he made unto them for the Promises were external for the most part as the Conditions of them were morally Legal 2. Besides these explicit Covenants there were Ecclesiastical Covenants as they were a National Congregational Church and in these Covenants they promised Subjection unto God and Observation of all his
if we have Faith to see it and yet I still shew how great a thing Salvation is and good Works in a due manner of Performance from true Principles and a right End I shewed that our Perseverance depends not on our Works and that I am ready to maintain I say God hath settled all things that appertain to Life and Godliness in his Son Jesus Christ and upon you for his own sake and setled Everlastingly and Vnchangeably upon you so that there can be nothing to make them more secure than the Grant of God himself hath made them I shew'd that a good Child knowing he is Heir and hath the Estate setled on him doth not obey his Parents in order to a better Security for the Estate than he hath he serves not now to get his Fathers Land but to Honour and Glorifie his Father that hath so freely setled the Estate upon him VVithout respect to good or evil the Lord hath Everlastingly established all that ever he meant to do i. e. good or evil of ours and in us The Lord doth nothing upon Conditions in his People D. Cr. p. 652. as if he did refer himself still to these Conditions and did suspend what he did intend to do to his People till he did perceive how they carry themselves to him All that I aim at is this that it is not a vain thing to yield due Obedience to any thing that God requires though the Lord intend not ye shall by your Obedience gain Life Neonom He saith When you Fast Pray Mourn keep the Sabbath c. your Eye should be simply to the Glory of God and not to gain that which is already ours in Christ c. Antinom All this I say still If in these Duties we think and propose to our selves to obtain Life we are acted by the Righteousness of the Law which is opposed to the Righteousness of Faith c. D. Cr. 134. Neonom He saith let subduing of Sin alone for Peace D. Cr. p. 13. Antinom It is an easie thing to expose Sermons and any continued Discourses to Contempt if Men will pick out here and there an Expression and not shew the reason and dependance thereof My words are How much filthiness is there in all your wrâ—stlings I say how many defects and infirmities might you see Could you chuse but fall foul upon your own Spirits for these infirmities and defects of your best performances seeing the wages of Sin is Death what can you run to then none but Christ none but Christ whilst your acts in respect of filthiness proclaims nothing but VVar Christ alone and his Blood proclaims nothing but Peace Therefore I will give you this hint by the way when I speak of the power of Christ subduing Sin because from the power of it in Man they are apt to think their peace depends upon their subduing of their Sin If their Sins be subdued then they have peace let subduing of Sin alone for Peace let Christ have that which is his due it is he alone that speaks peace he is our Peace I mean not that subduing of Sin should be let alone but doing it for such an end that belongs to Christ alone If you fetch your peace from any thing in the VVorld but Christ you will fetch it from where it is not Dr. C. p. 13. Neonom He saith I must tell you there is not any thing you perform when you have attained the highest pitch that hath any prevalency or availableness to produce or bring forth the least good unto your selves D. Cr. p. 150. Antinom I say there is nothing you can do by which you ought to expect any Grace to your selves in doing it My meaning was that our bare Duties are not available to good in themselves Paul may Plant c. but God must give the Encrease we may Eat Drink and Sleep but not expect good from the things themselves as in Efficacy so in respect of purchase and procurement what doth our Righteousness profit God therefore I add the words of the Apostle you are not your own you are bought with a price Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but unto Christ that died for us Though some look at this as a discouragement yet there is a Spirit of Ingenuity in a Believer that he will be as Industrious to glorifie God and to do good to Men as if he did it for himself Neonom He saith If a Soul get under full-sail filled with a stiff gale of the Spirit when Floods of meltings flow from it if they can cry mightily c. hereby they think they shall get pardon settle Spiritual Civil and Spiritual Healings c. D. W. from D. Cr. p. 235 236. Antinom I was shewing how Man's Righteousness is exalted above what is meet sometimes when Duties are accompanied with Christ's Assistances by his Spirit and said to clear it up That it 's true indeed whilst a Believers Heart is over-cast with gross Vapours and is more than ordinary dull in Hearing flyes low and slow in Praying and is somewhat stiff and untoward in Fasting without measure such Righteousness goes usually for Loss and Dung But if a Soul get under full-sail fill'd with a stiff gale of the Spirit c. Then follows what he rehearseth and then it follows such courses some think will turn away and reconcile God to a Person of People But under favour the attributing of such Efficacy to this Righteousness though thus assisted by Christ's Spirit is more than is meer though Christ be Explicitly owned as the Author of such Assistances And this is a failing very ordinary among Believers to ascribe an Atoning Efficacy to their Duties especially when performed in the best manner when it is hard to keep their Hearts in the right frame not so duely considered that their Persons and Services when seemingly best performed have all their Acceptation in Christ and they are apt to think that they procure more at the Hands of God when they seem to be carried forth more than when they see as it were a withdrawment of those Assistances and so spoil their best Duties for want of due thorow Renunciation of their own Righteousness and that of their best Duties whereas God never intended that any of our best Graces or Duties should be of an Atoning Nature to Rob Christ of the Glory of his Atonement It may be Mr. Neonomian you never had any such Experience of the working of Corruption in your best Duties for the low esteem you have of Christ's Righteousness and the high valuation you have of your own as appears by these Discourses But know that the more we are carried forth in Duty the greater is our Temptation to Spiritual Pride and Selfulness Neonom His common phrase is We must not work for Life but from Life D. W. p. 124. Antinom Yes and it 's a great Gospel Principle being rightly understood we must not work for
should have excepted some and reserved them for good Works but as to those Essential how comes it that a Man can have no more than is of a contingent Proposition the Judgment whereof is Opinion Neonom Nor whether it be the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good Work D. W. p. 125. Antinom Nor would it have been the question if Adam had persevered in the performance of the Conditions of the Law Covenant he would have done all by the Influence of the Spirit Neonom Nor whether it is for the sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free Grace that any Grace or Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the means of any Benefit these I affirm Antinom Yes for it was through these Merits and Grace that God would suffer us to try for Life in another Covenant of Works he might have taken the advantage of our breaking of the first Covenant as he did upon the Fallen Angels but Christ hath Merited and Grace hath been so far free as to set up another Covenant of Works that we may try for it once more as for your affirming or denying it signifies not much Men that are used to speak always with Mental Reservation will resolve Cases of Conscience like the Oracle of Apollo that you 'll come from them as wise as you went Neonom Nor whether any Holiness internal or external any Obedience Work or Duty do at all Merit the Promise or is the Meritorious Cause of Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed this I deny Antinom It seems you abdicate the word Merit but if it be an Honest Reward as due Debt it is as good the Catholicks will bate you the word if you allow the thing though you put a Fools Coat upon it Neonom I own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our condition in a state of Tryal Antinom So was Creation and Created Holiness in Adam and God's taking him into Covenant in an Order suitable to his Condition in a state of Tryal but you see what his Tryal came to We are miserable if our state in Grace be such a state of Tryal Neonom Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This I affirm and you too though you deny any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. D. W. p. 126. Antinom We affirm it to be not only a Rule of Duty but to stand in full force as to all its Promises and Threatnings that it still promiseth Life to perfect Obedience and threatens Death to the least Disobedience in all without distinction therefore we deny not Threatnings and Promises to back God's Law as to the Elect. Neonom Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy this you own but you place it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care Antinom Gentlemen observe now after all this noise he owns that I say the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy but saith I place it wrong can I place it better than on Christ's Care I think in all our Fears and Doubtings we should cast all our Care upon him by believing his Truth and Faithfulness in the Promise because he careth for us and hath said He will never leave nor forsake us I desire to have no better Security for Holiness and Perseverance in it than the Love of God and the Care of Christ is this a fault Neonom You deny that God hath required as it indispensibly necessary to our Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect. Antinom In your sence I do and if you stand so much on those Terms I shall justly call them into question so far as is necessary in my sence by works you here chiefly understand as I take it works after Faith and Repentance are such Works indispensibly necessary to the Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect Is not Union with Christ Faith c. Blessings promised to the Elect What Works was done before and after the Saving Union with Christ if they were indispensibly necessary how could Infants be saved And how do they Inherit Blessings that Repent and Believe just before they go out of the World And how came the Thief upon the Cross to be Saved Neonom You judge Christ hath done all for us and enjoineth nothing for us to do in order to any good thing Antinom He hath done all in the way of Covenant Condition and doth not admit us to be Rivals or Partners with him in our best Works and how can I think that he enjoineth us nothing when I own we ought to be Holy and shall be Holy From what should it be but from Christ's Commands and Care to furnish us with Rules Principles and Strength to be Holy Doth he not work in us to will and to do Neonom Nor whether a Penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Antinom Then your indispensible Necessity falls to the ground and it seems the first Law of Grace will save a Man and the second is not indispensibly necessary nay it may be a kindness to die upon the fulfilling the condition of the first Law by Faith and Repentance before he comes to run the risk of fulfilling the Condition of the second Law by persevering Works lest he lose all again I am glad I have done with your Whethers let 's come next to your Neithers for we are as wise as we were before about our Question Neonom I 'll tell you then the real difference Whether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required that we may be Justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness Antinom Gentlemen do but take notice how fond he is of his first Justification by Works which we dispatcht t'other day and do declare we are not Justified by Faith and Repentance in your Sence and that to be justified by Faith and Repentance as Conditionating Federal Qualifications though Merited by Christ is downright Popery whether you call such Conditions Merits or no and therefore in affirming it you assert Popish Doctrine and that will stand to though all the Divines in Town affirm it with you and if what 's done already will not be enough we 'll have t'other touch upon that Point when you please Neonom It 's whether Holiness or sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation Antinom You should have told us what you mean by a Way whether the first way or second Remote or next Antecedent or Consequent Conditions what Salvation you mean whether the Salvation of Justification Sanctification or Glorification there 's as much reason good Works should qualifie us for the Salvation of Sanctification as for Justification and Glorification how comes it to pass that all Salvation is not obtained the same way If we must obtain Salvation by good Works we must do good Works before we are
Saved Do we not obtain all Salvation in Christ We are Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works but I find you 'll have nothing to be Salvation but Glorification and that must be Earn'd at our Fingers ends and we may lose all at last for all Christ if we do not look the better to it to perform sincere persevering Works till the last Breath the first Justification though by Works gives no Evidence for Heaven you 'll be sure to be far enough from the Errour as you call it of Faith Justifying Evidentially We say Christ is the Way John 14 6. and Holiness our business in that way Neonom Or whether Heaven is promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue Wicked and Disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates Antinom Observe what Doctrine here is 1. Here his Discourse is limited to the Elect. 2. He supposes the Elect may lose Heaven 3. That their Obedience and Perseverance are the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation you take him for any Salvation for that of the first Justification which he makes to be by Works and Perseverance the obtaining condition of his Second Justification But I pray what 's the Condition of Persevering Sanctification which is Salvation too 4. He doth not only suggest but express falling away from Grace for what is that when he suggests an Elect Person may fall away from Grace turn Apostate and lose Heaven 5. He suggests that the Elect Person before Faith must perform these Works before he can be saved by Justification but this Doctrine is nothing with him this Doctrine I deny from the bottom of my Heart notwithstanding his affirming of it Is this right stating of Truth and Errour Neonom The Question is Whether the good Works of a Believer are Rewardable of Grace for Christ's sake Antinom The Question hath been clearer stated to your purpose long ago between the Papists and we Whether Christ hath Merited that we may Merit Whether you 'll call your Doctrine the Doctrine of Merit or not We 'll call a Spade a Spade and Antichrist must not creep in amongst us again with his Serpentine Tricks to beguile us as the Devil did into Paradise to Rob us of our first Righteousness Neonom Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judâ—ment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient altogether wilfully neglectful of good Works shall be condemned this I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. The Gospel is no Law as it hath to do with the Unbelieving Wicked World 2. It is no Rule of Judgment that 's the Law only 3. The Gospel did never condemn any Elect Person to Eternal Death neither is any Elect Person as such under a contingency of Salvation whether he be holy or unholy though as Sinners unholy and wicked Persons they are for as such they may be saved and they may not but it 's not so with the Elect as such Neonom Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from Eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performances of several Duties as to the Improvement of Grace c. This you deny and I affirm Antinom We ask all outward Mercies for the sake of Christ with submission to his Will we reckon them not due to us because of our Duties performed and the Connexion of Blessing as you say and Duty is but the Connexing two Blessings in the Promise upon the same Condition for Duty is a Blessing to the Saints and part of that Salvation purchased by Christ and promised in the Covenant I divide not what God hath joined together and call Duty not a Condition and Outward or Spiritual Good Things the Salvation for I look upon the Service of God to be the great Thing we are Redeemed to the Salvation bestowed on us and not the Condition of it Neonom Whether upon the acting such Graces and upright performing such Duties a Christian may not in the vertue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This you deny and I affirm Antinom And you affirm and teach a low servile Spirit and too bold to set aside Christ out of the Promise and challenge any Mercy at the Hands of God upon the account of Duty I think the best of the Saints have always thought themselves less than the least of God's Mercies and all their Righteousness i. e. their sincere Obedience and Perseverance to be but filthy Rags but that 's false Doctrine with you as I suppose we shall hear of e're long Neonom Yet allowing that God may sometime exert his Sovereignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and he may exchange a Blessing of a lower Nature Antinom i. e. Rules of distributive Justice in rewarding him according to his Works and if God must do it he must fly to his Sovereignty for Permission to go beside this Rule and no more than in exchanging one good thing for another there 's no such Dispensation in the Covenant of Grace What if God should deny to give the Blessing workt for and give no Succedaneum Neonom Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm Antinom Let me ask you Do you mean in a way of Benevolence or Complacency in respect of his Person or his Services And do you mean He is pleased for the Duties sake or for Christ's sake Neonom Now I shall proceed to confirm the Truth and the Points are too many to admit Enlargement and many carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgone when they are denyed Can two or three wrested Texts over-turn the constant Language of the Scriptures Antinom You should have first stated the Question in clear Terms and let it have been but one and not reserve to your self your principal Intention and give us out 20 Whethers and Neithers delivered forth in a Heap of Amphibologies which having been sufficiently demonstrated to you it signifies little for the Discovery of Truth to joyn issue with you upon such rambling Discourses as you make and it 's easier to call Scriptures brought against you wrested Texts than to prove them so Neonom And it is strange that all Religion and Humane Nature it self in a state of Tryal should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceipt that the Infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule D. W. p. 128. Antinom Here is nothing but Huff and Bounce to talk at this rate of wrested Texts overturning the Language of Scripture and Humane Nature gross Concelâ—s of God c. Now let me tell you one of the wrested Texts which in it's plain Literal Sence must overthrow your whole Scheme of Distribution of Rewards
of Heaven Holiness is the way to Heaven as Childhood and then youthful Age is to Manhood in the full Stature Grace it 's a growing unto that Perfection we shall have in Glory but it 's not part of a conditionating way to Heaven foederally Heaven is bestow'd on Sanctify'd ones upon as free a Promise as Justification and Sanctification and we say it 's our Business in Christ the Way Neonom I shall give you divers Arguments against your Position 1. It 's not saving Faith that is not Operative D. W. p. 132. Antinom The Eye is the most sensible part in the Body as to the Sense of Feeling yet doth not see conomine By vertue of Feeling Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie by it's Fruits Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie as Fruitful for that would bring us under a Covenant of Works Neonom Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from contrary Evils Paul kept his Body under 1 Cor. 9.27 Antinom They have their usefulness in their kind but we are kept from Evils by the Grace of God and not by our Works Grace also preserves us in them and not they preserve us What Paul saith he did he did for the Gospel-sake 1 Cor. 9.23 from a Gospel-Principle the Love of God arising from the sight and sence of the Grace of God in the Gospel and for this end the Glory of God in the Promise And he said By the Grace of God I am what I am not ascribing Foederal Efficacy to inherent Graces or Duties Neonom Gospel-Constitutions shew that it contains Promises and Threatnings 2. It shews persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works as necessary to Salvation Antinom It is one thing what a thing contains and another what it is A House contains Tables Libraries Beadsteds Men and Women but a House is not therefore a Table Library Bead-stead a Man or a Woman The Covenant of Grace sets up a Government a Glorious King hath Laws Directions Precepts but it is not either of them Whatever the Covenant hath and is inseparable from it doth not argue the Covenant to be the same A wise Man is inseparable from Wisdom as such yet is not Wisdom A Rational Man hath Reason yet that Man is not Reason Neonom Most of the Promises and Threatnings that refer to the state in the Bible are Evangelical Promises and Threats D. W. p. 133. Antinom Christ in the Bible speaks two ways by way of Precept and backing them with Threats and Promises 1. As King of Nations and Governour of the World So he deals with Men as he will deal with them at last in a way of a Covenant of Works Christ also governs his Church where he hath his peculiar Right of Legislation and his Government is double 2. As to his Mystical or Visible Body his Spiritual Rule is according to the Tenure of the Covenant of Grace His Government in respect of the mixt and politick State must be also mixt because of Hypocrisie Christ's Government of his Churches as Visible Polities and Societies is a mixt Government having in his House Vessels of Honour and of Dishonour Many are led to external Conformity by his Precepts and Commands legally submitted to only having not received Evangelical Principles Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Precepts and Promises of the Gospel work no otherwise with them than by a Spirit of Bondage and come to them no otherwise than in the Tenure of the Covenant of Works And thence the Lord Jesus Christ speaks in that manner to whole Societies and Churches both under the Old Testament and under the New As to the Seven Churches of Asia where there were many formal out-side Professors that never received the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it he tells them what they must expect in that mercenary and bondage-way of Profession without Life and Love wherein they did walk yet he governs them as Politick Head of his Church they having given themselves to his Government at least in an outward Profession according to which he deals with them And therefore the Apostle tells us the Law is not made for the Righteous Man in respect of it's Threats and Denunciations but for the Lawless Disobedient Ungodly c. or for any thing contrary to sound Doctrine which is according to the Glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.10 11. The Precepts and Commands of Christ therefore have a double Aspect Evangelical and Legal as they are received by his Visible Subjects Some receive them from Law-Principles some from Evangelical Neonom Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery by these God governs and Men's Hopes and Fears should be directed by these as a Rule You not observing this have opened a Door to all Licentiousness Your whole Scheme implies that Christ doth not distribute Blessings and Punishments by any Rule that refers to the actings of Men. D. W. p. 133. Antinom This is a round Assertion That the Gospel-Constitution is a Covenant of Works That Constitution that affects all as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery is a Covenant of Works of the severest Nature But you say the Gospel-Constitution is such Ergo a Covenant of Works For that which affects as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery on the Penalty of non-attainment to that Rule and God deals with Men thus by Hopes and Fears that Men may be govern'd by them as they find their Righteousness or fall into their Misery is such an Account of a Gospel-Constitution that I question not but to find as good in Seneca and among many of the Heathen Moralists And if that be my mistake that I understand not such a Gospel-Constitution I must declare I know no such Gospel-Constitution as yet Neonom If that Covenant of Grace be conditional and Faith and Repentance are necessary to Forgiveness the Substance of it must be granted Antinom i. e. If the Covenant of Grace be a Moral Law and Faith and Repentance be the Moral Conditions to Forgiveness the Substance must be granted and it will be so indeed you will still be leaping in and out of Covenant from Righteousness to Misery and from Misery to your miserable Righteousness and between your Hopes and Fears falling short of the Righteousness of God you will fall deplorably into eternal Misery But in what Body of Ethicks do you find a Rule of Misery treated of I think it is no where treated of but in the Neonomian Theology no more than the Rule of Sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neonom Most Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the state of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats and are not the Sanction of the Law of Innocence but of Gospel-Grace Antinom The whole Word of God contains but Law and Gospel and all matters of Duty commanded referr to the one or to the other and all Duties enjoyned
they shall be judged of God at the last Day in the same way and manner and on the same grounds is he justified of God in this Life but by Works and not by Faith alone every one shall be judged at the last Day Wherefore by VVorks and not by Faith alone every one is justified before God in this Life This he answers and condemns the following Proposition or not far from it That God pardons Men's Sins gives them the Adoption of Children with a right to an Heavenly Inheritance according to their VVorks which saith he is not only Foreign to she Gospel but destructive of it And you say that Forgiving Adopting and Glorifying c. Judicial Acts of God as a Rector is in a way of rectoral Distribution of Rewards Luth. on Gal. 3.22 saith VVorks done without Faith are under a Curse though they have never so good a shew of Holiness Wherefore so far off is it that the Doers thereof deserve Grace Righteousness and Eternal Life that rather they heap Sin upon Sin After this manner the Pope works and all Merit-mongers DEBATE XIV Of Intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform Neonom THE next Errour that I charge upon this Antinomian is That he saith No Man ought to propose to himself any Advantage by any Religious Duty he performeth nor ought he in the least intend the profit of his own Soul by any Christian Endeavours it being vain and unlawful to do any thing with an Eye to our Spiritual or Eternal Good though in subordination to God's Glory in Christ D. W. p. 152. Antinom I suppose you will not only charge but prove the very things you charge in those words Neonom I will you say There is nothing you can do from whence you ought to expect any gain unto your selves c. Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to him that died for us c. The Scripture is plentiful in this That no Believer for whom Christ died should have the least thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself to any end of his own by doing what he doth Dr. C. p. 150. Antinom Gentlemen he deals with me as you have found upon Examination he hath done formerly I was Preaching upon Rom. 10.2 3 4. and was shewing That Zeal of God proves not a Man a Child of God Dr. C. p. 144 148. and I told them All aim at this that you Build not upon Foundations that will fail you when you come to tryal there is absolutely perfection enough in the Righteousness of Christ alone for your Rest and Security that you shall not need to trust to any thing you do for Life and Peace This is that which God calls you to to go torth from your own Righteousness to rest solely and only upon the Righteousness of Christ if ever you mean to have Comfort in this World or in the World to come I answered this Objection you will say This is the way to destroy all Righteousness and Obedience whatsoever What a Man never a jot the better though never so zealous after God though his Eye and aim be after God in his Zeal A. The World is grown to a miserable pass that Obedience Zeal and seeking after God be of no use at all except a Man himself be a Gainer by his Obedience it 's now as it was in the time of the Psalmist Psal 4. Every one will be ready to cry out Who will shew us any good And if any thing be proposed to Men to be done they answer But what shall I get by it Every one will be ready to shun such an Office or Employment that carry about with them a great deal of labour and expence of time and brings in no profit I must tell you freely There 's not one Duty you perform when you have attained the highest pitch that hath any prevalency and availableness to produce and to bring forth any though the least good to your selves You ought not to think to seek again to your selves by doing or bring Christ to your selves by doing You are not your own saith the Apostle but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to Christ that died for us Now in this Discourse I intend these things 1. That our Duties ought not to Rob Christ's Righteousness of the procuring vertue it hath of all the Blessings and Good that we have 2. That we ought not to perform Duties from a Mercenary Principle thinking thereby to obtain good things of God 3. That we rest not in the Duty done 4. That Duties barely considered in themselves though of the highest Nature are not available to obtain any thing of God for what will our Righteousness profit him And when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants and have done less than we ought to do therefore there 's no reason from our best Duties why God should bestow any good thing upon us 5. That we should do Duties from a gracious Spirit of Ingenuity for the Glory of God and Free Grace not from a poor narrow and selfish Spirit Not but that I am for Duty in a right manner and for a right end Neonom He intends to forbid our intending our own Good though in subordination to God's Glory and laying no stress of meriting for saith he People may think here 's a marvellous discouragement to Persons to do what God calls them to do when they shall have nothing for it I answer When there is a Spirit of Ingenuity they shall be as Industrious to glorifie God to do good to Men as if they did it for themselves They shall do as much for Good already bestowed as if they were to procure it by their own doing Antinom Is this not to intend my own Good whereas it 's not only to intend it but to attend it and walk in the highest Comfort and Enjoyment of it as when Esau and Jacob pass'd mutual Complements Esau saith I have enough but Jacob saith I have all It is as plain as may be made 1. That we should in all we do mind and aim at the Glory of God and Honour of Free Grace For I said Except you mind chiefly that all the Duties you perform are for other Ends and Purposes than your Preferment viz. The setting forth the praise of the Glory of Free Grace and the serving the Generation in which you live and the study of good Works because they are profitable to Men. I say Except you fall upon the performance of good Duties for the common good and benefit without having any such Conceits as what shall accrue to you thereby you are not Persons yet come to have that common Spirit and dead to the old Spirit as becomes Christians I say here chiefly and therefore am not to be understood as if I did mean as Mr. Neonomian saith
to forbid all intending our own good but rather act as one that now hath nothing to do in comparison as to the securing of Spiritual good things to my self Christ hath procured and settled all upon me I have a goodly Heritage Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all my days and from the sence of the greatness and fulness of Provision made for me in Christ I will glorifie him in Soul and Body and Spirit live to him serve him and my Generation not thinking that I can add any thing by my Duties to what Christ hath procured and obtained for me and in this sence it is I say that it is no discouragement because you cannot propound to your self any possible Gain i. e. over and above what Christ hath procured but whatever is the greatest and truest spur or encouragement to Duty is already provided to your Hand freely and graciously I illustrate my meaning thus There are some Children in the World that are very observant of their Parents Dt. C. p. 151. and their aim is that by reason of such compliance their Parents may settle an Estate upon them but when a Child knows an Estate is already settled upon him that it cannot be reversed and he is not able to add to it will such a Child propose to himself in his Obedience and Observance the obtaining that Good his Father hath already passed He knows it is passed already and cannot be by any thing he doth firmer and stronger He serves not now to get his Fathers Land but he serves to glorifie his Father that hath so freely settled his Land upon him Hence you see plainly that I mean in respect of Title not in respect of Possession and Enjoyment for so I say of Believers that have the temper of Christ's true-bred Children indeed They in the Gospel of Christ find all things that do appertain to Life and Godliness they find them all so passed over by God's Goodness and Free Grace to them Dr. C. p. 152. That the Lions shall want and suffer hunger before they shall want any thing that is good Must they now labour to gain these things as if they were in agitation or as if they were yet referred to their will or to their good and evil walking that as they shall walk so they shall speed This is to argue That God is yet to determine with himself how to dispose of those good things that he will bestow upon his People and that he gives good things according to their good or evil Carriage and so the goodness of God to his People must depend upon his Peoples goodness to him which is as the Morning Cloud and as Mens Works prevail with God so God will pour out his Bounty upon them Calvin Mr. Antinom gives us a very good account of his meaning and I wonder that Mr. Neonom you will offer to say he â—orbids the intending our own good though in subordination to God's Glory yea laying no stress of Meriting whereas he is express as to both these And by procuring and obtaining he plainly intends procuring or obtaining a Title to Heavenly Things But Mr. Antinom Did not Abraham in his Obedience unto God Heb. 11.9 10. look for a City which hath Foundations And had not Moses v. 26. in his Self-denial an Eye to the Recompence of Reward How is it then that we should not think to gain or procure any thing by our Duties and Obedience Antinom The great things that the Faithful mentioned in that Chapter did by Faith in the Promise surely Entitling them to those great things they looked for they did not esteem that their Obedience added one grain to their Inheritance by Promise any more than that the very Service of God it self and Enjoyment of him was of the Priviledges promised and they walked therein in Expectation of further performances Abraham looked for a City upon what ground Not of his Obedience but as being Heir already of the Promise of it Moses had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward not as procuring it by his Self-denial but as being Entitled to it by the Promise believed as already bestowed upon him by the Gift and Procurement of Christ and thence was carried forth to his Duty in Love to God and in Honour of his Free Grace as I have said thence it was that no difficulties of Affliction could discourage him nor Worldly Preferments and Riches allure him from his Duty My whole design in the Expressions mentioned by Mr. Neonom was to caution Believers against putting their Duties in the place of Christ in order to Life and Salvation And I have Mr. Luther for my President speaking in the like Case after the same manner The true Christ neither calleth thee to reckoning for thy Sins nor biddeth thee trust to thine own good Works Luth. on Gal. 5.4 but the false Christ i. e. the Devil in the likeness of Christ doth and the true Knowledge of Christ or Faith disputeth not whether thou hast done good VVorks to Righteousness or evil Works to Condemnation but simply concludeth after this sort If thou hast done good Works thou art not therefore Justified or if thou hast done evil Works thou art not thereby Condemned And I neither take from good Works their praise nor commend evil Works but in the matter of Justification I say we must look how we may hold Christ lest while we seek to be Justified by the Law we make him unprofitable to us for it 's Christ alone that Justifieth me both against my evil Deeds and without my good Deeds If I have this perswasion of Christ I lay hold on the true Christ but if I think that he exacteth the Law and Works of me to Salvation then he becometh unprofitable to me and I am utterly separated from him Neonom He saith When you labour by Prayer or seeking to prevail with God to take away his displeasure D. W. p. 154. Dr. C. p. 425. c. and to procure such good you serve not God now you serve your selves Antinom I was speaking against Selfishness in our Performances and said if you suppose you fast pray mourn or do any other Religious Services if you apprehend your own turns are not yet served there will be altogether a Selfishness in the performance of these Duties Selfish Ends and Motives will be your Load-stones and they shall draw up your Spirits in these Services As for Example when we labour by our Fasting and Prayer and seeking the Lord to prevail with God to take away his Displeasure c. and to procure such good things unto us do we serve the Lord or no And do we not serve our selves Nay you serve no God now you serve your selves when only your selves put you upon the performance of the Duty but you will say I must Fast and Pray to get my Sins pardoned A. It 's true that as long as Men think their Sins are upon themselves they cannot be atâ—est but
still the consideration of these Sins thus upon them must needs draw them out on these Services till some way be sought out to clear themselves of them Where is now that sincerity and singleness of Heart that Men ought to have in the Service of the Lord If he could be but once resolved of this thing that ail this Business of his is already dispatched to his Hands viz. Sin pardoned and Wrath removed then all this Selfishness would quickly die then you would serve God sincerely the End of your Duties would be the glorifying of God then you would see that your Prayers Tears Fastings and Performances were not appointed to Rob God of his Service by serving your selves and Christ of his Glory by putting your Services in the place of his Blood which only taketh away Sin Calvin You have now given very good satisfaction of your Intention and Meaning in those Expressions Mr. Neonomian chargeth upon you as unsound tho some of your Expressions barely taken may give some offence which I think might have been spared and the truth you intend cloathed with more unexceptionable words and on the other side Mr. Neonomian I think you may expose and banter most Sermons of Orthodox Divines if you will pick out here and there a Sentence and not give an account of the Connexion upon what account such were spoken But I pray Mr. Neonomian let us have the positive Truth from you in this matter and the state of the Question Neonom You shall Sir Truth Though we ought to intend God's Glory as our Supream End in all our Duties and Design therein expressing our Love and Gratitude to God for his Benefits with a great regard to publick Good Yet we also lawfully may and ought to strive after Grace grow in it and perform Holy Duties and Services with an Eve to and concern for our own Spiritual and Eternal Advantage D. W. p. 152. Antinom You have delivered your Opinion in a discreet Proposition wherein you say the same thing as I do in the first part but yet the second part doth not run full enough it should run thus From this Motive of the Love of God the Promise of Grace and the procurement made by Jesus Christ entitling us to all the Blessings of the Gospel we ought to perform Holy Duties and Services growing in all Grace with an Eye to the Enjoyment of that full Inheritance provided for us in Grace and Glory ascribing all to the Glory of Free Grace and nothing to the procurements of our own Works And therefore I say none ought to propose advantage to himself in respect of Title to the Blessings of the Covenant by any Duty he performs being Heir of the Promise by Faith in Jesus Christ all the Promises being in him Yea and Amen neither ought he to propound profit from any Duty as such only but in and thorough Christ and in whom every Duty is accepted and from whom we receive the Benefit for whatever we ask it 's in his Name and for his sake alone not for our Duties sake we receive it And that it is vain and unlawful to do any thing with an Eye to our Spiritual or Eternal good as a proper Effect by way of Remuneration of our Duty performed for that cannot be in Subordination to God's Glory in Christ but a Robbing of him Neonom I will tell you then wherein we differ not 1. It 's not whether we should principally aim at God's Glory in what we do Antinom Is it not But I will tell you more we should not only principally but altogether aim at God's Glory in all we do 1 Cor. 10.31 According to your Position many Sins will be Justified as he that doth evil that good may come of it And Paul's Persecution in his Unregeneracy wherein he principally aimed at the Glory of God thinking that thereby he did God good Service Neonom Nor whether we should aim at Publick Good with great concern nor whether Gratitude to God deserves our utmost Service and Love to him should Influence our Aims and Labours Antinom Gratitude to God should not only Influence but be the very procatarctick Moving Cause to us in all Neonom Nor whether we ought to renounce every Thought of purchasing from God any Benefit for what we do Antinom Therefore not to think to have the Benefit for the Work sake at all for if so it 's purchasing in a Law Sence to have it upon Federal Conditionâ—lity of the Work done is to have upon Bargain and Purchasing Terms either in respect of the first right or as to continuation of right therefore we ought not to tertain but renounce the least thought of this Neonom Nor whether Carnal Selfishness or seeking of Pleasures Riches Honour c. above Spiritual and Eternal good be the undoing Sin of the World Antinom Nor whether it be not the undoing Sin of Professors there 's no other to be expected from the World and there 's multitudes of Sins more of a grosser Nature undoing to the World Neonom The real difference is 1. Whether the Spiritual Improving and Saving our Souls may be a Motive with us to our Religious Endeavours This you deny and I affirm Antinom Not upon the grounds afore-mentioned Neonom Whether our Souls advantage be not so joined with God's Glory that we ought to intend both as the Scope of our Life and Labours Antinom Our Souls advantage is so provided for in the Promise of Grace that we intend it as the great thing bestowed on us for the Glory of God and not to be obtained by us or gained by Works and Services The true Question betwixt us is Whether we should do Works as entitling us to and gaining of life and Salvation in Subordination to the Glory of God this you and the Papists affirm but I deny because they are inconsistent and can never be truely so according to the Gospel whatever is pretended or Men may think of themselves as Paul did in his Vnregenerate State Neonom To confirm the Truth 1. I have proved before that God hath appointed Graces and Duties for that end that we obtain those Benefits and if so we then despise God's Ordination in not intending our obtaining the Benefits when we Act those Graces and Duties and we obey his Will in doing them for that end D. W. p. 155. Antinom We have shewed that you have not proved it yet in your sence by way of entitling us to and continuing us in a Covenant state or standing 2. We have shewed that you make Graces and Duties nothing but a piece of Drudgery and Slavery for a Man to work as for his Wages and to be paid as he doth his Work but make them none of the Benefits of the Covenant of Promise which they are in an Eminent manner And therefore 3. You despise the Ordination of God and his Constitution of the Covenant of Grace who never gave them such a place in the Covenant nor ordained
them to such an end as you ascribe to them 4. Lastly You despise therein the Lord Jesus in giving that which is his place alone to your Graces and Duties Neonom All Promises and Threats in the Word directed as Motives to Obedience are foolish if we must not intend obtaining our own good by our Obedience Antinom Are they so You are not the first that hath reckoned the Gospel Foolishness and reproached the Grace of God God hath chosen these foolish things to confound such Wise Men as you are that can undertake to teach Christ a better Gospel c. Neonom How are they Arguments with the Will if we must not aim at Advantage in doing Duty Antinom It is one thing to have advantage by Gift and another thing to have such an Eye to it as to look upon our selves as Earners of it by our Work A Child that knows his Father hath settled an Inheritance upon him and will provide for him till he is of Age to take Possession is there no Motive to him to be dutiful to his Father but an intending more gain and advantage to himself Must his Father pay him for every Errand he runs and Job of Service he doth Must he look upon himself as Earning and Deserving his Dinner every day and for every Duty and Service his Father must say Oh! thank thee my Son I will remember this Service to give thee advantage for it Or else this Child will be sullen and dogged and say What pâ—ofit is there in serving my Father Such Christians as these you would make Neonom Christ calls with such Motives Mat. 11.28 Ezek. 18.32 1 Pet. 5.2 4. Antinom Mat. 11. He Invites Sinners to come to him for rest he would give it them he says not Go to your Works and Duties for Rest I am not against your taking all Motives from Christ and the Riches of his Grace but I am against Burning Incense to our own Drags as you would have us Thaâ— place of Ezekiel you mention is nothing to your purpose for turning and living there is the same thing And whereas you say What influence hath such pleas As 1 Pet. 5.2 4. 1 Tim. 2.12 Colos 3.34 Peter calls himself a Partaker i. e. by Faith of the Glory to be revealed and he chargeth other Elders to feed the Flock and take the Charge not by constraint but freely and willingly and not mercenarily but as he himself was taught by Christ Lovest thou me feed my Sheep and he saith When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a Crown of Glory which he hath purchased and promised not which they earned and gained by their working So Paul fought and ran 2 Tim. 4.7 8. not expecting to receive a Crown as due to him for Fighting and Running but as by Faith beholding it purchased for him and ensured to him in the Promise therefore he says It 's a depositum laid up for him even before his running and so for all other Believers as well as he he expected not to make an additional advantage to what he saw laid up for him already or thereby to make it surer than the Promise had already made it and as for other places where Duties are called for and ensuing Benefits promised it 's but a Connexion of the Promised Grace in the Covenant under something different Notions of particular Commands and Promises whereas Duties there are Promises and Gifts of Grace and both together Grace upon Grace from the fulness of Christ not that one hath in it a vertue to gain the other which the Spiritual Man understands and Christ dispenseth Grace in the Word of his Grace in this manner more humano which is of use to the weak many times when he teacheth them to walk as Ephraim by the Conduct of a Spirit of Bondage whilst they labour under weak and staggering Faith but such a frame and weak Understanding of the Truth ought not to be commended as a Vertue and such Weaklings are to be brought as soon as may be to more solid Understanding and higher Principles to act from and more Noble Aims and Designs to the Glory of God in Christ Neonom The Spirit of God approveth of Holy Mens regard to their own advantage Antinom Yes for the whole Gospel is a Sinners advantage or else it were sad and they must see it or else they will never embrace it but they are to see all this advantage is founded in Christ and conveyed by Promise and Free Gift to the Praise and Glory of God Eph. 1.6 7 8 12 19 20. Neonom Moses Heb. 11.26 had respect to the recompence of reward and this is given as the very cause why he esteemed the Reproach of Christ above the Treasures of Egypt Antinom I have given an account of that place already it 's said by Faith Moses did what he did by Faith refusing the World chusing and esteeming Christ his great Treasure and greater than all Riches and Honours even the Reproach and Cross of Christ for in believing he Eyed Christ himself who was his to be the great recompence of Reward he had enough to carry him through all difficulties having Christ and God in Christ and this was the reason of his Perseverance for he endured as seeing him that is Invisible he did not see him that is Invisible as a Reward of his Perseverance but he endured because he saw him Neonom Paul governed himself by these regards 1 Cor. 9.17 24. 2 Cor. 4.16 17. Antinom Paul made it his business in preaching the Gospel to obtain the Ends of the Gospel but he doth anticipate all that you would gather from his Discourse 1 Cor. 9.17 for ver 16. he saith For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of and when he speaks of his Reward ver 18. truely it is as much as to say I look for none for my Work sake not so much as from Men my Reward is that I make it without Charge that as it comes freely from Christ so also from me he much less had any Mercenary Expectations of Reward from God c. And ver 23. and all he doth for the Gospel sake that he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his participation of the Grace of the Gospel was as much as he looked for therefore he would not run at uncertrinty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Faith in the Promise as looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his Faith Heb. 12.2 As to that place 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not what is the cause It 's in the verse preceding 14 15. The Spirit of Faith was the cause Whereby knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus for all things are for your selves that the abundant Grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God for which cause we faint not viz. from the abundant Grace apprehended by the Spirit of Faith and looking at things
not seen thence it comes to pass that the present Afflictions are light and shall be succeeded with an Eternal weight of Glory it 's an instance of the abundant Grace redounding towards him for the inward and outward Man for things Temporal and Eternal Neonom Were doing for Life and an Eye to gain by service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the Blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answered them as he doth Mat. 19.28 29. Antinom This Arguing would well enough become a Papist but it is strange at this time a day from the Mouth of a Protestant but it 's easie to see the Devil is at work to betray us again into our Spiritual Egypt our Mouths hang too generally after the Leeks and Onions of their Corrupt Doctrine Now we must go to work upon the Terms of the Old Law for Life not Finalitèr as aimed at and travelled to as terminus ad quem taken for Glory but for Life as a Premium of our Works That this is intended by you clearly appears by the Application that you make of this place of Scripture as if it Justified the Doctrine of Merit The Disciples hearing our Saviours discourse concerning a Rich Man and how hard it is for him to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they were amazed and said Who then shall be saved Peter hence concludes then surely poor Men may better be saved we are poor enough and have lest all for thee what shall we have And there is no doubt but something as yet remained in them of that legal Spirit as prevailed in and among the Jews expecting or enquiring after some proportionable Reward to their Sufferings which Spirit was not fully removed from them till after the Resurrection of Christ and sending down of the Spirit when they came clearly to see the Grace of Christ in the Gospel but it was not Christ's time yet to remove all Clouds and Obscurities from the Doctrine of the Gospel he did it not in his own Ministry it was to be the Work of the Comforter the Spirit as peculiarly belonging to his Office after Christ's Ascension As yet they had not askt any thing in his Name neither did Christ in the platform of Prayer teach them so to do as yet they were strangers to the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ as yet they looked that the Kingdom of Christ would immediately be a Temporal and External Now the answer of our Saviour imports these things 1. That none shall lose any thing by following him though in parting with worldly advantages 2. That those Blessings that he bestows upon his true Followers are of another Nature than they expected they were of an Eternal Nature ver 29. and of a Spiritual Nature Mark 10.30 For their outward Enjoyments should be with Persecutions shewing how much the Cross and Reproach of Christ as in the Opinion of Moses is to be preferred before the greatest worldly Emoluments 3. He shews them though he abundantly Rewards his Followers yet they ought not to serve him as such that were led by that Principle to serve for Life and Glory as for Wages but they must do all for his own Name sake they must not act from a principle of intending advantage but for Christ's sake for the Love of his Person and for the sake of the Love that he hath shewed us 1 Cor. 3.20 21 22. The Lord knows how vain the Thoughts of his best People is apt to be as if they must by their Duties Earn something of God but there must be no glorying in Men and there 's no need of it for all things are yours already the Means of Grace the World Life Death things present and to come ye are Christ's and Christ God's Neonom Your Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falsehood should not poor Sinners pray as they can apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Should they not Believe and Repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and Escaping of Wrath Why else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms D. W. p. 157. Antinom You go upon many Mistakes 1. You talk absurdly of God's Decree overthrowing his Government as if the Decree succeeded God's Government of the Creature that which overthrows a thing comes after the thing overthrown so God's Decree in its proper Nature as a Constituting Immanent Act must succeed his Government 2. Why should not God's Acting in a way of Free Grace be consistent with his most right and just way of proceeding in Government seeing the whole Gospel Revelation asserts that it is so and that therein lyes a great part of the Gospel Mystery which Natural Men and Carnal Reason will not receive 3. Is it any way absurd to say it's vain to propose our own gain by Labour and Duties when the Spirit of God hath expunged the Efficacy of Works as to procurement out of the Covenant of Grace Works are our Price and Money God saith We are to buy without Price and Money Isa 55.1 2. And saith Why do you spend Money for that which is not Bread i. e. Spend your Duties and Labours and get nothing by them Because you make Money of them and reckon you make advantage of them and pay a valuable consideration for the good expected and will not receive it as of Free Gift you will have all for the Money of your Duties and hence you labour and have not that which satisfieth you ask and labour for things to spend upon your own Lusts as the proud Pharisee did 4. You mistake in judging the Offers of the Gospel is in a way of Government it 's in order to Christ's gracious Rule and Government under which Unregenerate Sinners are not till through Grace they are translated into the Kingdom of Christ 5. You wickedly suggest that unless God intend that poor Sinners in their Unregenerate Estate should do some Duties whereby they might gain Life and Salvation God is chargeable with Weakness and Falshood this I take to be an ill Inference all the Offers of Grace must be upon Condition of Works or else God is chargable with Weakness and Falshood 6. You grosly mistake my Discourse or willingly pervert my Sence and Meaning I do not say but poor Sinners at their first believing are very apt to lay too great a stress upon their Duties as if thereby they obtained a Title to Life and Salvation or mâ—de a considerable addition to what Christ hath done and procured for them this legal Spirit I endeavour to take them off from that they should serve God more under the Conduct of the Grace of Adoption Rom. 8.14 15. And therefore say Except you fall to the performance of Duty without such Conceits
keeps Men from Sin or reforms them when fallâ—n into it there 's no true grace of God in the Heart David saith God's Rod and Staff comforted him Neonom Whether great Offences be a real hurt to a Believer and brings on him much present harm This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Case of National Sins is concluded in these Antinom Here how you come to fight with a Man of Clouts which you yourself have made for we said not that Sin is no hurt for if so why should our whole Doctrin be to shew that it needs healing It 's the hurt of the Daughter of Zion why is it said that we are healed by the stripes of Christ And that Sin even remaining in God's People makes the best of God's Peoples Services and Duties as Dross and Dung by reason of its mixture with them which you condemn for an Error We say pag. 509. let us not be mistaken We do not say we must not be afraid to Sin but that they that have God for their God need not be afraid of the Sins they have committed in regard of the penal Effects But that Sin naturally is a Root bringing forth all manner of evil Fruit The Wages of Sin is Death We distinguish of fear a natural fear an affection in Men by Nature that they cannot be freed from there 's a religious and godly fear which is an awful reverence of the Majesty of God and keeping a convenient distance such as the Creature ought to keep it 's opposed to Sauciness And there 's a turbulent fear a fear of disquietness that which the Lord endeavours to take off from his People All such fear the Apostle saith hath Bondage and perfect Love casts it out And the same Apostle saith as I say These things I write unto you that ye sin not But if any Man sin i. e. hath committed Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is a propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Therefore you charge us falsly to say our meaning is That Sin in it self is no hurt and in its Nature doth no hurt But we say as you That Christ satisfied Justice for Sin and over-rules the hurt of it for our good so that through Grace it doth us no real hurt Christ hath taken away the sting of Sin and the Condemnation of Sin The real hurt of Sin lies in the dominion of Sin and in the penal effects of it they that have God for their God can't give up themselves to the dominion of Sin they can't have a love for it because they are under grace and as to the penal Effects they are taken away by Christ or else his satisfaction to Justice was imperfect Now all other Effects of sin as hiding God's Face his paternal Chastisements in outward Afflictions ecclipsing our graces and duties come under a Promise that tho' they are not joyous but grievous to a gracious Mind yet they shall through God's grace disposing them tend to our good in making us the more Partakers of God's Holiness to mortify sin to humble us and empty us of our selves and to bring us to an higher exaltation of Christ and dependance upon him yea to more watchfulness carefulness and circumspection in our ways Hence God's People have their frequent complaints against Sin as to its indwelling and hindring them from doing the good they would groan under the body of Sin and desire Heaven to be altogether rid of it c. But when we say sin cannot do us real hurt and we should not be afraid of it we mean only of sins already fallen into that the disturbing disquieting guilt of them should not lye upon our Consciences to obstruct our Comforts and rejoycing in Christ they should not drive us from Christ to deny the love and free grace of God and the alsufficiency of Christ for if he that hath God for his God lyes continually under an embondaging fear of sins past he would always labour under a servile slavish frame of spirit without comfort all his days We need not repeat what hath been said to vindicate ourselves from this unjust Charge Neonom I 'll tell you your Mistakes Because there is no Eternal Condemnation lyes against a Believer therefore there is no penal present Affliction D. W. p. 189. Antinom It 's all condemnation Christ hath taken away its condemnation that makes Hell and if God's People be under it here they must have a degree of it Christ died in vain as to our present state if it were not to take away condemnation from us here we cannot be justified before God and lye under condemnation too Is a Believer only justified from future condemnation and not present And it 's no mistake to say Because a Man is freed from Eternal Condemnation therefore present Afflictions are not penal but it 's a necessary consequence Why did Christ bear our Sorrows and carry our Griefs but that our Afflictions should not be penal Neonom Whereas there 's much hurt below Hell and that it is not Hell that follows the Sin of a Believer is not from the Innocency of Sin but the Grace of God that brings him to repentance and faith in Christ for remission Antinom I thought there had been no hurt lower than Hell I suppose you mean there 's much hurt on this side Hell but Improprieties are natural to you Condemnation for Sin in this Life is much hurt and a degree of Hell and is the same in kind and therefore if God's People be not freed from it here they cannot expect to be freed from the lower Hell 2. The reason why Hell you say follows not the Sin of a Believer is not the innocency of Sin this is one of the black-mouthed Charges you lay upon us that we make Sin innocent because we say Sin was laid on Christ and he hath born all the Penal Effects of Sin Why say you not the same of the Apostle who saith the strength of Sin is taken away and the sting of Death whereby it or lesser afflictions can't hurt is taken away These abominable Reproaches fall not on Man so much as upon the Truths of the Gospel which Christ hath a Controversie with you for And that Hell follows not the Sin of a Believer you say is from the grace God and why may it not be from the grace of God that no Penal Effects follow the Sin of a Believer That grace that prevents or delivers from the greater evil will also from the lesser Neonom Because all Sufferings for Christ work for good therefore all Sins against Christ can do no harm Antinom All Sufferings of a Believer from the Hand of Christ as well as such as are in a way of Persecution for Christ shall work for their good and therefore whatever befalls them by reason of sin shall be for their good and whatever is for our good according to the wise disposing of God is not for
away the Sin but not the Wrath of God due to Sin but that he hath forgiven our Sins but not the Punishment of Sin but consider that as our Sins were then upon Christ he was so Bruised for our Iniquities as that by his Stripes we are healed and the Chastisement of our Peace was so upon him that he being Chastised for our Sins there is nothing but Peace belongs to us And can you deny the Truth of a plain place of Scripture The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him Doth it plainly appear that this is true meaning that our Peace was fully made by Christ and accordingly he is called our Peace Christ saith in the World we shall have Trouble yet this full and compleat Peace of Reconciliation is made and Christ promiseth the Comforts of it in Believing Peace I give unto you c. Neonom He saith If we tell Believers c. Except they perform such and such Duties D. W. p. 191. except they walk thus and thus Holily and do these and these good Works they shall come under Wrath at least God will be Angry with them What do we in this but Abuse the Scriptures we undo all that Christ hath done we injure Believers we tell God Lies to his Face Dr. C. p. 170. Antinom It is not for you to Expose a Man's Words when they are proved from Scripture and sound Reason why had you not taken his Argument he brings to prove that God will not be Angry and be Wroth with his People that are true Believers Isa 54. God saith he hath made such an Oath that the Earth shall be drowned with Water before it be broken Dr. C. p. 160. that he will not be Wroth with his People nor Rebuke them any more and upon this account it is he saith that such as tell Believers Except they do this or that c. they will come under Wrath and Condemnation do abuse the Scriptures and give God the Lie nay he saith we do not only so much as lies in us to make God a Liar the Scripture saith Unbelief doth so 1 John 5. but we offer an insufferable Affront unto Jesus Christ and strike at the very heart of the Office of Christ's Mediatorship If we say God is Wroth with Believers for whom Christ died for what end did Christ suffer Death I say that if this Principle be truth that God will be Wroth with his People then Christ died in vain for God could have been but Wroth and Angry with his People if Christ had not died to bring the People of God under Wrath and Vengeance again is to take away all the Vertue of the Death of Christ and to make it of none effect Now why do you not Answer this Argument this is the Childishest thing in the World to say he saith so and he saith so why do you not tell People why he saith so and Confute his Reasons but you think you have done enough if you have Exposed a Doctrin by saying this or that Man that professeth to hold it saith so and so therefore what if a Man speak truth never so weakly and absurdly must the truth be reckoned errour therefore Calv. Mr. Neonom you have sixt your Anathema upon Mr. Antinomian's Opinion in this Point viz. For holding that the Afflictions of Believers do not proceed from the judicial or vindictive Displeasure of God against their Persons for their sins You hear he saith God is displeased with their sins and doth afflict them to purge out sin from them that they may be Partakers of his Holiness c. which seems to me to be very sound and orthodox Doctrin agreeable to the Scripture and the Analogy of Faith Neonom Truth Tho' God is not so angry with his People for their sins as to cast them out of his Covenant-favour yet by their sins he is so displeased as for them to correct his Children tho' he speak Instructions by his Rebukes D. W. 190. Antinom You say Tho' he be not so angry you make degrees of Anger in God thereby as if God were partly pleased and partly displeased with his Children and if so at one time then at another we speak of the Persons of Believers there being always sin in them for a reason here and if so Christ was not our full Peace he did not reconcile God fully to us therefore made imperfect satisfaction for if there remains some part of the Debt yet unpaid Christ did not pay all Again to be under the Penalty of the Law for sin and the execution thereof tho' but in part is so far to be under the Curse but there 's no Believers in whole or in part under the Curse Again God you say is not so displeased with them as to cast them out of Covenant if not then they continue in Covenant with God if in Covenant then he hath always a Covenant-love towards them then he always acts in a way of Covenant-love towards them even for their amendment and not destruction when he afflicts them not in a way of wrathful displeasure for their sins But if you say against their sins we allow it and God is always angry with sin sin itself was never pleasing to God and therefore he purgeth it out in Sanctification every day and hence spends many a Rod upon them for their Profit as a good Father upon a Child that he dearly loves Some earthly Fathers may correct for their pleasure that is to vent their Anger and Passion but God the Apostle saith Corrects for our Profit Heb. 12.10 And he saith Whom he loveth he chastneth v. 6. i. e. loveth at the very same time God's divine love to the Persons of Believers cannot be abated in the least It 's true God may alter his Carriage towards them and deal so with them as to make them consider their ways and to humble them or to point out some Corruption God will have mortifyed this is all love in God and not displeasure God's seeming displeasure is a fruit of his unchangeable loving kindness towards them and whatever you say if I stand secured of God's Covenant favour I am sure God cannot be angry with me whatever his sensible Carriages are God's People whatever God's dealings are with them they do not take any thing to be done in displeasure till through Temptation they begin to suspect their Covenant-state Do but clear up to an afflicted Person God's Covenant-favour and I 'll warrant you he will not say God hath afflicted him in his displeasure and therefore you will say God is displeased with their Persons for their sins i. e. punisheth them for their sins to satisfie his displeasure thereby i. e. his Justice if so it 's clear the consequence is unavoidable as to so much of my punishment for sin that I bear Christ did not bear besides it must be in its degree expiatory and satisfactory to God Neonom You mistake my meaning still I will tell you where
Spirits and becomes our own our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach that turns the wholsomest Food into Poison See what Excellent Mr. Beza saith in his Confess Chap. 4. Art 19. It is not to be allowed that Works are a cause of Salvation in the whole or any part for if it were so certainly there would be but a Crazy Foundation of our Salvation We must of necessity acknowledg that the Water and Foundation from which it flows are akin because the most thick Darkness yet remains in our Understandings it would come to pass if God should in his strict Justice enquire into the best Works of a Man there could be no other thing determined of them but that they be the mere pollutions of God's gifts as it often falls out that a River otherwise clear and limpid is infected with the Filth of a Jaques thro' which it runs Rom. 7.15 23. Psal 142.2 Now what think you of this For my part I verily believe that Doctor C. took his very way of Expressing and Illustrating these things from this very place of Mr. Beza Now unless you will condemn this Learned and Approved Divine for Errour in this point I see not that you can accuse this Antinomian as you call him I will shew you the Opinions of a Divine who I hope you dare not call unstudied and unlearned it 's of the famous Doctor Tuckney in his Sermons upon this Text of Phil. 3.8 He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which includes more than all that was before mentioned If you ask what I Answer according to our Divines whom I am not ashamed of or of their Judgment All his own Inherent Righteousness and best Works after Conversion his labouring more abundantly than they all his Conversion of many Souls his holy and unblameable Conversation Omnia quae hunc Christianus Apostolus ago habeo as Zanchy upon the Text which he sufficiently makes out to be here included both from the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being intended to Express more than was before Expresses of his Morals and Zeal before Conversion and from the Present Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now that he is Converted he Judges so of all that he was and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom and by what he saith Vers 9. c. And to throw you quite on your Back I will shew you a passage in the Assembly's Confession which you would not see Chap. XVI of Good Works Sect. V. When we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from the Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers are accepted thro' Christ and their Good Works also are accepted in him c. Now Sir Seeing the Doctrin which you so Peremptorily call Errour is so clearly proved to be Truth let us hear what you have to say in stating and defending your Judgment and I pray Mr. Antinom do you Whip the Top with him Neonom Truth Tho' the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Attonement for our defects and â—e still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's Lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Antinom We shall divide your Canon into Two parts the Negative and Positive you tell us what it is not and first Note That you change the Terms for the Doctor speaks of Works performed by us when a Duty is performed and becomes a Compositum of the pure Graces of the Spirit mixed with the Corrupt indwelling Motions of our own Hearts and hence he distinguisheth between Grace flowing from the Spirit which is purely Holy and Grace acted and performed by us through the assistance of the Spirit therefore we must keep you to the Doctor 's Terms viz. to our sincere Works or sincere Holiness taken in that sense This being premised 1. You tell us these Works are imperfect and not according to the Word therefore so far sinful for whosoever keeps the whole Law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 And so I say of any Duty if it fail in one point it 's chargeable with breach of the whole Law so the Duty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Dung and Filth 2. You say it 's not valuable by the Law of Innocency that 's said before for what is not according to God's Precept is Condemned by God's Law by every Law of God it 's so far from Valuableness it stands under a Sentence of Condemnation God never accepted or owned Imperfect Obedience as suâ—h and in it self neither is it consistent with his pure Nature so to do 3. You say it cannot make Attonement If it stand for Acceptable Righteouseness and Holiness it must make Attonement for its Defects and sinful Pollutions the High Priest was to make Attonement for his own Sins before he could be accepted so in this Case that Righteousness that cannot Attone for its own Sins if there be any cannot be Acceptable to God but you say this Righteousness cannot make Attonement for its Sins therefore in it self can never be Acceptable to God Posit 1. You say we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance of these Works 1. Then I say they are Sinful or else would not need Forgiveness 2. They need the Merits of Christ and therefore not Acceptable Righteousness in themselves they are as Dung and Stink in the Nostrils of God the best Works in themselves are such whatever is not capable in it self to make it self Acceptable in the sight of God if it have no relation to another Righteousness it Stinks and is Abominable in the Nostrils of God 3. You say so far as it prevails its lovely i. e. not at all of it self Observe still what we say No good Work of a Believer prevails to Acceptation of us and if not it prevails not at all and that which prevails not to Acceptation is not lovely in it self for nothing is lovely to God but what he Accepts and hence you conclude it is not Dung or Filth but from what you your self have said it can be no other than Dung whatever cannot be Accepted of God without Forgiveness and the Righteousness of Christ to make it Acceptable is in it self and out of Christ Dung But I perceive what you aim at that it is a Righteousness that comes in for a share with Christ and in part it prevails to Acceptation tho' not altogether and here you fall in with the Council of Trent as in all your Doctrin That the Grace of Justification and Acceptance
is not only the favour of God and by the Merit of Christ but that our Works prevail in some degree Neonom I will tell you wherein the difference lies 1. It is not whether Holiness or the best Acts of a Saint be such or so perfect as to Attone for his Sin or procure a State of Pardon Antinom This is a strange kind of talking about a Saint's good Works Attoning or Procuring a State of Pardon as if there could be a Saint before he is in a State of Pardon And as for those Works that need Attonement and cannot make Attonement for themselves they are in themselves but pitiful Menstruous Rags Dross and Dung for Non Acceptation with God makes all Works such tho' seemingly never so good Neonom Nor whether our Holiness can make us Accepted with God without Christ Antinom Then it is not worth a Pin in it self without Christ Neonom Nor whether the Holiest Action of the Holiest Saint is such as not to need Forgiveness Antinom That which needs Forgiveness is Sin and therefore Filth but according to you The Holiest Action of a Holiest Saint is such according to your self Ergo. Neonom Nor whether by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency Sincere Holiness could be accounted Holiness All this I deny Antinom There could be no other Holiness counted Holiness by the old Law but Sincere Holiness but imperfect Sincere Holiness was not accepted there nor in and by it self in any other Law or Gospel as such Neonom Nothing under that Law but perfect Conformity to the Precept was Holiness whereas Gospel Grace makes a great difference between true Holiness tho' imperfect and wha't formally Wickedness between Sincere Love and Enmity Sincere Faith and Vtter Vnbelief Antinom If perfect Conformity was the Holiness of the old Law required it 's an Argument that nothing will serve the grace of the Gospel but a Holiness answerable to it in perfection and whatever difference you make to be between imperfect true Holiness and formal Wickedness I tell you the formal difference between perfect Holiness and imperfect is Sin for this Imperfection lieth in Sin a coming short of Moral Perfection can lie in nothing but in some degree or other of Sin But is it the Gospel makes the difference between Virtue and Vice Sure it s the Law doth that Neonom The real difference lieth here whether the sincere Holiness of a Believer's Heart and Actions be really Dung and Rotteness This the Doctor affirms and I deny D. W. p. 198. Antinom The Doctor affirms That the Works Services or Performances of a Believer being full of Imperfection and mingled with Sin are not acceptable to God but thro' Faith in Jesus Christ and compared with the pure Holiness and Justice of God and the Righteousness of Christ and his Holiness in which he stands are and ought to be accounted by him as Loss and Dung. Neonom Whether sincere Holiness so far as it prevails in our Hearts and Actings be truly lovely in it self and pleasing to God according to the grace of the Gospel and is not Dung. This I affirm and the Doctor denies Antinom The Question is Whether Holy Works performed by the best Men be not Polluted with Sin and whether they can be truly lovely and pleasing to God in themselves out of Christ according to any grace of the Gospel and therefore are not as Dung This I deny tho' you affirm and a Thousand more Neonom What is spoken of Holiness of any meer Man on Earth since the fall is spoken of sincere Holiness for perfect Holiness none had Antinom What hath been spoken of Holiness that God hath accepted is of true Holiness i. e. Sanctification in Christ Jesus Sincerity may be where there 's no true Holiness Paul had Sincerity in his supposed Holiness he verily thought he did God good Service in persecuting the Churches good ends and meanings which a Carnal Man may have in his Mind are not enough to make an Action good Neonom I have room but to Expostulate Antinom Because you cannot find a good Argument to bring in you might have had more room if you would and it would have been more for your Honour so as you had served Truth in it but go on with your Expostulation Neonom Is that Dung which is the effect of Regeneration in the Soul and Actings Antinom You should have said the Effect of the Spirit for Regeneration it self is not an Efficient but an Effect and that which is the Efficient of Regeneration is so also of all the Vital Acts in a Regenerate Person now we have told you before that the pure graces of the Spirit passing thro' the Corrupt Channel of Man's Heart becomes in a Duty like defiled Pudled Water and such Duty in it self only considered is as Dung in the sight of God and ought to be accounted so by us Neonom Is that Dung which is so often honoured with the Name of the Spirit it self and called the Spirit of Love Prayer c. Antinom You should have named the places where our Works are called by the Name of the Holy Spirit of God as for the Spirit of Love that is the disposition of Love and as to the Spirit of Prayer where it 's taken for the Spirit 's helping our Infirmities it is spoken of as distinct from our Prayers themselves Neonom Is not that more Lovely which is called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Antinom The Divine Nature there is the Spirit of Christ received by Faith for it 's given in many great and precious Promises and whatever of Divine Nature we receive it is of God and in conformity to and participation of Christ all which is pure as flowing from the Spring but when it comes to be Exerted and put forth by us in our Duties becomes impure and mixed with the Corruptions so the whole Duty in it self is but an Unclean thing Neonom How Amiable must that be which is the New Man after God's Image Eph. 4.24 Antinom Take the New Man Created after God distinctly considered as it comes from God it 's a pure Creature but this hinders not but the Regenerat Man is made up of the Old and New Man and all his Actions and Duties partake of both and therefore polluted for Paul said the Old Man hindred him from doing good when he would for then Evil was present with him the same may be said of the New Heart Ezek. 18.31 The Law in the Members is warring against the Law of the Mind in every part and faculty of Soul and Body Neonom Are those Works Dung to which we are Created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 Antinom We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works to be performed in Christ Jesus so far as we are in Christ Jesus and our Works in Christ Jesus they are not Dung neither doth the Doctor say they be but when performed out of Christ in ourselves and in themselves they are but as Dung
and it consisted only in some external Rites Sacrifices Priviledges c. Antisozzo This proceeds upon a double false Supposition 1. That the Apostle renounceth nothing but what he retained while a Pharisee 2. Whatever he renounced did constitute his Pharisaical Righteousness 1. I must cut him off from Circumcision that was no part of his own Righteousness unless you have a spice of the Doctrin of imputing the Righteousness of another Person for Justification 2. For Sacrifices the Apostle mentions them not knowing they were the visible Gospel of the Jewish Church and did lead to Christ As to his being of the Stock of Israel of the Seed of Abraham c. they might expect some favours thence but that any were so far bewitched as to believe that all the Stock of Israel and the Nation of Abraham should be justified cannot be proved 4. For civility and blamelesness of Conversation it may be it may go a great way in your Account But I find you take but little notice of it here but place Paul's Righteousness which he renounced with that of Baal's Priests the Concision his rejection of Christ Opinion of Jewish Observation and abuse of the Mosaick frame a fine Parcel of Righteousness he surely misnamed it he should have called that his Wickedness and Villany But whatever Paul was or was not whilst a Pharisee it makes no great matter to the Business in Hand seeing he hath so freely and openly disown'd whatever was his own Righteousness after Conversion in the matter of Justification before God Antisozzo p. 554. Neonom But Righteousness by the Faith of Christ is internal Righteousness Gospel-Holiness this is not Dung and this was not of the Law opposed to the Faith of Christ nay this is by the Faith of Christ Act 15.9 And we are created in Christ to this Holiness c. Antisezzo Ay but Proof Proof is wanting it 's called being born again rising again with Christ c. but Proof Proof is wanting for we think that those Expressions do not denote that Righteousness whereby we are constituted just in the sight of God but Holiness and Sanctification of Nature which the Gospel evidently distinguishes from that Righteousness whereby we are justifyed p. 559. Paul who rejects the Righteousness of the Law in the matter of Justification before God rejects also inward Purity and Holiness of Mind for that purpose Does the Righteousness of the Law signifie one thing in the New Testament and another in the old Doth it signifie real substantial internal Righteousness in the old and external ritual Righteousness in the new Sincerity in the one and Hipocrisy and Ceremony in the other This is very unaccountable Neonom But the Apostle tells us That by his own Righteousness he means the Righteousness of the Law and by the Righteousness of God the Righteousness of Faith Antisozzo I see you are for finding out Antitheses in the words as some Body else was The Apostle's words are very clear but you find it necessary to obscure them and deprave the Truth But thus far we are secure that the Apostle hath repuditated his own Righteousness from Justification and that we may not doubt what that was he tells us it was that of the Law the Righteousness of the Law is what it commands and prescribes viz. an exact conformity to the Law of God in Spirit Soul and Body so far as is attainable He assures us in the next place what he owns and adheres to viz. the Righteousness of Christ which is called the Righteousness of God He further acquaints us how we come to be interested in this Righteousness it is by Faith and that we do not wilfully and ignorantly mistake this Faith for the Doctrin of Faith he assures us it is believing by which we obtain this Righteousness Rom. 3.24 See more 563 564 565 c. Neonom I will set a Cross upon you the next time I Print my Book Mr. Antisozzo and if you please let us hear what Dr. Owen saith I wish he had undertaken the point in Mr. Antisozzo 's room he would have been more favourable to my Opinion for I prove my whole Scheme out of him especially my Conceptions about the Doctrin of Imputation Calvin I pray Dr. Owen let us bear your Sentiments in this great Point and with as much softness as may be for Mr. Neonom thinks Mr. Antisozzo was too hard and sharp upon him Dr. Owen I shall reduce what I have to say to that admirable Text Phil. 3.8 9. to the ensuing Heads which deserves to be wrote in every Bible in Letters of Gold though Mr. Neonom with some others lay it so low 1. That which the Apostle designs in this Chapter is to declare what it is on the account whereof we are accepted with God and have cause to rejoyce and this he fixeth on in general viz. an interest in and participation of Christ by Faith in opposition to all legal Priviledges and Advantages wherein the Jews boasted vers 3. 2. He supposeth that unto our acceptance before God wherein we are to rejoyce there is a Righteousness necessary and whatever it be is the sole ground of that Acceptance 3. He declares There is a twofold Righteousness that may be pleaded and trusted unto to this purpose 1. Our own Righteousness which is of the Law 2. That which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith these he asserts as opposite and inconsistent as unto the end of our Justification before God 4. Placing the Instance in himself he declares which of them it was he adhered unto and placed his confidence in And in handling this Subject some things engaged his holy Mind into an earnestness of Expression in the exaltation of one of these viz. the Righteousness which is of God by Faith 1. This was the turning Point whereon he and others had forsaken their Judaism this therefore was to be secured See Gal. 2.15 16. 2. Hereupon there was a great opposition made to this Doctrin in all places by the Jews 3. The weight of the Doctrin itself 5. Hence in many other places of his Writings but especially in this he treats of these things with a greater earnestness and vehemency of Spirit than ordinary thus 1. He speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ 2. In his Expression of all other things that are our own that are not Christ's whether Priviledges or Duties however good useful excellent they may be in themselves yet in comparison of Christ and his Righteousness and with respect unto the end of our standing before God and Acceptance with him with the same vehemence of Spirit he casts Contempt upon them calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dog's Meat Neonom Pray Sir doth the Apostle with vehemency renounce Works wrought in Faith Evangelical Works Dr. O. Answ In the Matter of Justification the Apostle opposeth Evangelical Works not only unto the Grace of
God but unto the Faith of Believers 2. He makes no distinction that Works are of two sorts some excluded from Justification and not others but he expresly rejects his own Righteousness i. e. his personal inherent Righteousness whatever it be and however it be wrought 3. He makes a plain distinction of his twofold Estate 1. That of Judaism before Conversion 2. He proceeds to give an account of himself and Estate after Conversion The words of Davenant on this Passage in my Judgment are sober and weighty The Apostle here teacheth what that Righteousness is whereby we are accepted before God viz. which is apprehended by Faith He shews the cause why it is ours by right i. e. the Apostle shews it in this place because we are inserted into his Body and coalesce with him into one Person therefore his Righteousness is reputed ours De Justisic hab c. 38. For whereas some begin to interpret our being in Christ and being found in him so as to intend no more but our Profession of the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of the Catholick Church in all Ages concerning the Mystical Union of Christ and Believers is not to be blown away with a few empty Words and unproved Assertions The Answer then is full and clear unto the general Exception viz. That the Apostle rejects our Legal but not our Evangelical Righteousness For 1. The Apostle rejects neither absolutely but in comparison of Christ and with respect to the special end of Justification before God or a Righteousness in his sight 2. In that sense he rejects all our own Righteousness but our Evangelical Righteousness in the sense pleaded for is our own inherent in us performed by us 3. Our Legal and Evangelical in the sense pleaded for is the same 4. The Apostle rejects in this case all the Works of Righteousness that we have done Tit. 3.5 but our Evangelical Righteousness consists in the Works of Righteousness which we do 5. He disclaims all that is our own See more in the Treatise of Justification 535. Here the Society was adjourning but that a worthy Divine acquaints Mr. Calvinist that he saw the Reverend Mr. Richard Vines in a corner whereupon Mr. Calvinist return'd There is none here but hath a venerable Esteem for that famous Divine unless Mr. Neonomian who will however if he finds he is against him be so ingenuous as to knock under the Table Sir we beseech you lend us your help here against this confident Neonomian and New Divinity and in defence of the Apostle Paul whose Doctrin he is making Dung of trampling it down as Mire in the Streets Mr. Rich. Vines Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. After the Apostle had in the beginning of this Church fortified the Christian Philippians with a Caveat against such as did yet stand upon and pretend their Circumcision Christ a Christian 's only Gain by Rich. Vines sometime Master of Pembrook-hall Cambridge and their Jewish Prerogatives in opposition to Christ after this he gives a threefold account of himself 1. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of those Priviledges that others did insist upon c. V. 4. p. 1. 2. He shews what account he had of himself when Christ was discovered to him c. 3. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of perfection V. 12 c. p. 4 5 6. V. 8. p. 19. You have heard what reckoning the Apostle had of his own Righteousness in his unregenerate state and upon the discovery of Christ unto him he came to a loss of all that which before he counted gain Now in this Verse he goes on to shew you what account he had still of Christ and of all things besides Christ after some strength and experience he had of Christ yea doubtless any more than so Yea and more than that I account them still it is a rhetorical Speech wherein the Apostle riseth higher in his expression with greater overflow of affection verifying all things besides Christ as loss and dung he repeats it three times over a note of affection I count all things loss I have suffered the loss I account them but dung and then it is for Christ and that Christ who is my Lord. Suppose the Apostle had been thus spoken to 't is true you forsook all your former Gains and you professed all should go for Christ your self your Wealth your Zeal your Righteousness in the Law you valued all as nothing while Christ was new and fresh in your memory and before you had tasted of his Yoak and Cross But what say you now Paul now you have been beaten with Rods stoned Shipwrackt c. 2 Cor. 11.15 What now Paul are you of the same mind still is not your Courage cooled Nay doubless saith Paul I did and I do I am not changed I do account all things I reserve not one thing to lye between me and Christ not my good Works not any thing within me nor without me that I value or esteem my Righteousness my Obedience to the Law my Fasting my Scourging I count them but Loss and Dung for Christ c. p. 19 20. Doct. 4. That gracious Duties and Performances of a Man in the state of Grace are to be disclaimed in the matter of his Justification or his Righteousness before God p. 44. V. 1. The Papists will not hear this Doctrin for tho' with much ado they will quit their good Works that are done in an unregenerate state without and before Faith yet those Works of a regenerate Man that are besprinkled with the Blood of Christ Here 's your Doctrin Mr. Neonomian they will have them come in for their Justification for thus they say Christ merits for us that we may merit for ourselves that Christ is our Saviour by making us our own Saviours Christ is our justifier by making us justifie ourselves he giveth us Mony and we lay it down what is this It is to keep up good Duties say they and you which otherwise would fall to the ground whereas the true Spring and Whetstone of Obedience to God is Faith and Love and Thankfulness upon the apprehension of the Pardon of our Sins let a Man have Christ for his Righteousness and let a Man be ungodly if he can the love of Christ constraineth us c. p. 44 45 46. This Phrase of Speech All things Loss and but Dung mine own Righteousness both before and after Grace I count all to be but Dung that I may win Christ There is the Faith of Adventure and the Faith of Assurance p. 129. Proof of Doctrin 'T is for the gaining of Christ that a Christian counteth all things in the World as Dung and suffereth the loss of all things It 's a strange trade that a Man must lose to gain he must be a Beggar and Bankrupt that he may be rich he must be nothing that he may have Christ Yea his Works after Grace received all that I did know and all