Spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony heart out of you and I will give you an heart of flesh that flesh of Christ of which we spake before and will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my commandements and do them Luk. 1.72 73 74 75. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to our Father Abraham that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life With which agrees that which follows 2 Pet. 11.4 whereby exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust In both which places we may take notice that there are but two grand benefits promised in Christ the first in order of time and nature is deliverance from our spiritual enemies or our escaping out of corruption and the second is a partaking of the divine nature whereby we may serve God cheerfully and without fear in holiness and righteousness all our dayes Here is no mention made in these promises of the remission of sins either because it is an appendant to the first benefit God taking away the guilt with the corruption and fault or because the Lord counts it so inconsiderable a benefit in comparison of the other two that he makes no mention of it but casts it in over and above as Christ speaks Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you The fourth Topick shall be That this full obedience through the grace and help of God is made the condition to the greatest part of Gods promises and his spiritual blessings in special Exod. 19.5 6. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine c. And Exod. 23.20 21 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee the Angel of the covenant to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name or being is in him But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy to thine enemy and an adversary to thine adversaries See Levit. 26.13 all manner of blessings are promised upon this score Deut. 11.8.9 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandements that I command you this day that ye may be strong and go in and possesse the land whether ye go in to possesse it and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give unto them a land flowing with milk and hony which land is a type of the heavenly Canaan Deut. 28.1 15. And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to serve him and to do all his commandements which I command thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God blessed shalt thou be in the city c. Joshua 1.7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest Isaiah 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Ezek. 33.15 If the wicked restore the pledg give again that which he robbed walk in the statutes of life he shall surely live he shall not die Matth. 5.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Chap. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world Luk. 10.25 26 27. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life he said unto him what is written in the law how readest thou and he answered and said thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live See John 15.10 If ye keep my commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Heb. 10.36 For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Rev. 21.14 Blessed are they that do his commandement that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city The fifth Topick shall be The end of Christs coming to fulfill the law in us according to Gods covenant aforesaid Psal 22.30 31. A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation he shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this to wit wrought that righteousness in them Isaiah 53.10 He shall sow his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand See chap. 61.1 2 3. before cited Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth in men in his dayes Judah shall be saved from their enemies and Israel shall dwel safely And this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness to wit that righteousness which he executeth and worketh in his Saints Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy by bringing in the everlasting righteousness aforesaid Matth.
sin in this life Secondly that there is a possibility of perfect obedience through the grace and help of Christ to the Law of God in this life It is true that if these two assertions be not coincident yet they consequently follow each other so that to prove one of them is to confirm the other for if sin by the grace of Christ be rooted out in this life what hinders but the Law of God may be here by the same grace fulfilled yea to be so fulfilled as to be justified thereby and that through Christ of grace given and if the Law of God may be so far fulfilled here through the grace of Christ as not tooffend against the same then doubtlesse all sins may be rooted out here by the same grace yet we shal confirm each of them apart with their respective branches both by divine and humane authority so fully and clearly that scarce any Article of the Christian faith shall have more evidence of truth and piety to plead for it then our positions shall produce for themselves And first for the former of them That all sin and corruption may be and ought to be in this life by the grace and help of Christ purged and rooted out of the Saints which we shall evince by many Topick places And first from Gods expresse commandements which if they were not possible by grace to be performed were not only unjust and unlawful but would be frustrated of their end which is observance and accomplishment and the Author of them would be argued of the want of wisedome or equity and of tyranny and cruelty Of which sort are these among many other Job 11.14 15. If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickednesse dwel in thy Tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and not fear Psal 4.4 Stand in aw and sin not Isal 1.16 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before me cease to do evil and 55.11 Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean thing go ye out of the midst of her be ye elean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Jeremiah 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins by calling upon the name of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new Lamp Ephes 4.20 21 22. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Christ that ye put off as concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupting through the lusts of error or deceit Coloss 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil Heb. 10.21 22. Having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water Jam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you clense your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envyings and evil speakings as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby vers 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh so arm your selves with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin The second Topick is from the promises wherein sufficient grace is promised for the effecting that which is so often so clearly and fully required Isai 1.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely take away thy dross and purge away all thy tinne and 11.14 But with righteousnesse shall he judge the poor and with equity shall he reprove for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breach of his lips shall he slay the wicked and 25.7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations and 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins and 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bonnd Jere. 33.8 And I will clense them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and 50.20 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and from all your filthiness and from all your abominations will I cleanse you Amos 9.8 Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the kingdome of sin for so it is in the Hebrew and I will destroy it from the face of the earth Micah 7.14 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us who will subdue our iniquities And thou will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea the Lord will subdue them as he did the Canaanites and all other the enemies of David in his dayes so that there was neither adversary nor evill occurrent left in his son Solomon's entrance upon the kingdome 1 Kings 5.4 And will drown them as he did Pharaoh and his host of which not one escaped Zephan 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies Zacha. 13.1 2. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Malachi 3.2 3. But who may abide in the day of his coming to wit in the Spirit and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is as the refiners fire and as the fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness and chap. 4.2 3. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings and ye shall go up and grow as calves of the stall And
shall reward evill to mine enemies cut them off in thy truth and 59.13 Consume them in thy wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Iacob to the ends of the earth and 71.24 My toung shall talkof thy righteousnesse all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought to shame that seek my hurt and 101.8 I wil early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord which is every Saint Jerem. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodg in thee Psal 112.8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies and 139.23 24. Search me O my God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting and 143.9 10. Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I fly to thee to hide me with thee teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit it is good lead me unto the Land of uprightnesse and of thy mercy cut off all mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work knowledg wisedome or device in the grave whether thou goest and Luk 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousnesse and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind that he which is dead hath ceased from sin that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh after the lusts of men but after the will of God Fifthly that when we were first converted sin had his death-wound contrary to Rom. 7.14 24. and 8.13 Gal. 5.17 Heb. 3.13 14. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and 6.4 5 6. and 10.26 27 28 29 30. and 12.15 Looking diligently lest any fall from the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 2 Pet. 2.1.20 21. Jude 4. c. for no sin hath its deadly wound till it be by the patience and Spirit of Christ wholly overcome and lest Rev. 2.16 and 3.10 Sixthly That all the guilt of sin and punishment is taken away though the pollution and corruption remains contrary to Prov. 28.13 Jer. 33.8 Acts. 26.18 this is to take away the effect and leave the cause in force and being hence it is that Hieronymus saith on 1 Cor. 6. Be not deceived thinking that faith alone sufficeth for every sin that remaineth excludeth men from the kingdome of Heaven as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5. how the works of the flesh are hurtfull which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse c. of which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven But also saith he they pray sinfully who persevere in sin and desire that those sins of theirs should be pardoned or put away by the Lord which they themselves have not put away from them Seventhly they say that there is not any other active obedience or righteousnesse of Christ to be attained by faith then that which Christ works in his Saints for its contrary to Isai 45.24 25. and 48.18 and 53.11 and 59.17 and 61.3 10 11. and 62.1 2. Jerem. 23.5 6. and 31.31 32 33. and Rom. 4.11 and 5.7 18 19. and 8.4 Phil. 3.9 10. Eighthly that we are perfect in this life and complete by justification though not by sanctification where 's they are both one thing as hath been proved at large and while the one is imperfect the other is also Ninthly that justification lies in remission of sins or taking away the guilt of the same yet leaving the sin or pollution behind whereas justification taken in a liberative way is a purging and washing away of the fault and corruption in the first place as hath been proved out of Acts 13.20 and 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. Thirdly consider that the kingdome of God which Christ and his Apostles preached is not onely an inward kingdome Luk. 17.21 as it is a kingdome both of grace Rom. 14.17 and of glory also Rom. 8.19 Ephes 1.18 but consequently that there is an internal heaven of holiness and glory to be had and obtained by the Saints in this life Heb. 10.34 knowing that ye have in your selves a better and more induring substance in the heavens for so the words are in the Greek Text. As Paul also speaks of himself and fellow-Apostles whom God hath raised up and set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. this is that kingdome which Christ taught his Disciple to pray for saying ' thy kingdome come and which he and John Baptist published 'to be at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and which ' John saw coming down from God out of heaven Rev. 21.23 before whose coming all sin must be purged away for ' no unclean thing can enter into it Rev. 21.27 yea all the spiriteal effects of sin as the second day sorrow crying and tears shall be removed Rev. 21.4 Fourthly that they which know not own not nor witness this kingdome of God with the way and means thereunto were never sent of God to preach the true Gospel of the kingdome but do publish their own imaginations and traditions of men as the Vindicator and many of far greater note then he both living and dead both do and have done Fithly that they who do not believe that he God will avenge his elect who cry unto him night and day for vengeance against their spiritual enemies for the rooting of all out Luk. 18.1 7. have not the faith of Gods elect as hath been said before Sixthly we shall leave it to your serious consideration whether it be not the voice of the unbelievers and not of the Saints of whom it is said concerning the beast of sin which came out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns saying Rev. 13.4 and they worshiped the dragon who gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Which interpretation concerning the beast of sin is not ours but
when we have answered we will pay him in his own coine That it was the prerogative of Christ alone among all grown men to know no sin and to be found solus in hominibus qualis quaerebatur in pecoribus not in peccoribus as he hath it alone such among men as was sought among the beasts an unblamable lamb without spot Here he having cited Isaiah 53.6 saying we like sheep have gone astray and Gal. 3.23 that the Scripture hath concluded all under sin he might have spared Augustine contra Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 13. and Gregorie lib. 3. in Reg. cap. 6. saying There is no man that hath not some corruption in him which he may and should lament For take all this as spoken of the unregenerate man or the regenerate that hath not fulfilled his course with Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 and we have often affirmed the same But he brings Hieronymus contra Jovinian lib. 2. saying No man is clean from sin though he live but one day upon the long earth Which is true of the sinful earth spoken of Collos 3.5 mortifie therefore your members upon earth although we know that in that saying Hierom and others suffered the Septuagints ill translation of Job to impose upon them But we had almost lest out Lactantius whom contra Gentes lib. 6. cap. 13. he alledgeth saying No man can be without sin so as he is burthened with the garment of the flesh We say so likewise if he understand it of that flesh which Saint Jude speaks of vers 23. hating even the garment spotted by the flesh if otherwise he himself was Lactantick with Lactantius Further he brings Bernard upon Cant. serm 2. saying Non peccare Dei justitia est not to sin is the justice and property of God but remission of sin is the justice of man To which we say that the former is but true in part for the elect Angels never sinned and the latter scarcely true at all for remission of sins is one thing and righteousness is another And where the remission of sin follows the righteousness of sanctification to purge them away must go before of necessity Acts 26.18 Sed unus Bernardus non vidit omnia And his own conclusions there are as false for saith he As the Ivy will not die untill the Oke be cut down but Experience shews that if you cut the Ivy at the root it will forthwith die so our sins will not die as long as we live which is as false as the other neither will it ever be abolished until death ends the conflict between the flesh and Spirit Then death which is but a privation is stronger then the Spirit And such Quacks as he is have a good warrant and pretence to kill many yea were it many thousands for by this means according to his doctrine they should put an end to this conflict of sin and send men presently to be perfected in glory Here not only souldiers whose trade is to kill but high-way-men poysoners and all murderers especially of the Saints might find a strong plea for their murders But he brings us more of this Ambrosia out of Ambrose de Paenit lib. 6. cap. 1. saying It is not the voice of thy family I am whole and need not a physician but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed But if it be the voice of his family of what family is the Vindicator who saith that the Lord cannot or will not heal us is it death that must do that work for us is it not the voice of his family first to come to him for an absolute cure and then with the woman who was cured of her bloody issue and the cleansed leper and many others to come and give God thanks But he goes on page 23 24. with Ambrose speaking thus to the Novatian hereticks of his time and saith it may fitly be turned to the Jesuits of our time Darest thou O Jesuit call thy self clean and holy albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy workes this one word were enough to make thee unclean To which I say first that the way wherein Paul worshipped the God of his Fathers was called Heresie Acts 24.14 Secondly we know no Jesuit that counts himself perfect unless it be by his profession But we hope that he will not henceforth when it cometh to a trial at Law deny that be called us Jesuits which is no less then to accuse us of a capital crime no better then treason for which by Gods Law he ought to suffer death himself unless he can prove it Deut. 19.17 18 19. or to incurre a great mulct for his slander above that the Jury awarded at Sarum March 15. 1657. But lastly this pretender to no less degree then of a Doctor of Divinity doth not see that there is a gross absurdity if not contradiction in the words which he fathers upon Ambrose saying albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy works this one word I am clean which in that case is but the truth were enough to make thee unclean We hope the Vindicator hereafter will not be too forward to speak the truth any more then he hath done heretofore lest as he saith out of Ambrose it make him unclean But he giveth us presently some Nectar to his Ambrosia saying with him agreeth Augustine Serm. 29. de verbis Apost There are some like vessels that are blown up with wind filled with an haughty spirit of election not sollidly great but swelled with the humour of pride who dare be bold to say that there are men found upon earth without sin Why are there no promises of such persons see Isai 1.24.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin See chap. 4.4 and 11 19. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that cover the sea Eze. 36.25 I will pour clean water upon them and from all their filthinesse and from all their jdols will I cleanse them Zeph. 3.13 The house of Jsrael shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes But we know what sort of Protestants at this day are puffed up with the spirit of election And it seemeth the Vindicator being conscious to himselfe or his party did not English those words of Augustine inflati viri spiritu electionis pleni men puffed up filled with the spirit of election though for him we do it But the Father demands of such How sayst thou that art just and holy this prayer Forgive us our sins Yes such may say with Saint Math. chap. 6.12 forgive us our debts to wit of love and thankfulnesse to God yea and of love to men for his sake which debt is so great that it can never to all eternity be paid Rom. 13.6 Owe nothing to any man but to love one another and with Saint Luk. chap. 11.9 they can say also Forgive us
it is that the Churches to whom the Apostle wrote and those seven especially to whom Christ wrote Rev. 2 3 chap. are either commended or rebuked threatned or encouraged according to their obedience or disobedience faith or unbeliefe growth or decay in godlinesse and no man is taken for perfect but he that was truly so in some kind or degree Yet it is true that the Lord doth for a time and with much long-sufferance tendernesse and compassion beare the failings of his good-willing servants which proceed from ignorance and humane weaknesse and not from neglect and much lesse from presumption yea while men are truly babes in Christ he accepts the will for the deed and expects no more from any men then what they can do by grace attained or which they might have done by grace at hand if they had sought it Howbeit nothing doth more displease him then wilful Apostasie after grace received Heb. 6.4 5 6 7. and 10.26 27 28. and unbelief in his grace and power for the subduing of our enemies after we had experience already of the same in some measure Heb. 3.17 18 19. But with whom was he grieved forty years was it not with them that had sinned whose carkasses fell in the wildernesse and to whom sware he that they should not enter into rest but to them that beleeved not so we see that they could not enter in because of unbeliefe But he brings in Augustines saying that the best perfection of man in this life is to confesse and acknowledge himselfe to be imperfect Which is a very rash and inconsiderate affirmation as many other of his dictates are indeed if he had said it had been the high way to perfection first to know and acknowledge our own imperfections and then for cure to fly to Christ this saying had not been so imperfect or dangerous But they that are under the work of the Law and not yet under the saving work of grace do abundantly know and feel their imperfections how can this then be mens greatest perfection to find and feel their imperfections Such plausible sayings without truth are soft pillows under secure mens arms inviting them to sleep in slothfulnesse and sin But the Vindicator doth now promise to lay down some reasons for the confirmation of his first position of which let us take a view The first is this That there is not any among the Saints of God mentioned in the Scripture that the Spirit of grace doth not charge with some sin the most perfect in their generations were not without their failings and that after their long walking with God as Noah being drunk Lot incestuous Abraham diffident when he consented to unlawful means in going in to Hagar for bringing about Gods purpose Sarah lyed and distrusted when she laughed at the promise of God Moses and Aaron were barred out of Canaan for dishonouring God by diffidence and passion Hezechiah was lifted up with pride Job impatient and humbled for it David had foul and secret sins which he repented of and prayed against Jehosaphat and Asa were reproved Uzziah and Zachariah punished one by untimely death the other by dumbness and yet these are reported in the Scripture to have served God with all their heart To which we say that this argument and reason hath little of reason in it for first it is false that the Spirit of grace hath charged with some particular sin or other the most perfect men in their generation for neither Abel nor any of the Patriarchs before the flood nor after the flood to Abraham are so charged unless Noah for one act of drunkenness wherein also he was surprized by the unknown strength and operation of the new wine The like we may say of Eleazar Ithamar Joshuah Caleb Othniel Ehud Jephthah Samuel Nathan Gad and almost all the prophets of John the Baptist and his mother of the Virgin Mary and Joseph her husband of Nathaniel and almost all the Apostles and thousands of other Saints mentioned in general and particular in the Scriptures Secondly that there neither wants ignorance nor impudence in this his charge For Abraham took Hagar by instinct of the Spirit as is partly hinted in Mala. 2.13 which verse as Castellio hath formerly observed should be thus rendred If so be one did it who had abundance of the Spirit yet wherefore is that one alledged to wit for the justification of Polygamie who sought a godly seed therefore take heed to your spirit and let none of you deal treacherously against the wife of his youth Doth not Saint Paul also tell us that Sarah and Hagar were also an Allegorie or mystery of the two Covenants and Testaments Gall. 4.24 But it was once the practise of the false Apostles to speak evil of those things which they understood not Jude v. 10. yet this champion of corruption contents not himself to accuse the most absolute pattern of faith and obedience that was to be found among meer men who is the father of all the faithful and the friend of God whom he first singled out to make him in a special manner the man of his covenant and to charge him with unbelief and disobedience and that here the second time in this his slanderous pamphlet but he likewise challengeth and impeacheth Job of impatience who is commended unto us Jam. 5.11 for a rare pattern of patience as indeed he was It were well for him if he had the fourth part of Abraham's obedient faith or Jobs patience But let it be granted that not onely David but others also had foul sins and secret sins for a time had they such unto their dying dayes we trow not being he confesseth that he both bewailed them prayed to have them discovered and removed witness the Psalmist Psal 139.23 24. saying Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any sinful or wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting And therefore to little purpose he cites page 30 that passage of Augustine who bids the Pelagians in a rhetorical flourish ask all the Saints and they will confess is he sure of it that while they lived here they were not without sin But theirs is but one opinion we shall anon shew him the contrary sense of some not inferiour to him as we did of late out of 1 John 4.17 18. The confession of John who was ten times more infallible then Augustine and all his African Bishops assembled together But he goeth on and saith if any Saint on earth had to glory it was with men and not with God So say we also yet had all the faithfull Saints cause to glory in the Lord for their victory in Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 And further he saith for his second argument that we do not read of any Saints that did so stand but that they fell into some sins Which is not true of their final estate and they also that had as he saith
he brings out a testimony that speaks of the ceremonial Law especially which no man could bear or fulfill of himselfe though it was far lighter then the moral Law Act. 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare It is not saith he the priviledge of the Church militant to have no defect or imperfection remaining It is true of the Church collectively taken but we have proved before that some have ended their warfare here before they goe hence Isai 40.1 2. 2 Tim. 4.7 Ephe. 6.13 Here saith he we pray enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord. O that my ways were so directed that I might learn thy statutes Make me a clean heart O God But doe the Saints pray so always to the end of their life They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 and Christ only lives in them Gal. 2.20 Here saith he we still find need of Christ who is our advocate with God the Father 1 Ioh. 2.12 But who are they that need him still as a propitiator or purger out of sin for Ioh. speaks there to the babes My little children and yet he speaks to them not to sin that is not to continue in sin and for that end he sets forth a helper of them there against sin as for the young men he saith that they had overcome the wicked one Ioh. 2.13 14. how much more had the old men so done Pag. 34. He tels us that what he hath before written may suffice to satisfie them whose eyes the God of this world hath not blinded That sin will have a being in the best of men so long as our souls have a being in these houses of clay But we dare conclude that if any man rest satisfied therewith in that point that his eyes were never yet truly opened to behold the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God 2 Cor. 4.4 But he prays all the faithful to joyn with him in supplications to God for his adversaries that they may see their own sins And so doe we also for our selves and reciprocally for him and them yet will not that follow that we shall be ashamed of our doctrine as he hopes we shall For we have not drawn the same from any such puddles as he is pleased to call them to wit Pelagius Bellarmine Baily Becanns the Jesuits or from the Adamites who conceived that they were renewed to Adams first purity unlesse he will have the second Adam as he cals Christ the Prophets and Apostles to be such Adamites Nor have we learned them from Romes fraternity now crept in amongst us who are as he saith well versed in the old trade of Arch-hereticks what is that even his own handicraft in falsifying of truth or Text rather for the truth may be denyed or abused but not falsified whatsoever he saith to the contrary to maintain lyes But he doth hope and so doe we also that God will discover such in due time by us or some other of his servants and in the interim keep his who are no patrons for sin nor latrons from the due observance of Gods Law by the help of Christ from being subverted by them But he goes on what men without sin saith he Yes the Angel shewed John many thousands that had been such upon the earth as we proved before out of Rev. 7.14 and 14.4 5 6. Yea John did demonstrate some such unto us before of his own society 1 Joh. 4.17 18. and 5.18 But he scoffingly saith it was happy for the woman that was taken in adultery that her accusers were not such as these preachers Why doe we professe our selves to be without sin But it will be found our fault and his also if we live and dye in our sins now that there is such a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 And yet it will not follow that if there had been one yea many such impeccant persons there of which none are to be found among the proud and censorious Pharisees that the said delinquent should have had a volly of stones about her ears for who are more sensible of humane frailty then such as have passed through the same or who are more merciful then such as have obtained mercy to put away all cruelty pride and wickednesse through the help of Christ yet must Christs expresse commandements be observed But he comes upon us with the Apostles Creed saying What need is there to believe the Article of the forgivenesse of sin if men may live without sin True if they could come into this world live here many years and goe out again without commiting of sin But if sin that is once in cannot be purged out again nor the image of God renewed nor the Law fulfilled what need is there to beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth and in Iesus Christ his only son our Lord who is called Jesus because he came to save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 and called Christ because he is anointed for that very work Isai 61.1 2 3 4. yea why doe we believe that he is risen again for our justification or regeneration Rom. 4.25 or in the Holy Ghost that there is an Holy catholick Church whom Christ came to sanctifie by the washing of water through the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Epes 5.25 26 27. Pag. 34 35. he gives us this advice as a point of good religion To turn the Lords precepts into prayers and to say with holy David who a little before had his secret sins and his foul sins but now is called holy David Psalm 43.3 Send out O Lord thy light and thy truth and let them lead me into the holy mountain and unto thy Tabernacle and as is Psalm 143.10 Let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse To which we say it is a point of good religion indeed for as the whole duty of man by the testimony of Solomon consists herein to wit in fearing God and keeping his commandements Eccles 12.13 So his father David made the 119 Psalm which is the longest meditation extant in the whole book of Psalms a devout prayer for grace to understand and fulfill Gods Commandements and left it to the Church as an holy Alphabet to know their duty both of prayer and obedience thereby But would the Vindicator have men pray in faith or unbeliefe for if the thing be not possible to be had in this life they cannot pray for it in faith and if it is attainable his second position fals to the ground And if Gods light and truth must lead us into the mountain or tabernacle of his righteousnesse then all
sin must be left behind and so his first position is overthrown likewise And here is another of his contradictions yea a twin or a double one But to this his advice he joyns his new Letany to which we fay Amen And from blind Jesuiticall guides with their false pretended new lights in a dark Lanthorn their feignedlies pretended revelations but delusions Good Lord deliver us But who pretends to new lights or insists upon extraordinary revelations or who hath a darker lanthorn then himselfe or what Jesuit useth the trade of lying so often as he doth in which conflict it s now known he himself would carry away the whetstone So that if Diogenes came at noon-day again with his lanthorn either to find truth in his assertions or common honesty in the author of them he would operam oleum perdere Note also that here again he cals us Jesuits But he is pleased to salute us at the table saying much good may their perfection on earth doe them sure we are that if we can attain it it will doe us no harm But by way of return we say well may he fare with his much affected imperfections and corruption similis lactuca labris but Christ also Rev. 22.11 saith he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still but he that is justified let him be justified still and he that is sanctified let him be sanctified still for what a man most affects in these things that shall be his portion in the end Howbeit with his lips or pen he begs to have his imperfections discovered and to be humbled in the sense of them so long as he liveth as if the Lord delighted more in our dejectment for them then ejectment of them that he may cry always with the poor Publican but doth he beg healing and cleansing mercies that he might offend no more or only pardon for his offence toties quoties committed and so to end his days Surely he should then have been but a poor Publican in the end though he had a rich office But he will also at leastwise in words make an emulator of Saint Paul who forgat what was behind and pressed forward towards the mark and put forth we wish he means not quite out of doors all the strength that the Lord shall please to send him and improving all opportunities to the best advantage for the mortifying of all sinfull corruptions in him and for the growing in grace untill he attaines unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ But lest all this should be had too soon in the world but here by the ministery of the word the work is to be carried on even to perfection Ephes 4.11 12 13. he contradictingly saith which shall be after grace consummate hereafter in heaven and so desperately concludes As for him that can find perfection here on earth let him never look for it in heaven As if it could not be had in both places or estates in several degrees contrary to Pauls hope 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Doth not the holy Ghost say Rev. 14.13 that those that die here to sin in the Lord that they may rest from their own works and labours as the fourth commandement requires that their works shall follow them But in the last place he tels us that he will lay down some of our arguments and some Scriptures which we wrest to maintain them Wherein he shews himself a better diviner then a divine for he had none of them as yet from us unless those which he findeth in the argument of Doctor Draytons sermons of which he mentioneth very few First he saith that we deny original sin Which thing in his sense is true But we say every mans first fall is his original sin Secondly we say as he tels you that original sin is taken away from the Saints on earth we say that it either is or ought to be there being sufficient grace and help offered and afforded in Christ to us for that end and therefore that such mortified Saints cannot derive it to their posterity What is this to the question in hand yet we confess more that neither the first Adam nor any parent descended from him can convey any such stain of sinfull corruption by generation to their children because a most holy God creates both soul and body innocent and without sin But as this argument of his is none of ours so his solution or answer is a meer figment of mans brain for he saith there are three things in sin the offence the guilt and the pollution or stain being an inclination to fall into the like sins Of which saith he the two first are taken away but the last which is the worst is left behind during this life Where ye may take notice of these absurdities or contradictions First that Gods hates the offence as he saith in his dearest Saints and as he saith it is abolished and blotted out by the blood of Jesus Christ If it be abolished as he saith it is how can it remain in them still and if it remain still how can it be but hatefull to God For the second the guilt or obligation to punishment he saith that is pardoned but as we have often shewed no sin is pardoned till it s left and forsaken Prov. 28.13 As for the third the pollution which he cals the pure essence of sin a very pure essence indeed if one look well upon it that saith he doth not reign in a regenerate man yet the life and being of sin is not taken away page 36. But he cites a Text there wherewith he cuts his own throat if rightly rendred Psal 103.3 Who is propitious to all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities or diseases The latter words explaining the former and certainly where diseases are healed they are wholly removed or taken away they leave no life nor being behind them and then follows vers 4. who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and mercy for where any life or being of sin is left there is so much destruction or condemnation left also as we shewed out of Rom. 8.2 True it is that the Lord doth heal our souls gradually as this puny Emperick speaks but he leaves not we say the full perfecting of the cure to the life of glory or yet to the hour of death But page 36. he feigneth a second objection of ours and then forgeth an answer for it as he did before Regenerate parents cannot convey the guilt of original sin to their children because to themselves it is pardoned Which objection is a strong barre against him though not made by us And upon this score the guilt of the first Adam's sin after his personal repentance could not be charged upon his
Ioh. 3.22 And whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his sight Rev. 12.17 And the Dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandement of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ chap. 14.12 Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandements of God and the faith of Iesus The tenth Topick shall be examples of men who by Gods testimony have fully followed him and obeyed him at length Such an one was Abel Heb. 11.4 By saith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh Enoch Gen. 5.22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years Heb. 11.5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God Noah Gen. 6.9 Noah was a perfect and a just man in his generation and Noah walked with God Heb. 11. By faith Noah being warned of God concerning things as yet not seen moved with fear he prepared an ark to the saving of his house whereby he became heir of the righteousnesse of faith And though aftewards he was overcome by wine that was but a single act and surprize he not knowing the strength of that wine till he had tryed it Abraham Heb. 11.8 9. By faith Abraham when he was called out to goe into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went by faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Iacob heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a City which had foundations whose author and builder is God vers 17 18 19. By faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up his Son Isaac and he that had received the promise offered his onely begotten Son of whom it was said that in Isaac thy seed shall be called accounting that God was able to raise him up from the dead Iames 2.23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which said Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God Isaac Heb. 11 20. Iacob Gen. 25.27 And Iacob was a perfect man dwelling in Tents Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the unrighteous for that which his daughters did unto him was by way of intoxication without his knowledge or will Caleb Numb 14.24 But my servant Caleb because he had another Spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereunto he went Ioshuah Numb 32.11 12. Surely none of the men that came uâ— out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaao and unto Jacob because they have not wholly followed me save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Joshuah the son of Nun for they have wholly followed the Lord. Joseph in Egypt a lively type of Christ Phineas Psal 106.30 31. Then stood up Phineas and excuted judgment and the plague was stayed and that was counted to him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore Many if not the whole family of Levi in Moses his dayes Mal. 2.5 6. My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them unto him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name the law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many away from iniquity See Deut. 33.9 Who said unto his father and his mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his own children for they have observed thy word and kept thy law Job 1.8 And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like unto him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil p. chap. 2.3 And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holds fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without a cause and chap. 42.7 8. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said unto Eliphaz the Temenite my wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends therefore take unto you seven bullocks and seven ramms and go ye to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering for him will I accept lest I should deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath done And though Job had seen God then face to face vers 5. yet he lived an hundred and forty years afterwards wherein he had time to be further perfected if need did so require Samuel was not onely a just man by the confession of all Israel but declared so by a token which God at his request sent from heaven 1 Sam. 12.17 18. Daniel was also such an one concerning whom Noah and Job the Lord speaketh as of three great favourites of his and men full of righteousness Ezek. 14.14 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness We say nothing here of Rahab the hostess rather then an harlot who is so highly commended Heb. 11.13 James 2. of Deborah of Naomi of Ruth of Hannah the mother of Samuel of Rebeccah of the Virgin Mary of Elizabeth and Zacharie her husband and of John their son It is said of Stephen that he was full of faith and power Act. 6.8 yea full of the holy Ghost Act. 7.55 and that he saw the heavens opened and of Barnabas Act. 11.24 that he was a good man and full of the holy Ghost and of faith yea the Apostles imply that many such might be found in the Church Act. 6.3 Wherefore brethren look out from among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and of wisdome c. But as the Apostle concludes his catalogue of Saints and believers in the old Testament saying Heb. 11.31 33. And what shall I more say for the time would fail me for to tell of Gideon and of Barack and of Sampson of Jephtah of David also and of Samuel and of the Prophets who through faith subdued kingdomes the power of sin and Satan wrought righteousness obtained promises Also John doth not onely own such a perfection as we stand for to be attained by
one should not be eased and another burdened but that there should be equality 2 Cor. 8.13 Now if the young man had then gone and sold all he had as Christ did bid him and given it to the poor he had indeed eased them but burdened himself in leaving himself nothing of his vast estate for it is said he had great possessions and so he had made himself a burden to others Again it is not certain there were so many poor at that time among the Jews and they medled with the Gentiles in that case its probable no more then the Samaritans did with the Jewes in divers cases John 4.9 Thirdly Christ doth not bid him sell it and have it in common to communicate it as they did Acts 4.32 with others if it had been so there might have been some argument from it to incline him to obey Chrsts advise because then he might have had as good share being before his own as others had in like need but Christ bids him go and sell all he had and so fulfil the Proverb make himself as poor as Job without giving him any comfort in reference to his estate by telling him that he might have part of it himself with the poor but go sell all and give to the poor saith Christ unto him Fourthly Paul telleth Ananias Acts 5.1 2 3. that his estate was his own and that he was left free to do as he pleased he was not bound by any requiring to sell all his estate and bring it to be distributed but Peter reproveth him for his hypocritical dissimulation onely in keeping back part of his estate under hand contrary to his outward pretence hence à pari it is not likely or probable from what Christ said to him that Christ required him to go and sell all his temporal estate and give it to the poor for Ananias is not by Peter told that he was required to sell all that he had and to give it to the poor but Peter saith to him whiles it remained was it not thine own and after when it was sold was it not in thy own power c. 5. Reas Because Christ telleth him that he should be perfect ipso facto upon the supposition of his foregoing universal obedience which he professed he had performed yet Paul saith 1 Cor. 13.12 If Ishould give my body to be burned and my goode to the poor I should profit my felf nothing if I have not love therefore Christ could not intend to bid the man sell his temporal estate that ipso facto he might be perfect because that fact in it self would not have made him perfect according to Pauls restimony aforesaid 6. Reas Because Christ had no occasion given him to discourse of temporal estates therefore Christ did not bid him fell all his temporal estate and riches but his own false spiritual riches which was his high conceit of himself for after Christ had declared the happy estate of Children Mat. 19.13 14. then cometh this Querent St. Luk styleth him a ruler cap. 18.18 to know what he must do and telleth Christ what he had done in order to Christs directions vers 28. and would know what he had more to do Christ telleth him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sell all thy own which remaineth or sell all things remaining that are thine now the self-chosen righteousnesse and such like stuffe are the mans own for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof 1 Cor. 10.26 therefore that is not the mans but Gods that he may command when he pleaseth may be no impediment to eternal life unto them that do injoy a great measure of it Hence you see the occasion given to Christ from the Querie of the man and his reply from whence no doubt our Saviour took opportunity to give him the advise aforesaid Read also the other Evangelists Mar. 10.17 to ver 23. Luk. 18.18 19 20 to 23. ver 10 25 26. Mat. 22.34 35. and it may easily be perceived how apt these sort of men are to justifie themselvs when that which is high in men is oft abomination to God so we may see how Laodicea was lifted up with this sort of spiritual false riches Revel 3.10 as is apparent by the Lords counsell to that Church what to do in that case And Paul upbraideth the Corinthians that they were rich and ful and wanted nothing and reigned as Kings c. 1 Cor. 4.8 9. yet not in truth as those Kings spoken of Revel 1.11 but onely in their own high conceivings because the said Church of Corinth was not so rich in temporals at that time Secondly it appeareth that they looked on themselves as rich in high conceivings by Pauls expressions in reference to them ver 6 7. Thirdly because he wisheth they did reign that the Apostles might reign with them Hence it is easie by comparing the foresaid testimonies with the words and deportment of this man to understand that it was spiritual false riches of selfe-chosen righteousnesse that were his great possessions which our Saviour biddeth him to sell and part with that he might be perfect and complete having done what he said and so by his righteousnesse which Christ would have him shew forth he might have treasure in Heaven for Prov. 22.4 it said By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life and Math. 18.4 Christ saith Whoever shall humble himselfe as a little child the same is great in the kingdom of God We summ up all in this Syllogisticall demonstration Those riches which Christ had onely an occasion to take notice of to be the mans possessions the same in reason we ought to believe Christ did intend when he bid the man sâ—ll all he had c. But they were his spiritual false riches of his chosen holinesse andhigh-conceitednesse that Christ had occasion given him from the man and others of his like mind to take notice of Therefore those riches were the riches which he counsels him to sell The major cannot be denied and we hope the Assumption is proved by former instances If it be said it was his temporal estate because hewent away sorrowful We answer that it will not follow necessarily thereupon because those who are rich in false spiritual wisedom and holiness Luk 18.11 are as unwilling yea more to part with their possessions as theformer and therefore our Saviour telleth them that Publicans and adulterers should enter into Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And the reason is because it is easier to convince the Publicans and Harlots having no excuse then to convince these as appeareth Job 9.34 40. and 7.48 49. If it be yet further urged that Christ meant as aforesaid because he bid him give them to the poor We answer though Christ did bid him do so yet its Ignoratio elenchi to conclude thence that Christ meant the mans temporall possessions because