before conversion by working or acting grace in his heart or was he then led by the spirit of God into all truth Iohn 16.13 When he persecuted and made havocke and breathed out threatning and slaughter against the Saints of God was the love of God then shed into his soule or did he then love the Saints of God when he so thirsted for their blood it is true he then loved them as the wolfe doth his prey But the true love of God is the infusion of that grace of love into their soul which both knits them to God and to his people but this could not be before their conversion then sure it was not before their being When God infuseth the graces of his spirit into the soule by those graces be sanctifies it and these are not the causes of our salvation but they are a part of it as the first fruits of that harvest Rom. 8.33 Iam. 1.18 And the earnest of that bargain He hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 After that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1.13.14 Meaning the graces of Gods spirit Mat. 7.11 Compared with Luke 11.13 Therefore the promises commonly run and are made to them that are sanctified and seldome or never to them that are justified because the perfecting of sanctification is the last work and brings us into ful happinesse to al eternity then imputed righteousnesse ceaseth and faith ceaseth aad prayer ceaseth and the intercession of Christ ceaseth but the righteousnesse of sanctification that is begun is us here being purchased by Christ also and wrought by his spirit in us that abideth with us to all eternity for it is eternal life begun in us then what a miserable delution is that which speaketh evil of that eternal life that is begun within us saying what have we to do with that dungy durty duties of sanctification we thank God through Jesus Christ we have nothing to do with them these are workes for horne-book Christians but let me tel them that the promise of heaven and happinesse is only made to holinesse Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5. And without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Again Heaven is the inheritance of them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 But no unclean thing shall enter into it Rev. 21.27 Now all the persons in Trinity may be said to sanctifie us To them that are sanctified by God the Father Jude 1. I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Exo. 31.13 Levit. 20.8.21.8 The very God of Peace sanctifie you 1 Thes 5.23 God the father sanctifies us by giving his son to purchase it for us and by sending the holy Ghost to worke it in us and by hearing and granting those petitions which are moved in us by his own spirit Rom. 8.26 Secondly God the Son is said to sanctifie us first by the purchase that he gave for it he hath washed away our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 The blood of Christ doth purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Secondly by his ordinances the word and Sacraments Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it with the washing of water by the word Ephes 5.26 First by the word in shewing us our sins by it and also our duties and begetting faith in us by it whereby wee have both knowledg of and power to do these duties and to refraine those vices discovered by it and also by the Sacraments by strengthning and encreasing faith all other graces in us Thirdly We are sanctified by the spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Thes 2.13 Now as the Father works by the Son and the holy Ghost so the holy Ghost workes both from the Father and the Son therefore it is said Your heavenly father wil give the spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 The Father shal give you another comforter John 14.16 And saith the Son If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I wil send him unto you John 16.7 Now saith the Apostle He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.5 6. The spirit of God sanctifies by changing us into the same image from glory to glory that is From the glory of grace begun to the glory of grace perfected 2 Cor. 3.18 And by leading us into all truth John 16.13 This is done by inward motions and comforts encreasing that which he before infused into us Again it is said that faith sanctifies that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith Acts 26.18 Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 When faith takes hold and receives the blood of Christ and makes it ours so it justifies us as an instrument or a hand laying hold on Christ the justifier But as faith works by love Gal. 5.6 And stirs up all other graces in their lively motion so it sanctifies us when it makes us love God unfainedly and stirs up a lively hope that maketh not ashamed and fear to offend God and care to please him and a zeal for his glory humility self denyall mortifying sin and a chearful walking with God in all holy obedience thus faith may be said to sanctifie and although other graces were infused into us by the spirit of God as wel as faith yet when faith acts them and stirres them up in their lively motion this second working may be called the fruits of faith because they are acted and encreased by it instrumentally although the graces themselves are all the fruits of Gods spirit wrought in us Gal. 5.22 But our Antinomians are strangers to this kind of working for they will have the spirit of God to do his own work and they must be as empty trunks for it and as dead stones without life or motion yea their faith they so much boost of must be but a spectator to look on their love must free them from obedience and their faith is without labour but saith Paul Remembring without ceasing your work of faith labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 Heb. 6.10 Again the Saints are not rewarded according to the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them for then they should bee as high in glory as Christ yet I grant that to be the cause of our salvation but we are saved according to the measure of our sanctification that is wrought in us by the spirit of God neither are the reprobates rewarded according to the imputation and guilt of originall sin although that was the cause of damnation for then all should be tormented alike but they are rewarded according to their actual sins committed in their own persons For he that treasureth sin he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath
hath given me I should lose nothing And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6.39.40 But when others are left to perish in their sin this also is according to the will of God they were ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. And who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 Thus all things come to passe according to the secret will of God a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will Mat. 10.29 Now it will not follow that God loves all things that comes to passe according to his will for sin it selfe could not be without his permitting will yet I hope they will not say that sin is beloved of God because he permitteth the being of it although his will is good and therefore a good will yet I deny not but God loves his work in the very Devils and Reprobates in the time of their being If this be the love of good will they meane I shall grant as much but yet the creature may perish for all this good will Againe I demaund how there can be any true love without delight here they would measure the love of God by their owne bushell for they say that they beare good will to Christ and the Gospell but they neither love the Father nor his Law but if these men did truly love the Sonne they would love the Father also 1 John 5.1 But let them have what pretence they will they neither delight in the Father nor the Sonne because they abhor all Bonds and Covenants that should ingage them to obedience doe they not rage against God and Christ his anointed saying let us break their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us Psal 2.1.3 Neither will they hazard any thing for the name of Christ but saith Paul I am not onely ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.15 They pretend love to Christ and his Gospell but yet they will not fight nor strive together for the faith of the Gospell Phil. 1.27 Nor contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 〈…〉 against sin Heb. 12.4 If they did truly love Christ they would fight against his enemies to rescue his Gospell and his people whom they say they love but this is their love of good will separated from their love of delight But suppose they say if one man purpose to doe good to another this is actuall love So if God purposed from all eternity to doe good to his Elect this is actuall love I answer A man may not onely purpose to doe good but he may also doe it and yet not love him to whom it is done as the unjust Judge did deliver the poore widow because shee troubled him but not through love to her for he neither feared God nor regarded man Luke 18.4.5 And the Pharisees gave Almes but not through love to the poore but to get praise themselves Mat. 6.2 So God may cause the Sun to shine and the raine to fall he gave them a King in his wrath and quailes in the wildernes but not in love But now although men sin when they seeke their owne praise and doe any good worke without love yet God doth not so Againe when one man intends to doe good to another there is an object for his love but before the Creation there was no object for Gods love but himselfe therefore God loved nothing before the Creation but himselfe it was not his love to the Creatures that moved him to create them but it was love to himselfe to set forth his owne glory Ephes 1.12 According us he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should bee holy and without blame before him in love ver 4. Here you see Holinesse goes before Love and not Love before Holinesse and also Obedience goeth before Love Deut. 7.12.13 Iohn 14.21.23 And Reformation goeth before Love Hosea 14.4 They would set forth Gods love to his people by the love of David to Absolom When Absolom fled the soule of King David longed to gee forth unto Absolom 2 Sam. 13.38.39 And in the next Chapter the King said Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face So he dwelt twofull yeares and saw not the Kings face Ver. 24.28 Thus they would have God to love his people from all Eternity although they doe not see his face that is although he doe not manifest himselfe unto them I answer Absolom was Davids naturall Sonne then although he offended his Father yet his Son-ship remained still and Absolom was in present being and an Object fit for his love being his Son But before the Creation we had no being then there was no Object for Gods Love but himselfe Againe then we were neither the Sons of God by Creation nor by Adoption nor nothing in us lovely beyond the Creation hence I conclude that all the Love of God then to his people was but a purpose to make them lovely and then to love them But they will alledge the words of Iohn God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son that whose ever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have 〈◊〉 lasting life John 3.16 Here say they is actuall love going before the senâ—ing of Christ I answer if they look back they may see Christ tendâ—ed before ver 14. As the Serpent was in the wildernes and also it may be supposed that Faith was given to some of them to receive and close with Christ in these words Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternall life ver 15 then it followes ver 16. God so loved the world but what is meant by the world here but those beleevers who had Christ tendred before and had Faith given them to receive him As many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.12 And so Mr. Perkins reads it in his Exposition on Iude Page 52. He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life But why shall not believers perish Because saith he God so loves the world of Believers So then first God gives his people Faith and makes them lovely and then he loves them with actuall Love and saith he in the same Booke page 104. The proper cause of the Decree of God must be in himselfe because it was before the creatures were he decreed to love one and to hate another this he purposed in himselfe Ephes 1.9 God needs not goe out of himselfe for motives from outward respects to chuse or refuse but because his good pleasure is such Mat. 11.25 Then fore-sight of Faith in some or infidelity in others nor love to some and hatred to others was the cause of chusiug some and refusing others seeing Gods
with thy salvation that I may see the good of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladnesse of thy nation and glory with thine inheritance Psal 106.4 5. Now this love is peculiar to Gods people neither have the elect this love from all eternity nor yet before conversion for Gods anger must be turned away and their backslidings healed and then he wil love them freely Hos 14.4 Saith Christ Hee that keepeth my commandements is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shal be loved of my father and I wil love him and if any man love me he will keepe my words and my father wil love him and I wil manifest my selfe unto him for we wil come unto him and make our abode with him John 14.21 22 23. And if ye keep my commandements ye shal abide in my love even as I kept my fathers commandements and abide in his love John 15.9 10. If ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them then the Lord thy God shal keepe unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers and hee will love thee Deut. 7.12 13. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee ô Jacob and he that formed thee ô Israel feare not I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine And then after all this it followes Since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee Isay 43.1.4 And lest any should think Gods love was before the sending of Christ the Apostles seemes purposely to prevent it praying thus The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ putting that in the first place and then the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.14 Being justified by faith we have grace with God but no peace before faith in Jesus Christ but then follows many priviledges as free accesse into his presence and rejoycing in hope of the glory of God because the love of God is now shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 2.5 So then when Gods love comes then comes saith And when faith comes then comes the holy Ghost and dwels in our hearts Ephes 3.17 Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and bast not denyed my name then it follows They shall know that I have loved thee Rev. 3.8 9. But before the creation there was no word given to be kept not strength to keep it therefore no love before the world was Again saith the Lord Whom I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. 3.19 But did God correct any before the creation if he did let them prove it And he scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth Heb. 12.6 So then if they were adopted the sons of God before the creation they must shew that they were corrected before for the spirit of bondage goes before the spirit of adoption Suppose they say that God commended his love to us in that while we were sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 Therefore say they Christ loved us while we were in our sins I answer it is true Christ dyed for us when we were in oursins and Christ was tendred unto us in that condition as a man may tender his love to a woman whom he would have to be his wife but this wil not hold that she therefore is his wife because hee hath tendred his love to her no she must consent to that motion and then be given to him and then she is his wife so when God tendered Christ unto us and gave us faith whereby we are capable to make a contract and so gives us to Christ then wee have right and a true title to Christ and all his benefits and not before But now because we deny that any can be actually loved or justified before Faith Suppose they like subtill Sophisters shall say that we hold that a man may have true saving Faith some space of time and yet not the man justified because we say that faith justifies by reflecting back and taking hold of the righteousnesse of Christ I answer when we sate in the state of nature we were in darknesse but when we were baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire then wee see a great light Mat. 3.10.4.16 No sooner doth the candle burne but it gives a light saith David Thou wilt lighten my candle the Lord my God will lighten my darknesse Psal 18.28 But as soone as the heart is touched and faith wrought in it by this light immediately it sees Christ then how can it chuse but take hold immediately But for us to distinguish the time betweene the infusing of Faith and the reflecting act of it is beyond our capacity as much as to distinguish whether fire or light comes first to the candle yet in order of nature sire must goe before the light and so faith must goe before the operation But for the time I cannot distinguish if not in naturall things much lesse in spirituall things Againe suppose they say doth not God love them that have faith wrought in their soules before it take hold of Christ to justifie us I answer let what faith will be wrought in the soule till it takes hold of Christ it doth not justifie and therefore for the present Gods love is not to him as to his reall child for saith Mr. Perkins the very seeds of saving faith brings forth groanings and earnest desires of the favour of God in Christ and makes us hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 But if the seeds of faith doe this what will faith it selfe doe Is there any time for it to he idle in the soule before it take hold on Christ to justifie I know none therfore when it is wrought God loves that man as his reall childe but the more they stand upon these nice distractions the more they display their folly But they reply from those words of Ieremiah saith the Lord I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 This say they being everlasting is from all eternity I answer when God loves his people he loves them for ever Jo. 13.1 His loue neuer faileth 1 Cor. 13.8 No waters can quench this loue Cant. 8.7 He will rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 So his love unto his people is eternall He will neuer leaue them nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 But all this will not prove that God loved them from everlasting although he love them unto everlasting from the time of their being and saith Mr. Perkins on his Exposition on the Creed Page 396. God neither hates them indeed nor loves them indeed before they are and concerning those two Nations that came of Iacob and Esau he saith God did purpose to love one and hate the other Page 374. as also many able Divines have well approved of this booke before it was published So then although God love his people for ever yet if we speake of the time past beyond the Creation or
highly favoured Luke 1.28 Being full of faith Acts 6.5 Now it is not God that changeth in his love but the change lies in us for Gods love is infinite in greatnes like himselfe so that no creature being finite is able to containe this infinite love of God it is like the Ocean Seas nothing is able to contain it but himself al the creatures are but as so many vessels of several sizes cast into this Ocean and every one receives his measure but the beasts and sowles are not able to receive so much as men nor men before conversion being dead in sin and having no hand of faith to receive it as he that hath a new life infused into him and the hand of faith given him whereby he is made more capable to receive a greater measure nor he that is but in part sanctified and having the burden of sin upon him as he that is wholly sanctified and freed from all sin and so as faith increaseth wee are more able to receive this infinite love of God and some have fiue Talents some but two now if God make some creatures more capable to receive and then bestowes more of this infinite love upon them this must needs bee agreeable to what God purposed to bestow on them from all Eternity Againe some to whom God hath purposed to bestow lesse yet they may haue it in actuall possession sooner than those to whom God hath purposed to bestow more saith Paul Andronicus and Iunia were in Christ before me Romans 16.7 Yet Paul I suppose did soon exceed them and so the last became first for hee was not behind the very chiefest Apostles he did improve his tallant more then they all yet while he was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious then I say Andronicus and Iunia were more beloved then he because his graces lay in the purpose of God and they had it in actual possession again Christ chides some for their little faith Mat. 14.21 And others he highly commends for their great faith Mat. 8.10.15.28 Some are more carnall then spirituall yet babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.12 But herein is my father glorified when we bear much fruit John 15.8 Rom. 4.20 Christ himself the more he grew in strength and wisedome the more able was hee to perform the work of Mediator-ship therefore as he encreased in strength and wisedome he encreased in favour with God and men Luke 2.52 because then he was able to do more both for God and man Thus the greatest vessel being cast into this ocean recovereth the greatest measure of this infinite love of God Again the love of God is also eternall like himself and God hath made some creatures eternall to keepe their measure that they have received for ever whereas other creatures are mortall and not able to keep that measure of love which they have received for ever because the vessel wil decay and so that love which they received returns back into the â—cean where it was before the creation and for those Angels that were made eternall vessels and yet carelesse to keep their measure of love which they had received They shal suffer eternally the losse of this infinite love of God Jude 5. And the rest that did not sin were established by Christ but for man all sinned and came short of the glory of God the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 All were under the curse and might justly have suffered eternally with the reprobate had not Christ redeemed us from the curse Gal. 3.13 And he prepared this broken vessel to make us meet for our Masters use 2 Tim. 2.20.21 For this is the wil of God even our sanctification and that we should know how to possesse our vessels in sanctification and honour 1 Thes 4.3.4 But God did not impart this infinite love into these vessels before they were and that actually from all eternity Again they alleadg that place in Ezek. 16.6 7 8 9. That the Lord saith When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine own blood now when I looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love I answer first God doth not say in that time that he looked upon that polluted sinner that he loved her but thus Behold thy time was the time of love that is thy time of effectual calling out of the state of sin into the state of grace by true faith and repentance and reformation Thus not my time when I saw thee polluted but thy time when thou art washed and cleansed that was the time of love for saith the Lord When I saw thee polluted J said unto thee live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live vers 6. Now this was such a powerful voyce as when hee said in the creation let there be light and there was light or such a voice by which Christ raised up dead Lazarus to life Iohn 11.44 For marke I caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field thou art encreased and waxen great and thou art come to excellent ornaments whereas thou wast naked and bare vers 6. This was the time of love vers 7. For those ornaments was the righteousnesse of Christ to justifie her for saith he I spread my skirt over thee to cover thy nakednesse vers 8. Yea she had the grace of faith-wrought in her wherby she was capable to enter into Covenant with God and so saith he thou becamest mine vers 8. After this she declared her self to be washed with the water of sanctification and adorned with all those graces following vers 9.10.11.12.13.14 Then was she actually loved of Christ but this will not prove that the elect are actually loved of God from all eternity For when God actually loves a man He draws that man by those cords and bands of love to him againe Hos 11.4 We love God because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 Love is a bond of perfectnesse Colos 3.14 But this could not draw us before we were the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Ghost Rem 5.5 But he that hath no bowels of compassion toward his brother how dwelleth the love of God in him Ioh. 3.17 Now keep your selves in the love of God thus of some have compassion and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Jude 21 22 23. But was Paul such a one before his conversion when he made havock of the Church of God and breathed out threatning and slaughter against the Desciples of the Lord did this love of God dwel in him then our heavenly Father wil give his spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 But can they aske him before they were While Peter was yet speaking the holy Ghost fel on them which heard the word Acts 10.44 Then was this actually done in Gods decree or did the holy Ghost dwel in Paul
of God is the Author of it for they are as dead as before even as dead as a stone and therefore alas they cannot sinne of themselves but as he leads them neither can they have any thought of sin but as be infuseth it As if a sword kill a man must we blame the sword or the man So if the spirit of God take and move them to doe some sinfull action must they be blamed who are as dead as a stone or the spirit of God that moveth imployeth them about that sinfull action On the horrible Blasphemy of these men against the pure and blessed spirit of God now in this cleare and glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell of Jesus Christ how neere doe these men come to that unpardonable sin Let the judicious and godly Reader judge that yee may the better marke them which caused divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.17.18 These things are the substance of that disputation which I had with some of them so long agon and still they hold the same errors that Eaton raked out of the dunghill of former Heretiques and now they are wrapped up in that sweet honey-combe that they may the better goe downe to poyson their soule which is the end for which the father of lies doth imploy them while they are in his service An answer to certaine cavils made against my Book Intituled A short view of the Antinomian Errors by some of them and sent to me in two letters in the name of John Walker but I know none such MAster Walker I have received your Letter in which you make many cavils against my Booke intitled A short view of the Antinomian Errors you say that I have trimm'd up those fine Tenets in tearmes of my owne and given them a name at my pleasure with a promise of conviction which are but so many lies in the Front of it For first have I trimm'd them up or whether have I not rather stripped them naked to the eternall shame of the Authors of them and are they my tearmes when as the Authors of them have owned them before that grave and worthy Assembly of Divines in my hearing and many hundreds more and did I give them a name no they were called Antinomians Errors before you were borne onely they lay a while in the privy or house-of-office till Eaton began to root among the dung for some sweet odour and he conceived some of it to be very sweet and pleasing to his pallat and so hee kept it by him and when he was gone and left an ill savour of his dung behind yet some there was that made much of this dung in speciall one Mr. Lankester he put in the presse and squeesed it and presently in his conceit it was so sweet as the honey-comb then Crispe he got a scrop away went he like the snuf of a candle Ishold here have told you how it poysoned Shaw so that now he is become a profest enemy of Jesus Christ how young Gray was tainted the Lord in mercy to his Church smore him that he died Thus some were restrained by imprisonment and some smitten to death and others turned professed enemies of Jesus Christ yet now there is sprung up three or foure in their stead whom the Father of lyes hath found for his purpose one Simpson a child whom he saw began to scorne the judgment of our grave Divines sits his tooth in this thing and like a child is carried abous with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 Then he finds out Randall that loves his 〈◊〉 bottle better than the eternall Law of God and instead of feeding the soules of his hearers he fils their bellies with sack especially the younger sore who came from him to their Father and make him let them in at one or two a clock in the night and he not knowing what is become of them they tell him saying â—o Father I have beene with Mr. Randall and we have had as much Sack as our bellies could hold This man walking in the spirit of falsehood and lies will prophesie of wine and of strong drinke then he shall be the Prophet of this people Micah 2.11 He will prophesie smooth things and deceits as they would have him Isa 30.10 Then the Divel fought for a third and found one Battey who loves their tenets dearly and he will bee licking when their lips drop of that hony combe and he hath a place of residence for greene aprons to come for satisfaction unknowne or at least unliking to his wife I proceed you say that I promise you a conviction but you doe bely me for I will not take upon me to convince stubborne hearts and obstinate sinners yet I say if this were well observed it might convince them Page 2. But if any receive any profit benefit or satisfaction let them give God the praise Now for the five tenets First you say you are justified in the sight of God before faith or calling and yet you say that I grant that the righteousnesse of Christ was purchased for all the Elect aswell before the comming of Christ in the flesh as afterward but you leave out vertually for beleivers for saith Paul Wee which have believed doe enter into rest but as for others the Lord hath sworne in his wrath that they shall never enter into his rest now marke although the workes were finished from the foundation of the world see Heb. 4.3 He was ordained before the foundation of the world and flaine vertually from the fall of Adam but for whom I answer For those who doe by him beleive in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.20.21 This well observed might convince Simpsons bold error maintained before the Assembly of Divines saying the people of God before Christ came in the flesh were saved for their sincere obedience to the morall Law of God And you say that I affirme that this purchase was actually paid above sixteene hundred yeares agon when Christ died in our nature for us actually and really on the Crosse all which I grant but will it follow hence that all the Elect have a true title to it because the purchase is payed when as they are uncapable to receive it for neither is Christ given to them nor they to Christ neither are they capable to enter into Covenant with Christ being dead in sin and having neither life nor motion in that condition Christ may come to his owne and his owne receive him not John 1.11 And the Ministers of Christ may beseech them in the name of Christ and yet not receive him till faith be given and they have an inward effectual calling by the spirit of God then
your other letter yet you afresh master up your affections to fight against your owne conscience and will maintaine against it that you were justified before you had either faith or calling your reason is because the purchase of it was paid 1600 yeares agon although no surrender of that righteousnesse was ever made unto you by Christ the purchaser of it nor ever yet received by you but to confirme this you say That Christ was made sin for us that wee might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 And so the just suffered for the uâ—just 1 Pet. 3.18 But is Christ made sinne in the abstract how then was he just when he suffered for the unjust and if he was a lump of sin by moulding or infusing our sin into him or if Christ tooke away the being of sin as Simon the Cyrenian tooke the substance and being of the Crosse clearly from his shoulders and laid it upon his owne then we should be just before he suffered and so by consequence hee died not for us but for himselfe being made a lump of sin in the abstract But if Christ were made sin it selfe how then could God love him before he suffered and say This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare him Mat. 3.17.12 18.15 Doth God love sin Oh damnable blasphemy Againe if Christ were made sin how came he into Heaven where no uncleane thing shall enter Revel 21.27 And how came he to Gods right hand Surely God hath no pleasure in wickednes neither shall evill dwell with him Ps 5.4 5. To say that Christ was made sin in the abstract is to make him worse than the Divell or any reprobate for they are the creatures of God and some good things are in them but so is not sin then you must be constrained to say Christ is not in Heaven or forced to say that although our sins were imputed to him yet was he the Lambe without spot of sin 1 Pet. 1.19 If the least sin had entred into his righteous soule the whole worke of Redemption had miscarried Then Iesus was onely made a surety for our sins Heb. 7.22 But still they remaine in us and are not in hiâ— as I have told you in my Booke Page 2 neither did Christ part with that righteousnes whereby we are justified and leave himselfe nothing but sin that righteousnes that makes us just remaines in him still else if you had stripped him and gotten all his righteousnes from him and left him to be nothing but a lump of sin how then could he be saved But is this your love to Christ you boast so much of to reproach and villefie him thus to be nothing but a lump of sin and so unjustly take the righteousnesse of the righteous from him and as Iob did so doe you condemne God that you may be righteous Job 40.8 In so doing yee degrade Christ of his God-Head and of his righteousnesse and all this to deifie your selves and then you say God sees no sin in you because that all your sins are put into Christ and so you have none for he is made sin for you in the abstract and you have gotten his righteousnesse and so you are righteousnes it selfe in the abstract oh cursed and hellish blasphemy you might have observed my Booke better and been convinced of this your errour for although Christ hath given to believers his righteousnes yet it remaines in him still and not in us and although our fins are given or charged upon him yet they remain in us still not in him Page 2. Then you would father soâ—e of your abhominable lies upon me in saying it were a foolish thing to think that the holy spirit of God should dwell where the Divel â—eignes and leads them Captive at his will yet that I should say such are all the Elect mincing my words as the Divell did when he tempted Christ leaving out a sentence and so doe you for you leave out till they are recovered out of the snare of the Divell 2 Tim. 2.26 But not afterwards God be thanked Yee were the servants of sin but now yee are the servants of righteousnesse Rom. 6.17.18 Then you belch out another damnable lie saying that I should affirme that all the Elect are made the righteousnes of God in Christ 1600 yeares agon although they were not borne but you are ashamed to name the page because you cannot yet such is your Sophistry to make contradictions where none is and double dealing in the sincerest heart and because that I say the guilt of originall sin is done away by Christ page 2 line 4 from this the spider sucks poyson and saith that I affirme that the being of sin is taken away when I onely say that the guilt is taken away but you not onely belie me but you belye David a man after Gods owne heart and Moses who was faithfull in all his house when they say I have sinned in the sight of God and my foolishnesse is not hid from thee all our iniquities are in the light of thy countenance Psal 51.4 69.5 90.8 Although they speake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Yet you say them that say God sees the sin of his people such belie the spirit of God but take heed how you give up your selfe to lying and blaspheaning the holy spirit of God lest your sin bee found unpardonable Then you say that you are not corrected for sin but this I have answered already in my other letter and that you know your condition from a bare testimony of the spirit of God this also I have answered already and to my Booke I refer you if you be not satisfied onely you say when two witnesses come together you must heare but one of them like some partiall Judge although God bid you to try all spirits aswell his owne as any other 1 John 4.1 Yet you like that branded reprobate King Ahaz you will not tempt the Lord to aske a signe this you say is to mistrust him but in this that you despise markes and signes you doe not onely weary men but you saith the Prophet weary my God also Isa 7.11 12 13. But if you weary him He wil ease him of his adversaries and avenge him of his enemies Isa 1 24. see Amos 2.13 14. Then you say that I affirme that the judiciall Law was ended in Christ which is another abominable lie see page 14. And because I say from the curse of the Law and from the reigne of sin wee are freed by Christ Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 From this the spider sucks poyson and saith that I affirme that we are not under the commanding power of the Law of God but under grace but read page 14 a little better Then you conclude saying if you could speake with me which is no extraordinary matter to doe then you could shew me some downe-right lies and nothing but contradictions and Scriptures most barborously racked and misapplied but not so much as one of them is named no not so much as that one that was brought in stead of forty in your other letter but it seemes that your conscience hath whipped you for setching that one that now you dare write none at all yet you encourage your self as the Syrians did when they were beaten by the God of Israel on the hills but they thought to beat him in the vallies but they were mistaken 1 Kings 20.23.28 So your conscience beats you now in your writing that you dare not set down those down-right lies but you think to be too hard for conscience and in spight of it you will tell me them when you come to speak with me But if your conscience condemne you God is greater than your conscience and knowes all things 1 John 3.20 Take heed of the judgment of God upon lyars 2 Kings 5.25.27 Acts 5.4.5.8.9 Revel 21.8 22.15 Then knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manisest in your consciences 2 Cor. 5.11.12 If they may but freely speake The Errata P. 1. l. 9. for the r. this p. 3 l. 9. for his r. and his p. 6. l. 20. for us r. as p. 9. l. 19. for low r. not l. 36. for as r. or p. 12. l. 2. for grace r. peace p. 13. l. 9. for distractions r. distinctions p. 14. l. 21 for people r. Prophet p 16 l. 15. for recovereth r. receiveth p 18. l 8. for tho r. the. p. â—2 l. 31. for proves r. grows p. 27. l. 10. for did mercy r. did it in mercy p. â—â— l 14. for every r. any l. 15. for ni r. â—n for ge r. age l. 20. for his r. this p. 32. l. 31 for Aypocâ— itâ— â— Hipocrites FINIS