we will believe their Ipsi dixerunt without any artificial arguments to prove what they say because we then know what they affirm is true by reason they have then received the unction 1 Joh. 2.26 which is truth and is no lye But in the mean time he must pardon us that we dissent from him and his catalogue of Fathers on which he buildeth his faith for ought we see in that point and desire him to give us leave or rectifie our weaknesse by some stronger reasons then we heard from him at that time to declare to him first negatively that the words of Christ could signifie no such thing Our reason is from the artificial arguments contained in that axiom Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God The axiom is a compound axiom as all exceptive and exclusive axioms are wherein are two axioms one affirmative the other negative Now as affirmation is before negation so in the said exceptive compound axiom the affirmative axiom is first to be considered 1. That a man is to be born again of water and of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God 2. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God In the first axiom is laid down the effect to be born again and its causes water and the Spirit In the second axiom is intimated the necessity of those causes to the said effect that without those two said canses none can be born again to the kingdom of God And so much for the general consideration of the two axioms Our first reason we say why baptismal elementary water is not meant there is because the effect and its causes are of the same nature or quality according to the old and true maxime Qualis effectus talis causa contrà Such as the effect is such are the causes by reason that Causa est cujus vi res est A cause is by whose force and vertue a thing is Hence the birth specified Joh. 3.5 being as none we believe will deny spiritual the causes must be spiritual also which Christ nameth to be water and the Spirit in a copulate respect to the effect also Christ putteth water as the first cause in order to the effect aforesaid hence we affirm both causes water and the Spirit concurr as partial requisite causes to the effect Secondly that both causes therefore must be spiritual because the effect is spiritual but baptismal elementary water is a grosse material and no spiritual water and therefore the said water cannot be the water Christ meaneth as a partial concurrent cause to the new spiritual birth If it be said that baptismal elementary water is figurative and representative of the new birth That will not serve the turn because Christ doth not speak of a new birthin respect of a partial representative cause but he speaks of water as the true and reall partial coworking cause out of which a man must be born again therefore the said elementary water is not meant Neither can what is said be evaded by affirming that instrumental causes may be of another nature to the principal efficient causes as the Apostles were when it is said by St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.9 we are labourers together with God for though that be true in some respect when they are used as preparatory causes or instruments to the preparing of the said effect yet it is not true that heterogeneal causes can communicate immediately their vertue in common to the said effect and yet the effect be wholly of the nature of one of them and not of the other as we say in this place that the effect is wholly spiritual and Christ nameth water the preceding concurring cause in common with the Spirit from which this spiritual effect doth proceed Again though Paul do call himself a fellow-labourer as aforesaid 1 Cor. 3.9 yet the same effect of which he was a preparatory instrument and but a preparatory instrument might have been produced without him and no man we think dare affirm that except Paul or his fellow-Apostles had concurred that the Corinthians and others could not have been begotten again in Christ Again Christ specifieth the water in the said place to be so necessary that except a man be born of it and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God which if it be elementary baptismal water which is there meant then no man nor child can be saved or enter into the kingdome of God without it no not Seth Enoch nor Abraham nor any of the Patriarchs unless they and every one of them were baptized with elementary water but it is not likely though the Jews had ceremonial washings and though their washings were called baptism that any of them used to baptize with water as Christ hath left the institution direction of it to be In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as is expressed Matth. 28.19 which yet they must use in like manner or none of them were or could be born again to the kingdome of God without it because Christ saith Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter c. Again if it be such water aforesaid which Christ maketh so necessary as aforesaid then those do very ill who are of that opinion if they do not urge all parents to baptize their children so soon as they peep into the world especially if they maintain the old tradition of original sinne because they are liable to sudden death Quod cuivis potest accidere cuiquam potest and not deferre the baptizing their children unto some more convenient time as many do for a more pompous and magnificent administration thereof In the next place we do affirm with confidence that the water Christ meant in the said place is the divine and spiritual word according to that John 15.3 Now you are clean through the word I have spoken unto you which is Christs living and powerful word which is called spirit and life John 6.63 which also is aptly called water by Christ because it hath the same parallel effect to the defiled and unregen erate soul that water hath to the defiled body for as water cleanseth the defiled body so the said word maketh clean the defiled soul according to that Ephes 5.26 27. where it is said Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water in or through the word as the Greek expresseth it making the word the exegesis of the water and the vulgar Latine turneth it the word of life hence Christ did say to Nicodemus Except a man be born again of water that is the word called water as aforesaid he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Secondly this word is meant by the water aforesaid because none can enter into the kingdome of God without a washing with that word called also Tit.
page 48 in his differencing of gratia gratis data and gratia gratum faciens you will find him as excellent a Schoolman or schoolboy rather Page 2. he saith that in Religion the Law is our marke or way from which if we swerve we sin But is not the Gospel our way therein also and that in a speciall manner of our Christian Faith and Religion That defect is the general nature of sin but is not excess which is the other extreme sinfull also That this defect is an inclination or action repugnant to the Law But what thinks he of evill words as false accusation lying cursing and swearing such as he frequently useth are not they sinfull also That there is in sin a double formality repugnancy to the Law and guilt But guilt is the effect and not the form of sin That the former of these two is a comparison with the Law but it is a disparison or dissimilitude therewith that the first fin of man was the disobedience of our first Parents in eating the forbidden fruit But if he understands it of their actuall eating of that fruit he is much mistaken for as the womans actual eating thereof did go before the mans so many gradual evils did precede them both as first diffidence incredulitie to Gods word who had expresly said in the day that thou shalt eat thereof dying thou shalt dye Secondly too much eare and credence given to the devils lying promise who said ye shall not die but be as gods knowing good and evill Thirdly the too much liking and approbation of the forbidden fruit Fourthly the hungring or thirsting after it Fifthly contempt of Gods justice Sixthly ingratitude towards him for all his former goodnesse And lastly their consenting to Satan and resolution to eat of that fruit That in the generall all our corruption and misery is sprung from that first sin of the first Adam Contrary to what the Lord saith Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe But here he saith more particularly that eternall death came upon all their posterity by that first sin Contrary to Gods express Law Deut. 24.16 where God will not have the son to suffer a temporall death and much lesse an eternal for the fathers sin and directly contrary to Gods oath Ezek. 18.3 4. As I live saith the Lord God ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall die So ver 20. The son shall not be are the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him Num. 16.22 Shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the Congregation That the corruption aversnesse of our nature came from that fall aforesaid Pag 3. that all our actuall sins doe spring from thence See to the contrary Eccles 7.29 That the first sin of man is the cause of all other sins and punishments which is true of each mans personal fall and disobedience and not of the other That the Spirit by the Law entitles us to Adams sin He means the first Adams as a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountain to the cistern and as the children of traitors have their blood tainted with the treason of their fathers and as the children of bondslaves are under their parents conditions But all these similitudes are but shaws to catch woodcocks for neither was the first Adam either the root or fountain of our soules which are Gods immediate workmanship Isai 57.16 for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made nor are our bodies unclean by birth being created to be Temples for the Holy Ghost nor are traytors children usually tainted with their fathers treason though by the civil Law of some Countreys in proditionis terrorem they are ignobled in their blood and dignity nor was Adam himselfe a bond-slave to sin but by the grace of regeneration Gods free-man Rom. 6.18 before he begat any children nor doth the sinful corruption of our parents pass to us more then the graces and virtues of those that are or were righteous for both these are spiritual things which nature cannot convey but he seeks to prove what he saith by some Scriptures long since worn thred-bare by allegation to that effect Joh. 3.5 Rom. 5.12 20 21. 1 Cor. 15.47 48 49. Ephes 2.3 Iob 4.4 Psal 51.5 Isai 48.8 Gen. 8.21 To all which we will give answer in the order set down with what brevity we can having answered the same at large in our Examen As for that Ioh. 3.5 Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh it is true of the wisedome of the flesh and of the righteousnesse of the flesh as well as of the open sin but Christ speaks not here of the naturall birth of men but of a spiritual be it true or false As for Rom. 5.12 13 20. the Apostle speaks there thus Therefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death went over all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so far as all have sinned for so Chrysostome and Erasmus and others read those words for untill the Law sin was in the world but where there is no Law sin is not imputed or reputed for sin Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that is to come But not as the offence so is the free gift for the judgment was of one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of Righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to the justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Unto which long Text we give this short answer First that it is a parallel and opposition betwixt Adams mischief and Christs remedy and cure but few in these days of supposed rather then true light understand either the one or the other aright for besides the first Adam or man whom the Vindicator with many more for want of a true Judicator here understands there are foure Adams mentioned both in the Scriptures and other writers The first is our natural or earthly man which is the creature of this world of whom our Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15 41. The first man is of the earth earthly The second is
3. idem Serm. de fide lum nat God hath justified us using thereto no works of ours such as we work of our selves but onely requiring faith in Christ so say we also and without faith no man obtaineth life But I am able to shew saith he page 74. that a faithful man hath lived and obtained the kingdome of heaven without works Do it then and give Saint James the lie who saith chap. 2.14 What doth it profit my brethren though a man saith that he hath faith and have no works can that faith save him So the thief saith he did onely believe and was justified But was not his reproving of his fellow-thief the condemnation of himself and his partner in those evils and the accepting of his punishment the justifying of Gods justice and the clearing of Christ as innocent the owning of him for his Lord and his prayer for mercy besides all his former repentance which as we have shewed was both possible and probable was all this we say as no workes and fruits of his faith we may justly question whether the Vindicator hath ever shewed such fruits of his repentance and evidences of a true faith howbeit you see he makes much of this thief alledging him again and again as if he would fulfil the proverb Similis simili c. And Basil quoth he de humilitate saith This is to glory in the Lord when a man doth not boast of his own righteousness but acknowledgeth himself destitute of righteousness and justified onely by the faith of Jesus Christ Who doth not so yet do we not relie upon a false and meer imagined righteousness in Christ as the Vindicator doth Thirdly the material cause of our justification passively considered saith he or the persons to whom justification belongs these are rather subjects and objects then a material cause are those sheep of Christ that are known of him of whom no doubt a great part are fully justified already and he known to them that hear his voice and follow him whom he predestinated to life and elected before the foundation of the world Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did prodestinate them he also called and whom he called those he justified in a sanctifying way and whom he justified he glorified And Rodolph saith he in Levit lib. 17. cap. 2. That the blood of the High Priest was the High priest wont to be slain then was the expiation of the sin of all believers and so Christ hath taken away not onely the original sin but also all actual sins in respect of the guilt punishment and dominion of sin but not in respect of the corruption and pollution of sin which still remaineth in the best Saints But this Rodolphus is not a good Agricola for so Christ who came to perfect or present his Church holy and without blemish before God should have the worst thing and that which of all other is most hateful to God namely the pollution of sin to be left behind which to say is blasphemy against him And besides this saith he out of Haymo in Rom. 5. He hath given unto them everlasting life and to none other doth justification belong saith he and the reasons may be these All those that be justified in full shall be glorified for whom he justified them he glorified Rom. 8.30 But all men shall not be glorified because the kingdome of heaven shall be given but onely unto them for whom it is prepared Matth. 20.23 Secondly but that Text speaketh of sitting at Christs right hand or left Christ is called Jesus for that he should save his people from their sins that is none at all fully according to his doctrine Matth. 1.21 But though all men are his people jure creationis saith he that is by right of creation yet all men are not his people jure donationis given him to be redeemed from their sins and corruptions for of them thou gavest me I have lost none yes the Son of perdition John 17.12 And ye believe not faith Christ because ye are not of my sheep Joh. 10.26 therefore he shall not justifie all men thereby to save them from their sins But whose fault is that Christs or theirs for he invites all that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him Matth. 11.28 29. and Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely Yea though no man can come unto Christ unless the Father which sent me draw him and those he will raise up at the last day John 6.44 yet who is it that the Father doth not draw first to himself if he will come and after to his Son to be justified and saved by him Hosea 11.3 4. I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their armes but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man even with the bonds of love and I was to them as they that tooke off the yoke and I laid meat before them See Job 33.29 30. so all these things worketh God oftentimes with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living and chap. 36.10 11. He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity if they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasure but if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge And Christ who tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 saith of the Jews and might do it of others also whom he and his Father draweth John 9.40 and ye will not come unto me that ye may have life but men are in a special manner given unto Christ by the Father when they are first converted by him and after brought to believe on the Son for salvation from all their spiritual enemies John 6.37 46. Thirdly the formal cause of our justification passively considered saith he page 75. is the particular application of the righteousness of Christ which in his sense is monstrum informe unto every saithful soul But is this application an act or passion wherein two things are to be considered saith he first that faith must apply unto us all the benefits that Christ hath effected for us Is the work done to our hands is he to effect nothing in us for our justification Secondly that every man in particular must apply these things unto himself if he desires to be deluded as he is for the first saith he this is one of the manifest differences betwixt the faith of Gods elect of which he knows little or nothing and the faith of Devils and wicked men that the godly do apply unto themselves all the benefits of Christ Or rather do apply themselves to the seeking of the same according to the promises and the other know them but have not true grace to apply them But what are
but not of their finall estate to which they doe or may attain by grace in this life for Christ tels his Disciples Joh. 16.16 that he will pray unto the Father for them and he shall send another comforter unto them which certainly is the holy Ghost and he saith Christ shall abide with you for ever And those Scriptures which he produceth prove nothing to the contrary Psal 51.11 Take not thy holy Spirit from me for that spirit was for a time withdrawn from him for his great fall into adultery and murder Isai 63.17 Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy way and hardned our heart from thy fear return for thy servants sake the tribe of thine inheritance Where the Prophet in the name of the young Saints and not in his own bebalfe complains of an hardnesse contracted by their own sinnes as see 1 Kings 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us it seemeth to witnesse against him that God did not leave or forsake their fathers His conclusion from hence that the regenerate in this life doe always goe forward or backward and doe not at any time stand still or continue in the same estate is neither true nor consequent from the premisses Hosea 13.13 For he is an unwise son otherwise he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children did not the pillar of fire and the Arke often stand still at which time Jsrael was not to move Page 24 by the same miscount That the righteousness of the regenerate in this life is not such as may stand before God Contrary to many Scriptures Prov. 28.1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous is bold as a Lion 1 Joh. 22. And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this present world That those who are converted can no further retain good inclinations thoughts affections or purposes to persevere or goe forward therein then as the Holy Ghost worketh and preserveth these in them This is not true for the Holy Ghost doth in time beget not only inclinations but habits in the understanding memory will and affections sometimes they need indeed the Spirits admonitory and excitant grace especially in time of temptation but not always either then or at other times See Rom. 15.14 15. where the Apostle saith That those Saints at Rome have no need of an outward admonisher or remembrancer at all times and the same may be concluded of an inward commonefaction Doth not Saint Paul charge Timothy to stir up the gift that was already in him 2 Tim. 1.6 And Christ himselfe gives the like charge Rev. 2.25 that which ye have already hold fast till I come Further he saith that if the Spirit of God withdraw it selfe the regenerate are blind and wander and slip and fall yet so as they perish not He speaks very favourably of wanderers if so be that they were ever truly converted but as the former part of his assertion is not true as to their blinding unless the Spirit of God wholly desert men so the latter part is false for some true converts may by their own default fall totally and finally and perish Heb. 6.4 5 6. Heb. 10.5 8. for the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 1 Tim. 5.12 Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith Nor do the Scriptures to which he refers us ratifie what he saith 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received I say unto him again what hast thou received that thou dost bring this and all other Scriptures which are silent to the point in hand But 1 Cor. 1.8 seemeth to plead for him where the Apostle saith that God shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Christ and Phil. 1.6 Also being confident of this thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ But we answer that God indeed is constant on his part and will carry on the work which he hath begun if we prove not inconstant in our belief love and obedience to him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.12 goodness towards thee if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off and Christ himself Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love if ye obey my commandement sye shall abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers commandements and abide in his love So must Joh. 15.5 which he hath cited be understood He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit and Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your falvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure and 1 Cor. 10.13 Who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it and that of 1 Pet. 1.5 remaineth true notwithstanding that ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Pag. 25. he saith but he saith without any ground of truth that the four-fold liberty of the will answerable to the four-fold estate of man before and after the fall in regeneration and glory may serve for one ground to confirme the point in hand That sin will have a being in the best of men while they are here is false also and no less then these which follow That the regenerate estate of man is here but begun and not to be perfected Clean contrary to the Scriptures even now by him cited 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.5 That the estate of the regenerate here is but a growing in grace and a perfecting more and more and a prevailing in mortifying their corruptions but not attaining in this mortal life to have grace consummate nor corruption abolished but sin remaines and will remain till they lay down the body and be completely sanctified in glory But is not this principium petere to beg a principle or idem per idem probare But after a promise to confirme his position further by Scriptures Fathers and reasons he goes on and tells us out of Rom. 8.1 That the Apostle there doth not say that there is no sin in them that are in Christ but that there is no condemnation yet he tels us in the latter end of the same verse
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
Law and afterward comforted from heaven with a hope of mercy to salvation witnessed in their consciences by the holy Ghost But the words of the Greek Text are commonly mistranslated Concerning the imperfection of hope he saith little to the purpose but what he saith implieth a contradiction in it selfe and to what he would assert also for he saith that the Apostle compareth hope to an anchor for the soul which is both sure and stedfast as the Apostle doth Heb. 6.19 and yet this saith he doth no ways prove our hope to be perfect for what greater perfection can there be in an anchor then to have it sure and stedfast and to stay and preserve us against all winds and storms of Satan which he confesseth that our hope doth Nor is it the anchor that reels to and fro as he absurdly speaks but that which lyeth at anchor or the Ship it selfe but at the distance and the whole length of a cable whence its mobility by the winds and storms doth arise and not from the anchor it selfe And as for charity he goes about page 32 to prove that it must be imperfect all this life long First because our knowledge here is imperfect and but in part It is saith he a Maxime among Divines tantum scimus quantum diligimus which he or some others for him doth English thus imperfect knowledge cannot produce perfect charity But though the English saying is true yet it is not the sense of the Maxime but rather this that we have so much divine experimental and saving knowledge as there is love found in us that knowledge being always accompanied with a proportionable love 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we love God if we keep his commandements and verse 4. he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him True it is also which the Poet speaks quod latet ignotum est ignoti but not ignotae as he hath it nulla cupido things simply unknown cannot be loved yet is not our affection always towards men according to our knowledge or acquaintance with them as he affirms for knowledge and acquaintance may be without love But yet it is true also which he out of Bernard saith we can neither desire what we know not nor enjoy what we love not and that we shall love God with an absolute perfection in heaven because that we shall so know him and that with an experimental knowledge of his goodnesse But this hinders us not from so knowing him here as to love him above all which is the perfection of love here required of us Secondly he saith that perfect charity expelleth fear but there is no Saint here without feare Yet we have often shewed the contrary out of Luk. 1.74 75. and 1 Joh. 4.17 18. Thirdly he saith that perfect charity expels sin which he denys to be exterminable here because Saint James saith in many things we all offend chap. 3.1 2. Which is truly spoken of James of the whole race of our life not of our final and best attainments for in the same verse Saint James describes such a perfect man qualis invenire posset aut debet saying If any man sin not in a word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body But to fortifie his own cause he goeth about to disable the word of Christ saying Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that he lay down his life for his friend which he saith is not yet perfect for men may doe this out of ambition and for vain-glorious ends and therefore saith he our Saviour doth not bring this to prove the perfection of our love but of his own toward us so far as might be understood by outward apprehension But there is a life which if he and others would lay down in love to the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and their friends whom they should perfectly love it would be an undeniable argument of the greatest and most perfect love towards God and that is not to offer our only son with Abraham or our own natural life but the life of sin and and that is the life which he would have us hate and lay down for his sake Matth. 10.39 Luk. 14.26 Joh. 12.25 Rev. 12.11 nor is there any other life that men can properly call theirs but the life of sin for the natural life and the spiritual life are Gods workmanship and gift but so is not sin And having thus to his power mutilated the words of Christ Joh. 15.13 he goes about likewise to doe Christ the like service where our Saviour saith Ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoever I command you of which this Iohn of Burson as if he affected to be herein an Antichrist saith This is an hypothetical proposition which can never prove his perfection of charity because we can never be able to perform the condition Doth Christ then give us false marks and mock-tokens to try our selves by whether we be his friends or no was not Abraham called the friend of God 2 Chron. 20.7 Isai 41.8 Iam. 2.23 and was it not upon this very score Gen. 26.5 because saith the Lord that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my commandements statutes and my charge This brought all blessings upon Abraham and his seed after him But he goes on saying For although Bellarmine saith Gods word may be kept that is fulfilled yet he proves it not If he did not he might easily have done it and for to say that Gods commandements are grievous and to say that we can keep them not is not the same saith he yes in the Apostles sense they are Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous and he shews the reason of it in the two next verses to the confounding of both the Vindicators positions for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world to wit that world of sin opposite to the world of the Father of which sinful world he had spoken 1 John 2.15 16. And this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith For a thing saith the Vindicator may be very light yet heavier then I can bear Surely he is either a very weak man or this is a strong mistake but how doth he prove it The commandements saith he are just and holy and good Rom. 7.12 and the yoke of obedience is easie and light Matth. 11.30 Both these are true but the former of these doth not speak any thing of the lightnesse or heavinesse of Gods Law nor yet the latter unless it be to those that are weary of the yoke of sin and come to Christ and learn of him the lowlinesse and meeknesse and all other Christian virtues which are contrary to sin and which enable men to obey that Law Now whereas he would prove that these commandements of the moral Law are heavyer then we can bear
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
slip or fall as all men confess otherwise David Peter and all the Saints of God during their time of actual fals had lost all their righteousness which they had wrought before by every such by-step or slip Unto which he adds two sayings of the Apostle James which he understands as little as the former The first is chap. 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet shall offend in one point is guilty of all That is of violating the equity of the law and contemning the Authority of the law-giver which binds to the obedience of all the commands as well as to any one yet is not this guilt to be understood of every breach of the law through ignorance or weakness but of witting and presumptuous sins The other place chap. 3.2 in many things we offend all of which we have spoken before and therefore saith he are we taught every day to beg the forgiveness of our trespasses Unto which we have said likewise that although we sin not daily we may daily pray so for our selves and others to have our sins pardoned which have been many great His fourth argument against justification by works which in the Apostles sense we renounce is that Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law unto which he adds Gal. 5.3 4. That if ye seek to be saved or justified by the works of the law then are ye debters to fulfill the whole law and so Christ should profit us nothing who is given for that end But he goes about to prove that here Paul excludes not onely ceremonial works and works before grace but all works whatsoever how doth he that for saith he Paul writes not these things to unbelieving Jews but to the Galatians who were believing Christians But by his leave those of the Jewish faith who looked to be saved by their own works without the grace of Christ were crept in among them and had almost withdrawn them from the faith in Christ as appears chap. 1.6 I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that called you to the grace of God unto another Gospel See chap. 3.12 and 4.19 20. and 5.1 2 3 4 5. so this argument is false Fifthly he saith that no work of man can be good before his person be justified before God for without faith it is impossible to please God But a man may have faith to please God before a justifying faith the first is in God the Father the second is in God the Son see Heb. 11.6 But without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Abel saith he was first accepted and then his offering But that divinity of his agreeth not with Gods sermon to Cain if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost evill sin lies at the door Gen. 4.7 Nor with that which Solomon speaks Prov. 18.16 A mans gift maketh room for him which is true of gifts brought unto God as well as unto men especially if it proceed out of a good willing spirit But page 57. he comes to answer some objections which we present not because we oppose not his doctrine in this parergical discourse The first is that to what purpose are good works if we can neither be justified nor merit by them he answers That as gold is good yet not to asswage hunger yet his confiding friends gold and silver made him good cheer and the same hath admirable effects yet not to make the blind man see so good works have many uses both necessary and profitable yet not to justifie us before God or to merit by them for when we have done all we can yea all that is commanded we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 to which Scripture we have spoken before But here he bringeth in some objections against his own doctrine of the impossibility of keeping the law as first If God gives us commandements which we cannot perform it is in vain to exhort thereunto viz. to obey the same Secondly his promises of happiness and means for keeping them were but mockeries as if I should promise a child a thousand pounds to carry away a Milstone which he is not able to wag Thirdly his punishments for the neglect and transgression of them should be unjust for if laws be not made and proportioned to our power of performance the law-giver may as well be termed a tyrant as the laws themselves unjust But none of this can stand with the wisedome and justice of God viz. to command beyond our power or possibility Unto which objections he makes answer after his wonted manner with words of ignorance errour falshood first saith he God doth require of us to keep and fulfil his law to teach us what we could have done in Adam and what we owe to God But in the first Adam or Protoplast we could do just nothing for we had no being then nor are we debters to God upon that score though perhaps upon another score we are Secondly saith he there and page 58. to shew us that it is our own fault that we cannot now keep the Law Which perhaps may be truly spoken but not in his sense and way because man abusing his power and free liberty to do what he would did lose both and now he must do what he would not because Adam received that strength both for himselfe and us He often saith it but he never yet proved it Thirdly God teacheth us saith he what we should ask and of whom for God doth therefore command us to do what we cannot perform that seeing our own infirmities and being wearied under the Law of equity we might sue unto the throne of grace for pardoning mercy and the gracious assistance of the holy Spirit to enable us in some measure saith he yea to the uttermost say we to perform what he so justly requireth To which third reason of his we subscribe as also to that which he cites out of Augustine saying in the commandements we must know what we ought to have and in our punishments we must learn that we our selves are the câ—uses of our own wants yea add hereunto and of our own failings likewise and in prayer we must learn from whence we must fetch the supply of our defects or rather before we goe to prayer or saith he again to answer methodically for all this while he hath been no very orderly man God was upon Mount Sinai to deliver a Law what de novo that was never given before but such as was formerly ingraven on mans heart Thus far he speaks truly but what follows is not so true that the Law was now defaced obliterated through sin for we have proved already that though the righteousnesse of the Law was obliterated yet the knowledge of it was written in every mans heart with indelible characters
or imputed righteousnesse yet he justifieth the ungodly that turn from their ungodlinesse and that both by a proper and an imputed righteousnesse as we have shewed Secondly by the office of a mediator that was to undergo for us or rather to do for us whatsoever was required of us to be done But may not this be done as well within us by Christs grace and cooperation for us yea vvith much more piety and justice every man being created to a personal obedience tovvards God and his Lavv. Thirdly 〈◊〉 a recuperation or recovery of happiness vvhich could not be attained without perfect righteousnesse because the death of Christ as he saith freeth us from erernal death to wit when we are dead with him unto sin and the obedience of Christ that within us only brings us to eternal or everlasting life All which you must take upon his word and credit for he knows not how to prove it And therefore we say quoth he that Christ was born for us not only auferre peccata to take away the sins of the world to wit by sanctification by his voluntary suffering of the most bitter death of the cross but that only takes away the guilt and shews us how in order thereunto we should sacrifice flay and consume all our sins but adferre justitiam to bring righteousnesse unto us but how by his plenary obedience within us not without us to the most holy Law of God Which is yet unproved And therefore those Scriptures saith he that do ascribe our falvation unto Christs death which none do are not to be taken exclusively or as denying the active obedience of Christ to be imputed unto us but Synecdochically for the accomplishment of the whole obedience of Christ that was to be performed for us But none such was to be performed for us or upon our score as we have often affirmed nor can the contrary be proved out of the holy Scriptures And with this affirmation of his saith he agree the main and major part for his tooth and dyet as aforesaid of all orthodox he should have said heterodox Divines and most of the Fathers To wit since Calvins days Secondly saith he the passive obedience of Christ is all the sufferings of Christ both in life and death for our sins Yes and much more also in our inward man for us while we went on in our rebellion against God of which he never thinks because the justice of God required that we should never be freed from death without a just punishment in Christ like death also laid upon our selves or on some other for us both which we grant And therefore saith he the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah should be wounded yea had been so as we said before for your trausgressions and bruised for our iniquities chap. 53.5 And Daniel saith that he should be cut off but not for himselfe Daniel 9.26 and St. Peter saith should hear our sins in his our body on the cross but for what end that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse and then it follows by whose stripes or fellow-sufferings ye are healed 1 Pet. 2.14 and St. John saith Rev. 1.15 that he washed us him and his fellow-Apostles and Saints who were throughly clensed from sin in his own blood or Spirit Rev. 1.5 And here we must observe saith he that this obedience of Christ is of sufficient merit to satisfie for all sins and for those that were repented of and left more especially by reason of the dignity of the person that did obey or suffer for the hypostatical union of the Manhood of Christ with the Godhead makes the obedience of Christ to be of inestimable value or price Act. 20.18 True but that Te◠speaks of the blood of Christs Spirit for with that also is the Church of God purchased or redeemed from among men Rev. 14.3 4. Thirdly the formall cause saith he of our justification actively considered is a free imputation of Christs actual righteousnesse we say the inhesive whereby the merit of Christs obedience is applied unto all beleevers that is the accounting of us just and righteous for the merits of that obedience which Christ effected for us saith he pag. 71. But this is more formally then truly spoken for as we saith he apply unto our selves the righteousnesse of Christ and make the same our own by faith and acceptation he should have said by meer imagination so God himselfe saith he applieth it unto us by imputation according to his putation and accepts us for righreous for the righteousnesse of Christ which we have not and this imputation of righteousnesse saith he is a work of grace which God never spake or thought of not of nature a communicating of another righteousnesse and not a conferring of any real therein saith he truly or habitual righteousness upon us But without such a real or habitual one righteousness shall no man that hath polluted himself be justified or saved And this is a sweet exchange saith Justine Martyr if he belie him not or mistake not his sense in Epist ad Diog. that one should be sin for many and that the iniquity of many should be covered yea blotted out say we with the righteousness of one to wit his internal righteousness or that the justice or kindness of one should make many that are and were injust to be reputed yea to be just to omit that most of the Fathers which he had read speak to this purpose Frier Tarrus saith in serm de Dom. Advent Christ hath made all partakers of his justice and merits so say we that they might be able to stand in his sight and sustain the judoment of God see 1 John 4.17 18. often before alledged by us Because saith he there is no mortal man living whose righteousness to wit his own can be sufficient to obtain eternal salvation But if the Frier meant it as the Vindicator doth we hope the Vindicator will turn Frier also But saith the Vindicator Christs righteousness is made ours not because it is infused or translated into us Oh take heed of that for it would drive out sin too soon to abide habitually in us but because it is imputed and reputed unto us rather by him and his party then God as if it were theirs when it is not whom God doth acquit from sin and actually count just for the justice of Jesus Christ And therefore the force of our justification however I easily beleeve it is not any habitual sanctity subjectively remaining in us but the righteousness of Christ of which in his sense there is no mention in the Scriptures freely imputed unto us and so though it be without us and they without it yet it is made ours by right of giving if he knew by whose gift The Apostle saith he remarkably in Rom. 4.6 7. joyneth both the imputation of righteousness and the remission of sins together as the two special means to make us happy And so do we
they wise men or fools that believe every vain word and doctrine of men which hath no ground in the Scripture Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word but the prudent take heed to their going for so saith Augustine saith he and Peter Lumbard lib. 3. Senten distnct 23. That there is a great difference between him that doth believe Christ and him that doth believe in Christ for the Devils believe Jesus to be Christ but they believe not in Christ And may not some believe amils in Christ as he doth Because saith he it is one thing to believe God another thing to believe there is a God and another thing to believe in God yea and another thing to believe lies To believe God as he saith is to believe that he speaks the truth in the Scriptures and to believe God is to believe a God is But to believe in God is to believe with love and loving him to go unto him and to cleave unto him to be made one with him to dwel in him and have him dwel in us Whence it will follow that the Vindicator never yet believed rightly in God And this is that faith by which a sinful man is instrumentally justified in Gods way and not his and is both found and accounted righteous in Gods sight And hath not the faith of the Devil the father of lies the contrary effect hereunto For the second saith he we must understand that this applicaof faith or of Christ through faith must be particularly applied what must the application be applied by every man unto himself if he desires to be led hood-winked by the nose and that in a most special manner even he Because a general faith no nor a phanatick faith such as his is is not thought justifying faith for Paul testifieth that Agrippa did believe the Prophets Acts 26.17 18. and yet Agrippa confesseth he was no Christian And herein he was the honester man then in words to confess him and inworks to deny him as some Vindicators do And a natural man saith he by the force of Reason may be reduced to believe and acknowledge a God and that this God is powerful just and true and therefore brought to a general perswasion of the truth of things to be believed and yet all this faith no nor his own to boot is not sufficient to justifie us because true justifying faith is no natural quality nor phanatical notion but a supernatural gift of God as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 2.8 Phil. 1.29 howbeit it were no hard thing to prove that some of the heathen understood Gods work of justification better then the Vindicator witness that of Catullus the poet Omnia fanda nefanda malo permista furore Justificam nobis mentem avertêre Deorum Things good and bad mixt with a fury blind Have turn'd away Gods just just making-mind or justifying mind And therefore the general faith of the Scriptures saith the Vindicator is not sufficient to make us Christians but as we read the Saints of God do apply the promises of salvation unto themselves or rather themselves unto the promises to seek them in a right way as David saith to wit among experimental deliverances God is my rock and my redeemer and Job 19.25 I know that my redeemer liveth and Mary after that Christ was formed in her my soul rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luk. 1.47 and Thomas saith my Lord and my God Joh. 21. and Paul Gal. 2.20 who loved me and gave himself for me But what promises be or are contained in these Texts so must saith he every Christian that looks for salvation apply we say lay hold of in particular the grace and favour of God unto himself and his faith instrumentally justifies or may be a help unto him the sinner what without seeking of justifying and cleansing grace Lastly the final cause of our justification passively considered or the effect of it rather is peace of conscience in this life and the atonement a new expression but let it pass of eternal happiness in the life to come the first whereof saith he is attained by two special things first by an assured perswasion that all our sins are forgiven But may not some have a false perswasion in this kind so being justified by faith that is in a sanctifying and a purgative way from all our sins which we have committed we have peace towards God through Jesus Christ for ootherwise namely in his Son our justification is but a dream Secondly saith he by an unwearied study to strive against the stream which in his sense of impossibility is truly and properly spoken of our own natural corruption and why not against all temptations also and to keep a constant course which he denyed heretofore to be possible in the ways of godlinesse for Christ saith he gave himself for us to die for us and not by his Spirit to redeeme us from all iniquity and did bear our sins on his body upon the tree But for what end that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 or as Zachary saith Luk. 1.74 75. And so St. Augustine saith that Christ died for the wicked not that they should remain wicked but that they being justified through faith should be converted from their wickednesse and bring forth the fruits of holinesse because as St. Augustine saith also grace justifieth that we should live justly But here the Vindicator is so blind that he brings Augustine against himselfe for he takes the word justification as we do for purging away of sin and making of man just holy and good by way of sanctification which is an usual acception of the word among the Fathers The second end of our justification saith he is the eternal blessednesse which shall be attained hereafter when Christ shall say unto all his justified Saints made just and merciful by his sanctifying spirit Come ye blessed of my Father c. Mat. 25.34 And so much saith he for all the causes of our justification actively and passively considered Wherein he hath given us non causas mutilas pro veris false causes for true especially instead of the formall and material causes not much unsuitable to his deceitful justification but the efficient and final causes are for the most part applicable to the true work of justication And this saith he I hope may suffice but it must be among such as are blind or are willing to be deluded for the proof of the truth of this last branch of the second position that we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Which point being rightly understood hath been and shall be better confirmed by us I shall end saith he with that of our Saviour Joh. 12.48 The word which I have spoken shall judge you in the last day Yea and judgeth and convinceth the Vindicator already to be a blind guide a stranger to the faith of Gods elect and no other Apostle then a veterator or impostor
ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this for you saith the Lord. Matth. 1.21 And thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins and 3.11 12. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner but he will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire Luk. 1.70 71 74. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from all our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace and 11.26 There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and chap. 2.1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have a comforter with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins by way of propitiation and purgation of them and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world A third Tropick is this That our subduing overcoming and rooting out of sin is made the condition of manifold spiritual and heavenly promises which would be frustraneous and void if the condition were not feasible by grace And such conditional but performable promises are these Psal 24.3 4 5. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord even righteousness from the God of his salvation Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall obtain mercy Isaiah 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean take away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayest be saved And Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 16.24 25. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life of sin shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it Chap. 24.13 But whosoever shall endure to the end of his race and mortification the same shall be saved Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted in him into the likeness of his death we shall be also into the likeness of his resurrection vers 8. For if we be dead with him unto the sin we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye shall mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shal be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore dearly beloved having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Hebr. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end to wit the end of sin as before vers 14. for we are made pertakers of Christ in the Spirit after the likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6.5 If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh all sins temptations and spiritual enemies will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God vers 11. He that overcometh sin which is the first spiritual death Rom. 7.24 he shall not be hurt of the second death which lay lurking and hid therein vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he which receiveth it vers 26 27 28. And he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end aforesaid to him will I give power over the nations to wit all the powers and faculties of the outward man or the natural being and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken in shivers if through any new temptation they shall offer to rebel Rev. 9.27 even as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning-starre and Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels vers 12. him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name vers 21 22. to him that overcometh will I give to set with me upon my throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Church which condition we had six times before in the former and this present chapter The fourth Topick shall be the end for which Christ was given by the Father and for which he gave himself for us which on his part cannot be disappointed cannot be frustrate if we be not wanting to our selves Isa 42.6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a covenant to the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring the prisoners out of prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house So again Isaiah 49.8 9. Isai 61.1 2 3. as before 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 who are troubled about
the young men shall utterly fail but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint chap. 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousnesse sake he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Which it would not be if it were impossible chap. 48.17 18. Thus faith the Lord thy redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shalt go O that thou hadst harkened to my commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea chap. 51.4 5. Harken unto me my people and give eare O Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgement to rest for a light to the Gentiles my righteousnesse is neer my salvation is gone forth vers 7 8. Harken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their revisings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them up like wool but my righteousnesse shall be sure and my salvation from generation to generation Jerem. 31.32 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah saith the Lord not according to the covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them or therefore I must overule them saith the Lord but this shall be the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more Where take notice of these things that the first covenant is a covenant of works and the effect a compulsive obedience out of fear of vengeance Secondly that the second covenant is made to those that now love God and righteousnesse and obey it out of good will after the days of compulsion are ended which must have their foregoing work to break mans strong lusts and inclinations to sin after which comes the revelation of free mercy and salvation out of grace unexpectedly witnessed from Heaven to the lost yet humbled penitent and praying or deprecating soul which melts his heart with godly sorrow and inflames his heart with love to God and righteousnesse and with an hatred of all known sin Thirdly that this second covenant is of sanctification and then of some degree of glory As to the former the Lord promiseth to put his Law into our inward parts and to work the same in our hearts which is done no other way but by regeneration and by the promised Spirit of Christ which is called the blood of the new covenant and the blood of the everlasting covenant for the purging or the dimission away of our sins whereof both the expiative and consecrating blood of the old Testament was a figure Exod. 24.8 and 14.14 10. and chap. 8.23 24. and whereof the wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the New Testament is a sign and representation as the bread broken is a representation both of his word to be broken received and eaten Jer. 15.16 and of his suffering patience and weakness which is a body of his to be broken unto us by degrees and received by faith and obedience where through we may remember Christs death and follow him therein crucifying sin till he come unto us in the Spirit and power of his resurrection Thus the Apostle saith ' Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ this Spirit and spiritual blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself as man without spot to God purge the consciences or souls from dead works to serve the living God And Heb. 10.29 He that falls from grace counts the blood of this covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing or a thing of smal price and so doth despite to the Spirit of grace and hence it is that the Apostle prayeth Heb. 13.20 that God who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep would through the blood of the everlasting covenant make the believing Hebrews perfect in every good work to do the will of the Lord as Peter also tells the Saints 1 Pet. 1.18 that they were through the same redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation in a Jewish righteousness received by tradition from their Fathers This blood is promised unto them that walk in the light with God and his Saints 1 John 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sin With this blood the Saints washed their robes or imperfect righteousness and made them white Rev. 7.14 with this Christ washed the Apostles and made them Kings and priests unto God Rev. 1.5 6. for which they give him praise and glory and with this is the Devil overcome and cast out Rev. 12.11 A third thing observable in this covenant is that there is a clear full and glorious wisdome promised to each Saint in due time so that they shall not need to say to each other know the Lord for they shall know him from the least of them to the greatest for that perfect knowledge and love is then come which makes the imperfect knowledge and prophecying to cease 1 Cor. 13.8 9. Lastly the time of that perfect wisdome power and love is also limited namely vers 34. in those words for I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more it is then when God hath purged and taken away all their sins by the same blood where forgiving of sins as in many other places is to be understood of the purging them away by Gods grace which we call dimission and that is the principal taking away of sin upon which the pardon or taking away of the guilt follows of course and is cast in over and above out of Gods abundant mercy for the death and sufferings of Christ But to proceed Ezek. 36.25 26 27. we have another of these promises of enabling grace Then will I pour clean water upon you and from all your sins and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new
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.
did intend to alter and abate those qualifications enumerated Ps 15. and Ps 24. v. 3 4. of them that should inhabit his tabernacle through Christ after he came in the outward flesh because if he did not intend so to do then these are still the qualifications to be shewed forth by every one that is to dwell in Gods holy hill even to walk uprightly to work righteousness speak the truth from his heart not to do evill to his neighbour to perform his oath though it be to his own hinderance c. and not to swear deceitfully 19. Quer. Whether religion standeth in assuming or practising of any outward formes and services so as the practitioners of them are to be accounted the religious men above others who assume them not yet practise more mercy justice in their actions then the aforesaid do also live as unblameable lives The reason of this Querie is because the Lord by the Prophet Micah telleth them that to do justly love mercy and walk humbly with God is the good which he hath shewed them to do that he careth not for their offerings nor for their rivers of oyle nor yet for the fruit of their bodies for the sinne of their souls Micah 6.6 7 8. Secondly because in Is 58.2 3 4. its said They seek me daily and delight to know my wayes as a Nation that did righteously they ask of me the ordinances of justice they take delight in approching to God yet for all this their fasting to 〈◊〉 the Lord declares his dislike of them v. 3 4 5 6 7 〈…〉 3. Because it is said James 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God the Father is to visit the fatherless and widowes and keep himself unspotted of the world We desire to know of any inquisitive man or professor of Religion whether there be any place of holy Writ which speaketh like to this of the pure Religion So that it appeareth that the mercy and unspotted life is the pure Religion and undefiled before God the Father and therefore they are the most religious men who practise most of the mercy and unspotted life though they be of no divided opinion amongst us at this day yet practise all outward services with others for peace sake Hence it is to be considered whether many in America who have not the written Scriptures be not better Christians then many in England for I have heard a woman commonly called a Moore then of Mr. Jesse his Congregation who relâ—aed thus much in reference to St. James his Religion of their Countrey-natives practised that they used when any of them were sick to goe to them and one to do this office about the patient a second to do another a third to do another office of help about them and not to leave them until they saw them dead or recovered This was her testimony unto a person of Honour in my hearing she also saying of themselves we do not as is usually done in England to send to see peradventure how they do but afford them little help of their own but God help them according to that James 2.16 ' Depart in peace be ye warmed but give them nothing 20. Querie Whether to be oft distempered with passions of pride wrath maliciousnesse envy and to be of an unreconcileable spirit be not worse then to be oft distempered with wine and strong drink The reason of this Querie is because the latter sort of distempered ones are looked upon as irreligious men as indeed they are and are shamed and spoken against for such distempers by the former sort of distempered men who are yet more frequently distempered and longer with malice wrath irreconcileablenesse and envy then the others are with wine Now as every effect is to be argued from its causes by reason it is from them so must men judge of the said effects more or lesse evil from their causes and principles from whence they come and hence it will appear that those who are often distempered with wrath anger malice are worse then the other because envy wrath and malice c. are from the devils nature more immediately and properly according unto that Ja. 3.14 15 16. where it s said ' that this wisdome is devillish the other distemper is more indeed of the brutish sensual nature according to that Phil. 3.18 19. Whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Hence it will follow that the wrathful and malicious man because he sheweth more of that id Diaboli to be in him though the other more of the id ruti to be in him is the worse of the two though he that is the best of the two will be shut out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.11 if he repent not here but whether it be not inconsideratenesse or partiality let them judge whom it concerneth to count the distempered with wine for irreligious persons and yet to account the other sort who are distempered with wrath and envy for religious persons and their wrathful envious passions but the infirmities of Saints especially if they walk in some outward form of a religious esteem do not the Apostles words Jam. 2.4 reach these Are you not partial in your selves and Judges of evil thoughts because that which is high in most men is abomination to God and because the malicious distemper is more of the devils nature as aforesaid We shall offer further some Texts of Scripture to be enquired into as how far their scope and aime doth concern us because of what is said 2 Tim. 3.16 17. 1 Querie What is St. Pauls intent when he saith Rom. 2.3 And thinkest thou O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgment of God The reason is because God is no respecter of persons v. 12. v. 6. 2. Querie What did our Saviour mean Math. 7.12 where he saith All things that you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets The reason of this Querie is because of what Job said Job 16.4 and many care not who sink so they swim 3. Querie What did St. Paul mean Phil. 2.21 where he saith All seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christs 4. Querie What did the Lord mean Jer. 45.5 where it is said Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not 5. Querie What did Christ mean Math. 16.26 where he saith What is a man profited if he shall gain the world and lose his soul 6. Querie What is the scope of that Psal 50.20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thy own Mothers son 7. Querie What is meant Isai 63.8 where it is said My children will not lie 8. Qu. What doth Christ intend Luk 17.1 2. when ' he said Woe be to them by whom offences come it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and