and priviledges which he enjoyed and disclaiming them in the matter of Justification Paul durst not lean to any work of grace in him the best mans graces being imperfect as that which can endure GODS sight his exact and severe tryal and therefore is that word 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justifyed Notwithstanding his holy course of life and obedience performed to the law yet he saw a necessity to look after a more perfect righteousness then this such as God himself cannot refuse as imperfect and insufficient namely the righteousness which is of GOD by faith Then in the following verse there are the excellent fruits and advantages which redound to them who renouncing confidence in themselves lay hold on Christ for righteousness Such as 1. Increase of Knowledge 2. Mortification of the Old-man 3. Resurrection to newness of Life To make these things the righteousnesse whereby we are justified as the Quaker doth is to confound Justification with Sanctification for here the parts of Sanctification namely Mortification and Vivification are expresly mentioned He saith My last argument from 2. Cor. 5.21 is most absurd and impious for accordingly it would follow that as Christ was made sin for us who of himself knew no sin no not in the lest so we may be made righteous before GOD though we have no holyness no faith no good thing wrought in us Answ He indeed impudently and absurdly wrests my argument the strength of which lyeth in this that as our sins are inherent in us and imputed to Christ so his righteousness is inherent in him and imputed to us Or as Christ was made sin for us by the imputation of our sins to him Isa 53.6 so we are made righteous before GOD by the imputation of his righteousness to us he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him upon which words one thus excellently glosseth he sin and we righteousness and not ours but the righteousness of GOD and not in us but in him Even as he sin not his own but ours nor in himself but in us so therefore are we the righteousness of GOD in him as he is sin in us The Quakers inference is impious and absurd to imagine that GOD considering his purity and justice should accept one as righteous in his fight and yet his person remaine abhored of GOD as an unholy sinner for the righteousness of Justification and Sanctification are twin blessings which go together in regard of GODS actual application of them And therefore it is a mistake arysing to speak fairest from ignorance to insinuate that we are against inward righteousness and holyness seeing we profess that without this no man shal see the Lord. And though we plead for the imputation of Christs tighteousness as to Justification yet we do nor hold that there needs no other righteousness at all We assert Justification and Sanctification to be inseparable companions and that whosoever is justified hath inherent godliness and righteousness And therefore it is false to say that we strengthen the profane and wicked in their presumption for we declare to them that while they continue wicked they are without hope and can lay no just claim to Christs righteousness and that they must be new creatures of they can never come to the New Jerusalem He asketh page 43. Whether the Apostles did sin in writting the Scriptures Answer There are two things that shal be said to satisfy this demand 1. That this was a singular extraordinary case and no doubt but GOD he that made an immaculate Conception in the womb of her that was a sinner can preserve extraordinarily some singular action from impurity such as the penning of the scriptures was But what is this to us who can pretēd to no such thing 2. Though the matter contained and delivered in the Scriptures remaines inviolable and without the least defilment yet what hazard is it to affirme that the Apostles in penning the Scriptures were nor inflamed with love and zeal According to the utmost extent of the Law though being tall Cedars their love and zeale was far above the love and zeale of others VII HEAD Concerning the Quakers groundless magnifying of their Sect. I meane to be thrifty of my paper in answering the Quakers self-advancing and exalting words He saith page 44. The flock of Christ is like to him and can it be an unsutable thing for one who supposeth himself to be of Christs flock to say the flock with whom he is it likest to Christ Answer What though the flock of Christ be likest to him Should the Quakers therefore set up themselves above all the people of GOD on Earth Are none of Christs flock but they Oh! It is intolerable pride to vilifie all the Saints and Servants of GOD in the world and to shut them out from being of Christs flock for if this be their priviledge then Quakers are not the most Christ like people others may call themselves so as well as they He saith that Christianity stands not in flying the society of men but the matter is for people to have their occasions and business in the world using it as if they were not using it Answer This indeed is the great work and business but can it be inferred from hence that the true power and life of holiness is more truely known to Quakers and eminently held forth by them then by any people else that have come forth since the Apostles dayes It were good that that parable were remembred Luke 18.9 And he spake this parable unto certaine which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despysed others And truely what ever thoughts the Gentleman hath of the PROTESTANT CHURCHES which in disdaine he calleth our Flocks there are many in them who live in the world very much dead to the world and their communication and habitual course of life holdeth forth their conversations to be in Heaven some of them have professed it were ill for them if they lived not every day as if it should prove their dying day We are far from commending the way of Monks and Hermits but their example was brought to give chek to ignorant well meaning people who are apt to be too much taken with an outward shew of mortification He saith page 45. such as have had so much of the fear of God upon their hearts that they durst not adventure upon sin would they not love to be perfect Answer Yes surely perfection is their aime and the white that they shoot at and therefore they long to be in Heaven where they shal sin no more for ever but they know that the Saints while on Earth shall be clogged with sin and that the question is not whether GOD can by the singular assistance of his grace keep any in this bodily life totally pure from sin But whether GOD hath not declared and revealed his mind
such as are keept by the power of GOD it is through faith but as they abide not in that power through faith but wander from it they fall and cannot but fall Answer A goodly reply forsooth which is as if he had said if the Saints fall from faith they must fall and cannot but fall Remonstrants grant that a Believer quatalis as a Believer cannot fall away but qui talis est he that is a Believer may fall away Now the designe of that Scripture 1. Pet. 1.5 is to shew that there are two things concurring to prevent the Saints total and final fall namely faith and the power of GOD both work together to keep the Saints unto Salvation that Lord who gives faith unto his people helps them to persevere in it for he is not onely the authour but the finisher of their faith Heb. 12.2 In answering Ierem. 32.40 He saith it should be translated thus I will put my fear in their hearts that they may not depart from me Answer The words in the Hebrew are lebilti sur megnalai which will as well carry shal not as may not depart from me But granting that the words were translated according to his own desire yet they are full enough to prove the Saints perseverance the Lord putting his fear into them for this end GODS love will not suffer him to depart from the Saints and fear will not let them depart from GOD GOD principles their hearts with such a measure of his dread and fear as stayes them from an utter departur from him He maketh short work with these other Scriptures Ioh. 10.27.28 Ioh. 13.1.1 Ioh. 2.19 saying that they speak of those who were to come to a through regeneration Answer This is a bare affirmation without any proof There is no mention in the texts themselves of a through regeneration and if it be onely throughly regenerate or perfectly sanctified persons that shal persevere then perseverance is the priviledge onely of Saints in Heaven whose attainment this perfection is and not of Saints on earth who groan under their imperfections Now seeing that Saints who have true and saving grace are the Regeneat Children of GOD when by faith they receive Christ GOD ownes them for his children and they are truely regenerat Gal. 3.26 Ioh. 1.12.13 On the other hand graceless persons are branded as being the children of the Devil Ioh. 8.44 Is it not then manifest that to mantain the total and final Apostasy of the Saints from grace will inferre that they who are the children of GOD by true regeneration this day may the next day become the children of the Devil Because the grace that they have now they may utterly lose it erre to morrow He asketh whether I look upon the Quakers as having fallen away Answer His book containing nor onely his privat sentiments but the common opinions of Quakers is a sufficient proof that they have apostatized and fallen from the truth and such of them as have felt a gracious operation on their hearts but in this houre of temptation are under a sad snare I trust the Lord will convince them and grant them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that by their rysing againe they may edify and rejoice those Souls whom they have wounded and stumbled by their fall HEAD XVI Concerning the hazard and danger of Quakerism SECT I. It tends to the neglect of that Worship which is due to GOD. He saith page 67. That they deny not true worship but onely our Idolatrous worship Answer If our Worship were Idolatrous they had reason to deny it but it is unreasonable to call our Worship Idolatrous when they have not a shadow of reason to prove it to be so unless the Gentle-man think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Quakers naked affirmation is a sufficient reason Now it is manifest that Quakers refuse GOD the worship which is due to him in the use of the creatures in that they can and do adventure to use these without seeking GODS Blessing upon them which hath been by former Saints accounted a profane custome utterly unfit to be heard of among Christians professing the knowledge and fear of GOD Are we not commanded to eat and drink to the glory of GOD 1. Cor. 10.31 And must we not then look up to GOD and desire his help to improve the creatures to his glory Besids the creatures of themselves cannot nourish us if GOD deny his blessing our eating and drinking can do us no good and therefore we have need to address our selves to GOD by prayer for by this means the blessing is obtained and the creatures come to be sanctified to us 1. Tim. 4.4 Object To receive the benefits and gifts of GOD with thanksgiving and to witness it sanctified to us by the word and prayer is owned by us Answer Do Quakers witness the creatures sanctified to them by prayer when yet they do not pray for the sanctified use of them Pray observe the way that Christ tooke his example is worth our imitation at the receiving of the creatures he lookt up to Heaven for a blessing Mark 6.14 and gave thanks Matth. 15.36 and this appeares to have been his ordinary practise he was knowne of his Disciples in breaking bread it being his ordinary manner to bless the bread in some special way which he break whereby he was discerned and differenced from others Luk. 24.30.31 Object It is usual among us when we sit down to waite upon the Lord for sometime that we may know our selves stated in his fear and as there we stand outward expressions may be uttered by us Answer When they are not thus stated in GODS fear yet they have liberty and freedom to fall to meat so it would seeme though they will not pray without fear yet they can eate without fear which is the character of wicked persons Jude verse 12. As for their waiting its but an engine to overthrow Scripture precepts seeing it hath reference to a new inward command without which they do not hold themselves obliged to express their desire in words but as they are thus required of them He addeth page 68. That to say that a man cannot nor ought not to pray without an impulse the spirits drawing and motion hath no bad tendency because all such prayers as are performed without the help of the spirit are abomination not true prayers but hypocritical and deceitful Answer We grant these things First That the spirit teacheth and helpeth the Saints to pray sometimes they are so stirred and moved to prayer that they cannot be at quiet but they must to some secret corner and there poure out their complaints before the LORD Gal. 4.6 Secondly That the season when the spirit moveth to duty should be laid hold on Psal 27.8 when thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face I will seek Thirdly When the spirit moveth the wâ—ek is sweetest then the Christian is cheerful in the exercise
discovered by his works like that expression where GODS strength is said ro be perfected in our weakness 2. Cor. 12.9 In answering that place Eccl. 7.20 he brings scriptures to prove that there are righteous men who do good But this was not the thing denyed he should have proved that righteous men on earth do good so purely that there is not the least fault or blemish cleaving thereunto As for that scripture 1. Ioh. 3.9 he that is born of GOD sinneth not it doth not prove an absolute freedom from sin for this is contrary to the experiences of the Regenerat and Saints in all Ages who have bitterly bewailed and ruefully mourned under the sense of their sins the words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he maketh not sin sin is not his trade Now a man makes a trade of sin when in sinning he is in his Element where he would be there is no work so pleasing to him as the work of sin But this is not the disposition of a Regenerate Person He addeth that the Prophet Isaiah 64.6 saith not all our righteousness which is of thy working in us who are Saints is as filthy rags Answ Neither doth the Prophet say as the Quaker brings him in speaking all our righteousness which we even the best of the Saints can performe of and from themselves are as filthy rags The Prophet speaketh in general and plurally of righteousnessess and that in the person of the whole Church and not relating onely to the wicked and ungodly therefore he useth the word all and our righteousness To affirme the Saints righteousness to be filthy rags is no just ground to make us ashamed for we do not reflect on the holy Spirit of GOD as if filthiness did proceed from him he is good in giving us the least degree of grace not being bound to give us any his work of grace and holiness in us is a special ornament to the soul making it in beauty to resemble GOD but in respect of us imperfection cleaveth to this grace in that it is not all the grace which the Law of GOD requireth of us being commanded to love GOD with all our hearts souls and minds Matth. 22.37 The best action and works done and performed by us as instruments have something of the taint of sin adhering to them where is the soul that is carried out in prayer and other spiritual duties with that love and delight with that purity and fervency of spirit which the spiritualness of the law doth call for Now it is the sin which cleaveth to the Saints good works which is to be throwne away this indeed is not an ornament but a deformity for which we should be humbled and ashamed in the sight of God He saith page 40. 41. that the Saints are subordinate coworkers with Christ but yet it followeth not that his works in them and by them are defiled and though it be said who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean this hinders not but that the Lord can and doth make clean those who have been unclean and so out of them who are made clean can bring forth clean things Answere 1. We grant that there are thousands in Heaven whom the Lord hath made perfectly clean and their actings have not the least impurity in them Heb. 12.23 Revel 21.27 2. We grant that there be many on Earth who are sanctified and cleansed yet their cleansing and sanctification is but in part they are not throughly cleansed and perfectly sanctified there is yet an unclean part in them they have in them flesh as well as spirit and however this unclean part viz. the flesh should be chained and kept down Yet GODS People to their smart and grief find the stirrings and rysings of it and the resistance and opposition it makes whereby they are hindred from doing good perfectly Gal. 5.17 the flesh lasteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Rom. 7.19 the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now men being but in part holy and in part carnal therefore the works which proceed from them have some filth and taint of sin cleaving to them there is sin in the best men to undo them if GOD should deale with them in rigour Psalm 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity O Lord who shal stand 1. King 8.46 for there is no man that sinneth not And yet we deny not but by degrees the clean part encreaseth and the unclean is diminished yea and at last all the uncleanness shal be wrought out there is a happy time coming when the children of GOD shal not have spot or wrinkle or any such thing but this priviledge is reserved for them till they come to Heaven for there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7.20 Intimating that the just mans doing good is attended with sin sinfulness cleaveth to his good actions as was formerly cleared by that similitude which the Quaker hath not in the lest weakened of clean water passing through an unclean pipe and thereby receiving a tincture of uncleanness The Gentleman that supposeth himself so well skilled in the outward creation should have instructed me what that outward water is which is not capable of defilment And having first done this he might then the more freely have come to his supercilious application SECT IV. Iustification is not by inherent Righteousness but by the imputed Righteousness of IESUS CHRIST He addeth that justification is taken for the making a man righteous and then it is all one with sanctification Answer Is not this to confound what the scripture distinguisheth Now justification and sanctification in scripture are alwayes spoken of as distinct benefits 1. Cor. 6.11 But ye are sanctified but ye are justified Rom. 8.30 whom he called namely to a conformity to the Image of his Son them he also justified And it is to be observed that we need not contest with Quakers or Papists whether the word justifie signify to make righteous or no Onely we say that the righteousness which doth make a man just or justifyeth him is not inherent in him And to assert justification to be the making of a man righteous by infused inherent righteousness or righteousness wrought in him is to confound what GOD distinguisheth and to alter the scripture sense of the word justify He addeth page 42. that admitting the Apostle Phil. 3.9 speaketh not of his righteousness whilest he was a Pharisee yet he was stil to deny the work and righteousness which was to proceed from his own will and spirit Answere The Apostle in the preceeding verses disclaimed righteousness proceeding from his own will and spirit but verses 8.9 he ryseth higher and goeth a step further even to the present time I account all things intending the present graces
own persons verse 14. death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is over Infants who sinned not actually as Adam did in their own persons yet they were subject to death as well as others 2. Object It is said Ezek. 18.20 the soul that sinneth it shal die the son shal not bear the iniquity of the father Answer What if the son be a partaker of the fathers iniquity will not GOD then visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children Exod. 20.5 Now though Infants partake not of Adams sin by imitation yet they partake of his sin in so far as Adam was the root of Mankind and sinned as a publick person representing them the root dying all the branches dyed in it and with it 1. Cor. 15.22 He saith page 64. That Infants are subject to diseases and death this proves them not to be sinners Ans The Scripture gives ground to believe that if man had not sinned he should not have dyed because death is onely threatned in case of mans sinning Gen. 2.17 and upon his sinning GOD told him not till then that he should returne to the dust Gen. 3.19 It is true the inanimat creatures suffer for the sin of man But it followeth not that therefore all of Mankind who suffer death are not sinners especialy seeing the Apostle plainly affirmes that death entered by sin and death hath passed upon all for that all have sinned so that he concludes all persons who are lyable to death to be under the guilt of sin and consequently sinners Christ indeed though innocent was a man of sorrowes because our sins were laid upon him He pleadeth for the salvation of all Infants who die in their infancy alledging that Scripture Mark. 10.14 suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of GOD. Answer The Kingdom of GOD is taken either for the Kingdom of Grace or for the Kingdom of Glory and such Infants as are subjects of his Kingdom of Grace upon whom the Lord exerciseth a gracious government in regenerating and sanctifying them all such Infants shal be admitted to the Kingdom of Glory But how will the Quaker prove that all Infants who die in their infancy have such s gracious operation in and upon them Now the Scripture is plaine that there is that in Infants which makes them lyable to destruction Ephes 2.3 by nature we are children of wrath that is from the very first receiving of our natures and beings we receive withal a lyableness to the wrath of GOD. And that some Infants do perish may be gathered from that which befell Sodom and Gomorrha none of the inhabitants were spared no not the Infants and Sucklings and they were not onely consumed with fire and brimston but it is expresly said that they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude verse 7. He saith page 65. That Christ is a Saviour not onely to save from sin but also from the consequences of sin not onely from the fruits and branches of it but from the seed Answer Christ indeed is a perfect Saviour and will compleatly save his people from every sin and evil but whom he thus saveth it supposeth that they had sin in them to be saved from but if the Quaker speak truth Infants have not sin in them to be saved from for he saith they are not guilty of Adams sin and the seed doth not make them guilty of sin before GOD because they do not close with it now actual sin they have not so that Christ is not a Saviour to save them from their sin and consequently they are shut out from being in the number of Christs people I cannot but take notice of the Gentle-mans impudence or else ignorance in bringing that Scripture Matth. 1.21 as making so much against us as if we were for a salvation in our sins whenas nothing can more unjustly be charged upon us We assert that whom the Lord saveth he workes in them a detestation of sin and a purpose to come off from all their sins and delivers them in this life from sin in part compare Rom. 6.6 with Rom. 7.20.24 and at death he gives them a total riddance of sin Heb. 4.10 To say that Infāts are saved frō sin because they are not suffered to fall into it it might be as well said that Christ died to save the Elect holy Angels frō sin because they are not suffered to fall into sin This looks like the old evasion of the Pelagians viz. that Infants need Christ not to save them from sin but to bring them to the Kingdom of Heaven against whom Augustin urged that they divided these two names of our Saviour Jesus and Christ making him a Christ where he was not a Jesus HEAD XV. Concerning the perseverance of the Saints which Quakers are against He addeth That they hold no such matter as falling away from Regeneration and that these that fell away never attained to regeneration Ans Here he seeks to hide himself but may easily be discovered For is not this the doctrine of Quakers that Saints may fall totally and finally away from true and saving grace G. Keith in his answer to my Queries sticks not to say that this is clear both from experience and abundant testimonies of Scripture Now are not Saints regenerat What is Regeneration but to be brought into such a state wherein we are made like GOD in righteousness and holiness And this being the state of Saints then it followeth that if Saints may fall away totally and finally which Quakers grant then there may be a total and final falling away from Regeneration It is in vaine to assert a total and final falling away from saving grace because it is said some who believed afterwards fell away and some make shipwrack of the faith and some who tasted the good word of GOD and the powers of the world to come fell away Seeing it is known that we use to distinguish between seeming counterfeit grace and sound saving grace between the common gifts of the Spirit and the saving graces of the Spirit Now it is incumbent for the Gentle-man to prove that they who believed made shipwrack of their faith or others who finally fell away had the sound and saving graces of the spirit which is the thing that we deny He saith That Philipp 1.6 is to be understood no otherwise then as the condition is made good on their part as Heb. 3.14 we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast unto the end Answer The condition which the Lord requires on his peoples part he promiseth to enable them to make good Ierem. 32.29 I will give them one heart that they may fear me for ever Here is a promise that GODS People shal persevere in cleaving to him and the promise of GOD cannot faile it is more sure then Heaven and Earth Mark 13.31 Page 66. in answering 1. Pet. 1.5 He saith