I said I have sinned unto the Lord and thou puttest away the iniquity of my sinne This thus pre-required I call sanctification in semine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the direct Greeke for that word without which no man shall see God and consequently without which no man is justified for whosoever is so is in that condition at that minute that if hee dye in it hee cannot misse of glory Beside this notion of sanctification there is another for the acts and fruits and state of sanctification and that I acknowledge a consequent of justification and an effect of that grace that justifieth the ungodly And having added this I conceive I have clear'd the way to your last particular In which it seemes you tooke some exceptions which by what hath been said will appeare to bee your fault not the Authors of the Catechisme For 1 faith and workes are not confounded in the discourse of justification any otherwise then St. Iames and St. Paul confound them St. Paul saying Abraham was justified by faith and St. Iames by workes aud the way of the reconciling them punctually set downe there 2 What hee doth say of being justified by faithfull actions as it is after the very stile of St. Iames Abraham was justified by workes so doth the word by signifie onely a condition not an efficient And whereas you mention obedience to the whole Gospel constellation of Gospel-graces c. and thinke strange that they should bee affirmed the condition of justification you must remember that those phrases denote them onely in the seed or first life of all these proportionably to the first notion of sanctification and then I suppose you can make no scruple of that affirmation 3 You scruple that faith without the addition of such workes such obedience Evangelicall would bee affirmed unsufficient to justification Wherein perhaps you thinke workes signifies actuall performances but that is not the meaning of it in that place but the word is taken in another Scripture-acception of it for such obedience as the Gospel now requires and for that which the Story of Abraham once makes the thing on which hee was justified i. e. resolution to obey God in the sacrificing his Son not the actuall sacrificing of him this is there called in the Catech. page 35. Evangelicall obedience and is set as the explication of workes and without this I acknowledge to beleeve that faith would bee unsufficient to justifie meaning faith in any other notion but that which doth containe this receiving him as a King and giving up the obedience of the heart to him And you must give mee leave a little to wonder why you should add that the words following in that place are as bad or worse then the former and yet 't was but civility and prudence not to name them when they are but a direct citation of a place of Scripture Thus the same is called in a parallel place Faith consummate by love Gal. 5. 6. for so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by the Syriack The truth is the last thing by you excepted against was in effect a place of Scripture also Iam. 2. 22. Faith made perfect by workes set downe in some words of paraphrase and then this in the Galatians might be as bad or worse then that I shall mollifie the harsh phrase for you and adde more contrary to the Antinomians and Fiduciaries As for your disproving that doctrine I shall not need consider that because the doctrine is new set when it comes to bee disproved and in those termes which you see I acknowledge not for I doe not suppose the necessity of adding Evangelicall works unto that purpose and in that act to make faith the instrument of justification For 1 I acknowledge not faith an instrument of that any other then a morall instrument by which I expresse my selfe to meane a condition accepted by God to justification and a logicall or proper instrument of receiving Christ which Christ not which Faith justifies 2 Evangelicall workes in the notion wherein I surpose you now take them for fruits of faith performances of obedience I affirme not to bee either instrument or condition in the act of justification or to that purpose but I require them afterwards when occasions and opportunities of exercising that faith of performing those resolutions doe call for them And therefore 3 I make no scruple to acknowledge that wee are not justified by any righteousnesse inherent in us as I oft have said but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed Only that infusion of new righteousnesse which when 't is infus'd and rooted is inherent in us is the condition without which we shall not bee justified not taking it againe for the actuall performances or acts of righteousnesse Yet in the three last lines you have now againe changed your question and made it such an one that I cannot blame you not to bee ashamed to repeat your arguments or to maintain For I shall most joyfully conclude with you in the very words the truth of that you say you used those arguments to prove viz. That wee are justified by the obedience of Christ alone freely imputed by God applyed and rested on by Faith onely For whatever other qualifications be required as conditions in the subject 't is the worke onely of faith to apply in that sense i. e. to rest on Christ. And having so well agreed in the conclusion one would wonder how wee should so differ in the premises Certainely there was some fault some where Was not it a willingnesse to find faults in that Book that made it appeare so full of errours and a heat that might have been spared which turned the pulpit into a Pasquin or Morforius on which that Author was to be defamed That which I have now affirmed I am confident is the summe of what is said on that Point in more words and with more proofes and clearings in that Catechisme and not now minced or drest anew by your directions or for your palate Yet if it may now please you and you will ask God forgivenesse for your slandering of me and consider me so much as to think that that reputation was valuable to the Author which you unjustly laboured to rob him of I shall most heartily as I do already forgive you the injury so conclude this Paper and take leave of you and continue Munday night Oct. 19. 1646. Your Servant H. Hammond I desire to heare what opinion you have of this large trouble thus unexpectedly multiplyed upon my hands SIR I Am sent for away from hence in great haste to my deare Mother who is very sicke and so am forced to dictate to an ill Amanuensis if greater Letters then an e bee mistaken I must crave your pardon If you thinke fit to reply be pleased to seale up your notes and Mr. Wilkinson who lodges at Merton Colledge will convey them to Your Servant Fr. Cheynell Octob. 30. 1646. SIR I
laud and praise c. and that they are placed as wee place them by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. noting this Hymne to bee immediately before the consecration and to prepare men for it which the Liturgick Writers meane by calling it praefatio actionis hymnatio praecedens confirmationem sacramenti and so with us it is continued If I should proceed to give you any more arguments to perswade you that the Apostles did use set formes of publique divine Service and mention those formes to you I should hope but for little thankes from you and therefore shall abstaine from that profusion remembring that all that I am this minute about to prove is that I am not bound to shew you that Liturgy which was said to be formed in the Apostles times And having said this I suppose you will discern what my answer would bee if I were obliged by my former words to give you any as you see I am not to your other questions or for feare you should mistake againe I will ex abundanti return you my opinion To the third that hee doth To the fourth that they may I wish I could adde they alwayes doe but I am not obliged to that To the fifth that it is not if you meane by that very the same without any change but yet in the sense that Theseus his ship came home the same that it went out and is an instance in Logick of one notion of idem numero I conceive it if possible more then the very same having some of the same ribs remaining in it as even now I instanced and professe to bee perswaded by those Authorities when that is supposed to have never a one I have no occasion to add any more in answer to the Letter but to thanke Mr. Reynolds and you for your willingnesse to give mee directions about my first fruits though the truth is I am returned from London and did speake to my Brother to aske L. Gen. Cromwels assistance but Sir Henry Vane junior is not of that Committee Sir Henry Vane senior was in the Chaire and I delivered my case to him and hee fully consented to the justice of my request and then your saying Sir Henry Vane hath power to relieve me shall be ground of hope to me that he will NOw for the longer and so sadder part of my taske wherein you are not so curteous to me as you were in that concluding line of your Letter I must proceed to that In the entrance I must have leave to bee sorry that I have to deale with a man that will professe himselfe not much taken with that notion of Justice which I said obliged mee to desire an exact account in writing from you of that wherein that Author was nearly concerned and could no otherwise bee sure not to thinke any thing of you causelesly If this were not justice to you or may not yet bee beleeved so by you I despaire of ever doing any thing acceptable in your presence Our humours or our principles will be so contrary that whatever I shall say I shall have reason to suspect you will not bee much taken with it yet I shall farther adventure to give you one relation which will not onely cleare my former notion of justice to you but offer to your consideration whether there bee not somewhat due from you by that notion of justice or some other to that Author to others yea and to your selfe There fell out in some Lay-company in this Towne since your Sermon fore-mentioned a discourse Whether it were not lawfull to sweare so that that which was sworne were exactly true one of the company insisted rightly that it was not the other was confident it was and produced for it the Authority of that Author and to prove that againe said that the Preacher at St. Maries read it out of that Book Of the truth of this he was so confident that he presently resolved to make use of that liberty which he beleeved from your citation to bee the opinion of that Author more then his carnall heart did permit him to beleeve the truth of what you added if you did any thing besides the reproaching of that Author in confutation of that Doctrine and thereupon he swore a great Oath that that which was before him was a candlestick and perswaded himselfe that he had done no hurt in doing so Now Sir when I have againe told you and all the world that that Author hath written most strictly against swearing and onely differs from you in that question concerning the primary intention of the words of the old Commandement and said in plaine words 1 That idle foolish wanton using of Gods name which if it be not in oaths is lesse then swearing sure profane using of it which in all the editions was in and absolutely belonged to all kinde of unlawfull oaths might bee resolved to bee forbidden there by reduction And 2 That under Christ which againe I tell you belonged to all to whom that Catechisme could speake there is a totall universall prohibition of swearing it selfe making that as unlawfull now as perjury was before 3 That to sweare in ordinary conversation is utterly unlawfull 4 That all voluntary especially promissory oaths are now utterly unlawfull for a Christian. And 5 those voluntaries defined to be those that have their impellent or principle from my selfe when I have I say told you all this then for Gods sake ponder sadly with your owne heart in case that poore soule bee ever tormented in hell for that vaine oath as without Gods mercy upon repentance undoubtedly hee will how much you have to charge upon your selfe for giving him confidence that that Author had said what hee learnt from you especially seeing your Sarcasme in that phrase of the much admired Catechisme might tell you that it was possible some poore passionate sinfull creature might thus unhappily admire it I conjure you not to thinke there is any jest in this but beleeve from mee that I am able to produce the person that heard it and that had that care and love of piety and of truth and that particular knowledge of my detesting all oaths as to come in some passion to mee for satisfaction and that I have already seriously sent to disabuse the offender lest that sinne should bee laid to his charge which you have made that Book bee the occasion of and when you have laid this to your heart the God of all grace direct you to doe your duty in this particular I will not confute your opinion that I have stooped lower in my Rejoynder then I was in my Letter by begging what I did before but desire I will bee very willing to do so alwayes and shall yet bee more vile then so if that may perswade you to doe mee justice and yet it may bee observed that in your judgment to desire and request which I did before is so much lower then to beg which
bee more expresly cleared I could not divine and had liberty to use my own method This onely I know that inclinations to sin are there exprest to bee sins and that clearely enough that hee may discerne it who hath so much leisure from quarrelling as to bewaile them And indeed you need not tell me what dangerous consequences have been inferred from doubtfull expressions in Catechismes c. For I have an example before mine eyes of one that will inferre those consequences from one word in such a Booke that the whole sense of the place contradicts directly as much as sin and no sin are contradictories and then 't is but reason a man were allow'd pardon and not triumph'd over presently for being willing when 't is by anothers fault become so necessary to explaine And so much for the third report The fourth that about faiths being whether a condition or instrument of Iustification I cannot observe by your words that you have at all insisted on in either assembly for though you deny it not yet also you affirme nothing as in the two former which you owne and as in the last you are pleased to doe Either then you spake to this particular and then although it bee a fault in you not to acknowledge it yet till I am sure of it and that my reputation is concerned in it I have no reason farther to importune you or else you did not speake to it and consequently did mee no injury in that particular and then I truly cannot accuse you having no authority that you did worth my depending on and that which I had contradicted by others as the other of the Trinity which proved untrue and so the rather inclines mee to beleeve that this is so also On these grounds I have no temptation to adde more to this matter because the whole businesse which brought us now together was to vindicate my selfe from and that made it necessary for me to know what had been your accusations and not to render you at this time which I can spend much more profitably to my selfe and others an account of my faith save onely where you have calumniated it Yet because it is possible that the questions here proposed by you may through some mistake or ignorance of the grounds that I goe on bee matter of some scruple to you and it may bee my duty to prevent those mistakings I have now thought fit to tell you what is the generall ground that I build on in this matter by analogy to which you may forme an answer to those questions and reconcile those seeming differences which you may have taken notice of My grounds are these 1 That justification is divine acceptation and pardon of sin 2 That the mercy of God through the satisfaction and merits of Christ is the sole cause of this justification 3 This worke of justification is of such a nature consisting meerly in Gods pronouncing us just accepting and pardoning a worke of God without us upon us concerning us but not within us that consequently nothing within us can have any reall proper efficiency in this worke for then that whatever it is must bee said to justifie i. e. to accept and pardon which nothing in us can be said to doe though but minus principaliter secundario or realiter instrumentaliter for if it had any such efficiency there might in strict speaking be some reall vertue or force in that thing and that proportionable to the effect in some measure at least it must act virtute primae causae and by the impulsion of that might immediately produce the effect which any even grace as it is in us hath not force enough to doe For either it must doe it as an inferiour meritorious cause subordinate to Christs merits or as an inferiour efficient cause subordinate to Gods pardoning and accepting and then as I said that must pardon and accept also immediately though not principally as the knife cuts immediately though the hand or the man principally 4 This work of grace in God through Christ thus justifying is not every mans portion some qualification or condition there is required in the subject in the person whose sinnes God will thus pardon in Christ or without which God that justifies the sinner will not yet justifie the impenitent infidell the promises of God though generall being yet conditionall promises and the promise of pardon being one of them as shall be proved at large if you thinke fit 5 This condition is set downe in severall phrases in the Scripture Conversion Repentance Regeneration but especially receiving of Christ faith in the heart an embracing of Christ the whole Christ taking him as our Priest whose sacrifice and whose intercession to depend on as our King whose throne to bee set up in our hearts as our Prophet to submit our understandings to his doctrines and captivate them to the obedience of faith 6 This grace of faith hath mauy excellent offices and efficiencies one principall one laying hold on the promises laying hold on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others also of subduing the passions mortifying lusts overcomming the world In all these being workes wrought in us by God principally instrumentally by this grace Faith is an efficient But all this doth not at all conclude it to bee in any propriety of speech an efficient or any kinde of logicall proper cause in the act of justification because there is no need of any such God being ready to doe his worke to performe his promise i. e. to justifie the penitent beleever and whensoever by his grace that qualification is wrought in the heart or there but truly rooted God pronounces that man just I have out of my heart set downe my sense which I suppose you will finde every where scattered in the Booke I desire not that it may prove a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between us in case there bee any word hastily let fall which though to mee that understood my owne meaning it bee plaine to you especially if you delight to bee captious may want explication but yet I would bee glad to heare if there bee any poyson in any of these propositions and whether and wherein I am mistaken If not I suppose you will be able to answer all your twelve quaeries out of these premises or discerne that it was impertinent to aske them these grounds being thus supposed I shall I think onely need to adde that as soone as ever this new creature hath life in him at the first cordiall receiving the whole Christ in vow or resolution sincere i. e. at the first minute of conversion thus to God the person is justified not one of those in time after the other but in order of nature as naturally the condition must be undertaken before the Covenant belongs to mee but at what minute soever this is done God puts away his wickednesse c. I have sinned saith David and the Lord hath put away thy sinne saith Nathan
that Christ came to fill up the Law say you first hee rehearses the old Law and thereby confirmes it and then annexes his new Law to it What say you who is blindfold now is not this undeniable 4 You speak too doubtfully page 95. when you say that Christ under the Gospel gives higher or plainer promises you should speak with more resolution in a Practicall Catechisme 1 There was Gospel under the Law and the Spirit was ministred to all the elect then during the time of legall administrations divers Jewes were penitent beleevers and therefore under the second Covenant before Christ came in the flesh 2 The promises were plaine enough to them that were endued with the Spirit as is evident by the Apostles discourse in the 11 Chap. to the Hebrewes they were so plaine that they saw them were perswaded of them and embraced them though the thing promised the Incarnation of Christ was farre off yet their light was so cleare and eye of faith so strong that they beheld Christ afarre off 3 Wee have no higher promise then that of being heires and co-heires with Christ in glory and they had the promise of eternall life the promise of being blessed for ever in Jesus Christ. 4 The ceremonies which you say had nothing good in them did direct to Christ and therefore there was this good in them that they did by Gods ordinance and blessing direct the elect of God under that dispensation unto Christ in whom they were to enjoy all-sufficient and everlasting good things in glory 5 No sinne was able actually to damne penitent beleevers during the time of legall administrations And therefore I wonder at your discourse in the 95 page Pray Sir is there any veniall sinne 6 You speake too faintly when you call the Evangelicall discoveries before Christ glimmerings of light and insert the scepticall perhaps page 95. of your Pract. Catech. Sir there is no perhaps no hap-hazard in this businesse Jesus Christ was sufficiently discovered during the time of Leviticall administrations to all the elect for their everlasting salvation 7 When you speake of the glimmerings of the Gospel you say these things were not universally commanded to all under threat of eternall punishment but onely recommended to them that will doe that which is best and so see good dayes c. Observe 1 That you doe here by consequence assert that there were counsells of perfection under the Law I will not say workes of supererogation but the Jewes were it seems encouraged to doe somewhat more then was commanded 2 Will you say that to beleeve in the promised seed to circumcise their hearts mortifie their lusts reforme their lives walke in new obedience was more then was commanded in the time of the Leviticall dispensation 3 Will you say that the Jewes were not obliged to beleeve in the promised seed circumcise their hearts and the like under threat of eternall punishment I might enlarge but by your answer to these few proposalls I shall be able to understand your obscure Catechisme doe not say that there is a Sarcasme in the Epithet I hope you will now confesse that you did contend for new precepts and therefore you recant once more if you will bee satisfied with new light Sir counsells give new light but you say the superadditions in the fifth of Matthew are all commands and not counsells onely and you endeavour to prove it ex professe page 96. Surely the same things were commanded of old then these are but imaginary superadditions as I called them but if they bee superadditions and not onely counsells but commands they are new precepts and therefore you did not contend for new light onely but for new precepts By this little that hath been said it is cleare that you had some weighty superstructure to lay upon this ample foundation of new precepts or else you did but sweat and toyle in laying the foundation that you might have your labour for your paines which you are too wise to doe Sicnotus Vlysses All that I desire is that you would alter from worse to better for I joyne with you in professing that such an alteration doth declare amiable and imitable qualities Finally if you contend not for new precepts then acknowledge that the super-additions you dreamt of were as I said imaginary and I must remember you that the third Commandement which is out of question the command of God and Christ and the holy Ghost will by Gods blessing bee most prevalent to restraine men from foolish or wanton using of the name of God in assertory oaths or any other idle using of Gods name when they doe not sweare What I said of Criticismes was no Sarcasme I did but remember you that Critiques are apt to thinke themselves so farre above other men that they doe usually contemne the serious admonitions of poore Countrey Preachers But as high as the Critiques thinke themselves I hoped that you would not thinke them mounted to the highest heaven and therefore called it a lower heaven You tell mee That you doe onely desire to study the morall Law as you finde it delivered from the second Mount in your last return page 14. So say the men whom you cry out upon the Antinomians and they give this for a reason because the Law of God published on mount Sinai doth not in their opinion oblige beleevers But you goe beyond them in the next page pag. 15. and imply that no unbeleever is obliged under paine of damnation to observe the morall Law Your words are to this effect That Christ who gives more grace then was brought into the world by the Law of Moses or nature hath disburdened all men of that sad yoke that lay on the Iewes and is content to accept of sincere without not-sinning obedience 1 I desire to know what grace was brought into the world by the Law of Moses Doth not the Apostle say that grace came not by Moses but by Christ onely 2 How doe you prove that all men I meane every one of mankinde is put under the second Covenant I suppose that is your meaning because in your Pract. Catech. page 5. you affirme That Christ did satisfie for all the sinnes of all mankinde and that all other parts of the second Covenant are consequent and dependent on that And therefore I conceive that in your opinion there is a revelation of the Law of faith made a pardon granted and sufficient grace given to every one of mankinde to performe what is necessary now under the second Covenant because you acknowledge that these are mercies made over in Christ by the second Covenant in the selfe same page and to whom are the mercies made over but to them for whose sinnes Christ hath satisfied 3 I desire to know how Christ could disburthen any man or satisfie for the sinnes of any one according to your opinion if he did onely exercise the office of an Aaronicall Priest by his sacrifice For it is certain